Sites from the City

A bookstore....

One of the first stops I make whenever I visit is the Kyobo bookstore in the middle of Seoul.  It has changed over the years but still doing well.  They just finished remodeling with a table made out of a tree which was buried for 48,600 years from New Zealand.  I should been a carpenter...

The carving on the stone behind the bench says, The humans make books, and the books make humans.

Unusual sights?

We see monks and nuns often in Korea, more than any places we've lived. So maybe I shouldn't call an unusual sight for a monk.   But on the other hand, I am.  I have a gray hair, how indecent: wear an earmuffs and a boots, only men wear those I heard: I wear a light coat, everyone should wear a heavy coat just because everyone does: and I wear gloves!!   

I was asked by total strangers on subways to come to their houses, so they can dye my hair for me free.  I was given two coats, used, and I once was taken to a department store by one of my cousins to shop for a coat after I refused her coats.  No one offered me shoes yet....  I am still waiting....

Wishes for the New Year

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Right after the new year day comes another big day, the first full moon of the year. The Koreans celebrate with the special dances to wish for good harvests for the coming year during the day and with fire at night. I remember making holes in a can and hang long strings so I could swing the can around in the air with twigs burning in the can.  Oh, the boys had so much fun running through the town spinning the cans of fire.  Unfortunately they would start many fires accidentally because the strings would break the cans could fly away. 

The grown-ups used to say you would wet the bed that night if you play with fire. I still wonder if that's true.

I was at a market on the first new moon day and watched a team of dancers blessing businesses...   They took offerings but didn't demand.  Good to see some traditions are still carried on..  I heard some towns have barn fires at night but didn't know one close by.