We've been preparing for weeks. I was, against my wishes and better judgment, named banjang (반장 班長), or class leader, which meant it was my responsibility to make sure that we chose a song and organized practice sessions. (I did have help -- one of my classmates was named vice-banjang.) Many of the classes chose to do Korean pop songs, but we opted for a cute children's song called Kokkiri Ajeosshi 코끼리 아저씨 "Uncle Elephant", about an elephant who falls in love with a whale; they get married in an underwater ceremony attended by a bevy of sea creatures.
Most classes were able to get their music at a noraebang 노래방, or singing room. I'll write more about those in a future post.
The big contest was held this past Thursday in the main auditorium at the Language Institute. This is the first group, performing under the large banner bearing the name of the event.
Here we are getting ready for our turn on the stage:
Highly coordinated dance moves:
I'm carrying a picture of an octopus, the officiant at the wedding:
Marriage proposals:
The big finish, a rather chaotic chorus line:
Each group was briefly interviewed after their performance. I was asked if everyone had practiced diligently. I responded in halting Korean that everyone had studied hard. Oh well.
You can hear one version of the song here.I and the other second-level banjang were rewarded for our efforts with gifts. This is what I got.
Sigh.
