Random things in Korea

This is a revolutionary shower. The entire bathroom is the shower. It made it hard to keep the bathroom room because it is such a larger space rather than a smaller shower. 

Joanna having a nutritious breakfast.    

(bogfrog) if you haven't had one you are missing out. 

In Korea the don't really have garbage trucks they have little carts the garbage people push around to pick up the trash. 

This to me made me think of a bid seashell. 

A fun bridge to crossed the river.

A nice river walk. 

Lots of people run around Korea on mopeds. Because it is so cold in the winter they tape padded glove type handles onto the handle bars and will put their gloved hands inside to help keep them warm as they zip through the city. 

Joanna took me to a sticker shop. Apparently Korean's love getting stickers made of themselves. 

It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be. 

The US Embassy

They had some crazy architecture here. 

This building has a spaceship landing on top of it. 

We ran across this as we walked through some sketchy alleys to a restaurant. 

Another interesting bubble building. 

The Korean culture was very interesting. 

They appear to be a very vain people. They like white skin, big noses, chiseled chins, and open eyes. Many of the young people will go through many plastic surgeries before they are ever out of high school so they will be able to look the way they want. They wear makeup that is super light on them to make their skin lighter. 

But on the other hand it was a very safe place. The cops don't even carry guns. However the taxi drivers are crazy. I thought we were going to die many times. They swerve in and out of the traffic and speed up as fast as they can go between stop lights. I swear there were no speed limits but Joanna kept telling me there were some but the cops just don't do anything about it. 

Korean Temple

On Friday, February 22nd, Joanna and I went to the Korean Temple. 

When we got there the President of the Temple welcomed us. Then he introduced us to another Brother  and his wife because they lived in Tampa Florida while I was on my mission there. Small world I travel to the other side of the world and I run into someone who knows President Kenneth Hutchins. 

This turned out to be a really good picture until we noticed Joanna had her eyes closed. She was so tired after the Temple session she fell asleep standing up for our picture. She should go to bed earlier at night. :-)

I woke her up and then we got one with her eyes opened and smiling. 

It is always a good experience to visit different Temples as I travel. 

Jongmyo Shrine

Original items from a royal family at the Jongmyo Shrine. 

We were able to enter this building and they had it set up like a royal feast. 

This is the prince and how he would have dressed. 

The King in his royal clothing. 

The King's chariot. 

The King was the only one who could walk in the center of the sidewalk. 

The first Shine. The building is so big I couldn't get it in a normal shot. 

Jongmyo Shrine houses the spirit tablets of the Joseon Dynasty kings and queens and is the venue for ritual ceremonies to them. Jongmyo was founded in 1395 by King Taejom the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, in the fourth year of his reign. The buildings were burned down during the Japanese invasion of 1592, but were rebuilt in 1608, the first year of King Gwanghaegun's reign. For centuries, ritual ceremonies were help here several times a year for the deceased, five times in Jeongjeon Hall and three times in Yeongnyeongjeon Hall. Today a ritual ceremony is held only once a year, on the first Sunday of May. 

They ran out of room for their dead kings and queens so they built a second large building. 

Changgyeonggung Palace

The last palace we visited was Changgyeonggung. 

This Palace was built in 1484, it was destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and was restored in 1616. Many of the palace buildings were again destroyed by fire again in 1830, and then restored in 1834. During the Japanese occupation, the Japanese changed the name of the palace to Changgyeongwon, demoting it from a gung (palace) to a won (park), to diminish the stature and authority of the Korea royal family. They built a public zone and botanical garden on the premises. From 1983 to 1986, the government removed to zoo and restored the palace to its original state with its original name, Changgyeonggung Palace. 

Throne room. 

Joanna feeling a little out of place in the back. She says her status would place her at the back she wouldn't get to be up close to the king. According to your rank as a noble person would be where you would stand when the king would address the nobles. The lower your status the farther to the back you would stand. 

Chin up Joanna and wipe those tears away and stand proud!!!

Placenta Chamber

When your trees are dying and going to fall over just fill them with cement and they will last forever. 

This is the Korean style of petrified wood. 

Greenhouse

It wasn't a very impressive greenhouse.