Temple Stay

*video of our temple stay (click here) or go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgmOjnA4aak&feature=youtu.be


Last weekend I went on a Temple Stay tour.  A week before, there was a flyer in my Korean class that was passed around advertising a temple stay tour free for foreigners.  I am a HUGE sucker for free things, so I and a few of my classmates signed up.  It turned out there was limited space, so by some stroke of luck me and one other classmates (from Malaysia) got to go.

(fam tour means free apparently...)

We left from the Hana Tour office early Saturday morning at 7.  The only person I knew on the tour was my classmate, Edwin.  There were other students from Sogang's Korean Language School, but as we are in different classes and different levels, I hadn't met any of them.  There were also Korean language students from Korea University and Konkuk University.  In total, there were 19 foreigners and 10 Koreans, all staff, I think.  For some reason, they had down on their list that I was from Russia?... lol! There were students from the US, Russia, Mongolia, Japan, Malaysia, France, Sweden and China.  The bus ride was about 2 hours to the temple, but we made a few stops along the way to see other sites.

We first stopped at ChoJung, which is famous for its natural sparking water.  We all tried some straight out of the fountain and wandered around a bit.  Then we had lunch - they served us bulgogi (korean style bbq beef) because once at the temple, there would be no more meat.  After lunch we made one more stop at some famous bakery that was featured in a Korean drama "Bread, Love, and Dreams" (제빵왕 김탁구).   I'd never heard of it before, but... it was cool anyhow.  The town is full of handpainted murals, which was fun to see ^^

my classmate, Edwin

After the bread shop, we headed to the Sudeoksa Temple (수덕사) near the town of Yaesan.  We got there, checked in  and received a set of clothes to put on.  Since it was cold, most people kept their normal clothes on and wore the temple stays overtop.  

entrance to the temple

A woman gave us a tour of the temple and explained the basics.  We also met the monk that was going to be with us on and off for our two day stay.  He was really nice!!!  
Since we were basically guinea pigs for Hana Tour, they had a video camera man and two others taking photos, almost constantly.  It really wasn't too annoying though. And they posted them on facebook afterwards, so I got some sweet pictures out of it~ 
Almost all of the participants were Korean langague students but our levels ranged from 1-6.  So, there was also an interpreter who interpreted most things into English.   


There are three times that buddhist monks (all? I don't know, but at least Korean Buddhist monks) believe there should be absolutely no talking: eating/meal time, while in the bathroom, and while praying.  
The monk (스님) taught us how to ring the dharma bell.  This bell is struck 28 times in the morning and 33 times in the evening.  There is also a big drum, a gong, and a large wooden fish that is played during this time by the monks as well.  I was in the morning group, so I got to ring the bell 5 times at 3 am!!! 

the bell I run at 3 am~

Our first evening, after dinner, we watched the monks play the drums, gong and wooden fish, and then those who were in the evening group went to hit the dharma bell and those who were in the morning group went straight into one of the temples for chanting and prayer.  

Monk teaching us how to ring the bell

Afterwards, we did 108 prostrations, aka 108 bows and made our own prayer bead necklaces.  So, for each bow we did, we were to add one bead.  It was actually less difficult than I initially thought.  I'd say only the last 10 bows or so seemed a bit taxing~  It was really cool to come out with a tangible object though!  

We were supposed to have lights out around 9, when the monks do, but we were a bit behind schedule, so I think it was more like 9:30 or 10~  All the Sogang girls (7 in total) shared a room and the floor was so hot I couldn't fall asleep!!!... Koreans generally sleep on the floor and the heating system is all in the floor (called ondol).   


Anyhow, getting up at 3 in the morning wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to bed. I was out ringing the bell by 3:15~  After the belling, we went and joined the others in the 703 year old temple for chanting and prayer (we just followed the actions and obviously did not participate in the chanting^^)  The temple we were in was 703 years old!!!  It was a really neat experience - the place was lit by candles and there were murals of buddha all around the room.  

foreigners~

monks~

After the service ended and we went outside, we found that it had snowed about an inch or so and everything was covered in pristine untouched snow~  We then walked in a circle around a stone structure three times.  The meaning or significance was lost to me... But it was cool to see the stars so clearly~  

After chanting, we did meditation (that was probably around 4 am...)  I couldn't tell if I was super super relaxed or half asleep...  Here is a picture of the monk fixing my posture~ haha!

We had a traditional buddhist breakfast.  The monks are strictly vegetarian and do not believe in wasting.  We spent nearly an hour learning the steps to the meal before we actually served and ate.  We each received 4 bowls stacked with a set of chopsticks and a spoon, grey linen cloth, and white towel.  We weren't supposed to make any noise, so when taking your bowls out, you need to grab them by your thumbs and lift them out.  Since you can't talk, when you have enough, instead of saying stop or something, you wiggle your bowl.  In addition, the eating process includes cleaning your bowl with a radish, which you later eat and rinsing your bow and drinking the water!

  

cleaning my dishes after the meal

cleaning his bowl with the radish

not supposed to see your mouth when eating, so you stick your face into the bowl

I somehow got to sit right next the monk, which was a bit nerve racking... But the food was delicious!  The monks clean their bowls so well, I don't know if they ever actually wash them. I doubt it.  

Later, we got a chance to try some traditional style temple painting.  I was really really impressed by how well everyones turned out.  We ate roasted sweet potatoes for a snack and then had a wrap up session.  

we put in a $10 donation and got a roof tile to decorate - they use these when the roof needs repairing

monk in front of the 703 year temple waving goodbye to us

On our way back to Seoul, we stopped at some spa, which is where one of the scenes from "Secret Garden" a really popular drama was filmed. Of course, I haven't seen it...  But in any case it was cool.  We went to the 목욕탕 aka public bath house aka no clothes. lol! It was really fun and relaxing though.  There was a hot tub of "coffee water" and "green tea" water etc.  


The weekend was a really cool experience. I feel I really got to stretch my mind a bit and got a completely new experience.  During our stay at the temple, I really felt that all of what the monks did was with purpose.  I think if I try to put more purpose into all of my actions and think before I do, I could be way more productive. ^^

*Snow Snow Snow*

I went to see a movie with Jiyoon and Nik today and after the movie we walked outside into a winter wonderland.  In two hours, we got enough snow to cover and turn everything white (which quickly turned grey...).  We saw one girl totally wipe out in her stiletto heels and continue to slip as her boyfriend tried to help her up.  Jiyoon said it was okay because she was with her boyfriend. hehe.
It snowed pretty hard for a few hours and then on and off the rest of the day.  By the time I was heading home, around 9 pm, the roads were a mess. I was planning on taking the bus back home - there is only one bus that goes up the mountain where I live.  I got on and the driver asked me where I was going and when I told him my apartment complex he said it was too slippery and he wasn't going there today...
He told me to take another bus that would take me close to home. I waited for a while, but then decided to suck it up and take a taxi. (I actually forgot my wallet at home today... So for a second I thought I was stuck.  But taxis take transportation cards, and luckily I recharged mine yesterday). So I hailed a taxi and got in.  He got about 20 ft. on the mountain and got stuck.  He spent about 3 minutes tried very hard to get up the mountain, but to no avail. So, I had to get out and walk all the way up the mountain.  Really slipper, but good exercise.
Good night~

The Tests Are Almost Over~ For Now...

Hiya~

So, let's see... what's new. I hung out with Sarang and her cousin on Saturday. We went to Insadong and had lunch and then to another area near there with a bunch of really cute cafes~ We had a feast for lunch! Man, the restaurant was really expensive, except they had a lunch special, that included a ton of side dishes!  It was really nice inside too~

 kinda creepy looking, but tasty~

After lunch, we wandered around Insadong for a bit and then went to a chocolatier cafe and had hot chocolate. I ordered the hot cocoa with the most cocoa in it, I think 75% maybe... It was so bitter! I had to add a lot of sugar to it, but it was really good!

Nik came back to Korea on Sunday, so we had dinner together. I was supposed to be studying, but that didn't really happen... oops. But it was fun to see him and hear about his visit home and his adventures in LA, California~

I'm almost done with midterms. I had my writing exam on Monday, and my speaking/reading/listening exams on Tuesday~ I did okay. I was really annoyed with myself about my writing exam, because on the last page, I used the wrong grammar ending for the entire page, so I got -7... If I had used the correct ending, I would only have had -2 off... Ce la vie~  I did well on my listening exam and actually, I aced my reading exam.  That was a surprise, because the listening exam was so fast, I didn't feel like I actually caught what was being said.
Next Wednesay, I have my speaking interview with the teacher, and then we'll get our speaking exams back~

classroom

some classmates during break time

Anyhow, after work on Tuesday I met up with an unni, I met through a friend. We went to dinner and then to a cafe. It was really fun, and nice to get a chance to practice speaking Korean~ I got home pretty late, but my host sister had gone out to and was picking up pizza for us to eat, since I finished my exams! so sweet!!! So, even though I had eaten, I ate again. I can eat sweet potato pizza anytime!

On Wednesday, I went straight from school to Aehwa to teach ASL. I had new students, so we just went over the basics.  I swear one of the girls asked if I was pregnant... Maybe not, because she asked it in KSL to one of the teachers. But, I swear that's what she said... lol. I guess my sweatshirt was kind of bulky... um.  But the kids are really great and very sweet. (and apparently, very honest ^^)

After volunteering, I headed over to Nik's.  Even though our exams are over, we still had to make our videos of memorized dialogues from our book. Two classmates came over and we filmed at Nik's. After filming, we made dinner and hung out with was really fun!  I taught my classmates, one from Japan and one from China how to say "drop it like it's hot."  And today in class, they said it to the other American in class, who got a kick out of it~

Today, teaching went really well! I was very pleased and felt like the kids actually learned something. They seemed to have calmed down a bit, although this school has always been pretty good...  Hopefully I don't jinx myself! Afterwork, I met Nik and we headed to Hyehwa to meet up with Sarang, Nathan, Hyeonjung, and Hyeonjung's friend, Meejoo for dinner. Sarang called while we were on our way and we figured out that we were riding the same subway! lol!  It was rush hour so the crowds were terrible!!! The subway station was jam packed full of people! We had to transfer, and Sarang didn't think there was room for us, but we were already running late, so I said we should just go.  So, we shoved our way onto the train and made it.  Unfortunately, the door we needed to exit from was on the opposite side of the train... So, we literally shoved our way through a mass of people and made it out. Whew.

Met up with everyone and went to Korean BBQ and then to Baskin Robins for ice cream.  It was really fun, linguistically confusing, for me any how...^^  Hyeongjung and her friend, Meejoo are Korean KSL interpreters, so they know Korean and KSL.  Nathan knows ASL and KSL.  Nik know Korean and English. Sarang knows Korean and English.  I know English, ASL, and Korean (sort of..).  So, for example, if Nathan was talking in ASL, I would translate it into English and then Sarang would translate the English into Korean. A very entertaining experience ^^
Oh, and on the way to the ice cream shop, I totally wiped out! I told Nik earlier, on our way to meet everyone that I was gonna wipe out sooner or later... The roads here are terrible!!!
[ I can't remember if I already wrote this in another post, but when I was in Myeongdong, I literally saw two city workers with a hammer and a chisel trying to hand chip all the ice that had formed.  The roads were literally covered in sheer ice, from the snow that melted and refroze and also just because SOOO many people had already walked all over it and packed it down. ]
In any case, my shoes had no traction and we were going down a really steep hill and I totally wiped out. It was actually extremely hilarious. Sarang and I laughed and laughed.  (actually, even now as I write this, I've started to crack up again...) So, since we were on a hill, aparently, I just kept rolling... If I recall correctly, I think Sarang told me that as I was rolling, I was laughing (I don't actually remember). And I had my backpack on, which is kind of blue. So, Sarang thought I looked like a blueberry rolling down the hill.  So, after I stopped rolling, I tried to get up, but my bag was too heavy and I was on such a steep hill, I couldn't get up... So, I gave up and just lay there, until Sarang pulled me up. It was epic.

Anyhow, now I am finishing up editing our videos for class... I hope it doesn't take too long, because I want to go to bed...
Til later!

Christmas Jello, Pohang, and the New Year~

Hi~

Well, its been quite a while.
First off, happy new year!!! It's 2011!!!

So, for xmas, I made my student's Jello~ Nik and Emily both told me it was a good thing to bring, so I brought a couple boxes from America with me.  The night I was making it, my host mom and sister came out to see what I was up to and they were fascinated.  So, I made them a box of Jello as well ^^

one of my student's grandma made these rice cakes~ the were amazing!

Anyhow, I had one week of vacation from Korean class, but worked everyday except for xmas day and one other day during that week.
On Xmas eve, I went to Namsan Tower with Nathan and his parents, who came to visit from Chicago.  That was fun, as I haven't been there in over two years, but it was mad busy - full of couples, because Christmas in Korea is more of a couple's holiday.

random person looking out the window of Namsan

I had no particular plans for Christmas day. I was literally sitting in my room messing around on my computer, and skyped Emily, who was also not up to much in Pohang. And we had the ingenious idea that I go visit her (she was kind immobile due to her incident in the subway station where her body met an ajuma's elbow... and the rest is history).  So, about 15 min. later, I was packed and out the door, headed to Seoul Station to catch a train to Pohang (actually to a city near by and from there a bus to Pohang).
I got in around 7 pm~ Emily's neighbor, who is an American teaching for EPIK was hosting an xmas party for a bunch of English teachers. So, we hungout there for a while and then went back to her apt. We went to great lengths to find a pizza place near her house, but we had success and ordered our traditional koguma (sweet potato) pizza.  YES! Just like Yonsei days...

I spent three days there and headed back VERY early monday morning so I could get back in time to teach at 1...  It was a great trip and most definitely worth it!  And after teaching that day, I went straight to Sarang's grandpa's house for dinner and of course, got to see Sarang!!

the train station in the morning~

On Tuesday, I went to the art museum with Pil and saw the Chagall exhibit, which was amazing!! Afterwards, we went to an Indian restaurant and had delicious food.
There was also a bunch of really pretty xmas lights up around the city!
I can't imagine how much energy they consumed or how much that cost the city... But they were pretty...
There was also a display about the North Korean bombings in Yeongpeong~

On Thursday, my work place was having a winter camp for the students and decided to cancel my class that day, so instead of teaching, I got to go on a day trip down south with Sarang and her mom and grandma! We rode the train and then took a bus to get to the city of Taebaek, which is an old mining city, and I guess is known for its winter landscape~ We went through the museum, which was very well done and mainly about the town's coal mining history. And then we went SLEDDING!

On new years eve, I went to out with Lea, Rae, Nathan and a few other adoptees in Sinchon.  It was really fun and we ended up at this weird bar full of crazy foreigners.  The bar handed out sparklers to bring in the new year - I LOVE sparklers, so I was completely content. ^__^

I got up really early on Sunday morning to go skiing with a few people from camp.  Pil came and picked me up at my apartment. Neither he nor I realized that there really isn't anywhere to turn around once you past through the gate... So, we spent a good 15 minutes just trying to back his car up the hill out of the road in front of my apartment.  Actually, we were at it so long, the security guard came down and kind of pushed Pil out of his car and did it for him. Victoria, who was also in the car and I just sat there as he skillfully maneuvered the car up the narrow hill. Whew. If not for him, Pil's car would probably still be stuck there...
Anyhow, we made a pit stop in Itaewon for breakfast, aka, KFC... not the greatest... And then drove another 2 hours or so to PyeongCheong, (incidentally, where Emily taught English last year!) to the famous Dragon Valley Ski Resort.  We met up with Eunji unni, who had come down separately with her family and got ready to go skiing!!!!!!!

 this igloo was supposed to be a tribute to the Vancouver Olympics.. They also had teepees...

 Pil, Victoria, and Eunji

 These animal hats are very popular here and people wear them with all seriousness

ramen for dinner!

I was so excited, as I have never had the opportunity to go skiing on an actual mountain!!! Pil had rented a condo room, but unfortunately Eunji unni and I had class the next day, so we couldn't spend the night.
We definitely crammed A LOT into one day~ It was Victoria's first time trying skiing and she was fearless! On her first run, she just went (not a bunny hill either!).  I turned around to give her a few tips and tell her to wait when I saw her glide by... Pil, Eunji and I stood there and watched her go down the hill and then saw her sit down and crash on purpose because she didn't know how to stop... haha!  By the end of the day, she was pretty good!

Anyhow, on Monday, Korean classes started back up and I have midterms next week, so I should go study~

Happy new year!!!