Mmm, there's nothing like sipping on Earl Grey tea in the morning. I've been a bit sluggish to post the past couple of weeks, because I've been so busy. As a result, I've got several noteworthy events to write about all at once: the kinder English Concert, a skiing trip to Yongpyong, acupuncture, kicking my vegetarian habit, and a poetry reading.
English Concert
I'll start with the English Concert first. Each kinder class performed a little play in English complete with singing and dancing. Among the choices were 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Peter Pan', 'Ali Baba Jr. and the Four Theives', and 'Three Billy Goats Gruff'. The only problem with the concert is that all of the foreign teachers had to perform in the plays. Oh yes, we had to sing and dance with kinders in a big auditorium in front of an army of Korean parents armed with cameras and camcorders. Add to that the costumes, and we felt like monkeys on display at a zoo for our school's profit.
Erik played the troll in 'Three Billy Goats Gruff', and I played the wicked witch of the west in 'The Wizard of Oz'. I asked to play that part. I figured if I had to do it, I might as well have a fun part. :) I made a few fumbles. When I turned on my pen mike, I got massive feedback from the speakers for a moment. Then when I got on the stage, I realized I had forgotten to bring my magic wand with me. Oh well, it was no big deal, we just mimed it thanks to the quick thinking of a kinder. Of course, there were many more little fumbles like that throughout the show. It's expected when working with kids....or goofy foreign teachers.
I was also informed that the foreign teachers were expect to have their own performance, so I thought to myself, "What is the easiest, shortest, and most child appropriate English song that I can work with?" I came up with Yellow Submarine by The Beatles. I decided that I would make props of the submarine and different sea animals to parade around on the stage with, so that most of the focus would be on them, not us. Here's the basic run down. A 'teacher' comes out on stage with some 'students' to have story time. When the teacher opens a big book called 'The Yellow Submarine', the song starts. The 'teacher and students' look confused and try to find the source of the song. Then a big yellow submarine makes it's way slowly on stage. After that the captain comes out and proclaims his search for 'the whale'. One by one sea animals come out and parade around the submarine, and the captain is disappointed each time that it's not a whale. Finally the whale comes out and the captain harpoons it, only to have all of the other sea animals attack him as he runs away in defeat. This came out pretty bungled and hilarious. I can't wait to see it on DVD and laugh. Those sea animals (cut out of colored foam) were such a chore to make! I'm glad they were recorded permanently on film for posterity.
Skiing
Thankfully, a week later we got a four day weekend to recover, courtesy of Lunar New Year. Erik and I went on a ski trip with some coworkers to Yongpyong ski resort near the northeast coast of South Korea. The area was beautiful, and luckily had just gotten a lot of fresh powder the day we arrived. The resort was at a lot lower of an elevation than I'm used to, but there were still plenty of trails, thankfully. They also had lots of good night skiing. You could ski well after midnight at this resort. I'd say about half of the mountain was open at night. I've never encountered anything like that back in the States. Korea is definitely a late night culture. We got there at about five o'clock on Saturday, but thanks to the night skiing, we got in a full 'day' on the slopes. It was a great opportunity to teach Erik how to ski, even if it was a little nippy to ski at night. I was proud of Erik, he caught on pretty quickly. His biggest problem was that he's so tall he couldn't push himself up once he fell. That means he had to take off one ski to get up...and then put it on again on a steep snow covered mountain. Not easy when you're a beginner. I think he got it all figured out in the end. :)
I really enjoyed the slopes. They didn't have snow blades for me to rent, which are easier on my knees (and more fun in general). But for once skis didn't hurt my knees, and I actually enjoyed using skis this time out. I thought about snowboarding, but after seeing my coworker tumble head over heel again and again, I'm glad I stuck with skis. That also made it easier to teach Erik.
It was nice to get out of the city for a while and see some pristine nature. However, sleeping on the floor Korean style after a long day of skiing left us all pretty exhausted by the end of the trip. Erik also had a hard time finding things to eat. Pretty much everything had either wheat or meat, so he lived of junk food for a few days. On our stopover at Seoul, he ended up eating some tainted kimbop which gave him gastroenteritis. He's on antibiotics for it now; thankfully it seems to be a mild case.
Acupuncture
I've been struggling to fight a sinus infection the past week, and my coworker swears by acupuncture. So, I decided to give it a try. I went first for my sinuses. When I arrived they took a sample of my hair, and stuck me on an EKG machine to monitor my heart rate for five minutes. After that they put me on some massage machines while I waited to see the doctor. Then they took me back to the acupuncture room and laid me down on a medical bed. They put balloon-like pants on me that inflated in different places at different times to stimulate circulation (I assume). After about fifteen minutes the doc showed up and stuck about ten needles at various places in my face and left me to sit for another fifteen minutes. The needles stung a little bit, but really didn't hurt too much. At this point I was thankful for the balloon pants because they took my focus off of the needles. A nurse came and took out the needles and removed the balloon pants, and laid me face down on another table. She then put six big suction cups on my back (this is called fire cupping...I'm not sure what it's supposed to do), and two electrodes on my shoulders to administer muscle shock therapy. After about ten minutes they removed all of the stuff, gave me a quick vibration massage and told me to come back tomorrow. All of this cost me a whopping six bucks.
I went back the following day for treatment for my back, shoulder, and neck pain. This time they stuck needles in my back, did fire cupping, and the electric shock stuff all at the same time. The doctor also brought out these little tape squares that came with a tiny little needle sticking out of the center of each square. She put about eight of them on my right hand (ouch!) and told me not to take them out until tomorrow. Then they stuck me in a massage chair for about ten minutes and sent me on my way. At first the needles in my hand (which are supposed to increase circulation) didn't bother me too much, except for one at the knuckle of my pinky finger. It hurt to move that finger so much that a coworker told me I should probably take it out because it might be in wrong. I took it out, but later I started to feel really spacey and I developed a headache. The same coworker advised me to take the needles out if they were making me feel strange, so I did. It hurt to take them out, but I felt a lot better very quickly. I really haven't felt any improvement from the treatments, so I think that's the end of my acupuncture journey. Hey, I gave it a shot, but it's just not for me.
Vegetarianism
Lately I've been reading a lot about nutrition, our food system, and vegetarianism. My readings made me think about how I've felt all this time that I've been vegetarian. I examined my health, and I found it to be lacking. My hair has been getting thinner and thinner, my fingernails are more brittle than they've ever been, I have absolutely no energy, and I'm hungry all the time. I decided that I need to face up to the fact that vegetarianism isn't working out for me nutrition-wise here in Korea, and maybe not even at home. I feel that I need to look after my own health first. I also admitted to myself that I think it's hypocritical to eat eggs and dairy when egg laying hens and milk cows are treated even worse than animals raised for meat. I came to the conclusion that the best way to slow the consumption of factory farmed meat might not be to skip the meat entirely, but to instead buy free range, organic meat from reputable companies. If I support those companies, maybe they can grow enough to replace the horrible factory farms out there.
I also learned recently that almost all soy produced for consumption is GMO soy. They have modified the soy so that it produces its own insecticide. That means when we eat the soy, we are eating food laden with pesticides. Of course, the big food companies don't want studies done that show this might be harmful to humans, but a few doctors have probed the stomachs of patients. What they found in the tissue samples was that this insecticide is in the soy, and is being digested by the people who are eating it. This obviously isn't good for our bodies and digestive systems, but it's all being kept quiet for the sake of profit. This whole thing really makes me want to avoid eating soy products, so that pretty much nixes all tofu and fake meat out there for me.
Because of all of the above things I've talked about, I decided to put my own health first for now, and go back to eating meat. I have to say that since I've been eating meat, I feel a lot better. I have more energy, and I finally feel full. I even recovered from an oncoming cold very suddenly the day after I started eating meat. My only regret is that I don't have access to organic, free range meat here in Korea. Once I get back to the States, I plan on buying it exclusively. That way I can have the nutritional benefits while avoiding the chemicals pumped into the meat and the cruelty that stems from the factory farms.
Poetry Reading
Last night Erik and I went to a poetry and fiction reading in Kyungsung with our new friend, Jennifer. The venu, Radio Cafe, was like a little slice of home. It was nice to be surrounded by artsy people, and the poetry/fiction was pretty good too. It was inspiring to hear all of those creative voices; maybe I'll get back into writing...if I can find the time. :) What I really need to do is finish my online courses for my teaching certification....maybe I should go do that now.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
A Very Friendly Monk
In the interests of centralizing all of my blogs so far, here is something I posted on Facebook long ago describing an experience I had soon after I came to Korea.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Today was an amazing day. Erik, Lena, and I went to Beomeosa Buddhist temple today, located in the mountains just north of Busan. The temple itself is amazing. There are tons of shrines and pagodas covered in intricate woodwork and paintings including wooden dragons and beautiful colors. There are three gateways into the temple, one of which houses the four temple guardians, which are huge intricately painted statues of angry looking men holding things like swords, fire, and a guitar. The scenery and the temple itself are amazing – so beautiful and serene. There are ancient stone statues everywhere, and people praying in all of the shrines.
Monks dot the landscape, praying, walking around, or talking with visitors. They typically wear (from what I saw) a simple but beautiful gray shirt and pants, unless lecturing, when they drape a (yet again simple but beautiful) red cloth around them. Of course, they all have shaved heads, and what seems to be a dignified yet friendly disposition.
After being shown around the temple by a volunteer tour guide, we continued on our hike up the mountain. After hiking for about ten minutes, we came across a temple nestled in the woods, and decided to take a look. Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly monk named (Venerable) Sung Ta, and began to talk with him. He told us that he was a Buddhist monk and artist, and that he would like to give us one of his paintings. He then led us across the temple yard, down an ancient stone stairway, and over to his home. He lived in a modest room in a rock building built into the side of the mountain. Inside was an area with a mat for meditating, his area with a bed mat and blankets for sleeping on the floor, a desk area for painting, and an area with two small floor tables for dining. The desk area was littered with paper and charcoal for his paintings, and the dining area was scattered with teapots and potted plants.
He sat us down for tea and talked to us about the health benefits of green tea and the mountain spring water he made it with, then proceeded to make and pour the tea, and show us how to drink in properly (holding it first with the right hand, and supporting it with the left hand, drinking with small slow sips). He explained that the tea is taken three cups in a row, while quieting the mind and meditating. Meanwhile he insisted on giving us numerous snacks like sweet wafer pastries and peanuts while we drank what had to be the best green tea I’ve ever had. He told us a bit about Buddhism, and even taught us how to meditate Buddhist-style, banging bamboo sticks and all. After a surprise cup of coffee, and more sweets, he proceeded to paint us each a picture of the Buddha to carry with us for luck.
After exchanging contact information, he led us into the shrine and taught us how to enter correctly, along with the required bows for entering a shrine of the Buddha. (One small bow, and three head-to-floor bows with palms facing upward, followed by another small bow). After letting us light incense in the shrine for our families, he took us up a winding stone staircase to a small stone shrine built against the mountain. Inside were numerous statues of the Buddha, burning candles, and a pool of natural spring water pouring right out of the mountain. Sung Ta told us this was a Dragon Shrine, and that the water was very good for our health, and offered us a drink from the pool. Then he led us back down to the main shrine, and invited us to a meeting for the newest temple members that was about to start.
At the meeting, we sat on pillows on the floor, followed along with the bows of the temple members (normal practitioners of Buddhism – men, women, and children), and listened to them chant in Korean while gazing up at the intricate wood carvings that covered the walls, and the three large golden statues of Buddha and two of his disciples. After about twenty minutes of chanting and a short stint of meditation, Sung Ta appeared himself, introduced us to the worshippers, and gave a sermon (in Korean). Apparently, the main theme was that if bad things happen to you in this life, it is because of bad things that you did in your previous life. If you have a good life, it is because you were good in your previous life. Next, another man (the girl sitting next to me kindly translated the gist of his message) spoke about things that a Buddhist should strive for, such as enlightenment, mercy on all creatures, being a good person and doing the right thing, and coming back to a pure and simple state of mind (the Buddha nature).
After the meeting, Sung Ta treated us and two other foreigners wandering around the temple to some watermelon, after which we thanked him for his hospitality and said our goodbyes. He said he would never forget us, and that we were welcome to come and visit whenever we wanted. We parted ways with the monk and continued our hike up the mountain, somewhat dazed and raving about the unique experience we’d just had.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Today was an amazing day. Erik, Lena, and I went to Beomeosa Buddhist temple today, located in the mountains just north of Busan. The temple itself is amazing. There are tons of shrines and pagodas covered in intricate woodwork and paintings including wooden dragons and beautiful colors. There are three gateways into the temple, one of which houses the four temple guardians, which are huge intricately painted statues of angry looking men holding things like swords, fire, and a guitar. The scenery and the temple itself are amazing – so beautiful and serene. There are ancient stone statues everywhere, and people praying in all of the shrines.
Monks dot the landscape, praying, walking around, or talking with visitors. They typically wear (from what I saw) a simple but beautiful gray shirt and pants, unless lecturing, when they drape a (yet again simple but beautiful) red cloth around them. Of course, they all have shaved heads, and what seems to be a dignified yet friendly disposition.
After being shown around the temple by a volunteer tour guide, we continued on our hike up the mountain. After hiking for about ten minutes, we came across a temple nestled in the woods, and decided to take a look. Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly monk named (Venerable) Sung Ta, and began to talk with him. He told us that he was a Buddhist monk and artist, and that he would like to give us one of his paintings. He then led us across the temple yard, down an ancient stone stairway, and over to his home. He lived in a modest room in a rock building built into the side of the mountain. Inside was an area with a mat for meditating, his area with a bed mat and blankets for sleeping on the floor, a desk area for painting, and an area with two small floor tables for dining. The desk area was littered with paper and charcoal for his paintings, and the dining area was scattered with teapots and potted plants.
He sat us down for tea and talked to us about the health benefits of green tea and the mountain spring water he made it with, then proceeded to make and pour the tea, and show us how to drink in properly (holding it first with the right hand, and supporting it with the left hand, drinking with small slow sips). He explained that the tea is taken three cups in a row, while quieting the mind and meditating. Meanwhile he insisted on giving us numerous snacks like sweet wafer pastries and peanuts while we drank what had to be the best green tea I’ve ever had. He told us a bit about Buddhism, and even taught us how to meditate Buddhist-style, banging bamboo sticks and all. After a surprise cup of coffee, and more sweets, he proceeded to paint us each a picture of the Buddha to carry with us for luck.
After exchanging contact information, he led us into the shrine and taught us how to enter correctly, along with the required bows for entering a shrine of the Buddha. (One small bow, and three head-to-floor bows with palms facing upward, followed by another small bow). After letting us light incense in the shrine for our families, he took us up a winding stone staircase to a small stone shrine built against the mountain. Inside were numerous statues of the Buddha, burning candles, and a pool of natural spring water pouring right out of the mountain. Sung Ta told us this was a Dragon Shrine, and that the water was very good for our health, and offered us a drink from the pool. Then he led us back down to the main shrine, and invited us to a meeting for the newest temple members that was about to start.
At the meeting, we sat on pillows on the floor, followed along with the bows of the temple members (normal practitioners of Buddhism – men, women, and children), and listened to them chant in Korean while gazing up at the intricate wood carvings that covered the walls, and the three large golden statues of Buddha and two of his disciples. After about twenty minutes of chanting and a short stint of meditation, Sung Ta appeared himself, introduced us to the worshippers, and gave a sermon (in Korean). Apparently, the main theme was that if bad things happen to you in this life, it is because of bad things that you did in your previous life. If you have a good life, it is because you were good in your previous life. Next, another man (the girl sitting next to me kindly translated the gist of his message) spoke about things that a Buddhist should strive for, such as enlightenment, mercy on all creatures, being a good person and doing the right thing, and coming back to a pure and simple state of mind (the Buddha nature).
After the meeting, Sung Ta treated us and two other foreigners wandering around the temple to some watermelon, after which we thanked him for his hospitality and said our goodbyes. He said he would never forget us, and that we were welcome to come and visit whenever we wanted. We parted ways with the monk and continued our hike up the mountain, somewhat dazed and raving about the unique experience we’d just had.
A Cultural Experience
A few weeks ago a student gave me two tickets to see some traditional Korean music and dance. I was delighted by the opportunity, and agreed to see the performance. When I arrived and looked around at the audience, I realized that Erik and I were the only foreigners present. The hall was new and beautifully modern, and as the curtain went up I didn't know what to expect.
The first performance was a 'flower' dance performed at palaces long ago. It was by far the most beautiful of the performances. The women wore beautiful hanbocks in rich primary blue, yellow, and red. They bobbed up and down in time with drum beats to create an effect of the red section of their gowns appearing and disappearing in slow, graceful movement. In this meticulous way, they danced around a huge vase of beautiful pink flowers, each picking up a bouquet of them and incorporating them into the dance. This performance was stunning.
The next performance consisted of the playing of two gayageums (Korean harps). This is the uniquely Asian instrument that you think of when imagining stereotypes of this part of the world. However, this performance was anything but stereotypical. The musicians were skilled, and they sang folk music to go along with their playing.
Among other performances such as folk dancing, there was a beautiful performance of the Crane Dance. The dancers came out wearing all white with long white fabric hanging from their sleeves to symbolize the crane. They leaped around the stage, flapping their arms to represent the graceful movements of the crane. This dance was quite a treat to watch.
The last performance was a drum troupe consisting of four musicians playing a large gong, a small gong, an hourglass shaped drum, and a large round drum. These instruments symbolize wind, clouds, thunder, and rain. The musicians took time to showcase each instrument and their own skill, which was very impressive. I had no idea a hand held gong could be such a versatile instrument. The troupe's beat started off slow, but soon raced to a galloping crescendo, leaving the audience roaring with applause.
The entire performance was really amazing, and I'm very glad that I was able to see it. I was much more impressed with this performance than the one I saw in Kyoto. I wish more people had a chance to see just how beautiful and wonderful Traditional Korean culture can be. It is a perfect mix of Chinese and Japanese influences, creating something totally unique and wonderful. Just ornamental enough to be elegant and beautiful, and just symbolic enough to be mysterious yet approachable, it appeals to me more than either Chinese or Japanese traditional culture. I hope that in the future more people will discover this gem waiting to be found.
The first performance was a 'flower' dance performed at palaces long ago. It was by far the most beautiful of the performances. The women wore beautiful hanbocks in rich primary blue, yellow, and red. They bobbed up and down in time with drum beats to create an effect of the red section of their gowns appearing and disappearing in slow, graceful movement. In this meticulous way, they danced around a huge vase of beautiful pink flowers, each picking up a bouquet of them and incorporating them into the dance. This performance was stunning.
The next performance consisted of the playing of two gayageums (Korean harps). This is the uniquely Asian instrument that you think of when imagining stereotypes of this part of the world. However, this performance was anything but stereotypical. The musicians were skilled, and they sang folk music to go along with their playing.
Among other performances such as folk dancing, there was a beautiful performance of the Crane Dance. The dancers came out wearing all white with long white fabric hanging from their sleeves to symbolize the crane. They leaped around the stage, flapping their arms to represent the graceful movements of the crane. This dance was quite a treat to watch.
The last performance was a drum troupe consisting of four musicians playing a large gong, a small gong, an hourglass shaped drum, and a large round drum. These instruments symbolize wind, clouds, thunder, and rain. The musicians took time to showcase each instrument and their own skill, which was very impressive. I had no idea a hand held gong could be such a versatile instrument. The troupe's beat started off slow, but soon raced to a galloping crescendo, leaving the audience roaring with applause.
The entire performance was really amazing, and I'm very glad that I was able to see it. I was much more impressed with this performance than the one I saw in Kyoto. I wish more people had a chance to see just how beautiful and wonderful Traditional Korean culture can be. It is a perfect mix of Chinese and Japanese influences, creating something totally unique and wonderful. Just ornamental enough to be elegant and beautiful, and just symbolic enough to be mysterious yet approachable, it appeals to me more than either Chinese or Japanese traditional culture. I hope that in the future more people will discover this gem waiting to be found.
Japan
Tokyo
They drive on the left side of the road here. I have to remember that. But this place is far different from England - yet not as different as you'd expect. I'm on the bullet train to Kyoto. Looking out the window, I see the countryside planted with rows as you'd expect. The houses are square with pointed roofs. The only real difference is that they're closer together and have tiles on top rather than shingles. the sun is streaming in my window, and I can catch a glimpse of mountains or ocean here and there. It's hard to believe that at this very moment my family is having their annual Christmas eve party back home.
So far we've had a good trip. We arrived yesterday and explored Asakusa - an old downtown/tourist area with a temple and souvenir shops. After that we headed to our tiny hotel room with it's bathroom similar to one found on an airplane or in a camper. It's funny that things are so small here, yet our toilet used about 15 gallons of water every time it flushed. I guess saving space doesn't translate into saving water, too. Next, we wandered around and got some bubble tea - but surprisingly I've had much better in Texas. Then we grabbed some Indian food near our hotel. It was by far the best I've ever had. That's what I expected when I came to Asia, since we're so much closer to India and Thailand, but so far that's the fist time it's been noticeably better than in the states.
Things are just as cheerful and cartoonish here as in Korea. We are in Nintendo and Anime land, after all. Here the subway trains' arrivals are marked by cutesy songs, rather than they typical dinging.
We went to the Meiji Jingu shrine this morning. It was beautiful, but I find Korean architecture more beautiful thus far. Korean temples and palaces are covered in beautiful artwork that is intricate and colorful. Japanese architecture seems to be more austere and simple. It has a beauty and a feel all its own.
Bathrooms can be quite bizarre and complicatedly automatic here, but at least all of them have had toilet paper so far.
I'm excited about going to Kyoto. Tokyo has lost all of its Old Edo feel, and now just seems like any other big city. I came to experience traditional Japan; I think in that regard Kyoto will be much more satisfying.
Kyoto
I'm gliding away from Kyoto with mixed feelings. Kyoto had its charms, but I won't miss being a tourist. Kyoto's buses were too cramped for Erik to sit down in properly, and we were kept waiting often by them. It will be nice to go back to Busan, with its convenient subways and a language that I am a bit more comfortable with.
Kyoto was a bit of fresh air after Tokyo. There were many tourists, but we saw some beautiful places. On Friday we went to Kinkakuji - The Golden Pavilion. Its gardens, as with all the temples' gardens, are beautiful and serene. the contain lots of moss, and focus on controlling the growth of the trees and plants via trimming. The Golden Pavillion is a square structure covered in gold leaf that gleams in the sunlight. Next, we made our way downtown for some dinner. We only found fast food at first, but after scarfing that down, we happened upon a Turkish restaurant with some tasty hummus. We also tried the Baklava, which was delicious. Saturday was great. We hit Ryoanji first, which has a famous Zen rock garden. A temple worker said that the rocks might symbolize tips of mountains peeking through the clouds, rocks in a river, or Buddah and his disciples. Next, we made our way to Nijo Castle only to discover that it was closed for repairs. We then headed to Ginkakuji – The Silver Pavillion. It’s not actually covered in silver. The builder died before it could be completed. The gardens were beautiful though. The Zen garden here used much thicker and dramatic rake strokes. Next, we went to Sanjusangendo, the temple that houses 1001 statues of the Buddah. It was an amazing sight to see. The hall seemed to go on forever. After that, we went to Kyomizu-dera, a temple with a large pagoda and a great view. Perhaps the most interesting part was the “Mother’s Womb”, just beside the temple. You go down into a maze of pitch black corridors, guided only by a rail of large prayer beads on your left. The darkness and narrow halls represent the womb, and when you get to the dimly lit stone that appears to float in the darkness, you are supposed to turn it and make a wish. I believe this stone represents the uterus or vagina. We ate at a temple restaurant after exploring. We had hot tofu served up in a wooden bucket, dipped in soy sauce mixed with spices and green pepper. We sat on elevated platforms, cross-legged at a short table. My leg fell asleep immediately.
Next, we made our way to Gion, the geisha district. The tea houses are built in the old wooden Japanese style, complete with sliding doors and lanterns. They made for a charming landscape. We actually saw three or four geisha heading to their nightly engagements. We found a great Thai place for dinner, and had red curry to rival our favorite restaurant back in the states. Then we went to Gion corner to see a show highlighting Japanese culture. We saw a tea ceremony, Japanese harp music, a play, court music, and dancing. The grace and deliberate movement of the tea ceremony accompanied by the Asian twang of the ‘harp’ was moving. The court music, one of the earliest forms of music, was an interesting screeching melody – totally unique. The conductor was dressed in an elaborate dragon costume, and he danced and stomped around the stage to lead the music. The play was comical and to the point, while the Mieko’s dancing was very slow, graceful, and symbolic. I have always admired geisha for their graceful movements, and the feeling of serenity that they create, as well as their mystique. But as I watched this Mieko (apprentice geisha) dancing, I had an amusing revelation. Here in front of me was a woman who, when you take away the mystery surrounding her, is just a girl in an oversized dress with her face painted like a clown, complete with a plastic tree and chimes stuck on her head. It’s appreciated as part of Japanese tradition, but if I were to try wearing a plastic tree on my head back in the States, I would just be seen as weird or crazy. American culture may not be steeped in tradition and symbolism, but at least it’s practical.
On our way back to the hotel after the show, we picked up some strange Japanese snacks and tried them out. They varied from strange to gross to delicious, but I think in general they were better than Korean snack food. Then we went to sleep for the last time on our futons in our “tatimi” mat room.
This morning we caught the train to the airport and left Kyoto behind, souvenirs in tow. It was a good trip, and now I’m glad to be going ‘home’.
They drive on the left side of the road here. I have to remember that. But this place is far different from England - yet not as different as you'd expect. I'm on the bullet train to Kyoto. Looking out the window, I see the countryside planted with rows as you'd expect. The houses are square with pointed roofs. The only real difference is that they're closer together and have tiles on top rather than shingles. the sun is streaming in my window, and I can catch a glimpse of mountains or ocean here and there. It's hard to believe that at this very moment my family is having their annual Christmas eve party back home.
So far we've had a good trip. We arrived yesterday and explored Asakusa - an old downtown/tourist area with a temple and souvenir shops. After that we headed to our tiny hotel room with it's bathroom similar to one found on an airplane or in a camper. It's funny that things are so small here, yet our toilet used about 15 gallons of water every time it flushed. I guess saving space doesn't translate into saving water, too. Next, we wandered around and got some bubble tea - but surprisingly I've had much better in Texas. Then we grabbed some Indian food near our hotel. It was by far the best I've ever had. That's what I expected when I came to Asia, since we're so much closer to India and Thailand, but so far that's the fist time it's been noticeably better than in the states.
Things are just as cheerful and cartoonish here as in Korea. We are in Nintendo and Anime land, after all. Here the subway trains' arrivals are marked by cutesy songs, rather than they typical dinging.
We went to the Meiji Jingu shrine this morning. It was beautiful, but I find Korean architecture more beautiful thus far. Korean temples and palaces are covered in beautiful artwork that is intricate and colorful. Japanese architecture seems to be more austere and simple. It has a beauty and a feel all its own.
Bathrooms can be quite bizarre and complicatedly automatic here, but at least all of them have had toilet paper so far.
I'm excited about going to Kyoto. Tokyo has lost all of its Old Edo feel, and now just seems like any other big city. I came to experience traditional Japan; I think in that regard Kyoto will be much more satisfying.
Kyoto
I'm gliding away from Kyoto with mixed feelings. Kyoto had its charms, but I won't miss being a tourist. Kyoto's buses were too cramped for Erik to sit down in properly, and we were kept waiting often by them. It will be nice to go back to Busan, with its convenient subways and a language that I am a bit more comfortable with.
Kyoto was a bit of fresh air after Tokyo. There were many tourists, but we saw some beautiful places. On Friday we went to Kinkakuji - The Golden Pavilion. Its gardens, as with all the temples' gardens, are beautiful and serene. the contain lots of moss, and focus on controlling the growth of the trees and plants via trimming. The Golden Pavillion is a square structure covered in gold leaf that gleams in the sunlight. Next, we made our way downtown for some dinner. We only found fast food at first, but after scarfing that down, we happened upon a Turkish restaurant with some tasty hummus. We also tried the Baklava, which was delicious. Saturday was great. We hit Ryoanji first, which has a famous Zen rock garden. A temple worker said that the rocks might symbolize tips of mountains peeking through the clouds, rocks in a river, or Buddah and his disciples. Next, we made our way to Nijo Castle only to discover that it was closed for repairs. We then headed to Ginkakuji – The Silver Pavillion. It’s not actually covered in silver. The builder died before it could be completed. The gardens were beautiful though. The Zen garden here used much thicker and dramatic rake strokes. Next, we went to Sanjusangendo, the temple that houses 1001 statues of the Buddah. It was an amazing sight to see. The hall seemed to go on forever. After that, we went to Kyomizu-dera, a temple with a large pagoda and a great view. Perhaps the most interesting part was the “Mother’s Womb”, just beside the temple. You go down into a maze of pitch black corridors, guided only by a rail of large prayer beads on your left. The darkness and narrow halls represent the womb, and when you get to the dimly lit stone that appears to float in the darkness, you are supposed to turn it and make a wish. I believe this stone represents the uterus or vagina. We ate at a temple restaurant after exploring. We had hot tofu served up in a wooden bucket, dipped in soy sauce mixed with spices and green pepper. We sat on elevated platforms, cross-legged at a short table. My leg fell asleep immediately.
Next, we made our way to Gion, the geisha district. The tea houses are built in the old wooden Japanese style, complete with sliding doors and lanterns. They made for a charming landscape. We actually saw three or four geisha heading to their nightly engagements. We found a great Thai place for dinner, and had red curry to rival our favorite restaurant back in the states. Then we went to Gion corner to see a show highlighting Japanese culture. We saw a tea ceremony, Japanese harp music, a play, court music, and dancing. The grace and deliberate movement of the tea ceremony accompanied by the Asian twang of the ‘harp’ was moving. The court music, one of the earliest forms of music, was an interesting screeching melody – totally unique. The conductor was dressed in an elaborate dragon costume, and he danced and stomped around the stage to lead the music. The play was comical and to the point, while the Mieko’s dancing was very slow, graceful, and symbolic. I have always admired geisha for their graceful movements, and the feeling of serenity that they create, as well as their mystique. But as I watched this Mieko (apprentice geisha) dancing, I had an amusing revelation. Here in front of me was a woman who, when you take away the mystery surrounding her, is just a girl in an oversized dress with her face painted like a clown, complete with a plastic tree and chimes stuck on her head. It’s appreciated as part of Japanese tradition, but if I were to try wearing a plastic tree on my head back in the States, I would just be seen as weird or crazy. American culture may not be steeped in tradition and symbolism, but at least it’s practical.
On our way back to the hotel after the show, we picked up some strange Japanese snacks and tried them out. They varied from strange to gross to delicious, but I think in general they were better than Korean snack food. Then we went to sleep for the last time on our futons in our “tatimi” mat room.
This morning we caught the train to the airport and left Kyoto behind, souvenirs in tow. It was a good trip, and now I’m glad to be going ‘home’.
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