Dash

forgot to say that while touring the pulguksa temple today, there were the requisite 80 million korean schoolchildren touring right along with us. and they are all so eager to practice their english on us. and i can't deny them that. they're so eager. so it's usually just "hi" "what's your name?" "nice to meet you." it's very easy to figure out what phrases the english teachers are teaching them. but as I was "conversing" with an 8 year old boy, he announced to me that he had "to dash to meet his teacher." dash.

I Think I Love You Korea

When we rolled into Gyeongju after a day at Haeinsa temple preceded by a relatively sleepless night at the nunnery, I was exhausted. so i was extremely pleased to see that my room had a bathtub and the hotel has a wireless internet connection. I realize that I should be soaking up culture but after a long day of culture, it's nice to soak in a tub. So we've stayed 2 nights at this place and will stay one more night, tonight, before departing for Seoul tomorrow morning. Gyeongju has been fascinating though. This area was the capital of the Silla Kingdom and there are tons of things built by and for the kings that are still around to look at. The royalty were buried in burial mounds like this. What's cool is that families that own land still bury their relatives in burial mounds. They're smaller, of course, but they dot the countryside, and most have a gravestone in front of the mound.















While the royalty was still alive, they kept busy entertaining themselves paddling around an artifical pond and carousing at pleasure pavillions like this. It's been getting quite hot during the day and while we were looking around the pleasure pavillions, I was wishing that I could just be lounging around with something cold to drink. But, alas, it was on to the next destination. The pace has been grueling. But I've pretty much enjoyed every minute. I think I love you Korea.












So tomorrow it is on to Seoul. We will have a farewell dinner and then I'm hoping that we will have a chance to experience Seoul at night. And again, as much as I love the kimchi, I'm still dying for a glass of red wine.

Inner Buddha

the nunnery of un mun sa was very very interesting. they shave their heads and all seem to be very small.

the big building in this picture is the temple. the building to its right is the place where we slept (boys and girls separate) and at 3 am we trudged over to the temple. the nuns bow 108 times. i tried it but the pants i was wearing weren't really suited to it so i gave up. then we were given a meditation lesson. but i kept falling asleep. i could never be a buddhist nun. but i am so glad i got the experience. it is one thing to know that buddhist monks and nuns strike a very large bell to announce that it's time for worship at the temple. it's quite another when you actually are awoken from a sound sleep at 3 am by the sound of a very large bell. i think i contacted my inner buddha.

Not Sick of Kimchi . . .

Yet. But it'd be nice if it was served with a glass of red wine, pinot noir to be precise. There's an incredibly interesting combination of old and new in this country. Yesterday we went to the Leeum Museum, in Seoul. It is owned and managed by the Lee family, of Samsung fame. So, do you get it? Lee (muse) um. I think I may start my own museum and call it the parkerum.

they had some louise borgeois sculptures in the courtyard (where these calders are in the picture). And then inside they had a gorgeous collection of celadon. but because the museum is owned by the samsung people, there were fancy schmancy pda's that automatically started talking about the object you were looking at. they should call it the drippingwithmoneyum.

After the new, it was time for the old. We toured Gyeongbokgung palace (the main palace during the choson dynasty) which is right in the center of Seoul. Again, an interesting contrast between the old and new architecture. It's like seeing the pyramids of giza next to the skyline of Cairo.

And then, we went to McDonald's for dinner. Because of Chusok (Korean Thanksgiving) we were having a hard time finding an open restaurant. So everyone was tired and hungry and we settled for the golden arches. I had a bulgogi burger and a green tea milkshake. and you know i like bulgogi. and it makes a good burger. it's a bit like asian style meatloaf on a bun.

Tomorrow we get up early and head to the Early Printing Museum in Cheongju. And then it's on to the Buddhist nunnery of Unmunsa. It's vegetarian so it's a good thing I got my fill of Bulgogi last night. we'll stay the night there if you can call it a night. we get up at 3:30 am for a service. i might be spooning my instant coffee granules directly into my mouth. we'll see.

Don't expect to hear too much from me over the next few days. I'm not sure about internet access at nunneries.

Enormous Cardboard Boxes

I've arrived! The flight was totally manageable. Korean Air is great. But at JFK, it seemed that everyone in line to check in had a suitcase, a carry on and an ENORMOUS cardboard box. Young, you didn't tell me I'd need to bring an enormous cardboard box. I felt left out. Once on the plane though, I did fine. They served bi bim bap but somehow I ended up with the white person's meal, gelatinous beef noodle dish. But there was wine, so I was happy enough.

The place we're staying is cool. It's called the Pederhaus and it's actually considered a "silver city" aka a retirement home. But it's not bad. They have something called the "tomato club" which seems like a hotel gym. And apparently, my room is considered the "tomato suite." I can't figure out the significance of it all.

So it's chusok here, Korean Thanksgiving. And most of the stores are closed and the streets were a bit empty. We went to the National Museum of Korea yesterday. And the streets of seoul were empty because everyone seemed to be at the museum. A lot of little girls and boys were in traditional korean costume. I can't get my digital camera to hook up to my computer yet. So here's a picture from the internet of the type of thing I saw.

The kids are all so adorable. Many of the were busy scribbling things into their little notebooks. It reminded me of Jillian and her blues clues notebook. The museum itself was beautiful. And I took lots of pictures of text panels and display cases. The other people on my trip kept saying "I bet you're in your element now, huh?"

Now it's 7:45 am and I'm sucking down coffee in my tomato suite in preparation for my first full day in Korea. We've got some lectures today and then we visit King Sejong's tomb. I believe King Sejong was the one who invented the hangol alphabet. See, I'm learning so much already!

Leaving for Korea

I'm leaving today. My flight leaves JFK at 12:50 am. I'm just praying that I'll be able to get some sleep on the flight. We will arrive at Inchon airport at 4:30 am. Inchon is about an hour's drive from Seoul. Tomorrow night we will stay at the Pederhaus, in a suburb of Seoul.

The next day we will have lectures and then will visit the King Sejong Tomb.

It's 8:23 am now. And I'm planning on packing and preparing for the rest of the day. The weather will be like New England Fall. Not a surprise that my suitcase is overflowing and something must be purged.

Wish me luck in my travels today! And I will be posting to this page from Korea. So check back soon!