Gwallyongsa Temple

Last week I enjoyed a challenging and amazing Korea adventure. I rode about 45 minutes to the small rural village Changyeoung with our Relief Society President, Christina, to visit Lauren, a member of our Branch. She teaches English to Korean school children at an English camp. I have toured the camp before. It's quite impressive. Students spend a week or two here learning English by immersion. The school system buses them in daily. The school has stations that are set up to mimic typical daily experiences. There is a mock restaurant, a theater, an airport and more. It is an inviting environment and a common Korean setting for English study.


Our friend Lauren had a brilliant idea for our visit. We would go to the Gwallyongsa Temple and hike up to the stone Buddha. I have to admit I was a tad nervous. I had heard how difficult these hikes can be. I am not what anyone would call "fit". Add the fact that my co-hikers are 20 and 30 years younger than me, and you may understand my slight apprehension. But I wanted to be a good sport. I wanted to see the temple. I wanted to believe I am not all that old!!! So I committed to join them. I warned them that I may end up stopping and taking photos while they finished the hike, but I was going to give it a try.

It turned out to be one of the best trips of my Korea adventure. I took 65... SIXTY FIVE  pictures. I worked very hard to reduce that number to 33. I had to resist the urge to include all 33 in this blog. So I chose a few select pictures to walk you through our experience.



First we drove for about 15 minutes from Changyeoung through the beautiful green country side. I love that, it does my soul good!! Once we reached the parking area the real adventure began. These are the steps to the temple grounds. These lanterns seem to be everywhere this time of year. Probably because May is when they celebrate Buddha's birthday. There are also many lantern festivals this time of year, many of which are on the water. You can see large "lanterns" in the forms of animals, people, mythical creatures and also scenes portraying well known stories or legends.


At the top of the steps is a covered gate with four painted guardians. Two to your left and two to your right. They are the guardians of the temple. Koreans entering stopped to bow to them. They are often fierce warriors representing north, south, east and west- placed at the gate to protect the temple.




An English speaking monk offered to give us a five minute explanation of the temple (that's why he is pointing to his watch). He told us there were five national treasures located here, protected by the government. I don't remember all five, but I remember it included the wooden Buddha within the temple, their medicine building and the large stone Buddha atop the mountain. He was most anxious to know how we felt about.... his English!!! He served in the Korean army and was in the United states in 1977. He was proud to have retained quite a bit of English. At the end he asked us to rate his English from 1 to 100. Really! He asked us to grade the teacher. I'm sure glad he didn't give us a test. I don't think 3 out of 5 is passing!



I learned even more from signs like this, that are written in Hangul (Korean alphabet) and English. This picture is quite clear in my file but it doesn't look like you will be able to read it on the blog.  To me the most impressive information I read related to the dates. Dates like "the Silla period 1st Century BC to AD 935". Or the hall that was built in 1401 and burned during the Japanese invasion of Korea between 1592-1598. Absolutely amazing!!!

The path was beautiful and not as challenging as I had anticipated. Although it was pretty steep in places and seldom level, I did pretty well. Better going up than down. My co-hikers kept assuring me I wasn't slowing them down and they weren't just waiting for me. Even really good people tell little white lies now and then!. The point is that I did make it. Up and down with no injuries and only two close calls. One time my foot slipped on a small stick. I quickly, but not so gracefully regained control and avoided an embarrassing tumble. The second incident was when I tried to avoid a very steep decline by side stepping and basically placed myself in a position where I couldn't go forward, or backward or sideways for that matter. A quick blackmail picture and a helping hand then all was well.


This is looking down on a group of Korean climbers. They go all out for their hikes. They were dressed in classy hiking gear and carrying walking sticks. They came in a tour bus and there were lots of them, some seemed to be my age or maybe older. The fact that they were also huffing and breathless, even the youngsters, really helped my bruised pride. It was fun to share greetings in Korean, and a few in English.



The historic stone Buddha at the top of the mountain. To us this was  a very
interesting cultural and historical monument, but I was reminded that to the Buddhists we were on sacred ground. That created a feeling of reverence and appreciation for me.  The structures so beautifully Korean, colorful and unique. I felt privileged to share this amazing place. My embarrassment and awkwardness aside, I just felt blessed for this wonderful adventure with two kind young friends in beautiful South Korea..."the land of the morning calm".




What is it about girls and their hair?

 Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer
Hair, flow it, show it  Long as God can grow, my hair

These are a few lyrics from the song "Hair", made famous by the 1968 musical- also named "Hair." I never saw the musical but the lyrics to the song are a flashback to my teen years. They are also on my mind as I share a few thoughts about hair.

 

Women seem to have a love/hate relationship with their hair. We curl it, straighten it, color it and cut it. Always trying to achieve the perfect "do", the ultimate "good hair day"! I am no exception. In my elusive search for the perfect hair cut I have tortured myself and damaged the hair God gave me. I shudder to think of the money I have spent on products, devices, treatments and salon appointments. Yet I am rarely satisfied. I really don't know what would make me say "wow, I love my hair!"

 

When these products fail we are known to purchase falls, toppers, wigs, extensions and other "fake" hair pieces. If our hair is naturally curly we struggle to tame it. If it's straight we try to curl it. If it's soft we make it stiffer, if it's dry we moisturize it to soften it.

 

My natural hair? I started out with very little! As a small child it was white blond and "fluffy". As the years passed it became darker and less fluffy. I have some prominent cowlicks but otherwise its straight and very fine. It was medium brown (I think) when I started coloring it. I have purposely streaked and frosted it blond for much of my adult life. I have accidentally turned it lavender then later Ronald McDonald red! I have unintentionally fried it with a home permanent turning it into yellow straw. This lovely mess lasted for over a year while I tried to grow it out. My mother has colored her own hair as long as I can remember. When I was about fourteen she tried red. It was beautiful and she looked like a movie star. Now she keeps it a soft blond- it looks great. Obviously it's not an inherited trait!

 

Now after all these decades of stripping out the color, age is streaking my hair with white highlights.  I have decided I don't like it all that much, so I try to cover up those white and gray hairs. And this leads to the Korean Adventure connection. Since I have been here I have had my hair cut only four times-all by Koreans. Hair cuts on the economy are very inexpensive- the equivalent f $7 to $10, plus tipping for service is NOT a tradition here!!! I have been as satisfied as I ever am with the results. The hardest part is just making the appointments. So with the help of our young sister missionaries I am all set up with a walk-in shop located in the alley behind our home.

 

That will make the next few months much easier. I simply took a picture of a time I kind of liked my hair and she followed the pattern. It turned out fine. But with the lack of communication, I was afraid to have her color it. So I did it myself. I can now add tangerine orange to my list of unusual hair colors!! Now I am that old American woman with the orange hair.

 

I have a friend. She is a beautiful, classy, kind woman. She has alopecia. She lost her hair years ago. If you didn't already know, you couldn't tell. She wears lovey wigs and a big beautiful happy smile. I asked her once how she handled it. She simply said she just doesn't think about it that much or it would get depressing. No, she doesn't think about it much because she is too busy thinking about and helping others. I admire her. I need to try more to be like her. Our small inadequacies (real or imagined) can take over our lives or they can be swallowed up and all but disappear in our efforts to follow Christ and to love and serve others. We choose. And we sometimes have to make that choice again and again, day after day!

 

Spring in Daegu

Magnolias just outside our apartment.

Spring seems to begin slowly here in Daegu. A sunny day here and there breaking the bleakness of winter skies. Bright blossoms of white standing out amidst the drab colors of nature still asleep. Little by little life returns with its color and soft scents. The grass trying so hard to turn green, a few tiny blades at a time. Each new discovery is a treasure. Like nature's debutant ball, the beauties make their appearance one by one. The pace picking up with the passage of days.

Then the cherry blossoms appear and spring bursts forth in shades of pink and red. Spring is a promise of life renewed. It is the hope of lighter days and the warmth that lifts our spirits. In spring our hearts are drawn with gratitude to the Creator of the beauty we see. His light lifts us. His warmth fills us. Through Him we have the promise of life renewed. Through him the gray skies of winter are replaced with hope. Through him all that was drab and dull breaks for white and clean. Spring is the season we celebrate the ultimate gift. The atonement of our Savior.
Here some of the scenes of spring from our mission in South Korea:  

The E-World tower.

These pictures were taken in Duryu park. We went there with the young missionaries during the Cherry Blossom festival. In the distance you can see Tower 83. Why 83? **
I really have no idea. Nor do I know why this style of tower is common here. It is located in an amusement park called E-world. I would guess that the name comes from the E-mart corporation.

The actual festival takes place in E-world. But at 30,000 won per person, we decided to enjoy the cherry blossoms without the festival.

The park itself is huge. It has nice walking trails, visitor's center,  recreational areas, a "Groovy Coffee house", cafe, gift shop, and thousands of Koreans! I mean that literally. On this beautiful spring day the park was packed with people. This is the only spring we will have here. We are trying to experience everything we can.

**Update- I found out that Tower 83 is called that because it's 83 stories tall. Seems a little too obvious and not so very Korean, but I thought I should add this. Also, I learned using the English "e" at the beginning of anything is intended to indicate easy living or modern accommodations. Our friend Dennis Shin told us that.






Just a Little "girl time"

Serving a mission really strengthens our relationship. We have a common goal and spend most of our time together. We plan, pray, teach and serve as a team. We are seldom apart. I am very grateful for my mission companion, who happens to be my best friend, my husband of nearly 45 years and also my eternal companion. We get along very well and really enjoy our time and experiences together.
 
Having said that, I must confess I miss "girl time". I miss walking around the corner to visit with my mother. I sometime long for those last minute quick trips to Target with my daughters. I would love to meet my friends for lunch or a walk in the mall. There is  something about time with other women that is refreshing, energizing and just plain fun.
 
Recently I have been able to have a little girl time with some of the wonderful women I have met on our mission. I still miss my mother, my daughters and my friends. I look forward to reconnecting with them upon our return. On the other hand, I am truly blessed to spend time with these new friends. Heavenly Father created men and women, unique in their qualities but equally valued and equally loved. I am grateful for the good people he has placed in my life. Yes, I am especially grateful for a little "girl time" on this Korea adventure.   


 I recently traveled to Seoul for a women's conference with three friends from our Branch. We were able to enjoy some Korean cultural experiences while we were there. This is a class on Hanji paper. It's a traditional Korean craft. It's somewhat similar to paper mache. They use very fibrous paper made from mulberry trees. We each made a small tray.




This is a very Korean way to pose for pictures. I am not really sure why. They also love to pose with both hands making peace signs. These friends are both teachers here in Korea. One teaches at an English camp- where Korean students learn English by being immersed in mock activities. The other is here because of her husband's job. She substitute teaches at the American High School on Camp Walker.



Once each month our Relief Society (women's auxiliary) has a pot luck luncheon. Since this was March, much of our food was green. Some naturally and some with the help of food coloring.

Here I am enjoying a traditional Korean lunch with two friends. we are sitting on floor mats at a low table. Sitting on the floor at these Korean tables is a common experience here. Unfortunately it's hard to be graceful in a dress and it's hard to get back up when you are in your 60's! I'm proud to say I have maneuvered it a few times.



Half empty or half full?

We often use the analogy of a half filled glass to determine someone's perspective. Half empty? You might be considered a pessimist or someone who is negative. Half full?  That is the view of the optimist wearing  rose colored glasses. In my opinion, few people can be identified completely as an optimist or a pessimist. I think of myself as mostly optimistic, but my may husband tend to disagree. On the other hand, I would never disagree that he is an optimist, definitely sporting the latest model of rosy glasses. The bottom line is that for each of us reality is a product of our own perspective. Actually the glass is simultaneously half full and half empty! Our feelings arise from our point of view. Our goals and desires are often nurtured or thwarted by how we see any given situation. Whether we are primarily  positive or negative by nature... no matter how difficult or easy our circumstances...despite our strengths or limitations... ultimately we choose our own point of view.

A work in progress, just like our mission

Half  over or half remaining? Here's another question of perspective. We just reached the half way point of our 18 month mission.  So is our mission half over or do we have half remaining? The answer is both. Just like a glass is both half empty and half full at the same time. In the world of the analogy, it can be viewed as a good thing or a bad thing. In my perspective the answer is still both. It's a good and a bad thing.  We have had nine amazing months filled with adventure and challenges. We have met wonderful people. We have fallen in love with Korea, its people and the culture. The Lord has been so good to us. We have enjoyed opportunities to serve others in small but meaningful ways. We have witnessed the love and caring good people offer to others. I have endured the pains of homesickness and challenges of living in unfamiliar circumstances. I have developed a sense of humor in response to botched communication attempts and continuous navigational challenges. Even the half empty experiences of our mission have filled my cup. At the half way point my cup is definitely much more than half full.  I anticipate the second half of our mission being even more productive and fulfilling than the first. because the challenges of the first half are now lessons learned. I look forward to the adventures ahead. Even though I love this mission and our time here, I must confess that I also look forward to the day I walk down the ramp into the Great Falls airport- returning to home and family.

Just a few mission pictures:

This was a Guamanian/Filipino birthday celebration in the heart of Daegu South Korea. The buffet was amazing and included many traditional foods. The birthday boy, 68 years young, and his wonderful welcoming family.



The end of a fun "family home evening". We shared a bible video, hot dogs and a rousing game of liar's dice. The two young women are nonmembers who came with their English teacher. This was their first exposure to "Mormons". They had a great time and even attended church the following week. The only thing missing from our American FHE is the Americans! The soldiers were involved in a military exercise and could not attend. We love our Korean friends.

Valentine's Day Korean Style

We just enjoyed our first and only Valentine's Day in Korea. Well, technically just 1/3 of the holiday is celebrated on February 14th. So get ready for a brief lesson on the romantic holiday trifecta in Korea. I couldn't cite every source for this information because I have heard it from several people and read it in several sources. The information is consistent, so my research must be accurate- that's my version of the scientific method! I would like to mention one of the sources. Jason is an American who teaches at a University here in Daegu. He has lived here for 10 year and is married to a beautiful Korean woman. He is our only expert source with a deep southern American accent. He is great- I might have to dedicate a post to the musings of Jason!

Here is one of Jason's FB posts: "Today is Valentines Day, but in Korea that means women give presents to men only. On March 14th, White Day comes and that is the day when men give presents to girls. The two days are separated. April 14th is reserved for Black Noodle Day. This day is for all the single people who celebrate it (sadly) by eating a special Korean food."

Wandering around Daegu the last couple of days, we saw several street displays of typical Valentine's gifts, including chocolates and flowers. I saw a few young women carrying such gifts. I can only suppose they were off to meet their sweethearts. I wonder if starting the celebrations with women buying gifts for the men is a way to guarantee the women get a gift on their day? Maybe. Then again, maybe not!



We have eaten the "black noodles" many times. They are delicious. I can see why they would cheer the lonely! They are called Jajangmyun and are an adaption of a Chinese dish. The color comes from the black bean sauce. You can see a bowl on the menu board in the upper left hand corner. The cost would be less then $3 American. For another dollar (1000 won) you can get the large size, which easily feeds two. Of course they come with "panchan" or Korean side dishes. This typically includes kimchi and pickled radish. The young missionaries love to eat here- they get a lot for their money.

So how did we celebrate? Fred bought me a sweet pine scented candle- a little reminder of the mountains. I made him cinnamon rolls. That evening we enjoyed another Korea adventure as we went to a part of Daegu we had never visited; a new subway stop. We met up with Elders Yun and Lee for a delicious dinner at a restaurant that served Korean and American style chicken, but in mostly Korean fashion. This may have been the first time we've eaten at a local restaurant where they brought forks and didn't even offer us chopsticks. It felt weird!!!


Here is a picture of two forever Valentines! A picture before the gray hair and middle age spread. I can't imagine this Korea adventure without the love of my life. We are companions in the truest sense of the word. Ours is an eternal relationship, bound by the Lord's temple covenants. So here we are in Korea. Hoping to invite others to receive these choicest of all blessings.

Bring on the Blue Horse

January 31st , Lunar New Year, began the year of the Blue Horse. The years are based on the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The symbols repeat themselves in 12 year cycles.

I hope you will enjoy one more post about  Lunar New Year. Its one thing to research it and another to experience it. Thanks to our good friend Sup we witnessed some traditional rituals up close and in person. We also participated in some. Later in the day, we provided our own version of Seollal for the young missionaries.

Traditioal Seollal Celebration:

The ancestor rituals begin first thing in the morning, so we arrived at Sup's house about 7:45. His niece and nephews were already decked out in their hanbok. Don't they look adorable? Sup lives in a very nice home with four generations of his family. Traditionally, families gather for the ancestral rituals at the family homes of the oldest/first born male. The wives go to the homes of their husband's family. Since Sup's father is the oldest of his siblings, Sup's uncles and their families come to his home.



Shortly after we arrived they served Ddeokguk (rice cake soup). It was quite delicious. Koreans almost always eat sitting on the floor at very low tables. We have done that a couple times, but it isn't a pretty picture. They served us at a coffee table and we sat  on a couch.. One of Sup's brothers is setting the table. He is in hanbok because this is the first Lunar New Year since his marriage.


The food preparation takes several hours or sometimes days. In the past everything was prepared from scratch, but now they can buy many of the ritual foods already prepared so it cuts down on the time and effort. We witnessed the final steps. This is a brother's wife. The women do most of the cooking. Both of his sisters-in-law were dressed in hanbok. Sup and his brother worked on the presentation of the foods for the ancestor table. They are careful to trim off the ends to make it easier for the ancestors to eat and also so they can display the foods in a pleasing way.

The food is placed on special dishes used only for ancestral ceremonies, which occur seven times a year. They are laid out in a very specific order and all plates must have odd numbers of food, never even numbers. Notice the two octopus? This is a delicacy that is saved for special occasions. It is quite expensive. They also cover all of the mirrors in the home in anticipation of the arrival of ancestors.

Since Sup's mother passed away earlier this year, they had a special ceremony for her. This is his father's prayer room. It is set up with the ritual foods, but on a smaller scale. You can see a picture of his mother. The family members took turns going in and bowing to her.

The rituals focus on honoring their ancestors through offerings and bowing. They also bow to their father, and older siblings. Young children bow to their elders and receive money in return. Sup's niece and nephew bowed to us and we gave them each a couple thousand won. (A thousand won is worth about one dollar, but it sounds pretty amazing.)                           

 We most likely will not ever implement these rituals into our family traditions, but I think we can learn from the Koreans to remember and value our ancestors in a more personal way. We were not able to stay for the full celebration because we had work to do for our own. But we had a wonderful time and felt honored to be included.

Our "meguk" version:

 
The young missionaries like to come to our home to have "American food" and we are happy to oblige. But I really wanted to provide some traditional Korean food for our young Korean missionaries on their important holiday. So I went to the Internet in search of information and recipes. I made the ddeokguk (the traditional soup) with a slight American flair- I used beef broth instead of anchovy base. I just couldn't handle the fishy smell and taste. It was pretty good, but my favorite was the japchae. It's a Korean stir fry using "glass" noodles, made from sweet potatoes. It takes a while to make, but is "jeong mal mah she seo yo" -or really delicious. It's one of my favorites. Even though the internet version was great, I am hoping to take a class and make sure I fix it according to Korean tradition! I also served dried persimmons and chuseok crackers (purchased at a Korean market). The missionaries were so excited and very appreciative. They spent the entire day with us, playing games and watching church videos. Then we ended the day with a real American meal- steak and potatoes!