Kim Ri Hae, Kim Dong-won, Suzanna Samstag Oh and KL at the "Encounters with SamulNori" Panel at the International SamulNori Symposium (January 9, 2009).
I was asked to summarize my own "Encounter with SamulNori" at the beginning of the panel, speaking as a former Overseas Coordinator for SamulNori, and also as a current researcher.
It seems that I've fallen into a regular rhythm of having very intense beginnings to each month here. January has been no exception, and this week's theme is now of "process and recharge." I have a great deal of writing to attend to, in any case, and so the current interlude seems to be just right for me at the moment...
Last Friday, I participated in an International SamulNori Symposium at the National Museum of Korea. The symposium brought together academics, journalists, and important members in the SamulNori community to reflect on the 30th Anniversary of SamulNori's founding. I was asked to moderate a panel called "Encounters with SamulNori," where I would interview three prominent figures in the SamulNori community - Suzanna Samstag Oh (first Managing Director of SamulNori), Kim Dong-won (former Education Director of SamulNori), and Kim Ri Hae (dancer, and wife of Kim Duk Soo) - and inquire as to how these "encounters" led to life-changing experiences. I gladly accepted the offer - thinking that this would be an interesting methodological approach of conducting a public group interview, and also primarily because these kinds of stories are intimately tied to my own research on SamulNori reception.
To my surprise, I found out late on Tuesday afternoon that the panel would have to be conducted entirely in Korean! I had a stressful few days of frenzied preparation with a little help, and then I somehow managed to get through it on Friday afternoon without any major problems. Actually, the panelists said they felt as if the 2 hours had flown by and that they enjoyed the panel. (I think the audience liked this one the best, too.) But on my own end (although I found the interviews to be rich, fascinating, and a springboard for further discussions), the experience brought into relief my perpetual insecurities with Korean language proficiency. I know I've come a long way since the days of only being able to say "인사말" ("greetings") in Korean - but I still felt miles away from where I'd like my language skills to be.
There were additionally other sources of stress at the symposium that I won't go into here for professional reasons, but I'll just say that Friday's event made me think even more seriously about the politics and positionalities entangled in ethnographic work.
5 comments:
wow, pretty intense day! Good job getting through it, Katherine. It must have been very interesting, not only because of the topic itself, but as you said, because of the political intricacies typically underlying scholarly production in Korea - and elsewhere of course. I was very happy to talk to you through Andy the other day. I miss you and hope I will see you soon in Korea. Finally, I am not teaching so I have some time now for my manuscript, for painting, for cooking and for... Mayu! I applied for CNRS again and maybe I will for this job in Belgium...
thanks for the comment, elise! yes, it was lovely talking to you too. and, it's funny about timing - since i've now read your e-mail. congrats on getting the job at harvard after all!
Oh, you know!!? Andy must have talked to you... :)
Interesting blog. Very serious style, yet easy to read.
why thank you. ;)
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