Sunday Night

This blogging is much more challenging than it looks... given that my instructions are in Korean (I know I said that this morning, but I hope to translate just how tricky it is to navigate through this!).

An amazing full day. Breakfast at a Korean restaurant (funny, they even call them Korean restaurants here... even though we are already in Korea and that just should be a given). We sat on cushions on the floor at very low tables. The floor and the wall for leaning on was heated. Breakfast was soup (light broth, mung bean sprouts, chives and an egg) served with all kinds of side dishes -- kim chi, peppers, nutty dipping sauce, spinich, chive something.

We drove an hour and a half to Seoul (too many in the van again). I must mention the van -- soft grey and pink fuzzy interior with blue and yellow little lights all around. Very shaggin' wagonesque. We visited a beautiful palace -- the name escape me right now. In keeping with Feng Shui tradition, in front of the palace is a stream so one can clean the mind with the water before entering. Statues of very friendly looking animals are every where to chase away evil spirits. Suffice it to say, the architecture was amazing, beautiful blossoms (cherry and apricot), sculptures, mountains... ahhh.

Next door was the National Folk Museum where we learned of the Five Blessings Koreans wish for each other: longevity, wealth, health, good virtue and to die without pain. People like to keep the 10 Symbols for longevity around them (in art, on screens, linens, robes, etc.): sun, mountain, stone, water, cloud, turtle, crane, pine tree, herb of eternal life, deer.

Oh there is so much more I want to share... but Janis is waiting for the computer. One more story...

We flew from Seoul to Pohang (just a 45 minute flight) and were greeted at the airport by many Korean men in business suits sporting a big (like 10 feet long) yellow banner with Welcome GSE and all our names on it! They had big bouquets of flowers for each of us. We took way too many pictures with everyone's cameras and then were wisked off in various luxury black vehicles to our hotel. I was absolutely giddy, even though I was alone in a car with a very distinguished gentleman who didn't speak a word of english.

an.nyong.ha.shim.ni.ka