Last Sunday we went on an accidental adventure. We decided to go for a drive and explore the town of Eumseong. I noticed something that I have seen many times in Korea- what appeared to be a swastika on a sign.
I did some research and found that the swastika symbol has been around long before the Nazis. It's widely used by certain religions including Buddhism and Hinduism. Korea has a strong Buddhist population. Apparently, it is commonly found in Buddhist texts, Buddhist temples, and on the actual Buddha. In Buddhism, the swastika signifies auspiciousness and good fortune as well as Buddha's footprints and Buddha's heart. You can read more about the history of the swastika here .As we were winding around the mountains, we drove past what seemed to be a frozen lake. Taylor had to go out of course.
I've always wanted to walk on a frozen lake, but I think it would have to be somewhere like Minnesota, or Russia. Somewhere WAAAY up North. For about the past week, it has been a little warmer, and by warmer I mean 40s instead of 0 or 5 degrees. The lake was a little slushy in parts, and with the recently warmer weather, I didn't think twice about just staying up on the bank.
We saw some men ice fishing out on the lake so that is why Taylor figured the ice was safe. Even if they weren't out there, I have a feeling he still would have gone. He ventured out with my camera, after my warning him not to get it wet if he fell through the ice. He took a few pictures of the men fishing.
On the way home we stopped by possibly the only thing that Eumseong is known for- the birthplace of Ban Ki Moon (current UN Secretary General). The road was blocked so we parked and walked. I guess a hay bale and some big rocks do the trick for a roadblock.
There was a museum or information center of some sort but everything was closed down. We assume that this little thatched roof traditional Korean home was Ban Ki Moon's birthplace, but we're not sure.
On the way out, I noticed this little pagoda. Quite modern, don't you think?
2 comments:
Sweet! I love these pictures for more than just understanding your experience there in more detail and the fact that I get to see you guys in photos, BUT, this made me happy because you two had an opportunity to enjoy yourselves in free time. Seems like you are always overloaded lately and it is exciting to see and hear about you two getting to enjoy life as well! I hope more of these opportunites comes soon! Love you both.
Oh my gosh, glancing over the pictures, I saw the swastika symbol on some sign. I stopped reading for fear of propaganda. Man, I didn't know you guys were Nazis.
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