Ellen Lindner: Art & Creativity

We really enjoyed the Korean Folk Museum, about an hour south of Seoul.  It featured traditional buildings which had been moved from their original locations to this beautiful wooded site.

This first photo shows a nobleman’s home.  It was actually a compound of buildings housed within a wall.

Click any image for a larger view 

Even the simplest items had beautiful proportions.

Way back on May 6th, I showed you the design process for a new small quilt.  After completing the design and the background, I was ready to work on the flowers.  Referencing my photo and my sketch, I placed the two flower centers.  But, as you can see, they’re not brown/black anymore.  I switched them to purple!  Why not?  Yellow and purple are complementary (opposite) colors, so I knew this combination would be dramatic.

Click any image for a larger view

I  was able to use scraps for many of the small petals.

Many of my yellow fabrics were a little bit see-through.  This actually worked to my advantage.  I would place a piece of the fabric where I needed the next petal.  Then, referencing the other petals, which showed through, I could draw the new one.  Before cutting it out, I glued another solid piece of yellow behind it to act as a lining.

I added dark purple outline stitching to add contrast to the petals.  And a little bit of shading with water color pencils.  Here’s the completed collage, called “A Garden for Peggy.”

I like to keep the outline stitching rather loose and sketch-like.

I thought the seed head needed some texture, since it’s very bumpy in real life.  At first I tried purple thread, but it didn’t show up well enough.  My mom, also an artist, suggested orange or rust.  Perfect!

I really like the finished quilt and my mother-in-law was delighted with it.

Ellen Lindner
P.S.  See my other two Black-Eyed Susan quilts:  Natural Progression and Blessings Underfoot.
P.P.S.  Watch for more posts about Korea.

Korean food is, well, different.  I can’t say I’m a fan, but I didn’t go hungry either.  Andrew was familiar with many of the dishes and was anxious to try them.  So, I did too.

This one, called patbingsu  (pot-bing-sue) really excited him.

Click any image for a larger view

It’s shaved ice with milk and sugar added.  (Like snow ice cream we made as kids.)  And the topping is – are you ready for it – red beans.  Also sweetened.

I smiled bravely.

But, I was still unsure.

It was definitely different.  Not bad, though.  It sorta grew on me.  I ate a few bites and Andrew ate ALL the rest of it!

Here, Andrew has just purchased “poop bread.”  Yes, it’s actually called that.  Because, well,
1) It sort of has that shape, and
2) It has a red bean filling that’s dark brown and also has the “right” look.

Purchased hot out of the fryer, it was not bad.  Not as sweet as American dessert.  Which was typical.

Next, this is a shaped rice cake, covered in honey.  The cake is very dense without a lot of taste, but the cavities held the honey nicely.  We got to pick what sort of honey we wanted, and ate the thing from the stick.

The McDonald’s (where we ate a lot,) had a separate area for coffee and desserts.  This was a raspberry yogurt cake.  Complete with a real plate and fork!  VERY upscale for our expectations of McDonald’s!

Speaking of McDonald’s, it was the only place where we were able to get more salt.  Although they didn’t have salt shakers or salt packets, they’d put some salt from the fry station in a throw away cup for us.

Now, about the napkins.  They were very small and lightweight.  With an absorption quotient something similar to a tissue.

Since we ate an American breakfast each day, I finally realized I could save the extra “American” napkin I received every morning.  I was so delighted with myself when I was able to pull it out at lunch!

This is a dessert plate from an American-style buffet.  We had no idea what the prickly fruit was, but selected it anyway.  I couldn’t figure out how to eat it, though, and tossed it.  Who can tell me what it is and how to eat it?

Did you notice the forks?  We never asked for them, but they were often provided.  So, we ate with chopsticks only a few times.  Of course, Andrew had to seek them out and eat with them whenever possible.

Eating the local food is always an adventure when traveling internationally, and that was DEFINITELY true in Korea!

Ellen Lindner
P.S. I can’t believe I used the word “poop” on my blog!

Does a visit to a war museum sound like something you’d like to do on your international vacation?  No, me neither.  It was my husband’s idea, but I have to say, I found it to be both beautiful and fascinating.

Koreans use sculpture and other visual arts to convey meaning quite a lot.  We saw it at most significant destinations.  The War Memorial Museum was no exception.

As we approached, we passed through an outdoor domed structure which housed a magnificent mosaic.

Click any image for a larger view

Other LARGE statues marked the primary entrance.

The two groupings above formed a large semi-circle.

Once inside, we found that most of the space was dedicated to the Korean War.  The information was very well presented and it was quite interesting.  I was especially intrigued by the devastation caused to the country and the rebuilding process.  Some statistics:
– 1.5 million South Koreans died
– Over 40% of industrial facilities and power plants were destroyed.
– 50% of all mining facilities were destroyed.
– 1/3 of all residential homes were unusable.
– Many roads, public buildings, bridges, and ports were unusable.
– The total property damage was estimated at 1.7 times the national income.

Can you imagine such devastation?  Needless to say, people were struggling just to find food to eat.  One of the statues in the museum showed a refugee family fleeing.

The United States provided a lot of aid, mostly construction materials and basic consumer goods.

Of course, other wars were also featured in the museum.  Andrew was excited to see a small replica of “the turtle ship.”  This is a famous iron-clad ship that he knew about.

The dragon’s mouth spewed fire!

Learning about the wars of a country certainly helps you to understand it better.

Enjoying the experience,
Ellen Lindner

P.S.  Find my other posts about Korea by searching for that word in the search box at top right.

Our visit to the Demilitarized zone between North and South Korea was very interesting!  We went as part of a tour, which is the only way a private citizen is allowed into the area.

Our journey from Seoul paralleled a major river, which had barbed wire all along it.  This was to prevent North Korean refuges from coming across.  (Although they’re welcome if they actually make it.  A paradox.)

Click any image for a larger view

To get to the DMZ, traffic must cross Unification Bridge, which is tightly controlled.  Only pre-approved visitors, like those on our tour, some military personnel, and construction type vehicles – like cement mixers – were allowed across.  Barricades required vehicles to zigzag at each end.

The DMZ was nothing like we expected.  We expected a barren wasteland with high fences and guard towers on both sides.  And while we did go through a few intimidating fences, once we got to our destination we found a parking lot, buildings, and a forest.  This is a model depicting the Joint Security Area, or JSA, at Panmunjom  The actual demarcation line is shown with the line of white dots.  In reality this is about what they looked like:  simple white posts placed every 100′ or so.

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is in the bottom of this model, with North Korea at the top.  The blue buildings are operated by the UN.    Several countries are active here, including the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Switzerland.

An American soldier gave us an excellent briefing, but only after having us sign a scary visitor form.
“…entrance into a hostile area…possibility of injury or death…”
Yeah, that got our attention.

 We visited a conference building, indicated with a yellow star in the model photo.  It was painted the same blue inside, with the demarcation line running right through the middle.  A very intimidating “Rok” soldier (Republic of Korea) stood at the ready.  His stance was one of readiness, as used in Tae Kwon Do.

Because we could walk to the far end of the conference room, we can now say that we’ve been to North Korea!  Here’s Andrew doing just that.  The Roc soldiers allowed you to stand beside them for photography, but only if you stayed at least 6″ away.

And here’s a photo of the North Korean observation building.  There was a North Korean soldier observing us, indicated with a red star on the model photo.  We had been instructed not to wave, gesture, or make contact with them in any way.  So both sides looked at each other.

Later, we got a view a little further into North Korea.  This VERY large flag (600 pounds) flies on a VERY high tower in what the JSA people call “Propoganda City.”  It’s meant to show the south how prosperous the north is.  But, in reality, no one actually lives there and most of the buildings have painted-on windows and doors.

Last on our tour was one of the tunnels the North Koreans have dug as a way to invade South Korea.  The steep incline made it easy for me to decide against that trek!

A few more details about the DMZ:
– It’s 4 km wide, 2 km on each side of the demarcation line.
– The irregular line is due in part to the armistice agreement and in part to the fighting that continued for another 12 hours after it was signed.
– People live there!  A small South Korean village is within the DMZ.  There are many perks to living there, such as a waiver to the mandatory 2 years of military service.  However, only people whose ancestors lived in that area are allowed to live there now.

Relations between North and South Korea have fluctuated through the years.  Things were pretty good about 10 years ago, with very limited travel allowed from South Korea into the north.  Materials and supplies were provided from the south as well.  However, the 2008 killing of a South Korean tourist has raised tensions ever since.

As a reminder of better times, the northernmost train station still has signs about the old route.  Here’s Kevin posing in front of it.

This was a VERY interesting part of our time in Korea!

Ellen Lindner
P.S.  The poor visibility seen here is typical of our visit.  I was told that it was due primarily to pollen and dust, and a little due to pollution.  It was generally worse in the morning.

Andrew is crazy about bulgogi, a traditional Korean dish.  It’s usually made with strips of beef, with broth and noodles added.  This version came in a very hot and very large  pot.  The clear noodles are called glass noodles.

Click any image to enlarge

Although Andrew loves bulgogi, my husband and I found it to be rather bland.  As a matter of fact, we considered all the food we had – both Korean and American – to be under salted.  One cure for this blandness is the addition of many “side dishes.”  These are served with all traditional meals and are meant to be optional additions to main item.

This collection was very typical.  It includes kimchi, the red item in front.  It’s made from cabbage and is very spicy.  Pickles are behind it.  The brightest green item is pickled seaweed.  (They do a lot of pickling.) The salad on the right had a nice dressing, but the greenery was bitter.

I did, however, consume quite a bit of the earlier salad.  With chopsticks, no less!

Another eating adventure!

Ellen Lindner

Gyungbokgoong  Palace was the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty, (1300-1900.)  More than an official residence, it also housed many servants and court officials, as well as the goods and tools needed to meet the needs of such a large group.  Our first glimpse was through the massive front gates.

Here’s a closer view.  I intentionally showed you the crowds because, well, that was a large part of the experience.  (Although we were apparently there at a “non-busy” time.)  Most of the tourists were from China and Japan and they were pretty pushy.  Literally.

Also notice the plethora of umbrellas.  Many women use them.  Not so much for keeping cool, but for protecting their skin and eyes.

Did you know that there are many small mountains in Seoul?  You can see part of one in the photo above.

The architecture of the palace was intricate and beautiful.

This is the throne room.

The whole complex was huge and we wore ourselves out exploring!

Still fun, though.

Ellen Lindner

What’s brightly colored, traditionally attired, and moves with precision?  The Gyungbokgoong  Palace “guards” during their changing ceremony.

Click any image for a larger view

The commander inspected each guard.

And then they posed for pictures.  (Of course.)

Pretty cool.

Ellen Lindner

Gwang-jang Market was different from anything we’d ever experienced.  It’s huge, with a wide variety of tiny shops, food stalls, and lots of people.  (No Westerners, though.)

Click any image for a larger view

We arrived around 6 PM, so the only vendors still open were the food stalls.  There were tons of them, each offering a few specific foods.  Seafood, beef, potato pancakes, fresh vegetables, noodles, etc.  Each stall had a bench for customers, so that diners sat about a foot from where their food was prepared.

After walking the full length and trying to decode the various offerings, we decided that dumplings would be a safe choice.  (My son, Andrew, has quite a good understanding of Korean language and culture, but his parents were much more leery.)  The head lady at the noodle stall lured us in and offered us a prime spot immediately in front of  her work station.  We ordered noodle and dumpling soup and watched the three women cook it for us.

Side item:  our son is quite a novelty, and therefore a focus of interest, everywhere we go.  People are shocked when he speaks Korean, and repeatedly ask how he learned it, why we’re here, etc.  He loves the attention and explains about wanting to teach here.  This always launches interesting conversations with him joking in Korean, etc.  He’s charming everyone.

While we watched our dinner being prepared, Andrew entertained the cooks and the other patrons, and vice versa.  The head cook was amazing with those noodles!  She measured, rolled, and cut the fresh dough without even looking.  When I asked if I could take her photo, she cracked up!

And then posed for a “proper” photo.

Her assistants were working the other end of the stall, but they kept visiting our end to see what the entertaining foreigners were up to.

The soup:  not bad, (although everything is under salted to our American palettes. ) We also tried an item that is basically a giant potato pancake, with other vegetables included.  It’s cooked while you wait and then you walk and try to eat the smoking hot thing. That proved tricky, so we enjoyed ours by  the Cheonggyecheon stream.  (A picturesque sunken stream with walking paths.)

Enjoying the adventure!
Ellen Lindner

Our hotel is near the area of Insadong.  This is a bustling area with narrow streets, lots of pedestrians, and oodles of shops and vendors vying for your money.  Yet, it’s far from “touristy” in the American way.  Instead, it’s rather charming, with tree-lined streets, unique vendors, tiny shops, and “Mom and Pop” businesses.

This shot gives you a sense of the place.  The vendor is making and selling something similar to a doughnut.  Her buyers are Buddhist monks, seen in pale grey.  (I wasn’t sure of the photography protocol, so I shot them from the back.)  And that’s my son, Andrew, on the right.  He’s the reason we’re in Korea:  feeding his dream to one day teach here.

Click any image for a larger view

One of the first things that caught my attention in Insadong was a stair rail bedecked with bright yellow ribbons.  They were beautifully illuminated by the afternoon sun.  We later learned that they are in memory of the many people who died in a recent ferry incident.

Catering to the tourists, (most of them from China and Japan,) traditional Korean items were available.  This is a ready-made facsimile of a traditional Korean hanbok.  An authentic hanbok would more likely be custom-made for a special event.

The traditional style of patchwork, pojagi, could also be found in several stores.  They were beautiful!  Made from sheer ramie, with double stitched seams, they’re often displayed in windows, where the light can filter through.

Korea has no history of pieced bed coverings.  The pojagi were traditionally used to wrap something, often a gift, and they sometimes have ties on the corners to help with this.  These days, they’re art for the wall.

There are also plenty of contemporary products and novelties in Insadong.  One of the most unusual things we saw were these wacky ice cream “cones.”  They come in a variety of sizes, all of them with some sort of twisted U shape.  They are hollow and are filled with soft serve ice cream and are eaten from both ends.  Tricky!

Here they’re shown hanging over the doorway of the vendor’s shop.  I’m thinking you’d get a fresh one if you were inclined to buy one!

We’re having lots of fun discovering Seoul.

Ellen Lindner
P.S.  Check out the  pojagi-like patchwork I made.