Temple Stay

Over the weekend against my better judgement because of my health ( I caught the worst cold), I went on a TempleStay with one of my co-teachers. Now don't get me wrong it is a beautiful scenery with wonderfully painted historic buildings I mean just look at the pictures!

I just didn't know what a TempleStay entailed before I agreed to experience it. Apparently we have to follow the nun's schedule for the whole weekend. Now I am sure that this can possibly be a very spiritual, very calming, and very enlightening experience. However, not if you don't speak Korean, know nothing about the Buddhist culture/religion, and have a head cold.

The weather was absolutely beautiful and since it had been raining for almost 10 days straight the temple hired a photographer on Saturday. I am still waiting for the photographer to email me the pictures if I get them I will post them, but for now I just have these from my co-teacher. Anyway we had to do things like two or three times so he could get the right shot, it was the worst. Pretending to drink tea but not actually sipping. Now I know how the girls on ANTM feel when they go on location for shoots. They now have a new level of respect from me.

So the activities of the day:

• Tea with the nuns; the tea made was called "Bird beak" because of the shape of the leaves.

• Next was a tour of the grounds and a trek in the woods (Side Note: we wore the worst little rubber shoes that are not fit to climb rocks) and then took pictures on rocks near the water. I told them I was afraid and that I cannot swim, so they put me on the edge of rock, nice.
• After the rocks it was time to explain prayer and bowing rituals. Not only do I not speak Korean but I must have been doing horribly because one of the nuns came over put my hands in praying position and said "Just think about Jesus" (My co-teacher alerted them that I am Christian. )
• More touring the grounds and then we eat. In a temple you are to eat all your food, so I didn't want anyone but me to make my plate because Korean serve little dishes but many of them, so there are about 6-8 side dishes that all go with your rice, and not all of it is tasty to me.
• Around 7pm ( our day started at 3pm) we go in for prayer and apparently 108 bows to Buddha. So wasn't going to happen for me. So I had to go to bed, and rest and try to make it to morning prayer. Turns out "morning prayer" was at 3am so that didn't happen either

Sunday:

• Alright so I missed morning prayer, but I made it to breakfast at 6:30 am and after that we tasted the spices in the large clay pots. The make things like chili paste and soybean paste, and soybean oil. They use these to season their food so everything is pretty much home grown.
• Then there is more free time and tea with the nuns.
• After tea we are able to write a letter to anyone we want (my mother of course) and fill out a questionnaire. So...mine was translated into English and my answers read out loud. No anonymity here. There were three questions and the last was what would we suggest to improve. I wrote having someone there who speaks English for the guest who do not speak Korean so we can have a better idea of what is going on. Turns out they do all you have to do it call ahead. So guess who got to look like a jerk? And the question you are asking in your head is the question I still don't know the answer to. I mean it's just too much like right.