Fall Highlights: Chuseok

Wow--I know it's been a couple of months since the Chuseok holiday here in Korea, but, since I'm playing catchup, I thought I'd share some photos.  This is the first installment of 'fall highlights.'  Since I've already posted 'fall travels' (and this was pre-Tashi, people, so don't worry.  Tashi, we've discovered, gets car sick, so we're grounded for the time being), posting fall highlights sounded like a great idea.  So much has happened over the past couple of months that I just can't resist reminiscing.  First stop, of course, is Chuseok.  At the top is a photo of Dahin and me from our second KBS round--love this photo of us, which is why I am posting.  While the other post labeled "Chuseok" (see the posting from September) showed the kids and friends in hanbok, this is more like 'behind-the-scenes;' aka what really happened on Chuseok besides dressing in pretty clothes.  As it is storming ice outside at the moment--complete with thunder and lightening--it's nice to think about the perfect early fall day we spent in the country the day after Chuseok (on actual Chuseok day it was rainy and cool so we spent it indoors at halmoni's house).

Every major holiday, like the New Year and Chuseok (as well as his birthday), we visit Jack's father's grave in Pocheon (about an hour outside of Seoul).  Halmoni provided us with two plants we were to leave at the family site--one for Jack's father and the other to share amongst the other family members (we placed it between a couple of graves).  Jack's father passed away when Jack was just finishing highschool, so I've never met him and the kids have never met him.  They know about their hareobeoji from photos and stories, though.  Above, Oliver carries one of the plants to the grave site. Dahin had decided to stay at her grandmother's house and she and her cousin Haenni went to see a movie.

Have I mentioned it is impossible to get a decent photo of Ronan lately?  Well, the above is about as good as it gets.  He spent the rest of the time dodging the camera, so this was it for the grave visit.  Below, Oliver and I at hareobeoji's grave which is to our left (on the photo's right).

A bonus of visiting Jack's father is that we get to go to the country.  Always, a part of the visit is a trip to the local hotsprings for a dip in the great water.  Jack and Ronan went into the men's bath and I took Oliver (with a little initial protest) into the women's side.  This is probably one of the last times I'll be able to do the bathhouse thing with Oliver since the cut off age here in Korea is 8 (or 7 American age) for little boys going with their mommies to the women's side.  At the hotsprings there, they have this huge naengtang (cold bath) that is basically like a swimming pool lined with rocks and complete with a waterfall.  Oliver had a blast racing me and practicing swimming.  After our bath and a good lunch, we headed to Sanjeong Lake. Here is a bit about the lake from the Korea tourism site:

"Sanjeong Lake is located in Yeongbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. To the far end of the lake is Mt.Myeongseongsan which casts the shadows of its high peaks on the lake. The beauty of the region is enhanced by two nearby waterfalls, the Deungryong and Biseon Waterfalls, and Jainsa Temple. Taking a walk along the lake's promenade is an opportunity not to be missed. There are a variety of other facilities such as the boating area, bungalows, and playgrounds. Designated as a national tourist site in March, 1922, Sanjeong Lake welcomes more than 700,000 visitors a year."

I remembered going there with Mama on her visit to Korea, but it has changed A LOT.  Mama, do you remember how quiet and peaceful it was?  Now, the atmosphere is like a carnival, typical of most Korean tourist sites.  Loud music blasting, carnival rides, lots of junkfood, etc.  The  paddle boats were there years ago, but that is about the only thing that has remained almost the same (the boats have greatly expanded in number and selection--with motorized boats being an option for those who want to spent a bit more on their lake experience).  We couldn't resist renting a paddle boat and the kids were really excited.  But these paddle boats are no joke.  Talk about work.  Luckily, Ronan was super into paddling.  I helped him out, but he did a lot of the work while Jack steered.

Our captain gets his energy out while paddling the boat.  He loved it, but we had to draw the line on steering alone after a few near collisions (lots of people out on the lake).

After our visit to Sanjeong Lake, we headed to the Idong Waterfall Beef Barbecue restaurant.   Thanks to Jack's research--he does all the research and planning for our road trips and does a fantastic job--our itinerary was just right, not rushed, and smooth-going.  He found this place online and I would really like to visit again the next time we are out in the area.  The website is here, and I totally recommend it for those taking a day away from Seoul to explore the Gyeonggi region countryside: http://www.pokpokalbi.com/   Literally, there was this huge waterfall across the street from the restaurant.  The restaurant is also built on a raised foundation and sits right over a rushing river.  It was fun to eat beef barbecue (at a great price, I might add) and both listen to the rushing waters and watch the waterfall.

After the meal, we enjoyed some coffee and tea on the terrace while the boys watched the waterfall.  A  must for Chuseok is viewing the full moon, which is called 보름달/'boreum dal' . Traditionally, the sun’s presence was considered routine, but the full moon that came once a month, brightening the dark night, was considered a special and meaningful event. Therefore, festivities took place on the day of the largest full moon, August 15th of the lunar calendar, which is Chuseok.  The date for Chuseok changes every year because we now follow the solar calendar.  When you look up at the full moon on Chuseok, you make a wish for something you need or want (like good grades, serenity, success).   This shot is from the day after Chuseok, but on Chuseok day, despite the rain, there was a brilliant orange-colored moon in the sky. Oliver, who wished out loud, wished for a puppy.  Guess who got his wish.

Lost Teeth

This fall has been the season of lost teeth.  Ronan started the season off with a bang during the Chuseok holiday week.  The first tooth out was quite a dramatic experience and involved a week or two of 'my tooth is loose but don't touch it 'cause it hurts' until we discovered it was barely hanging on and Jack took some thread and plucked that sucker.  Ronan has since lost a second tooth on the bottom, and this one he took out himself.  Dahin has lost two molars, and Oliver lost his first tooth last week when I returned from LA.  It basically fell out since he'd been working on it quite a bit.  The kids have been cashing in with the tooth fairy, or 'i (pronounced 'ee') gongju'  in Korean (my creation; literally, tooth princess).

Fall Travels: Asan Oeam Village

Dahin gets her crane on at the entrance to Asan's Oeam Village.  Not simply a prop village so tourists can experience how people lived in Korea 'once upon a time,' the village is real.  By that, I mean people actually live there and the villagers  have sustained their community by opening the village to tourists and by selling products made in the village.  We loved it, and wished we could have spent more time there (we were there for about 3 hours) since there was so much to see.  The kids got to experience a bit of the country, play some folk games, and meet a 100+ year-old grandmother.

Above, Oliver poses in front of his favorite flower: the cosmos (or, in Korean 'koseumoseu').  Whenever he sees this fall flower on the side of the road as we drive in the car, he yells, "Koseumoseu!  Koseumoseu!"  I blame his teachers for instilling an obsession with flowers, because he certainly didn't get it from me.  I had no idea what a cosmos was until Oliver taught me.  Below, Jack hands me a freshly peeled persimmon he bought from the women selling fruit, veggies, and tofu at the village entrance while watching a halmoni get comfortable.  She is over 100 years old and quite spritely, I must say.  I thought her hanbok and cane were beautiful, but was too shy to ask for a good photo.

A jangseung or village guardian is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. Jangseungs were traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark  village boundaries and frighten away demons. They were also worshipped as village tutelary deities.  These were two of the nicest, wel-kept jangseung I've seen. These guardians greeted us at the end of the bridge at the official opening of the village.

 

Jack discovered one of the niceties of village life--the resting spot--and the kids found the swing to be a lot of fun.  They liked how, once you got going, you basically were swinging out over the field.  The view from the swing was lovely.

I'm not sure what the structure above is for--I'm thinking for storing food since it was located near the large pots used for storing sauces, etc.  Someone help me out here--if you know, leave a message! In addition to the actual residences, there was a secction of homes that was used for displaying artifacts (like bedding, furniture, etc) and teaching people a bit about life during the Joseon era.  It was very well done.  Perhaps the best teaching tool for your kids (and yourself).   Below, the kids try out some folk games and enjoy the scenery.  Jultagi, or tightrope walking, is a popular activity as is the game yutnori.  For some reason, the yutnori game set out including these giant logs and the kids struggled to throw the pieces (normally, the game pieces are about the size of a cigar).  My guess is that the size of the pieces is meant to keep all the pieces in place outside.

Right outside of the folk games area people were pounding rice flour into cakes and making beverages from rice.  It felt perfect to share some homemade rice cakes and a beverage after wandering around the village. Injeolmi  is a variety of tteok, or Korean rice cake, made by steaming and pounding glutinous rice flour, which is shaped into small pieces and usually covered with steamed powdered dried beans. Sikhye is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage, usually served as a dessert. Sikhye also contains grains of cooked rice, and in some cases pine nuts.

A fall must: Ronan sits on a pumpkin.  This tradition started when he was barely old enough to walk and we went to pumpkin patches.  Here, he just had to climb on these people's porch and sit on their pumpkin.  It has been blessed.  Below, Dahin shines amidst the fall flowers.

As you exit the village (which is also the entrance) there is a community information board that includes details on the many products and services offered by the village community.  These include traditional weddings,  minbak (kind of a bed and breakfast, but usually without breakfast), koch'ujang (red pepper paste) and various other kinds of pastes and sauces, rice cake making workshops,  tofu making workshops, syrup, and a farm education experience for children. The sign also includes some guidelines for villagers in dealing with tourists (e.g. greet the tourists in a friendly manner) as well as guidelines for visitors (e.g. don't just throw your trash anywhere).  As you exit the village to go to the parking lot, there is a small restaurant selling some great-smelling food. We'd already eaten, so did not partake, but the place was hopping.

Fall Travels: Onyang

We took a one day/one night trip to Onyang, just 1.5 hours outside of Seoul.  Our first stop was the home of General Yi Sung-shin, the famous Joseon-era general known for defeating the Japanese thanks to his ingenuity and the use of the "turtle ship."  The grounds included the General's home, a large shrine, and a museum.  Also included were boatloads of fruit trees (persimmon, apple) and berry bushes that were just ripe for the picking.  Hey, other people were doing it, too (seriously, while we weren't actively picking and the kids were mostly getting fruit from the ground, most of the fruit within arm's reach had been removed from the trees).  We fed fish (Oliver thought the food was 'cereal' and actually tried to eat it, much to our fun and his embarrassment), ran around the grounds, and learned a bit about Korean history.

 Ronan spent his 1,000  won (about $1) bill he got from the tooth fairy on hot cocoa for himself and his siblings--how sweet is that?  Below, another shot of autumn fields.  Fall is absolutely the best time in Korea to take short weekend trips.The scenery is just beautiful and the weather perfect.

Our next destination was the hot springs, but I can't take photos in the bathhouse.  Instead, showing shots of lunch post bath in the adjacent market.  Nothing better than rice cakes with red pepper sauce (ddeokbokki), fried chicken, deep fried squid, and some blood sausage (sundae) after a relaxing soak in the Onyang hot springs.