Gyeongbokgung Palace

Last day in Korea , we checked out of the hotel and headed for the Seoul City Bus Tour. Its a bus that follows a designated course and you get to hop on and off as you go along. It was great since we were on a really tight schedule and needed to get a lot done before we had to head to the airport for our return trip home.

First stop, we visited Deoksugung Palace. It was the original home of King Seongjong's older brother, Prince Wolsan. After all the palaces in Seoul had burned down during the Japanese Invasion in 1592, Deoksugung was used as a temporary palace. Deoksugung means the palace of Virtue and Longevity.

Next stop, the War Memorial of Korea. Andrea's father was stationed in Korea and we decided to go see the war memorabilia, planes and tanks. It was a great learning lesson for Matthew and Zahra since they will be studying this part of history one of these days. They were busy running and looking at all the planes and in some, were able to actually step into it.

Next, the National Folk Museum of Korea. The National Folk Museum of Korea showcases the lifestyle of the Korean people from the prehistoric age to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Since we visited a traditional Korean folk village the day before, we decided to just wander the grounds. While wandering around the grounds, we were fortunate enough to see a performance of traditional Korean martial arts.

After, we wandered over to visit the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1394 as the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty by its founder King Taejo. It is the most comprehensive and grandest of the five palaces of that period.

We were fortunate enough to watch the reenactment of Emperor Gohong's 1892 Jinchanyeon. King Gonjong ascended the throne at the age of 12 and was not able to lead in administering the affairs of state. It was only after the forced retirement of Heungseon Daewongun and the death of Queen Sinjeong, could he finally take complete control over the state. The ceremony in 1892 was the official Royal Court event to announce that he had at last come to have full authority in thirty years after his enthronement.

We got a lot done in a short amount of time and promised we would take the kids shopping since they've been so good during this trip. We headed back to the hotel in Insadong. Insadong has lots of art galleries, traditional craft stores and antique dealers. On the weekends, the streets are closed off to vehicles and it becomes one huge pedestrian mall with flea market stands filled with lots of items for sale. We were busy wandering around looking at all the items for sale when a procession with men and women dressed in traditional costumes, playing traditional instruments danced through the streets. It was great. We were very fortunate that we were able to see so many cultural events this weekend. Our timing couldn't have been better.

We've had a great weekend in Korea. There were so many places that we wanted to go to but couldn't because of the time constraints. We'll definitely come back again and plan a longer stay so we can visit all the places we've missed. I'm trying to see if we can get a job in Korea one of these days. Now, I just have to figure out when I can squeeze in a trip to Taiwan before we head back.

DMZ

Got up bright and early for our 8AM tour to the Demilitarized Zone ("DMZ"). The DMZ is the border between North and South Korea. There are two armies that face each other along the border and it's been that way for the past 55 years ever since the end of the Korean war in 1953. After driving for about an hour, we reached our destination area and went through a rigorous check-in process. We had to present our passports and all information was registered onto a form. This was to ensure that all visitors were accounted for. We hopped onto a tour bus and drove through another check point where the South Korean soldiers would get on the bus and check all the passports. We then reached the 3rd Tunnel area and had to check all cameras and bags and don hard hats in order to ride down 350 meters down to the 3rd Tunnel. The 3rd Tunnel was discovered by the South Koreans in 1978. It was a tunnel dug by the North Koreans in an effort to attack South Korea. The tunnel is 1700 meters in length, 2 meters in width and 2 meters in height. It is said that a record of thirty thousand fully armed North Korean Soldiers can pass through within an hour. Needless to say, the tunnel has since been sealed shut and is a tourist site. Matthew was quite taken back by the depth and length of the tunnel. It was a good learning experience for him and he can relate to this when he studies this part of history when we return to the United States.

We had a lot to do so we headed by car for 2 hours to the annual Icheon Ceramic Festival. Icheon is known as Ceramics Village and it produces traditional Korean ceramics. The village became the center of traditional pottery during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) for about 500 years due to the easily obtainable materials in the area. There are over 80 pottery factories there and about 300 pottery kilns are in use. Matthew and Zahra were great shopping companions as Irene, Andrea and I were busy wandering into the shops looking for something to buy. We then headed over to the Ceramics Festival and were overwhelmed by the vendors available and all the beautiful pieces available to buy.

We then had to rush off to our final destination. The Korean Folk Village. It's a living museum that recreates the lifestyle of several centuries ago. We actually got to see potters, weavers, blacksmiths and other artisans practice their trade in a traditional fashion. It was a big site that had over 270 traditional thatched homes. Each home was accurately depicted on size and shape based on the persons position in the village. A noble man's house would be quite large and stately while a small farmer would have a much smaller house and not as many rooms.

Of course, we were tired after a long day of touring. We had to have Korean BBQ. Dinner consisted of seafood pancakes, dolsot bibimbap (stone pot rice), bulgolgi, short ribs, sirloin steak, moksal sogeumgui (pork) and of course, lots and lots of garlic and kimchi. We all agreed it was the best Korean BBQ we've had. Matthew piled up on the meat, rice and kimchi. Andrea and I agreed that we could easily live in Korea and live off the BBQ. We're now looking to see who will get transferred here so we can come back to visit again.

Insadong

We stampeded out of Shanghai bright and early this morning for our flight to Seoul. We arrived in Korea and breezed through immigration and caught our ride into the city. We'll be staying in Insadong for the next few days. We decided to explore the neighborhood and found a wonderful tourist pedestrian street around the corner from the hotel. The kids watched a demonstration of a traditional Korean candy made out of honey and rice flour and filled with nuts. It looks like a cotton ball when it's done and it's quite tasty. Andrea decided to embark on some roasted potatoes and it was quite good. The food here is quite safe to eat unlike the questionable conditions you find in Shanghai.



Dinner time and we hopped the train and went over to Korea House for some Korean food. Korea House was once the private residence of Park Paeng-nyeon, one of the six most royal subjects during the Joeson Dynasty. It has since been converted to a tourist center that preserves and promotes the traditional Korean culture. After dinner, we took in a performance of traditional Korean folk dance. It was interesting to see the different costumes and learn about the traditional dances and listen to the traditional music.




We decided to visit Seoul Tower since we were "kind of" in the neighborhood. Seoul Tower is located along the slope of Mount Namsan. Let's just say the kids were able to jog up and down several times while we, the adults, had to huff and puff our way up. We did make it and it was really nice to see the city at night. I found out later on, that you could avoid the 45 degree descent and take a cable car up the mountain. Oh well. We walked down the mountain and decided to hop a local bus to the nearest landmark to take a cab back to the hotel. To our surprise, we found the train station instead, so we hopped the train back to the hotel. We got to experience both the train and bus systems in Korea. Easy to navigate and I'd definitely do it again.

We'll be stampeding out bright and early tomorrow morning. We're going to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Korean Folk Village and a Ceramic Village as well. It'll be interesting to see North Korea from the DMZ.

We're Going to Seoul!

Matthew and I will be heading to Seoul, Korea for a long weekend. Sadly, Tony won't be able to join us since he's busy slaving away at the office in the U.S. This is probably our last opportunity to do any last minute trips in Asia before we start the packing process and head home. Though Tony can't be there with us, Andrea and Irene will be going. Anne couldn't make it this time since she's going to India to attend a wedding. Hey, I even offered to go to the wedding, but was politely declined. Well, at least I tried. I'll get to India one of these days. Matthew will have some company on this trip since Irene is bringing her daughter Zahra along.

We'll be heading out first thing Friday morning and will be returning late Sunday night. We'll have to hit the ground running when we arrive since we have a lot of territory to cover. On the list of places to see include the Downtown area, the Demilitarized Zone (across from North Korea), Korean Folk Village, Ceramic Village, Deoksugung Palace and Gyeongbokgung Palace.

In anticipation of this trip, I've been busy teaching myself Korean. OK- let me clarify. I've been busy learning the key words for food and beverages. Those who know me, know that food words are very near and dear to me. I knew the basic words like kimchi, bulgolgi and bibimbap. Now, I've increased my vocabulary to include a wide range of drinks and food items. That's progress! Hey, we may not be able to get around very far, but at least we won't go hungry!

So, until then.....tto mannayo. Which means, see you later!

Public Toilets or Depend

You knew it was just a matter of time before I got on my soapbox to preach about the unhygienic toilets .... or lack of toilets here in China. I traveled through China with my friend Margaret many years ago and I never thought I have seen anything so abominable. Fast forward, I move to China for this assignment and thought that the toilet situation would have improved after such a long period of time. WRONG. The only toilets I will go to are located at the Ritz Carlton, Western style restaurants and other trusted establishments. Anything else .... you're really taking a chance.

China has started to build new public toilets... you know the ones that you have to pay to get in. Located apparently every 300 meters (uh no, I fail to see them in the city), one would think it would be kept in pristine conditions. WRONG. Then again, what did I expect to find when you find the locals literally standing off the road and just sprinkling the ground in full view. Sometimes, if you're "lucky" you'll get full frontal. Seriously. Man, woman, child, it doesn't matter . . . they'll just relieve the call anywhere. My friend Andrea told me the other day, she was absolutely desperate and decided to utilize the "pay" toilets. She paid, walked in and turned around and walked out because the conditions were absolutely FILTHY. The smell within was overwhelming enough to have your bladder shut down and say "NO NO NO". Top that with squat style and you get the picture. She returned home and promptly threw the shoes she had on right into the trash. Do you get the picture?

So, I've seen it all. The majority of the toilets here are squat style toilets. Traveling through Xiamen and through the Hakka villages, only proved that ... Western style seated toilets are ... rare. Forget about the cool Japanese toilets with the fancy bidet built in that I found in Tokyo. NOT AVAILABLE.

People just urinate into a hole in the ground and don't clean. You can't imagine the smell and the overwhelming urge to throw up. On our way to the Hakka area, our tour guide stopped at a gas station and announced it was a "clean" toilet. If you don't already know, I have a major phobia about public toilets so, I don't do public toilets. Tony decided to go. He came out and announced that the smell of urine was stronger than ammonia. Don't these people know that they need to clean the area with CLEAN WATER and some disinfectant? Obviously not. They use the dirty water that's wiped everything in a ten mile area and then use the same water again. They don't boil the towels after they use it or bleach it at all. They just hang it to dry and wipe it around all over the place. I've even seen some mothers clean their kids mouths with the dirty towel. GROSS.

I've decided that if I decide to visit any rural area where the toilets will be an issue, I'm just going to start wearing the Depends undergarments. It's like reverting back to my infancy. Yeah, that's it. That ought to eliminate the issue of having to hold my bladder in for 12 straight hours like I did in Xiamen. I won't have to worry about whether my bladder will cooperate. I acknowledge that I'm not getting any younger and will openly admit that I will use a Depend if absolutely necessary when I'm traveling.

So, my advice to you. If you plan to travel through any area where there are questionable toilets, consider using a Depend. I know that I sound like an infomercial. The Kimberly-Clark company should be thanking me for this endorsement.

We're Returning ..... Yes It's True!!

It's official. Tony's assignment in China will end effective June 30th. He'll be returning to Duracell and we will be returning to our home in Connecticut at the end of the school year. Just in time for the summer season. That's a rather pleasant thought. The summers in Shanghai are absolutely brutal, not to mention the mosquitos here are large enough to lift a chicken off the ground. OK- I'm exaggerating a bit about the mosquitos but, not about the heat.

Matthew will graduate from elementary school and we'll have to find a middle school to enroll him in. That's just things that I can think of. We'll have to wait for our tenants to vacate our home in the middle of July before we can move back in and we'll have to coordinate the shipping of our goods from Shanghai and take our things out of storage. Not to mention, I'll have to get a new phone number for the house, turn on the gas and electric in our name and oh yeah, buy two cars. That's something that we didn't have to worry about for the past two years. Rising gas prices and car payments to the bank. It's a bit daunting when oil prices are over $125 USD a barrel. Tony's been busy researching the cars currently out and the anticipated new releases as well. It's been a full time research project for him.

Are we excited about returning? Yes we are! Don't get me wrong. It's been a barrel of laughs here in China. We've had some good times and some not so good times. However, we'll look back at this experience and will remember all the friends we've made, the places we've seen and most of all, all the friends and family who managed to come to visit while we were in Shanghai.

So, the noise level in the States will go up substantially once we return. Barbeque at our house once we're settled. Look forward to seeing you there!

S&M on the streets of Shanghai

The other day, I headed into the city with Anne and Irene to run our errands. While out, we witnessed two locals engaged in a fist fight. Screaming, shouting and of course, a crowd gathering to watch. We actually witnessed one local man pull out a crow bar and beat another local with it. WOW. That was intense. The man's eyes were completely bulging out of his head (I am not kidding) and he was swinging. I couldn't get my camera out in time to capture the picture because we went by in the car. Witnessing a fight is not usual in Shanghai. However, we very rarely see physical contact. It's usually in the form of screaming, shouting and some shoving.

Watching that, it reminded me of the time when Anne told me about when Sam (who I had the pleasure of meeting at Thanksgiving last year) beat a local woman with a bicycle chain. Here's what happened. Sam worked near her apartment and decided to take the bicycle to work one day to get some exercise. She arrives in front of her office building and proceeds to park her bike. A local woman who works for the building, starts to speak to Sam in Chinese. Sam doesn't understand any Chinese, so she proceeds into the building.

Fast forward, at the end of the day, Sam returns to retrieve her bike. It's not in the spot where she left it. She looks around and finds it perched next to this wooden shack. She starts to remove the lock and the local woman starts to speak to Sam in Chinese again. She is completely oblivious and gets on her bike and tries to pedal away. The woman proceeds to grab her and won't let her go. Sam in response, starts to hit the woman with her bicycle chain.

OK. This is where I need to tell you that Sam is a really lovely woman. I've seen her several times and would have never thought that she had a violent streak. Then again, one never knows right? After much confusion, complete with crowd gathering to watch, a colleague of Sam explains that she had to pay the woman 1 RMB (about 25 cents) to park her bike. Sam, highly embarrassed, sheepishly hands over the money and rides away. I'm not sure if she ever rode the bike to work again. Sam has since left Shanghai (is it because of this incident?) and is living in Hong Kong. I hope that she doesn't do this to anyone in Hong Kong. Then again, many do speak English, so I trust that it won't happen again.

Xiamen

We took off Wednesday afternoon for the airport as soon as Matthew stepped off the school bus. Ina and her family joined us and we took a 1.5 hours flight to Xiamen to spend the May holiday there. We were greeted by Mr. Kung who was going to be our guide through Xiamen and our trip to the Hakka Tulou homes. We were excited that Xiamen averages about 75-85 degrees this time of year.

Thursday
We took off early on Thursday morning for our ferry ride over to Gulang Yu, which means Drum Rock. Legend has it that it got this name because the ancient settlers on the island were attracted to the eerie drum beats, only to discover the drumming was caused by the tides surging through a hollow rock found on the island's southwest corner.

Gulang Yu was one of the first treaty ports to be opened to foreign residence and trade after the First Opium War. The other ports that were opened at that time were located in Guangdong, Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai. No vehicles are allowed on Gulang Yu because of its narrow alleys. We wandered around the island and were impressed by the architecture of the buildings. Many exhibited European influences and were in very good shape. We went over to the Bird Sanctuary and then rode the cable car from one side of the island to head over to Sunlight Rock. There you get a magnificent view from the top of the whole island. We took in a puppet show and stopped in to see the only Piano Museum in China.

Friday
Mr. Kung picked us up from our hotel for our four hour drive to a Hakka village located in Nanjing county. This would be where we would see our first Tulou home. The ancestors of the Nanjing Tulou homes built the walls by mixing raw earth with lime and fine sand. Wood logs and bamboo strips were added in order to reinforce the walls. The walls were over ten meters high and very thick. This design protected the Hakka people from invasion and the structure was strong enough to withstand explosives from gunpowder. The tulou consisted of an outer four story ring with each floor divided into 44 rooms and two halls, an inner, two story ring divided into eight sections and two tobacco workshops outside, bringing the total number of rooms to 222. Windows to the outside world begin two stories up.

Balconies running along the interiors provides access and light. The inner ring joins at a hall for worshipping ancestors and celebrations of marriage. The homes we saw were four storied structures and are still in use today. Its incredible to believe that these houses are over seven hundred years old and held together with nothing more than compacted earth and some bamboo reinforcements.

We continued touring other tulous found along the way until we reached our destination. A local hotel in Yongding county that is deemed to be the best hotel for foreigners. In other words, it was a pig sty. Actually, it was next to a pig sty. There is nothing like the smell of pigs on a hot day. No one was happy. In addition to the lovely smell the beds were made out of concrete, steel or nails. Whatever it was, it hurt like hell. This was not where we wanted to stay or eat. We had a fiasco at lunch at a local restaurant and Mr. Kung was perceptive enough to notice that NO ONE ATE ANYTHING. He asked that I choose the dinner items and I had to get real creative.

Saturday
We woke to an international breakfast of one cold fried egg swimming in soy sauce, white bread (apparently toasting was an option) and Nescafe, yum, yum. To sum it up it ain't the Marriott, Hilton or the Motel Six for that matter. We packed up and left as quickly as possible since we all had a horrible nights sleep. We were headed to see more tulous and the kids were ready to jump off a cliff. Literally.


We had lunch at a local tulou village restaurant. Once again, I was in charge of ordering lunch to ensure the kids would eat something. Things were going well ..... until the kids witnessed the restaurant owner killing a chicken, duck and anything else that happened to walk into the restaurant with her bare hands. I am not sure, but I think some counseling will be needed.

We headed back to Xiamen after lunch and five hours later, we were relieved to be back in civilization. Many years ago, my friend Margaret and I came to China. I refused to use any of the bathrooms because they were absolutely filthy. This earned me the nickname "The Camel." Well, the Camel was back for a repeat performance. Margaret would be proud of me since I held my bladder for 10 hours straight. Like I said, nothing an antibiotic can't cure. We arrived at our hotel and I practically knocked Tony and Matthew down to get to the bathroom.

Sunday
We got up and had our last meal in Xiamen. After breakfast, we headed over to the pier before we had to head to the airport. Let's just say the kids were happy to be leaving Xiamen to return to Shanghai. As we were landing into the airport in Shanghai, Matthew actually said "Shanghai, Home Sweet Home."