Dr. Lee’s secretary, Sherlyn, was a glorious surprise. She hosted me for 4 nights and greatly enriched my time in Seoul. She is originally from the Philippines, but has been living in Korea for years. Unfortunately, her husband died a year ago and now she is raising her boisterous and lovely 3 year old son on her own. Her son is not in need of love though. He has a team of woman doting on him. Sherlyn’s mother and mother’s friend act as baby sitters almost around the clock. The mother’s friend hasn’t been back to the Philippines in 16 years. She has spent time working in Dubai and Korea, so that she can send money home to support her children. I can’t even imagine leaving your family behind for so many years in search of work. Even though they miss their homeland, they have created their own niche in Korea and welcomed me into it. It was fascinating listening to them go in and out of English, Korean, and Tagalog. It is obvious that their lives revolve around hard work and family. They don’t have much and yet they were willing to be incredibly generous to me. I just wish I could have spent more time with them and in some way repaid the favor.
On my last full day in Seoul I went to say goodbye to Dr. Lee. He was generous and gave me a ton of vegetarian snacks including seaweed and a jar of honey tea for my throat. He made a few last jokes about me being a pain in his ass and we said see you later. Next I went in search of a Taiwanese Buddhist restaurant!!! Ironically it ended up being ran by the same Buddhist denomination as the temple in Taiwan I stayed at. As soon as I walked in, I knew it was going to be phenomenal. I got there a couple minutes before official opening time and it seemed the woman setting up felt a bit confused by my presence. Her husband arrived and he spoke English, so I explained that I had lived in Taiwan and was greatly interested in Buddhism. Instantly the atmosphere changed. I was no longer an intruder but a welcomed friend. We discussed theology, relationships, and how best to pursue finding your inner self through meditation. He is Korean, but his wife is Taiwanese. He has spent time meditating with masters in Tibet and all over Asia. I could have spoken with him for 7 hours and been content. In addition to good conversation, the food was like a quick trip home. Red grained rice, steamed bok choy, tofu, an assortment of vegetables, green bean soup, Taiwanese oolong tea, etc. YUMMMMMM. Plus, there was pineapple cake and not just any pineapple cake, but the good stuff. As more and more time passes and I get farther away from my life in Taiwan, I continue to realize how rooted my heart is there. It truly feels more like home to me than any other place.
With a full belly, I climbed up Namsan Mountain to see Seoul Tower. The hike up was nice and from the path the city’s ancient wall was visible. What was more special than the view was the person I met. I was walking and listening to music when an older man came up behind me and said, “Excuse me, are you American?” I was startled to say the least, but nodded in confirmation. He looked pleased and dived right into conversation. He spends 6 months each year in Seoul and 6 months in Southern California. He was very adamant that the US is his favorite country. Normally, people do not randomly approach me to share their love of my nation. Actually, it is usually quite the opposite. So this man was a welcome shift from the norm. He was 8 years old when the Korean War began. As we climbed the hill together, he painted a mental picture of a small village overtaken by the North Korean Army. The people were put to work and many were taken and forced to fight. He recounted hiding in his school at one point, how hard it was for his family to find food, and the joyous moment when American soldiers retook the village. He even grabbed my hand and said, “I would like to say thank you to your grandparents for saving my country. Without them South Korea would not exist. My father and your grandfather were brothers in war and now because of them your people and my people are friends.” I was so moved by this man’s emotional display of gratitude to a complete stranger who had absolutely nothing to do with the war. It just goes to show the significance of the Korean War and how deeply it impacted the lives of the Korean people. Out of everything I experienced in Korea, this conversation and the brief moment this man held my hand left the deepest impression in my mind. I will always be critical to some degree of my country’s politics and historical past, but at the end of the day I am American and I too love my nation.
At the base of Seoul Tower there was a cultural fair with a variety of performers. There were traditional dancers, swordsmen, and musicians. I observed for a while, took into the 360 view of the city, and headed back down the mountain. I personally don’t think paying to go to the top of Seoul Tower is worth it, but that is coming from my budget backpacker perspective.
I then headed to Gwangjang Market. There was food, furs, clothing, jewelry, cheap electronics, bedding, dishes, furniture, etc. I got an awesome GoPro video of a man selling Korean honey string dessert. He was featured on one of the Travel Channel shows and was incredibly animated. He went on a 2 minute rant about how his candy is made and at the end he informed me that he was really high. Regardless, of his mental state, I bought some honey string dessert and went on my way. On the way home I hunted down the headquarters of the Seoul Marathon with hopes of buying a tee shirt for my brother. Apparently, merchandising is not a thing they do. The man I spoke with just looked at me like I was crazy. “You want what?” Sorry Tim no shirt for you.
The next morning I accompanied Sherlyn and her family to church before catching the bus to Busan. Everyone was very friendly and they even shared a healthy vegetarian lunch with me. I hold a lot of respect for those who are religious and enjoy experiencing their form of worship, but am not religious myself. That being said I didn’t feel uncomfortable until the end of the morning. Sherlyn had heard a conversation I had with Dr. Lee about me not feeling well, so she asked if her church could pray for me. I said yes and showed appreciation for the kind gesture. Little did I know that they weren’t just going to say a prayer, but have a whole congregational fervent prayer chant with me standing at the front and strangers placing their hands on me. One man even placed his hand on my breast. Now if you know me, you probably know that I am not easily embarrassed, but this moment took the cake. I had no idea where to look or what facial expression to hold. I just kept thinking, “When is this going to end? It has to end soon right? Finished? Not yet… Don’t laugh… Look somber… Look thankful… Look reverent? Ok, this is weird…” After my face returned to its natural color, I said goodbye to the whole family. Her mother joked that she was relieved I hadn’t turned out to be a serial killer. Sherlyn was holding back tears, which made me feel emotional as well. I had bonded with them for several days and had been touched by their acceptance and the amount of love her son had shown me. It was hard to leave.
On my last full day in Seoul I went to say goodbye to Dr. Lee. He was generous and gave me a ton of vegetarian snacks including seaweed and a jar of honey tea for my throat. He made a few last jokes about me being a pain in his ass and we said see you later. Next I went in search of a Taiwanese Buddhist restaurant!!! Ironically it ended up being ran by the same Buddhist denomination as the temple in Taiwan I stayed at. As soon as I walked in, I knew it was going to be phenomenal. I got there a couple minutes before official opening time and it seemed the woman setting up felt a bit confused by my presence. Her husband arrived and he spoke English, so I explained that I had lived in Taiwan and was greatly interested in Buddhism. Instantly the atmosphere changed. I was no longer an intruder but a welcomed friend. We discussed theology, relationships, and how best to pursue finding your inner self through meditation. He is Korean, but his wife is Taiwanese. He has spent time meditating with masters in Tibet and all over Asia. I could have spoken with him for 7 hours and been content. In addition to good conversation, the food was like a quick trip home. Red grained rice, steamed bok choy, tofu, an assortment of vegetables, green bean soup, Taiwanese oolong tea, etc. YUMMMMMM. Plus, there was pineapple cake and not just any pineapple cake, but the good stuff. As more and more time passes and I get farther away from my life in Taiwan, I continue to realize how rooted my heart is there. It truly feels more like home to me than any other place.
With a full belly, I climbed up Namsan Mountain to see Seoul Tower. The hike up was nice and from the path the city’s ancient wall was visible. What was more special than the view was the person I met. I was walking and listening to music when an older man came up behind me and said, “Excuse me, are you American?” I was startled to say the least, but nodded in confirmation. He looked pleased and dived right into conversation. He spends 6 months each year in Seoul and 6 months in Southern California. He was very adamant that the US is his favorite country. Normally, people do not randomly approach me to share their love of my nation. Actually, it is usually quite the opposite. So this man was a welcome shift from the norm. He was 8 years old when the Korean War began. As we climbed the hill together, he painted a mental picture of a small village overtaken by the North Korean Army. The people were put to work and many were taken and forced to fight. He recounted hiding in his school at one point, how hard it was for his family to find food, and the joyous moment when American soldiers retook the village. He even grabbed my hand and said, “I would like to say thank you to your grandparents for saving my country. Without them South Korea would not exist. My father and your grandfather were brothers in war and now because of them your people and my people are friends.” I was so moved by this man’s emotional display of gratitude to a complete stranger who had absolutely nothing to do with the war. It just goes to show the significance of the Korean War and how deeply it impacted the lives of the Korean people. Out of everything I experienced in Korea, this conversation and the brief moment this man held my hand left the deepest impression in my mind. I will always be critical to some degree of my country’s politics and historical past, but at the end of the day I am American and I too love my nation.
At the base of Seoul Tower there was a cultural fair with a variety of performers. There were traditional dancers, swordsmen, and musicians. I observed for a while, took into the 360 view of the city, and headed back down the mountain. I personally don’t think paying to go to the top of Seoul Tower is worth it, but that is coming from my budget backpacker perspective.
I then headed to Gwangjang Market. There was food, furs, clothing, jewelry, cheap electronics, bedding, dishes, furniture, etc. I got an awesome GoPro video of a man selling Korean honey string dessert. He was featured on one of the Travel Channel shows and was incredibly animated. He went on a 2 minute rant about how his candy is made and at the end he informed me that he was really high. Regardless, of his mental state, I bought some honey string dessert and went on my way. On the way home I hunted down the headquarters of the Seoul Marathon with hopes of buying a tee shirt for my brother. Apparently, merchandising is not a thing they do. The man I spoke with just looked at me like I was crazy. “You want what?” Sorry Tim no shirt for you.
The next morning I accompanied Sherlyn and her family to church before catching the bus to Busan. Everyone was very friendly and they even shared a healthy vegetarian lunch with me. I hold a lot of respect for those who are religious and enjoy experiencing their form of worship, but am not religious myself. That being said I didn’t feel uncomfortable until the end of the morning. Sherlyn had heard a conversation I had with Dr. Lee about me not feeling well, so she asked if her church could pray for me. I said yes and showed appreciation for the kind gesture. Little did I know that they weren’t just going to say a prayer, but have a whole congregational fervent prayer chant with me standing at the front and strangers placing their hands on me. One man even placed his hand on my breast. Now if you know me, you probably know that I am not easily embarrassed, but this moment took the cake. I had no idea where to look or what facial expression to hold. I just kept thinking, “When is this going to end? It has to end soon right? Finished? Not yet… Don’t laugh… Look somber… Look thankful… Look reverent? Ok, this is weird…” After my face returned to its natural color, I said goodbye to the whole family. Her mother joked that she was relieved I hadn’t turned out to be a serial killer. Sherlyn was holding back tears, which made me feel emotional as well. I had bonded with them for several days and had been touched by their acceptance and the amount of love her son had shown me. It was hard to leave.
