Naksan Temple

"The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways. "

"What we think, we become. "

-the ways of Buddha

Since I first arrived in Korea 3 months ago, I've been wanting to go check out the temples. I heard they were some of the most beautiful in the world. I myself am not a Buddhist, however I admire their ways and the history. While on our trip to Naksan Beach, our local friend Lee told us of a temple just a short distance from our hotel. So, the last morning of our trip, a couple of us decided to make the hike up to the temple and check it out.

There were a lot of people there, being a Sunday and all. The temple is split up into various houses. Some are for historic value, others for praying, and of course, a monk's gotta sleep(barely), so their housing is on temple grounds.

The monks were really cool, even though I only saw them praying. I was trying to call these two kittens to come over to me, but I forgot these cats don't know the word "kitty" in English. A monk came out and said something I didn't understand and the cats came running to him. He had the magic touch I guess.

The temple is for the most part, self sufficient. They have a hand made irrigation system and grow crops on site. We saw a big line coming out of one of the houses and found out the monks offer free noodles. We stood in line and were served our bowl. I'm not sure if it was the monks, the free-nes of them, or what, but those noodles were life changing. So good. There was also fresh kimchi in the noodles, which is a nice surprise. For all the newbies to Korean cuisine, kimchi is formented cabbage with spicy sauce. It's the staple of the country. We sat at communal tables, enjoyed the food, then stood in line to wash our dishes with the rest of the people.

My favorite part of seeing this temple, was watching the monks chant, solemnly and continuously, as a steady flow of people went to pray. The temple itself was breath taking. The shrines, the lanterns, the size of it all was enough for me to tell myself not to do something stupid...like knock something over. Praying involves a lot of bowing, kneeling, and is very specific. I would have loved to had a video to show on here, but taping someone praying...just seemed too Western.

At the very top of this small mountain that the temple is on, there is a huge dedication to Buddha. It can be seen from most of the beach. There are beautiful flowers growing wild, that I'd never seen before, and the air is just saturated with the smell. Not to mention, the view was spectacular. Taking it all in really made me glad about my decision to come here. I do believe there is no place like home, but I also believe you have to travel to the ends of the Earth to truly appreciate what "home" means.

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. " - Buddha

Naksan Beach Trip

So, after missing a train, getting stuck in traffic, to only take a later train, and spend way too much on a cab ride, I finally arrived in Naksan.

Lee, my good Korean friend, happens to be the Sacagawea of navigation, so I owe my whole trip to his skills. Eleven of us met up to spend the weekend on the beach, minimizing our tan lines, and rejoicing in our ability to drink outside on the streets. There isn't an open container law here, so booze is cheap (maybe a dollar a beer) and the bars don't close. Really.

We stayed at a hotel just a short walk from the beach. To stay on the cheap side, we rented just the room. No beds, just mattress pads. Was it comfortable? My God, no. But we didn't spend too much time in there anyways. We spent our first night drinking on the beach, but by the time everyone arrived it was really late, so we just packed ourselves in like sardines on the floor and went to bed.

The next day, we grabbed our towels and went to soak in the sun. My favorite part about the beach are the vendors. Ice cream sundaes, fried chicken, fruit on a stick, cold drinks...all conveniently walking by you every 5 minutes. The chicken guy just walks the beach for hours yelling "FRIED CHICKEN!" like his life depends on it. When you do stop to purchase some chicken, or fruit or whatever, they will let you know, with confidence, that you are about to eat the best chicken/fruit/stewed squid on this side of the hemisphere. It's quite touching.

My least favorite part about the beach? Jellyfish. I think most of the ones I saw were dead, but either way, they can still sting you. We went swimming and I spent a good amount of that time praying I wouldn't get stung. The water was cool, but felt really good. There were lots of beautiful shells and the weather couldn't have been better. Not a bad way to start the trip.

Then we went to dinner. This is where things got interesting. We sat at a Last Supper'ish table and ordered up some sashimi and seafood soup. The seafood is as fresh as it gets. Most of what we order is grabbed out of a tank in the front of the restaurant, then prepared to your liking. It's amazing. What's not amazing is the surprises that can be found in one's bowl of seafood soup. Quote of the night became "there was a mouth, in my mouth". Delicious....

It's kind of hard to see, but that's the squids mouth, a fang really, that was in my mouth. Now, honestly, that's disgusting. I also found brains and an eye complete with socket. Talk about some good soup! It was a like a treasure hunt and the only treasure was grim and beckoning me towards vegetarianism.

All in all, it was a really good trip. Lots of beaching, lots of swimming, lots of not sleeping and drinking more than I should. We did take a trip to a Buddhist temple, but I'm going to make a different post out of that one. Loving the everyday surprises.

Oh Korea...I might be falling in love with your charms :)

Do I have a booger hanging out or something?

One thing that I'm finding hard to cope with is the constant staring. It's not oogling or perverted in the sense, it's more of a "where did you come from and where is your leader" type of thing. Living in South Korea is my first time living abroad, so I guess it's pretty standard. Back when I lived in Chicago, running to the 7/11 in my pajamas, sans makeup, in house slippers wasn't a big deal. Here though, beauty is the epitome of the daily regime. Women wear high heels EVERYWHERE, this includes sandy beaches, while power walking, and even in sweats. It's all about the merchandise, so plastic surgery is common as the cold and knock off designs are produced faster than a Big Mac. I have to bow down to these women, however, because even at the ripe ages of the mid 70's, they know how to strut. So back to whatever it is I was talking about, I don't exactly fit in. I wear cut offs, mocassins, am a foot taller than most. The staring is imminent, but I guess I don't go out of my way to blend in. All in all, I guess I'm feeling.....what would you call it....foreign. Imagine that.

words from the wise

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain

My thoughts exactly, Mr. Twain.

Why? Why not.

A lot of people keep asking me why I decided to make the move across the globe to South Korea. Allow me to delight you with a few sample questions...

1) South Korea? Isn't that next to.....North Korea?

2) I heard that they are cruel to their women there and they're not even allowed to drive!

3) I heard they eat dog. Like Lassie...on a kabob.

4) You'll probably get ransacked and thrown into a windowless van and sold into sex slavery.

Ok, so that last one was more of a statement, but none the less, lets just say I got loads of support when I made the decision (sarcasm, if you couldn't pick it up). It was actually questions like those above that made my choice all too clear. So let me clear up a few things.

1) Why yes, yes it is. That geography class really paid off.
2) Sadly, they ARE allowed to drive. Just like the men! And to answer a sub-question, they really are awful drivers.
3) Yes, God help us all, you can go into a few back street restaurants and order up some dog. If this is really so shocking to you, I suggest you steer clear of National Geographic entirely.
4) I believe I've seen a hooker or two, but alas, it looks like I don't make the cut, as I have yet to see the cab of a windowless van.

When I talk to my friends back home, or do my fair share of facebook perusing, I can't help but feel more and more like a five year old. I'm sure there are fancy ways of saying it, but when it comes down to the raw dough of it, I am running sprinting away from work Christmas parties and business casual Fridays. I am not a worker bee, simply put.

I came to Korea to get lost, to try food I've only seen crawling around on Planet Earth, and do my best to prove my point: that everything I know isn't worth knowing. This country is amazing and beautiful for all the reasons they don't tell you. Yes, it is busy, crowded, and smells like a fish tank, but I would have it no other way. 100lbs of baggage is all I was allowed and it took me months of weeding out and tight rolling to get here. Armed with too many pairs or pants and a lack of mac and cheese (where art thou kraft dinner?) , I'm ready for the ride.