Gut

Warning: this post is weird. There are graphic pictures of a dead pig in a mysterious ritual. (Mysterious to me anyway.)
We went to Incheon - a city that's part of the Seoul megalopolis, on the seaside to see a "gut" or shaman ritual. It was in a touristy area kind of like the Santa Cruz boardwalk.
Mostly, they only do things with dead pigs at a gut where they're trying to heal somebody. I don't think they were trying to heal anybody here; they just wanted to put on a rare show.
There's an altar with images of people, and stacks of food.
There was a clown character. There was a story, but... Sorry my Korean's not good enough to know what.


They were attacking the pig in a kind of ritual hunt-thing.
They stuck the pig on the pitchfork and carried it around. It was kind of disturbing.


These old guys were singing a folk song and playing percussion instruments. They were awesome.
Stabbing the dead pig...


Later on they cooked the head, but the rest of it was still raw. Then they put cut up pieces of the pig back on the pitchfork.
Then everyone started sticking man-won notes (about $10) in the pig's mouth, ears, and nostrils. I did too - one of the bills in the mouth is the one I put there. It's good luck. Also, they were giving out food and makgeolli, and putting on a great show, so I felt I owed them a man-won.
This is one of the singers. I like his face.

last Sunday

So last Sunday we were invited by John's advisor and his wonderful family to go to the house of this famous Korean dancer. Her name is Lee Sun Ok and she created a style of dance called zen dance. She combined her training in traditional Korean dance with some zen buddhist styles. It was very innovative and toured all over the world. She also lived in New Jersey for awhile so she speaks perfect English. It was such an incredible place. It is in Seoul but really secluded in the mountains - we had to walk up quite a few steps to get there but it is on National Park Land. It's hard to believe that there's a place where you feel in the middle of the woods -- within the limits of one of the largest cities in the world.
there were lots of butterflies and moths flying around. One species was as big as a hummingbird, and very hairy. Olive spent a long time playing with caterpillars. In the above picture, a butterfly landed on Olive's head.
Here's the view off her enormous deck.
The grounds were left pretty wild. A few things were encouraged to grow, but it was basically an extension of the forest. That's the Korean aesthetic of gardening, Sun-Ok explained.
Ok- you could actually see some high-rise apartments from one spot in her yard. But still, it's nicely tucked away.
The house used to be owned by a shaman, but she left because there was too much chi. Something about a rock that hovered over the house. The shaman had headaches and couldn't sleep.
This tree is kind of like a Japanese maple, but the leaves are more thin and feathery.
Netta was catching tadpoles in the stream.



Netta stood on the rock that gave the Shaman headaches, until Sun-Ok got nervous she would fall and told her to get down.
There was a gorgeous chestnut tree. Total peace.

Raw stone steps near the stream.
Poor little tadpole! But she was released soon after.
John took a picture of his feet standing on a root of the beautiful chestnut.

Buddha's Birthday

I have neglected the blog for a week now. So I will go back in time to tell you about our trip to Gangwon-do. John's research advisor and his family invited us to go with them on a road trip. Our first plan was to go to Jeollanam-do but those plans fell through and we decided to go to a scenic area east of Seoul. We actually visited this region with my parents when they were here and John had a field trip there with the Korea Foundation about 10 days before this trip.

Yong Shik and his wife Tanya and son Tae Sun borrowed a van and transported all of us on Buddha's birthday weekend. Yong Shik's parents have a membership at these condos at a resort in Gangwon-do so that is where we decided to go. It was really nice we had a big apartment with a kitchen and two nice rooms - one for each family.

Our first day there we went to a water park. I didn't take my camera what with it all being about water and cameras and water don't mix well. So I will try to describe it without pictures. It was a uniquely Korean experience. First of all most of the water park was indoors - a huge world of water all built in a big glass room. There was a wave pool and a shallow pool for little ones as well as a tube track where you rode an inner tube around a track of water and a hot pool with jacuzzi seats and shower heads. It was pretty impressive. Then there was an outdoor section with saunas and hot pools. There was even a pool with a snack bar where there were tables in the water and you could sit at the tables in the pool and eat junk food like pizza in a cone.

Besides all the attractions there was also a regular Korean style Sauna section like the ones I have written about before. The area is a ski resort and it was cool to imagine being there in the winter with all the indoor activities looking out on snow covered mountains and the outdoor pools warm in the snowy setting.

Netta also rode this crazy bungee jump thing that I wish I had gotten pictures of. They basically put her in a harness and she bounced insanely high on a trampoline.

We had a great evening with their family. We taught them Perpetual Commotion and they really caught on and we had a lot of fun playing.

The next day we headed out to a sheep farm - it was beautiful. The girls had a great time - they both loved feeding the sheep and petting them. They were very tame and sweet. They seem well taken care of and happy. It was a very beautiful place - a nice place to graze.


Netta and Olive on the swing at the sheep farm. Well it started to rain at the sheep farm and we weren't really prepared so we headed back to the condo and ended up hanging out playing cards and eating all day. It was fun - they are such a great family and there was lots of laughing and good conversation.

The next day was Buddha's Birthday and so on our way back to Seoul we went to Wongjusa temple and celebrated. It was still raining but we bought umbrellas and went for it.
This is the bridge on the way to the temple with beautiful lanterns in honor of Buddha's Birthday.
The River on the way.
This tree was so beautiful, it was still flowering and decorated with little colored paper on which people had written their wishes.
We bought a lantern and hung our wish on it. We hoped for a job for John, adventure, family and connection.


Another lantern in a different style. Kind of like the ones Netta and I made but bigger. Actually mine was destroyed by our cat Swallow while we were away - but I didn't know that when I took this picture.
It was rainy but the rain made for lovely misty views of the mountains and beautiful buildings.
So lovely...



Netta looking at the rock she placed on the statue. A little posed because there was a photo contest and our hosts felt they might win with pictures of the waygooks posing.
Olive in Tae Sun's raincoat after she placed a stone on the statue too.
People were in line to pay money and pour water (I think) on this statue. It was beautiful to watch.
We also got a lovely free meal of bibimbap at the temple. Most temples serve food and people can eat when they visit. Most of the time we don't know where or how to participate in this delicious part of visiting a temple but going with Korean people we were able to enjoy this meal. Most temples grow their own food and it is all vegetarian and fresh and yummy.
The lanterns - one of those is ours.....
After lunch we went up to the tea ceremony. This is how it was set up when we came. So lovely..
The chopsticks on the delicate leaf.
This monk came up and taught us about tea - our friends were able to translate and it was really great. Tanya told him that John would compose music about our experience and he said not to compose thinking of the lecture but of the feeling of the drinking of the tea.
Snacks that were served - also beautiful. I think these were deokk with chestnuts - delicious.


More beautiful snacks - lotus root covered in a light coating of sugar and jujubes.
I don't know what this was but it was yummy and precious.
This is Tanya and Yong Shik with their son Tae Sun at the tea ceremony.
I love the glow of this teapot.
The snacks......
Olive with a bracelet that the monk gave her - pink and sparkly fun.
Olive enjoying the tea ceremony.
Olive partaking in the warm tea. So soothing on a rainy afternoon.


The tea - what we were all there for. Harvested and roasted by hand by monks at another temple. We were told it needed to be roasted at a very high temperature in big iron woks and turned by hand with protective gloves sometimes more than one pair and people still get burned some times. I think they roast and turn it in 10 or so 10 minute sessions. I could taste the work - it was blissful.

Then we all piled in the van and headed home to Seoul. It was a long drive with quite a bit of traffic but our sweet friends couldn't leave us without one - or two or five more hands of perpetual commotion so they came up to our villa and we ordered chinese food to be delivered and played cards. It was hard to see it end- they are good friends and it was a great time. We are lucky!