Fieldwork summary in Seoul
Are we living true to ourselves, or are we just acting out a prepared scenario?
Seoul is a mix of old and new with a large river of Hans that flows through the city centre. The south side of the Han River is undertaking redevelopment with high-rise buildings, however in the old town on the north side, there are areas consist of old buildings such as shopping arcades and multi-tenant buildings. After experiencing a crowded train on the subway, we first visited an old local market.
Gwangjang Market is a shopping street packed with various shops, including clothing stores. Since many of the shops are privately owned, the personality of the shop owner is apparent throughout the store, and he/she behaves as if it’s their home. At the antique market, there were amateur shopkeepers who opened their shops only on Saturdays and Sundays, including some unique shopkeepers who showcases a collection of their favourite things. On the other hand, the behaviour of clerks in commercial facilities operated by major companies such as Hyundai Department Stores is trained through manuals. Every clerk responds to customers in a same way, keeping their personality hidden. Among them, the women who work in the basement of the department store left us with quite an impression. Although they are in uniforms, their posture and movement reveal their individuality, a reminiscent of a working “eomeoni” (mother) at home or at a local restaurant in the city.
In Hangang Park along the river, many people roll out their picnic rugs and enjoys the weekend. The park also provides areas for people to put up their own tent. Visitors spent time in the park as they wish, by sitting under the shade of a tree with family and friends or enjoy reading books while lying down. Tadashi said that if he had been surrounded by public spaces where he could behave freely like this during his childhood, he might not have pursued to dance.
The two Chinese dancers focused on the differences in the behaviour of men and women on the streets. They got the impression that many people, especially young people, are concerned about their “appearance”, and that many of their clothes are conscious of masculinity and femininity. A young male Korean dancer said that he sometimes feels pressured to the notion of “men should be kind to women” or men should “put his hands around her waist as he walks down the street on a date.” While expressing one’s own identity through fashion, it also seems to be strongly influenced by the values and impression of what should be done in society, hence acting out prepared scenarios. Even if we feel that we are living true to ourselves by using our individual minds to choose our own paths, perhaps our lives are prevailed by the great trends of the times.
