Our trip is winding down... we're living out of suitcases in the Hi Seoul Youth Hostel. At first, we-- as the first class Americans we are-- thought "no way are you putting us up in a YOUTH HOSTEL!! We're too old for the 'adventures' of a hostel!" We were picturing all the sketchy hostel stories we'd heard. Just like ghost stories, Hostel Horrors tend to breed amongst scared people. Tales of weird roommates, thefts, and strange odors were being shared in hushed whispers at the office... then dear, wonderful, amazing Esther said "oh my no! Not in Korea!" So we looked it up online, and it was the most beautiful hotel I've ever seen. Apparently, the lack of everyday maid service and the no-food-room-service makes it a hostel. We blushed at our silly stories and our fears. Of course, dear Esther had only the best for us. :)
First off, we went shopping!! Here is one of the street markets we went to in Seoul. It was not as innocently amusing as Eumseong had been! They were armed and ready for tourists!
Two interesting finds of the day: I got a 5,000won fan of "high quality" for only 2,000won when Georgette saw me 'flutter my eyelashes.' I, of course, do not remember doing anything of the sort!! It is a beautiful fan and the man was very nice. End of story.
Second interesting story is that I ate silk worm larvae. Henry bought an ENTIRE cup of them. Yes, they were kind of scary looking. It looks like bumble bee bodies, but no wings or legs. It is served warmed up, and scooped into a dixie cup. Henry loves to feed me strange things and laugh at my facial expressions. I've eaten sesame leaves (courtesy of Henry and Phillip, the jerks), Rice Juice (courtesy of Henry and Justin, the meanies), and now larvae. It had a slightly nutty flavor, a little chewy with a little squish on the inside. Don't think about it too long, it will turn your stomach. Apparently, according to Henry (with a grain of salt), it is a delicious protein filled Korean snack. yum. Hahaha!
Paige made friends with a dog in bumble bee clothing. She bought several outfits to torture her own pets back in Maryland. I am SURE they will LOVE their gifts, Paige! :)
Then we got all tourist-y and went to Namsangol Hanok Folk Village in Seoul. It is circa-1860's, and full of very traditional buildings and compound outbuildings. Think Korean-Jamestown. It had reenactors and little exhibits where you could read about traditional Korean life. The gardens were full of Rose of Sharon (the national flower) and little fountains & falls. It was a lovely, albeit drizzly, Sunday afternoon.
Some men in traditional clothing weaving straw into bags, baskets, and shoes! I'm not sure the baby blue fan is traditional, but the exhibit was cool! I think we used to hook our hemping yarn on our toes like that, too!
Time Capsule Room. The Capsule is due to be opened in the year 2,394 AD. I'm not sure yet if I'm busy, but it will be interesting! On November 29, 1994 it was the 600th birthday of Seoul. The people of Seoul buried the capsule with 600 things about their lifestyle in Seoul-- clothing, toys, technology, etc.
Paige showing some traditional Korean clothes. Isn't it sweet?
Some bibimbop for dinner?! It is a VERY VERY hot stone bowl with rice, veggies, sauces, and a raw egg in it. You mix it all up very quickly and the egg cooks in with everything else... like personal fried rice. We also had bean sprout soup, Korean pancakes (little flour and green onion things), and of course kimchi. It was very yummy!
Some more American fare at the LotteMart. It was like a JC Penney's. Escalators, multiple floors, any and everything you'd like to buy. We found it on our walking adventure of Seoul. The college students from Californian went on a bus trip-- but we're more the independent walking types. :)
This is the Seoul Tower. Yes, they thought they were going to take ME up there. HA. No way.
Shrouded in clouds. You have to walk UP A MOUNTAIN to get TO the tower. Buses can't even make it up the driveway it's so steep! Georgette and I whipped out our activity-induced-asthma-inhalers and marched. The view from the mountain was incredible. It was nighttime, so you could see forever with the city lights below you. Henry told us about the Locks. You buy a little lock (like the kind you put on your diary when you're 7), and etch you & your love's initials on the lock, then clip it to the railings. It's supposed to be good luck. Henry said they bolt cut them off every once in awhile when the locks take over... so... do those couples break up?! Very sad thought.
Dominique, Karla, Briana, and Paige... the brave ones... going up to the top of the tower. They said the clouds were in the way of the compete view, but they're still glad they went up!
View from the safety of the ground. It looks like those things from Star Wars. :)
Bobbie and I in the Hostel. Our last night, we hosted a movie night with one of our Classic Hollywood Love Stories and some pastries from the bakery downstairs (yes, the 'hostel' had a bakery & coffee shop... it so deserves to be a 'hotel!'). It was a good but sad night as we thought about leaving all our new friends.
Brielle being sad.
Breakfast with DK!
Daniel K (an exchange student at Grace last year) came to see us off at the airport!! We had a lovely breakfast of sandwiches and coffee before going through customs. It was so wonderful to get a last DK hug before boarding the plane. He was such a pleasure to have in my Spanish class. What a talented young man! Also pictured, Pat & John. :)
John managed to get a (wooden) sword through in his checked luggage. I was a little nervous when I saw him shoving the GIANT sword into his suitcase; but it went through! :)
Dawson and the girls.... last Korean meal while we people watch... Did you ever notice the random things people wear to the airport? Contemplating a 13+ hour flight... what would you wear? Stilettos? I think no.
Esther Seon!! I will miss her so much!
At the gate... Last minute facebook posts from "this side."
Sideways but mandatory... me & Brie. We were very sad to leave. All the way onto the plane, I kept thinking, 'surely it's not today!' I really lived everyday convinced it would never end, but it had to... which makes the adventure that much more irreplaceable.
The 13 hours in the air went too quickly! On the way there, I kept thinking the ride would never end... we'd be that plane forever gliding over Canada. But 5 Hollywood Blockbusters later, we arrived.
Brie and I both arrived at Dulles, wishing for one more day with our wonderful friends, students, and colleagues. We listened to the last PA announcements in Korean, cherishing the words we couldn't understand-- knowing that soon enough we'd forget what it felt like to be illiterate, lost, and completely out of the loop.
Hopefully my students learned a little compassion for speakers of other languages living in the States, a little empathy for those who are illiterate or barely educated and the struggle that one lives in when reading is a seemingly unattainable skill.
I think that teachers are such a noble profession, and not just because I am one! Think of all the things you do what require reading: working the microwave, programing your tv, going to the grocery store, driving down the highway, the world or local news, or trying to communicate with someone far away. If you can read, you have a freedom to "figure things out," to go on adventures of your own choosing, and to make your own choices...
I'm thinking of getting my ESL cert this fall. God really used ACE Camp this summer to teach me some things about myself, and to put the desire to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages. What an awesome vocation!
So we're home at last... our families jumping up and down (at least my mother was!) at the receiving line. I felt bad for the people "coming home" to a poster board with their name on it. We carefully navigated the highways home, stopping to fill our American food cravings (Olive Garden, Mexican, Panera, etc).
Thank you for traveling this first leg of the Korean Adventure with me. I've cherished your notes and encouraging posts. I hope you've laughed (a little), and prayed (a lot) for our students.
I'm going to try to continue... to write some of their adventures... So please keep reading and praying for our little friends as they being their American Adventure.
-elie
