Oops

Ok - I'm still learning. The pictures on my post didn't do what I wanted but hopefully, you can still follow.

Yesterday was a long but interesting day. We traveled 2 hours north to Gyeongju City which is where the temples and mounds from the time of the Silla kingdom. Three of the GSE team that will be coming to Indiana were with us. Kim, Deok-Sook, Chun, Myung-Ae and Yeum, Dong-Moon and his wife and two daughters. It is nice to be able to spend some time with them while we are here.

This is a picture of the group in front of the Bulguska Temple. There is a "gold" Buddha inside the temple that dates back to a thousand years ago. The grounds are lovely even at this time of year but I am sure it is much more so when the cherry trees and flowers are in bloom. We later went up into the mountains and then walked a while and climbed some steps to see a stone Buddha high up in the mountains. Another wonder of how they managed to do that much like Stonehedge and some of the other stone monuments done in ancient times. Lastly, we visited a modern museum with ancient artifacts.

Have to add this picture. Here in Korea, they use this type of picture on almost all of their signs.

Buddhist Tradition in Korea: Bulguksa Temple

The GSE team sits in front of the entrance to the Temple Grounds

The Bulguksa Temple is built on a mountain and is considered a national treasure. It is also on the UNESCO world heritage list and is seen as having universal value culturally. The grounds are quite large and very beautiful.

Here is a path leading to the temple.

Here is a bridge crossing a waterway fill by mountain springs.

A gate by the bridge with the guardians of the temple. I am always amazaed at the detail and workman ship within all of the Buddhist Tradition. These two fellows represent two of the four winds.

A being at the feet of one of the guardians.

The Temple proper itself. There are 33 stairs representing the 33 steps to enlightnement.

The lower staircase has 17 steps and is called Cheoungungyo or the Blue Cloud Bridge. The upper staircase has 16 steps and is called Baegungyo or the White Cloud Bridge.

The Seokgatap pagoda inside the grounds is contructed with a 4:3:2 Ratio which gives it a semblance of balance.


The complex is big with three buildings with Buddhas statues in them.


One of the temple buildings on the grounds.

People donating money. There is a monk on the left.

More guardians on a gate.

A bell just outside the temple.

We have experienced much of Buddhist Culture on this trip.

Buddhism is the major religion practiced in Korea. It is fundamental belief is that of Karma or the law of cause and effect. This is the idea that we will experience ourselves what we cause others to experience. For example, if I cause someone mental anguish because of ridicule, I too will experience that anguish. This is based on intention. Thus right action or right intent will bring peace to yourself and others and by extension the world. This, as many Buddhists would tell you, is a simplified version. The monk that fed us chocolate says that "we are all one, so what we do to others we do to ourselves." That is a simple and elegant way of stating the golden rule, or do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Every major religion has some form of that rule. Imagine for a moment if everyone in the world would live like that for a day or even an hour. What kind of transformation would take place? Then ask yourself, do you treat others the way you wish to be treated? I know that I need to work on that.

Peace,

JASON

An Epic Meal

As Kelly noted, last night we met the District Governor of the local Rotary and were treated to an elaborate Korean-style Japanese meal.

The image you see here is a stately platter of raw fish, or woe, nestled on cellophane noodles. ["Woe" was Kelly. She was hoping for something cooked].

The meal had at least five courses and included a vinegary salad, uncooked soft shell crab, a pleasant pancake, and raw fish served with smoked pork that Duwayno described as tasting of Lysol. It had a brazen sting, like a bit of novocain. My gag reflex kicked in, but a swig of tea helped me save face -- which is culturally crucial here in Korea.

Later came some familiar-looking tempura, a steamed egg, and small cooked fish with a salmon-like flavor, along with some fish soup. The last victual presented was an exquisite platter of bright, sweet tangerines.

I said to Kelly that this meal must have cost more than one million won. Another example of Korean generosity. At dinner I sat next to Mr. Kim Jae-il. He's the secretary of the Rotary district. A nice man with three children, we learned. We are getting to know our hosts.

If only we could all look 18!

We are on day 3 in South Korea. Last night we enjoyed a meal with the South Korean GSE Team that will be coming to Indianapolis in April. There are 3 women and 2 men. All of us immediately thought the women were so young and barely 20 years old - both from the pictures we saw and upon meeting them in person. After dinner, we had time to talk and get to know each other and we quickly found out that they are 37, 38, and 39! They honestly look at least 10 years younger - not fair!
I am excited for them to come to Indianapolis and experience the United States. We will welcome them to The Village Experience store and hopefully join in on some meals and activities while they are in town. They are anxious, excited, nervous, and curious to experience our culture just as we are to experience theirs. Because of the vast differences in the way we eat, we have already begun asking them their preferences and what they enjoy to eat. Hopefully we can expose them to some new things, but also be mindful of how good it feels to taste home once you've been away for awhile. No one knows that better than me - what I wouldn't do for a slice pizza right now. After that octupus dish above, I get scared that everything I eat is about to start moving as I pick it up to eat it. And the hot dogs with mouths are haunting my dreams...
We are off with the GSE Team to explore a different part of South Korea today - looking forward to the journey!

A walk in the park

Here is a picture of a park around the corner from our hotel.

I decided to take a leisurely stroll because the weather was beautiful, shining sun and no snow.

We had a few hours before our welcome dinner and I did not want to be sitting in my room.

As I enter the park, I immediately run into this sign with a diagram of feet and Korean script.

To the left of the sign is a wall with faucets to wash your feet and a shoe rack. In Korea, almost any space you go into you take off your shoes. But outside?

Then I saw the footpath.

It is a reflexology path. You would walk on different shaped stones to trigger pressure points that correspond to different organs in the body.

Stimulating these pressure points is supposed to promote health in the body.

This path had many sizes and shaped stones, large ones and small ones.

The path was very beautiful.

But it sure was a bear on my feet.

Peace,

Jason

Food so fast it's still living.

I think the idea of zombies came from the first South Korean chef to cook octopus. This is technically not the most exotic meal I have eaten because I have had octopus a thousand times (I think that number will triple over the next month). However, it is the most exotic preparation of a meal I have ever witnessed. It leaped frogged my grandmother's chitlins.....which I promptly stopped eating after smelling the preparation.