2nd Seoul

October 20, 2019-

2nd Seoul 

Our morning lecture was given by a professor who had spent time teaching in Canada. He was engaging, informative, and totally understandable. His opening salvo was throwing out a large number and asking what it represented. I must have had a good night’s sleep because I guessed it was the gross domestic product. I was right. Off to a rolling start, he began to draw us into the amazing recovery of S. Korea when the war ended in 1953. From devastated cities, a starving population, and loss of young males, they have increased their GDP 13 times.

He attributed the success to Korean culture and broke it down into five parts. Education is paramount. The Koreans were fortunate to have one of the most straightforward alphabets in the world. There are only 14 consonants and 10 vowels, and it is phonetic. The ease of learning to read has made illiteracy uncommon. Education is free and compulsory to grade nine. The remainder is pay as you go. The government is phasing in free education over several years starting with grade twelve and working backwards. Even though there is a fee for college, there is an over education problem with 68% of S. Koreans graduating. Many end up working in lesser positions including as servers in restaurants or gas stations.

Symbols are important to culture. Korea’s main symbol is the taegeuk, or yin and yang. It’s on the flag and is used so much it appears in unexpected places. Sometimes it is multicolored as in the google chrome or Pepsi logos.

Beliefs,values, and norms also influence culture. While Americans prefer individualism, Koreans value filial piety. Although several religions are practiced, 56% of the people claim no affiliation. Anger is to be suppressed. The suicide rate is very high.

At the end of the talk, David asked a question whose answer brought into focus a lot of cultural issues. He asked why children of Koreans and westerners were rejected after the war. Our teacher told us that in an effort to impart pride in Korea, people were taught from ancient times that they were descended from a mythological figure. They shared blood with this creature, and this blood had to be pure. By the time the USA decided to allow mixed race children from Vietnam and Korea to immigrate, the Koreans were adults. 

Whew! That was a lot to absorb. Watching the changing of the guards was next on our agenda and a welcome relief to brain strain. We went to the “Paris” gate again to watch a most colorful spectacle. Serious looking men in bizarre uniforms and hats paraded past camara toting tourists vying for the best positions. I used my height advantage to the max. Little did we know that at the end of the demonstration there would be ample time for photos as the guards hung around and posed. 

Reality of place and history hit us between the eyes at our next stop. The War Museum was not as graphic as some but definitely conveyed the atrocities The lead up to the Korean War and our involvement was a chaotic attempt to avoid it. S. Korea was woefully ill equipped to defend themselves and welcomed foreign aid. General MacArthur, beloved by Australians for “returning” and Japanese for helping form their post WWII democracy ,won over S. Korea with his unexpected and daring landing at Inchon. Even with that, there was much bloodshed as borders were won and lost. There was a 10% loss of life on the part of S. Korea and from 15-20% loss for the North.

Our afternoon lecture was given by a professor specializing in conflict resolution. His parents are refugees from the North who fled South during the war. They will never see or communicate with the relatives they left behind. To young S. Koreans today the war isn’t on their radar. There is no love lost for the North and they care little about reunification. He is,however, hopeful that Trump will keep working towards a peace agreement despite his own domestic problems. You see, there is still no treaty, only a cease fire. The “war” isn’t over; there’s just no fighting. He sees Kim easing restrictions on private enterprise and delegating some power.

On the pessimistic side, he said that S. Korea Is tied economically to the USA military complex. How did such a poor, devasted country rebuild? The answer is that the new leader went to Washington, DC and struck a deal with the president. S. Korea would supply soldiers to help the USA fight in Vietnam in exchange for funding. Oddly enough, the money ened up being used for the benefit of the country and not in the leader’s pockets.  Casualties for America in Vietnam numbered over 500,000. For S. Korea it was 360,000. As long as there is tension between North and South, the South will be tied economically to the USA military complex. They are one of our best customers.

Now for some lighter notes. There is universal healthcare based on income. The professor pays $70 a month for coverage. 

People living in the South whose families fled North Korea aren’t as discriminated against anymore unless they’re recent arrivals and poor. 

David has become our unofficial water bottle opener on the bordello bus for those too weak or arthritic to open their own.

Jinny’s English is still a mystery.

We still haven’t had Korean food. I don’t count the chicken soup. Lunch was at a buffet where selections ranged from sushi to pizza. We ate so much at lunch that our evening stroll through a nearby neighborhood past numerous eateries netted us no dinner, especially not the live baby octopus stew.

S. Korea has a low crime rate. Their youth are too busy studying for college eligibility. There’s no time for drugs or mischief.

We have everyone engaged in a quest for a hippo. Our now thirteen year old granddaughter is still collecting them. Hippopotamus is “Hama” in Korean. I even googled it and have the Korean spelling on my phone. Another couple is searching for peanut butter to make sandwiches in their room. They found jelly yesterday.

Tomorrow we lunch with Buddhist monks. Still no Korean food.

Toby

With Palace Guard

Seoul, S. Korea

October 19, 2019- Seoul, S. Korea

We lost a day of our lives traveling to Korea, but regain it coming home. Sorry we can’t give you any hints of the future. It just doesn’t work that way.

With the help of our little pal, Ambien, we slept through the night. It’s a no-brainer when we’ve flown to a time zone 13 hours different than ours.

Breakfast gave us the opportunity to learn how to use yet another coffee machine. I also learned that not every Caucasian in Korea speaks English. In an attempt to be helpful, I explained the mystery of the two spigots on the coffee maker only to get a polite smile and nod as he did what he pleased.

Most mornings start with a lecture. Today’s teacher was a PhD candidate from Michigan. She became interested in the language then the culture in middle school when she couldn’t understand her friends who were Korean twin sisters. As a paranoid middle-schooler, she thought they were talking about her when they lapsed into Korean.

Korea is flanked on three sides by the sea and is 70% mountains. Their dynasties were more stable than Japan’s or China’s so geographical pockets of culture developed and thrived for centuries. Japan colonized the peninsula from 1910-1945, and only left after WWII. Enter the USA and Russia in 1950, creating what was supposed to be a temporary division between north and south. When unification was tried in 1948, war broke out. Cessation of the war brought an authoritarian government to the south where rebuilding became a reality. The late 80’s to early 90’s saw the advent of open elections and democracy.

Shamanism is the only religion native to Korea. It is rarely practiced, although people may weave some of its rituals and beliefs into contemporary religions. Confucianism arrived in the first century BCE, while Buddhism came in the fourth century. Christianity made its way here by way of Jesuits from China. Koreans were quite opposed to a religion that conflicted so radically with Confucianism, especially regarding ancestor worship. They either drove the Jesuits out or killed them. In the nineteenth century, Protestants were more kindly welcomed since they brought western education and medicine with them. Today Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in S. Korea.

After the lecture, we boarded what I refer to as our bordello bus, passed a Krispy Kreme, and headed for the National Museum. Exhibits ranged from Paleolithic to celadon ceramic ware. It was a lovely building, but our guide, Jinny, herded us through at a fast pace. 

Speaking of Jinny, her accent is wearing on the group. People are starting to zone out because we can’t understand her and some are getting irritable. Korean words frequently have optional suffixes. She attaches that to English words along with the common replacement of the “L” for “R.” For example, it took a bit to realize that “loofehs ” were roofs. I couldn’t understand why Paris was so important until I guessed we were going to visit the Palace. When explaining about kings and concubines, she frequently mentioned that the king was impotent. That confused me as to how the dynasties were sustained. In reality, the group consensus was that the kings were all “important.” Sometimes her answers to questions fall short or are misleading due to language. David asked if there was a lot of walking at the Palace. She said that we were taking the bus. David didn’t take his hiking poles. There was tons of walking on uneven surfaces and steps with no railing. She must have thought he asked if we were walking “to” the Palace. Some responses are funny like when she told us we could recognize our hotel by the blue bow. We were all confused until she pointed to a blue statue of a man bowing. Aside from being hard to understand, she seems set in her ways. Several people asked about an ATM to change money. Jinny was vague at best and preferred what sounded like currency exchanges. Her concern turned out to be the service charge we’d have to pay at the machine. There was actually an ATM in our hotel. No one cared about the fee. 

In the end, the Palace, a UNESCO site, looked like a smaller version of the Forbidden City in China only lots cleaner. In fact, judging by Seoul, Korea is very clean and pretty much litter free. The Secret Garden of the Palace consisted of sand paths, pagodas, greenery, and no flowers.  Color was provided by local tourists who rented traditional Korean costumes and re-enactors. Because Koreans built with wood and heated with wood or charcoal burners under the floors, most historic buildings aren’t original. Duh, wooden buildings burn.

Lunch was billed as an authentic cultural experience. We had a reservation, but people were lined up to eat the famous chicken soup.  Whole disemboweled chicken stuffed with rice is cooked in and served in a clay pot. The result was disappointing. It was tasteless, the rice had become pasty, and the poor bird was more bones than meat. I think we all left hungry. 

Most people were too tired for dinner, but we got together with Audrey from Manhattan, and, with Jinny, we walked a few blocks to a happening street market where we had dinner on the hoof. Jinny escorted us there, cautioned us not to eat meat, and turned us loose. She does want to be helpful. I loved the egg bread. It’s a thick sweet slice of baguette with a fried egg on top. The red bean pancake was yum. David wasn’t happy with his kim chee omelet but liked his cup of sweetened potatoes. There was a variety of fish, eel, and shellfish offerings along with dumplings. I laughed at the Oreo churros and cringed at the seaweed stuffed with Choices of Velveeta or Spam. I kid you not. We were lured to a cart by two men singing a jingle in English as they stretched a honey and flour mixture into paper thin strands, filled it with chopped chocolate, and rolled it into candy. I admit that I initially thought they were singing “lowly,lowly,lowly” until I watched what they were doing and realized they were saying “rolly, rolly .” 

We found the blue bow and our hotel in time to get to bed on the early side. Tomorrow we continue touring Seoul.

Toby

Bordello Bus

Costumed Women at Palace

Food Trucks

Arriving in Seoul, S. Korea

 Oct. 17,  2019

We’re off on another adventure halfway around the world. South Korea is our destination. We arrived a few hours ago, ate a bite, and went to an orientation meeting with our heavily accented guide Jinny. There are only ten on this our second Road Scholar trip, three couples and four singles. The oldest is 81, and I guess the young couple is in their 50’s. Other than the two hour drive in from Inchon Airport, we’ve seen modern skyscrapers and a cart full of oranges. Neighborhoods seem to flow from metropolitan to quaint niches of color and culture. The Japanese occupation must have left them with an affinity for complex toilets. We half expected them in our hotel rooms, but having them in the stalls of airport restrooms was novel.

As with all our adventures, we seem to create or fall into unusual circumstances. First thing this morning, after our 25-minute flight from Akron to Detroit, David mistakenly used the ladies room. He has a new travel outfit with sweatpants and no fly and had to use a stall. I don’t think he realized his mistake until he was finished. He left the ladies room quickly and decided to wash his hands in the men’s room. 

For some reason flights to South Korea have additional security checks. Passengers go through a facial scan at the gate, then ICE is waiting at the end of the jetway for further inspections. Today they removed an Asian family of four.

We flew premium economy which meant we boarded after first class and before economy, had extra legroom, wider seats, white dish towels thrown over our tray tables, ceramic dishes, and stainless cutlery.    

Most of you have received these emails while we travel. You know that sometimes they are opinionated, informational, or free association. I tend to include information about meals since there are several readers who enjoy culinary details. Reactions are welcome to any of my opinions.

Unfortunately, I have to dictate the material or use the iPads built in keyboard now. My external keyboard is malfunctioning. I hope to get It figured out, but three young Korean women have failed. Perhaps a good charge will help. It seems to have dead spots.

Tomorrow we’ll tour old and new Seoul. The DMZ is closed indefinitely. It isn’t due to political bickering. This time it’s because of an invasion of the African swine flu brought in from China by way of N. Korea.

Toby 

Returning

Oct. 13, 2018-Returning

Things went swimmingly until we got to Frankfort. The plane we were supposed to board had mechanical problems, and they had to get a new plane. Luckily, Lufthansa had an extra plane in Frankfort. We were delayed and missed our connecting flight to Cleveland in the States. That added 5 hours to our traveling day. It was interesting that when the Frankfort pilot got on the speaker to welcome us and apologize, he said that planes are very smart. The one that broke down knew it was in need of repair and sent a message to that effect to maintenance. No one read it until an hour before flight time. Then, the replacement plane that had been sitting across the field for hours hadn’t yet been cleaned. He said the delay was due to failings of their organization. He was not a happy camper. We were supposed to arrive around 7 PM. Instead, we got to Cleveland around midnight. Even though we’re TSA pre-checked, some gates didn’t provide for that. The only plus was that we’ve aged out of taking our shoes off at security. 

It was an exhausting way to end one of the best trips we’ve taken. You know how compatible the group was and how competent our guide. But I feel compelled to talk about something else. I am afraid for the people of the Baltic States and Russia. There is a disease creeping across their countries. It is a plague of romanticism and wistfulness. Many people are frustrated. They remember when life was easier. Decisions were made for them. They were provided for. They forget those who were persecuted, those who disappeared, those who spoke out and were killed. 

The Baltics forget that they are babies in the art of governance. They have been dominated for so many centuries, they had to invent their own democracy. Twenty-seven years is not enough time. They need to adapt what they have and look towards the future. Russia went from a despotic monarchy to communism to a democratic revolution. They too had no idea how to govern themselves. They’ve done remarkably well, but there are always those who are neglected. Hopefully, Russia will adapt and look ahead. The Baltic States and Russia have bloody pasts. They now have vehicles in place for peaceful change. I hope they take advantage of them. 

Perhaps they’ll look backwards to learn, then set the path for a future based on that knowledge. It’s about improving on what we have. It’s about repair, not retreat.

Toby

Farewelling Moscow

Oct. 12, 2018- Farewelling Moscow

Too much of a good thing. Yesterday I ate delicious beef kofta for lunch and lamb sausage and sauerkraut for dinner. Or maybe it’s the huge bowl of kiwi I had for breakfast.  It’s more than my antacid can handle. The good thing is that the solution to the discomfort of indigestion is to keep eating :) I just had chicken soup for lunch. Here’s to Jewish penicillin. 

We had a late start this morning, but woke up tired. I think we’re still recovering from the night at the circus. Some of you might consider it to be divine justice. And still, we had a hectic morning on foot. We were in front of the Kremlin walls for changing of the guard. After the new guards were situated at their posts, a man with seniority inspected them. He adjusted their stance, fiddled with a belt, and re-positioned a hat. A large crowd had gathered to watch the high stepping soldiers go through their maneuvers. A group of Chinese tourists took front and center with phones at the ready. Luckily, I was able to snap away over their heads. 

We followed our excellent city guide from yesterday through the gate of the Kremlin and into the area behind the square. There were lots of official cars moving about, but Putin was not on site. We were in a sector where several churches were clustered. Each czar/czarina had to have his/her own church. These were small and delicate structures with brightly hued paintings of saints looking down from walls and ceilings. The exteriors had the required gold leaf and crosses on spires, but not red stars. Those are on government buildings and are made of glass and ruby dust. They’re quite durable. We struggled against the tide of people trying to enter and leave the small churches and emerged intact as a group. “We weeen (we win) became a common refrain. 

Next stop was also within the Kremlin walls, the Armory Chamber. That is a misnomer. There are some articles of battle, but those are mostly gifts from other nations to Russia and weren’t used in battle. The Armory houses the royal collection of icons, jewels, Faberge, thrones, clothing, silver, and gifts from foreign diplomats. The most interesting to us were the carriages. Our guide made sure we heard stories and history about the collection and their owners. 

Bob, our group leader, is most enthusiastic. He made what sounded like a good suggestion, but pooped us all out. He got a bus (the 40 passenger one for all 7 who went), and we went to Arbat Street, the oldest pedestrian mall in Moscow. Traffic was horrendous and we were hungry. The street is lined with book stalls and souvenir shops with a couple of notable statues. We did walk past Pushkin’s house where he lived for a while after his marriage. Sooner rather than later, Bob selected a place to eat. It had a cow statue in front and its name in Russian is MY MY. We were confused until he explained that the Cyrillic letters are pronounced Moo Moo. It was cafeteria style, and we ate lightly. 

Because traffic was so heavy, Bob had sent the bus away and we decided to take the Metro back to the hotel. It was a good decision, although it was not lacking endless flights of steps.

It’s hard to believe our farewell banquet was tonight. Our small band of nine went to the Savoy Hotel restaurant. We recapped our experiences and wished us all well. The time has flown and we’ve met smart, vibrant fellow travelers. Our guide will be well rewarded by all for his organization, patience, humor, and knowledge.  

Tomorrow we leave the hotel at 5:30 AM and arrive in Cleveland at 7:09 PM, all things being equal and flights on time. You do the math for how long we’ll be awake. Hint, the time difference is 7 hours.

Toby

Cannon in front of Kremlin Armory- never fired 

Peter Columbus statue

Savoy hotel-farewell dinner

Endless Day in Moscow

Oct. 11, 2018- Endless Day in Moscow

I thought we’d be exhausted after our late night, but we were energized by our city guide and our experiences today. It was our longest day of touring yet.

On our drive around Moscow, I learned that my favorite statue was one they’d rather not have to look at. Years ago, Moscow made a gift of a statue of Christopher Columbus to the Dominican Republic. Don’t know why. They didn’t like it and sent it back. What to do? Being innovative, some Moscow official replaced the head of Columbus with the head of Peter the Great. It is now called the Peter Columbus statue. See, despite their taciturn exteriors, Russians do have a sense of humor.

A delight of this city is that there’s a surprise around every corner. It is most likely a brightly colored onion domed church. They relieve the dismal gray of the older buildings. I didn’t like the red fortress wall around Red Square any better in bright sunlight, although I do appreciate how sturdy it is to have survived since the 15th century. Within that fortress is where the settlement of Moscow began.

There are many parks and four actual forests in the city. There’s a forest in each quadrant to provide an antidote to pollution. I don’t know if the founders realized that, or if they wanted hunting close at hand, but those forests serve a purpose today.

An unexpected experience was Victory Park. Built to commemorate the War of 1812 (theirs, not ours), WWI, but especially WWII, the park is home to a church, a mosque, and a synagogue. There are five synagogues in Moscow and 14% of the city’s population is Muslim. Just when I begin to really start liking these folks, I have to remind myself that they are not our friends. Not historically and not now.

The guide explained that in 1993, when Yelstin was ousted, a change was made to the constitution to give the president more power.  More recently, the term of office was lengthened from four to six years. He said that after Putin’s time is up, he can’t predict who will take over. I asked if he could predict who our president would be in 2020. He said he didn’t know, but the hackers probably did.

Our hotel houses a mini art walk in that it has Art Deco stained glass installations aplenty. The collection I enjoyed this morning was on my way down the stairs to breakfast. Any window was an excuse for leaded glass enhancement. So, I was psyched to see the collection at the Tretyakov Gallery this afternoon. I learned that up to the 17th century, Russian art was church art iconography. The 18th century was a learning experience, and Russian artists travelled to Western Europe to study. By the 19th century, they began developing their own style. We time travelled through the ages as we spent hours exploring the collections with our guide. 

Not having exhausted us yet, he took us underground to learn about the famous Moscow Metro. The stations are themselves works of art. Ceilings are decorated with medallions of mosaic, bronze statuary honoring peasant workers, and delicate bas relief enhancing archways and ceiling coffers. Each station is unique and each represents the story of its time.

Tomorrow is an easier day. We will conquer the Kremlin itself, or it will conquer us. 

Toby

Us in front of St. Basil's

Princess Sophia (Peter's sister) exiled to a posh nunnery

Metro mosaic art

Moscow

Oct. 10, 2018-Moscow

Yes, I noticed I dated yesterday’s email as “2918.” No, I’m not prescient. 

The nine of the group going to Moscow travelled 4 hours on a high-speed train going up to 125 mph. It was clean and modern. There was even a bistro car. Carts were wheeled up and down the aisles offering drink and shopping opportunities.  A wrapped apple was on each seat to welcome passengers.  The train was packed as was the one for Moscow that left 15 minutes earlier. There were five quick stops to onload and offload passengers in towns along the way. When I say quick, I mean one minute. We timed it. We slept on and off, read, and watched clusters of unpainted weathered wood houses go by.

Moscow is shabby compared to St. Petersburg. It was built without a plan and is quite the hodge-podge. We’re staying at the old Metropole Hotel where David stayed in 1985, while visiting refuseniks. It was familiar to him, but there are many changes. The wall behind the front desk is now black granite. In 1985, it held banks of tape recorders each displaying the room number being recorded. The second floor has guest rooms. It used to be off limits and dedicated to the KGB. There are no more “key ladies” on each floor tracking who is in their room and who is not. This hotel was built in 1905, during the time of the czars and we’re staying here. Amazing.

After dinner we walked past the original GUMS Dept. Store and took a quick walk around Red Square. I really didn’t like the Russian red stucco fortification wall along one perimeter. The area of the square is huge. We entered at the far end from St. Basil’s Cathedral, the iconic colorful domed representative of Moscow. Unfortunately, the church seemed dwarfed by distance. But then the evening lights went on and all glory broke loose. 

We had a special activity for four of us who chose to go. We had our own 40 passenger bus take us to an overlook of the city at night. It twinkled and almost made me forget the suffering that has taken place here. We then proceeded to the Moscow Circus performance at its modern single ring home arena. I know there are some of you who don’t approve of the circus, but let me tell you that these are stunningly healthy animals. They were all well rounded and had shining fur. They live off site out of the city. There were no elephants. There were lions and tigers, dogs, and magnificent horses. The usual aerial acts were performed and lighting and costuming was top rate. Two bands alternated providing live music, and the clowns were so riveting we didn’t even notice paraphernalia being erected for the next act. The theme was the World Cup. They can’t get away from the pride they feel in having hosted it. There were a lot of countries represented, even the US. I cracked up when they had performers in Hawaiian costumes and the music was Latin American. Then there were the Indians (from India) with hip hop moves. Flash photography was forbidden to the extent the ushers had laser pointers and would nail anyone who used flash. It was very conspicuous, and we all turned to look at the culprit. 

Security is tight in Moscow. We’ve gone through metal detectors to enter our hotel and the circus. So far, no tests for poison.

Tomorrow we do the usual drive around photo op tour.

Toby

View from train

GUMS

St.Basil's in Red Square

Lion Tamer at Moscow Circus