Adventures in JHJ country (4)

The Baekjae incense burner

JHJ as the homeless Jung Eun Sup in "Sunshine"

We're flying home today (5/5/09), so we'll just leave you with a few notes that I took on this trip. But first I must tell you our great discovery on our last day. In the lobby of our hotel is a replica of the incense burner that the Queen designs for the King and crafted by Moraksu at the end of "Seo Dong Yo". When we saw it, we exclaimed: "We've come to the right place!" This Korean gilt-bronze Pongnae-san incense burner (that was unearthed in 7 A.D.) embraces the profound philosophy of Buddhism and is a great example of the exquisite Baekjae Dynasty craftsmanship. This national treasure portrays through the carvings the world of the hermit God in the legendary Pongnae Mountain.

Some observations during our trip to Seoul:

--We were taken for Japanese everywhere! Everybody spoke to us in Japanese, the hotel staff, the taxi drivers, the shopgirls.......I know this is the Japanese Golden Week and there are many Japanese in town, but to assume that any oriental-looking woman (even when she speaks English) is Japanese hurts my national pride. Seriously, we were just amused.

--Koreans in the service industry mostly speak two foreign languages -- those in high-class hotels and restaurants speak English and those in the little shops and local eating places speak putonghua (Mandarin.) Many waitresses and salesgirls are Chinese of Korean ancestry who come to Seoul from Shantung province in N.E. China. They are usually here on one- or two-year contracts. One day for lunch we wanted to eat that famous Korean dish pig's trotters. You have to recall that scene in "Sunshine" when JHJ's Jung Eun Sup and Song Hye Kyo's Ji Yean Woo are having French pastries and the other guy bursts in with pig's trotters that Song used to like. That's the specialty restaurant we were looking for, and after we sat down, we could not make ourselves understood until the waitress heard us speaking in Cantonese. "You're Chinese! not Japanese." From that moment on, we were served like queens (she even gave us extra soup, but it was also extra hot!) We can speak both English and Chinese, so we have the best of both worlds.

--Most Koreans are very helpful. We managed to take the Seoul Metro most of the time, especially to those far places. We have done some research and we are well prepared, not to mention we are women of the world, so we're not like babes in the woods. But sometimes we're not sure which side of the track we should take. Always there would be some kind soul who offered to help, and surprisingly these were more often than not older people. So we've not been lost even once.

--Speaking of taking the metro (subway), we saw so many soldiers on leave everyday on the train. They're wearing their camouflage uniforms and caps, and would you believe it, even then M could remark how come their hair is longer than JHJ's at the Korea Fan Meeting. Of course that's not the case, but the hair of Korean soldiers is longer than American GIs'. Many of the soldiers wear glasses and two are carrying guitar cases, so we wonder if they're "entertainment soldiers" (but they don't have the looks.) The soldiers are all carrying satchels or knapsacks, so it's obvious they're going home to spend a few days. Quite a few have their girlfriends hanging on their necks; they probably go to the camp to fetch their boyfriends (can't wait and who can blame them?)

--We also observed something else on the subway trains: people selling all kinds of things like umbrellas and flourescent pens on the cars. Remember that's how Song makes her initial appearance in "Sunshine" when she first encounters JHJ without actually making contact. The pedlars of assorted wares that we saw were all middle-aged men, so they had no business (unlike the pretty Song who sells quite a few in the drama.) Also twice on the trains we saw blind men with a music box hanging from their necks and a plate in one hand for people to put donations, and they had better luck than the hawkers.

--In the pedestrain subways that we had to use in crossing the big roads, we saw quite a few homeless men (no women) who started preparing for bed as early as 8 p.m. Seoul in this respect is like other cities like Tokyo, New York, London -- prosperous, bustling, cosmopolitan metropolis which all have this "homeless" problem. Remember how the JHJ character Jung Eun Sup in "Sunshine" had to spend a night among the homeless to avoid his father's henchmen? Never realise "Sunshine" is the most realistic of JHJ's dramas; it actually reflects certain aspects of life in present day Seoul.

--Forgot to mention Myeong Dong JHJ now has a new routine. He used to shout "Jo Hyun Jae! Jo Hyun Jae!" when he escorts us out of his shop. The second time we visited him on this trip, he shouted "Jo Hyun Jae! Fighting!" He's fun! Also would like to report that apart from the umbrella, there are other new JHJ souvenirs -- a "singing" plastic cup (JHJ sings "Like the wind by your side"), battery-operated, price: 80,000KW!!!!! Even we are not that crazy. For that price, we can buy 5 JHJ CDs. Other new souvenirs include a metal piggy bank and kitchen gloves (but they don't have JHJ's.) These merchants really know how to make us part with our money.

On the way to Incheon Airport, we saw lots of little tents (of assorted colours) along the shores of the Han River. May 5 is Children's Day, a public holiday in Korea, and families are out enjoying a picnic, basking in the sun, and having fun. Our Korean friend tells us May 8 is Parents' Day but they don't get a holiday. May 9 is Jo Hyun-Jae's birthday and it's a Saturday. Most of us get a day off, so let's celebrate, wherever you are!

We enjoyed our 5-day stay in Seoul. We love Korea (because of JHJ.) We'll be back!

(Photo 2 -- courtesy of CAFEKorea.)