Field trip day

Our elementary/middle school co-op is studying Korean history so yesterday, we went on an all-day field trip to Gyeongbokgung (don't ask how to pronounce that!) Palace. It served as the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty and was constructed in 1395. Korean palaces are different from European palaces in that they are actually gated enclosures with many different buildings inside. The buildings are not huge, but they are all ornately decorated. I can't imagine how much effort went into painting all of the tiny details on every wooden beam.
After the field trip, we went to supper with one of the Korean families. We ate shin-sal-tang which is beef soup served with a side of rice and kimchi. It was very good - I was just thankful we didn't get the boiled cow's knee that was also on the menu (thankfully, it was way to expensive for the budget!).

The whole group outside the main gates into the palace

A lesson on Korean culture - you never wear shoes inside a house or even in many restaurants. The palace was no exception; we had to take off our shoes before we could go into the king or queen's residence!

All I can say is that I feel bad for any tall Koreans who weren't paying attention!

Typical Korea - ancient, traditional palaces in the middle of bustling Seoul. You can see the tip of Seoul Tower rising up in the background.

The children here are adorable...

...and FULL of mischief. This little boy enjoyed using Dad as a punching bag - we found it highly entertaining.

A little building where the emperor would go to enjoy some tea. For your info - Korean emperors who lived in this palace were fat and did not live very long because they were carried everywhere they went and never exercised.

We split up into 3 different groups and a few of the older students acted as tour guides (they had prepared beforehand). This was our group (and we didn't understand too much).

According to Chinese tradition, Julie was born in the year of the tiger. I was born in the year of the dragon - unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to get a picture with him.

The outside wall around the entire palace

A quick note of thanksgiving: Tuesday night, Dad and I were driving with some other Koreans in a church van on a 5 lane highway (during rush hour) when a truck swerved into our lane and slammed into the back of us. Even though our van was full, there were no serious injuries. One man had some glass in him and one girl hurt her head, but we were able to take care of everything at the emergency room. I got my first taste of the the Korean emergency response team - their system works very differently from the U.S.! It is a lot more laid back...at the hospital, patients who want to go eat some kimchi and rice will simply push their IV's down the road to a nearby restaurant. Thank the Lord we were all fine, and also that it was a Korean driving because we have heard that if a foreigner is involved in an accident, they will often be blamed no matter what happens. I am just grateful that this was the first accident we've been in considering the way people drive here. The other day, Dad finally let me perform my maiden voyage driving here which consisted of driving out of the parking garage :) I don't think I'll be driving much further than that, though, especially after the accident.