This week was a very busy week. Terri had the opportunity on Monday to get into one of the local open air markets called Moran Market. As you can see in the pictures here, it's a place where you can get just about anything. The missionaries get to see these types of markets periodically. Some are small and only in a location for one day a week and others are larger and in one place a few days and then move to another location. Like I said, this is just a small sample of what you can acquire. Please enjoy the minor commentary...
You have to start with your basic fruits and nuts...
By the handful or the kilo.
I bet you didn't realize there were so many types of roots, and vegetables and various items you can dry and make into herbs and spices. Korean cooking uses lots of interesting things. All which add great flavor to the food.
Of course you have to have your ginger and other roots to spice up the teas and finer things in life...
For those who need some meat in their diet, you have dried fish and cuddle fish or squid...
along with the rays, sharks, and skate...
not to mention the small frogs, turtles, snails and other things to add color and 'flavor' to your meals;
as well as man's best friend, rabbits, and chickens.
You must have the Adidas and Nikes right next to all those goodies...
You can decorate your garden inside or out, and for the children shopping with you,
There must be candy! The wrapped items you might expect, but the large buckets in front are called Beondegi. For your entertainment, here is what Wikipedia says about it:
Beondegi (
Korean:
번데기) is a snack food in
Korean cuisine.
[1] Literally meaning "
chrysalis" or "
pupa" in Korean, Beondegi are steamed or boiled
silkworm pupae which are seasoned and eaten as a snack.
[2] Beondegi are often served by street vendors, as well as in restaurants and drinking establishments. They are also sold in cans in grocery stores and convenience stores, but they must be boiled in water before serving. Beondegi is not always sold in the market and is usually sold from street vendors, although it is possible to buy the live variant for personal preparation.
Ask your missionary about that special treat...
Of course one item greatly loved is called Hoddeok. You can buy it in the grocery store like bread, but is best prepared by a street vendor. On a cold day, this sweet pastry snack is awesome.
Here's an opportunity to wet your appetite:
Hoddoek I can tell you Terri was most anxious to return to Korea for this cold winter treat.
During the week we did interviews and try to attend some zone training meetings. Last week we attended this conference is Suwon.
We missed the one in our own area, but we got their picture. We're trying to get your missionaries in the pictures. We hope the families enjoy them.
This group also did some role playing, splitting into groups with some teaching and the others being taught. It's a great learning technique if done properly. For those learning a foreign language, it is exceptionally helpful. For those that tend to be nervous when teaching, it is a great practice technique. They do it in their apartments and in their training events.
We try to visit a little with the missionaries in informal venues as well. We met these two sisters, one from Australia and the other from Korea making a little snowman in the 1/8" of snow we got.
While I meet with one missionary, Terri visits with the other and then we switch. At least they are smiling!
In the evening we have been trying to go teach and proselyte with the missionaries. In the morning we do personal study in their homes. Terri goes with the sisters and I go with the elders. This past week and the week to come we will be with the zone leaders and sister training leaders. While visiting homes I like to see how they are organized. When you have four to six elders in one house with only two bedrooms, they typically use one for studying, one for all the clothes and the living room for sleeping. They sleep on mats on the floor so they fold up in the morning. Missionaries aren't home much so other furniture isn't needed much. The room held for clothes is interesting indeed...
We are so impressed at how well they do with taking care of things and making good use of space. They do their own laundry in a washer and then hang the clothes to dry. They all know how to iron their clothes! Moms should be very proud.
We travel quite a bit during the weeks of interviews. We catch a few nice sites. This is one of the main gates around the city of Suwon. At night it's a nice view.
Since we are out late and up early, we have a few nights at hotels. We really liked this spot. It reminds us of Mushu from the Disney movie "Mulan".
This week we said goodbye to a senior couple, Elder and Sister Park. They are Korean, but emigrated to Australia some 20 years ago. They have been so helpful to us as they are the ones who have to work to secure housing, negotiate leases, fix all kinds of problems, etc. With something like 30 apartments in the mission, they have been very helpful. New church buildings mean missionary moves. Aging apartments mean moves. It takes a tremendous load off the shoulders of the mission president to have such a capable man and his wife to help with all these things. We will miss Elder and Sister Park, but we know their family, especially the grandchildren are happy to have them home!
The highlight of the week for us was the special experience of making the Korean delicacy of Kimchi. At Christmas, Terri had asked the wives of the church leaders if anyone could help her learn how to make Kimchi. The wife of President Lee, Inho of the Seoul West Stake volunteered. We got a cool surprise when they invited us to be taught by a Kimchi Master (true title). For about an hour we listened to her teach the finer arts as well as make some ourselves. She had the ingredients there for our simple pleasure, but we got the real hands-on experience. Thank you, President and Sister Lee. This was truly a highlight to our cultural experience here. We got to bring several kilos of kimchi home with us which we are most excited about.
Finally, it was a good few days for me. Just a few days ago, we received a Christmas box from our son Josh and his wonderful family. It had a special little gift which you can see to my left (your right as you look at the picture) which really summarizes what it's like to be a grandparent!
Then, Terri surprised me a few days early with a special gift which I missed during the Christmas holiday season. I was quite happy. I didn't share much, but I was so happy!
Finally, Terri surprised me at staff meeting today with some Baskin and Robbins ice cream. It was fun to be with her and the staff. It's hard to believe I am only a few years (or decades) older than these lovely young missionaries we get to spend so much time with.
One more note, at Christmas we had five zone conferences. We have six zones, but we had to combine two smaller zones to get them all into the week. The picture of these two zones was not included in the December blogs and I wanted to make sure mom and dad got to see their son or daughter who is in these two zones.
Once again, it's been an amazing week with some of the best young people on the planet. They bring us smiles, joy, and occasionally surprises. The newest one was putting a Choko Pie in the microwave for ten seconds and having a warm treat. They truly share their pleasures with us.
