May 20th 2007 - FLIK Tongdosa
Our Korea Diary - May 20th
FLIK outing to Tongdosa Temple
Summer is in the air, so I thought I'd change the theme. It's time for a more summerly feel to our website.
This week has been a battle against congestion for me, but it looks like I'm finally winning the battle. Paula has, as usual, been busy with fitness center, shopping and painting lessons. Monday she went on a trip to Costco with 12 other ladies from the compound. The Cosco supermarket is located in Daegu, about two hours drive to the north. Here it is possible to find some of the more western supplies like cheese, salami and cheapish meat (still very expensive, but not outrageously expensive as in Ulsan). Need I say that I've enjoyed my lunches this week?!
Saturday I was called for inspections in the afternoon, so we missed the BBQ celebrating the opening of the pool in the old foreigners compound. We had to make do with leftovers - a jacket potato, some stale sausages and salad. It tasted heavenly ! Maybe because I had gone through hell at the inspections and was happy to be off for the weekend! Anyway, the party continued at night, where the local foreigners band gave one of their rare concerts. They were surprisingly (?!) good and the ol' dancing legs got a bit of exercise.
Today we have been away all day on an excursion with the foreigners compound. They managed to fill two busses with people for a tour to Tongdosa temple about one hour south of here. Tongdosa is one of the 4 most important temples in Korea, and probably my favorite so far. I think the temple was shined up a little, as Buddha is turning 2551 years on Thursday. I would imagine that the temples will get crowded that day. After a few hours at the temple, we continued on to Tongdosa Fantasy - a big fun fair. We had forgotten to read the full itinerary of the trip (had wondered why there were so many kids on the bus!), so this came as a surprise to us. Still, it was an excellent place for people watching!
esta semana quisimos cambiar un poco el formato de nuestro "informe semanal" de la vida en Corea. Ya se sientre el vernito . Peder estubo toda la semana medio enfermo y finalmente le gano a los microbios del resfrio y yo como siempre llena de cosas que hacer , entre el gimnasio , clases de pintura y esta semana un "Tour" a Costco , un supermercado americano , era en Daegu, una cuidad a 2 horas al norte de Ulsan. Bueno aqui se pueden encontrar productos mas occidentales como salami, algunos tipos de quesos y carne de vaca mas barata, asique ahi parti con un grupo de mujeres extranjeras. Como siempre lo pasamos super bien comprando y viendo cosas que no se ven en los supermercados normales de Ulsan. Peder estaba feliz cuando vio los quesos y cositas ricas ....
El sabado Peder tubo que hacer inspecciones en la tarde y lamentablemente teniamos un asado de inauguracion de la piscina , pero llegamos mas tarde y lo pasamos bien , estuvimos con bastante gente y luego en la noche hubo un concierto. Hay una banda de los mismos extranjeros que tocan y son bastante buenos, asique ahi estubimos bailando un rato.
Hoy domingo fuimos en un tour organizado para los extranjeros , eramos 2 buses llenos de grande y bastantes ninos tambien. El dia jueves es el cumpleanos 2551 de Buddha y nos llevaron a ver como es a uno de los templos mas grandes de Corea del Sur , Tongdosa. Luego de algunas horas en el templo y almorzar comida tipica coreana nos fuimos a el parque de diversiones Tongdosa Fantasy , super entretenido , sobre todo para los ninos que se subian a todos los juegos.
In the mood for shopping ! Stephanie, Valerie and Carolina on their way to Costco.
En el viaje a Cotsco Stephanie, Valerie y Carolina.
Jerome, Peder and Peter at Peter and Carolines apartment on Wednesday. They have a beautiful apartment overlooking a small harbour, 5 minutes from our apartment.
Jerome, Peder y Peter , en casa de Carolina y Peter el miercoles. Ellos tienene un departamento super muy lindo que mira a la playa , es a 5 minutos de nuestro depto.
Good food - good wine and good company. Korea is good to us !
Buena comida, buen vino y buena compania....Corea nos trata bien !
Saturday before the concert, we warmed up in Anders and Marlenes apartment. This is Karen, Anders, Bent, Peder and Marlene.
El sabado antes del concierto en casa de Marlene y Anders. Aqui esta Karen , Anders, Bent, Peder y Marlene.
Rock & Roll forever!
El concierto !
Yes - I've still got it !! hehe ....
Si Peder bailando !
I suspect that these lanterns are part of the birthday celebration for Buddha, but as we have not been to Tongdosa before, I can't say for sure if they are part of the normal deco or not.
Pensamos que etas linternas que decoran los templos son por el cumpleanos de Buddha, pero como no habiamos estado antes en Tongdosa no sabemos.
Balance a pile of rocks and fortune will come your way. My question is, what happens when the monsoons arrive and all the rocks are blown to the ground ?! Bad luck to the person who balanced them? I didn't risk it.
Aqui la gente pone piedrecitas pequenas armando pequenos montecitos en senal de Buena Suerte.....pero que pasa cuando llegan los vientos monsones ?!
The most important monks from Tongdosa are buried here.
Los monjes mas importantes de Tongdosa estan enterrados aqui .
It was a busy day at the temple.... Behind me you can see Henning - one of the many Mærsk guys here in Ulsan.
Fue un dia bien lleno de gente en el templo. Henning se ve detras en la foto , el es uno de los muchos daneses que trabaja para Mærsk en Ulsan.
One of the bigger temples in Tongdosa. There were more people praying inside teh temples today than what we normally see - probably due to the upcoming birthday.
Uno de los templos mas grandes en Tongdosa. Aqui habia mucha gente rezando hoy dia, quizas es por el cumpleanos el jueves.
Then on to Tongdosa Fantasy. We didn't try the roller coaster but it looked good !
Aqui en Tongdosa Fantasy. No nos subimos a la montana rusa, pero se ve super buena !
I rescued my princess but where's my half of the kingdom ??
Peder rescato a su princesa, pero aun no encontramos la mitad del reino ??
We had to settle for a danish hot dog.
Encontramos unos hot-dogs daneses y tubimos que probarlos .
The menu was of course in korean but the pictures helped us. The danish sausage producer Steff Houlberg apparently have a few fast food restaurants here in Korea. I have never seen one in Denmark !
El menu esta en coreano pero las fotos ayudaban.El producto Steff Houlberg al parecer tiene varias tiendas de comida rapida en corea.No hemos visto ninguna en Dinamarca !
We got to see a martial arts show before leaving Tongdosa Fantasy. Those small kids are pretty fierce !! Here they are seen breaking wood "blocks" while doing 360's
Vimos un espectaculo de artes marciales en el parque de entretenciones. Esos ninos eran super buenos ! aqui estan quebrando maderas dando vueltas de 360 grados !