ULSAN WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL

ULSAN WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL

I went to Ulsan with some friends from Changwon to go to the Ulsan World Music Festival. 

Ulsan

Ulsan

There were also some Korean cultural events at the festival

Making Rice Cake

Making Rice Cake

This festival included not only many kinds of international music, but also many kinds of international food. 

Pictured (l-r): Anna, Danielle, Me and Lauren

Pictured: (l-r): Naz and Me (and Sri Lankan chicken and rice)

I saw a Hungarian group perform called Parno Graszi, featuring some of the most impressive ham-boning I've ever seen. It was a little gypsy-ish. They had some fiddle and some accordion. I thought about what a trip it must be for this band out of Hungary to be flown out all the way to South Korea and playing for an auditorium full of smiling and clapping Koreans.

Next I saw a Spanish flamenco guitar trio called Duquende, featuring a member who played a box he was sitting on.

I also saw the Korean group wHOOL. It was a mix of modern instruments as well as traditional Korean instruments. They were my favorite band I saw there. 

wHOOL

wHOOL

wHOOL

Next was Windy City, the Korean reggae band featuring a didgeridoo. Having lived in Eugene, OR, I can say that this was the most marijuana-less reggae concert featuring a didgeridoo, perhaps in human history.

Windy City

Windy City

Next was Babylove & the van Dangos from Denmark. It was kind of feel goody jammy music.

Next we went to the party tent and Chinese group Pet Conspiracy, followed by several DJs and a lot of dancing.

Pet Conspiracy

The original plan was to camp in the park (not really allowed). I didn't have a sleeping bag, I figured if I just wore a winter hat and a fleece I would be fine. I was wrong and freezing. I woke up at 3AM shivering. I got in a cab put the word "nearby" into my translator app and told the driver "jimijilbang." I stayed the night there. They gave me little pajamas to sleep in. In the morning I woke up, got a shower and got out of Ulsan.

On my way out I walked past a McDonalds that did McDonalds breakfast. I ordered a sausage biscuit meal, sat and ate it. I looked back at the menu and saw that they had hotcakes that looked very good. Also I figured, in Korea, where am I going to get pancakes. So I finished my meal, got up from my table and shamelessly walked back to the counter to order some hotcakes.