Today, May 17th, marks the beginning of our second week of GSE exchange experience, learning Korean cultural elements and adapting to our ever changing surroundings. So far, irrespective of the place, we all have been greatly impressed by gracious hospitality of our host rotary clubs and host families who have been trying their best, despite the language barrier, to accommodate our smallest needs and to make us feel at home. I can easily list many instances which would be a testimonial of their kindness and great hospitality. One particular instance that strikes out the most, as bea also mentions it in her blog entry, is when our present host, having discovered our need for internet access to connect with our families and friends, upgraded his single internet connection to a four port connection (for the four of us) in his living room by moving some of his beautifully set furniture. This is on top of the fact that they had already given up their master bedroom for our convenience by choosing to sleep on the floor. And although doing stuff on the floor seems to be popular in Korean culture, their gesture was moving.
Since we have been here we have always had one or more people (sometimes up to 10) escort us to every place we go....even to the baths. Wait! Before you get any ideas…I am talking about communal baths which apparently are a common place here. Although this is a topic that deserves an entry of its own, for right now I’d just say it is a normal practice to use communal bathhouse in S. Korea. It’s partially because it saves people money on electricity (which is very expensive here) but it’s also because they believe that such baths in (salt) water pools with varied water temperatures (cold to lukewarm to hot ) have health benefits and healing effects. By the way, these baths are separated by gender. One Rotarian mentioned that it also keeps their wives happy as they don’t have to worry about cleaning the house bathroom.
Although Bea’s entry already mentions the sequence of today’s activities, there are some other details and perspectives which I just can’t help but share with you all. This morning Bea, Justin and I went for a walk/jog. Going on the morning walk/jog, whenever we can, has worked as tremendous energy booster for me. As always we were escorted by our host. Justin took a walk on a road along beautiful rice fields and our host guided the two of us on a hike on a hilly walking trail with some steep slopes that weaved though a fairly dense growth of bamboo trees. In about 10 minutes we came out the other end to the steps of an old traditional house where we could see how family members used to live traditionally and how the male, his wife and kids each had their designated structures in the compound to live. More on that later. Bea and I also jogged along the rice fields and up to towards the summit of another open hill, where the panoramic view below was so amazing that I wished I had my canvas to capture all that beauty. By the time we were back our shoes where covered with red mud and we were ready for breakfast. No wonder no one ever takes shoes in their house or main sections of any other kind of building for that matter. After a long time, especially after a week of eating kimchi and the like in breakfast, we all were looking forward to American style breakfast. At 8am, our host handed over the kitchen to us along with supplies and helped and watched us prepare and eat French toast with orange juice and mini cream buns. What a breakfast it was! Our taste buds were in heaven.
By 9am we were all set to start another day of adventure. Dressed casual with our rotary polo shirts- off we went to the Saturday market. Named after the day it originally used to be, it acquired and kept this name permanently. There we visited several stores owned by present Rotarians and past club presidents who welcomed us graciously, treated us with green-tea and presented us with gifts such as wrapping cloth, chop-sticks, cloth-map of the area etc. It was a pleasure taking a rather leisure walk down this market. The road then led us out to a wide river with water level low enough for us to hop our way across the river over big stones with water flowing through between them. On the other side was a pebble walkway designed to provide foot acupressure therapy. We all took our shoes off and enjoyed wonders of acupressure. It actually did feel good! Then it was lunch time. For a change they took us to the restaurant with chairs as opposed to eating-on-the-floor restaurant. After eating meals on the floor for past week, we all can tell you how much more we now appreciate chairs. We were 12 people in all. Afterwards we visited a local public library followed by a trip to the "poetry road" which is dedicated to a a poet and his poems on display. I’ll not repeat the details of these places as Bea’s entry below already mentions them. That poetry road led us to the sea calm processing plant owned by the current rotary club president. As interesting it was to listen to the processing process, watching them prepare a raw sea clam snack for us was just as appetizing (except for me)....as we saw our rotary friends enjoy the delicacy. At 3pm we took a tea break at "Water Park" which hardly had any water and no park at all. It was on the 11th floor of a beautiful tower with nice wide view of the sea. It seemed quite fancy with its elegant interior decoration and a glass walled elevator to the top. We all couldn't stop smiling when we visited the walnut museum of what we thought as going to be wallet museum. Although we didn't find any wallets there, we all ended up a pair of walnuts to play with, which, by the way, are said to have therapeutic affect when used as prescribed.
Guess what? Then it was time for dinner again....squid with live octopus.....no just kidding! Actually it wasn't bad at all as our hosts once again made sure accomodate our dinner preferences to the best they could. Afterwards at the rotary club meeting we went to we all were pleasently surprized seening our pictures on a welcome banner and getting big welcome by about 50 rotarians. It was by far the most formally organized meetings we attended thus far. It was very impressive. By now we were all tired enough to hit the sacks....and ready to recharge our batteries for another round for adventure and group exchange experience.
Since we have been here we have always had one or more people (sometimes up to 10) escort us to every place we go....even to the baths. Wait! Before you get any ideas…I am talking about communal baths which apparently are a common place here. Although this is a topic that deserves an entry of its own, for right now I’d just say it is a normal practice to use communal bathhouse in S. Korea. It’s partially because it saves people money on electricity (which is very expensive here) but it’s also because they believe that such baths in (salt) water pools with varied water temperatures (cold to lukewarm to hot ) have health benefits and healing effects. By the way, these baths are separated by gender. One Rotarian mentioned that it also keeps their wives happy as they don’t have to worry about cleaning the house bathroom.
Although Bea’s entry already mentions the sequence of today’s activities, there are some other details and perspectives which I just can’t help but share with you all. This morning Bea, Justin and I went for a walk/jog. Going on the morning walk/jog, whenever we can, has worked as tremendous energy booster for me. As always we were escorted by our host. Justin took a walk on a road along beautiful rice fields and our host guided the two of us on a hike on a hilly walking trail with some steep slopes that weaved though a fairly dense growth of bamboo trees. In about 10 minutes we came out the other end to the steps of an old traditional house where we could see how family members used to live traditionally and how the male, his wife and kids each had their designated structures in the compound to live. More on that later. Bea and I also jogged along the rice fields and up to towards the summit of another open hill, where the panoramic view below was so amazing that I wished I had my canvas to capture all that beauty. By the time we were back our shoes where covered with red mud and we were ready for breakfast. No wonder no one ever takes shoes in their house or main sections of any other kind of building for that matter. After a long time, especially after a week of eating kimchi and the like in breakfast, we all were looking forward to American style breakfast. At 8am, our host handed over the kitchen to us along with supplies and helped and watched us prepare and eat French toast with orange juice and mini cream buns. What a breakfast it was! Our taste buds were in heaven.
By 9am we were all set to start another day of adventure. Dressed casual with our rotary polo shirts- off we went to the Saturday market. Named after the day it originally used to be, it acquired and kept this name permanently. There we visited several stores owned by present Rotarians and past club presidents who welcomed us graciously, treated us with green-tea and presented us with gifts such as wrapping cloth, chop-sticks, cloth-map of the area etc. It was a pleasure taking a rather leisure walk down this market. The road then led us out to a wide river with water level low enough for us to hop our way across the river over big stones with water flowing through between them. On the other side was a pebble walkway designed to provide foot acupressure therapy. We all took our shoes off and enjoyed wonders of acupressure. It actually did feel good! Then it was lunch time. For a change they took us to the restaurant with chairs as opposed to eating-on-the-floor restaurant. After eating meals on the floor for past week, we all can tell you how much more we now appreciate chairs. We were 12 people in all. Afterwards we visited a local public library followed by a trip to the "poetry road" which is dedicated to a a poet and his poems on display. I’ll not repeat the details of these places as Bea’s entry below already mentions them. That poetry road led us to the sea calm processing plant owned by the current rotary club president. As interesting it was to listen to the processing process, watching them prepare a raw sea clam snack for us was just as appetizing (except for me)....as we saw our rotary friends enjoy the delicacy. At 3pm we took a tea break at "Water Park" which hardly had any water and no park at all. It was on the 11th floor of a beautiful tower with nice wide view of the sea. It seemed quite fancy with its elegant interior decoration and a glass walled elevator to the top. We all couldn't stop smiling when we visited the walnut museum of what we thought as going to be wallet museum. Although we didn't find any wallets there, we all ended up a pair of walnuts to play with, which, by the way, are said to have therapeutic affect when used as prescribed.
Guess what? Then it was time for dinner again....squid with live octopus.....no just kidding! Actually it wasn't bad at all as our hosts once again made sure accomodate our dinner preferences to the best they could. Afterwards at the rotary club meeting we went to we all were pleasently surprized seening our pictures on a welcome banner and getting big welcome by about 50 rotarians. It was by far the most formally organized meetings we attended thus far. It was very impressive. By now we were all tired enough to hit the sacks....and ready to recharge our batteries for another round for adventure and group exchange experience.
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