Advertisement
Published: February 26th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Pagoda
Pagoda in Yeoju. The Korean odyssey continues. As I write I’ve another 12 weeks remaining on my teaching contract before Tiem and I leave for Australia. Most of me wants the time to race by, so we can begin a new adventure, however we’ll miss so much about Korea. Namely we’ll miss the delightful friends we have made, and the hospitality of their warm and kind families. We’ve just completed a double weekender spent in the bosom of said families, as the following meanderings and photographs document. This entry blogs: Lunar New Year, a trip to Seoraksan National Park, and a recently attended wedding.
If truth be known, I’ve never given much thought about Lunar New Year, never mind celebrated it. However with Tiem’s Vietnamese background, and being in Korea, it was time to start. Preparations started with a spring clean of my apartment, to wash and dust away the cobwebs of the passing year, and begin the New Year with a fresh abode. Miaie’s in-laws had invited us out to their east coast home in Samcheok. On New Year’s Eve we relaxed with the family, and were touched by their unquestionable hospitality and generosity. Chilling out and playing jigsaw puzzles with a
Big Lens
In Seoul Grand Park 96 year old Korean grandmother is an experience I’ll never forget. As is the custom, the women spend all day in the kitchen preparing the food; Tiem pitched in with this. The men sit around talking and drinking; I did my best to contribute here. In the evening we stayed in a seaside motel. Different countries and cultures celebrate New Year in different ways: a New Year in China would be spent watching fireworks, and participating in a street parade; in Vietnam a feast is enjoyed at midnight; Korea is more subtle. This is a time for reflection, resolutions, and spending quality time with family. On New Year’s Day we returned to the family home and enjoyed the wonderful feast prepared over the previous day. The family used a wonderfully simple but effective method to bullet-point the hopes of the coming year; they prepared a list and handed it out to all in attendance. While some family members hoped the New Year would bring a successful end to an army tenure, or bring good luck for a new employment position, others such as the mother, hoped to learn the butterfly stroke. Tiem and I were honored, to be included on
Golden Pig
At Seoul Grand Park - Year of the Golden Pig their list and in their thoughts, as we were wished happiness and good fortune for our coming year. Next, each family collective wished the matriarchs (the mother and grandmother) a happy new year and offered their respective blessings, through a “big bow”. Each family member performed a physical bow to the matriarchs and passed on some new bank notes, for future prosperity. Tiem and I were included in this very personal ceremony, and offered our blessings to the ladies, who were delighted by our attempts at “Happy New Year” in Korean. One brother could not attend the ceremony but instead performed the “big bow” via web-cam; it was a touching way to bring the family together, and funny, but sweet to see a 96 year old waving at her great-grandchildren through a computer screen.
Being on the East coast we decided to seize the long weekend and visit Seoraksan National park. The guide books describe Seoraksan as a “must see”, the “jewel of Korea’s National Parks”. In no single way were we disappointed. Seoraksan is not only a Korean “must see”, but right up there as a world “must see”. Snow topped craggy mountains and mist filled valleys, it’s
a natural wonderment. We spent the night in a nearby motel and woke to fresh air and the smell of the wild. Close-by the Park’s entrance is a peculiar sight; two London red buses, the number 52 and 98, now serving as beacons for the Kensington Hotel. We gasped at the giant Buddha and picturesque stone bridges, got lost in the temples, then scaled the mountains (in a cable car - come on, time was against us!). The view from the top is spectacular. We’ll try to get back to Seoraksan before we leave Korea.
The weekend just gone, we attended Miaie’s brother’s wedding. Tiem used the occasion as an opportunity to dress up in a Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing). We had a brilliant day and enjoyed spending time with our Korean friends.
So, just 12 weeks left in Korea. We’ve vowed to try and see as much as we can in our remaining time, so no-doubt there will be a summarizing blog before we get to Australia.
Until then, Happy New Year!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.077s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 14; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0355s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
anonymous
non-member comment
So Kev your heading to Oz. You wont see that sort of culture out here, but all the same you will love it. Its a very vast and scenic place. Keep in touch and i'f i can help at all with any OZ questions, please do ask and i'll do my best. Peace out!!!