July 18 was a very full day indeed. After rehearsal and a festive lunch, the entire group visited a recreation of a Korean Folk Village, and the day ended — appropriately — with a traditional Korean dinner.
The folk village encompasses 243 acres, with more than 260 buildings representing the different regions of Korea, keeping alive the culture of the later Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
We enjoyed exhibitions of traditional blacksmithing, farming, paper making, wood carving, building, and many other arts and crafts. We were treated to a marvelous exhibition of equestrian feats and enjoyed a recreation of a traditional wedding ceremony.
- Brave young horsemen
Hand-carved masks were available for sale in several sizes
- Recreation of a traditional wedding ceremony
An then, to dinner.
The entire group of over a hundred fit into two rooms, with the food served family-style to groups of four. The recipes were unaltered to accommodate Western tastes, and so a few dishes were a bit challenging. But there was such a constant flow of food I don’t think anyone went back to the hotel hungry. Dean Blocker made a surprise presentation of a Yale School of Music watch to everyone in the group. For this, and for arranging such a fabulous dinner, he was applauded enthusiastically.
Early on in the meal, the tables were neatly arranging with small plates, earthenware cups for drinking, and servings of cabbage, fish, noodles, and a few other delicacies.
By the end of the meal, you could barely see the table for the accumulation of plates and bowls.
