Festivals May 5 - 8, 2006

We had a long weekend in May but it wasn't the same dates as in Canada. Ours was May 5 - 8. May 5th was Children's Day so wherever we went, there were hoards of little Korean people....love their little pointed heads!!

This weekend proved to be my most adventuresome one yet....in terms of cities travelled to.....5 in 4 days...call me 'crazy' but this too is reality.

Thursday May 4th, I made the trek to Mokpo to stay over with Crystal. May 5th we took a bus for a long and winding ride through many small towns to our final destination of Wando for the Changpogang (sp?) Festival. It was a reenactment of some pirate invasion of the area (ok, I don't really know....this is my interpretation of it!!)

When we first arrived, there was not really much happening except a few vendors and a lot of traditional Korean music (some of which is very loud and grating on the nerves....however a cultural experience none the less.) I had the opportunity to try my hand at making dried seaweed which first starts out wet and is poured onto this form and then is left to dry in the sun (although there was not much sun that day). The dried seaweed is what kimbap is made with as well as just eaten as a snack.....not my idea of a great snack but heh, I'm Canadian...what do I know??

I was bored after the first hour but was with a group so couldn't leave so I stayed with the group. We wandered around, had coffee and pop at a local coffee shop, had some lunch.....samgapsal.....3 layers of lettuce, pork, veggies and sauces...the pork is cooked over a grill in front of you (someone in the group becomes the cook) eaten Korean style on the floor....my poor knees can't take all this sitting on the floor!!

There was a parade in the afternoon which ended off with an amazing fireworks display which would have been more impressive had it been nighttime.

We left Wando and made our way to Suncheon to stay at Carol's place (3rd city in 2 days).

In Suncheon we picked up my new glasses (very funky), lazed about, saw Mission Impossible 3 (lots of special effects) and went to Outback....hooray for Western food!!

Sunday we went to the Boseoung Green Tea Festival. (4th city in 3 days) It was cold and rainy and again not really much going on (even less than in Wando) but none the less....a cultural experience....which the local Boseoung folks are very proud of. We sampled some Korean food....cold green tea noodles....amazing how many things they can do with green tea and even had a green tea face massage. That was good....but cold lying down for an hour.

Sunday night I left the group and headed to Gwangju to hook up with Rachel to stay overnight with her. (5th city in 4 days) Monday morning she and I sang at a local jail in Gwangju. What an awesome experience that was. We sang Amazing Grace and Above All and Lord I Lift Your Name on High.....some in Korean and most in English. The inmates (all men....about 200 of them) were very appreciative of our singing especially the fact that we sang in Korean. How wonderful to know that even in jail God is being praised and worshiped. In God's eyes, there is no hopeless cause. He shows love, compassion and mercy to ALL who call on Him.

After a Korean lunch and getting my nails done in downtown Gwangju, I headed back on yet another bus to go home to Yeonggwang.

Another successful, action packed weekend!

Wando Festival

Boseong Green Tea Festival May 7, 2006 

Green Tea ritual 

Green tea facial massage - Boseoung Green Tea Festival 

Carol, Vanessa & Crystal....and me 

Fireworks about to begin 

Making dried seaweed 

Wando Festival May 5th, 2006 

A Tale of Three Cities

Time is flying by here in Korea. I have been here about 8.5 months and I can't believe it.

Since my last instalment...I have settled into the new term at my schools....with all the usual frustrations...last minute timetable changes, lack of communication, noisy talkative students.....some things never change!! I thought I was enjoying it more but the verdict is still out at this juncture. But no use complaining...it is what it is!! Let's get on to the good stuff....

As always my weekends are filled with day and weekend trips to various cities not far from where I live...Mokpo, Gwangju and Suncheon. You've heard me talk about Gwangju a lot....one of most favourite times there was a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday, my friend Rachel (she's from Leduc Alberta, near Edmonton)and I were asked to sing in the communion service for Bethel Church where I have been attending. This was the main church and all in Korean. We didn't understand anything but our English Worship Service congregation was invited to participate in the communion service. It was AWESOME!! In spite of the language barrier, it was so wonderful to worship with these Korean brothers and sisters who were there to remember our Lord's passion. Rachel and I sang Amazing Grace and Above All. We sang one verse of Amazing Grace and one chorus of Above All in Korean and the rest in English. The congregation was very appreciative and pleasantly surprised at our singing in Korean. What a great experience.

I didn't see much of Mokpo because the weather wasn't very good but I had a good time getting together with some of the other teachers who are all part of the Canadian Connection group.

Last weekend I travelled to Suncheon about 2.5 hours away. It's about the same size as Mokpo, i.e. approximately 300,000 people so there are actually department stores and Western restaurants like Outback there. Hooray!!! It's amazing how much we take for granted being able to go to a department store or restaurant with food you recognize. It's all part of the experience....educational and enlightening.

This weekend I was supposed to be going to Jeju (Korea's Hawaii, apparently??) but plans have changed and I hope to do that in the summer before I come home. Instead I will be cavorting around the country side taking in various festivals that are happening. Friday May 5th is Childrens' Day (what do they need a special day for ....isn't every day Childrens' Day?? :)

Life in Korea is good but I realize that there still is no place like home!!

That's all for now.....