Back to the Books

Well, Chuseok is over. I'm back on campus, ready to tackle the next few weeks. I have a Korean language test on Monday and a big history project due in a week. Midterms are right around the corner, and I'm sure there will be a few last minute assignments due.

I had a great time in Seoul with the Byeons. The Byeon parents were amazing hosts for me and Sarah. They would make us breakfast and dinner. I love their home cooking! They toured with us around Seoul with us, giving us more insight about the history of some of the sites. They also drove us back to school, a good two hour drive. I was overwhelmed by their hospitality. They have invited us to come back anytime. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

We also got to visit with the Byeons Aunt, Uncle, and two cousins. They were so glad to see me again and to meet Sarah. We had dinner at their house one night. I learned how to play a traditional Korean game called Yut. It is played by tossing four sticks in the air. The way they land determines how many spaces you can move on the game board. The Byeons Aunt made one of the best meals I've had here in Korea. She made a cajun chicken salad, and Chinese pork dish, and a traditional Chuseok dish that was eated only by royalty made of beef and rice cakes. She also made us Gimbap for our next day of touring. Gimbap is a Korean snack; it is made of rice, meat, and a variety of vegetables wrapped in a piece of seaweed. It is really good, one of my favorite Korean snacks.

Yesterday, we went to a house that was home to Korean Royalty. Many of the members of the royal family would go there for meetings with officials and there were several royal weddings that took place there as well. It was the place where Korea's last King, Emperor Gojong, married his wife, Empress Myeongseong. He was appointed King because the previous King did not have an heir. This was the only time in Korean history that this took place. The Empress was orphaned at a young age and was chosen to marry him because she did not have family, therefore, no political ambitions. They were married for almost thirty years. Empress Myeongseong was murdered by Japanese assasins in 1895 in Gyeongbokgung palace (one of the palaces we went to this week). This is one of the most tragic stories in Korean history. After we wandered around the house, we went to the N Seoul tower. It is an observation tower in the heart of Seoul on one of the many mountians in Seoul. We climbed the mountain (much more fun than the three minute ride on the cable car) and went up to the observation deck in the tower. It was so beautiful, we made it about an hour before sunset, so the light on the city was gorgeous. On the observation deck, the direction and distance of major cities all around the world was marked above the windows. I said hello to everyone back home. As we hiked back down the mountain, we witnessed the sunset over the city.

In all, we toured two palaces, one Buddhist temple, one traditional village, a royal house, the N Seoul tower, three markets, one huge department store, the World Cup stadium for a movie, and probably some other places I can't remember right now. It was a great week filled with sites and time with the Byeons. I hope to visit them for one weekend every month.