Exploring Insadong!

Wow, we are about 2 weeks into our trip already with so much more to see and do! It's amazing it's about halfway through and we have already accomplished so much. From educational museum visits to teaching in Suwon high school, we are doing it all!

Today was a day set aside to accomplish some free time, shopping, and cultural activities. Most of our group got to experience Insadong. Insadong is an area in Seoul known for their shopping stands containing Korean souvenirs, most of which are handmade.

Decorative Fan and Card

Probably my favorite purchased item is the decorative card. Insadong has tons of cute little shops along the way and one sold decorative items. I paid a small price and then they personalized it with my name in Korean for free! This is especially exciting for me; with a name like Stacia I never get to find souvenirs with my name on them! There were plenty of other knick-knacks to purchase in the souvenir shops such as decorative boxes, traditional chopsticks, and of course keychains that say "Korea" as the typical souvenir to take home.

I have also seen quite a few shops in Insadong that sell a pair of ducks. I asked someone about it since I kept seeing it in almost every shop. I thought it was a cute story, I love all the Korean traditions we get the chance to learn! The wooden Mandarin ducks symbolize a happy couple and are called wedding ducks. Traditionally Koreans would give them to a newly married couple to wish a long happy life together, like the ducks. They are sometimes beautifully carved and they come in a range of sizes, the smallest I saw were only a few inches long. Also, some ducks have strings tied around the beaks. I was told if one duck has it, it's the female to show that a wife should be quiet and honor her husband (traditionally, anyway!). If both ducks have the string it is meant to show that silence is a virtue. I just thought it was an interesting story to share, learning is never-ending and I personally adore hearing about the little traditions that make the Korean culture so interesting!

Korean Wedding Ducks

Modern History

Think about walking down the main street of your town. What do you see? A library? Post office? It's rare to imagine this ordinary scene...and then add a palace. Or a city gate. Yet here in Korea, that is exactly what you would find.

Part of the wall and east gate

Evidence of societies on the Korean Peninsula dates back to 8000 BC. What's even more awesome is some of this evidence can be seen all around the city. Seoul alone has five palaces and many more gates.

Today, while in Suwon, we visited Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Hwaseong Haenggung. This site was built during the 1790s by King Jeongjo, a member of the Joseon Dynasty. Standing at 5.7 km long and 4-6 m high, the wall helped defend the city that lay behind it. On other sides of the city, were various buildings as well.

We began our adventure by taking part in an archery experience. It was interesting to see the way that using these is different from modern bows. However, it was also a lot harder to use them. All of us stood in a row while the tour guide explained the best way to shoot. Hardly anyone was able to make their arrow stick in the target.

A little later on, we went to another part of the palace. Here, we witnessed a martial arts performance. Various groups demonstrated how swords, spears, and hand to hand combat worked. Each of these were a little bit different than what I would have imagined. For instance, the spears are actually flexible.

The last part was a trolley ride around the city. This was a better way to see how much of these buildings are placed around the city. The wall and gates went through parts of the city where a lot of people were. It was awesome to see part of the old city mixed in with everyone from the modern parts.

Riding the Trolley

All of these sites, like the one in Suwon, are almost commonplace. While walking around the City Hall area, we passed three historical structures within an hour of each other. And the structures are seamlessly integrated into the rest of the city. You could pass by one on the way to work and take notice of it, yet it wouldn't really look out of place. The buildings all look like they belong where they are.

The best part though is that people get to see them all the time. Anyone walking around can just  admire their beauty while shopping in a certain section of the city. These national treasures are completely accessible for anyone. Because of that, I feel it is much easier to appreciate the culture. A foreigner can see bits of Korean history and learn about it. And Koreans are able to be more in touch with their own history. Sometimes repeated exposure to something can help a person grow to like it more. I hope this works the same way. Hopefully, some people ask questions about it and try to learn more.

A Humbling Experience

As I sit back and reflect today, I find myself humbled by our visit to the Korean War Memorial and Museum. The first thing we saw upon arrival was the black marble slabs built into the pillars, these pillars contained the names of the Korean and UN forces that died in the Korean War. It was not just one or two of these pillars, but many rows and pathways of them around the entire museum site. It was an amazing experience to be able to see this and it made me appreciate the reality that freedom is not always free.

 As we continued into the building, we saw paintings, pictures and pieces that were from the Korean War. We watched a video describing the horrors of the war, how many cities were evacuated multiple times, as both sides would gain ground and then lose ground again. We learned of the families that were seperated, destroyed or left homeless because of this tragedy. As we continued through with our journey of the Museum, I couldn't help but to keep thinking back to video, and the sheer horror that the people must of felt, and how 60 years later, the war still has left the Korean people with pain and sadness.

In the United States, the last war that took place on a significant amount of American soil, is the Civil War. We, as Americans, have forgotten the pain of war fought in our backyard; Our veterans that have fought in these wars are long gone, yet here in Korea, many still remain. Many still remember the bloodshed and loss that happened all those years ago.

Humbled.

Humbled by the realization that we cannot conceive the pain they felt.

Blessed.

Blessed knowing that others have sacrificed themselves to let me be free.

And finally....Inspired.

Inspired by a country that has rebuilt itself from the ashes to become one of the strongest economies in the world. Inspired by the city of Seoul, that houses 10 million people, and refuses to quit growing. And Inspired by a people, that are determined to continue changing the world for the better.

It makes for quite the Humbling Experience. 

 

Week 1 = Complete!

안녕하세요!!! (Hello!!!)

Our first week here in Korea has been eye-opening in so many ways, from the food to our micro-teaching lesson planning, to our struggles with the language. So far we have just skimmed the surface of our #AgEd2Korea experience, but already I know we have a much greater appreciation for other cultures and especially the struggles that English as a Second Language students face in our US classrooms.

David bowing to receive his Korean certificate

Today has been an exciting culmination to our first week. First we started our day off with graduation from our Language School. I'm not sure who was more excited for the break for our brains - us who have been and will continue (to varying degrees) to struggle with reading, writing and speaking Hangul or our amazing SNU teachers who have had wonderful amounts of patience for all our questions and fumbles with the language. While I'm sure we were not their best language class hopefully we were their most entertaining.

As a sort of celebration of our basic grasp of the language, today was the beginning of a sightseeing weekend! We spent our day having a guided tour of some of Seoul's most beautiful and historically important monuments and museums. Led by our trusty guide Ramona, in her bright pink blazer so we wouldn't lose her, we began by having photos in front of a large beautiful fountain and in front of the Blue House, their White House.

Sarah at the Presidential Desk

We then went to our first museum of the day, the Cheongwadae Sarangchae Museum, and specifically their exhibit on the wild flowers of Korea which were absolutely beautiful. There were many beautiful pieces of artwork but the most impressive to me was the paintings that also incorporated pressed flowers, bark and branches. Besides all the beautiful flowers we all had a great time taking photos in their presidential exhibit, enjoying our fifteen seconds of fame  as we sat at the presidential desk replica.

The highlight of the day was where we went after the museum, the Gyeongbokgong Palace, one of three restored traditional palaces in downtown Seoul. The palace was amazing, capturing a collective "wow" from our group as we crossed through the gate into the palace grounds. The buildings' interiors and exteriors were beautifully painted and constructed, showing off the importance of a harmony and connection with nature in the Korean culture, with its highlighting of animal deities and its construction mirroring the surrounding mountains.

The Group at Gyeongbokgong Palace

The architecture of the palace buildings was beautiful but the rich history of the palace, and the Korean culture itself, is what made our first "tourist" day special to me and the group because it's amazing to experience and learn about a culture and country that is so much older than ours. I can't even look far enough into the future to imagine what a museum or monument would highlight about our country and our culture when it has reached an age close to where Korea stands now.

I can't wait to see what new piece of culture we experience next, and I hope everyone at home is enjoying following along with us!

안낼히가세요 (Goodbye!)

아만다 (Amanda)

We are so different, but yet the same

Touring today in Seoul, we had the opportunity to start capturing the Korean culture and understanding the rich history that has built this beautiful country.

During the first several days of the trip, I could walk into a room or in the city and smell a wide array of new smells.  I could walk down the street and have no idea where I was.  Hear and see the magpies everywhere on SNU campus and be reminded of the grey squirrels on Penn State campus.  Now that it has been a few days, I am starting to see that we might not be that different at all.

Our Seoul City tour started off today with the getting the chance to take photos of Cheongwadea, the presidential home.  In the United States we have the White House and in Korea they simply call the home of the president the Blue House.   The house was guarded by many civilian and army guards.  On the way to Cheongwadea we passed many small canopies lined up on the street.  It was yard sales were people were selling mostly clothing.  During this time of year, many yard sales are happening back home and I was surprised to see it here.

 Then we went to the Cheongwadae Sarangchae Museum where we learned about the accomplishments of the former Korean presidents and to understand Korean traditional culture.  Here our guide spoke about the recent ferry incident that occurred in April.   Even though it has been several months since the accident, the country is still hoping for the return of the people who are missing from this tragic accident.   Yellow ribbons line a section of the town for the return of those that are missing.  It is very similar to ribbons that I remember making as a child with my mother during the Gulf War in the early 1990’s.

 After the museum we headed to the remarkable Gyeongbokgung Palace where we had the chance to watch the changing of the guard and experience life as it was for the royals.   The door ways to the palace quarters where made to be very low so you have to bend over to enter.  Bowing is a sign of respect in the Korean culture.

Then it was a short trip to the National Korean Museum.  Here we had the opportunity to look at priceless artifacts of the country.  Many said it was comparable to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.

As I continue my time here in Korea, I start to appreciate the differences, but yet realize that we are not that different at all.