CHRISTMAS 2015 and More

December 21, 2015

Christmas 2015 and More

This festive setting was just waiting outside the movie theatre for everyone to enjoy. The two chairs made it a perfect photo op. No Santa = no charge.

We took advantage of it for the cheesiest Christmas picture ever.

Now for another evidence of the cheerful Christmas season:

These scary looking snowmen are on a cake at Costco. I think the eyebrows make them look a little angry. The stick arms are also a little Halloweenish. 

NOT CHRISTMAS - Since Christmas is a regular work and school day in Korea,  I will post some non-Christmas pictures. These are pictures of:

BEAUTIFUL THINGS

We visited a nearby Botanical Garden. The autumn leaves are on the ground for the most part, but the wintry landscape was still and serene, cold and quiet.

Granite boulders made stepping stones and waterfalls.

The highlight of this garden seemed to be these perfectly trimmed trees. 

 As the afternoon gets darker, the trees start to look like goblins, elves, or creatures from another planet

The slabs of granite and the cleverly shaped trees combine to make nature's art all around us. We saw not one piece of trash, and not one other person (except one diligent tree-trimmer).

View from the Mission Home at night:

Unusual  Cloud Pattern - Stunning!

                                  View from the Mission Home in the daytime:

               Japanese Elm Tree in bright autumn colors

Back to: CHRISTMAS

I am so thankful for Charles Dickens. If I'm feeling greedy or grouchy, I don't want to be a "Scrooge". When I am happy, I think of Tiny Tim saying, "God bless us everyone!" I am also thankful for Charles Schultz and all the Peanuts characters. Linus tells everyone, "That's what Christmas is all about!" 

and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS from Busan, South Korea!!

"It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas"

December 13, 2015

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Sleigh bells? Carols being sung by the fire? Hot cider and Christmas cookies? Twinkle lights everywhere? The fragrance of pine boughs and cinnamon?

NO... think again. It's December 13 in South Korea, so the appropriate activities are:

1. start making the giant batch of kimchi to last the whole year (the fragrance of garlic and anchovy)

2. or go to a Buddhist Temple. 

We chose #2:

The Beomeosa Temple

just a quick subway trip and a short bus ride up the mountain

 Not exactly the most cheerful...

It was a beautiful day and I am about to enter Gate #1. There are three gates to get to the Buddha. On my right is our friend, Alma, from the English class.  On my left is our Tour Guide. His English name is "Wayne". He named himself after John Wayne.

This is Gate #2. The architecture and the attention to every detail is impeccable, displaying skill and craftsmanship. The brightly painted sections have been restored, but the building complex itself is 1,300 years old.

More Angry Gods

 The perfectly fitted stones have no mortar.

The final gate to Paradise

Behind us are tombs of the monks. The really exceptional monks have a turtle base. 

We were not allowed to take pictures of the rooms containing statues of the Buddhas. Those rooms are very quiet, shoes off, hands out of pockets, people prostrating themselves over and over, and lots of incense and candles.The paintings all over the walls are beautiful - no doubt to teach people who were illiterate about Buddha.

THANKSGIVING

November 23, 2015

THANKSGIVING

After being in Korea for one month, we find that we really love and appreciate:

KOREAN CHILDREN

They are so adorable! When I see them I just want to play with them.

PEOPLE

In the pictures below we introduce the Jo family. The father is the Stake President. They have ten children, which would be an anomaly in the United States. It is beyond unusual in Korea, where most couples have one or two children and live in small apartments.  The children are obedient, well behaved, and very polite. We were invited to their home for Family Home Evening.  On the left hand side sit Brother and Sister Bowcutt, who trained us for our jobs and went home last week.

Each of the ten plays the piano; the 17 year old girl is the organist for the ward, and the others  play  beautifully.

They had about ten hymn books, and ten primary books. The singing was impeccable.

MISSIONARIES

We love them all

I have moved from Stage 1: looking at missionaries as potential boyfriends when they get off their mission, to Stage 2: looking at missionaries as one of my children, a friend of one of my children, or a boyfriend for one of my daughters, to Stage 3: looking at them and thinking that my grandchildren will be there in only eight years!

OUR WARD

These families are so strong, so faithful, and work so hard to do what is right. They are wonderful.

I AM THANKFUL FOR WATER

We really are lucky! Even though we can't use the tap water for drinking, cooking, or washing dishes (we have to add bleach to the rinse water), we do have water - it comes out of the shower every day (so far) and gets hot. We don't have to go to the river to fill jugs and carry them on our heads as we walk several miles home.

I AM THANKFUL FOR FUN OUTINGS!

A couple of weeks ago, we went to a movie. There are American movies with Korean subtitles. This room, "Blockbus" was next door to the theatres. You might be able to see the stacks of Legos on the shelves, the kids playing with blocks, and the train table in front. This is a babysitting service for people who want to go to a movie. Great idea?

HIKE - GRATITUDE FOR NATURE

Saturday we walked about a mile from our home, to Geumjeong Park, where we got a cable car/sky ride to the top of the mountain. We took several pictures of Busan as we ascended the 3,500 feet to the top.  There are three different views from the mountain.

VIEW #1

VIEW #2

VIEW #3

In just a few minutes, we are out of the city, and enjoying the fall leaves, mostly on the ground, and the pre-winter landscape. 



We had planned to hike down the mountain, but when we got to the top, there was so much to discover that we didn't make it down. First of all, we ran into an ancient wall which surrounded a fortress. 

Your weapon of choice fits nicely through the perfectly spaced square niches in the wall.

Soldiers were stationed at these watchtowers to look out for invaders.

It looked like no mortar was used.

We came upon a Buddhist temple. All around it, hiding in the crevasses of the boulders, were carved Buddhas of all shapes and sizes.

Brenda at the watchtower

Brenda at the Turtle Tomb

On our way back, we got lost! Luckily, we ran into this Dad and son who first told us the right way to go, then gave up and said, "We'll take you to the right way to go." They became our new best friends, and saved us from the impending doom of losing our way on a mountain without a map, a cell phone, or knowing how to communicate, especially as it began to get ominously darker and colder... 

 Who saved the day? - of course the 10 year old boy who spoke enough English to do the job!

 They completely changed their plans and went a different way just to help us out. We are thankful for wonderful people.

Last but not least, we are thankful for a little humor...

The food at restaurants is made extra appealing by advertising pictures or drawings of the real animal. Here are two examples of some lovely pork restaurants:

Next to these doors, there were pictures of several of the favorite pork delicacies! Yum!