Annyeong! How keeps you? Well, I imagine, no? If not come to Korea, it won't be long before you get that way because EVERYTHING is good for your health....Eunji, why do you painfully eat whole raw garlic? Good for your health, Gemma. Why would you eat fermented food? Why do you eat live octopus? Why do you drink ginseng? Why, why why??? She says, Gemma, why you ask so much! Why you want to know so much? I say....okay. And smile. Poor Eunji, I say: Eunji, I'm sorry you had to get me for a co-teacher....your life is hard now! She says, no no no, but I dunno..
So life has been moving here, thats all really, just moving. I've met my share of inneresting peeps....spent the weekend in Seoul with a couple of them. My friend Kristen and I left Masan on Thursday to stay overnight in a Buddhist temple. We chose 'Golgulsa', which is the oldest temple in Korea and it is a Zen Buddhist temple that focuses on a martial art called 'Sunmudo' to assist meditation. It was AMAZING. We took a bus into the mountains and hidden amongst the trees is a small, beautiful temple and some sleep houses. We had some free time at first and watched some monks splitting tiles with their hands and chatted to some korean men, gawd only knows what they were saying but we all laughed alot! Then it was time for dinner and you have to eat everything on your plate; nothing goes to waste out of respect for the person who prepared it for you. A man from London didn't read the sign and tried to take his plate to the kitchen with food still left, uh-oh, bad idea! He said, "isn't it funny yesterday I was giving a speech on neuroscience to 5,000 people and having dinner with the president and now I am being yelled at by a Korean nun for not finishing my greens", i guess you could hardly call buddhism discriminatory. hahaha :)
After dinner we had such a great time; learnt sunmudo, it was so funny seeing us kicking our legs every which way, balancing with our arms and trying to breath properly and meditate all at once! And it didn't help our concentration levels that an Israeli television crew were there filming us! They were making a documentary about templestays in Korea for an Israeli t.v. station, so somewhere, someday I (or my red panties that kept sneaking out the top my pants) will be broadcast throughout Israel......
Since the intended outcome of Sunmudo was not quite achieved, we were instructed to spend 30mins, 'sitting zen'. Wow, that was tough. Its amazing how quickly your legs go to sleep! After this we watched the students perform sunmudo the proper way, it was so peaceful. One of the boys was only 12 years old and he had chosen temple life - been there for almost 2 yrs and the monks take care of him. His parents visit him every now and then; he seemed really happy. But I'm not sure how much it was 'his choice'.....
Early to bed and early to rise - thats life in the temple, and sure enough, 4am, BANG! BANG! BANG! on our door and various bells and drums start ringing through the trees...we were taken up to a deck in front of the temple and had 30mins 'sitting zen' whilst watching the sun come up over the mountains. I have never been anywhere so beautiful, natural and peaceful. I cannot even tell you what it was like. We then took a walk in silence through the mountain and then came for breakfast. Fermented cabbage is not my idea of 'delicious' at 6pm let alone 6am so i stuck to the rice. Finished every grain; nuns are a little scary you see, I think its the shaved heads. (Gawd, I'm going to turn into a grain fairly soon.)
So that was the cathartic part of the spring break......and WOW. But then we jumped back to reality - on the train to s.e.o.u.l. to ruin all our good work! Yay!
Seoul is cool; all young Koreans want to go to Seoul to university - I guess that explains why they have........44, oh lala. And also why they have some great markets with handmade jewellery, art, clothes, lots of fun bars and book cafes and a wicked buzz about the city. It was Buddha's birthday celebrations so everyone was out being zen and making lanterns, especially all the monks. I swear I've spent the last 4 days in half-bow. Need massage so-o bad. Doesn't help sleeping on the floor at temple too - aya!
Have made it home (sorry mama, I mean 'back') to Masan, the spring rains have begun to fall and I cannot wait to crawl into bed....if only I could have a frikin shower! Alas, the gym is closed....so will have to wait til morning.....
Long email, I know, but it was just such a great weekend and I wanted to tell you about it.....miss everyone lots, take care of yourselves....much love, gem. xxooxx
ps. did you know that the first sentence ever written in english was "this shewolf is a reward to my kinsman". in 450 CE.
After dinner we had such a great time; learnt sunmudo, it was so funny seeing us kicking our legs every which way, balancing with our arms and trying to breath properly and meditate all at once! And it didn't help our concentration levels that an Israeli television crew were there filming us! They were making a documentary about templestays in Korea for an Israeli t.v. station, so somewhere, someday I (or my red panties that kept sneaking out the top my pants) will be broadcast throughout Israel......
Since the intended outcome of Sunmudo was not quite achieved, we were instructed to spend 30mins, 'sitting zen'. Wow, that was tough. Its amazing how quickly your legs go to sleep! After this we watched the students perform sunmudo the proper way, it was so peaceful. One of the boys was only 12 years old and he had chosen temple life - been there for almost 2 yrs and the monks take care of him. His parents visit him every now and then; he seemed really happy. But I'm not sure how much it was 'his choice'.....
Early to bed and early to rise - thats life in the temple, and sure enough, 4am, BANG! BANG! BANG! on our door and various bells and drums start ringing through the trees...we were taken up to a deck in front of the temple and had 30mins 'sitting zen' whilst watching the sun come up over the mountains. I have never been anywhere so beautiful, natural and peaceful. I cannot even tell you what it was like. We then took a walk in silence through the mountain and then came for breakfast. Fermented cabbage is not my idea of 'delicious' at 6pm let alone 6am so i stuck to the rice. Finished every grain; nuns are a little scary you see, I think its the shaved heads. (Gawd, I'm going to turn into a grain fairly soon.)
So that was the cathartic part of the spring break......and WOW. But then we jumped back to reality - on the train to s.e.o.u.l. to ruin all our good work! Yay!
Seoul is cool; all young Koreans want to go to Seoul to university - I guess that explains why they have........44, oh lala. And also why they have some great markets with handmade jewellery, art, clothes, lots of fun bars and book cafes and a wicked buzz about the city. It was Buddha's birthday celebrations so everyone was out being zen and making lanterns, especially all the monks. I swear I've spent the last 4 days in half-bow. Need massage so-o bad. Doesn't help sleeping on the floor at temple too - aya!
Have made it home (sorry mama, I mean 'back') to Masan, the spring rains have begun to fall and I cannot wait to crawl into bed....if only I could have a frikin shower! Alas, the gym is closed....so will have to wait til morning.....
Long email, I know, but it was just such a great weekend and I wanted to tell you about it.....miss everyone lots, take care of yourselves....much love, gem. xxooxx
ps. did you know that the first sentence ever written in english was "this shewolf is a reward to my kinsman". in 450 CE.
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