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Seoul Train! (email sent home on Jun. 12, 2008)

Each day here is the Seoul train... busy, rushing from "station to station", and with each of us westerners expected to be doing our signature "lineup dance" at each stop. Mark and Betty are the best at this! I personally tend to fumble along, not knowing what (or how) to say it, how to eat, or what is expected at any given moment of the frenetic day. Meanwhile, Mark is enunciating clearly to a group of clearly captivated Korean men (changing their ideas of tax law forever), whilst Betty is being featured on the national news, singing along with a Korean folk song she just learned, or else scattering ashes of Korean war dead from a podium and thanking the Korean audience for "welcoming us to your beautiful country".

Meanwhile, "Santa Claus" is asking directions to the bathroom, and walking in barefoot! ; NOT wearing the little special bathroom sandals that are the universal size 3, and forgetting to take the toilet paper into the stall, which is conveniently located near the front door of the toilet. While Mark hands out professional "name cards", carefull presenting them with both hands and bowing as expertly as the Buddah himself, the NOT-Bertrang, as I feel I am referred to as, drops his chop stick in the octopus au gratin, and is repeatedly given forks by concerned adults.

Actually, the Folk Song troupe that gave the presentation last night in front of the Art museum (I think that was what it was- it could have been Parliament, actually) was a high mark of this trip. First Mark was singled out by the announcer, then, Mark was singled out by the first performer. Then, audience members handed Betty and Mark bowls of rice wine, or something fermented, and vegetables to munch on. Later, the lady to the left of me handed me some rice cakes, so that I could hand them to Betty and Mark.

At the end of the show, the lead singer of the medley of Korea folk songs RAN to Betty, and had her sing the last folk song into the microphone!

It went like this: (exactly) "Nonny nonny ho! Heeny Hiney Ho! Honny Hey ron, jinny ro!"
(repeat)

Betty got it perfectly, and so they pulled her into the group, where all the traditionally dressed performers and Betty (who had luckily worn a recently purchased Korean traditional outfit that matched her eyes) danced around in a circle, singing the above song in unison, whilst the musicians beat out the rhythmn on drums and citherns. Betty added a few twists that I feel sure will be incorporated into the dance... then, they asked Mark to do the same thing, and he was even better! I tried to sidle away into the crowd, but Mark, miraculously spying my white, bearded head two feet above that of the others, grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the circle!

It went on and on, and flashes from cameras were on us throughout. Mark & Betty seemed to have an unspoked agreement as to which way to jig, and which way to jog. They swayed, they spun, they Korean flash-danced. I resorted to walking as if I was in marching band, but tripped on the speaker wire every time I got near the front. I think the crowd liked it.

Korean Mission trip photos- more photos of OUMC people!

Teacher Chong and the girls at his place....

Pastor Kim's favorite tea room

Korean hidden temple!

This might seem like a strange photo to upload to this blog. BUT, it was a highlight for me- everyone else was stuck on a low level, after leaving the bus...

But I ran UP a series of stairs, and saw LOTS of transplanted, ancient artifacts that needed to be transplanted, since a damn was being put in, that would destroy old things that were not moved.
(Like myself!)

So, given my interest in things of my own vintage, I was propelled into exploring this ancient Korean site. It seemed very AZTECian...

There were temples, and amazing views from on high.

I thought the bus would leave me behind, as I had RUN up many levels, and NO ONE was in sight! (an EXTREME raritie in Korea!!!!) So, I RAN down many more levels of stairs...

When I made it back to the bus, I saw everyone casually munching on squid snacks, and octopus tentacle appetizers... so, I knew I should have spent more time snapping photos. But, too late now!

Pass me a dried squid brain, please!!

Pastor Hyun Suk Kim relaxes in a bamboo "forest"

Here is Pastor Kim, aka "PK" relaxing in Korea, in a bamboo "forest". I think, to "PK", sitting within a forest of bamboo shoots, has much the effect that a forest of white pines has on me...

I hope he finds his bamboo forest!

Korean drum club movie, and other photos

Sue Weber & Santa teach their first class in Korea

Ward and June Bertrang eat out in Korea

The OUMC Korean group looks for a death worm...

I am sample, here me roar!

Most photogenic Americans contest winner!

Here is the grade school drum club- wish I had the whole performance! (About 5 minutes long, at LEAST).