South Korea: Sheep Farm

According to the itinerary, our last destination of the second day in South Korea was supposed to be the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm.

But instead of visiting 200 sheep raised there, we were amazed at seeing herds of visitors who heavily outnumbered the animals.

Since the previous day, we had been encountering traffic jams on the road and long queues at tourist spots. Our bus driver noticed that the routes were even much more congested than during New Year and Christmas. Jeson who had been working as a tour guide for six years told us that it was the worst situation he had ever experienced. He teased that it was as if we had won the lottery. Addy who had led three tours to South Korea in the past also commented that he had never seen this kind of huge crowds everywhere.

After discussion with Jeson, Addy showed us pictures of sheep taken in the farm with his hand phone during his previous trip and asked our approval to shift to another nearby sheep farm. It would cost higher entrance fee but the local travel agency was willing to bear the difference.

Thank God all of us agreed to change to this less famous yet interesting Parame Mae Sheep Farm, for our access to everything was going to be easy without we having to squeeze ourselves among the multitude of human beings.

The first animal we came across was this big furry dog which liked to move in all the directions while our group members were posing next to it for photographs.

So I decided to intrude the kennel since its host was away. The dog immediately rushed home to welcome me with a kiss, probably mistaking me for its piggy friend as shown in the picture above the little wooden house.

We were given cereal-like dried food and fresh grass in a ladle to feed the sheep in their pens.

I began to be fond of sheep after studying about New Zealand in geography in Form two. Though I no longer dream of marrying a sheep breeder of the Canterbury Plain, tame and adorable sheep remain my favorite animals besides cats.

I thought of Jesus who is "the gate for the sheep", "that whoever enters through Him will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." (John 10:7-10)

How wonderful it is to have the Lord as my shepherd (Psalm 23:1) who calls his own sheep by name and leads them out (John 10:3).

A path was leading uphill which provided a wider view of the surrounding area. As we paced, we had to be careful to avoid sheep's waste. Despite all the attention I paid, I stepped on a wet lump of excretion.

Animals assembled by sticks of wood which were watching the spacious and peaceful environment did not laugh at me. They must be used to the scene.

After the visit, we joined an indoor activity--making cheese with cow milk. We were divided into small groups seated at different tables. Our teacher explained the procedure in Korean while our tour guide Jeson translated into Mandarin for us.

Ingredients and utensils were laying on the table.

All we needed to do was to follow the instructions. We could participate in each step either individually

or together to boil the milk, stir it, add flavour and vinegar, arrange flowers, pour the mixture, sprinkle sunflower seeds, drain the whey and pressed the curds.

Without surprise, our table presented the finest result among all the groups based on the "judges"' comments. I said to my elder group members, "Since we all are handsome men and pretty women, of course we produce beautiful cheese!" They all laughed.

We savoured our own product cut into small cubes accompanied by chips, strawberry jam and homemade red wine.

It was the visit I had enjoyed most during this trip in South Korea, thanks to the sheep and the cheese, and maybe the sea of people in the first farm which had put us off.

South Korea: Taepo Fish Market

Saturday afternoon, we headed to Taepo Fish Market which was along a street by the sea. As we walked in, immediately on our right were stalls selling tempura (Japanese style seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried).

On our left were shops promoting all kinds of dried seafood.

I planned to survey those items and their prices in different shops with Mum, then only we decided what to buy. But when Mum saw some aunties and uncles from our group entering one of the first shops, she quickly followed them.

While they were bargaining with the shopkeepers, I happily tasted free samples of dried oysters, anchovies, seaweeds, etc.

Later, we saw other aunties and uncles coming out from another shop further down with plastic bags. Mum talked to them and realised that we had paid 10% more than they for exactly the same product.

Towards the end of the market were stalls of fresh fish, crabs, squids, octopus, sea cucumbers, shells, etc. The sellers were mostly women. I guessed their husbands must be the ones who brought back those seafood from the sea.

It was a pity that we had just had our seafood lunch in a restaurant before we came. Otherwise, I would have loved to take a couple of sticks of tempura or taste those things with funny appearance boiled in a wok.

Sitting inside a restaurant behind one of the stalls to have a fresh seafood feast while appreciating the sea view would have been a nice experience to me even though I was not a steamboat fan.

Before we got back to our bus, Mum and I bought six tteok (rice cakes) with three different colours and flavours for dessert, which were the only sweet stuff we could find from the fish market.

After sea creatures, now it was the turn to visit land animals.

South Korea: Seoraksan National Park

Our arrival at the Seoraksan National Park on our second morning in South Korea was also delayed due to congestion on the road. Small lanterns were hanging everywhere as a sign of the celebration of the birth of Buddha throughout the month.

If we visited the park in autumn, Seoraksan, the third highest mountain in South Korea, would be covered by beautiful red and yellow forests.

Most members from our group did not miss to pose in front of the bronze Buddha. As a Christian, I only served as some aunties and uncles' camera girl. Then, I chose this nearby corner as the background of my picture.

I always loved to breathe fresh air released by trees

and listen to flowing of mountain streams.

It would be unthinkable for me to get bored with the nature.

South Korea: Shopping Streets and Markets

During our tour, we were given about one hour to visit by ourselves each of the shopping areas like Chuncheon Myeongdong Street,

Sinchon College Street,

Seoul Myeongdong Street

and Dongdaemun Mall.

As I did not intend to dress up like South Korean ladies, many of whom looked alike in their latest fashion and hairstyle, and I would spend two hours reading a book rather than putting makeup or doing skincare like some of them do, I ended up window shopping with Mum who preferred other different things and whose interest I also tried to cater to. However, regardless of our age, both of us were attracted by those cosmetic shops in front of which young girls in uniforms were smilingly giving free samples to passers-by who were willing to enter and carry the small shopping baskets to look at their products... Later in Jeju Island, I managed to seize an opportunity to go alone to a shopping centre near our hotel and bought two comfortable discounted T-shirts for myself.

Some of our group members had unpleasant experiences with Korean shopkeepers. According to them, they were treated rudely or even chased out from the shop. Even though I had not witnessed any of their scenes, based on my observation, I guessed our Malaysian aunties must have crowded those boutiques and talked too loudly in their Chinese dialects, which made the reserved Korean locals uncomfortable.

Walking around markets was more enjoyable. I loved to learn what South Koreans, who never hear of fried bananas in their country, eat as street snacks.

Mum and I bought a sweet and juicy pear from this stall called "Fat Auntie's stall". The plump woman sitting in the middle of her fruits, which resembled her big and round body, was also offering free samples. She drew customers easily without having to wear a cute skirt.

Dear Mr tour leader and Mr tour guide, next time please bring our Malaysian aunties to markets, not boutiques.

South Korea: Nami Island

I had chosen to fly before the Malaysia school holidays in order to pay lower tour fee and to avoid crossing flocks of my fellow citizens in South Korea. However, I had not been informed that Friday 21 May, the birthday of Buddha according to the Lunisolar calendar in this country which has over 10 million Buddhists, was going to be a public holiday and that many Koreans themselves would take this opportunity to travel during the long weekend.

So the first day of our arrival, we were already stuck in the traffic jam even on the highway. It was so heavy that a usual two-and-a-half-hour journey from Seoul to Chuncheon finally cost us six hours in the bus! As a result, public toilets at rest areas became the first spots we eagerly visited after lunch.

To reach the offshore island named after general Nami, we had to queue up behind the mass, mostly local visitors, to take the ferry.

Once I was walking between the tall and elegant metasequoia trees in Namisum, I understood why it was one of the most famous tourist attractions in South Korea.

Along the lane surrounded by fresh green sprouts, there were small theme gardens and exhibition booths. Every corner was so picturesque that even the craft birds did not wish to be bought by tourists too soon so that they could stay longer in the island.

Namisum was well known in other Asian countries since the Korean drama "Winter Sonata".

I had only watched one episode some years ago. So I was not very keen to take a picture with the poster of the leading actors, nor their statues. I was more interested in stones

and ponds which rested my mind.

When evening was approaching, we spent another half an hour to line up to leave the island by ferry. I wished we could extend our stroll in this romantic island. If I were a bird, I would also not want to fly away from Namisum.

South Korea: Healthy and Tasty Dishes

Before we went to Korea, an employee of the travel agency kindly told Mum and me, "Korean meals are very simple. Please don't expect a lot of meaty dishes like we have here in Malaysia. And you might not be used to the taste. Nonetheless, a few Chinese meals will be provided during the trip."

Having seen Mum enjoy most of the food in France and in Japan, I replied to the lady, "Don't worry, Miss. We two are not fussy about food at all." In my heart I was only looking forward to authentic South Korean dishes, not Chinese cuisine.

The Korean food I had eaten previously was limited to kimchi (fermented vegetables), gamjajeon (potato pancake), gimbap (seaweed-rice) and instant noodles, but I had never been to any Korean eatery. During the tour, I had numerous occasions to sit at typical Korean restaurants

where clients were seated at tables of four to eat with stainless-steel chopsticks.

The local specialities which we tasted among the 18 meals included in the package were dakgalbi (Chuncheon chicken stirred fried with cabbage, sweet potatoes, and rice cake)

dolsot bibimbap (rice topped with seasoned vegetables and a raw egg in the middle served in a heated stone bowl), mushrooms,

seafood,

samgyetang (ginseng-and-glutinous-rice stuffed chicken soup)

dwaeji bulgogi (grilled pork)

shabu shabu (Japanese style steamboat),

jeonbokjuk (Jeju rice porridge with abalone)

and Jeju black pork.

Our tour leader and tour guide were always busy serving us and

adding ingredients to our tables.

When they could finally settle down to have their meals, many of our group members were already leaving the restaurant to get into the bus. Jeson once said to us with a bitter smile, "Please take your time at the tables. You all eat so fast that I have to rush to finish my food to catch up with you. So I don't even chew, I just swallow! As a result, I've been going to the toilet more often these few days..."

After several meals, I realised that Mum and I were the rare ones to like various banchan (steamed, marinated, or stir-fried vegetables or shredded squid usually seasoned with sesame oil, salt, vinegar, minced garlic, chopped green onions, dried chili peppers, and soy sauce, served as side dishes) and seaweed soup besides kimchi.

I also appreciated all the dishes as they were not only visually appealing to me, they were also not oily, which suited my stomach very much. I was surprised to find that some aunties had brought sambal (chili based sauce), ikan bilis (small dried anchovies) and roasted peanuts from Malaysia and generously shared with everybody to accompany the rice at almost all the meals.

Was I missing our national dish nasi lemak in front of the colourful and delicious South Korean food?

The answer was written on my whole face.