Sunday, May 16, 2010

CERAMICS!

                                                     
We went to the Gwangju Ceramics festival.  Ceramics have long been important for trade and economics here in Korea.  There are two main types of ceramics - a unique green called celdaon, and a white porcelain, called baek-ju or Joseon.  This region specializes in the white porcelain.
Ceramics museum - an interesting building


Here we are with two really large vases.

Working the clay.  The big wheel of clay will be worked with bare feet.  Then it will be pounded with a big mallet.  Once it is ready, it will be worked by hand on a potter's wheel.

Performances by drummers and singers.


I loved these miniature donkeys!

A new favorite!  This is an egg sandwich sort of thing - put batter, like pancake batter, in the mold. Break in an egg.   Put in more batter.  Close the lid.  Cook.  Sell to us.  We eat it.  YUM!
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1 comment:

  1. Heather C.May 18, 2010 at 5:21 PM

    Were you worried about tripping and crashing in to the giant vases?? I admire any potter--I have tried my hand at ceramics and failed miserably many times.

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Sunday, July 26 2009

Sunday, July 26 2009
Remember this sign?
We have learned something really interesting about this "welcome sign" which we thought was a big billboard that was pasted onto an old overpass. It turns out that this is a defensive emplacement known as a rock drop. It is a big concrete box full of rubble and rocks. In the event of an invasion by North Korea the panels underneath the drop will be opened and release the rubble across the roadway, hampering movement into South Korea.

SOLAR ECLIPSE!

SOLAR ECLIPSE!
Might look like the moon - but it's the sun!
On Wednesday July 22 Asia experienced a solar eclipse and we got to see it! Miraculously the expected day of monsoon rain did not materialize and the sky was mostly clear for the duration. During the eclipse, which occured around 11:00 a.m., the sun was much too bright to view directly - we had to be satisfied with reflected images. But, as the sun began to re-appear, just enough clouds came in to allow us to look - and take a picture. It was quite something to behold and we feel lucky for the opportunity.

On A Clear Day...

On A Clear Day...
We had 2 days of church meetings in the Seoul area. Today the weather was remarkably clear and I was able to get a great view of the city skyline and the radio tower. Usually the sky is too hazy for a view like this. Pollution, rain, high humidity or dust storms are contributing factors.