Posted by Ginny
Bosonggun (보성군) county is located in the Jollado (전라도) province. Bosonggun (보성군) is known as the premier green tea plantation. While the green tea plantation is amazing in and of itself, I prefer the spring baths. The spring bath is called Yulpo Haesu Nokchatang (율포 해수 녹차탕). The spring baths are a mixture of natural underground water and green tea. After a long dip in the spring bath, your hair feels silky and light.
From the Seoul (서울) subway station it takes around 6 hours to get to Bosonggun (보성군). From Gwangju (광주) it’s about two hours. It’s a long ride but it’s so worth it. If you like eco-travel, this is the resort to go to. They have a hiking and bicycle trail, with cooking facilities so that you can barbecue food.
The most delicious noodles I have ever had were the green tea noodles that I had at Bosonggun (보성군). The noodle dish consisted of powdered green tea, sugar, and water.
If you just want to relax and go to a family friendly place to hang out, I recommend Bosonggun (보성군). Here’s a vido on Youtube about this great travel resort:
Posted by Ginny
I haven’t really talked about Korean standards for accepting and declining, so here goes a post on this very important matter. For one thing, accepting and declining an offer can be tricky for the newbies. One rule you should always follow is the rule of humility and modesty. It’s considered polite to refuse someone when they offer you food. Refusing the offer shows that you don’t want to trouble the person who’s doing the offering. To refuse an offer you can use the phrase, aniehyo, dessumnida (아니예요, 댔습니다) or anieyo kwenchansumnida (아니예요, 괜찮습니다). Even if you’re hungry enough to chew your arm off, you still have to refuse. Not only do you have to refuse, you have to refuse about twice.
From my personal experience, I’ve had some unpleasant moments trying to feel my way through the decline and acceptance rules. One time, a friend’s mother asked me whether I wanted something to drink. Of course I refused politely. Deep down inside I wanted a drink, but because I refused very adamantly, she thought I really didn’t want the drink. I just remember sitting there like a fool, sweating in the hot sun, while my two other friends are happily sipping a Coke. The moral of the story is that you should refuse, but not so much that people take your refusal seriously. You have to refuse just enough to be polite but not enough so that people really think you don’t want something.
There are also exceptions to the refusal and acceptance rule. When you’re dealing with an elderly person, you should refuse only once and accept what the person is offering. Refusing too much can mean that you’re challenging someone’s authority. When you do accept, you have to answer with a ‘thank you’ or something equivalent. You can use either kamsahamnida (감사합니다) or komapsumnida (고맙습니다) to say thank you.
It’s true that not being direct can have its downside. Sometimes I want to be frank and say, “Yes, I would like something to drink” on the first try, but there’s also a benefit in being modest. There are times when I don’t want to move an inch from where I’m sitting and when someone refuses twice, I just take that as a ‘no’. I save face because I asked twice and I also get away with not doing anything without the risk of being rude. It’s very convenient! Ok everyone, now I’m gonna conveniently end this post as well!
Posted by Ginny
Valentines Day is coming up and I thought it would be a good time to mention some romantic destinations in Korea. For many Korean newlyweds, Jejudo (제주도) is a popular honeymoon hotspot. Even if you’re not a newlywed, you’ll find that Jejudo (제주도) will look like one of those scenic places that you see on postcards. There is an abundance of lush vegetation and waterfalls to make anyone love Jejudo (제주도) on first sight.
As soon as you arrive, you’ll see many stone figures called dolharubangs (돌 하르방). The dol harubangs (돌 하르방) are thought to ward off evil spirits. Interestingly enough, the dolharubangs (돌 하르방) look like gnomes with grumpy faces. However if you look at them carefully, (view the picture to the left) you’ll see that they give off a sexual aura. In fact there are shops that sell miniature dolharubangs (돌 하르방) to tourists. It’s thought that having this souvenir will cure couples who have infertility problems.
You’ll also find that Jejudo (제주도) has a theme park called labu lendu (라브 랜드) or ‘Love Land’ in English. The theme park contains a myriad of sculptures and exhibits that express themes that revolve around sexuality. There is also a daycare center at labu lendu (라브 랜드), for some of the exhibits are inappropriate for minors.
To sum it all up, Jeju Island (제주도) contains many tourists attractions, some of which tend to lean towards the sexier side! Ok, everyone time to get your mind out of the gutter and time to end this post!
Posted by Ginny
Guess whose birthday it is today? Give up? It’s mine’s! Today I turn one year older! Want to know how old I am? That…that’s personal, lol! The Koreans calculate their age by two methods. The first method is with the Gregorian calendar and is called yang lyok (양력). The second method is with the lunar calendar and is called um lyok (음력).
Here’s where it gets complicated. Technically speaking Koreans have two birthdays. Some people will count the New Year as a birthday along with their actual birthday. For example let’s say that your actual birthday is Jan. 26th and that you are 100 years old. Let’s also say that the New Year on the solar calendar is Jan. 1st. (Duh!) Some Koreans will consider themselves to be 102 years old because they calculate their age with their actual birthday along with the ‘birthday’ that came with the New Year. Usually the New Year’s birthday is not celebrated, but it’s still counted as a birthday.
Also, when a child is born, that child is considered 1 year old as soon as the child comes out of the womb. For example let’s say a child was born on Dec 31st. Let’s also say that the New Year is Jan. 1st . If the parents decide to count the New Year as a birthday, the child would be considered 2 years old; even though by Western standards he/she is two days old.
Anyway, today I had some miyok kuk (미역국) for breakfast. Miyok kuk (미역국) is a soup made from seaweed, water, soy sauce and chunks of beef. It’s usually consumed with rice. Miyok kuk (미역국) is a typical meal served on one’s birthday. It’s also served to women who have just given birth. Miyok kuk (미역국) is considered healthy and important for the mother’s recovery. Miyok kuk (미역국) is also a meal that is seved for students who have to take an entrance exam for college. Again, miyok kuk (미역국) is considered nutritious and it’s often advertised as “brain food” or food that improves memory and cognition.
Ok everyone, I’m going to head out to eat with some friends for my birthday. Sengil chukhaheyo (생일 축하해요)! (Which means Happy Birthday in Korean).
Posted by Ginny
Jejudo (제주도) is an island geographically distinct from the South Korean peninsula. While Jejudo (제주도) is considered to be a part of the South Korean soil, it’s considered an autonomous province as well. So yeah, it’s a bit complicated but to make a long story short, Jejudo (제주도) is considered a part of Korean territory, but with special rights that are not given to other provinces. Jejudo (제주도) has it’s own unique sub culture and dialect. Contact with the Japanese, the Mongols, and China have influenced the Jeju (제주) dialect, which is noticeably different from the standard, Korean Seoul dialect.
Jejudo (제주도) contains many tourist attractions. I would recommend going to see Hallasan (한나산). Hallasan (한나산) is the tallest mountain in South Korea. For those of you who are hiking freaks, there’s a national park nearby that leads to a hiking trail. On Hallasan (한나산) you’ll see a small lake called baengnokdam (백록담), which means ‘white deer lake’. According to local legend, baengnokdam (백록담) is a deer-hunting-hotspot for the gods. ( Since when were mountains the natural habitats of deers? Oh well.)
One of the more poignant sites is the gwaneumsa (관음사) temple on Hallasan (한나산). Just outside the gwaneumsa (관음사) temple lies a memorial for the victims of the Jeju (제주) rebellion against the South Korean government. It’s a very controversial part of Korean history and to this day there’s still some residual tensions between the South Korean government and the Jeju (제주) Islanders over this issue. The Jeju (제주)rebellion is called Jeju minjong hang jang (제주민정항장). It started when the Jeju (제주) Islanders led demonstrations to protest a tax on agricultural goods. In response the South Korean government sent troops to squash the demonstrations, which resulted in a large scale execution of villagers.
With it’s rich history and scenic sites, I’d recommend everyone to go to Jejudo (제주도) at least once. In my next post, you’ll see why Jejudo (제주도) is a great place to go for the Valentines Day weekend. (Wink, wink).
