This week (Tuesday-Friday) and
next Tuesday we have had and are having zone conferences by climbing up our
mountain while talking about the Sacrament, with stops along the way. It has
been interesting to see the level of fitness in the missionaries, along with
their compassion in helping the slower members of the zone. This coming Sunday
we have branch conference on Jeju Island, and then we will stay an extra day to
hold zone conference while hiking Mount Hala.
Last week we were able to attend
the BYU Wind Symphony, here in Busan. Our missionaries could attend if they had
an investigator come with them. I’m not sure how the ticket system worked, as
they seemed to hold tickets for all missionaries wearing their name tag but
then had to exchange the tickets with others at the door. The investigators
would be expected to purchase their ticket unless a member offered to do so??? It
was fun to watch a few of our missionaries who knew some of the performing
musicians, talking afterwards. Dad and I attended a small reception after the
performance, with Donald L. Peterson, the conductor. The area stake presidents
and their wives were there along with the Korea Public Affairs director for the
Church, and the manager of the symphony and his wife. It was nice to hear a
little bit of the behind the scenes experiences of the symphony director. Fun
night!
We visited the Samkwang temple in
Busan last night that has a huge festival of lights set up to celebrate Buddha’s
birthday. It was amazing! We took a taxi there and back home and were gone from
the mission home for about an hour.
There are many tables set up
along the pathway to this elephant and also up the steps of the temple. People
"work the tables² meaning they try to sell us name cards to tie onto a
lighted lantern that is set up as a false ceiling땣o all
these colorful lanterns have name cards hanging down from them which people
purchased- to have Buddha bless you when you pay and pray to him.
This past Saturday we flew to
Jeju Island to attend Seogwipo’s branch conference on Sunday, and then zone
conference on Monday. Dad, Ben, and I went out to eat dinner with the
assistants before they headed off to meet up with the Jeju elders. Dad, Ben,
and I walked back the other direction and saw this lady so I took her picture.
She let me take the picture and then wanted to see it, and approved. When we
went to the outdoor market a few months ago one woman wouldn’t let me take her
picture, next to the pig skins or bugs or something.
Dad and I asked for a restaurant
recommendation from the concierge at the hotel, who directed us to this place.
I don’t think I would go back. It was ok but it reminded me of when Dad and I
went to an Indian restaurant many years ago in Washington DC. When we went to
that restaurant I was so very hungry, started eating heartily, and then quickly
decided Indian food was not my favorite. I had the same type of experience
here. The owner (he wasn’t our waitress so I don’t know what else to call him) came
over to our table fairly far into the meal and just plopped down on the
tabletop grill this octopus. There’s no way I was going to eat that! Dad tried
to eat it but he described it as tasting like rubber, the texture was like
rubber, everything about it was like rubber/non-edible. The other picture shows
the meat we mostly ate, described as Jeju black pig on the menu. If you look
closely at the plate. The lowest piece of meat shows the side view well enough
to see the different layers to the meat. On the left side is the first layer
which is pig skin, then fat (thick portion/layer) muscle with some
gristle/cartilege that they crunch their way through. When you’re hungry you
eat whatever but then when you have some food in your system you start to have
a more difficult time swallowing some of the local fare. This is common with
most restaurants what they serve/what we normally eat.
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