GUESSING GAME, THE TALLEST BUILDING IN BUSAN, and ARE THESE REALLY EDIBLE?

Can you guess?

One Saturday in January, we found ourselves in Seomyeon trying to find the Busan Folk Museum. Truly no one knew where it was until we came across a man delivering packages, and he took us to a narrow little opening into a small elevator, and the Folk Museum was on the 5th floor. We said "Thank you" and entered the museum. There was a little sign that read "OPEN" but there was no one there! No museum attendees, and no museum officials. There was another sign that said not to touch, so we did not touch anything, and just made our way around the museum by ourselves. It was just one big room - probably one floor of this building. 

Now, can you guess what this item in the display case is? And...for what is it used?

(Answer at end of blog)

What is the tallest building in Busan? I went there yesterday with my friend, Sunny.

We entered on the ground floor, which was decorated for Christmas and New Year's. This is Sunny. She teaches high school, travels a lot with her students and others doing volunteer work, and is very interesting! I feel like I am a lot taller than she is. She feels that she is a lot younger than I am (which she is). She was very concerned about me getting lost on the subway and being too cold. She walked with me arm in arm everywhere we went. She is very kind and considerate. It is completely socially acceptable for women to hold hands or walk arm in arm - mother and daughter, friend and friend, or whatever. Same with men - it's fine to hang on to each other, hold hands, or grasp arms as you walk around in public.

 Here I am bundled up to the max. Most people leave their coats on inside, for example at church - everyone wears his coat during all the meetings. Even with the heat on, it's never quite warm enough.

This piece of art looked like a carving out of metal and covered the wall ceiling to floor.

We got on the elevator, and in about ten seconds (true!) we found ourselves at the top, on the 63rd floor.

The top floor is currently empty, for tourists and others to look out on the city below with an amazing view! In February, it will close to the public and the top floor will become offices and restaurants.

This artist's rendition gives you an idea of how much taller it is than the other high rises around it.

A little glare on the window, but you get the idea: Busan is big, crowded, and high!

 Most people live in high rise apartments. They are building more all the time, and they are more and more expensive. Everything is locked and gated, with many security guards, and the apartments don't have keys, they are electronic with a combination. 

Looking straight down, you can see the little one story "flat" houses. If they are one story, it means that they are OLD - built maybe in the 70's or 80's or 90's. They will probably be torn down and the valuable land used to build more high rises. You can also see that the streets are NOT straight, nor are they wide. They were built as the need arose, and there were very few cars in South Korea until 1970, 1980, 1990. 

Sunny and I each pose in front of the mountain view.

Building goes right up to the bottom of the hill.

 

 
Beyond the hill is Gwangalli Beach and famous Gwangalli bridge, "Diamond Bridge".

A Buddhist temple can be seen at the base of the hill, and another large white church, surrounded by  mostly old houses. 

Looking out the other direction, you see one of the main boulevards.

Some new high rise apartments - very expensive. Apartments are for sale - not rent.

 After coming back down the 63 floors, we went out to Sunny's favorite place for dessert: red bean soup! Everything sweet is made from red beans. They cook kidney beans, mash them, add a lot of sugar (and maybe cornstarch), and it becomes a dessert.  In the summer it is served cold, in winter it is hot. A lot of cookies, cakes, biscuits, sweet pastries, etc. are filled with "red bean" sort of paste. In the summer, ice cream is served with a giant cup of red beans all over it. Some rice products are pink, which means red beans have been added for color or flavor.

 Next stop was BEXCO - a building with eight floors - stands for Busan EXhibition and COnvention center. I love the architecture!

Across the street was our next destination - The Busan Museum of Art - and a special exhibition of the most famous Korean artist, Lee Jung Seob.

Lee Jung Seob started his career as an artist during a devastating time in Korea's history, during the Korean war - 1952-1953. There were few oil paintings, but very soon, the only materials he had to use were crayons and paper. He is famous for drawing lots of bulls (sounds Picasso-esque?) The bull is a symbol of Korea - showing energy, strength, and determination. 

After a while, there was no paper, there were no crayons, and there was no food. He sent his wife, who was Japanese, with their two sons, to Japan so that they could get help from her family and have enough to eat. During this time, Lee Jung Seob became very despondent, and became ill physically and mentally. His art "material" became the foil inside packs of cigarettes. These tin foil drawings were on display. They portray his longing for his family, and the despair he felt living all alone in poverty.

He often drew pictures of his family, such as this one where the two sons are embracing each other, or being embraced by a larger set of arms.

This foil drawing is "People Reading the Newspaper". He died at the age of 40, alone, and penniless. His paintings, drawings, postcards, and letters are left.  He is Korea's favorite artist.

 

Can you guess? / Are these really edible?

                                                      A.                            

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G. 

H.

MISSIONARY WORK

This photo shows a recent gathering of about half the mission. Bryan and I both had to speak, and there were lots of good musical numbers and more speakers. 

A recent baptism of a high school aged boy. You can see Bryan in the back, and I am hiding between two missionaries. This boy researched the church and read and studied on his own, meeting with the missionaries regularly. His parents don't know that he was baptized. 

SERVICE PROJECT

All of the missionaries do community service - one day a week. Depending on their area, rural or urban, the project could be picking apples, planting rice, or feeding lunch to 200 elderly people.

This photo shows Sister Choi Leehyun (from Valencia Stake), serving in Andong, helping some people take care of their horses. 

After giving the horse a little TLC, Sister Choi, along with Elder Barnett and Sister Lee start the "real" work - cleaning out the stables.

The bags are filled so that the manure can be used for fertilizer on the farm.

Wow! That's a lot of work.

ANSWERS TO GUESSING GAME:

What is this? It is a basket-like "shirt" woven out of straw or reeds. In the hot and humid summer, men would wear these between their skin and their shirt, so that air could circulate and they wouldn't get so sweaty.  The "basket" loops held the shirt away from the body about 1 inch. The two arm-shaped "baskets" were worn on the arms for the same purpose.

What is the tallest building in Busan?

It is the BIFC - Busan International Finance Center - 63 floors high!

Answers to Can You Guess? / Are these edible?

A. Chicken feet with spicy red sauce

B. Chicken feet with spicy black sauce and rice balls.

C. Chicken feet with no sauce/ Chicken feet with sesame seeds

D. Pig foot and leg

E. Tray of pig legs - (pig legs are called "trotters")

F. Pig legs with soy sauce ready for take out

G.Pig leg sliced with fat and skin (fat is always eaten)

H. You can guess! Why is there a pin in the pig's ear?

Preview for next blog:  Namsan Mountain