Nanta, like Fanta-Stick, is a live performance that incorporates drumming, humor, and various antics that are essentially Korean. Unlike Fanta-Stick, though, Nanta is about cooking and there are no ghosts. Four chefs have only an hour to create an extensive menu of wedding foods, and they are easily sidetracked by their own rhythmic knife skills, some flirting, and an in-group rivalry. There's lots of flamboyant vegetable chopping followed by clumsy cartoony clean up scenes that ultimately result in men stuck in trash cans or unfortunate backside broom accidents. There's even full audience participation, during which an ajumma on our left was called out for consistently clapping at the wrong time. It was all hilarious and confounding.
On Sunday, we went out to Jamsil for a baseball game. Korean baseball is very similar to American baseball, but Korean baseball fans are quite different. They all have inflatable thunder sticks used for corporate noisemaking and choreographed cheering. Each batter for the home team had an accompanying video package and theme song, and we joined in on the chanting for home runs ("Kim Hyun-Soo Home Run!"). Each successful hit or completed play was met with an explosion of acclamation. It made for a lot of excitement.
Nanta box office. We got 50% off because our home country had a World Cup game that night. So, even though team USA lost, we won.
Nanta stage.
COOKIN' NANTA.
Dan and some utensils.
This temporary building was set up exclusively for some World Cup activities. There was a locker room, maybe for taking pictures? And there was a screening room for watching games. We don't know what the line was for, but I think maybe they were giving away t-shirts.
Something I sort of like about Korea is how everything just happens out in the open.
Post-Nanta coffee and milk shakes.
We sat and played Trivial Pursuit on Dan's iPod. That was fun until I lost for no reason.
A succulent. 1865.
Some buildings in Myeongdong. I like Myeongdong more every time we get over there.
An ivied building in Hongdae on our walk home.
We walked around town for a while, so I could start a project that I'll post about soon. Discarded street lamps.
This flower has ants in its pants. On the bottom is graffiti in a Hongdae garage.
At the baseball game. Ajummas selling standard baseball food - kimbap and dried sea animals. There were also vendors with boxed chicken meals.
The Doosan Bears and the LG Twins share this stadium.
Trying to figure out the photo op.
Dan with our kimbap.
The stadium.
The thunder sticks.
#36 showing dedication.
Pitch.
Hustle Doo. Several hustle doos happened during the game; they kept a tally on the big screen. I think it refers to stolen bases.
The Koreans in front of us came prepared. Even still, Korrine's boyfriend Dave caught a signed ball with his bare hands, but I did not get a picture of it.
Doosan cheerleaders.
This is not our food. We ate Burger King. I have since been informed that the freak show on the right is blood sausage.
One of Dan's sticks caught a leak, but he was able to exchange it for a new one.
Lights.
And cameras.
Another go at the photo zone.
Pitching softball style. I'm pretty professional.
Burger King stadium delivery.
These kids got engaged.
Streamers.
Volunteer flag flyers.
Pitching practice in the outfield.
-Serenity
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