I am still doing things!

Hey!
Alright, a bit of a super efficient post coming your way. It's report card time, so after this I will be getting cozy with attendance forms and test grades...ASA! Also an important, congrats to the United States for setting a really cool precedent for a President (I am so sorry I just did that). So here's been what for the past few weeks:

Gyeongbukgung Palace: This was the main Palace for the Korean royalty during the last few years of monarchical reign. And it's right in the middle of Seoul. It's beautiful and actually the current building is only 1/10th the original size, which means that I can't even think about how huge it is. Jade was my traveling companion and we eventually met up with the English guided tour, which helped because we had no idea how intricate most of the things in the building were. Looking back on my pictures (of which I will post later) I saw that most of them were of the architecture and painting done. Although it was repainted a couple of years ago, it was very carefully restored, and the designs are incredible. Interesting tidbit: Only the Royal Family was allowed to die within the walls of the estate, so everyone else had to be CARRIED OUT ON THEIR DEATH BED. Crazy.

TaeJoSan: This is a temple within Cheonan that has a huge sitting Buddha. I made this trek on my own, which I think was the best choice. It was very surreal. When I got to the Buddha, I was taken aback. It may have been just the stark contrast between the fall leaves and the green of the aged Bronze, but I was silent for a very long time. A very long time. Then I decided that I should head up the mountain, just to get some excercise. I apparently had never taken into account that Korean people are crazy. The trails, are merely foot trails and ropes at extremely steep areas. My only motivation for continuing was the Korean family in front of me with a 5 year old and infant, who seemed to have no problem bounding up the hill. When I got to a level area with a platform, there was a really wonderful view of the city, where I sat and took pictures for a bit. Then I realized that there was a giant carving of the Buddha in the mountain behind me, this being the real reason that there was a meditation platform. I gave a small offering and then a woman gave me a packet of Red Ginseng extract, which tasted really bad (it's seen as bad manners to reject a gift from others, so I drank it). It sounds weird but it gave me the energy to continue the rest of the way up and find that there was a also a restaurant at the real top, that served alcohol. I did not partake. Made it back down and caught a cab back home, really exhausted but glad that went.


Well that's it for the most part. Went to Costco with Troy and David. They made fun of me because my bill was only $200. I was slightly ashamed, as David spent twice that, easily. Also Troy and his wife got a new apartment that we visited. It was gorgeous. I almost hid in one of the cabinets in the walk in closet. They would have never found me.

Hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you soon!

Mallory