Gyeong-Ju and Dongshin Church

Things seem to be looking up for me here in South Korea, although my perspective seems constantly mixed. This weekend made a big difference.

My trip to Gyeong-Ju was relaxing and informative. When we approached the city limits, I noticed the traffic and the South Korean flags lining the streets. AhmJi, Emma's daughter, told me that Saturday was Kwangbukjar or Korean Independence Day. On Kwangbukjar, they recognize Korean independence from Japanese colonization. (I found it quite ironic that they were selling Japanese-style umbrellas on the sidewalk, which I purchased for 4,000 won or 4 dollars. I thought I was buying a Korean souvenir until AhmJi told me otherwise.)

First, we visited the tomb of the King of Silla, the ancient name of the region I live in. Then we ate a delicious lunch (in my opinion) of sam-bob, which is kind of like a Korean-style, build-your-own-lettuce sandwich. (Sam means lettuce. Bob means rice.) I was a pretty big fan of the fish. Then we visited a national history museum of Korea, where I took an English tour with AhmJi. An older Korean lady told me all about the history of the Silla kingdom and showed me artifacts from Korean tombs--their primary source of artifacts. Afterward, we went to the famous Emilay Jong (Read below.). Here are a few things I found intriguing:

• Before the onset of Buddhism in Korea, Shamanism was the most popular religion, which included a belief in the spiritual nature of rocks and trees as well as spiritual communication with ancestors. Koreans used to bury many items with a person's body, so they wouldn't be empty-handed when they rose. At one point, Koreans buried other people alive to keep the dead company.
• When Koreans bury the dead, they put a little mound over the person's body, like a small hill instead of a tombstone.
• The Korean character system is actually only a few hundred years old. In ancient Korea, they used the Chinese character system. Then the king of Silla decided it was unfair to use the Chinese character system because only the rich were able to learn it. He decided to create an alphabet for the people, rich and poor.
• Korea, as well as a lot of Asia, believe in the animal calendar. (You know. The year of the cow. The year of the horse.) But they also have animal representations for days of the week and times of the day. When Koreans get married, they often visit a fortune teller or someone who can gather the animal reps from each individuals year, day and time of birth and study their implications to determine compatibility.
• There is a famous myth about Emilay Jong, the giant bell. People say the king burned babies to produce the fire necessary to create the bell. They say he did this because it would make the ring sound sweeter. My tour guide clarified that this is just a myth as there is no written record for it and the story seems highly unlikely during a Buddhist era. She said the myth probably came about this way. Buddhist monks went from house to house requesting money to finish the bell, which was constructed throughout the reign of several rulers. At one point, a monk approached a house where a woman said she had nothing to give but could offer her child.

Finally, we went to a lotus field. The exotic beauty of the lotus stunned me during the ride to Gyeong-Ju, so Emma made sure I had a chance to see them up close. She actually picked one for me to sink in water and watch bloom, but bud hasn't budged yet. I'll let you know.

On Sunday, I went to Dongshin Presbyterian Church in Daegu. Much to my host mom's worry, I rode the public bus to the church by myself, which is about an hour from Jilyoung. The large church has an English service at 2 p.m., and I've never felt as blessed to praise the Lord in English than I felt yesterday morning. It was also incredibly refreshing to meet so many other teachers who have been through the exact same ebb and flow of excitement and frustration that a foreigner feels during their first two weeks away from home. They were so kind, and I was invited to be part of a women's Bible study on Friday nights. I spent all afternoon with them, attending a church picnic in the park with hotdogs and hamburgers, believe it or not!

God is so faithful. I think attending this church will not only help quench my spiritual thirst, it will also give me an opportunity each weekend to be independent. It will quench my American thirst. (Actually, I sort of got lost on the way back to Jily0ung--Hyunsuk's exact fear, but I didn't care too much because my heart needs had been met.)