Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
a little late, but.....
Valentine’s Day is a little different in Korea: the girls are responsible with showering the boys with chocolates and flowers. It’s true. We saw many couples walking around hand in hand with the boys carrying gifts and flowers that they had just received.
I guess our Valentine’s Day was not traditional on Korean standards (or on American standards, really). It was great though. We practiced our new Hapkido moves on each other (more details about our Hapkido lessons in another blog). Then we headed to the Daegu Tourist Information Center and gathered all kinds of fun information about different tours we can take around the city and vicinity. We tried signing up for Kite Building Class, but the woman and the help desk said she didn’t think it was for us (not sure why). Plus, it was getting very cold, so kite flying probably wouldn’t have been that enjoyable. Maybe we’ll try taking the class in the spring. After we walked around the DTIC for a while, we decided to head downtown to grab a bite to eat. We had a restaurant in mind that we were interested in testing, but we hadn’t the slightest clue where it was. Since there are no street names in Korea, asking someone how to get there wasn’t too advantageous either. We knew it was a 20 second walk from The Holy Grill, and that was all. So we walked around the maze of downtown for a while, finally stopping a group of foreigners to ask them if they knew where The Holy Grill was (it’s a popular restaurant for foreigners because they serve food from back home, whether that be Canada or America). They did, but they weren’t able to tell us exactly because of the lack of street signs; however, they were able to point us in the right direction which was amazing…go straight and take a right. We finally stumbled upon it after going straight and taking every right before the right right. The Italian was delicious. We had pasta with crab, pizza, and a bottle of wine. After dinner, we were pretty full, a little tipsy, and very contempt. We decided to catch the bus home. The bus rides always make us a little drowsy, but on this night, with a little wine in our bellies, the ride knocked us out. We awoke 30 minutes later to the bus diver yelling something to us (we were the only ones left on the bus), so we got off the bus to realize we were at the end of the line. The bus went to park, and we had gone 2 stops past our own. It wasn’t too far of a walk though. When we got home we watched The Royal Tenenbaums.
Then last week we were able to celebrate Valentine’s Day again because we got so many cards in the mail!
That was it, and it was great.
I guess our Valentine’s Day was not traditional on Korean standards (or on American standards, really). It was great though. We practiced our new Hapkido moves on each other (more details about our Hapkido lessons in another blog). Then we headed to the Daegu Tourist Information Center and gathered all kinds of fun information about different tours we can take around the city and vicinity. We tried signing up for Kite Building Class, but the woman and the help desk said she didn’t think it was for us (not sure why). Plus, it was getting very cold, so kite flying probably wouldn’t have been that enjoyable. Maybe we’ll try taking the class in the spring. After we walked around the DTIC for a while, we decided to head downtown to grab a bite to eat. We had a restaurant in mind that we were interested in testing, but we hadn’t the slightest clue where it was. Since there are no street names in Korea, asking someone how to get there wasn’t too advantageous either. We knew it was a 20 second walk from The Holy Grill, and that was all. So we walked around the maze of downtown for a while, finally stopping a group of foreigners to ask them if they knew where The Holy Grill was (it’s a popular restaurant for foreigners because they serve food from back home, whether that be Canada or America). They did, but they weren’t able to tell us exactly because of the lack of street signs; however, they were able to point us in the right direction which was amazing…go straight and take a right. We finally stumbled upon it after going straight and taking every right before the right right. The Italian was delicious. We had pasta with crab, pizza, and a bottle of wine. After dinner, we were pretty full, a little tipsy, and very contempt. We decided to catch the bus home. The bus rides always make us a little drowsy, but on this night, with a little wine in our bellies, the ride knocked us out. We awoke 30 minutes later to the bus diver yelling something to us (we were the only ones left on the bus), so we got off the bus to realize we were at the end of the line. The bus went to park, and we had gone 2 stops past our own. It wasn’t too far of a walk though. When we got home we watched The Royal Tenenbaums.
Then last week we were able to celebrate Valentine’s Day again because we got so many cards in the mail!
That was it, and it was great.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
코디아 괴 미첼
I will ask your forgiveness in advance—I just learned how to switch the language of my keyboard, so I will probably be typing some words here and there in Hangul (Korean). If you do not have a language pack installed on your system, these words will show up as question marks or a series of little squares. If you don't know whether you have a language pack installed or not, here is a test:
시험 일 이 삼, 시험 일 이 삼
Not to worry! If all you see are question marks, do not fret. Luckily for you, my Korean language skills are equivalent to that of a newborn puppy, so there will only be infrequent Hangul words followed by a parenthesized pronunciation and translation. Now, on to the important stuff.
~~
We took a long break from blogging but for no apparent reason. We have still been thoroughly enjoying our time on foreign ground and discovering something new every day. Preview: since our last update we have eaten 번대기 (bondegi/silkworm larvae), had our first 노래방 (noraebang/karaoke room) experience, went ice skating, had several productive wanders downtown, and started taking 합기도 (hapkido/a Korean martial art) lessons.
The Friday following our 동화사 (Donghwasa/Donghwa Temple) adventure, the teachers at 문깡 (MoonKkang, our language academy) were ready for a long night, and the fact that the bars never close here very well accommodated that desire. We started the evening at Beer Kaiser where we ordered a wealth of Korean/Western fusion cuisine including octopus soup, pumpkin stuffed with seafood and cheese (diappointingly not a common food item here), and, of course, the whole slate of traditional Korean side dishes. Here, we were introduced to 기위 소주 (kiwi soju/kiwi soju), which is like an alcoholic smoothie. Soju, a weak spirit made by fermenting rice and/or sweet potatoes, is THE drink of Korea. At any restaurant on any given evening, there is a very good chance that every single table will have at least one empty bottle, sometimes seven or eight.
Later, we migrated to 궁 (Goong, a different bar), and this is where I (Mitch) tried 본데기 (bondegi/silkworm larvae). Strangely, the servers bring it out on a little snack plate when you sit down at a table, as if it is something that everyone desires before piling on 맥주 (maekchu/beer) and the sweetness of strawberry or kiwi soju. Since the little bug didn't really have a flavor, I have been describing only the texture to those inquiring. Here it goes: it felt like a slimy gummy bear filled with a gritty paste. Very appetizing.
Conveniently, the 노래방 (noraebang/karaoke room) was just a climb up the stairs of the same building, so we had to go. Karaoke is a favorite here. When your crew feels like belting out some tunes, you get your own private room complete with a huge couch, a table capable of holding the weight of several people (for obvious reasons), a multi-colored disco ball, a super fancy karaoke machine chock full of songs in English and Hangul, and two tambourines. The songlist: Queen, The Beatles, Neil Diamond, The Who, several others whom I have forgotten, and some Korean artists, probably Big Bang, WonderGirls, etc. Private karaoke rooms make for a very special experience because people toss away all inhibitions provoked by singing in front of strangers. The attitude was, "Hey, we're all friends, but I can still laugh at you."
Hope you enjoyed!
안녕히 가세유 (Annyeonghi kaseyo/Goodbye [to person leaving])
-Us
시험 일 이 삼, 시험 일 이 삼
Not to worry! If all you see are question marks, do not fret. Luckily for you, my Korean language skills are equivalent to that of a newborn puppy, so there will only be infrequent Hangul words followed by a parenthesized pronunciation and translation. Now, on to the important stuff.
~~
We took a long break from blogging but for no apparent reason. We have still been thoroughly enjoying our time on foreign ground and discovering something new every day. Preview: since our last update we have eaten 번대기 (bondegi/silkworm larvae), had our first 노래방 (noraebang/karaoke room) experience, went ice skating, had several productive wanders downtown, and started taking 합기도 (hapkido/a Korean martial art) lessons.
The Friday following our 동화사 (Donghwasa/Donghwa Temple) adventure, the teachers at 문깡 (MoonKkang, our language academy) were ready for a long night, and the fact that the bars never close here very well accommodated that desire. We started the evening at Beer Kaiser where we ordered a wealth of Korean/Western fusion cuisine including octopus soup, pumpkin stuffed with seafood and cheese (diappointingly not a common food item here), and, of course, the whole slate of traditional Korean side dishes. Here, we were introduced to 기위 소주 (kiwi soju/kiwi soju), which is like an alcoholic smoothie. Soju, a weak spirit made by fermenting rice and/or sweet potatoes, is THE drink of Korea. At any restaurant on any given evening, there is a very good chance that every single table will have at least one empty bottle, sometimes seven or eight.
Later, we migrated to 궁 (Goong, a different bar), and this is where I (Mitch) tried 본데기 (bondegi/silkworm larvae). Strangely, the servers bring it out on a little snack plate when you sit down at a table, as if it is something that everyone desires before piling on 맥주 (maekchu/beer) and the sweetness of strawberry or kiwi soju. Since the little bug didn't really have a flavor, I have been describing only the texture to those inquiring. Here it goes: it felt like a slimy gummy bear filled with a gritty paste. Very appetizing.
Conveniently, the 노래방 (noraebang/karaoke room) was just a climb up the stairs of the same building, so we had to go. Karaoke is a favorite here. When your crew feels like belting out some tunes, you get your own private room complete with a huge couch, a table capable of holding the weight of several people (for obvious reasons), a multi-colored disco ball, a super fancy karaoke machine chock full of songs in English and Hangul, and two tambourines. The songlist: Queen, The Beatles, Neil Diamond, The Who, several others whom I have forgotten, and some Korean artists, probably Big Bang, WonderGirls, etc. Private karaoke rooms make for a very special experience because people toss away all inhibitions provoked by singing in front of strangers. The attitude was, "Hey, we're all friends, but I can still laugh at you."
Hope you enjoyed!
안녕히 가세유 (Annyeonghi kaseyo/Goodbye [to person leaving])
-Us
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Dongwhasa
It is somewhat of a unique feeling; Korea is seeming more and more like home after completing one month of residency. But from time to time we will look at the map of the Korean Peninsula tacked to our living room wall and say, "Look at that map. We live there," and an invigorating feeling of disbelief will set in for a few moments.
We passed through the entrance gate and between the Four Guardians, wooden statues of fierce-looking warriors whose duties are to protect the north, south, east,
and west sides of the temple from evil. The Guardian of the North stands holding a pagoda as a tribute to passed monks. The Guardian of the South carries a lute with which he can control the weather. The Guardian of the West keeps with him a sword capable of multiplying whenever needed. And the Guardian of the East holds a dragon for good fortune. We made it past the guardians and followed a paved road across a small pond and into the first complex of temples. Here we found a small building with an open door and three golden Buddha's perched on their thrones inside. Koreans in casual attire and monks wearing their traditional dress were entering and exiting the building, an
d we decided to remove our shoes like everyone else and step inside. We took a seat on one of the many floor pads available and let our senses take over. The cool floor pad, the smell of incense, the sound of whispered prayers, the sight of ornate interior and delicately crafted homages to the Buddha. We noticed that everyone but the two foreigners in the building was placing a small monetary contribution into a donation box placed in front of the statues prior to sitting down. Feeling guilty for not doing so, we took this as our cue to leave. Upon exiting, two monks walked past us, one of which who spoke excellent English. He asked us where we were from and made some small talk and assured us that we were welcome there. Making our way further down the road, we found Donghwasa, the largest of a complex of temples scattered on the southern face of Mt. Palgon
g. The intricate architecture and painting on these buildings is something to marvel. I tried to get some shots of what I am describing, but I feel my photographs don't nearly represent seeing it in first person. Behind Dongwhasa is a 33 meter granite Buddha erected in hopes of a re-unification of North and South Korea. After some photographs of this giant, we toured the Donghwasa museum, inside which all the the text was written in Korean. So, we mostly just looked at the pictures and formed our own assumptions about the trinkets and statues they had on display. We left the museum, and this is when it started to snow. Our original intention was to hike to Gwanbong Peak to see a 1000-year old seated Buddha statue named Gatbawi
. But when it started snowing, we looked up toward the peak and couldn't actually see it, meaning it was probably a full-on blizzard up there. We decided to come back on a warmer day to try again. On our way out, we took some photographs of the stone pagodas lining the road and talked to a very nice Korean couple (who had a brother living in San Antonio, small world, I know) about those pagodas and Daegu's Buddhist culture, and they shared the names of some of their favorite temples nearby. Then we boarded the Red No. 1 bus, and we were on our merry way home.
After sharing our experiences with one of our Korean partner teachers at work, specifically the awkward feeling in the Buddha room, she told us that a donation is not necessary and to feel welcome to sit without giving money. We will heed this information next time.
Not bad for a $7 holiday.
I will end this with my favorite photograph from the trip.
-Us
We finally have our very own internet connection! No longer do we have to dangle our computer out the window in hopes of pirating a neighbor's wireless connection. Actually, we have had the internet for the past week but no one bothered to tell us. So, after being patient for several days, we finally decided to ask again and were told that we already have it, and all we need now is a cable (which took several more days to find its way to us). But, here we are now, world! Permanently connected!
We took a trip to a Buddhist Temple named Donghwasa in the Mt. Palgong Provincial Park during our Lunar New Year holiday. This mountain and its accompanying temple complex is just a one hour bus ride from our apartment, and after paying for a round trip in bus fares and admission into the park and the museum, Cordia and I were out a total of $7. And not at all did the total cost of our day reflect the experience we had...
We passed through the entrance gate and between the Four Guardians, wooden statues of fierce-looking warriors whose duties are to protect the north, south, east,
and west sides of the temple from evil. The Guardian of the North stands holding a pagoda as a tribute to passed monks. The Guardian of the South carries a lute with which he can control the weather. The Guardian of the West keeps with him a sword capable of multiplying whenever needed. And the Guardian of the East holds a dragon for good fortune. We made it past the guardians and followed a paved road across a small pond and into the first complex of temples. Here we found a small building with an open door and three golden Buddha's perched on their thrones inside. Koreans in casual attire and monks wearing their traditional dress were entering and exiting the building, an
d we decided to remove our shoes like everyone else and step inside. We took a seat on one of the many floor pads available and let our senses take over. The cool floor pad, the smell of incense, the sound of whispered prayers, the sight of ornate interior and delicately crafted homages to the Buddha. We noticed that everyone but the two foreigners in the building was placing a small monetary contribution into a donation box placed in front of the statues prior to sitting down. Feeling guilty for not doing so, we took this as our cue to leave. Upon exiting, two monks walked past us, one of which who spoke excellent English. He asked us where we were from and made some small talk and assured us that we were welcome there. Making our way further down the road, we found Donghwasa, the largest of a complex of temples scattered on the southern face of Mt. Palgon
g. The intricate architecture and painting on these buildings is something to marvel. I tried to get some shots of what I am describing, but I feel my photographs don't nearly represent seeing it in first person. Behind Dongwhasa is a 33 meter granite Buddha erected in hopes of a re-unification of North and South Korea. After some photographs of this giant, we toured the Donghwasa museum, inside which all the the text was written in Korean. So, we mostly just looked at the pictures and formed our own assumptions about the trinkets and statues they had on display. We left the museum, and this is when it started to snow. Our original intention was to hike to Gwanbong Peak to see a 1000-year old seated Buddha statue named Gatbawi
. But when it started snowing, we looked up toward the peak and couldn't actually see it, meaning it was probably a full-on blizzard up there. We decided to come back on a warmer day to try again. On our way out, we took some photographs of the stone pagodas lining the road and talked to a very nice Korean couple (who had a brother living in San Antonio, small world, I know) about those pagodas and Daegu's Buddhist culture, and they shared the names of some of their favorite temples nearby. Then we boarded the Red No. 1 bus, and we were on our merry way home.After sharing our experiences with one of our Korean partner teachers at work, specifically the awkward feeling in the Buddha room, she told us that a donation is not necessary and to feel welcome to sit without giving money. We will heed this information next time.
Not bad for a $7 holiday.
I will end this with my favorite photograph from the trip.
-Us
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