Precious Living

18th December, I spent the entire day at the WPBA Conference. I was given the first seat at the front so I sat a bit straighter.

If you are a blogger and interested in what was discussed, feel free to drop me a note.

19th November, the organizers took us on a tour.

First thing in the freezing cold morning, we were taken to the Ubiquitous Exhibition Hall which showcases the latest technology that have been developed in Korea. It is pretty impressive, Korea seems far more advanced, technologically, than Malaysia. Although this hall is not the kind of place I would have thought of visiting on my own. Ahem.

Next, we went to Chang Deok Gung which is one of the five Grand Palaces in Korea. It is also the most well-preserved Grand Palace. To best appreciate this 105-acre historical site, please

• pick a day when the weather won’t freeze your toes off. I was shivering so hard, all I could think of was running back to the heated bus. Who cares about carvings and a patriarchal society and architecture when your brain is frozen
• read up on the fascinating 4600-year history of Korea. Koreans have gone through a lot of wars, they have been a kingdom and is now a republic. There is much that must have happened to get this palace built in such a grand scale.

Despite my chattering teeth, I did enjoy the Secret Garden at the palace. Back then, I wouldn’t have had a chance to step into this garden unless I was born as an immediate member of the royal family. It is beautifully landscaped, I would have loved to be leisurely here if only it hadn’t been so cold.

Next, we were bussed to ToSokChan, a traditional restaurant which is still popular among the local elites. There is only one item on the menu here.

Ginseng Chicken Soup

So much chicken!

It is the perfect treat for a freakishly cold day. I don’t know how much it costs but if I were to return to Korea, I would go for this again. The chicken is richly stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic and other herbs. Mm mm, me want more!

After lunch, we were bussed to Korea House. We didn’t get to tour this traditional nobleman’s house because we were short of time but we did have a lot of fun. We played dress up in the HanBok (traditional Korean dress), and hosted a traditional tea ceremony. It was like a “masak-masak” for adults, even the boys loved it (although they will never admit that).

A nice lady helping me into the gown.

Bowing requires a lot more flexibility than it looks. The Koreans are such proper and cultured people, to have bowed to each other this way for centuries. I imagine a traditional Korean wife sending her husband off to war, not knowing if he will ever return. Instead of sobbing her eyes out, she contains her sadness and bows to express her love and honor for her man. Even now, the Koreans still bow to each other although not as ceremoniously.

The tea ceremony was interesting too. No photos to show you as I was so focused on the task that I forgot to snap. Sorry! O.o

After Korea House, we were taken to Insadong, a market for tourists to buy mostly made-in-china souvenirs. I was told that there are some Korean ceramicware, lacquerware and artwork that’s worth a look but I stomped my way from one end to the other in no time because it was just too cold for humans.

For dinner, we went to a buffet restaurant. The spread is huge and the seafood is fresh and good. But you can get the same food in Japanese restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia. The only thing different here are the Sushis.

They are wrapped in rice paper instead of seaweed. I think seaweed tastes better. I am just sharing this photo because this is something different.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

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