Glutinous rice cakes

I have about one more hour left in Korea.

Its been a blast!

After the meeting we had lunch with the Chunns.
Japanese ramen! mmm

We got to the airport in decent time, no traffic today finally!

bridge to Incheon 

Got my bags checked, we were a rush of anxiety as one was too heavy. Thanks to the pleasant desk girl, we shifted things around, twice, and finally were allowed to be just over the weight limit. whew.

Now I'm just chilling with my Jane, eating rice cakes and drinking quince tea.

Just get me on the plane now, and I'll be home soon!

Bye Korea!!

apple cinnamon, violet and bean, and sweet potato

Big Hands 큰 손

Being my last full day, we were so busy! Everyone wants a piece of me before I go. They all want to feed me, like they have been the entire month. Seriously, everyone has been sooo generous when it comes to providing meals. It was great, because I ate some fantastic authentic Korean food. And I was able to sit and spend time with people here and really get to know them and their lifestyle.
First we stopped by the flower market - a huge green house with section after section of little plant and flower vendors. We got some pretty potted plants for our hosts today! A mini lilac and lavender, oooh they smell so good.

Then we were off to the Kahle's and we had a good old American breakfast! Mmm, waffles, eggs, sausage, couscous! Jane taught me another Korean phrase today, saying someone has a big hand means they are generous, especially when it comes to providing food.

yum

Next we drove to Paju, to have lunch with Minho's parents. It was an extremely healthy porridge with chicken, rice, garlic, ginko, ginseng, jujube, and I'm sure other earthy goodness. They are great with farming and know so much about natural ingredients. She was so sweet and gave me some tea and bean paste to take home!

맛있는

we're how close to NoKo?

Paju is so close to the Northern border, so we took this opportunity to visit the Unification Observatory nearby. It's high up on a mountain, so we took the shuttle bus. The blossoms are finished in Seoul, but they were still popping in Paju!

on the road up to the observatory

Walk up to the observation deck and you can sit in the seats and gaze across the rivers to North Korea.
The video explains a little bit of what you can see.

For example, on this visible edge of land, there are one-, three-, and five-story residence buildings that were built in the 80's. Some are lived in, others have crumbled. Basically all the activity seen around here is a little bit of farming. Very few people are seen, no vehicles, one tractor at times. Based solely on the information from that video, North Korea continues mysterious, and really primitive. They mentioned a lack of trees because much has been cut for firewood, and they don't fertilize that farmland, perhaps because of a lack of supply. The only import/export goes through China.

Every year people come here to show homage to family they were separated from when the line was drawn. People can look across, but they still don't have any contact or information. How sad.
In the rest of the building are displays and timelines showing the events leading up to this terrible situation now. And the message is they hope to be reunited someday.
It's striking to see the tall fence topped with barbed wire that line both borders. It's so brutal. I look forward to a unification someday too, but not just North and South Korea, the whole world. (Isaiah 2:4) And there certainly won't be any more fences like that!

North Korea

Also nearby is this cute section called Provence, with shops and cafes and a pretty pond.  We just stopped by to sit and relax before we jumped into traffic again. (Traffic is ridiculous here!)

And then we had to move our dinner plans to Sunday lunch, because we just can't do it all! haha
But Jane made some pumpkin soup, and I mixed up the avocado frosting. It was a perfect last meal while we both packed. Where did all this stuff come from? Shove it in ...

oh yeah

We never got to Cheonggye Creek 우리는 크릭 청계 할 수 없었어

subway path to the museum,
with music and lights

Fridays are for field trips at the museum! We found our way to the national museum of Korea, as did hundreds of school age children. Evidently I stand out clearly, the kids filing by us would randomly shout out "Hello!" and see if I would react. I usually just laughed at them and said "hello" back, which they got a kick out of.

The museum is beautiful, even the outside, and the steps, and the front door, and the front desk. We can even see Namsan tower from here!

Jane was overwhelmed by the large wide open spaces. Well, that's what museums are usually like. She has been cramped in Seoul for too long.

so much space

There was so much to see we really didn't get through everything.

its a pillow

"hmm, this would look nice in my kitchen"

Very old artifacts here, with some really distinct ceramics, calligraphy and art, garments and even an ornate gold crown from a queen (that somehow I didn't actually take the picture of). Lots of Buddha, too.
My favorite was the painted screens, with mountain scenes and blossoms. They were so gently and calm. And don't you know there is one with a kitty!

One room had a mix of old art and modern technology art - the five panels are computerized images of original painted screens. As we sat and watched the birds would fly around, the water poured over the rocks, the people walked around, even the seasons changed! It was that extra dimension that the painter couldn't include, I thought it really made it special.

it is winter time, everything covered in snow
& the red glow from the fires and houses

a fancy dancer

even a Bible c. 1950,
in a language I definitely can't read

It was my last day to play a learning game with Jane's students, they are so funny. When Jane asks them to explain the meaning of a word, like "laying eggs" they often resort to animated gestures and charades.

"Honey, honey"

For the evening Jane took me to another traditional street that has lots of places to explore. We were distracted by these guys making candy filled with nuts. They draw you in with a little humor, and then in broken English count how many strings they make - they pull the honey through the corn starch and it gets stringy, at 60,000 strings it is ready to wrap around the nuts to make the treat.






It was actually so late, and we were so hungry, but I wanted dulsot bibimpap. We stepped into one restaurant that advertised this on their menu posted outside, but soon saw that was only served at lunch, and dinner was going to be overpriced, and of the sea. As embarrassing as it is to walk back out after being seated, we did. Just a step across the alley (where there were cats loitering) we tried again, and this time we stepped into the most charming, cozy place, and dinner was so great! Hi-dee hi-dee hoo!


We had traditional rice wine that we drank out of bowls, tasty side dishes, my bibimpap, and tuna and beef. It's my new favorite restaurant.

We left a little piece of ourselves there, just like Korea has a special little place in my heart.

[awe]

on the window by our table

I'd follow Jane to Gangnam 나는 강남에 제인을 따라 줄

It's winding down to the last few days .... and it seems like our schedule of plans keeps changing by the hour.  I almost forgot to make grilled cheese sandwiches for breakfast, with our eggs. So much to remember!

Today we managed to get to the huge Namdaemun market district, with streets and buildings full of stuff. Lots of STUFF! Everyone has their little square to set up, and its packed full of merchandise, they barely have room for themselves, and it's tight walking between them. And today, we think because it was rainy and chilly, it didn't seem all that crowded. Some stuff is handmade, other stuff cheap junk, things geared toward tourists, and many made-to-order things especially for Koreans - like the drapery, bedding, and traditional clothing.

 There are bags, hats, clothes, underwear and socks, designer sunglasses, shoes, dishes and pans, quilts, drapes, decorations, plants, food, furniture, cheap and fine jewelry and accessories - the list goes on. It is even organized by product, so in one building this level is all jewelry, another is the mature-ladies fashion, then kitchenware, etc. One cubicle after another, all very similar things. It gets overwhelming.

But it's a place you can bargain on the price! With my blank "I-don't-speak-Korean" stare, and Jane's sweet "awe-you-can-do-better-than-that-price" grin we did alright.

in line with hangry faces

Shopping that hard-core will give anyone an appetite, so Jane took me to a special, special place. It's a tiny little stand on the corner, and they make a veggie-filled "doughnut", and it was so hot and tasty! There was a long line, evidently they are a popular stand, and people know its worth the wait.
The first lady has a HUGE pot of glass noodles and other veggies, she mixes it and stuffs handfuls into the dough, and then plops it down into the fryer. The man was turning and flattening the fritter, and when it's done the third lady throws it in a cup and adds a little sauce from the small pot. yum

nom nom nom

But that was just a snack, we needed dinner. In the tiny alleys are "restaurants" that are like the shops in that they are lined up one after another and all serving the same thing.

We walk through the door and we are badgered by each cook to sit at their counter - but Jane knew which one was best. And it was already full of customers. We just sit down and the bowls start coming - bibimpap (a rice/barley and vegetable "salad"), bean curd and seaweed soup, spicy cold noodles, and then another soup with homemade noodles. It was so much food! (and only $5)

mix that flour!

The ladies working there were all from the same family, and they were characters. One was preparing the flour for tomorrow's noodles while we ate, and told us if we don't finish all our food she charges a fee. She was glad to hear that she would be a part of my blog, and told me to come back the next time I'm in Korea.
 

Three Scoops 세 숟가락

We got an early start and hit the road to Anseong.

It took us just about an hour to travel, and that included a short moment of being lost in a field that our GPS directed us to. We had arrived!

This building, just like the other branch offices around the world, are called Bethel, which means "House of God". That's to remind us that all the buildings and functions here are to promote sacred service to Jehovah God. And a spirit of love is predominant throughout the facility.

front desk, two clocks:
Seoul and New York

actual trunks from missionaries,
I'm carrying a slide projector

look closely at the keys

First we saw a timeline room with special dates in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Korea, here are just a few:

1912 - the first Witnesses to arrive in Korea and they distributed literature in Korean.

I'm taking notes

1914 - the first book translated into Korean the Divine Plan of the Ages, printed in Japan.

1921 - the transcribed discourse Millions Now Living Will Never Die is published and distributed.

1931 - magazines are being translated in Seoul, and the first convention is held with 45 attending.

1933 - under Japanese control, all literature is confiscated and burned

1939 - Witnesses are arrested in Japan and Korea for "disturbing the peace", no contact from with the rest of the world until ↓↓ 

1945 - the war is over and the Witnesses are released, able to set up their meetings again.

1953 - the first Bethel complex a small house in Seoul

1963 - convention: 8,975 attended and 612 were baptized

1969 - convention: 14,529 attended

1970 - Witnesses continue to be arrested illegally, without warrants, on the grounds of not taking up arms and thus disturbing peace. (It doesn't even make sense) serving up to 10 years and enduring beatings, being chained to the floor, or confined to the solitary cell specially designed for Witness prisoners (look in the photo ↓↓) a small cell so tight you cannot sit or stand, just crouch. Also once they are released from their maximum sentence time (3 years) they are sent home and officers are waiting to arrest them again. 

1982 - Bethel is moved to a more central city in the county, Anseong, and in 1986 a rotary press was installed and used to print in Korean and Chinese.

Despite the persecution, our brothers and sisters were faithful. Many appeals to the courts for humane treatment have been filed. Even today the brothers are still imprisoned for about a year and 6 months. 

Today, To keep up with growth and demand, new offices were constructed in 1994, and in 2012 a new audio-video building (for making videos in Sign-Language), new printery, and renovated residence buildings. But the buildings are modest, practical and clean, not showy or luxurious. 

Braille printer

 I don't have many pictures of the offices, because, well, its just an office. But a lot of the work going on here is translation - into Korean, Korean Sign-Language, and Korean Braille. 

About 30 people request the Korean Braille issues, I think its great that a lot of work goes into translating for just 30 people, but we don't exclude them!

plate room

Other departments take care of visually preparing the magazines, then making the plates to print with. 

Then downstairs is the printery, which is much smaller than the one in New York, but still hard at work. The press is rather old, but it's so well-maintained that it runs smoothly.

rotary press, left side

rotary press, right side

This picture shows the 63 building in Seoul, Eiffel Tower,  Empire State building, Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, and then the stack of magazines that is printed here each month is taller than all of them

lots of paper!

storage

hot off the press

This brother brought us a magazine, showed us how he quality checks it. In his hand is a magnifying glass, we all took a turn seeing how the photos are really comprised of little dots of ink. Also this is how the magazine looks after it's printed, before it is glued, folded and trimmed.

we totally know what we're doing

packing and shipping

Next the literature is packed and shipped out to the congregations. They let us have a try at wrapping the boxes.

Our tour was so nice, and it just reinforces how we are all the same, all over the world. I've visited the printeries in New York, Canada, Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, and now South Korea. And they're all the same, all working for the same purpose, to get spiritual food to people in their own language at no charge. Even more than that, when people would learn that I was from Pittsburgh or Priscila is from São Paulo, they would say "oh, do you know ___" and somehow, we did!

Sing it with me: It's a small, small world!

But wait - there's more!!

I got to meet Jane's family, which is Young's family too! They were a blast. Now I see clearly where Young gets her great sense of humor from, were we cracking up all night. We had a nice meal at the grandparents' house, and they made me sit right between them.

just part of the family

everyone's a goofball

Somehow the language barrier had no real threat, we were getting along great! 

And more sushi! Jane's uncle caught it himself, and explained good sushi is cut and then allowed to rest a little bit. I couldn't argue that, I genuinely liked the sushi he prepared for us. Also we had fried chicken, and duck with pumpkin. And lots of rice, as grandma kept encouraging them to put more rice on my plate because I wasn't eating enough!

looking at baby pictues

I guess there is a saying in Korean, one scoop is lonely and there's no love, two scoops you'll fight, but three scoops is love and brings you closer! I think I had 18 scoops. 

I also jokingly ate a hot pepper slice, since Uncle said I would faint from its heat. I thought it was the same pepper I had eaten the other day, like a jalapeno. I was wrong. So wrong.

And what's a family night without the photo album?