Musical Scenery and Greenery

This past Saturday I attended a magical rave in a theme park by a forest and mountain. As part of a Groovenation promotion, Seoul Land (aptly and clearly creatively named) was decided as the host environment for 2 days of Dj-ing, supporting both local and international talent. Having befriended a local Korean who works for the sponsoring production company, entrance to this event was free of charge.

While the sun remained in the sky, several Djs mixed tracks by the pool and waterslides, which was interesting due to the volume of both the under 30 crowd as well as the family-at-the-park crowd. Interesting to note was the style of beats; electro breaks and funky drum 'n bass. These musical styles are not common in Korea, or even in Canada for that matter. My dance skill was tested severely due to the aquatic handicap, however, rockin' the Casbah stops for no impediment. Then we bought plastic swords.

As evening drew closer, we tried our hand at archery. For about $2, the attending employee offers a compound bow and 10 arrows. Needless to say, this particular event was completely and systematically OWNED. We were rewarded with a righteous stuffed camel for our legendary efforts. With Robin Hood-ing completed, we sought further questing.

Somewhat aimlessly lurking around the park, we came across children of various ages heading home with their families, as the majority of the park rides were closing. At this time, I skillfully noticed that many of them sported plastic swords similar to mine. Insulted by their plagiarism, I challenged such foes to a duel, and one one occassion, all 4 at once. My celebrated prowess with a blade was introduced to the unsuspecting juveniles, however, having already consumed a pirate's ransom in ale coupled with a penchant for wearing sunglasses at night, I was repeatedly stabbed and assaulted, despite having clearly already won the battle.

It was at this time that we were assuaged by the hypnotic allure of the Dj area. Clearly, the synchopated rhythms and tightly timed break-beats spoke"come to my thumping bassline...". The theatre itself hosted a dance floor reminiscent of a large chessboard. The theatre auditorium also had no roof, and so while offering chairs and a large dance floor, there was an open sky and fresh air. Tequila was $100 a bottle, so we were forced to procure one. The ensuing installment of Dance-a-thon 2006 would have pleased Dionysis immensely.

At around 4am, we made the decision (I think) to return home. Having remembered how we arrived, it was a relatively simple matter to determine how to return via the same route. After walking for about 40 minutes, we realized that this mission was a miserable failure. Procuring a cell phone with juice left, we called Sunny for assistance. And then a cab came and the escape to a soft bed and huge feast was made possible. However, waking up for orchestra the next day was a marathon struggle of Olympian performance and pedigree.

And now another week of teaching begins, presenting all of the usual obstacles and regular challenges, yet after spending a great deal of time becoming involved with sporadic and illogically structured events, this type of standardization and scheduling is almost a welcome relief. Almost.