Korean Houses

I have been watching documentaries on South Korean architecture recently. I thought it would be a great idea to share my thoughts about South Korean houses.

South Korea's traditional houses are called Hanok(한옥) and these beautiful houses use wood frame for the roof , doors and windows and clay for the floor. For me they look very similar to the traditional Kerala houses. Most of these Hanoks are single floored. But with population growth, change in living patterns and less housing in areas like Seoul the houses started to grow taller. Apartment system was introduced and many people could live in a smaller area. 

Being an Indian I observed certain things about South Korean housing which I have never heard of in India. (Or it could be that I have not experienced it yet) The houses that I visited had only one bathroom or toilet whether it was a big house or a very small house. And some houses had low roof and smaller rooms. South Koreans are used to sleeping on the floor so that could be the reason why the rooms are smaller. If a bed is to be put in the room their would not be any space for other furniture or it could become very congested. And as South Korea is geographically a country full of ups and downs i.e. hills and mountains, basement of the building is also used for housing. Here, there two terms for apartments or houses which are in the basement. One is basement house which is fully underground and the other is half-basement where the window of the house is on the same level as the road. The lowest floor costs lower  the higher you go the rent for the apartments or rooms are higher. This is because the basement and the 1st floor does not get enough sun light and could become humid. Also these floors invite a variety of insects. 

The walls of my room with mold. This was in summer after heavy rains. 

I really don't know why houses have low roof. I guess it is to save space upwards and make more floors. It is just my guess. Having lower roof makes the house or room very humid and it leads to the formation of fungus/mold. The other thing I was shocked to know about was the noise disturbance between each floor. In South Korea, people make complaints about noise disturbance. Households with kids have a tough time because kids normally like to jump and play around and if the house is on the 2nd floor or higher floors, the family living beneath them have to bear the sound of kids jumping above. Some families with kids opt for the 1st floor as there won't be anyone beneath them, some opt to live in rural areas in a single villa house. I think this could make people to stop having kids as they have to go through so much of trouble. The noise disturbance is not just caused by kids jumping. It could be the sound of he washing machine or dryer. So most households do not/cannot use washing machines after a certain time in the night. 

This made me feel that South Koreans are very sensitive especially the people living in crowded areas. After working so hard and being stressed from everyday's work they expect a peaceful time for rest which when disturbed not just South Korean but anyone could become sensitive.      

Masks during the pandemic 마스크

When Corona virus started spreading in Korea in February 2020 everyone was trying to buy maximum number of masks from Internet and other places. Some middle men were hoarding and trying to sell within Korea as well as other countries for higher prices. It left the government to make regulations on mask production and distribution. Masks could be bought depending on the last digit of one's birth year. (Which meant that people who did not have ID card were not eligible to buy masks as it was mandatory to produce your ID card when buying masks.)

N-94 masks were distributed to Pharmacies, post offices and some other places. From Monday till Friday the digits were from 1 to 0 i.e. on Monday people whose last digit of birth year was 1 and 6 could buy masks. On Tuesdays 2 and 7, on Wednesdays 3 and 8 and so on. On Saturday and Sunday people who could not buy masks during the week were able to purchase it. In one week we could only purchase 2 masks as our purchase was recorded using our ID cards. 

I did not need 2 masks per week as I was spending time at home. So I bought masks once in 2 weeks. The pandemic had made masks a necessity that I thought that I will have to spend a lot on buying masks. This made me to challenge myself to make washable cotton masks. So I followed the directions given in a Youtube channel and made the cuttings and sewed it up. I used the strings and wire from the disposable masks for the cotton mask that I had made. 

My first mask came out well and I started using it. I made it with a filter pocket. 

I have a Korean aunt who lives in Busan and she calls me occationally to check whether I am keeping fine. Then she asked me whether I had enough masks and I told her that I had made a mask myself. She asked me to send her a picture of it. I sent it and she loved it. She then asked me if I could make masks for her daughter who was living in the US. (It was difficult to send disposable masks to people in other countries). I said yes and as her daughter lived with her husband and 3 small kids I decided to make 10 masks for them. I also decided to make masks for my friend who lives in the US. 

 

The masks have all Christmas touch to it coz I had bought cloth with Christmas designs in December 2019. 

 Once I finished making 14 mask I was confident to make more. So I made more and gave to people whom I knew and wanted it. 

Slowly I started realizing that disposable masks are becoming pollutants and these cotton masks will be better as we can wash them and use it more than once. So I made 2 more masks for myself and am using them whenever I go out. I feel good coz they suck in the sweat and when I come back home I wash them. Disposable masks do not absorb the sweat which makes it feel like having salt water around my mouth.

I am happy to have tried making these coz now I can reduce pollution, my expenditure and help others as well. :) 

Henna(Mehendi) 헤나

   In 2018 again I had visited Jeju Island (제주도) for Indian Film Festival and I was asked to run the Henna booth. They had prepared four beautiful henna designs. People coming to watch the movies could choose among the designs and I was supposed to draw it on their palm or places on their hand where they wanted it. 

I also gave them the option to write their names in Hindi with Henna and many liked it. It was a hit! 

Even small kids came to get henna drawn on their hands and took pictures with me. It was a nice experience for me as I could meet many Koreans interested in India. 

The only instance that made me uncomfortable was when a guy came and asked me to draw on his neck. I was baffled at that moment and tried to look away so as not to show my facial expression to that guy. Now I can sit and laugh at it. ㅎㅎㅎㅎ(Korean way of laughing)

Another visitor made a painting and presented it to me. 

He said that the Tibetan colorful flags are represented in the art. I don't know whether it contains other meanings related to Tibet. Anyway I was happy to get such a beautiful piece of artwork.  

Hanbok Making 한복만들기

  In 2018 I got an opportunity to do something very Korean. It was sponsored and we being a team of eleven had different ideas on what to do. I agreed to be part of this program without knowing much about what to do. All I was thinking was that I will get to visit some places in Seoul. But that was not what the program was about. Like I said we had do something which represented Korea and we ended up on Hanbok(한복) which is Korea's traditional attire. And it was not just about wearing Hanbok. We had to make it ourselves. 

   So we decided to make our own Hanbok and for this we found a place where they teach how to make Hanbok. We met the teacher and she gave us a list of items to be bought. So we went shopping in Seoul's Gwangjang Market(광장 시장). We bought cloth material, lining material, thread, chalk, pins etc. and it was all paid by the sponsoring organization. I knew how to sew using a sewing machine so I decided on making a modern Hanbok(철릭한복) which is normally made with cotton material. But as I was not familiar with the cotton material of Korea I ended up buying silk kind of cloth for my modern Hanbok. 

It was not easy making a modern Hanbok but I enjoyed the process as I was excited to see the final product and wear it. (It made me look a little fat as it was made of silk kind of material but I loved it.) And finally it came out like this. 

   I had wished to visit some place in Korea when I heard about this program and to my happiness they had arranged for us a visit to Jeonju Hanok Village(한옥 마을). I was so happy to visit Jeonju for the third time. But there was something different in this visit. We were not going to Jeonju Hanok village just for sight seeing. We had to wear the Hanbok we had made and go around the village in the attire. I was little hesitant as my Hanbok was not the traditional one. It was a Modern Hanbok made with traditional cloth material. But I wore it and walk all around the village.  

             

       

  We also got the opportunity to make a traditional hanging for the Hanbok which is called Nori-gae(노리개). I loved making it coz it was complicated. We made butterfly using knots and it looked so beautiful. 

                                   

  I was happy with the whole program as it was an opportunity to show my talent. During my Hanbok making lessons I saw various Korean items being made by others and it inspired me to make my own handmade items. 

Witnessing the soon to be Korean history

The thought of witnessing some of the important developments of another country was something new. Its something one shouldn't ignore as one becomes a part of it and gets to see the changes from within as an insider.

I came to Korea in 2016 but from then on there has been so many big changes in the whole nation of South Korea. The first being the candlelight protest to remove the ex-President from his/her position. I have never seen so many people come together for the cause of something and achieving their goal. Everyday news was filled with the news of protests. As a foreigner I saw how this protest happened and also the change in the government. I also witnessed the election campaigns which I found was very funny. People used loudspeakers and gave out pamphlets. The most funny thing was that they had a song which played from time to time and 3 supporters, mostly elderly people would dance to the song. 

The second one is related to the geography of Korea. South Korea was known to be safe from Earthquakes. Korea was not prepared for the recent earthquakes. It was occurring after many years. The first tremor was in 2016 at Gyeongju(경주) and I was in Busan at the time. My dorm was on a hill and I was in the 9th floor. The building shook. It felt like a train. It was traumatizing. All I could think was "why do I have to come to foreign country to experience such things?" But later I realized that such an experience is preparing me in some way. And that is how I took my passport and cell phone when my Goshiwon caught on fire. :)

The third one is more of a happy and a proud thing(for Korea). It was the Winter Olympics. In 1988 Olympics was held in Korea and the next time it happened was after 30 years in 2018. I was so happy that I was in Korea even though I couldn't go to watch the games. But I could see the live broadcast. The most happy moment for many Koreans was the participation of North Korea in the games. South Korea and North Korea came together as one team for Ice hockey. They didn't win but their effort was applauded. Also I didn't expect India to be part of the games but was so proud to see two athletes.
The fourth is slowly taking place. Its the peace talks between South Korea and North Korea. North Korean athletes had come to Korea for the Winter Olympics soon after which South Korea sent a team of singers to perform in North Korea. Winter Olympics became a platform for the two siblings to meet. And soon the peace summit will be held and many in Korea are praying for a miracle to happen. 

These things evoked different emotions in Koreans and as a foreigner I could feel and understand what was going through peoples' minds. No one in India knew much about the continuous earthquakes that had happened. I not only witnessed the changes but also got to understand the history of Korea. Maybe after 10 years I can say that I was part of Korea's history. 

In the end, this is what I learned: Enjoy not just the beauty but also the hardships and shabby sides of whatever you do, wherever you go and whoever you meet. It makes you feel more attached to the thing, the person and the place. 

My Journeys: Taean(태안)

While in Seoul my first trip was to a place called Taean(태안) which is in the western part of South Korea and its the seaside.

The area outlined in red is Taean(Tae-an, 태안)

One day my friend(언니) decided to go to the beach but it was already past 7pm. I said "No" but she persuaded me and I decided to go with her to the beach. All I was thinking was that the beach is near from Seoul so we will be back early. But she decided to leave at 12 midnight. So we went to get her car from the University parking lot at 12 and we were off to Taean. I was not sure where this place was. It took almost three hours to reach there. In between we stopped at a convenience store and had some Ramyun and Rice rolls. (The convenience store in Korea is open 24x7) After having our snack we decided to go the beach but it was too early(3am) so she drove us through the villages nearby. It was so quiet and dark unlike Seoul. By 4am we had reached the beach and the water was till the fence. We looked for a good place to park the car and waited inside the car. We slept off till 8 am inside the car. When we woke up there was slight drizzle so we drove to the nearest to sea and saw that the water had drained. This was something new to me. It was the low tide and high tide phenomenon. 

The same place during low tide and high tide. 

There were two islands called Anmyeon-do(안면도)which looked like two huge rocks or small hill surrounded by sand and stones. It becomes island when its high tide.  

We saw 2~3 people picking something from between the rocks so we also decided to go down and see. There were small crabs and shell creatures. I caught a small crab just to get the feel of it. We started collecting some shell creatures so that we could boil it and have for a meal. 

As it was continuously drizzling we decided to have breakfast and come back. All the restaurants there had seafood based menu. We went for Blue crab soup/curry. It was tasty but as I was not used to eating rice and seafood in the morning I had to force myself to eat it.(Koreans eat rice for all the three meals) By then the clouds cleared and we saw more people going in to collect shells and other creatures. Mostly there were Korean families. They had brought their children to experience picking up these shell creatures. 

The local people were selling equipments for digging and some local snacks. 

We also went in to enjoy the sea and take pictures. There was a line of wooden stumps leading into the sea. 

We had gone very inside but by 12 noon they announced that the sea water is moving in. We were still inside and slowly our legs were getting wet with water and it rose till the ankle. I got onto the stump and started walking on it. The water was rising within seconds. I felt very strange and scary of the sea. The behaviour of the sea seemed very mysterious. 

Tips:

* There is direct public transport from Seoul to Anmyeon-do. It takes 2~3hrs. 

* Carry raincoats, equipments and containers to experience picking shell creatures. 

* If going by car try visiting the flower show nearby. Get to see the beauty of tulips, lilys and other flowers. There is a small entry fee. 

Episode 3 # My New Findings

Episode 3
Place: University Dormitory

The friend with whom I had gone to see the handicraft exhibition, later contacted me and asked if I could repair something for her. It was a Rosary. A part of the knots were broken off and it needed to be made again newly. It was not something that I could just add a bit of a thread and finish.

This was the condition of the rosary. 

All I was thinking was that why would somebody want to repair a rosary. They could discard it and get a new one. But my friend said that the person who asked for the repair was not able to find anyone who could repair it for them and that it belonged to his/her grandma. They wanted it to be made in the similar knot pattern. So I said I can do it but would need some time to learn how to make such knots. But that was not all. It seems that this rosary is something that the grandma cherishes and that she would like to hold onto to it till her last breath. 

This background inspired me to put in more effort to do my best in repairing this rosary. And I decided to repair it before Christmas. But another shocking fact was that the beads of the rosary were made of  real stones which made it heavy. 

I took 4 days to repair it and this was how it looked.

This gave me ideas to do more with beads like weaved, knotted and elastic bracelets. I asked my friends where I could get beads and everyone told me the same place which is Dongdaemun Market.

 I searched the place through internet and found the market. It was right in front of the subway gate. There were buildings with 6 floors and each floor had different types of raw materials. Lace, Jean cloth, swatches, raw material for making clips earrings, blankets, tote bags and what not!!!

I wished I could own the whole building. Everything was so beautiful. 😍😍  I spent 3~4 hrs in beads section of that building. 

A lady saw me checking the beads at her store and asked me whether I make rosaries and I said yes. She showed the beads that were in fashion. She gave me a cup of tea. I asked her if she could teach me how to make the last knot for elastic bracelet and she showed me and told me that if there is anything else I would like to know she is ready to let me know. I bought beads from her shop and looked for more at other stores too. 

 These are some of the things I made using the beads. It helps me to think about new ideas and do more things with just beads and strings. 

Some days I decide that I will revise a certain portion of my studies and make one bracelet. Just to make the bracelet I try and finish studying as soon as possible. Its a reward I give myself. And its the best creative reward.