Mittwoch, 5. Dezember 2012

Notebooks



(lk) In Korea wird ein enormer Wert auf Bildung gelegt. Das bedeutet nicht, dass das mit unserer Vorstellung von Bildung übereinstimmt. Aber Fremdsprachen sind zumindest theoretisch wichtig, vor allem Englisch. Bei uns im Wohnheim gibt es Englischkurse, die bis 11 in der Nacht gehen. Arbeitgeber verlangen hier häufig von den koreanischen Bewerbern gute Testergebnisse in verschiedenen international anerkannten Sprachtests.                         

Vielleicht ist die Tatsache, dass das Erlernen des Englischen hier in Korea besonders für die junge Leute so wichtig ist die Erklärung für das folgende Phänomen: interessante Sprüche in Englischer Sprache, die sich vor allem auf Büroartikeln wiederfinden und zwar überall. Es ist nicht möglich einen einfachen Spiralblock zu kaufen, auf dem sich nicht eine Weisheit findet.


Ob es das erklärte Ziel ist mit Hilfe dieser Sprüche ein passives Lernen in Gang zu setzten, ich weiß es nicht.

Im Folgenden eine kleine Auswahl von besonders schönen Sprüchen, die sich allesamt auf Spiralblöcken, Heftern, etc. finden.      







Das rechte Bild gehört zu dem Block, der oben abgebildet ist. "THE PREPPY NOTEBOOK". Am unteren Rand sind die Tugenden des koreanischen Studenten zu finden.                                                                                                                       








Man möchte sich fragen, was ein "Free Note Book" ist? Noch zu haben? Unbeschrieben?

Sehr beliebt sind auch europäische Motive...
...oder richtig deutsche. Ich glaube der Spruch auf diesem Block hatte mit Neuschwanstein nicht das Geringste zutun haben.
Natürlich ist es auch ganz wichtig süß zu sein. Ich glaube die links zu sehenden Motive sind japanischen Ursprungs. 






Zweifellos mein Favorit. Ein Hefter, der sich im Besitzt Susans befindet. Die Deutung dieser massiv sinnfreien Wortansammlung ist uns noch nicht gelungen. 

EATING BANANAS WILL LEAVE POWER!!!


Montag, 19. November 2012

Chuseok - being free from Keli again - Part III

Being free from KELI again - Seoul



(lk) Als Abschluss unserer kleinen Serie "Wir sind international und sprechen Englisch" folgt nun der Abschluss unseres Chuseok-Urlaubs. Carsons und mein Trip nach Seoul. Susan und Mai-Linh konnten uns leider nicht in die Hauptstadt Südkoreas begleiten, die Uni schiebt ab und an recht kurzfristig Klausuren und andere Dinge in den Alltag. So sind Carson und ich zu zweit in die Metropole am Han (das ist der Fluss der durch Seoul fließt) gegangen. Nachfolgend nun die Beschreibung einer kleinen Episode die wir dort erlebt haben - mit Hintergrundanalyse - und dann noch einige andere Eindrücke.



Die Insadong-gil in Seoul (gil bedeutet Straße). Wie man sieht generell sehr gut besucht und natürlich auch ein sehr beliebtes Ziel für Touristen. Viel Leben, viele Cafés und Kunstgalerien finden sich in dieser Straße.
With a friend of mine, I visited Seoul one month ago. In the attempt to get a rough overview of the city, we did not hesitate to visit some of the rather touristy sights. So, one afternoon, we found ourselves standing in the middle of the famous Insadong-gil. The place was absolutely crowded, but still the atmosphere was very nice walking along the cafés, small shops and art galleries. Later on, we found a group of Korean schoolgirls, standing at the side of the street. As they saw us – easily identifiable as foreigners - they approached us and asked us to take part in a small quiz. We answered some questions on South Korea (What is the capital and so on) and in the end, as a prize, got some candies. Such quizzes by students can frequently be seen here in Korea. However, at this day in Insadong-gil, the quiz had a rather interesting feature. As the quiz was over, one of the girls – maybe 14 years old – asked us with an impressive level of English: “Have you heard about Dok-do.” We said yes. The girl went on to explain that Dok-do was an island in the sea between Japan and South Korea and that both states claim the island to be theirs. She finished by saying: “Please keep in mind, Dok-do is Korean territory.” This occurrence left me intrigued.
  

Nochmal Insadong-gil, ein kleines Video. Wieder einmal entschuldige ich mich für die doofen Streifen im Bild. 



As a German I cannot think of German pupils going on the street and telling non-Germans that the German government hands too much of its power to the EU. Or may it be some other political issue; the commitment of these schoolgirls in Seoul simply fascinated me. I don’t know if this quiz was a regular school activity or if the students did it during their spare time. Either way, they didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with their task. Did we encounter 14 year old school girls who were so angry about the Japanese points for claiming Dok-do as their territory that they just had to go on the street? When they told us that Dok-do is Korean territory, did they base their statement on a broad study of the history of the island? Of course this is possible, but it seems to be more reasonable to see these girls behaviour against the background of the very emotional relationship between Korea and Japan. If you ask yourself, why this relationship is so tense, you can study the history of Korean-Japanese relations. Once in Insadong-gil you instead have the option to walk 500 meters to the Gyeongbokgung, one of the five palaces in Seoul.

Zwischen Korea und Japan herrscht seit Jahrzehnten ein Streit um territoriale Ansprüche. Die Felsformation Dok-do (koreanischer Name) bzw.  Takeshima (japanischer Name) in den Gewässern zwischen Japan und Korea wird von beiden Staaten beansprucht. Das Meer, in dem diese kleinen felsigen Eilande liegen wird von den Japanern übrigens Japanisches Meer genannt, von den Koreanern hingegen Ostmeer. Die Auseinandersetzung um die Inseln ist hier in Korea allgegenwärtig, links sieht man ein Modell von ihnen - ausgestellt in einer der U-Bahnstationen Seouls.

A short look at the history of this palace can help you understand, why you can find schoolgirls in Seoul, explaining you that Dok-do does not belong to Japan. Gyeongbokgung is located in central Seoul. In this area, five palace complexes can be found. According to the brochure I got there, the name Gyeonbokgung can be translated as “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven”. The location couldn’t be more central. Today, the American embassy is right around the corner. The statues of King Sejong the Great (he ordered the invention of an own Korean phonetic script, known as the Hangeul) and Admiral Yi (he fought against the Japanese in the 16th century) are located on the street running south from the palace entrance. To the north of the palace, the mountain Bugaksam makes the appearance all the more beautiful. But not only the location of this palace is extraordinary. It was built in 1395 right after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty. From the beginning it was the main palace for this dynasty and was a symbol of power for the kings of Joseon. Over the years, the complex of buildings steadily expanded. Around 1553, a fire destroyed large parts of the palace complex, though the buildings were restored soon after.

Der Haupteingang des Gyeonbukgung Palastes in Seoul. Im Hintergrund sieht man die Stadt, die die umfangreiche Palastanlage einschließt. 
 Der Hauptthronsaal 

Im Norden des Palastes beginnt ein malerischer Höhenzug.











However in 1592, we have to introduce a new element to the history of this sight, and this element brings us back to where we started: Schoolgirls in the Insadong-gil in Seoul emphasizing the Korean property of Dok-do. In 1592, Japan starts it invasion of Korea. For seven years Japan tried to conquer the kingdom of Joseon. In the end the Japanese failed, however they managed to destroy large parts of the country. In 1592, Japanese troops also came to Seoul and destroyed Gyeongbokgung. As you remember, in the years after 1553 the palace had just been rebuilt in the wake of a fire. But in the end it was for nothing, as the Japanese would destroy it again. Since the middle of the 16th century “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” was no longer a fitting name for this palace.

After some years, Korea was able to defeat the Japanese, not before a large part of the country lay in ruins. The palace would remain in ruins for the next 300 years. In 1867, the Joseon Dynasty decided to start a restoration. For some years, the royal family lived again in the palace that had been built as the first and most important of all the palaces in Seoul.

But again, the “Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven” could not keep the promises made by its name. In 1895 the wife of King Gojong – 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty – was murdered in Gyeongbokgung. Her name was Myeongseong, also referred to as Queen Min. She was one of the members of the Korean royal court who opposed the Japanese expansion the most, leading to her assassination in 1895 by Japanese agents. After this incident the royal family never returned to the palace Gyeongbokgung. In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan and starting in 1915, the palace was once again torn down by Japanese forces. Around 90 percent of the buildings were dismantled during the Japanese reign in Korea. After the end of the Korean War, it took until 1990 to start the restoration of this historic sight. For the second time in history, the Koreans were rebuilding what the Japanese had torn down. Today, only around 40 percent of the once existing buildings have been restored.

Parts of the palace’s history can still be seen today. When you enter the gate, you find yourself in a very large complex of buildings. Although, everything is new, the oldest parts are around 150 years old. Not much for a palace which was built in 1395. You can see wide fields where restoration is still going on and not finished yet.


Palastwachen und Koreanerinnen beim Posieren. Der Bart ist nicht echt. 










Each day the guards at the large gate in the south – the Gwanghwamun – are changing several times, performing a sophisticated ceremony thereby. But what are they taking care of? Their fancy dresses and their fake Korean beards gave me an odd impression. As there are no Korean monarchs anymore and the Gyeongbokgung had been destroyed several times, the palace should rather be seen as a symbol for the tragic parts of the history of Joseon Korea. But the guards are doing their daily routine - entertaining the masses of tourists. At its heart, one could say these pseudo Joseon soldiers take care of a sight whose history was rather written by Japan, than by Korea. 
After seeing this place I had to think of the schoolgirls in the Insadong-gil. I tried to think of the some European country doing the same as Japan did to the Gyeongbokgung palace with an important German historical sight. Maybe the Korean schoolgirls did not know anything about the history of Gyeongbokgung. But when you consider that this was only the history of a palace and that there must have been much more the Japanese did to the Koreans, their behaviour seemed to me more understandable. The resentment of the Koreans towards Japanese is rooted in history, just as the history of the Gyeonbokgung.


In der Nähe des Palastes befindet sich ein Statue König Sejongs. Er war maßgeblich an der Erfindung des heute verwendeten koreanischen Schriftsystems Hangeul beteiligt, wenn vielleicht auch nur als  Strippenzieher, der die richtigen Leute zusammenbrachte. Die Schriftzeichen auf dem Sockel sind zu lesen als: "Sejong Daeoang" = König Sejong. 

Der kantige Kerl links von der koreanischen Flagge ist Admiral Yi, ein Kriegsheld aus dem 16. Jahrhundert. Es lag nicht zuletzt an seinem strategischen Geschick, dass Japan mit seinem Invasionsversuch scheiterte. 









Christentum hat hier viel mehr zu bieten als bei uns :-) Und ist auch überall anzutreffen. Wir haben hier Stände von irgendwelchen Christen angetroffen, an denen vor den Gefahren der Hölle gewarnt wird und in der U-Bahn kann einem auch schon mal ein netter alter Herr mit der aufgeschlagenen Bibel entgegen kommen. 







Mittagspause in Seoul. Um diese Zeit füllen sich die Straßen mit Männern und Frauen in schwarzer Büromontur. Hier steht man bei einem Coffeeshop an. Detail: Der Mann ganz rechts telefoniert und massiert dabei dem  Kollegen vor ihm den Nacken. 
 Eine Kampfkunstshow mit viel Elan. 
In der Garage steht ein Volvo. 
Eines der vielen Hähnchenrestaurants in Korea. Frittiertes Hähnchen ist ein integraler Bestandteil der Esskultur hier, der jungen versteht sich. Abends im Wohnheim greift man skrupellos auf den Chicken-Lieferservice zurück oder geht ins Restaurant wie hier in Seoul. Detail: nix Messer und Gabel, zwei Gabeln sind oftmals das Werkzeug der Wahl. 




Gangnam bei Nacht. Das ist er also, der Stadtteil der in PSYs Gangnam Style besungen wird. Es ist dort hell und lebendig, alles ist neu und modern, ein Viertel mit vielen neuen Hochhäusern und viel Geld. "Gangnam" bedeutet wörtlich übersetzt soviel wie "Südlich des Flusses" (meine ich zumindest). Das Viertel ist darum recht leicht auf einem Stadtplan von Seoul zu finden, nämlich südlich des Han-Flusses.



Mit Ozan, einem Türken der gerade in Shanghai studiert, waren wir zwei Tage unterwegs. Hier in einer Bar in Gangnam, in der Makgeolli serviert wird. Das ist koreanischer Reiswein und schmeckt meiner Meinung nach etwa so wie Apfelwein. Sehr erfrischend. 



Als Beilage gab es Äpfel mit Mayonaise und Larven.










Last but not least: ein gütiges Schicksal wollte es, dass Carson und ich doch tatsächlich zu dem Zeitpunkt in Seoul waren, als PSY ein Gratiskonzert in der Innenstadt gab. 80.000 Leute, zwei Stunden Liveshow, alles umsonst, was will man mehr. Hier ein kleiner Ausschnitt des wichtigsten Momentes


Samstag, 10. November 2012

Chuseok - being free from Keli again - Part II

Chuseok - being free from Keli again - Jinju


(suh) Chuseok was soon to come, so my friends and I spent four weeks planning where to go and what to do. Despite having so much time, we simply could not make up our minds. Shall we go to Jeju island along with the rest of the foreigners? The weather was still warm through the early autumn days and enjoying the holidays soaking on a beach in the island sun wasn't a bad idea. Or would we rather venture to Seoul where everyday life moves at a frantic pace in the midst of a vibrant metropolis? Perhaps it would be best to simply stay in Daegu, exploring the beautiful mountains and the unknowns of the city.

We soon realised Chuseok was far too short toexperience and try out everything we desired to see in this wonderful, flourishing country. Since we couldn't reach an agreement on what to do, we focused on finding what in common we desired from this trip. So we all got stroke by the idea of trying something traditional. But celebrating Chuseok as Koreans do is easier said than done as this would mean going home to our families. This was obviously no option so we kept on asking Koreans where they usually go and how they make themselves a pleasant time. After questioning numerous native Koreans, we soon got a list of the best places to see over our holiday. After several hours of planning and budgeting, we narrowed down our list. One particular location quickly caught our eye: Jinju.

          Jinju is a relatively small city with 350,000 inhabitants. On the surface, it doesn’t seem to have much on offer in the eyes of a tourist. The city centre is nothing spectacular and the two museums would bore you to death before giving you any sort of insight into Jinju’s  history and culture. Annually, however, Jinju breaks it mold, transforming into a seemingly magical show of light. Jinji becomes a truly breathtaking place, taking one back to the roots of its history and an enchanting view on the glistening bank of the Namgang.

Every year, the spectacular show takes place for fourteen days beginning on October 3rd, immediately following Chuseok. The Jinju Yudeung Festival is held to commemorate the  victory of the Korean forces at the second Battle of Jinjuseong. The patriotic spirit of the 70,000 who died defending their country hand down the tradition of Yudeung. Thus, the history of the festival spans back to the 1592 Japanese invasion of Korea when Jinju's vital surrounding wall was in danger. General Kim Si Min and his troops used pungdeung and other lamplights in both the Namgang river or into the sky as a signal requesting support of nearby forces. These lanterns apparently stopped Japanese invaders from crossing the river and gave Sin Min Gim enough time to adaquetly prepare his troops for the Japanese attack.  Since the majority of the soldiers’ families lived beyond the safety of the castle walls, they  lanterns to their dear ones as well, hoping to last through the hard and uncertain times of violence, solitude and fear that lay ahead. In remembrance and honour the fallen troops, this tradition has continued as the people of Jinju annually drift their lovely handmade lanterns down the Namgang, each with a personal wish.

It was the late afternoon when we reached Jinju and apart from a few paper puppets was barely anything to see that gave us the impression of a great event which was going to be hold that night. However, at this time this was of least interest to all of us as we didn’t know where we were going to sleep at night. All the motels were either already booked out or the  remained accommodations were nearly unaffordable for a poor students’ budget like ours. 

So we went to the tourist centre and asked for help. The friendly looking woman behind the desk quickly understood our problem and kindly recommended us a so called Jimjilbang. Well, yes we said we wanted to experience the Korean culture to the fullest but not knowing what I had to expect I’m not entirely sure which one was actually the greater experience – the night in the Jimjilbang or the lantern festival. However, only twenty minutes away by walk we finally reach the Korean Spa which was as predicted really cheap – only 8000 Won to spend a night there. So we dropped our stuff and headed quickly to the festival.


Ein Tunnel von erleuchteten Laternen - ein Tunnel von Wünschen und Hoffnungen.




Twilight has come and the moon golden glowing in his fully round shape was already up high in the sky by the time we got there. Jinju suddenly presented itself in its entire beauty: It totally blew our mind seeing how this little city and the Namgang River turned into a breathtaking miracle landscape resplendent in thousands of colours and enchanting lights! Big figures were built up all over the place showing the troops of the Jinjuseong Battle and reminding of former times. These figures also gave a good insight of Korean traditions, its rich fauna and flora and its impressive art and craft work. 


Not just figures in human shape were built up, even the temple were enlightened by an uncountable amount of lights. But not only the past were presented! The river Namgang showed the multicultural connection of Korea to each country with Vietnamese women in their traditional clothes, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Chinese Dragons, German windmills and so on. 





So we were walking along the river bank enjoying the wonderful sight of colours and lights as we suddenly saw little lovely self made paper lanterns swimming down the river. All of them had notes attached which seemed to be wishes and hopes for the future. We wanted to do that! What a wonderful reminiscence would it be seeing our personal wish flowing down Namgang, too and knowing to have been part of this fantastic old Korean tradition. So we all made a little lantern ourselves, tried to be as creative as Germans could possibly be and attached our hopes and wishes for our family as Koreans already did it 400 years ago. Deeply touched and inspired of the atmosphere of this whole festival we sent them down the river hoping our wishes will come true.


As all of this wouldn’t have been enough we suddenly heart several bangs and reports. We looked into the sky and an amazing firework had just started exploding into all kinds of colours. Everyone marvelled at the flashing lights and the crowd turned into a choir of “Ahhhs” and “Ohhhs”. And so did we, too.



Ahhhhh! Ohhhhh! Aaaaah!

Die Koreaner sind manchmal schon ein witziges Völcken.  Eigentlich hätte man das ja mal aufnehmen müssen. Sie sind ja schon irgendwie süß, mit ihrem Hang zur expressiven gemeinschaftlichen Begeisterung. 






Eines muss man ihnen allerdings lassen: Das Feuerwerk war wirklich eines der schönsten, die ich bisher gesehen habe. Da kann ihnen keiner so schnell was nachmachen, an Kreativität hat es ihnen dabei nicht gemangelt. Vielleicht gibt es aus diesem Grund in Deutschland immer nur ein müdes "Ooh" zu hören..






Als könnte es auch irgendwie anders sein.. Essen und trinken, Süßes und Salziges, eigenartige, sowie unwiderstehliche Köstlichkeiten gab es natürlich auch hier an jeder Ecke. Da bekommen auch kleine Kinder ganz große Augen bei solch riesigen Maiskolben.








Eine erleuchtete Kürbiskutsche. Eigentlich wollte ich mit Mai ja ein wenig Zweisamkeit genießen, aber die Herrschaften mussten ja natürlich wieder dazwischen funken..










Ein wenig Patriotismus ist natürlich auch immer dabei. Aber das sieht man hier ja gerne..













Der Fluss Namgang hell erleuchtet mit tausenden von farbenfrohen Lichtern. 


Ich vermute, Kinder haben diese Laternen selbst gebastelt. Leider kann man auf dem Foto nicht ganz erkennen, was sie alles dargestellt haben. Unter anderem war hier nämlich auch Google, I-phone, Zigaretten, Spongebob, "Angry Birds" und Geld aufzufinden. Was das wohl über die Wünsche der heutigen Jugend in Korea aussagt..? Naja, das mal außen vor gelassen, zeigt der Rest natürlich eine unbeschreibliche Vielfalt an Kunstwerken anderer Art - wunderschön, inspirierend, modern, abstrakt, verträumt. Und alles in einem einfach atemberaubend schön!


Ich war's nicht! Ich schwör's! Ich käme niemals auf die Idee in einer Umkleide einfach Bilder zu machen. Mai Linh war diejenige, die der Verlockung wiedermal nicht widerstehen konnte. Das Bild ist natürlich verschwommen, denn es wurde ja in Windeseile, aus Angst vor einem Moralapostel erwischt zu werden, unerlaubter Weise aufgenommen. Dafür sieht man auf man darauf  wenigstens die schönen Kutten, die man für den Spa bekommt. Den Bikini kann man hier also getrost zu Hause lassen, das sexy Badeoutfit ala Sträflingsgemeinschaftsdress wird hier vor Ort bereit gestellt.



Tiered from strolling around and by getting overwhelmed of all these new impression of Korean culture and traditions we thought it would be time to head back to our place to hit the hay – the Jimjilbang. It was kind of weird to see that people obviously still go there washing themselves, having a bath or relaxing in the sauna even it’s already in the middle of the night. But this is a Spa so where were we supposed to sleep? In some corner in a sauna? This can’t be true! So we had a look around and out of the blue we happened to stumble over a mass of people sleeping, snoozing and snoring! All of them were lying on the ground, totally relaxed and comfortable with themselves. As they covered nearly every space it was hard to make our way through them and nearly impossible not to step at least on each second one. Seeing this, all of us looked a little baffled not knowing where to go and what to think of it. So we wondered where all these people came from? 

And why they were not sleeping at  their home or why they were not going to a hotel? Could it possibly be true that this is a common way for Koreans to have a cheap overnight stay?And still we hadn’t found a solution to our problem yet: Where are we going to sleep?  In the mist of all these strangers squeezed in right next to each other leaning on somebody’s body which I don’t know at all? 



Typisch koreanisch? Wirklich?
Anscheinend schon. Da liegen sie alle auf dem Boden gemeinsam, aneinander gereiht wie die Sardinen, dösen und schlafen. Naja, 8 000 Won ist ja wirklich spottbillig, aber .. wirklich jetzt?
Man kann sich gar nicht vorstellen wie viele Menschen in diesen Räumen lagen. Als wäre der Krieg ausgebrochen und alle würden nun gemeinsam in einem Bunker nächtigen müssen. Noch viel passender dazu ist natürlich das Nachtgewand: Für Frauen rot, für Männer grün. Ein wenig Notstands- und Gefängnisflair kommt da schon auf. Allerdings will ich das hier gar nicht schlecht reden, denn praktisch, günstig und komfortabel ist es allemal! Und für Backpacker wie uns einfach nur ideal! Ein wenig eigenartig und gewöhnungsbedürftig ist diese Art von Unterkunft zwar allerdings schon, aber definitiv eine Erfahrung wert. 

Well, yes we said we wanted to experience the Korean culture to the fullest but to be honest, no one of us expected this as some kind of traditional accommodation! But at least we wanted to give it a try so we were looking for a nice little space where we almost could fit in. Resting there for several minutes, we surprisingly didn’t mind at all laying so close to these other people. The only thing that kept us awake was finally the heat which seemed to rise with every second. We couldn’t stand that through, this was far too hot! So we got up and started wandering around again. We had a look in each room we could find but all of them were stuffed with people and steaming for heat. We made our way through the whole building and finally reached the last stage where we found an empty wide roof top. The moon was still shining and from there we had a wonderful view over the lights of the city. So we nestled down in our blankets, snuggled up to each other and slept peacefully in the shine of the full moon.














Freitag, 2. November 2012

Chuseok - being free again - Part I

Chuseok - Part I - Haeinsa und Gayasan Nationalpark





(suh) Let's get started!!! Auf in die Freiheit!

Over the Choseuk holiday, several friends and I visited Haeinsa temple. Not far outside of Daegu, this temple is an absolute must see. Originally built in 802, stepping onto the temple grounds is an amazing feeling, especially to someone who has never experienced old East Asian architecture. The temple is placed in the midst of several beautiful mountains, giving it an aura of isolation from the city life that is so close just past the adjacent mountains. Beyond the visual aesthetics of Haeinsa lies the Tripitaka Koreana, a famous artifact of Korean Buddhism that's creation and preservation are truly amazing feats.
After a short bus ride out of Daegu we arrived at Gayasan National Park, where we were greeted by a massive entrance gate covered in vibrant colors and a sign containing several Chinese characters. After paying the entry fee we continued on the bus to our exit point further in the mountains. The entire park was amazing immediately upon entering. Surrounded by mountains on every side, one cannot help but feel truly engrossed. Sadly, you never feel as though you have entirely escaped in nature with so many paved roads around, but you can come quite close to the feeling as you begin hiking up the mountains.


Ein Schrei der Freiheit! 















(lk) Symmetrie im Wald. 


My friends and I went to Haeinsa temple expecting to find a place to stay in the nearby town. When asking someone at the temple for directions, in a misunderstanding they directed us the the temple stay office. We had not planned on a temple stay and did not reserve any rooms. When the person in charge of temple stays asked we had made reservations, we said no and we were looking for a hotel. She immediately replied saying that since it was the holiday, their regular program was not running and as a result the temple had spare rooms if we chose to stay there. We jumped at the chance as soon as we learned of the opportunity.
We then were shown our rooms, separating boys and girls. The accommodations were more than we expected. There were two bathrooms, multiple sheets and pillows, showers, and the rooms themselves were fairly large. We expected something more humble, more similar to a monk's quarters.  I could not help but feel the rooms were almost too accommodating, yet I was glad simply to be spending the night in a Buddhist temple, especially one as old as Haeinsa.




Hier zu sehen ein Mönch, der das Gebet mit mit der großen Trommel eröffnet. Soweit ich mich erinnere, wird wohl mit dieser zuerst die Natur erweckt, das heißt Tiere und Pflanzen. Anschließend wird ein großes Becken angeschlagen, womit die Verbindung von "Geist" und Mensch hergestellt wird. Abschließend wird noch der Innenraum eines Holzfisches zum erklingen gebracht, der wohl für die Meerestiere steht. Aber für all das lege ich jetzt besser mal nicht meine Hand ins Feuer. Oooh, meine Erinnerung ist leider so schlecht...

 We woke up at 3:20 A.M. to see the playing of the Dharma drum and the ringing of the bell. Two monks sat on a bench next to the drum. One by one they stood and played the drum. One would play between three and five minutes and they would alternate between each other. Both monks would have very different rhythms, with one monk moving to the right and the replacement player beginning to play to his left. The right would step off and the new player would center themselves. After ten or fifteen minutes, the monks would finish with the Dharma drum and move to the bell. 


            As instructed, we left during the playing of the bell and filed into the main building to attend the chanting. Taking the side entrance, we removed our shoes and grabbed a pad to take a seat. While waiting for the monks, we can here the bell ringing in the distance providing an indescribable atmosphere. The low hum resonates through the entire temple as we sit in the presence five golden Buddhas, each more magnificent than the last. The monks eventually enter the building, emerging from the moonlight.


One monk sat in front before the largest Buddha in the center and began playing a gourd shaped instrument made of wood. He and the other monks began to chant in time with the instrument. I could not be sure if this was a prayer or and simply some other practice but it was an incredible sight for someone like me, a westerner that had never experienced anything remotely similar before. Everything made the night incredible: the service, the temple, the early hour. All aspects seemed surreal and like I had truly stepped into a culture completely different from my own.

Following the chanting, which lasted somewhere around thirty or forty minutes, we returned to our rooms and slept until six. It was at this time that breakfast was to be served. To get breakfast, we simply went to the cafeteria on site. Once arriving at the cafeteria, temple stay guests must use a separate entrance than the monks. It was hard to tell if they ate the same meal as us, but whether or not the food was the same, what was served to temple guests was all allowed to be eaten under a Buddhist monk's restrictions. Mostly consisting of simple vegetables, the food lacked any sort of meat, chemicals, and artificial ingredients. Generally, when a food lacks these three ingredients, I do not hold much hope for its taste. Though, the cooks, some of which were monks, managed to make an incredible meal out of so little. It was the best meal I'd had in Korea at that time. They had dishes such as seaweed, bean sprout soup, and soy potatoes. One thing that amazed me was my mother makes these potatoes back home from vegetarian cookbook with recipes from around the world. The amazing part was how close my mother's potatoes taste to the real thing! I quite proud of her to be honest.
            We did as we were told and dined in silence. While at first that seemed awkward, it was actually  nice as we grew used to it. We managed to appreciate each others' company without talking. Without feeling the need to communicate, it allowed us to focus on the task and hand. The food almost tasted better by simply putting complete focus on it, rather than the social aspect of eating together. We had a total of five meals at Haeinsa temple and they were all very delicious and enjoyable.


            Once the scheduled events at the temple were completed. We took advantage of the beautiful setting and hiked a few of the surrounding mountains. Being the overzealous type, naturally we ventured to the tallest one in the area first. Taking about three hours to reach the peak, the hike was exhausting. Despite exhaustion, we were able to appreciate the beautiful setting for the entire climb to the top. Streams frequently cut the path as we crossed them with fallen logs or hopped across on stones. With thick patches of trees followed by sudden clearings into bamboo and tall grass, it is impossible to not appreciate the natural beauty of the area.
            Once we finally reached the peak, it seemed as though we walked the entire day. Even with the time and energy it took, it was easily worth the effort. From the mountaintop we could see for what seemed like an endless distance. We realized just how far we had come seeing the temple from that height. The buildings were far in the distance and all that was visible for miles was simply mountains. It was truly beautiful and brought a relaxing feeling of isolation, yet not completely cut of from the modern world.


(suh) Have a break. Have a sip of the holy water. Oder wie manch anderer wohl zu kommentieren meinte: "Lucas, ist das ein altes kommunistisches Relikt?" 



Auf dem Weg nach oben sind wir dann auf diesen netten Man gestoßen. Während wir in Daegu manchmal mit der englischen Kommunikation hin und wieder unsere Schwierigkeiten haben, scheint das inmitten der rar bewohnten Gebieten der Berge kein Problem zu sein. Es stellte sich heraus, dass er Jahre lang Professor für International Relations an der National University Seoul war und nun für hier zum Meditieren zurück gekommen ist. (Er hat uns außerdem erzählt, dass er hier schon einmal 10 Jahre in Folge meditiert hatte.) Jedenfalls war das eine sehr nette Begegnung und es sollte auch nicht die einzige des Tages bleiben. Beim Abstieg trafen wir auf eine Schwedin mit chinesischen Vorfahren. Sie kam nach Gayasan um hier eine Meditationsausbildung zu starten. So freundlich und großherzig hier alle sind, wurden wir schließlich nicht nur mit selbst gemachten Dobogi überhäuft, sondern auch gleich zum Abendessen und anschließenden Kaffee eingeladen. Das hat am späten Abend unseren Magen sehr erfreut, der nach dem buddhistischen Mittagessen um 11:40 Uhr geradezu nach Nahrung geschrien hat. Ach diese lieben, großzügigen Leute..


            Such a remarkable place is perfect for a temple, but I can't help but wonder how difficult its construction must have been in 802 when it was originally built. Just reaching the temple's location can  be difficult by car in modern day, so I can only imagine the task of retrieving building materials on foot in the time of its construction. The temple deserves a certain level of appreciation for its construction alone, minus its significance or the fact that it contains an UNESCO World Heritage site.

Haeinsa temple houses one of the most significant remaining Buddhist artifacts in Korea, the Tripitaka Koreana. Held in buildings separate from the rest of the temple, the 81,350 wooden blocks are held in special chambers. In each chamber stands multiple bookcases, on the shelves lie the blocks of the Tripitaka Koreana. The room is specially built to preserve the delicate wooden panels to stand the test of time and weather. Specifically sized and placed windows circulate air, sorting out wind and regulated temperature. 

I could not help but stand in awe at the architecture, much less the Tripitaka Koreana itself. I still have trouble grasping how exactly the chambers preserve to blocks, but the blocks themselves are the most amazing part.

Each block in the Tripitaka Koreana is made of wood soaked in the sea for three years to increase resistance and durability. The wood is cut into blocks and then hand chiseled. Painstaking, the Chinese characters were carved in relief. There is not a single mistake in the 81,350 block set. The sheer amount of effort put into this one work is inconceivable. What makes it even more astonishing is the fact that is the second set. The first Tripitaka Koreana was destroyed in the Mongol invasion.
            


My journey to Haeinsa was a fantastic experience. Haeinsa temple was the first real ancient Asian architecture I'd seen since my arrival in South Korea and I'm sure the experience will stick with me forever. Attending the monks' morning chanting, viewing Korea from the top of a beautiful mountain, and seeing an amazing Buddhist artifact all led to an unforgettable Choseuk holiday. 




Vor den Toren der Tripitaka Koreana. Der Buddhistische Kanon wurde im 13. Jahrhundert in Hanja niedergeschrieben und keines der 52 382 960 weist auch nur einen Fehler auf.


Auf dem Weg zur höchsten Spitze von Gayasan

Wer rastet, der rostet. Diese zwei faulen Säcke haben schon zu Anfang eine Pause nach der anderen gemacht. ..naja, offen gestanden, waren sie nur so freundlich auf mich zu warten, da ich - und diesmal ist das kein Witz - mit meinen kurzen Beinen und den hohen Steinen und Stufen nur mühsam hinterher kam.





(lk) jhljcxsdladudhw uawsdöwud ajdhwlhdwliuedw
lol
rofl


(suh) Während es im Tal noch sommerlich warm war, wurde es nach oben hin immer kühler. Dafür präsentierte sich hier uns schon die Natur in ihren herbstlichen Farben.Oh der Herbst ist echt eine Wonne in Korea! Daran könnte ich mich hier echt gewöhnen.. 


















Ganz nach oben haben wir es ja noch nicht geschafft, aber der Ausblick lohnt sich schon jetzt.

Strahlekinder

Ein bisschen höher müssen Sie schon noch Herr Downs..


Glaubt nicht, dass das jetzt schon ganz ganz oben wäre..

Dem ganz ganz Oben nun wieder ein Stückchen näher..
















 ... und noch ein Stückchen.
Man möge bitte nicht denken, dass das nicht anstrengend gewesen wäre. Zumal ich noch nicht einmal Wanderschuhe hatte, lediglich meine treuen Chucks mussten herhalten, wobei mich all die Koreaner in ihrer Hightech-rundum-und-superfunktionalen Wanderausrüstung nur verständnislos angeschaut haben. 
Achja, man möge doch auch bitte nicht denken, wir wären intelligent gewesen. Auf unserer ca. 8 Stunden Wandertour haben nämlich wie am Tag zuvor nichts zu Essen mitgenommen und wie lange unsere 2 Liter Wasser bei 4 Leuten gereicht haben, kann man sich womöglich denken. Also jeder andere kann das wohl, wir  allerdings nicht..



Über den Wolken..
Der Ausblick war einfach unvergleichlich! Leider kann man das weder in Worte fassen, noch irgendwie auf Bildern realistisch festhalten.
von links: Susan, Carson, Mai Linh, Lucas



Wer hoch hinaus ist, kann ganz schnell tief fallen.. 
Das war ganz schön halsbrecherisch steinig. 



Zurück im Dorf haben wir die übrigen zwei Nächte in einem Motel geschlafen. Noch einmal nachts um 3 aufzustehen, schien uns dann doch für unsere Feiertage ein wenig zu anstrengend.
Eng aneinander gekuschelt haben wir gemeinsam in einem Raum nach traditioneller Weise auf dem Boden geschlafen. Der Raum bot uns den luxuriösen Komfort von: Nichts. Außer einen Schrank  voll mit Decken und netter Weise noch einen Fernseher ist das Zimmer vollkommen Leer. Ausschließlich eine große Liegefläche, die wir nach unserer langen Wandertour in Gayasan so gemütlich und komfortabel wie ein Himmelbett war. 






 (lk) Doller Wasserfall
Mai, unsere fake Koreanerin, hat Susan und Carson in der Hand. Sie versucht sie aufzufressen. 

Beeindruckende Fotomontage von Lucas Knorr. 

Es wundert einen nicht, wenn die für diesen Flaschenhaufen verantwortlichen Koreaner nicht mehr wussten, wo sie ihn hinterlassen hatten. Bei der Menge Soju könnte ich mich auch an nichts mehr erinnern.