We went snail hunting today. Well, actually, we went along as witnesses to this great snail hunt…we weren’t much in the way of help. Our nanny and her family invited us, and our neighbors, the Cox’s, to join them for a picnic lunch at a stream about an hour away, where people go to collect snails. These snails are then boiled and eaten, again, NOT something we partook in, but we enjoyed the opportunity to visit the beautiful countryside, and enjoy a picnic lunch with some good company. You can see Seung Hwan, the nanny’s son, using the snail box to look for and collect snails. You dip the box just barely into the water, and the viewing window allows you to see the snails on the rocks more easily. Then you can collect them in the grated portion, which allows a bit of water in.
This is the nanny’s family. As you can see, they all just love the kids. From L-R, Chung Ta Bee the nanny’s 18 year-old daughter, Mr. Chung, Sterling, nanny, and Chung Seung Hwan.
We all enjoyed a picnic under the trees. As Seung Hwan is happy to show you by sticking his tongue out, all 10 year-old boys around the world are just same! We had a delicious picnic of pork cooked on a Korean grill and wrapped in lettuce grown in the Chung family’s garden, rice, and watermelon.
No picnic would be complete without watermelon! Both the babies LOVED watermelon, and were sticky and sweet after eating!
I must admit, I have always really enjoyed “wearing” my children. Maybe I have a little hippie in me? I have been drooling over the Ergo baby carrier for a while now, and finally decided to purchase one. I couldn’t be happier! It’s ultra comfortable, and the kids really seem to like it. All the Koreans laugh, and call it the American podaegi, because it looks like the wrap they use to carry their babies on their backs.
Well, I got to enjoy my new Ergo carrier for about 30 min. until Michael decreeded he needed to wear Sterling in it. Even Michael agrees this carrier is great! And of course, Sterling couldn’t have been happier to ride piggyback on his Daddy.
Here we are being the bystanders to the great snail hunt of 2008.
This is what everyone was looking for. These teeny tiny little river snails. I just don’t get what the big deal is, but apparently they must taste very good, as there were tons of people up and down this stream collecting the snails.
Again, I’m just not getting it. This river/stream was really beautiful, but somewhat hazardous. It was full of very slick rocks that just looked like a great place to sprain an ankle. All for some tiny little river snails.
After our day at the river, we went to a famous Buddhist temple, Beob Heung Sa, located nearby. This is the site of the old precinct of Heungnyeong-seonwon (Zen Buddhist) Temple, which was on of the nine Zen Buddhist Temples in the late unified shilla period. It was founded by Jajngyulsa who was one of the most revered priests in the shilla period. The temple was burnt down in 891 A.D. and barely kept it’s name for almost a thousand years, when it was renames BeobHeaungSa Temple.
What has made this temple famous is the JeokMyeolBoGung, a shrine in which Buddha’s sarira (the calcified bead from the cremated high priest) is here.
It was interesting. This is the pavilion you enter the temple site through.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t read the sign, so I don’t know what to tell you about this bell, except for, it’s really, really big! From what I could gather, you throw coins towards the bell, and if your coin lands underneath it, it means your wish will come true. Sort of like a wishing fountain.
See us making wishes at the bell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Ors0cM0ls
This is the main worshiping altar. I actually went inside this building, and so wish I could’ve taken pictures. It’s a small room, but very ornately decorated with lanterns, carvings on the walls and ceilings, candles, and burning inscents. In the center of the room is a silk kneeling pillow facing a sculpture of Buddha, surrounded by candles and burning inscents. It was truly stunning, but I didn’t feel it would be appropriate for me to take pictures, in someone else’s place of worship.
The detailed carving and painting on the outside of the shrine is somewhat indicative of the inside.
Mark this one down as yet another interesting experience here in Korea. I'm pretty sure there's no line in the baby books for "first time to visit a Buddhist temple."
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