A Korean Wedding

On Saturday I had the privilege of attending a Korean wedding.

Before the ceremony we could go upstairs and see the bride, who'd been all decked out and positioned on a fancy couch for photo-taking since 9 a.m. that morning. She was stunning, and the whole scene looked like it belonged on the cover of Vogue Magazine or something. The elegance was just incredible.

After taking pictures with the bride we went to a huge buffet with a shockingly vast spread. The food was delicious. The banquet hall seemed to be full of many parties, though, not just those related to our coworker's wedding.

Apparently in Korea many wedding halls are referred to as “wedding factories,” because Korean wedding ceremonies only take about thirty minutes and one couple goes after another promptly like in a factory line.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, but because of the setting, many people were milling about and talking just beyond the chairs and there seemed to be no reverence for and little focus on the event that was occurring.

Apparently after the ceremony that we saw, there is a private ceremony for the families in which the bride wears her hanbok and bows to her new husband's parents.

We didn't get to see that, though, so here are photos from the part we saw:

Pneumonia

My coworker contracted pneumonia! He has to be in the hospital for at least four days, and he could end up staying a week.

Fortunately, health care is fairly inexpensive here with the benefits that we receive. His bed, treatment, food, and everything will only cost him about $15 a day.

Unfortunately, he has to drag his IV downstairs to buy his own water, carry his gruel trays down the hall for the nurses to wash, and clean his own spoon and chopsticks after every meal.

I guess cheap healthcare comes at a price...

At least he's going to get better and have a chance to rest in the meantime.

Discount Water

I went to the store to buy some drinking water today and was amused at which brand was on sale. Water from the sparkling springs of Jeju Island? No, that's the most expensive one. See for yourself which one is advertised at cheapest price:



Yep, water from the DMZ!

Actually, I don't know where the water comes from. Maybe DMZ is just a random brand name. But since it's 청정수, apparently the water is immaculate!

Can Mobiles with Broken Wings Still Fly?

A girl at a church service I go to Tuesday nights gave me this beautiful mobile that she made. It was so pretty and her gesture was so kind it warmed my heart. I took extra care to pack it gently in my bag for the long bike ride home, but somehow one piece was destroyed and most of them fell off the string. I tried to fix it but in vain. I am so sad that it is ruined.

A Citadel in My Front Room

Remember making forts as kids? This one would have been a palace!



(Really I just washed my comforter and hung it out to dry.)

Meet the Press

Today one of the translators at my church invited me to write articles for a print newspaper he will begin publishing next month.  He said I can take pictures and write about anything in English, and then he will translate it into Korean for his paper.  The only stipulation that he gave me was that I have to write about things in this city, as opposed to other places in Korea.  That's not too bad a limit, since I don't go many other places here.  I'm actually super thrilled.  (Those of you who know me know of my amateur pursuits in print publishing so I'm sure you understand.)  He said that after my first story he will get me a press pass.  On the one hand I'm an amateur and he's aware of this and he himself is just getting the paper off the ground (at least the way I understand it), but on the other, this is bigger than anything I've ever tried before when it comes to putting things in print.  I am super excited.  Hopefully it will pan out and I can build some awesome writing skills.  Yippee!

Threatened with a Vain End

On my break today I rode out to this interesting spot and saw an attractively mysterious-looking path.



It appeared to lead across the tracks to some construction and apartment buildings.



Unfortunately, this massive sign was firmly planted by the path.



I thought at first it said something like, “Threat/Menace/Intimidation! Vain End!” But after realizing and then correcting my typos I saw that it says, “Danger. Entry prohibited. Road end.”

My break is almost over, so I suppose I won't impose.