Things are going pretty well here in Korea, I'm just looking forward to Arlene and David coming back on Saturday. I've just been working away on my research, nothing interesting at all to report. We had our Fulbright dissertation support group at our apartment on Thursday. Since I had to prepare food our dinner consisted of fried chicken (which I ordered), oranges, bananas, and ice cream. Next week I will present for the Fulbright Forum. So that will keep me busy.
Since Arlene and David are gone I've been eating out a lot. I try to go to Korean restaurants as they are usually pretty cheap and you get a variety of food. For example, yesterday for 4,000 won (about $3.25) I got rice, salted seaweed (tastes better than it sounds), bean sprouts, some sort of green vegetables, kimchi, and a plate of beef with onions and other vegetables. The one thing that is hard though about this is that when I eat alone I can't possibly finish all the dishes which means that all that food gets thrown away. I saw a restaurant at Korea Univeristy where apparently you just choose your own sidedishes. That makes a lot of sense. Sometimes the side dishes change everyday and I feel bad when I'm giving something with shrimp or something else I don't like and don't even touch it.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
History Tour
Last week my friend Jieun invited me to go on a tour of students from Yonsei led by a Methodist pastor who is working on a phd course there. The focus was on Protestant Christian sites.
This is what I think is the restored building of the Pai Chai academy, one of the early Protestant schools in Korea, established in the mid-1880s I think . It's now a museum.
This is what I think is a building from the old Ehwa University campus that is now being restored. Ehwa was the first modern school for women in Korea and was also established by Protestant Christian missionaries.
One of the first Methodist Churches in Korea (if not the first)
The Anglican Cathedral.
The inside of the Anglican Cathedral. It was really beautiful.
The old Russian legation. In 1896 the King of Korea fled here. The Japanese consul had organized a conspiracy that killed the King's Queen and so he feared for his life. In the Russian legation he would only take food delivered to him by American Protestant missionaries out of fear that he might be poisoned. Poor Korea--imagine if President Obama had to flee to the Canadian embassy for protection!
This is a secret tunnel that led from the Russian legation.
The home of Kim Ku, a Korean nationalist. A hospital was built around it.
One of Kim Ku's rooms. The footprints mark where his assassin stood when he shot Kim. He was sitting in the chair.
In this picture you can see the simulated bullet holes behind the chair, helping to mark where Kim was killed.
This is what I think is the restored building of the Pai Chai academy, one of the early Protestant schools in Korea, established in the mid-1880s I think . It's now a museum.
This is what I think is a building from the old Ehwa University campus that is now being restored. Ehwa was the first modern school for women in Korea and was also established by Protestant Christian missionaries.
One of the first Methodist Churches in Korea (if not the first)
The Anglican Cathedral.
The inside of the Anglican Cathedral. It was really beautiful.
The old Russian legation. In 1896 the King of Korea fled here. The Japanese consul had organized a conspiracy that killed the King's Queen and so he feared for his life. In the Russian legation he would only take food delivered to him by American Protestant missionaries out of fear that he might be poisoned. Poor Korea--imagine if President Obama had to flee to the Canadian embassy for protection!
This is a secret tunnel that led from the Russian legation.
The home of Kim Ku, a Korean nationalist. A hospital was built around it.
One of Kim Ku's rooms. The footprints mark where his assassin stood when he shot Kim. He was sitting in the chair.
In this picture you can see the simulated bullet holes behind the chair, helping to mark where Kim was killed.Korea University Temple
There is a temple on the way to my office at Korea University. It's more of a complex with several buildings. There aren't a whole lot of temples in urban areas so I decided to take some pictures.
This is the entry way to Pot'asa. You can see some of the buildings on the left. The banner says something like "All night assembly of 3000 prostations for the purification of mind to the Rock Carved image Buddha". I have to give credit to people who out of devotion get down on their knees, put their foreheads on the ground and get up 3,000 times. I think this is done in only one night.
Kaeunsa. These temples are so close that I wonder if they aren't part of the same complex. The top banner is advertising a lecture series and the bottom one is for a devotional meeting to better practice Buddhism. They sometimes have prayers here for kids to do well on their tests.
Gate to Kaeunsa.
This is the entry way to Pot'asa. You can see some of the buildings on the left. The banner says something like "All night assembly of 3000 prostations for the purification of mind to the Rock Carved image Buddha". I have to give credit to people who out of devotion get down on their knees, put their foreheads on the ground and get up 3,000 times. I think this is done in only one night. 
Kaeunsa. These temples are so close that I wonder if they aren't part of the same complex. The top banner is advertising a lecture series and the bottom one is for a devotional meeting to better practice Buddhism. They sometimes have prayers here for kids to do well on their tests.
Gate to Kaeunsa.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Spe Salvi
When I need a break I have been trying to read some of the Papal Encyclicals. I'm on Spe Salvi (saved by hope) right now and in the 38th paragraph came upon this beautiful quote:
Furthermore, the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme. Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life itself becomes a lie. In the end, even the “yes” to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my “I”, in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded. Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it becomes pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love.
Pope Benedict really hit the nail on the head here. This was exactly what I was trying to say at the talk I gave at Oak Valley but as could be expected, he said it so much more eloquently. I just hope I can live this out!
Furthermore, the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme. Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life itself becomes a lie. In the end, even the “yes” to love is a source of suffering, because love always requires expropriations of my “I”, in which I allow myself to be pruned and wounded. Love simply cannot exist without this painful renunciation of myself, for otherwise it becomes pure selfishness and thereby ceases to be love.
Pope Benedict really hit the nail on the head here. This was exactly what I was trying to say at the talk I gave at Oak Valley but as could be expected, he said it so much more eloquently. I just hope I can live this out!
Snow in Seoul
It's gotten wet and cold enough that we actually have some snow on the ground now. Unfortunately it's warm enough that some of the snow melts during the day only to freeze later on making for some spots of ice.
Arlene and David are in the Philippines and are doing well. They are in Leyte in Arlene's home village. David is having a lot of fun as he gets lots of attention. The only problem is that it has been raining almost constantly.
Things have been pretty busy for me. I've been going to the office a lot as its too lonely to just stay at home and I'm more likely to be distracted here. On Tuesday I was supposed to have dinner with Professor Cho and Professor Yu. Professor Yu just had her first book, a translation of a journal kept by a French Bishop who was imprisoned in Korea in the late 19th century, published. Professor Cho wasn't feeling well so Professor Yu and I went out for dinner on our own. We had a nice time and I was happy that because of Professor Yu's patience, we were able to talk for two hours in Korean. My Korean still needs a lot of work but I felt like that was an accomplishment. Professor Yu is very interesting. She speaks French so well that her English has a French accent! When surprised, instead of saying "a-e-gu" like Koreans, she say "o-la-la"!
Here ia a picture of us at our dinner
On Thursday I boarded a van with 12 or so GE-Fulbright Foundation Leadership scholarship winners and some Fulbright staff members to go to Oak Valley Resort in Kangwon province. It's about two hours or so east of Seoul. As I understand it, the scholarship is a full ride for three years of undergraduate. My job was to give a talk to encourage them to be concerned with doing good over personal advancement. When first approached about giving the talk I was nervous, what would I, a person studying religious history have to say to people studying science and engineering? I thought and prayed a lot and some ideas came to me. I talked about two very different Japanese doctors, Ishii Shiro, the infamous head of Japan's biological weapon's unit 731 during world war two, and Nagai Takashi, a saintly man who used his medical knowledge to help people and who basically sacrificed his life in order to save lives. I also talked about the Korean philosopher Tasan Chong Yakyong (Tasan is his pen name, meaning "Tea Mountain") and about Socrates (any day I can talk about Socrates is a good day). I was nervous about the talk but the Fulbright head was happy and the students seemed to have received it well so thank God for that.
On Friday morning I returned so I could work. On Saturday I stayed at home and worked all day. Today was Sunday so I caught up on emails, went to mass, took a nap, and finished the movie "Eegah" which Chris and Beth kindly sent me. Tomorrow I will go to the office.
Arlene and David are in the Philippines and are doing well. They are in Leyte in Arlene's home village. David is having a lot of fun as he gets lots of attention. The only problem is that it has been raining almost constantly.
Things have been pretty busy for me. I've been going to the office a lot as its too lonely to just stay at home and I'm more likely to be distracted here. On Tuesday I was supposed to have dinner with Professor Cho and Professor Yu. Professor Yu just had her first book, a translation of a journal kept by a French Bishop who was imprisoned in Korea in the late 19th century, published. Professor Cho wasn't feeling well so Professor Yu and I went out for dinner on our own. We had a nice time and I was happy that because of Professor Yu's patience, we were able to talk for two hours in Korean. My Korean still needs a lot of work but I felt like that was an accomplishment. Professor Yu is very interesting. She speaks French so well that her English has a French accent! When surprised, instead of saying "a-e-gu" like Koreans, she say "o-la-la"!
Here ia a picture of us at our dinner
On Thursday I boarded a van with 12 or so GE-Fulbright Foundation Leadership scholarship winners and some Fulbright staff members to go to Oak Valley Resort in Kangwon province. It's about two hours or so east of Seoul. As I understand it, the scholarship is a full ride for three years of undergraduate. My job was to give a talk to encourage them to be concerned with doing good over personal advancement. When first approached about giving the talk I was nervous, what would I, a person studying religious history have to say to people studying science and engineering? I thought and prayed a lot and some ideas came to me. I talked about two very different Japanese doctors, Ishii Shiro, the infamous head of Japan's biological weapon's unit 731 during world war two, and Nagai Takashi, a saintly man who used his medical knowledge to help people and who basically sacrificed his life in order to save lives. I also talked about the Korean philosopher Tasan Chong Yakyong (Tasan is his pen name, meaning "Tea Mountain") and about Socrates (any day I can talk about Socrates is a good day). I was nervous about the talk but the Fulbright head was happy and the students seemed to have received it well so thank God for that.
On Friday morning I returned so I could work. On Saturday I stayed at home and worked all day. Today was Sunday so I caught up on emails, went to mass, took a nap, and finished the movie "Eegah" which Chris and Beth kindly sent me. Tomorrow I will go to the office.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Off to the Philippines
Last Wednesday Arlene and David went off to the Philippines. We took the limo bus to the airport at 5:30pm. We were the only ones on it. Then we checked in, had dinner at Burger King and then Arlene and David had to go to their gate. It was a sad ride back home for me. They made it safely to the Philippines. David loves it there and is having a good time.
The next week is going to be a little rough. I have a lot of work to do. Next week I will be gone for two days to give a talk to some undergraduate students who also receieved Fulbright Fellowships. They are engineering and science students and I will talk to them about history, philosophy, and religion in hopes of encouraging them to work for the good.
Blogging will likely be a bit light but I will still try and keep things updated. As our family is spread out please keep us all in your prayers!
The next week is going to be a little rough. I have a lot of work to do. Next week I will be gone for two days to give a talk to some undergraduate students who also receieved Fulbright Fellowships. They are engineering and science students and I will talk to them about history, philosophy, and religion in hopes of encouraging them to work for the good.
Blogging will likely be a bit light but I will still try and keep things updated. As our family is spread out please keep us all in your prayers!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Videos from Terry's Trips
David enjoys his first Merry-go-round ride
A show at Lotte World featuring Droopy Dog. The little racoon is the mascot but the girl mascot he is dancing with isn't his official girlfriend!
Terry's visit
Our friend Terry came from Taiwan to visit us and our mutual friend Yoori. She and her husband took us all around Seoul. We had a lot of fun together.
Arlene and David in front of the castle at Lotte World, an amusement park with rides both in and outside.
Arlene and David on a merry-go-round. This was David's first time.
Yoori and Terry dressed in Choson dynasty outfits. Terry (left) is dressed as a noblewoman and Yoori as a queen.
From left to right, Yoori, Moon (Yoori's husband) and Terry. Our rice was put in those bamboo containers.
A pancake with ice cream. It was enough for all of us (since David slept through us eating it!)
Arlene and David in front of the throne room of a palace. The little stone pillars on the sides show where the officials in audience should sit. The higher the rank the closer they are to the king.
Arlene and David on a bridge at a temple.
Arlene, Yoori and Terry in front of the gate of a Buddhist Temple. The buildings at this temple and the property had been a kind of special bar for powerful people to meet and make deals (often shady ones). The woman who owned it later donated it to become a temple. I'm not sure why but I'm guessing out of a conversion experience or a desire to work off some bad karma or both.
Arlene and David in front of the castle at Lotte World, an amusement park with rides both in and outside.
Arlene and David on a merry-go-round. This was David's first time.
Yoori and Terry dressed in Choson dynasty outfits. Terry (left) is dressed as a noblewoman and Yoori as a queen.
From left to right, Yoori, Moon (Yoori's husband) and Terry. Our rice was put in those bamboo containers. 
A pancake with ice cream. It was enough for all of us (since David slept through us eating it!)
Arlene and David in front of the throne room of a palace. The little stone pillars on the sides show where the officials in audience should sit. The higher the rank the closer they are to the king.
Arlene and David on a bridge at a temple.
Arlene, Yoori and Terry in front of the gate of a Buddhist Temple. The buildings at this temple and the property had been a kind of special bar for powerful people to meet and make deals (often shady ones). The woman who owned it later donated it to become a temple. I'm not sure why but I'm guessing out of a conversion experience or a desire to work off some bad karma or both.
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