A Saturday Off in Korea

It is still a curious feeling to have a day "off" during my week. I still haven't quite figured that out. When we do get to the weekend here though, we tend to make the most of it. It also seems that most Koreans also have the same idea in mind. Yesterday we decided to travel to Taejeon again to seek out the famous "jewelry lady". I am happy to report that the weather was MUCH nicer than it was before. So four of us set out to our first plan, the bus. We found out quickly though that we would have waited a good 90 minutes to get the bus so we changed tactics to the train system. The train system is fantastic here, except everyone seems to know that secret as well. When we got to the station we could choose standing room only or just bag our plans so we went with standing room only even if it was over an hour ride. Well as you can see we found "seats" anyway and made the best of it. I must say it was fun to watch people walk between cars and see four white people sitting there. Not many could keep a good poker face on that one.

 The train porters were quite nice and let us sit in between stops and it was a different perspective on a lot of the country side. Once we reached Taejeon, we went in search of a few friends at our sister school at TCIS and then off to a local coffee chain for a quick drink and a bit to eat. There are a lot of little coffee shops all over Korea and you soon learn the favorite spots to be. From there we did seek out and find the elusive Jewelry lady. Moving through Taejeon must be the very closest thing I might ever feel to being famous. They simply do not see foreigners of any sort really. It is not considered rude to flat out stare at foreigners either. For most we are nothing more than a curiosity. Many just want to know where we are from if the speak any English at all. Those who find out that we are teachers all assume that we teach the English language and it does surprise some that we teach in a variety of subjects. It is the younger ones that find us the most interesting. With my friend Kim especially, they are quick to play peek-a-boo or laugh and giggle which in turn makes their families laugh and breaks down some of the barriers between our cultures. But I digress..


We did find the jewelry lady after a bit of walking
She makes some beautiful hand beaded work in all forms. She does about every type of jewelry you can imagine but she has various types of "chimes" and chandeliers and lamp covers of all colors. She is also quite a painter and it is easy to see that she takes pride in her work. I am surprised she consented to a picture being taken by Amy but considering our purchase I think she was okay with it. Most do not like to have pictures taken so I feel this is pretty special. I really enjoyed "talking" to an actual artisan. I like watching them work as well. I prefer to buy things from them because I know where and how it was made. It was a great trip overall and it may have been a full day but it was fun and hopefully fun for my travel companions. There is so much I still have to see and do, but getting out of town, even if it is just an hour away does help to refresh the mind and soul a little bit. These days every little bit really counts. Thanks Amy for introducing me to the elusive Jewelry Lady.