Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 11:39am
That morning, students in my 9am class surprised me with a cake and candles, walking in the classroom singing happy birthday just before I ended a skype call with friends Wayne and Melissa back home. I was truly surprised by this, and both conversation with Wayne and Melissa, in addition to the students celebration, set the mood for a near perfect day. Afterwards, I was treated to Korean noodle lunch with B.H., his daughter, and her boyfriend. Apparently, it is Korean tradition to eat noodles on your birthday because it symbolizes long life, so I was sure to eat as many noodles as possible this day. Besides, eating noodles is fun fun!
Later in the day I joined Korean friend Gemma for mountain hike to SuriSa (Buddhist temple located on the backside of Suri Mountain), where I performed the paek p'al bae or 108 bows before a statue of the Buddha. Perhaps I was feeling somewhat spiritual on my birthday, or longing for some type of enlightenment, but either way you view it, it was a memorable experience. Since this was my first proper visit to temple, Gemma's mother, who is Buddhist, joined us as a type of guide. The 108 bows was a slightly strenuous task; inducing much sweat, sore knees, and a mildly sore back, but it is designed to eliminate all other distractions as you focus on counting to 108 and reach a sense of calmness. This should come as no surprise, and I will not mislead you; it's a bit of a challenge. I believe I lost count somewhere around 50, so the demonstration lasted over an hour, and I may have actually bowed 150-200 times. As a reward for my overzealous efforts, Gemma and her mother treated me to Kongguksu, another delicious Korean noodle dish.
While it may not sound like fun, the temple experience was a truly enlightening experience for me. As one of my many objectives while in Korea is to learn more about Buddhism; Tuesday's visit to temple was a great start. Since then, I have told many Koreans about my 108 bows, and everyone remains impressed. This, apparently, is not a common thing for foreigners to do in Korea. Next time, I hope to focus better so I can hit the 108 count with less effort and greater concentration. Hopefully the experience will also be more calming without the sweat and associated old man pains.
Other activities this day included a coveted two hour nap (the best) and a trip to a Korean fortune teller. For only 15,000 Won I was told many things I already knew about myself; i.e. I am insatiable, I am often too sensitive, I am stubborn, I enjoy traveling and learning about new people, and I have many close family and friends. He also told me I should continue my educational pursuits. Good advice. What was most curious, however, he said I will apparently find romance and encounter money after age 35, and my fortune suggests I am not good at flattery. Because of this last part, the fortune teller suggested I am not good at sales or business jobs, and instead, should focus my efforts on an honest trade such as teaching. Interesting.
Surprisingly, Koreans do not wish you, "happy birthday", but instead offer you, "congratulations". It was confusing at first, and I was unsure if they knew something I did not; perhaps I had won some type of prize or I should simply be thankful for living another year. Either way, turning 32 is nothing to be congratulated on, but it was nice that so many people made the effort to wish me well. I was also given several gifts this day; a necktie from student friend B.H., a tight fitting polo shirt (Korean size XL) from my school, Starbucks travel coffee mug set from students, and numerous pieces of candy and desserts. All were very generous and completely unnecessary.
The remainder of the week was relaxed. I believe my spirits remained high from last weekend's holiday in Seorak National Park, and it was a most needed break. Since the fortune teller told me travel eases my mind and is good for my well being, I cannot wait until my next three day weekend (August 14-16) so I can recharge my batteries again.
Other highlights this past week include: Friday late night hike to Surisan with American friend Dave. Bound for the top of SuriSan, we left Sanbon at midnight, and in a light rain. It took us over an hour to reach the summit in the dark (normally 40-50 minutes), where we admired the view, shared a bottle of makgeolli, and discussed life in Korea. The time here was short, unfortunately, because at around 1:45am the views of the three local cities below us disappeared in a cloud front and the light rain turned into a heavy downpour. This wreaked havoc on our makgeolli enjoyment and made the descent more complicated, as we were most cautious not to slip and fall on the rocks and end up in the hospital. Total time spent on the mountain was 3.5 hours, of which, almost 2 hours was spent climbing down in the heavy rain. After telling this story to my students Monday morning, I have since been informed that many Koreans strongly believe the mountains are haunted by spirits during the nighttime hours, and many refuse to visit there in the dark. We Americans, of course, know no fear and are not intimidated by these superstitious tales of the supernatural. Besides, can Korean ghosts be seen by foreigners and, if so, do they speak English?
After teaching Saturday morning class, I met students Serena and Michelle for an afternoon trip to Seoul and visit to Changdeokgung Palace. The original palace was built in 1412 and it sits on 110 acres directly in the center of Seoul. It served as the home to many Korean kings, and was destroyed and rebuilt several times by the many foreign nations who invaded Korea for centuries. The buildings were all very traditional looking, made of wooden construction with colorful decorative paneling and latticework. What was most interesting to me, however, was the landscaping, especially in the beautiful garden areas of the palace. It is also interesting, when you consider this huge 110 acre estate remains to this day in it's restored condition, in the center of Seoul with only a stone fence separating it from the modern day high rise apartment and office building neighbors.
Later in the day, Serena, Michelle, and I visited Insadong (traditional Korean neighborhood in Seoul) for Samgyetang dinner and shopping prior to our return trip to Sanbon, where we joined with some of my American friends for beers and another fine NoraeBang experience late Saturday night. NoraeBang: always a good time.
This past weekend, many close friends back home gathered on a remote island in Northern Wisconsin for one of my best friend's wedding celebration. I, of course, was unable to attend and participate in the festivities, which is, perhaps, the saddest part about living overseas. Since it is such a rare opportunity when old friends can gather, I would have done almost anything to fly home and celebrate with them. Unfortunately, this is not feasible, so instead I wish Drew and Melisa the very best, and I look forward to seeing you both sometime next year.
Lots of Love,
Ethan
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment