Korea 2015 -2016 December

KOREAN FACT

North Korea's ruling dynasty has always cast itself as somewhat supernatural. Founder Kim Il Sung was known as Korea's "sun," and claimed control of the weather.

Kim Jong Il's mythology is no less extensive. His birth was hailed as "heaven sent" by propagandists, and state media has often touted impossible feats: He scored a perfect 300 the first time he tried bowling, and shot five holes-in-one the first time he played golf. Upon his death in 2011, the skies about the sacred mountain Paektu in North Korea allegedly glowed red.

US

Christmas has, as usual, been cool, but with blue skies.

We have been enjoying ourselves, with a Christmas party at the school where we ate turkey and roast vegetables.  Here in the West we eat, enjoy and relax during this season, but life in many places is a lot tougher for people. We have been praying for:

......  the millions of people in war-torn countries, who will have no peace this Christmas.

......  persecuted Christians in prison, who will have no freedom this Christmas.

.....   for those who are grieving after terrorist attacks, who will have no joy this Christmas. 

...... for refugees, who will have no home this Christmas.

....... for those who are starving, who will have no food this Christmas.

 ====//====

We have not shared much about our Church here.

It’s pretty big, with about 2500 people and church services are quite formal.  I wear a suit and tie.

It has a coffee shop and serves lunch after Sunday church for about $AUD1. 
The photos give you an idea.  In 2015 they have been active sending financial aid to Syrian

refugees and sending a couple of groups of people to Myanmar/Burma on a short term mission trip.

We have visited some beautiful international gardens in a nearby city, walked along beaches and did

 a three hour walk around part of a beautiful island, saw some traditional dancing and had a traditional Chinese medical diagnosis (after the diagnosis they 'cured' us with a cup of Oriental medicinal tea!)  The diagnosis was only by a computer --- very oriental!  Probably a Samsung computer....

Medical diagnosis

On the less pleasant side we have had a visit to the dentist.  Robin had a broken tooth repaired.  Aileen had lost a filling, and assumed it would be a simple replacement job, only to find that the dentist decided that it needed a root canal and crown - much cheaper than Australia, but no less pleasant!

 FOOD

Mud skipper soup

A picture is worth a thousand words and we have eaten some interesting meals:

Mud Skipper soup

If your kids watch the TV program, “The Octonauts”, you may be aware that the mud skippers (2-3 cm. long fish) saved the ”Octonauts” from an evil crocodile.  They also make excellent soup. Actually that should read; excellent soup is made from them.  Koreans cut off their heads as they feel uncomfortable having lots of eyes looking out from the soup…

Charred Short-legged Octopus

This also tastes good.  Unfortunately “Professor Inkling Octopus”, a short legged octopus, is also one of the stars of the same kids' program. 

Cooking the Short-legged Octopus

 It is very spicy but is served with a soup full of shaved ice and also mint tea so that you can cool your mouth.

MTI

We continue to be inspired by and fall in love with our students.  There is a mix of age groups, families, and a few children. This is a smaller group than usual with only 21 in total.  Some of the children are learning knitting from Aileen and relate to their Australian "grandmother".  The children have a global view.  Some 6-7 year-olds speak 3 languages. 

I, Robin, am still trying to learn Korean and have a teacher twice a week.  I seem to be making progress and then hit a new situation like the dentist…..

Well, I can say, "Where is the toilet?"  " More mud skipper soup please."

Aileen is teaching the beginner class, although only one lady in the class is actually a beginner.  The other three students (a very small class of four) have a reasonable grasp of basic English.  Robin has a higher level and theylaugh a lot.

In three weeks we will be home.

We hope to see you all soon.

Peace and grace

Robin and Aileen

Mud skippers

Korea/ France 2015 - France October 23

FRANCE OCTOBER 23, 2015


JOKE!!!!

French fact:

Us:  We have started on our trip to Normandy.  A french couple we know offered to take us on the 5 day trip.  We are staying with other members of the family.

We stopped in Bordeaux and bought wine ..... doesn't everyone?
Then Nante  where we visited Les Machines de L'ille ( The machines of the Island )
I took a video ..... OOPS it does not read it so ........

Check ------>      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrTnYOWi1RI

 Robin and Aileen

Korea 2015 December 10

Korea December 10 2015

We have settled into MTI once again.

We had 10 days in Seoul and then headed south.  We were here a few days and Aileen's coughing got worse and worse.  She visited a local doctor who is a friend of MTI.  He checked her out, took an X-ray, examined the x-ray and then put her on a saline drip which was administered on a warm, jade (that's stone!!!) bed. This all took about 50 minutes. Unfortunately there are no photos of the drip or the stone bed..... sorry.  No improvement so back to the doctor and finally a specialist, antibiotics and the diagnosis, pneumonia.  She's fine now and we are out again visiting the local restaurants, food stalls, shops and going on bus trips.

Korean Fact

A few weeks ago the English newspaper "Korea News" reported an international survey that found that the Japanese picked Korea as the "most hated" country.  59.7% of the Japanese people surveyed hated Korea the most. The reasons:  Korea claims they own the tiny, tiny island of Dokdo in the East Sea.

Dokdo Island

  In addition the Korean people want the Japanese government to apologize for forcing 200,000 young Korean women into prostitution/sex slavery during World War II. The Japanese find they cannot do this. In Seoul each week, for 1105 weeks, these Korean women (there are about 45 left)  have rallied against the Japanese denial of 'Comfort Women'. 

Us
Well, as usual the students are great.  They are charming people  aged from 21 to 54.  We are so fortunate/blessed to have people like this around us.  They are like our English class in Brisbane: dynamic, young, positive, motivated. I'd like to say it "makes" us young when actually it deludes us to "think" we are younger.

We have done some interesting things.  Last Saturday we visited a small island off the coast.  We walked around and met an old lady (our age - so not SO old). 
 
She couldn't speak any English but we had 2 students with us.  She invited us to have sweet potato at her house.  We said we were sorry, but we had a bus to catch.  However, the bus stop was near her house so she rushed home and set up a table outside with sweet potato and kimchi.  Last year Robin visited the same island alone and got oysters.



Friends:

 

Food:

PLUS it's oyster season....

Seoul Lantern Festival:
In late Autumn this lantern festival is held at a beautiful stream that runs through the centre of Seoul

There are dozens of "lantern" figures from traditional to modern, floating in the stream.

We also visited a prison used by the Japanese during the occupation to interrogate and torture Koreans who were fighting for independence - very sobering.

An ad for a restaurant

Culture :

The entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace
 

So that's the news.  As we seem a bit more organised we hope to do a few more blogs.
Kimchi is being made as are Christmas plans.


Peace and grace
Robin and Aileen