We have officially been here for over a week and are beginning to feel very much at home. The elements that have contributed to our adjustment are as follow: excellent new amigos, getting a feel for the layout of the city, becoming increasingly confident on the buses (which, due to constant minor route adjustments have no printed map), comfortable lighting in the living room, house plants, and all the minutia that contributes to daily life in a city. We are learning new words everyday, learning to read Hangul (written Korean), and learning where to go to buy this or eat that. The bridge to nowhere...Those of you who live in Durango will understand this reference. Just like Durango, Busan also has a bridge to nowhere (staged within a somewhat secluded and beautiful peninsula). It is made of plexiglass and attracts visitors, boasting a way to stand out over the ocean. The funny thing is that it is not very long (only sticking out maybe 4 feet over the water) and it is not a bridge. It is shaped like a horseshoe to keep traffic flowing in one direction. You must wear little booties over your shoes to keep the plexiglass clean; and, the number one reason you go out there is to take a selfie (pictured above). After an hour or so bus ride with 4 colleagues and new friends, we visited this attraction. The cool thing is that an ocean side boardwalk starts at the same location. Pictured in the photo above, you can see Haeundae (where we live) in the distance. We decided to walk the length of the boardwalk, figuring that eventually it would spit us out somewhere and that inevitably we could take a bus from there or find a metro stop. However, once again, we were not prepared. As the bus ride coming to this location was over an hour, Rosa had eaten all of her snacks on the way; and, we each had only 1/2 a bottle of water. Contrary to photos we had seen, the boardwalk was not flat. It led us up steep stairs and down rocky trails. It took us to various places where we could take selfies, with designated selfie stands (see above). Within the first 2km, we were very hot and some of us had already run out of water. Maybe it was my stubbornness or our collective determination to find the end, but we continued on. Eventually the walk got close enough to the ocean that we could climb down, touch the water, and wet our faces. By km 3, we realized that we had not eaten since breakfast. Rosa began to get tired, and 2 bug bites which she had received the previous night were swelling up like small balloons. Luckily our new friend, Laurel ;-), gave her a granola bar. Finally, after multiple hours and maybe 4-5 km?, we found a small staircase which spit us out on a road, right next to a bus stop. The gold at the end the the rainbow...We waited at the bus stop for maybe 20 minutes before we decided to continue on foot down the road. We had no water and were very hungry, thus were consciously trying to manifest both. Within 5 minutes we came across a vending machine (a startling find on a narrow road with little traffic). We stopped to purchase liquids. Not 100 feet past the vending machine was a trail leading up a hill to a public water fountain. Dispersed throughout the natural areas are spigots (origin unknown). Hanging next to the spigots are blue ladle cups that people use to drink the water. We filled up our bottles and continued down the road. After 15 minutes we came to what looked like a restaurant. Brian and Rosa inquired to see if it was open. A woman came out and welcomed us in. Leaving our shoes at the door, we were guided to a long, Korean table. The woman addressed the group (there were 7 of us in total), "Two?" (holding up 2 fingers). She then asked, "Chicken?" Having no idea what we were agreeing to, we consented and sat down. She then covered our tables in plastic cloths and proceeded to bring out 3 kinds of kimchee (spicy, fermented cabbage), pickled collard greens, boiled bean and potatoes, boiled eggs, tofu, raw garlic, chopped cabbage salad, and various sauces. She then brought out 2 burners and placed atop each one a large pot of soup (which contained broth and a whole chicken...skin, bones, tendons, fat, neck, and all). It was delicious. At one point I decided to try out my Korean, so I commented, "Aju joh-eun (very good)!" The woman asked me a question (no idea) to which I replied "Ne (yes)." She responded by bringing everyone across from me red aprons. We determined that I had either said that my friends were messy or cold. Upon completing the meal, which also came with rice soup (which we took to go), I asked, "Eolma ibnikka? (How much?)" She told me the price, in Korean, and I was able to understand and pay her, thus completing my first successful exchange of language!
Moving forward...In 5 days, my Korean vocabulary has grown from thank you to please, thank you, good bye, good morning, good afternoon, good night, this, that, left, right, and I can now count from 0 to 99,999 (although by no means quickly). I am now determined to teach myself how to read, as everyone says that it is easy. I recognize that characters are grouped by syllables and that once the syllables are learned, they can be grouped and regrouped to form words which are often spelled phonetically. As a language teacher, I am finding the language to be fascinating. I love the sounds. I am straining my ears to hear proper pronunciation, high frequency words, greetings, and leave takings. Today, we successfully navigated the bus system (although we have yet to find a bus route map). I could hear the difference between thank you and transferring when new bus riders would board. Over the last 3 days, our journeys have led us from the subway, across the city, to a live fish market, an alley of street food (where Brian ate blood sausage and we both tried lung), from an underground mall to the largest department store in the world, to the cozy home of new friends, and most recently, to a large Buddhist temple overlooking the ocean. The journeys have quieted my mind, inspired my work, and have drawn our family closer together. One with Kuan Yin...The Buddhist temple of Yonggungsa is dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kuan Yin. From nationsonline.org: "Guan Yim, Kuan Yim, Kwan Im, or Kuan Yin, is a short form for Kuan-shi Yin, meaning "Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the (human) World". In Chinese Buddhism, Guan Yin is synonymous with the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the pinnacle of mercy, compassion, kindness and love." Today we journeyed to give our thanks to Buddha and Kuan Yin. The temple is situated at the far eastern end of the city (not far from where we live). It is surrounded by dense forest which is vibrant and humming with life. To an extent, the temple site is commercialized; however, the peace and serenity far outweigh the novelty (for without the latter we would not have been able to go there). It was amazing to see the mind and heart of our daughter expand in such a place. She was observant, respectful (for the most part), and filled with love. We took more selfies, said prayers in the temple, made wishes, found a secluded zen cairn site (where no one else was), and ate Bibimbap (a Korean spread of rice, fermented and fresh root and sea vegetables, and spices). Ay, ¡Qué rico! For those of you who know Brian, I have to add two details. He found a pagoda for "Traffic Safety;" thus, I think he finally found his religion :-). He then inadvertently, and to his horror, prayed for a son after rubbing the belly of "The Buddha of Granting a Son." He was then so freaked out that he mentioned his error to Kuan Yin (just to make sure).
The plan of action...
The small things which make it special...First, there is no trash. Perhaps this is due to the fact that there is a camera every 100 feet and a safety man hidden around every corner. Perhaps it is due to the Korean philosophy of whole employment, in which every person has a job and no job is too small to offer employment. Or maybe the beauty lies in Confucianism, societal structure, and harmony with nature. No matter the reason(s), the mountain trails are pristine. I continually thought that we need to get with the program in the US. Leave No Trace has nothing on Korea. I cannot fathom how the trails were created. We stumbled upon community gardens, incredible stone work, 3 Buddhist temples, art installations, and outdoor physical parks (I'll explain in a bit). We gave thanks to Buddha, saw our first lotus blossoms, and all realized how beautiful old age can be. Old folks really can get down (or rather, get up)...Granted, we have only lived here for 4 days (which I recognize gives me very little cultural insight), however, from what I have seen, old folks are neither highly medicated, nor decrepit, nor cast aside and dismissed as often occurs in the US. They are out hiking, having picnics, taking naps in cabanas or on large rocks along the riverside, and, yes, taking selfies left and right. I would put the average age of the hard core hikers (those who went beyond the easily accessible areas) that we encountered at 65+. Every one of them was decked out in sporty athletic gear, large sun hats, and sunglasses. Some were snapping selfies, others were listening to music, all were enjoying life.
As previously mentioned, dispersed throughout the mountain are physical parks. These are quite literally outdoor workout areas with push up bars, pull up bars, inclined tables for sit ups, hip twisters, waist crunchers, leg swingers, hamster wheels, balance beams, stretching logs, giant hula hoops, traction tables, and shoulder strengtheners (these are not technical terms...I cannot yet read Korean). After hiking and side hiking for nearly 2 hours (which was only the beginning of this adventure land), we reached a very large physical park. Who was there, working out? Probably 30 old folks!!!! So, we decided to immerse ourselves in this unique cultural experience, trying everything the park had to offer. I somehow befriended a gentleman who seemed to be amazed by "strong" Sarah:-) He introduced me to a large bamboo pole that you place on your shoulders and use as a stretching aid. Oh the glory! After completing the exercises he gave me, I used the pole to maintain perfect alignment while doing yoga. I need to figure out where to get one of the those. Sadly, I have no pictures to offer for this section of my journey, but I can say that what we experienced changed us all for the better. Settling in...We arrived in Busan 3 days ago. I have continually reaffirmed the fact that we did indeed sell everything and move across the globe, with a 6 year old child, to a large city in which we are very nearly illiterate. I think we made the right choice. :-) This blog will be my effort not to forget and perhaps will someday serve as a map in which Rosa, the aforementioned 6 year old, can understand WHY we did this to her. After a 24 hour journey, we were picked up at the airport by my soon to be boss and principal of Busan Foreign School. He was incredibly kind, energetic, and accommodating. We loaded the 15 passenger van/BFS school bus and embarked on an hour's rides across this beautiful city, viewing expansive bridges, lush mountain sides, tunnels, and interesting architecture. We arrived at our new apartment to discover it is only about 2 blocks from the school. The apartment itself is the perfect size for us...aprox 800sf, open, and with verandas all around. After cleaning (with Windex...as this is all they had at the corner store) and rearranging, it is beginning to feel like home. Rosa chose the smallest room in order to have her own veranda for her art projects and journalling. I am very happy with the organizational systems, especially my closet section which easily accommodates my entire wardrobe. Day 2...Rosa's first oceanic swimAfter crashing out at 7pm on the first night, only to arise wide awake at 3 am the following morning, we decided, 6 hours later, to venture out into the city. We stopped by the school to meet the office staff and tour the grounds. It is compact, but quite beautiful, with smart classrooms, modern everything, and a rooftop garden. Rosa wanted to inspect the playground, which was visible from several windows, but was tucked away behind the building, so it was challenging to find. After that we rode the subway (very affordable), to the main street above Haeundae Beach. Our stomachs led us to the Fish Cake Cafe with open coolers and self-serve trays. The prices looked good, so we began to pile fish cakes onto our tray...the flavors ranged from bacon to carrot to chive and seaweed. The shapes ranged from rolls to cakes to logs. You could even buy octopus on a stick. We left feeling refreshed and happy, making our way down to the beach. Several firsts happened at the beach. Rosa, having come prepared with her swimwear, took her first swim in the ocean. I visited my first "Smart Beach" and learned that shaving one's legs prior to entering into salt water causes an unpleasant burning sensation. I also learned that Korean beach goers participate in one of 3 main activities: taking selfies, bobbing on floaties in order to be thrown by the small waves coming in, or burying one another in sand and simultaneously sculpting male, female, or duo gender body parts onto the victim while giggling madly. We accomplished 2 of the 3. Our return home...After 2+ hours of fun in the sun, we sat out on a mission to learn the route home via foot and to buy groceries. Fueled by melon and chocolate ice cream, we began our journey. Rosa is learning how to navigate the streets according to the structure of a Confucius society, which requires her to be mindful, observant, and to yield to her elders. After just one day, she is improving quite a bit.
We managed to find the E Mart (like a 4 story Walmart department store with endless samples of everything). This, however, is a story for another day. That night we enjoyed our first home-cooked meal, Korean style. I forgot to buy salt though so it doesn't taste nearly as good as it could. |
AuthorHi, I'm Sarah, or Sarita as called by many. In an effort to cultivate multicultural empathy and deep respect in our daughter (Rosa), my husband (Brian) and I sold everything in order to embarked on a journey through life. Archives
November 2018
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