I posted all the pictures that I took in Korea

Here is where to go if you want to see them all, though I don't know why you'd want to slog through it all!

http://s330.photobucket.com/albums/l432/weyrwisher/Korea/

Hyundai ship yards, Seoul and Closing Banquet

Monday we visited the Hyundai heavy industries building and took a tour through the shipyards. I have never seen anything like it! The ships, facilities, cranes and dry docks are immense and go on for miles. We were not allowed to take pictures, but it was truly amazing. They are planning a future city that floats on the water, they have ships that drill, refine, and process oil in service now, and they manufacture massive ships in huge numbers. Some of the things looked more like the Jetsons than reality, hey where is my flying car?! We returned to Gyongju and had a traditional lunch, we sat on the floor and they delivered the tables with the food on them to us! Let's see you try that at Pei Wei, Gil! Then we were on the road for Seoul. Our bus stalled on a hill about an hour out of the city. We pulled over and I was contemplating whether we would all fit in the other bus, when we would get our luggage, and how hot we would get how fast when suddenly the driver jumped aboard and started the engine. Amazing! We stopped at two of the very large rest areas with more types of fried food than should be allowed in one spot. I really enjoyed walking around both of these, but alas, no minah birds this time. Beth said she saw storage for your dogs, like luggage storage, but with a cage front so you don't have to lock your dog in the car. Not a bad idea really! That evening we had pizza at Spannow's again and then this morning we had until 2:00 pm to venture about in the city. We headed for the department store again, Lotte Mart. It did not open for an hour, but we sampled Krispy Kreme and waited. A few minutes before opening men in dress suits came and stood on the inner side of the outermost doors, women in uniforms with hats and gloves waited near the open inner doors. Just before 10:30 the girls bowed at those of us waiting outside, then at exactly 10:30 the men opened the doors and let us in, the girls kept bowing and the crowd rushed in, I was a little worried about getting lost in the shoppers and thought for a moment it was Black Friday, but it was just another day at Lotte Mart's Premium Sale. We ventured as far as the depths of the food area, which was amazing. The little restaurant stands were still preparing stuffed breads and rice cakes and things on sticks that were fried. Then Beth and I wandered a bit and went as far up as the 10th floor (there are 13, I believe) and headed back down for the walk back to the hotel. I stopped in Nomdemun market for a new suitcase as I ran out of room. Imagine, me shopping?! At 2 we met to go to the University where we filled out evaluations, chatted with Professor Kim and the at 5:30 had a graduation ceremony. I think my certificate from this is nicer than my Master's Degree paper. We came back to the hotel for a ceremonial dinner, a lot of fun, especially the video and then out to walk around some more. We walked down to the stream where we went on the day we ate at Bennigans, then around back by City Hall where they installed sod today, and on to Hagen Das for ice cream. Of course I had green tea. Back at the hotel I repacked my bags for about the 5th time today and Lynn and Beth helped me weigh them. I hope I am not over the weight limit tomorrow. We head back in the morning, will need to leave for the airport around 8:30 in the morning for a flight at noon. We will arrive 15 hours later for us, but only about 5 hours later by the clock, so I hope to sleep. I am sure I won't get the cush seat that I had last time, darn. I have really enjoyed the friendships I have made here and the enormous amount of learning and fun that I had, I hope many more people will get to experience Korea this way! I will edit this and perhaps post some pictures later.

Lotus Fields Forever

Wow, the Hilton is quite different from the Ramada! The sheer number of people at the breakfast buffet was hard to get used to! We left the hotel and headed for the first temple up a steep winding road. Sokguram Grotto was well worth the drive. At the top of the hill is a manmade grotto with a beautiful gilt Buddha. There was a service going on while we were there so it was all the more lovely. The area is said to have been built by a Prime Minister in the Sill Dynasty around 751 C.E. The legend says that he built one temple to honer his mother from his previous life and one to honor his parents from the life he was living. The temple has been rennovated many times, but is still an amazing feat of architecture. Our next stop was another temple, Bulguksa which was originally built in 528 C. E. It is truly one of the most beautiful places we have been with its cloud bridges, temples, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas. It was a large complex of buildings with very steep stairs that are well worth the climb to see the carvings in the buildings and the statues inside. Many people were coming today to bow to the Buddhas, even very small children were being trained by their parents to bow and say the right words. We had a lunch of steak and what was allegedly a baked potato, but it was topped with whipped cream, it actually tasted pretty good, Gil would have loved the macaroni salad. We then walked to see the Silla tombs at Daenungwon. These are burial mounds that are quite high and have been found to be in excellent condition containing thousands of artifacts. We then went to the Gyeongju National Museum which houses the oldest bell in all of Korea along with the relics found in the tombs. The gold is amazingly shiny and beautiful and the jewelry shines as though it is ready to be worn again. It is amazing that such delicate work could have been done so long ago and that it is still around for us to see. After the museum we had some time in our rooms to freshen up, it was 98 degrees today with a lot of humidity. We met for dinner at a buffet restaurant and then walked around the lotus blossom fields. They are beautiful to see. Now we are back at the hotel and headed for bed, we leave early tomorrow.

The Road from Andong

I wish I had taken pictures of breakfast this morning, it was all on little trays that were premade. I think they were trying to make it American, but it was really just plain. No coffee, an no where near a Starbucks so some of us were a little desperate. I found sweet black iced coffee in a can that held me over for the day.

First we went to a Confucian Museum. This Museum stores many ancient texts and metal printing blocks, which were being used long before anyone else used such things. Now they are stored in specially designed rooms here and can be accessed online at www. confumuseum.com I think of it as a sort of Library of Congress for ancient Korean manuscripts. It was interesting, most of the exhibit explanations were in Asian languages only, but I did get some cool pics of the diaramas about the 5 Confucian ideals. There was a station where we got to make prints the way they were done during the Chosun Dynasty. There were also some that you could buy, they are really pretty! Next we went to Dosan Seowan, a Confucian school built about 1575. The founder of this school is on the 1000.00 wan bill, about $1.oo. This is where many of the printing blocks were stored for a long time, until they were moved to the new sight to be stored in temperature controlled rooms. The school is on a mountain side, with beautiful views and buildings, it seems a great plce to meditate and think. We had a traditional Yongban lunch, which our guide translated as being the a sort of lunch that Koreans would have at ceremonies to honor their ancestors. Everything was served on brass dishes and it was quite extravagent. The building was beautiful and we sat on the floor, unfortuneatly it was VERY hot and there was no breeze inside which made eating hot foods less than fun. It all tasted delicious, but few of us tried the whole fish that we were served! For dessert we had a sweet rice drink that was orange colored but tasted like ginger. Our next stop was along a road where we climbed up a gentle incline to a gorgeous view of the traditional Korean Village of Andong Hahoe. People still live here. The village is surrounded on 3 sides by the Kakdonggong River and it is nestled between mountains so the village has never been invaded. Several of the houses are named as National Treasures and the Hahoe Mask dance which was our next stop is still performed here. This drama is a village ritual that pokes fun at the ruling classes, so they wore masks to keep from being identified. Dinner was held at an outdoor Galbi (Korean BBQ) place. Tables were set up outside, the grounds were beautiful and the food was both fun and delicious. Beth grilled the Kimchee too, which was surprisingly tasty. I tried soju for the first time, a Korean liquor that is very strong, some people did more than try it and I was surprised at how well they walked away! We checked in to the Hilton here in Gyongju, our room has a great view!

Fourth of July in the Republic of Korea

Today we loaded up on the buses to head for our 4 day field trip south. We sang the national anthem to celebrate the 4th. Well, really Casey , Tom and Brent sang it, they all have great voices. Our first stop was Korean archery at Suwan Hwasong Fortress.It was really a beautiful spot and we got to try out archery. Well the good thing is that I did not hurt anyone, the bad thing is that I came nowhere near a target so don’t count on me for dinner! Next we stopped at a rest area. I thought Italy had deluxe rest stops; this was amazing complete with a talking Minah bird, Makana sized toilets and more food shops than a mall food court. The mountains are beautiful, not nearly as high as Denver, but lush and green with spaces cleared for rice paddies, tobacco crops, corn, beans, squash, and peanuts. The houses are very interesting; we saw one Cape Cod looking cottage and several other very western looking homes. There are also some interesting compounds looking things that are walled and have many buildings. The roofs are beautiful tiles, some very old looking and some brand new. I would like to get a picture, but it is difficult from the moving bus. Buseok Temple was our next stop. We walked 108 steps up to get to the temple. Some of the buildings here are from the 1400’s and are very beautiful. It is high on a mountain and the views are amazing. We were very hot and tired by the time we made it back to the bus, We then had a short bus ride to Andong. We are staying in the lodging behind the Confucian Cultural Museum which we will visit tomorrow. The amazing view from my window looks out on a Chinese style pond with pagoda and goldfish, beyond that is what appears to be a lake surrounded by mountains. It truly looks like a Tang painting. There is not a lot to do a t night here, someone just lit fireworks. The drinking boys may be a bit bored tonight! I am going to go to bed early since I can and maybe I will feel like an early morning walk!

Art and War

The first pic is a celedon porcelain pillow, next is a Buddha statue, the one of me has a turtle ship in the back, and last is a Korean snack.

This morning we had two lectures, both interesting. One was about Korean literature, I hope to find some in translation to use at school or at least read! WE then went to lunch on our own. I had a rice porridge, very delicious, but we had to ask for it to go since we were on a time schedule to get back to the bus. We first went to the art museum. I loved this place, beautiful celadon pottery and so many Buddha statues and reliqueries. I think I could spend a week just visiting this beautiful museum. They also had a great gift shop, I bought an interactive cd of the art there so that I can use it in class. A great idea as books are hard to share around the room! WE had to hurry from there to get to the War museum. I enjoyed the first floor, looking at turtle ships and old armor and weapons. After the DMZ the Korean war section was not as exciting. I managed to find a map of the world that is written in Korean so I can add that to my collection. We came back to the hotel and went to dinner at of all things an Italian Restaruant. We will be eating Korean every day for the next 4 days, so I thought that something else might be good to do tonight! The pizza was great, I also tried a Korean beer and it was very good. It came with a napkin made into a hat on the top. I havwe been lacking on my green tea ice cream, I may have to eat several in a day to make up for it! Protestors were marching past the window of the restaurant while we ate. After dinner we went back to Namendong Market to help one of the ladies buy a duffle bag to put things in on the way home. We also just walked around and checked out what was in the market. The picture I posted is of silk worms, evidently a snack here. Several people tried them one day, I did not! I bought these weird rubber toys that you throw on the ground and it looks like they splat, but then they regain their shape. Weird and fun! Better get to bed, have to be in the lobby at 7:30 tomorrow and I just finished packing!

The most dangerous place in the world?

The Demilitarized Zone is called the most dangerous place in the world, today I was there! This morning we ate a quick breakfast and walked to a market near the hotel to see what it was like. It was things like vegetables and fish. Many women came down with a bowl in hand to get just what they need for the day's meals. The ladies with the booths set up were kind and allowed us to photograph them. I saw a cute little dog that let me pet it! It started to rain while we were there and a lady gave us yellow plastic bags to wear on our heads, I am sure we looked very silly running back to the store holding them over our heads!

When we got back to the hotel we got on the bus for Yonsei University for a briefing from a retired Lt. Colonel about the history of the area and then we were all off to the DMZ. We first went in and got a briefing about the area at Observation Point Dora. We could not see very far into North Korea as it was raining and overcast so visibility was poor. There is now a road to an industrial center in North Korea that we could see. This industrial center has factories owned by the South Koreans and is managed by them as well, the North Koreans work in the factories as labor. They are paid about $75.00 a month for the work, but only get coupons for goods that are worth about $30.00 a month. They can use these coupons in special stores and buy things to sell to others. There is also a village set up that you can usually see, it is called propaganda village because it was supposed to me an example of great village life, but no one lives there. Next we were off to see a movie about unification, it seemed a bit unrealistic. Next we went further into the DMZ and recieved another briefing this time from and American soldier. We recieved visitor passes and then got on DMZ Joint forces buses for the rest of the trip. The first stop was reunification hall which was built for families from either side to meet and reunite after years of separation, but has not been used yet. Just outside this building is where the DMZ line to North Korea is located. Armed South Koreans that are experts in martial arts stand guard whenever someone from our side is coming out. We could see one man watching us with binoculars from the North. There were about 3 cameras recording us as well, though we have many more on our side. Later another NK came out near the first and at some point some men were running behind the buildings where talks are held between the 2 sides. The buildings belonging to the Joint forces are painted blue and run right along the line between the two countries. WE got to go into the building where they meet and actually go over to the NK side where of course we took pictures with the guards. The one of me with the guard is in the room where talks were held just in front of the door that leads out on the NK side. This room is always being under survllance with listening stations. At one time the NK troops came into the room and destoyed the American flag, now the flags are all under glass so that it is harder to get to them. The SK gaurds never moved a muscle, of course we did not give them a reason to do so. All the guards seemed so young, they were all SK or ROK forces. The guards outside stood there the entire time in the pouring rain and managed not to move. The ones near the buildings moved a little, and usually kept half their body behind a building to avoid being a target. They wore panchos, but were still getting soaked, they also wore dark sunglasses and stood the way they do to intimidate. I wonder if the sunglasses are not also to try to disguise identity form the NK side. We also got to go down into tunnel number 3 that JSF discoverd the NK had dug to try to infiltrate. It is said this particular tunnel could be used to move 30k troops an hour. They would need to be in pretty good shape, that tunnel is steep! All over the DMZ are roped off areas with signs denoting mine fields, a kind of scary thing. We also went to an area tha tjuts out and is surrounded on 3 sides by NK territory. A little further down is a checkpoint near which 2 men were killed with an ax by NK. They had come to trim a tree between two observetories and were attacked. The barracks there is named for the officer killed, now there is a plaque where the tree used to be. A huge contigent of men were at the ready, including bombers and apaches the day the went to pull the entire tree down. The last spot of the tour was the bridge of no return, when prisoners were released from both sides after the war they were taken to this bridge and told to choose the side they wanted to live on, but they could never return to either side, thus the name. Of course after everything else there was a gift shop!

There is a local village in the DMZ, people are allowed to live there, raise crops on large plots of land and are given a school to attend through elementary. After that the government will for them to go on to a school of their own choice. They pay no taxes and are evidently pretty well off. They do have curfews and regulations, like that a woman can marry into a family from there and move there herself, but outside men cannot marry the women there and live in the village with her family.

It is a beautiful place, a lot of lush greenery and animals, but you certainly cannot dismiss the real reason the troops are there!

When we got back to the hotel we changed and went out shopping again. I bought Makana and I matching Han Bok, the traditional Korean dress. We shopped some more and then went to KFC for dinner. I don't eat there at home, but it was pretty good to have something familiar!

On a completely different note, my eyes have been so weird since I have been here. I am having trouble focusing on print. Now maybe I am getting old or maybe it is the meds for motion sickness, but it is weird and actually sort of hurts. I am also very dizzy, like the car or plane or whatever is still moving all the time. Maybe that is the elevator and the long bus rides, but I don't like it, and I ask that you try to exuse any weird writing, I probably can't see the darn screen!