Chance upon a sikdang just outside the walls of Naganeup-seong that serves a generous number of delicious side dishes with my main order, kimchi tchigae. But the service is wanting. Perhaps because I’m clearly a single female, not from one of the OECD countries, the waitress doesn’t bother to transfer the side dishes onto the table but plonks the tray down. A group of halbeojis who come in after me are treated with more courtesy. Never mind. Perhaps they’re locals and know her employer or parents personally.
What gets me a little more irritated is the presumptuousness of one of the gentlemen. Without so much as an “Excuse me, do you mind?” ( Yes, indeed, I do mind!), he switches off the TV in the corner which happens to be showing a Sunday TV programme with people consulting experts on the value of their family ‘heirlooms’ and antiques. Never mind, I mutter to myself for the second time. Concentrate on the meal and relish the side dish of my favourite beo-sot ( mushrooms) and the other vegetables. Learning to assume that such joints provide complimentary coffee if you know how to ask for it ( Service pronounced Sur-bee-seu).
After the satisfying lunch, there’s time to gawk at what the street vendors are selling: roasted chestnuts, different kinds of grains, persimmons, apples, pears, music cassettes, long johns for the winter ahead. Hear the sounds of a traditional military band made up of ajummas decked out in bright uniforms. Are they part of the local populace roped in to add more colour to the atmosphere for the benefit of tourists or are they filming some scene for a period drama?
After all, Naganeup-seong has been used as an outdoor location for for the popular and highly-rated drama series, “Jewel in the Palace” or “Dae-jang-geum”. For instance, the episode in which the hero enters a village stricken with an infectious disease to help the heroine was filmed here. It turns out that musical performances are regular weekend events here. I follow my ears and find my way to the village field where a group of samul-nori performers have been attracting a small crowd with their lively percussion music and their twirling tassels.
Source:
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_6.jsp
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