Buddhist Temple Stay

Temple Stay Trip



Among the popular things to do in Korea, one of the most interesting and unusual is to participate in a
Temple Stay. I booked mine though “Adventure Korea” on a long weekend. As the weekend approached the weather was unusually rainy. This isn’t the nice misty Portland rain that we have in Oregon. This is rain that comes down fast and furious, and leaves one soaked though in minutes!

The day before my trip I checked the weather and it looked like the rain was here to stay for awhile. I threw some extra clothes in my bag, my camera, some toiletries and a small towel. The trip didn’t leave too early which I was grateful for, and always am on a weekend. I got up at about 6 and left for the subway at about 6:45 so that I would be at the proper spot in the city where the pick-up was scheduled with a few minutes to spare. As it turned out I arrived about 25 minutes early and the rain was still sloshing down. I bought a coffee at a local chain and was once again reminded that Koreans prefer very weak coffee. I sipped it while chatting with a couple who was also going on the same tour. At a bit before 8 I went up the subway stairs and, standing under a flap of metal, waited for the bus. Those of us who were waiting were getting wet shoes and pants already. At about quarter past eight the bus rolled up. It was a very nice, newer bus, unlike the hippie bus that was my conveyance on the last trip that I took through this company. I sat by a nice young woman who was just finishing her two year experience of teaching in Korea. She was going to meet her mother in a week and they were taking six weeks to travel in Australia and New Zealand before they headed back to Toronto together. Other people were from as far away as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, but Americans and Canadians made up most of the group. After about an hour and a half the bus stopped for a rest/snack stop and those who weren’t wet before were soaked by the time we got to the snack area. I got some delicious little hot potatoes that were served in a little paper dish. As I stood by one of the five foot high heaters in this area, along with everyone else, I ate the potatoes which were tasted just great. By the time our clothes were all steaming pretty well, it was time to head back to the bus.

We drove on in the mist and fog and gloom for several hours. Finally our bus began to ascend a mountainside and in only a few minutes we were above the rain! A few minutes later we arrived at the temple complex. We got off at a central area and I busied myself by taking some photos since I didn’t know whether we would be allowed to once we changed our clothes and our lifestyle. I also wanted to get a few snapshots then in case the rain decided to move up the hill later on in the day. We were given our temple stay clothes on hangers. Then we were instructed to gather our clothes and bags and walk quietly, in single file to the sleeping rooms. The walk was very pretty as we completely crossed the temple complex, passing a number of buildings before we went slightly downhill. We crossed a small bridge in a bamboo grove that took us across a stream to our living quarters. The men stayed in one building and the women in another. Our room was long and narrow and linoleum covered the floor. It was cold! We quickly put on our pants, tied at the front, and our jackets also secured by ties, over our warm outdoor clothes, which we were permitted to do. The fabric was rough and felt like flax. The garments proved to be quite warm so were a welcome addition to our other gear.

Next we were shown the restroom area. After that the men were recruited to cut and stoke the fires for the “ondal” heating in both sleeping areas. That was one time when I was glad that traditional roles are the norm in Korea. I was happy to stand back and watch the young guys struggle with the axes and the enormous chunks of wood set in front of them. In a pretty short time the floor heated up and subsequently the rooms warmed as well.

The entire group met in the women’s room which was much larger and was also meant to be used as a meeting area for everyone in our group during the day. There were about 10 men and 19 women, all of whom were under 25 except three of us. Of the remaining three of us two were under 30! The monk who was to be our teacher and guide met with us there. As a Buddhist monk he wore a traditional robe and footwear, heavy black glasses and had a shaved head. We were all a bit nervous and in awe of him because he commanded quite a presence in front of his group of novices. We sat in an oval pattern, with the monk at the one end with his translator sitting next to him. He gave a formal welcome to us and talked about temple life. He reminded us to always have our temple clothes on when going out of our sleeping room, to walk in single file, to use the walking time as reflection and meditation, and to keep our hands folded in front of us. We got to practice these directions a number of times in the next 24 hours. Then he went on to have us introduce ourselves which took a while since everything was translated. He asked us why each of us had chosen to come to participate in the “Temple Stay.” I enjoyed hearing what each person had to say and felt a bit nervous sharing my thoughts. He was very thoughtful after I spoke and then replied that my answer was like poetry. I guess I can thank the translator for that!

The next scheduled activity was to make lotus lanterns. As the monk told us the importance of the lotus in the Buddhist religion we glued colored paper to make lotus lanterns to take home as mementos of our visit. It was a nice activity because we sat in small groups and visited with one another while working on our individual creations.

After our session was completed we had some time to walk around the temple complex and to take photos. I also noticed that there were a number of Koreans who had come to the temples for day trips, to enjoy the hiking trails and to pray in the temples. The buildings were built out of heavy timbers and were painted very gaily in bright colors, with designs on the rooftops that were reminiscent of temple roof design in Indonesia and Thailand. I was hoping to find some designs similar to the wall on one of the temples in my Ginseng Festival tour, at an ancient temple that we had visited after the ginseng festivities had been completed. Though there were many intriguing designs I couldn’t find one wall that had such a dramatic painting as at the former temple from a prior trip. It covered the whole wall, and had figures that resembled men standing in a boat. They had grossly distended stomachs and wavy lines were used to draw the vertical lines on their throats. I had learned lated that the figures in that painting were called “Death Eaters.” Eerie!

Too soon it was time to line up to go into the eating area. There was a door to the room and the area was heated. We lined up first outside to wash our hands. We were shown which tables we could sit at and which ones were reserved for the monks. There were almost 100 monks at this temple, but one only saw a few at a time so I never would have gauged this to house so many men. We were also instructed that we were to eat absolutely every morsel, including each rice grain that we served ourselves. We were told that we could have seconds if we finished what we ate. We were to eat in silence and to take care not to scrape our utensils on our dishes. The fare was simple Korean food which included a watery soup with some sprouts in it, white sticky rice, and several vegetables, one similar to zucchini (called pumpkin here). There was no butter or sauce on the vegetables. Several types of kimchee were also set out. Buddhists are vegetarian so there was no meat, eggs or milk served. I was still very hungry after eating so went to get seconds. All that remained was some white rice stuck to the bottom of the pan, a tablespoon of the greens, and plenty of kimchee, which I only eat in small amounts to flavor the bland food. After we finished eating we had to line up at a big sink and carefully rinse our dishes before leaving the dining area. I was very glad for the “Snickers” bar which I had in my bag! We were told to bring some snacks that we could eat later in our room as the food was limited by variety, and as it turns out by quantity as well.

We had more free time to walk around and look at the various temples. Then we met over by a temple that had several large Korean drums housed in it. The most interesting drum was a large piece of wood hung from ropes which swayed back and forth to beat on the wall. This was very similar to a battering ram. I looked forward to my turn as dusk was becoming night. The drum beating was the only sound in the nighttime air.

Back in our meeting room we had an evening meeting with our host monk. We were served very pretty refreshments on doll sized plates with tiny tastes of local fruits and sweets. The tea local to that region was served. The tea was a green tea, exceedingly light and delicate. I think that the water used to make the tea must have contributed to the fresh, clear taste. After tea was served several times the host monk began a friendly discussion asking questions and accepting questions as well. He told us that his parents were really devastated when at the age of eighteen he decided to become a Buddhist Monk. Korean parents are very traditional. They had expected him to live with them when he married, or at least close-by. They wanted him to provide grandchildren, preferably males, to keep the family line moving forward. A monk might only see his family once a year or even as little as once in five or more years. When he completed his novitiate and was officially a monk his father told him that despite his choice he could now accept it and be proud of his son. We had noticed during our time there that the host monk had what looked like some large dents in his skull. He said that he was born 34 years ago and that then Korea was very backward, impoverished and mostly rural. He went on to say that medical care was very primitive. When his mother was giving birth to him she was having much difficulty. The midwife used some unknown instrument that left three half inch gouges in his skull. We were also instructed in the proper way to bow and kowtow to say our prayers. It is quite a process, and though it seemed do-able at first became fatiguing very quickly.

At 10:00 our session was over and we were to go to sleep. Wake up time was scheduled for 3:00 with a “sleep-in” option of 4:15. Snoring rarely bothers me but a woman a few people down from me was sawing heavy duty z’s. I would start to doze off only to be startled awake. The room and floor were so hot that we had to sleep on top of our bedding. At 3:00 all of the lights were turned on. Those who slept longer could do so, although the lights were on!

Once up we walked single file to the temples where we were to make our prayer bead necklaces and pray in a prescribed manner . The temples were dark inside at that hour and were also ice cold. As we prayed in the prescribed manner we were to add one bead to our prayer beads after each set (bow down, then down to our knees, head to touch the ground three times, and then back to the knees, and then back to standing). There were more than a hundred beads and in the dark my ice cold numb fingers struggled to get the bead strung on to the string each time. A monk was chanting throughout this more than an hour long process which was a soothing balm to our ministrations.

Finally got back into the group room to finish the necklaces. Then we went to sweep and clean the area outside of our rooms of leaves that had fallen. Next we went to the large courtyard, got into a long straight line and worked from one end to the other sweeping the sandy soil and raking the leaves that had blown into it. It was very nice and felt as if we were performing a service of thanks until the wind came up and we were practically choked by the grit and sand that were blowing around. We happily finished that work and then met for a ceremonial breakfast.I think it was about 8 in the morning but it felt like noon to all of us. Describe the steps to the ceremony for this meal. This was the most formal ceremony that we participated in. We sat on the floor on thin cushions. One by one we took some rolled linen and a little bundle of dishes. The next hour or two was spent in learning to set out our linens, and our dishes in the proper order. There was no sound except for the quiet directions from our host monk. We were not allowed to make noise, not even setting down our spoon or chopsticks too loudly. Everything was to be done in an exacting and painstaking order. We were served soup, rice, and kimchee by some of us who volunteered. We could not make any scraping or slurping sounds. Every grain of rice and every morsel of food was to be consumed. We were each given a half moon of bright yellow pickled daikon radish. This was to be saved until the end of the meal. Once everyone was done eating one person walked around and put water into our rice bowl. Then we were instructed to clean the plate, bowl and utensils with the water. The daikon functioned as a little scrubber to get any sticky morsel of rice off of the bowl that may have remained. Then, believe it or not, we were instructed to drink the water with the tiny morsels of loosened food floating in it. Our host monk explained that monks believe that it is very important to avoid any waste of food. Some of the people felt a little sick at the thought, but as one young woman was rather severely scolded for leaving a teaspoon of rice in her bowl, we followed our instructions exactly. There was also a very specific way in which we stacked the “washed” dishes, and folded and rolled up the linens. My legs had long since gone numb even though we were allowed to change position. It was a harsh lesson in some ways but the profound respect that the monks have for each tiny bit of food was humbling.

Next we limped back to our room where we packed and had a formal goodbye session with our host monk. Again we were given opportunities to ask questions and the monk asked us questions too. Then we got in our single file formation and went on a very pleasant hike through pines and bamboos. We saw some of the wild camillia bushes that the delicious green tea was made from. The monk picked a tiny, delicate pink blossom and gave it to me. After enjoying the fragrant breeze we went back to eat our lunch. After another brief and simple lunch we returned our temple garments on their hangers and delivered them to the proper area.

We reluctantly boarded our bus and wove our way back down the hillside. We passed through villages and towns and after awhile we were creeping forward in a traffic jam on a six lane highway heading toward Seoul. This experience was behind me, both literally and figuratively.

When I feel stressed or worried I reflect back to the pristine temple stay that I experienced. My eyes wander to the beads that I made which are hanging from a hook. Thoughts of stringing those beads one by one, while praying in the dark and chilly temple returns. Echos of the monk chanting in his singsong, rhythmic voice are brought to mind . A feeling of peace and well-being returns to me. Though fleeting, the memories are there and can return whenever I draw them up.

Punggi Ginseng Festival

Punggi Ginseng Festival in the Sobaeksan National Park of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Region As I was packing for my first ‘Korean Adventure’ tour I surveyed my available gear. I had a small day pack, a zinnia print ‘Le Sac” swim bag, a large carry-on bag. That’s typical for me - whenever I am going somewhere I often realize at the eleventh hour that I don’t have the right kind of bag that I want for my trip. I decided to take the carry-on bag and my day pack. I was traveling with a friend from work, Bridget, who teaches middle school science. We thought it would take an hour by subway to get to our meeting point at the Express Bus Terminal. As we passed station after station it didn’t take long to realize that we might miss our bus. We still had a transfer and more stops! Bridget had her cell phone with her but neither of us had thought to bring the tour company’s phone number. When we got to the bus terminal is was exactly 7:00, our departure time. We thought that at least we were at the right stop. Little did we know that we had to run up several flights of stairs and go to the other side of the large subway station to get to the right exit gate. We ran as fast as we could, but clearly we were in a deficit situation. As we made our final charge up the steep stairs we saw a woman peering down into the dark stairwell with an inquisitive look on her face. Yes, we were the two already errant travelers. We got checked off and all three of us ran to the bus. We flung ourselves into seats in the large, well-battered old bus and took naps. Later we pulled into a dusty, gritty town where we were on our own for lunch. A young Australian fellow who was a hagwon teacher came up to us and asked if we would like to go to lunch with him. He announced that his name was Simon Bean! “Like Mr. Bean,” he said. “Do you know who he is?” He had a one-man repertoire of anecdotes about his life. He chose a dingy looking restaurant and we went in. The windows were covered with a coating of dust, but reminded me of my apartment windows so it was a familiar sight in any case. Boxes were stacked at random intervals between tables and chairs. An old couple ran the restaurant. The woman brought us a tall water bottle full of cold water. As I unscrewed the lid I noticed that there was no familiar “click” from breaking the seal on the lid. Hmmm, that could easily explain the reason it listed to one side. Still, the water looked clear and was deliciously cold. There were no menus, at least not in English, so Simon ordered bibimbap for all of us. It arrived in little time on mismatched plastic dishes and bowls. It didn’t look great, but it did look OK, so we put lots of kimchi and other spicy vegetables on it and basically just ate a spicy, crunchy, rice-based dish. As Simon continued telling us about his various hijinks Bridget excused herself to go to the toilet. She unrolled some toilet paper by the door to take with her as is the norm. Her eyes were a bit big on her return...no running water in the bathroom. After lunch we still had a few minutes so we walked around part of the town. There were a number of brighter, cleaner restaurants just a few feet further down the street. After we left town we drove through a heavily agricultural area. There were mostly apple trees, each individual apple shielded from direct sun by a bright pink synthetic tissue skirt at the stem of the apple. In some areas I noticed grape vines winding between the apple trees. The clumps of purple grapes with remarkably uniform size hung heavily on the vines. I also noted a number of a very large variety of taro plants. The leaves are quite attractive and almost seemed too exotic to grow in the region. Trucks were parked on the side of the road with boxes of delicious looking apples for sale. I longed to buy a box, but couldn’t picture running through the subway with my large carry-on, my backpack, AND a box of apples upon my return! A short time later we pulled up to a large area covered with rows and rows of white tents. The Punggi Ginseng Festival! There were some very interesting displays with historical artifacts, and drums which seem to be ever-present in Korea. All 35 of us were led to one area where people were peeling ginseng roots. We were seated and each of us received instruction in peeling ginseng roots. I was handed a bamboo knife and went to work on mine. Ginseng resembles a parsnip, except that it has a number of smaller roots branching off of the main root. After quite a bit of scraping to remove the darker exterior skin one is supposed to have a beautiful, smooth, off-white root remaining. Mine looked like it had been mauled by a bear. The instructor diplomatically smiled as he placed my questionable results in a jar and instructed me to pour white wine over it, then the contents were sealed. Next we were taken to a large outdoor stage where some local residents were entertaining us with traditional songs. Little did we suspect that we were to be the next act! A ginseng peeling contest had been arranged for us to participate in. We were each given a new ginseng root and a bamboo knife. We were each asked to tell a little bit about ourselves which I really enjoyed since I told everyone (through a translator) about my wonderful grandson, Jackson, who had just turned four years old. Many of the grandparents in the audience were interested so I started to wave my arms around to get them to cheer. It was so much fun to get the crowd behind me. I, who normally am not very competitive, wanted very much to win the contest. I quickly thought about my chances, remembering the results of my other ginseng peeling experience and thought quickly. I decided that if I just scraped the areas that would be visible from a distance I might have a chance. Meanwhile, on one side of me was my friend and co-worker Bridget who had done a stellar job of meticulously peeling her first root. I decided that my only chance was to work the crowd. I got them to cheer for me, and before I knew it they were cheering and clapping for me with much enthusiasm. The judge decided that we were the two finalists. I got the crowd cheering again. Bridget’s results far outshone mine, but I kept the crowd cheering for me. The judge diplomatically called a tie, to my delight. The prize was a huge carry bag full of foil pouches of ginseng extract! Next we were given time to walk around the festival. We bought deep fried ginseng which was yummy and greasy! We saw a chewy type of rice candy made in the traditional manner. A cauldron of sweetened hot rice was poured onto a length of heavy cheesecloth. The mass was folded into the cloth and then laid onto a board on the ground. Two people, each with an enormous wooden mallet stood on opposite sides of the wrapped rice mixture. Alternately they would hoist the mallet over their head and pound down onto the mass. When it was deemed “ready to eat” we crowded to the stand with many other people to buy some of the delicious, fresh confection. Another tent displayed traditional clothing and various fabric dying techniques. Several little boys were sitting at a table each with a hammer-sized rubber mallet in hand. We watched them for awhile to see what they were doing. A base cloth was laid down on the table. Cosmos petals were laid in a design on the fabric. Another cloth was laid over this and then the boys went to work, pounding joyfully with all of their might. The result was fabric that was beautifully patterned and colored by the flower petals. I wondered how this ancient art was developed and pictured a harried and tired mother of sons giving them each hammers while she was dying clothes. Well perhaps that isn’t how it started, but the zest with which the boys wielded the hammers seemed to say a lot. We continued, sampling candies and fruits on our way to the meeting place that we had been assigned. I noticed a bonsai exhibition and couldn’t resist taking a little time to look at it. It reminded me of the time I spent at the Japanese Gardens in Portland, doing Ikebana displays. The bonsai was beautiful and I enjoyed a little time to linger over the exhibits. On the way to the bus we passed an elderly woman that was so bent over that her back was perpendicular to her lower torso. To move forward she had to be guided on both side by her relatives. In the countryside I have seen elderly people who are severely bent over. I think it could be attributed to the starvation and lack of nutrition during the long Japanese occupation in Korea. Next stop - a ginseng farm! We were each paired with a woman who was a ginseng harvester. (This was women’s work...not for the men). We went out into the fields, covered by low, long lengths of plastic to shield the plants from the direct sun (ginseng grows naturally in the woods). We were given gloves and a metal claw and off we went. My mentor was quite impressed with my enthusiasm to get into the dirt and dig like a gopher. I unearthed two fine roots so we went back to the central area to show off our results. At about that time the mayor of the region arrived. He welcomed us, amidst a number of photographers commemorating the event for the local newspaper. He gave a very nice speech which luckily was translated for us. Then we got back on to the bus and went to Seonbichon Village, a recreated traditional village where we were to eat dinner and spend the night. It had been sprinkling as we drove over there, but the clouds ripped and we ran to our rooms hopping over puddles which were forming on the sandy wet soil. We were soaked though. I was glad that I had used poor taste and brought my little suitcase because I had an extra set of dry clothes inside including a down vest!). We got our rooms which we shared with a young French college student who was studying in Seoul. The doors were paper covered on the interior, and outside of those delicate doors were heavy wooden doors on the exterior. We got blankets and pillows from the closet and organized them on the floor. We had ondol heating (heating under the floor) and were curious to see what we thought of it. Then we slogged through the dark night in the rain to go to the dining room. The food was slow to come but tasted alright. We all hurried back to our rooms in the diminishing rain. When we got back to our courtyard a number of Korean university students had checked in. They shared the courtyard that our tour had been assigned to. They were friendly and humorous and very fun-loving as they drank and danced the night away. They invited those in our group who were still awake to join them in singing and doing traditional folk dances. I was however, sawing zzzzzzzzzzzz’s and only learned of the fun in the morning. The next morning the serious hikers left for a half day hike while I joined the less fit group to go to the Sosu Confucian School and Buseoksa Temple. The temple was up quite a hill! It is one of the oldest standing temples in Korea, built in 676. Beautiful heavy wooden beams were used in its construction. The view from the temple was lovely, and it was pleasant to walk around the temple buildings and look at the various plants and trees, both familiar and unfamiliar to me. There were some very interesting drawings on the back side of one of the prayer rooms. The painting showed several men in a boat with long thin wavy throats and distended stomachs. Later I learned that it was a painting of “death eaters.” The feeling was odd and erie. I wanted to photograph that panel, but my camera battery gave out on part way up the path to the temple. Then after buying produce and herbs from local women I headed to lunch. We were served bibimbap again, however this time it was delicious! The rice was hot and fluffy, the vegetables tasted as if they had just been picked, and the fish was fresh and had a mild flavor. Being well fed we wandered back to the bus and drove about 40 minutes to pick up the hikers. Then we returned home. When we got back to Bundang we could hardly believe that we had packed all of these adventures into just two days and one night! We couldn’t wait to look at the offerings on the ‘Adventure Korea’ website so that we could decide which trip to book next!

Drum Festival

The Seoul Drum Festival The Seoul Drum Festival was scheduled on several days during Chusok week, at the end of September. Besides local performers there were also percussion teams from France, China and Japan. I went to see it with some friends on Saturday afternoon. It was held it a large park in the city called Seoul Forest, Lawn of Dream Forest. After we came up from the subway we only needed to follow the people to find out way to the park. There were two large areas that had stages, and there were many smaller tents, reminiscent of booths at the fair. They were set up for interactive activities for adults and children to enjoy. One could bang on a wide variety of drums. The children were having a ball. The noise was intense after awhile so we went to one of the stage areas to watch a number of Korean rock bands play. They were pretty good and so we were enjoying the warm afternoon, sitting on the grass, and people watching. We saw some other Americans there and it was interesting to us to note how much we miss the distinctive style that especially the young people have in our style of dress, walk, and “hanging out.” That made us all think of having some food to eat. American junk food would have been great, but we would have probably eaten kimchee straight since we were so hungry! We looked around, but there were no food or drink booths! I felt that someone was really missing an opportunity to make a bundle, however Koreans are rarely seen walking around with food or drink. The only exception that I can think of is during the summer some people will have ice cream bars. Even where street food is sold I don’t often see Koreans eating it on the street. Of course, when we realized there was no food we were immediately starving! We decided to go outside of the park and back to the street vendors that were by the subway stop. As we were leaving the park we realized that the parade was just beginning a few blocks away. Of course there was a lot of drumming, but there were many groups of local people who wore traditional costumes and did dances to the drumming. It felt exciting to be a part of the parade, even if we were only spectators! As the parade eventually passed we were back on our mission to find some food. There was a tiny restaurant across the street and so we ran across the street to check it out. We discovered that it was a chicken restaurant, which we had all wanted to try. Some people were getting takeout while some sat at tables outside and were clearly enjoying the food. I went over to a friendly group of younger men at the next table to see what they had ordered. They let me taste what they had ordered so we ordered the same things. The food tasted great! Food always seems to taste best when I am very hungry, and if I don’t have to prepare it myself. We ordered beers too and so we were feeling quite festive. After we finished eating, we took turns going to the bathroom, each unrolling some toilet tissue from the holder just inside the entrance of the restaurant. This is very common to see in neighborhood restaurants, and now I know the benefits of two-ply tissue over one-ply. Then we visited with the men at the table next to us a bit more. We didn’t speak any Korean and they knew only a few words of English, but we had lots of fun taking photos and visiting. We wanted to get back to the park so I ordered a round for everyone, we took ours “to go,” and headed back to the park. We went to the large performance area and saw a great traditional performance with the large wooden drums. Then to our surprise the US military gave a performance that was just fantastic. We were clapping our hands off. After a few more performances I mentioned to my friends that I was really getting cold. This was the first time since I had arrived in Korea that it was cool at night. My friends seemed relieved because they were feeling cold as well. We had really enjoyed our afternoon and evening but were ready to get on the subway and head home.

Korea - River Walking - October 22nd

The small television screen in the elevator indicated rain last night, however we had only a few hazy clouds yesterday afternoon and a brilliant blue sky today after the morning clouds burned off. Yesterday I went for a long walk on the river heading south. I like to walk further and further when I have time because it is rather intriguing to see what is just around the bend. There were many dogs out walking as well and that seems to be Ruby’s signal to bark. snarl, viciously bite the rim of her stroller, as we passed these teacup sized dogs. I have tried to condition her to ignore them or when she is walking, to position her so as to block her view from the oncoming dogs. I have succeeded sometimes. I walked further south than I had before. I had taken a break in one of the pagodas above the path, but the buzzing hum of six or seven leaf blowers in unison on the other side of the river, and up the hill made me decide to continue on my walk. As I was leaving that park I noticed a sign which indicated that I was very close to the subway station two stops from my home. We headed back in the warm afternoon after having had our brief respite in the shade. At that time in the afternoon quite a number of senior citizens go for walks. They enjoy chuckling and laughing at Ruby in the pet stroller. They are so sweet and friendly that it makes me laugh or smile too. I love the late afternoon light because it always gives a different look to the world. (When I lived in Saipan my favorite time to go shell hunting was when the afternoon sun was getting low in the sky.) The light on the river was beautiful. The river itself varied in color from olive green shades to a light muddy beige color, but the reflection from the hillside, and especially a rather large willow tree right by the water was unique. I felt as if I was seeing the scene through the sun warped windows that I loved so much in a house that we had rented in Forest Grove some years ago. Somehow, with the slight breeze the reflection looked as if there were tiny areas of color bent at different angles. There was a light clarity about it that was so striking. It reminded me of the many different looks hat a river can have. After the bad storms the water was very high, moving swiftly and having a heavy sheen that gave the water a heavy, oily look. Now the river was at least a foot lower, and seemed docile by comparison. There were a number of egrets along the river banks, each surveying it’s own domain. In one area a female was in the river as well. It was such an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. At almost five in the afternoon it is still 72 degrees. Ruby and I went for a quick walk this morning. After doing some chores, making some calls and watching my brilliant new granddog via Skype I put Ruby in her stroller and we headed out for an afternoon walk by the river. I found another way to get down to the river (there are many) and this walk is very pretty with a canopy of trees overhead. The leaves are falling and they were brittle and crunchy as Ruby and I walked though them. We went north today, watching people play a funny type of golf, and enjoying the river sounds and the lively activity of the magpies and pigeons. Going over the pedestrian bridge I saw one of my co-workers jetting by at top speed on his bike. He waved in recognition. I really am easy to spot with Ruby’s vivid green pet stroller. I walked rather far and having a book with me I decided to stop and read for awhile. My original stopping and reading place unfortunately had a pipe break nearby during the huge flooding storm that we had earlier. Judging by the smell, we still needed to take a break from that spot. We walked further on and there was a little pagoda on the path, but a number of people were in it. I had been to the park behind that area before and headed up there today. Sometimes that area has rather a sad, neglected feeling, but today in the sun it felt perfect. There were a number of people at picnic tables and on park benches. Also there must be a hospital nearby because I often see patients walking around that area or being wheeled around in wheelchairs. Korea seems to be a modest place and dress is conservative. But, hospital patients wear their pajamas when they go out so it is easy to spot them. I found a sunny spot under a tree that also had a bit of shade close-by in case Ruby preferred that. The air smelled warm and dense with the smell of the warmed brown leaves. I leaned up against a tree trunk. The bark was was rough, but it felt good to feel nature all around me. Ruby was restless and so continually pulled the leash that I had placed over my bare foot, having discarded my socks the minute I sat down. Still, despite the tugging I was able to enjoy the beautiful day, the people biking or walking through the park, the sun warmed air with a cool undercurrent to it, and the beautiful blue sky. I read about 20 pages when suddenly Ruby was snarling, lunging and baying! A feral cat had come out of the hedge between us and the river. It was large, with black fun, and white paws. It was at least half again as big as Ruby, but that didn’t deter her in the least. The cat looked uncertainly toward me, and again at Ruby, and then furtively slunk back into the bushes. That only became a more exciting game to Ruby who used that as her cue to throw herself forward on her lead, only to bounce back each time. I think that I have learned from watching the egrets on the water’s edge how to stay present in the moment better. However, despite my encouragement to sit back down Ruby was determined to catch that cat! We packed up, brushing the dry and fragrant leaves from my clothes and her fur, and headed down the ramp to walk south on the river to my home.

Korea - Chusok and storms

September 23 - Chusok and storms The day before Chusok I took the subway down to Home Plus to do some shopping. I had just been to EMart the day before and loaded up on supplies, but couldn’t carry everything that I needed, thus the additional shopping trip. I enjoy shopping here, even though it can be confusing, because it is so interesting to see what delicious treats I can find. It is also sometimes a surprise to realize that what I thought I purchased turns out to be something quite different! I got some persimmons, a seasonal specialty, some yellow kiwi fruit among other things, and some delicious jiaozi. Of course I didn’t know how good it was until I came home and prepared them. I am also a big fan of red bean bao which I probably overindulge in. I was curious to see how many people were doing last minute shopping for Chusok, a harvest festival which includes visiting families and honoring ancestors. I was told that it is the biggest holiday in Korea. The morning was quiet, perhaps a bit more so than normal. I was told by a Korean woman that all of the women are busy cooking for a couple of days before the holiday. I did see some women who carried packages wrapped furoshiki style in sheer fabric of pink or yellow. These gifts come in gift boxes and can be any sort of fruit including boxes that contained three large cantaloupe-looking melons. In the stores there were candied persimmons, assorted toiletries, seaweed, tuna and so just about anything that an enterprising company will assemble into large gift boxes. That afternoon Ruby and I took a walk and it was cool and sprinkling outside. A few people were out walking or biking but most noticeable was how quiet it was. But, as time passed more and more older people showed up on the walking paths. This was quite a contrast to Saturday, a few days before, when many school children were visiting the river parks with their classes. The excitement of being free from school and anticipation of the holiday charged the kids with energy. Yesterday was Chusok. Again, it was noticeably quiet. No wonder, since from my apartment I could see the highway and freeway clogged with traffic that was moving at a crawl. Part of the tradition of this holiday is to go home to one’s parents home, which here means the husband’s parents. Nowadays though the young couple will stop by her parents home after having spent the appropriate amount of time at her in-laws. When I went to take Ruby to the river for our walk I realized that it was raining lightly so we returned back to the 23rd floor to retrieve my umbrella. Since the rain was light I chose my small umbrella over the more unwieldily large one. By the time I crossed the street, pushing Ruby in her stroller, the rain had stopped, but on the corner near the river I found myself standing, while waiting for the light to change, in a cloud of golden dragonflies. They were almost swarming around my head, but in graceful lazy arcs. I have often observed them by the river but have never been ‘visited’ by them before. By the time the light changed and I crossed the street the rain was falling steadily. I hated to give up our walk so I forged ahead. I noticed that some ginkgo fruit had fallen on the sidewalk. I like to gather things on my walks to put in my apartment. It is a way of bringing life and nature to my home. There were very few people out, mostly westerners and the rain would come and go in squalls. Eventually the rain really started to fall. I was astonished at how quickly Ruby and I were soaked. Her stroller was wet, and she was wet. Water was trickling down my legs and into my shoes because it was raining hard by then. When I came into my apartment we dried off, laid the clothing on the drying rack to dry, and watched the rain come down. The sky was very grey and the rain was falling harder and harder. Since I had been in a cleaning mood, which has become rather rare for me, I decided to try my luck at the exterior windows, which are dressed in a pretty thick layer of grit and grime. By standing on my couch and reaching out of the high window as far as I could I was able to make a number of great swipes across a rather large part of the window. It a very short time I realized that I ran the risk of the open window that I was leaning out of slamming hard against my arm since the wind was picking up. That’s when the lightning began! I decided that would be a definite signal to close the window and give up the window cleaning. Within moments the lightning was cracking over and over, and seemed to be just overhead. It was so strong that the metal fillings in my teeth started to feel strange! In only moments there was a wall of water falling and the visibility was zero. I couldn’t see past my window because the grayness and rain was so dense. I knew that there was a typhoon again in Taiwan, but didn’t expect to be on the edge of it as we had been a couple of weeks before. I was busy so didn’t worry about the storm, although I was quite happy that I didn’t lose power. This morning Ruby and I headed out for our walk and it wasn’t until I got to the river that I realized that the heavy rains and wind had really caused significant damage to the area. The typhoon a few weeks ago caused a large number of trees to fall down, and a number of signs to fall off of the walls of buildings, but this was different. There were some areas that looked like someone had been digging the sod up in the park next to the river, but I later realized that it was a combination of the water and the force that was behind it that caused the damage. Flooding water had come up the far side of the river and with it came debris, and the tearing of many grasses that were stuck in masses in fences, and the netting around the golf area. The force had even removed metal railings and even asphalt in a number of areas. I remarked how easily the pigeons adjusted to the mashed down grasses on the side of the river. I actually think that it made it easier for them to get the grain that they enjoyed eating. As I was watching them placidly eating I noticed how varied the pigeons are here. Some were grey while other were white, or black. Some had a green iridescent coloring, while some had auburn streaks. The combinations of black and white, and grey markings was really lovely to look at. I tried to see patterns in the coloring among birds, but each looked unique, like fingerprints. The magpies seemed unfazed, and were going about business as usual. The water was too brown and still moving too quickly to see any carp. The absence of the egrets was most evident. I didn’t see one. I must say though that I only saw two ducks and normally there are quite a few. I wonder if they were hiding out until thing calmed down a bit. It was strange to see the debris everywhere, decorated by the effluvia from our daily lives. One area was dotted with chunks of styrofoam, while a sliced pineapple top was resting in the matted grasses. Up on one of the railings that was still standing, packed with broken grasses was a single small glass bottle, resting right on the top. It was so precarious that I thought it was interesting that it stayed thought all of the rain and wind. Behind another clot of grasses I saw a single fish, dead and resting on its side. It was about six inches in length, and I couldn’t identify it. I marveled that there weren’t more fish that had washed up into the park. This is the first time I have ever lived so close to a river, and have enjoyed it everyday. I am astounded in the changes that I have seen there in less than two months. Sometimes the river water is clear, sparkling and one can see the river bed due to its clarity. After the last storm it looked slick and shiny, almost oily due to the strange light. Today it was swift and brown. I have looked forward to my walks on the river. As the days darken earlier and earlier I judge how far and how long I can walk in the darkness, lit by old fashioned looking globes of light. The very grasses have become dear to me. I was sad that the wildflowers seemed to have vanished, but curious about all of the sand that was swept to the shore. The air was cooler today than any day since I arrived, barely two months ago. I had to wear a jacket to stay warm. As I pushed Ruby back to our apartment I smelled a bit of bitterness and decay in the air, that seems to accompany autumn, as I walked under pines and birch trees. At the base of the ginkgo trees were their yellow fruits scattered on the sidewalks. As I walked across the carpet that they provided a lovely crunching sound accompanied my footfalls. This is my new home. It is a place that feels calm, even during the storms. The people who I meet are friendly and curious. For the first time since being here, today when I came in my door it felt like home.

Korea - More Impressions

Korea – More Impressions September 4, 2010

The river, which runs from south to north just across the street from my highrise is an endless source of delight to me. There are two parallel paths, one for bike riders, walkers, roller bladers, joggers, and so on, while the other one is reserved for walkers. It isn’t unusual to see as many as 15 bike riders who seem to belong to a bike group flying by in single file formation. The bike riders, for the most part have fancy, upscale bikes and the riders are dressed in gear that would make Nike proud.

People are friendly and I have had conversations with a number of people, either on the walking paths, or on the grassy areas in-between the paths. It is almost as if one can meet anyone there! I met a young man from Canada who admired Ruby. He told me that he also has a dachshund here with him. We shared a number of stories about the (lack of) adjustment of our dogs. It is always comforting to talk to another dachshund owner, rather than an owner of any other type of dog since dachshunds have their own set of (disconcerting and annoying) traits. It made me feel so much better just to know that I am not the only one going through the steep curve of adjustment that these dogs have. Pee-peeing deliberately in inappropriate spots, barking, baying and howling are a few of the difficulties. I have also lost a nice black top, my favorite raincoat, and two pair of house slippers to the rampages that Ruby has been on. Another man that I met had been admiring Ruby from afar and eventually struck up a conversation with me a few days later. He wanted me to translate Korean recipes for him into English for a cookbook that he is writing. He had lived in Harlem for a number of years while going to graduate school. Of course that would be a violation of my contract, although I’m not sure why, so I was happy that I didn’t run into him again! Most recently I met a man, ostensibly because Ruby is so cute, that was a retired Army officer. He started to walk along with me. His English was somewhat stilted but he was able to converse. As we walked along he told me a number of things about his family. Eventually he told me that his wife played golf everyday, and that he was interested in falling in love”! I told him that Ruby was enough to keep me busy!

A couple of times I saw a woman close-by to my apartment on my walks. Yesterday we smiled and nodded (fake bow) and she said ‘hi’ to me, in a soft shy voice. She’s about my age and it was interesting to see that our acquaintance is growing!

What I must say is that the Korean people that I have met are mostly very nice, thoughtful, helpful and humorous. Speaking of humorous, it reminds me of another incident involving two Korean men. My friend, Bridget, who arrived at almost the same time I did into Seoul, and I were coming back from shopping. We had so many bags that Bridget got stuck in the turnstile in the subway station. Two rather elderly men, one carrying a cane, came to her rescue, took her bags and showed her how to climb under the turnstile since her subway card had already locked her out. Amidst much laughter we finally got through, but the fitter of the two men wanted to help Bridget carry her bags….I must add that Bridget is significantly younger than I am, has a petite figure and is blonde. Being blonde is a real attraction here! So we toddled along after them with the rest of our groceries. We saw an exit sign and pointed to it, but the men were very definite that we should follow them another way. They were chuckling and giggling and as we were following them down the narrow hallway we started to wonder where they were taking us. As we began to be a bit worried we quickly conversed and both of us thought that there was some chance that they were taking us to the toilets, or who knows where. It was either loose the bags and ditch our guides, or take our chances! I guess that was a lesson for us in being overly suspicious…not a good trait. These two sweet old men were leading us to the elevator. They were chuckling with laughter because they were so pleased with themselves for helping us! Amidst much laughter and many thank yous we headed off into different directions towards home.

Another interesting thing about the walking paths is that at one point there is a sort of wading pond. It is very pretty, lined with stones in some places. The design is hard to describe, but perhaps it is like an octopus. It provides narrow, shallow places for the children to play. Curiously it is only filled on some weekends. There are lifeguards that organize the chairs, and generally watch over the area. Many small children bedecked in floats of bright shapes and colors bob around with eager and anxious parents guiding them or encouraging them in the pool. The most interesting part of the whole experience though is that many families come for the day or the afternoon and bring their tents, lawn chairs, coolers, blankets, sun hats and so on with them. For some reason I have noticed that not too many people wear sunglasses here. Anyway, it is so comical to see the tiny swimming area almost swallowed up by the plethora of the many colored tents! I feel a bit envious as I watch the families eating yummy looking treats that mother has prepared.

Another thing that I love about the river is the sound of the outdoors…birds, water splashing and gurgling , the wind rustling through the trees and tall grasses, some kind of cicada while really create a cacophony of vibrating noise. I’ve seen what I believe to be a number of egrets, magpies, sparrows, ducks; and many fish that look like carp while are large and brownish. Today I decided to start photographing the wild flowers that I see at the edge of the walking path. So many! Most of them are tiny blossomed, but range from bright blue to sunset pink, and include yellow and orange flowers as well. Today I saw what resembles a cabbage moth, but in more abundance are a smallish very pretty orange butterfly spotted in dark brown or black dots. There are many of them and it is so pleasant to watch them dancing from flower to flower.

On the other side of the river is a rather large local neighborhood, which is far more interesting than the high rise area that I live in. Cars are parked in a jumble all over the streets and sidewalks, buildings of different shapes and sizes sit side by side, some having a persimmon tree out front. People dress very conservatively. Some of the younger women wear sports clothes, but for the most part the colors are subtle. Jeans aren’t seen very often in this area. One day when I was walking over there with Ruby I noticed that a woman very close in age to me was walking down the street in a very nice floral suit. I was wearing Nike sportswear – walking gear. It was funny in a way because what I thought of was how out of place I looked here, and how out of place she would have looked in the US. A few of the young people dress in an upscale stylish manner, but in this area it is less common. What I like is seeing the local people shopping, eating, visiting, children playing. It is a far better place to shop for local produce than on this side of the river. Produce is very expensive here…think about it! A place where one buys lettuce leaves individually! For the most part, fruits and vegetables are at least double in price. I had a bad cold, a sore throat, and was extremely overheated one day as the humidity has been so high. There was no way that I could resist the cool ripe halves of watermelons displayed at the market. That half melon cost me almost $12.00. I didn’t forget its price but I did enjoy every bit of it in the next few days. A squash similar to a pale zucchini is about $1.50, carrots are about $1 each. Needless to say, I don’t throw out any spoiled produce, like at home. It is purchased and eaten carefully.

There are a number of intriguing local restaurants over on the other side of the river as well. They mostly look like family style places, many of them have the low tables to sit at and some have an elaborate network of pipes from the ceiling to each table, I believe it is to cook some of the food at one’s own table. At the small places there is a curious thing. Little cups, about the size of a small Dixie cup that appear to be stainless steel are stored in sterilizers. One helps oneself to the cup and gets their own cold water from a dispenser next to the cup sterilizer. At each table is a small stainless steel lid that is parallel to the table, and if one lifts the lid you will find that the bottom of the dish is recessed into the table top and that is where one finds the same steel chopsticks and soup type spoons. The paper napkins are tiny, and very thin. When I remove at least three in order to cover my lap, upon reaching down to use one realize that due to their thinness and lightness they have ended up all over the floor. I guess the best solution that I have heard to date is to bring one’s own napkin along.

I have been to the city twice. Without sounding disloyal, there are some attractive spots, but in general Seoul seems to have a large sprawl of undistinguishable apartment buildings and neighborhoods. It is very popular to have large banners or advertising signs plastering the front of building after building. It tends to add rather a junky air to the style. The hillsides and mountains are thick with trees and are quite impressive to look at. I am looking forward to autumn so that I can tell how many of the trees are deciduous, and how many are evergreen.

Some of the food I have eaten in restaurants has been delicious and very cheap. It seems to be an odd contrast with the fact that food in the grocery stores and neighborhood markets is quite expensive. I have only had only one horrid, and overpriced meal, which was in a known tourist area. Still it might vie for being one of the all-time worst meals that I’ve ever had in a restaurant. The sashimi was still frozen (!)…odd for something that should be fresh. The tempura had come from something akin to a COSTCO box, and the rice was $10 a bowl…I guess I should have asked! Well, that is another part of traveling that luckily rarely happens. There is a lot of fresh seafood here, and I am also quite fond of the handmade noodles that I have found only two blocks away.

Another curious thing is the take-out industry. I believe that every restaurant is equipped with elaborate bags and sealing mechanisms for one to take their food home in, as well as a number of large Styrofoam containers meant only for one use – to deliver take-out in. Young men zoom up and down the pedestrian lanes, make u-turns against the lights in the street, and park their motorcycles in the entryway of the apartment buildings as they are delivering food like mad in the evening hours. What most surprised me is that MacDonalds has their own motorcycle delivery men! I have enjoyed the convenience of take-out a number of times, but have yet to figure out phone order/delivery. The language complication makes that far more difficult.