Out and about in Korea (minus 21 Celsius)
- As shown on the temperature display in the
photo below left, temperatures hit minus 21 Celsius
(about minus 5 Fahrenheit) and it happened to be the
day we chose to go snow boarding for the first time.
The wind added to the chill factor and it was far colder
than I remember experiencing in Finland. Valeria was
patient enough to stand in the cold, posing for the
picture below, but she opted out of the snow boarding
and was to be found in front of the log fire for most
of the day. Valeria hates cold weather and could be
tempted away from the warmth inside. Yongpyeong
ski resort in Korea is a very modern resort a few
hours North of Seoul. Developed as an Olympic standard
resort, the facilities were excellent. Korea is a very
mountainous country, with Seoul itself surrounded by
mountains.
All
photos by Valeria Lo Iacono & Paul Symonds - 2004
At the beginning of February we traveled
to a Korean Folk Village, one hour from Seoul. Reflecting
traditional Korea, the folk village shows one how
the poor lived, how the rich lived, an old school,
the blacksmith, the carpenters etc. It is also possible
to try some old Korean games and the park was full
of families with kids having fun on the iced river
with the sledge, on the seesaw or on the swings.
Natural materials such as wood were always used
for the toys, a reflection of the poverty that largely
existed. Toys were always simple and cheap, kites
a prime example.
Below on the right, you can see two acrobats performing
breathtaking jumps on the seesaw while, on the right,
there is the restaurants area. Notice the size of
tables for eating on. One thing all the tables have
in common is that they are all very low, and the
customers have to seat on the floor. This is the
way it is in traditional restaurants, even in the
city, and in most Korean houses. The reason being
that the heating comes from the floor. It is a typical
Korean way of heating the houses, by pipes that
are underneath the floor. It is very effective,
I have to say, and we are going to miss it. Nevertheless,
it is extremely uncomfortable, for a foreigner with
long legs like me, to sit on the floor for more
than ten minutes.
Below on the left you can see the mask shop in
the Folk village. On the right there is a shot of
a performance involving a traditional dance, in
which, at the beat of drums, the dancers spin a
ribbon attached to their hats.
Below, on the left, are some wood sculptures
which I heard, where used to keep away the evil
spirits. In the photo on the right, I (Paul) am
sat writing this very monthly update. Valeria
is taking the picture and this is our apartment.
Sat on the sofa, an American friend, Alex, chills
out drinking my beers and watching baseball.
Fashion
crisis: Last photo of this monthly, a portrait
of myself in complete snow boarding gear, ready
to face the new challenge. With this style, I am not
sure if I will get allowed into Italy later this year.
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