Missed Miscellaneous

As some of you might know, I'm currently in the grand U.S. of A to visit family and attend two fabulous weddings.  I got all caught up on packing and preparing for my trip, I forgot to update our blog on our latest Korean adventures.  Even though I'm having way too much fun with my family, I decided to do this post before it was too late especially since it includes one of Trevor's favorite things: soccer!

Trevor works for a school funded by Hyundai which sometimes comes with random hidden perks.  One such perk included free tickets to a soccer game featuring Ulsan's Hyundai team and some other team I can't remember (that's what the hubby's for but we are half a world apart right now).  The night was full of fog and rain but despite the gloom, I could hear from quite a distance a grand noise coming from the stadium.  There weren't a whole lot of people there but there were die-hard fans supporting their team.  There was even a guy on a platform leading the fan section in various chants and songs throughout the WHOLE GAME!  You'd think it would be just annoying but it was kind of fun even though I couldn't understand what they were saying.

Leading the crowd in chants

Sadly, I'm still not sure if our team won or not.  The other team had scored a goal during the first 15 minutes of the game and the score remained throughout the rest of the game.  Not wanting to be caught in the after game rush, Trevor and I decided to leave when there was a minute or two left on the clock.  Bad mistake!  As we were leaving the stadium we heard a bunch of cheering loud enough to indicate a goal had been made.  I wasn't sure if this was the case or if the game had simply ended and the fans were just giving supporting cheers to their team even though they lost.  Either way, I can't say for sure the exact outcome of the game.  I'm sure Trevor was more devastated than I was that we didn't see the cause of the commotion right after we left but I will say it was his idea to get out of there before everyone else.  

Overall it was a pretty fun evening experiencing a pro-Korean sports event with my sweet husband.


Another mentionable event that happened before I left was the visitation of a friend Trevor met while he served his mission several years ago.  His name is Raphael (well at least that's his English name, I'm still bad at remembering Korean names, sorry Raphael!).  He was accompanied by his pretty wife and their adorable son.  We spent time chatting and getting to know one another while Trevor and Raphael exchanged memories of people they both knew while Trevor was a missionary.  The family was so kind to us and even treated us to dinner which was some spicy chicken which was quite delicious!  Unfortunately there was a big storm coming into Ulsan and they had to leave before it got worse but we sure did enjoy our time while they were here.

The rest of the week is a blur because I was making preparations for my trip so if I missed anything I'm sorry.  Maybe the next post can come from Trevor of any Korean adventures he has while I'm away ;) Miss you baby!

4th of July Weekend

The 4th of July is a time in America when we reflect on the greatness of our country.  We ponder the freedoms we enjoy and revere those who made it all possible.  So, what did we do to celebrate such a fine occasion? We went to ancient Korean Buddhist temples... But hey, can you blame us considering there are no parades, barbecues, or fireworks in Korea during America's Independence Day?

Don't worry though, we did enjoy delicious cheeseburgers and fries!  Good hamburgers are hard to come by here but luckily we have a friend here whose brother runs an American-style restaurant mainly featuring burgers.  It's called Burger Mugger but reading it in Korean characters it sounds more like bogo mugga to me.  I hadn't had a burger besides McDonald's since we left so that might have factored into how delicious it tasted to me.  

The temples we visited are better described in pictures as opposed to words but I'll try my best.  The first temple we visited consisted of a bus ride up a curvy mountain road, a nice walk through lush forestry leading to the temple, and several rather skiddish monks.  Ok so we didn't actually see any real monks but there were quite a few chipmunks! I know, I'm hilarious! 

At the end of the trail there were hundreds of colorful lanterns strung together in countless rows.  Naturally I gravitated toward the pink ones while Trevor went straight for the green.  There was a fountain whose purpose was unknown to us but it was accompanied by ladles for those who wanted to drink from the fountain.  Up a little further was the actual temple. Inside, pictures were prohibited (sorry!).  There was another little site that had artifacts accessible for picture-taking which we of course took advantage of.  

The view from the top of the "mountain" (more like big hills for a girl who's used to Utah mountains) was absolutely breathtaking as you could see the overlapping hills cascading down to a valley below.  The weather was somewhat downcast but I told Trevor that was ok because I had always pictured ancient Asian temples in a mountain coming through the fog like a mysterious ghost of ancient times.  

The second temple we visited was much larger and had more to see.  It was more like the temple was structured as an open courtyard and the various rooms throughout the courtyard contained places of worship and ancient statues and artifacts.  Once again, most of the insides of the rooms had photography restrictions so I'll show what I can.

 A few things I'd like to note about the temple include coloration, intricacy, and symbolism.  Both temples we visited used a light blue and orangy-red coloration.  I'm not sure what I expected as far as color, but I just hadn't pictured bright blue hues mixed with reds and browns.  Aside from unexpected colors, I also noticed how intricate the designs were not only in the painting, but also in the architecture carved into the structures.

There were also several nuances throughout the temples that all had some job to do.  For example, one section of the courtyard was dedicated to stacks of rocks which when stacked successfully without toppling any stones allows for a wish.  Of course, if you topple any of the other rocks, you ruin the wish of the person whose pile you ruined.  There are so many things to see that you just have to experience it for yourself to really understand.

That being said, let us know when you want to come visit! ;) We will surely take you to a traditional temple while you're here!  Hurry now before we're booked! :D But really, come visit us!