Shopping for 한복 (Hanbok)

Over the last year I have grown to really enjoy shopping in Korean markets. It's hard to describe this unique experience. Shopping here is not like shopping anywhere else I have ever been. The markets usually include some of each of the following: tiny crowded stores packed with the specific item they sell, and large warehouse type buildings with narrow pathways leading to merchandise stacked high and also many street vendors who display their wares on tables, shelves or on the street. The markets are uniquely organized into "alleys" where you can find similar items. There are always food vendors and lots of smells, some delicious smells but also some pretty potent often fishy or garlicky smells.  I must confess I was a little overwhelmed by it at first, but with time and experience it has become a favorite.

Saturday was a favorite of favorites! We went shopping for Hanbok. That is the beautiful traditional Korean clothing I have written about in previous blog posts. I didn't think I would buy any because they can be quite expensive. But our good friends the Mendenhalls took us to a second hand clothing alley at the Gwanmun Market. Store after store had used Hanbok in various colors, styles and sizes. The cost for children's sizes ranged from 7,000 to 10,000 won ($7 to $10).
I was like a kid in a ... how about a grandma in a Hanbok store. In less than an hour I purchased a dozen sets. I was practically giddy. Fred? Not so much, but he was a good sport. He even toted the bags.
This will not be a one time experience. I am not quite through Hanbok shopping. I think I need about five more. Maybe seven. I might need to save up a few thousand won first.


I will miss Korean markets. I think American stores may seem a little boring or at least not as entertaining. Yet practically speaking, I will be happy to push a cart around Target or grab my favorites at Sam's club. I am just so happy that I still have time left to enjoy our Korea adventure, but the light of home is visible at the end of the tunnel.

Happily Ever After

Seoul Temple

The world could use a few good love stories! Today's media and entertainment industry promotes lots of "lust" stories, but few true love stories. We see so much about physical attraction. About living in the moment. About  focusing on your own desires and getting what you want immediately. These stories are so egocentric. They are centered around individual satisfaction and happiness, which in my view is the opposite of love. We have been blessed to witness the process of a true love story and it has warmed my heart.

If you have read any other posts at all you have already been introduced to our good friend Sup. We met him our first week in Daegu and have enjoyed so many wonderful experiences with him during our 13 months here. Sup is a fine young man. He is faithful to Christian values and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is also respectful to the traditions of his family. He treats his Buddhist father with honor and recognizes his father's place as leader of their family. I have so admired his ability to live true to his personal convictions and at the same time demonstrate such loyalty to family and tradition.

Several months ago Sup met a beautiful young woman. She is also a member of our church. They had a date or two. Then it became exclusive. Then they made traditional couples rings for each other. (Not engagement rings), but the courtship began. Soon they were ready for a commitment. It wasn't easy to blend family tradition with our belief about being married in the temple for time and eternity. It probably would have been so much easier just to marry without honoring tradition. In a lustful egocentric world they wouldn't have even been concerned abut marriage in the first place, let alone honoring their parents. But they have love not only for each other, but for their families and for God. So they waited. They counseled with church leaders. They counseled with their parents. They were finally able to find a way to honor both their own religious convictions and family traditions. They would marry in the temple first, then have a traditional wedding at a later date.


We were privileged to witness the beautiful bride and groom make eternal vows across a sacred alter. The room was filled with a few family members and many friends. The fathers are not members of the church and waited outside the temple to greet the new couple.  We all waited while the newly weds changed into traditional clothing (hanbok) for the pictures taken outside the Seoul temple.



After the pictures we gathered at a local restaurant for Samgyetang. A Korean soup which primarily consists of a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and vegetables in broth and ginseng. (Each person had their own whole chicken.)  It is traditionally served in the summer because they believe it replaces the nutrients lost by sweating and is very healthy.  The little reception was a joyful gathering filled with chatter and laughter, plus a few spontaneous songs performed by friends. The fathers had places of honor at the head of the table. They both spoke a few words. We couldn't understand all that was said but we could sense the happiness.

This story of two young people who fell in love is about so much more than what they wanted or desired. Its about their love for each other, for their family and for their God. I wish for them a wonderful adventure together. A life filled with the choicest of blessings. I wish for them a love story that ends with.... HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

GYEONGJU

One of my favorite Korea experiences was our trip to Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient kindom of Silla (57 BC-935 AD). I am always amazed by the dates we often see as we visit historical sites. I am also fascinated by what we can learn about a people who lived so very long ago.

Meet Justin and DaNese. They are standing in front of the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia, built during the reign of Silla Queen Seondeok. Justin is one of our young soldier friends. In fact he has become like family. We were so happy that his sister came to visit him here in South Korea. It was fun getting to know her. It was even more fun listening to their family stories and good natured sibling banter. They reminded me of our own kids who love to tell stories of their childhood and to tell on each other!  Justin had already been to Gyeongju so he was our tour guide. It is an amazing place. Between the four of us we took hundreds of pictures. I will try to share a few, just a few!

The temple grounds and the royal compound had many fascinating structures. On the right is a stone ice storage made of about 1,000 stones with a mounded roof and three ventilated ducts. This is a really ancient refrigeration system!

The grassy hills on the left are actually burial mounds. They hold the remains of the royal family members of the Silla dynasty. 

This court yard is surrounded by covered walk ways. The temple is above. The pagoda on the right is one of several you pass as you walk through the beautiful grounds.

The shrine on the left is in a section of the courtyard. Some of the Koreans visiting while we were there stopped for a moment to  offer a prayer.

The picture on the right is one of many lotus ponds we saw. The lotus blossom is significant in Buddhism. 




We are so blessed to serve here and to enjoy many Korean experiences. I like to say "sometimes we are Elder and Sister Fairhurst, but sometimes we are just Fred and Susan in Korea.