A man has feelings

Three recent things that created in me an emotional reaction. Two of these three things were plays. These had subtitles while the third thing involved a translator.

I saw the traveling Broadway production of Rent in Seoul and it was amazing. The cast was great and the music was soaring. I was totally swept up in the joy and sorrow of the show and got to see a bunch of Korean people cheering for two black guys making out. The show had subtitles projected on big screens on both sides of the stage and it was of great interest to me which words in English the subtitlers thought Koreans would understand. "Sexy", "hot", and "sweat" all made the cut.

I saw another play in Seoul called Pleasant Hotel. This was a Korean show, in Korean, about the "comfort women" during the Japanese occupation. This was powerful drama and it illuminated for me a history of which I was mostly unaware. Thank goodness for the subtitles in English. Awesome performances by the four women who portrayed different responses to forced prostitution. One of those shows you walk out of and have nothing to say. Just thoughts and feelings.

Finally last week we had parent/teaching conferences. I had heard a lot about how involved Korean parents are in their kids' educations, but meeting and discussing in person was incredible. Now that I'm writing this, it's hard to explain why exactly this experience was so affecting, but by the end of it I was the happiest I've been since coming here. I felt affirmed in everything I am doing and the reasons I'm doing it for.