Sunday, January 15, 2006
Our Twisted Heroine
It occured to me the other day that those who have randomly come across this site might wonder why I have not listed the name of the temple I visited during my winter break. All I can say is that I am extremely paranoid when it comes to my little blog--a feeling that I'm sure many other bloggers can identify with.
However, if you happen to be in South Korea and are interested in having a mindblowingly spiritual, physically active and humbling experience at a charming Buddhist temple, email me and I will gladly give you details on how to contact the place and get there.
And then you'll have to invite me to tag along, because I will happily jump at the chance to go back as soon as possible. I must warn you that the temple is smaller than other tourist favorites, but if you enjoy exercise, the outdoors and exploring other religions, I promise this is the perfect vacation for you.
Other news: Being a vegan in South Korea is hard. Especially if you want a social life. Yesterday I finally gave in and had a cheese-and-tomato sandwich before my Korean language course in Seoul. I was with K, it was the first class, and we were lost, late and hungry. And I hate talking about veganism with my carnivore friends, because I don't want to offend or inconvinience anyone. Anyway, I'm not going to beat myself up for eating some dairy. I do want to be a vegan, but it will be a lot easier when I return to the states and can read labels.
I finally started my Taekwondo lessons. Honestly, it's the big reason why I'm here. This particular school has an instructor who is warm, knows (limited) English and has trained a foreigner before. There are two adult students in their twenties (one who has an impressive grasp of English) and a 20-something female assistant instructor who is very outgoing.
The school has been very accomodating to me. Although classes usually run on weekdays, the head instructor has invited me to practice with them on Sunday. And he's text-messaged me six times in the last two days just to make sure I'm okay and having a good time. He gets very flustered while trying to explain things to me, but I think we'll get along swimmingly.
Already I have realized that this school is going to be difficult. And I'm not just talking about the language barrier. After six years of Taekwondo, my body is used to higher kicks and lower stances. I haven't practiced grappling and ground sparring since my Tangsoodo days. And there's tumbling! Not just cartwheels and forward rolls, but handsprings. Needless to say, I'm intimidated. And since I spent two years out of school and don't know the language, I have to start over as a white belt. But I don't mind.
I really don't get time to read, but yesterday I bought a few books. Here's what I pull out when I'm bored on the bus or subway, Korean and Japanese language books excluded:
Our Twisted Hero by Yi Munyol
*Some call Yi South Korea's most successful novelist, so of course I had to pick one of his books up. I haven't actually started it yet.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
*I bought this while I was in Osaka last month. In the past few weeks I haven't touched it, but I did enjoy the first few chapters.
Introducing Buddha by Jane Hope and Borin Van Loon
*An illustrated guide for people who want to learn more about Buddhism. Haven't opened it yet, but it appears witty and approachable. It reminds me of . . .
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
*I bought this a few months ago while writing comic scripts. It wasn't what I expected--I wanted to learn about creating comic book characters and plots--but it is a delightful read. It's so much more than your Batman or Peanuts strip--ancient art is also discussed. I strongly recommend this for any art snob and comic book nerd. And if you happen to be both of those things, why isn't this on your night table?
After hours of grilling from one of my Korean co-workers, I can finally read Hangul. It's not that difficult--most people can learn it within a week--but I didn't have the time to commit to it. But now I know how to pronounce syllables. That doesn't mean I can actually understand the language itself, but it does come in handy when I'm figuring out which bus I need.
I will finish my entry on my temple stay and New Year's soon.
Pia at 1:58 PM
4 Comments
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at 3:55 PM
jwg said... Keep on enjoying korea. how bout a few pics?
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at 7:20 PM
Pia said...
Thanks!
I do have a few photos I'd like to place on the site. Of course, I'm not in them, but they should give you a good idea of how gorgeous the temple looked.-
at 3:04 PM
said... I don't want to be a Vulcan either, but we cant't help what we are born as.
If you want a deepfully moving cultural experience, I recommend you visit Jagalmadang in Daegu.-
at 2:48 PM
Pia said...
Thanks for the recommendation! I haven't spent time in Daegu yet, so I'll look into Jagalmadang.
I deleted the last comment for its inappropriate invitation. You're free to criticize my fallout from veganism (and other shortcomings), and I'm not going to defend myself. However, there’s a way to do so without being so explicit.
Sooooooo . . . keep your meat away from me and save those lovely pick-up lines for women you've actually seen in person. And if you are a vegan, I would appreciate some suggestions concerning restaurants and grocery stores in and around Seoul.
