Memorial Day in Sentral Park
Happy Memorial Day! If we were in America, we’d have had the day off. But alas, I worked 1-9. At least it was a good day. I taught some nice, smart middle schoolers in drama, music, and the new afternoon activity of yoga. I like being yoga instructor. Korean kids are extremely overworked, and an opportunity to help them take a deep breath and relax is welcomed.
English Village is such a beautiful place, and it is often the set for Korean films, tv shows, photo shoots, music videos and advertisements. All day long, the walkway behind our apartment leading to the fountain in front of the Concert Hall has been abuzz with big trucks, workmen on scaffolds hoisting massive lighting rigs, people setting props for a nighttime commercial shoot. I saw a woman setting up a street sign that read “Sentral Park”. I pointed it out to a Korean man near me. “It’s supposed to be a ‘C’,” I explained as I made a ‘C’ with my hand. He ran off to tell someone.
Tonight Adam and I stopped by with our friend Nolan to watch ten amazon models in evening gowns peer lustily into the camera. One girl half laid on the ground, arms around the sign still reading ‘Sentral Park’, another perched on a classic old car, another peered from a red phone booth. “Action!” and a massive fan began to blow back their hair as someone off camera threw pearl necklaces at the women. The models took five long steps forward as they reached jealously for the girl in the red dress who was front and center. Serious drama. And then another take and another take. Ridiculous. We couldn’t stop watching.
Filming will continue through the night as we listen to the director bark into the microphone “hana, dul, set” (1, 2, 3) outside our window… another take and another take until the sun comes up and they strike the set for another day at English Village.
-Jessica
