Wwoof which stands for Willing Opportunities on Organic Farms has a Korean branch. The Korean branch this year started offering weekend wwoofing for busy city folks. You can stay at a farm that is chosen by the Wwoof organization for the weekend and come
Normally, weekend Wwoofing is too hard for the farmers and the workers to adjust in such a short period of time unless you already have a relationship. People normally commit to at least 3 days of working. This way weekday workers can participate too!
What you have to do is watch out for a weekend wwoofing session to appear on the Korea Wwoof facebook page. The last one was in November which was a while ago but they will get more frequent in the spring and summer. The fee to join for the weekend is 10,000 won for non-members and free for members.
Now that I am a busy weekday worker I will be going to the next one. Maybe I'll see you there.
Showing posts with label wwoofing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wwoofing. Show all posts
Friday, 15 February 2013
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
5 Seconds of Fame
.
I was in the Chosun Ilbo yesterday. It was about Wwoofing in Korea. It was a short 300 word piece. A teacher roughly translated it for me.. The article started by saying that with worn and cut hands I was picking food. I was on the farm because in the future I want to be a farmer.
Wwoof Korea expects 1,000 volunteers in the future for this great program.That's great. We need more farmers in this world.
My wife proposed Sunday that we pay for organic ingredients together. Wooo! This means that we will share meals but we will be eating healthy healing foods too!
Monday
I went shopping for organic basics. Lotte Mart is my only option at the moment but I will be participating in a CSA very soon!
First stop at the mart was buying some great vegetables. I bought 100 grams each of chicory, and three other varieties of lettuce.
The labeling for them was easy and a good way to study Korean.
These small anchovies are not the strong disgusting stuff that were served in the buffets when I was a kid in the states. That taste is from the processing. Dried they are very tasty when made into banchan. They are very healthy and are also very ecologically sustainable.
I bought some.
I went to buy organic sesame oil and organic rice vinegar and spotted organic mayonaise and ketchup too. I wonder how they compare to my delicious ketchup and mayonaise.
I bought the sesame oil and rice vinegar and moved onto finding some happy eggs.
I got organic flour, anchovies, squid, garlic chives, organic soy sauce, organic sesame oil, and organic tofu.
Tuesday
My wife's birthday. She requested a curry a favorite of an English person. So I set out to buy a happy chicken to be part of her birthday curry. I searched about Lotte Mart asking for the best organic chicken I could find. I found two types that come from traditional villages. I chose this smaller one for 8,000 won. Organic meat is more expensive because of higher quality. I don't want less in my body. If I could choose between 1 organic drum stick vs a a whole factory farmed chicken. I would choose the healthier drum stick anytime. That drum stick has more power.
I don't believe in the mixes so I made my own recipe out of what I had. I don't have ghee or all the spices for an indian curry so I used the following for a Korean take:
cumin
tumeric
sesame oil
garlic
garlic chives
1 tablespoon of crushed black pepper
1/4 cup of organic yogurt
4 organic long Korean green peppers or gochu peppers
1/4 of the chicken
1/2 an onion
I chopped the chicken and marinated it in sesame oil and tumeric for 10 minutes.
I pan fried cumin with crushed black pepper to intensify the spices for a few minutes. I put it aside.
In a sepparate pan I fried onion and salt and peppers.
Then I combined everything together with the chicken for some minutes on high heat.. I don't like my chicken to be dry so after it browned I added 1/2 cup of organic beef stock I made the other day and simmered it for 3 minutes. Then I added the yoghurt and simmered it for a few minutes.
And Walla!
Without different colors it looks a 10th of delicious as it was. But trust me. It was brown on the outside and juicy on the inside. The taste of happy chicken is better. It has more character.
We are with big plain salad of Korean greens.
And a little cheesecake. There is nothing healthy about this bakery's food. But for a birthday you need cake and I don't have an oven. Maybe MeePee from Alien's Day Out can start making omnivore options. ;)
It was a positive experience to eat this with my wife and enjoy it. That's necessary too!
Wednesday
With teaching English again, I have less time to spend on organics and farming. In the time I had, I worked on eco-ideas for Mulme Healing Farm in my free time. I have an opportunity to eco build in the future so I'm researching for good ideas to contribute for the design. I also caught up on other reading.
I read an article in the NYTimes that made me feel angry. It was about the new FDA regulations for farmers. The solution to the problems of the ecoli outbreak is to require farmers to build expensive facilities to sepparate animals from the plants. However, what made me angry was that cows carry a mutated form ecoli that containminates the food. And the NYTimes quouted the FDA blaming the contamination on deer. Deer? Deer? Does this mean the regulations involve walling in nature. No the real issue is factory farming animals. If you factory farm the cows and then kill the sick animals and happen to rinse the blood from the water into your irrigation system you have a problem. But clearly this issue is being burried.
Anyway I continued on with my day.
I finished a great day at school and did chores around town.
I broke my meditaion into two pats so I could do a half hour between basketball with the shop owner near my apartment. We played 2 on 2 with strangers.
My heart was there but my legs weren't. I was gangly and slow. I think I'll get better in shape for it eventually. Now I'm uncoordinated and out of practice.
When I fnished. I was hungry so I ate a salad. I did meditation at 9.I was soo tired that I literally fell asleep and my wife woke me up. I missed gumdo training, Ooops!
Thank You Mulme Healing Farm
Smile.
 |
| Smile. |
Mulme Healing Farm has changed my life.
I came to learn about herbalism and left with clarity and more positive outlook on life.
Many things were hard and difficult and uncomfortable. They made me stronger.
It could have been the backaches during meditation, or the pains from the bleeding cuts, or the constant squats, or the jungly heat in a polytunnel, or the 10kg bags of soil to fill,
They made me stronger.
I was lucky to have good teachers.
Thank you teachers.
Many things were hard and difficult and uncomfortable. They made me stronger.
It could have been the backaches during meditation, or the pains from the bleeding cuts, or the constant squats, or the jungly heat in a polytunnel, or the 10kg bags of soil to fill,
They made me stronger.
I was lucky to have good teachers.
Thank you teachers.
Yang Heejern Nim is a great teacher besides a farming. His positive energy and charisma is directing towards helping people and being a healer. He is not an herbalist. His approach to healing about developing a positive mind and eating safe food. He has helped me immensly and I will always be greatful about that. He has become something that I call a "Life" teacher. Life isn't easy. It can be difficult and we have to prepare our bodies and our minds to deal with the situations we are presented with.
I have been impressed by his hard and dilligent life. He can be weeding a field and then off to deliver fertilizer. And after he goes out to do some exercise. When completely exausted one day, having spent 5 hours weeding, Yang invited me to marathon train. Because of his positve energy I said yes.
I passed the test to become his student. I will come back to the farm for another test. Before I go back I must meditate at least an hour a day and do 10 minutes of gumdo. Even if I'm drunk, I must do this.And I must prepare for my next tests.
 |
After Marathon training.
I have really found memories of them both. Meditating with them. Eating positive organic food. Working on a hot day. Cooling off by going to the sea and swimming by the cliffs. Developing bimbimpap.
There is much to write about your farm and tell people. I will change many things too in my life. I look forward to the eco-designing and building with your farm.
My wife has modeled my apartment around a simpler space like Mulme Healing Farm. The apartment has been made a better place. The atmosphere is good. The TV has been unplugged and stored. She made a meditation space in a room. We've have meditating together. Her schedule is different from mine that sometimes I meditate myself.
There is much to write about your farm and tell people. I will change many things too in my life. I look forward to the eco-designing and building with your farm.
My wife has modeled my apartment around a simpler space like Mulme Healing Farm. The apartment has been made a better place. The atmosphere is good. The TV has been unplugged and stored. She made a meditation space in a room. We've have meditating together. Her schedule is different from mine that sometimes I meditate myself.
I get hope and strength from my memories on Mulme Healing Farm. I look forward to return again and to live a life more like Mulme Healing Farm. For now I have to deal with my present situation. I really understand that.
The work for the farm continues here.
.
I am projecting my positve attitude. I am really aware of positve and negative energy. I try to maintain good feelings around everybody.. My feelings are good. Many good signs too since the beginning of going to the healing farm.. I am projecting positive energy to people and co-workers. . I think they see my a more positive mind than when I was home.
My classroom is acomfortable place for the students. I am playing happy music and being a fun! teacher to them. We played some game passing around a ball and asking a question to the student. The students are really enjoying ihis change.
Some negative forces are too strong for me to change some minds.These are poor people with stressful lives. They need a stronger positive force. then mine. But still I maintain what positivity I have.
Many people are laughing about my darker skin at school so I just smile about it. A tan is not popular in Korea. Some people do not understand about farming. But some, when I tell them about the farming I expericed are really curious. They asked me if it was difficult. I tell them. No, it's just different from teaching. My boss found the article about Wwoofing in Mulme Healing Farm in the Chosun Ilbo. So I and Yang are a little famous, right?
Yay for organic farming!
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Sunday, August 21- Final Day
I woke up late. Yang came to pick me up soon after I woke. He told me to pack now instead of later because we were closer to the airport. I couldn't find all the sauces I bought, and my debit card, the computer was still uploading files, the place was a little untidy and I forgot my gumdo sword. I was not focused on preparing to leave. Many parts of me wanted to stay.
Bur the Gumdo sword was something I couldn't leave behind. I remember the moment I realized I forgot it.
We were driving.
"Oh no I forgot my gumdo sword."
Yang looked at me with shock.
I smiled then, "Ahhhh."
He laughed.
Bur the Gumdo sword was something I couldn't leave behind. I remember the moment I realized I forgot it.
We were driving.
"Oh no I forgot my gumdo sword."
Yang looked at me with shock.
I smiled then, "Ahhhh."
He laughed.
. Yang drove me to his families grave for po-cho. It's a Buddist tradition to clean the family grave before the harvest.
:"I will call my friend and ask him to try," Yang said. In other words, he was going ask his friend to pick it up.
The attention of my mind drifted to other issues while the gumdo sword rested in my mind.
:"I will call my friend and ask him to try," Yang said. In other words, he was going ask his friend to pick it up.
The attention of my mind drifted to other issues while the gumdo sword rested in my mind.
Yang explained to me the day before that tradition of harvesting is a perfect explanation of organic farming.
"It's perfect," he said.
So we arrived with family members sitting near the grave. A square of rocks walled in two grassy hills. Yang and another each had motorized weed cutters. 6 others, myself included had sickles.
"My family didn't machine to cut. They used sickles. And they didn't have car. They walked," he told me later.
Some talking happened between the family members while stood waiting and others sat relaxed.
Then they started to work. So I joined.them.
Some cousin of Yang started talking to me.
"Hey what's your name."
"Greg."
I asked him his name.
He told me.
He asked me basic English questions about my age and what I did.
We continued doing what we were doing which was weeding.
We worked around the stone wall and went into the inside.
Eventually the area around was cut down to size. The mound of plants that covered the grave stone were cut down.
Yang and his brother stood around the grave stone.
"It's 200 years old. My family has been doing this cutting for 200 years."
The dog was ripping the loose grass from the hill of the grave site
The family yelled the dog to get down.
Their was laughter all around as the dog tackled the grass.
"He is getting karma from this," Yang said, smilingly.
-------
We finisehd. The family and I returned to talking.
Yang turned to me.
"We will go get the gumdo sword."
"I need to get the sword."
"Yes the sword is necessary."
We drove home.
We arrived at the house.
"Get the sword. Quickly."
We got the gumdo sword.
We drove to the airport.
We stopped at the terminal.
"Here we can go here."
We got out. I took out my bags.
He faced me.
I hugged him.
"I'll see you soon."
"I'll wait for you."
"Bye."
And then I left.
I got home around 6. The house had been transformed by my wife for meditation. I talked to my wife. After sometime passed, I had a promise to keep so I did an hour of meditation followed by gumdo.
I felt how transformed my life had become.
.
The work continues.
-------------
Monday, 22 August 2011
Saturday, August 20th
He has expressed interest in my idea for herbal beers. Something which I think could be great!
I've taken initiative in bringing his message to other people and helping him. I see a future with this man and I want to help him and his cause.
As I become more skilled I can help more.
One project, which had preoccupied me for the rest of my time was an ecostove which uses very little wood. I am a novice so I needed help and asked a lot of questions to implement my design.
Over the course of days we had to wait for a part here or to get back a tool a friend had borrowed. The day before Yang I cut the top of a gas can and the tubing. Then a friend with a blow torch cut the whole in the top.
On Saturday I did the outer welding for the tube.It was my second attempt at welding and I feel very proud of my efforts.
Some friends told Yang that what I was doing was too dangerous when they saw me. Yang reassured them that I need practice. I really admire that he gives me these opportunities. He is confident in my ideas.
I finished with some left to do, but there were other projects to complete. I interviewed Yang which I may or may not post. I felt I could have interviewed him better at the time, but I will need to check the video to be sure.
When I understand him more I can interview him better.
He invited me to pa-cho. Which is the time before harvest when Koreans Buddist weed and clean the family grave.
"I can explain to you organic farming very easily there. Do you want to come?"
"Yes," I said enthusiastically.
And... I took my test. I completed 2 hours of meditation with him and 2000 cuts of the gumdo sword. I passed. I am now a student of Yang's way of living. His only student. It was all very incredible.
He took me to dinner. We ate pollock in some peanut sauce with rice and banchan. He then took me home.
He drove me home.
He gave me a look before I got out.
"There is never enough time," he said.
"I'll see you again," I said.
And then we said goodnight.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Friday, August 19th
So much time flew by during the week before I could sort it out.
I was working out on my testing. IN the morning I got up to do 2,000 cuts with the gumdo sword. I kept my shirt off as the morning heat was perspiring every pore of my body.
Starting and stopping as my body was exausted in the process. My breathing labored and my body itched from bug bites. I was feeling uncertain as to whether I could do it. 15 minutes later my body twitched and my legs.
My knees bent and my butt out are part of the gumdo pose and I fought the urge to lift my knees up.
I had been doing gumdo for weeks but this week I got the challenge to do 2,000. On Monday, I did 1,000. On Wednesday I did 1,400. And today I was going to do 2,000.
My pose was something of a concern as Heejern might not like the current pose I was doing which was quite higher than a gumdo pose.
I stopped. I pushed my legs down and went again.
"Endure," was the voice in my head.
"Endure."
I had been listening to my breathing. Between it and the chickens and buys making their noises it was the only sound around.
The sun was rising it was beautiful.
100 then 200 then 300 cuts. I felt moments of happiness and then moments of darkness.
Heejern's voice which has been a comfort and positive voice sounded weak. I had many more to go and I felt tired. Distracting thoughts filled my heand and negative feelings.
I was not going to lose this challenge however so I continued.
When I got to 1,000 I told myself, "Okay, now I'm halfway finished. Only half to go."
My thoughts got more positive as I felt more hope.
I finished. I felt great.
I came into the house. JuHee had finished breakfast.
We set about our daily tasks.
It was really hot today so after some hours we broke for lunch and we finished work for the day.
I was really tired so I caught up on things.
I finished doing what I was doing than I was sitting down for meditation when JuHee came in and suggested we do meditation.
"I was just about to."
We sat down for meditation. Five minute later I fell asleep. I woke up some time later.
Yang came over.
"Greg."
I came outside.
"We cut the pipe."
"We need 3.5 cm between the top?" Yang asked about details I gave him before.
I
He left and came back. I will take you to a friend. Tell him what to do and he will help you.
"Okay," I said.
I followed him. We took the equipment in the truck. We got to the neighbor with the dogs and chickens. Tools and equipment and garbage were around. Bird droppings on the pavement. Rusty cages lined the backyard. A stone building was connected to one side of the containers. The house preceding the backyard was clean and tidy when we entered.
Yang called for the man. The man came out. Yang asked him to help me. Soon I understood how the man was going to help. He had a blowtorch which could cut the hold and the do the piping for the rocket stove.
It was easy to explain what to do but hard for him to implement. He had problems cutting so he could fit two pipes together. The 3d nature of the cutting was hard for him to imagine.
Two hours later and a help from another friend and he was finished.
I got back and Yang told me he found a top to cut. We traced a circle and I cut with a metal grinder. Three attempts and I hadn't cut perfectly. We drew a circle as if it would fit on top according to the lid of the container we were using, but then I needed it to fit inside so I had to then cut it a cm inside.
Friends of Yang's were coming over. The man with the dog cages drove his truck. Yang Ju a mechanic who owns one of the fields we grow our food on. The man with the dog cages came over. He was yelling and concerned. All I could do was say it's okay in Korean. I guessed he was concerned I would hurt myself.
Yang came over. He looked at the metal he gave me to use for the top of the stove. The top would rest on the insulation of soil below it and the flames come out of the center. A grate would me on top for the flame.
"Do you think that metal is too weak?"
"I think it will be fine, because if it breaks you can cut a new piece easily."
"Yes."
"Time to finish."
Yang walked to another task.
I walked to JuHee, "What can I do?"
"It's okay I'm finished."
Yang yelled, "Greg, I need your help."
I came to him.
"Get the coal."
I saw smoke rising from another place. I came over to see wood being burned. in a hallowed out gas container. The pine resin and smoke was all over. The man were fanning the fire with pine branches. Yang JU had taken charge.
I did different things for Yang. Mostly, I stood around. I helped set the table outside.
We sat down eventually. Pork belly and beef steaks were grilled by Yang Ju. Banchan from around the table was had. I found out later that this was my goodbye party. It hadn't really hit me still.
"The man over there (gesturing to the end of the table) came from Seoul to be a farmer too, like you."
"Does he work on one of these farms?"
"He works anywhere? That's the way it works here.
He was really stressed in Seoul so he came here."
I understand his story. I find life in the northern part to be really stressful. The energy is different. There are many difficulties and negative distractions. It will be my most difficult job returning back from the experience.
Some time passed.
"I need to interview you tomorrow I said to Yang. I have done some clips today about different subjects."
"JuHee film him making the fertilizer."
The three of us laughed.
I stood up and squated.
"Is that the right angle?" I said.
And everybody laughed more.
Friends went home.
Yang left first.
"When will you come tomorrow?"
"11."
Some more people stayed and kept refilling my glass with beer.
JuHee told me one of the men found me to be the gentlest man he ever met. That was nice.
Then everybody had to leave.We said goodbye
I did the cleaning. Saturday would be my last full day on the ranch. Things needed to be finished. My rocket stove and some rules I agreed to right up for the farm.
But now I had to sleep. I drank a lot of beer with everybody so I laid down and went to sleep.
I was working out on my testing. IN the morning I got up to do 2,000 cuts with the gumdo sword. I kept my shirt off as the morning heat was perspiring every pore of my body.
Starting and stopping as my body was exausted in the process. My breathing labored and my body itched from bug bites. I was feeling uncertain as to whether I could do it. 15 minutes later my body twitched and my legs.
My knees bent and my butt out are part of the gumdo pose and I fought the urge to lift my knees up.
I had been doing gumdo for weeks but this week I got the challenge to do 2,000. On Monday, I did 1,000. On Wednesday I did 1,400. And today I was going to do 2,000.
My pose was something of a concern as Heejern might not like the current pose I was doing which was quite higher than a gumdo pose.
I stopped. I pushed my legs down and went again.
"Endure," was the voice in my head.
"Endure."
I had been listening to my breathing. Between it and the chickens and buys making their noises it was the only sound around.
The sun was rising it was beautiful.
100 then 200 then 300 cuts. I felt moments of happiness and then moments of darkness.
Heejern's voice which has been a comfort and positive voice sounded weak. I had many more to go and I felt tired. Distracting thoughts filled my heand and negative feelings.
I was not going to lose this challenge however so I continued.
When I got to 1,000 I told myself, "Okay, now I'm halfway finished. Only half to go."
My thoughts got more positive as I felt more hope.
I finished. I felt great.
I came into the house. JuHee had finished breakfast.
We set about our daily tasks.
It was really hot today so after some hours we broke for lunch and we finished work for the day.
I was really tired so I caught up on things.
I finished doing what I was doing than I was sitting down for meditation when JuHee came in and suggested we do meditation.
"I was just about to."
We sat down for meditation. Five minute later I fell asleep. I woke up some time later.
Yang came over.
"Greg."
I came outside.
"We cut the pipe."
"We need 3.5 cm between the top?" Yang asked about details I gave him before.
I
He left and came back. I will take you to a friend. Tell him what to do and he will help you.
"Okay," I said.
I followed him. We took the equipment in the truck. We got to the neighbor with the dogs and chickens. Tools and equipment and garbage were around. Bird droppings on the pavement. Rusty cages lined the backyard. A stone building was connected to one side of the containers. The house preceding the backyard was clean and tidy when we entered.
Yang called for the man. The man came out. Yang asked him to help me. Soon I understood how the man was going to help. He had a blowtorch which could cut the hold and the do the piping for the rocket stove.
It was easy to explain what to do but hard for him to implement. He had problems cutting so he could fit two pipes together. The 3d nature of the cutting was hard for him to imagine.
Two hours later and a help from another friend and he was finished.
I got back and Yang told me he found a top to cut. We traced a circle and I cut with a metal grinder. Three attempts and I hadn't cut perfectly. We drew a circle as if it would fit on top according to the lid of the container we were using, but then I needed it to fit inside so I had to then cut it a cm inside.
Friends of Yang's were coming over. The man with the dog cages drove his truck. Yang Ju a mechanic who owns one of the fields we grow our food on. The man with the dog cages came over. He was yelling and concerned. All I could do was say it's okay in Korean. I guessed he was concerned I would hurt myself.
Yang came over. He looked at the metal he gave me to use for the top of the stove. The top would rest on the insulation of soil below it and the flames come out of the center. A grate would me on top for the flame.
"Do you think that metal is too weak?"
"I think it will be fine, because if it breaks you can cut a new piece easily."
"Yes."
"Time to finish."
Yang walked to another task.
I walked to JuHee, "What can I do?"
"It's okay I'm finished."
Yang yelled, "Greg, I need your help."
I came to him.
"Get the coal."
I saw smoke rising from another place. I came over to see wood being burned. in a hallowed out gas container. The pine resin and smoke was all over. The man were fanning the fire with pine branches. Yang JU had taken charge.
I did different things for Yang. Mostly, I stood around. I helped set the table outside.
We sat down eventually. Pork belly and beef steaks were grilled by Yang Ju. Banchan from around the table was had. I found out later that this was my goodbye party. It hadn't really hit me still.
"The man over there (gesturing to the end of the table) came from Seoul to be a farmer too, like you."
"Does he work on one of these farms?"
"He works anywhere? That's the way it works here.
He was really stressed in Seoul so he came here."
I understand his story. I find life in the northern part to be really stressful. The energy is different. There are many difficulties and negative distractions. It will be my most difficult job returning back from the experience.
Some time passed.
"I need to interview you tomorrow I said to Yang. I have done some clips today about different subjects."
"JuHee film him making the fertilizer."
The three of us laughed.
I stood up and squated.
"Is that the right angle?" I said.
And everybody laughed more.
Friends went home.
Yang left first.
"When will you come tomorrow?"
"11."
Some more people stayed and kept refilling my glass with beer.
JuHee told me one of the men found me to be the gentlest man he ever met. That was nice.
Then everybody had to leave.We said goodbye
I did the cleaning. Saturday would be my last full day on the ranch. Things needed to be finished. My rocket stove and some rules I agreed to right up for the farm.
But now I had to sleep. I drank a lot of beer with everybody so I laid down and went to sleep.
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Wednesday and Thursday August 10
Wednesday:
Long Good Day cutting trees. Meditation. Marathon training. Dinner. Bar. Bus. Bed.
Thursday:
I planted potatoes today on one of our alotments a 5 minute bicycle ride away. Potatoes are a strange plant. To plant. There are no seeds. We plant the potatoes and then we plant the shoots to make more potatoes. That's not strange at all actually. I just never imagined it to be this way growing up.
Long Good Day cutting trees. Meditation. Marathon training. Dinner. Bar. Bus. Bed.
Thursday:
I planted potatoes today on one of our alotments a 5 minute bicycle ride away. Potatoes are a strange plant. To plant. There are no seeds. We plant the potatoes and then we plant the shoots to make more potatoes. That's not strange at all actually. I just never imagined it to be this way growing up.
THe morning passed slowly at first as my body struggled to bend and flex after a long day of cutting trees yesterday which was followed by meditation, marathon training, dinner and then a day at the bar.
I remember before entering the bar Yang's instructions to the bar,"When we get to bar we must project our positive energy."
But I wasn't remembering while weeding. I was struggling a bit.
I remember being in a little bit of an existential dilemna at the time. I remembered to have deep breathing to minimize my stress.
I was planting potatoes. I was planting them deep but I knew that I was breaking JuHee's example which I knew might bring us into disharmony. It was taking longer than her method of just planting the potatoes just above the ground. She came over.
"Greg, I think maybe that I should plant and you should weed because my planting is faster."
"Okay," I said and switched.
I felt bad because I was breaking a cultural norm. I was struggling about whether to do something that I knew was wrong or to break what my supervisor was doing for me.
I decided what needed to be done. I would do just do what she tells me to do, because its the right thing to do.
We switched again. I planted quick and shallow. A friend of Yang's came. He looked upset and spoke to JuHee.
"He said we should be planting deeper."
I felt satisfaction after the situation worked itself out and I had kept the harmony. I realize that this is a sign that I have changed my decision making process in this moment.
An hour later I went to weeding the bean plants.
Squating and walking, I thought about my breathing and meditated in the moment, I ripped up weeds.
Two ajumma's came up and starting speaking to JuHee.
They looked at me no covered from head to toe- with exposed arms and shorts and told me that I should protect myself.
Soon enough JuHee told me that they invited us for food. They gathered black bean leaves which I just learned that we could eat that. I took some seurebireum to bring to. The older ajumma looked at it took it and threw it on the ground. One person's food is another's garbage.
It turned out they were cousins of Kim Yang Ju, a friend of Yang. They fed us a lot of rice, dried squid in a red sauce, fried eggplant, a puree of fish, katnip and barley tea.
They asked me questions and JuHee translated in asides.
By the way I'm trained because they had be wash myself with a hose and gave me a fresh fhirt and t-shirt to wear.
We finished at 5. We walked the bikes home. I went about planning a rocket stove that I convinced Yang to build with me. Yang came over and I showed him the design. We went to a few different people to get a metal cutter. We found a large one at the nearby wrestlerl, dog selller. We found the cutter amidst the sounds of 40 barking dogs.
We took measurements and discussed the concept. Yang cut the metal. Sparks flew everywhere and in the darkening sky the the sparks lit up the side off the house. JuHee who was peeling garlic inside stopped. Her face looked surprise at the light.
"Can I try?"
"Do you want to try?" he asked surprised I think at the comfort of it.
I did it.
We cut some more and then he said he had to go.
He then told me that Choson Ilbo is coming to interview me for my Wwoofing tomorrow.
I talked to my wife and thought about the coming future ahead. I will be harvesting tea and food to bring home. Time is running out on the farm but everything is running smoothly. Good karma.
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Monday and Tuesday
After a day cutting trees that will be used for an eco house, my teacher Yang Heejern, had asked me to prepare for 2 hours of meditation on Saturday and 2,000 strikes with the gumdo sword.
"Don't worry about it."
Yang took me home. At some point he had to leave for his house.
"If you pass the test, we will have a party Saturday."
He smiled.
"If you don't pass then no party."
"Just goodbye," I said, jokingly.
"Awww," said Ju Hee.
Tuesday I got up and did 1,000 cuts.
Ju Hee and I made simple breakfast. Sweet potatoes given to us by the organic co-operative were steamed. I stir-fried cabbage with carrots, onions, garlic and chilli peppers. Ju Hee made a salad from freshly picked greens.
We went about today's tasks. We had to organize the toolshed together and then I would weed and JuHee would go about developing food for a group dinner. Yang had asked me to stay for the day because he really wants my skills but I'm still a teacher and I need to be for the time being and I will need to be at work.
Yang mentioned a great opportunity for me. There is an event for bloggers to go on a three day eating tour around the country eating at Korean restaurants with great reputations for amazing food. The bloggers will be in teams. I will be applying soon and I don't know all the details but I will have to make a team.
"I will help you get in."
Yang left and I went about cleaning the shed. I was tired and while moving boxes I dropped a box on the tube of an expensive air compressor. The tube yanked out the weak end of the I predict I will be paying for this week. Its only fair.
I took some minutes feeling regret in my head.
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm not worried. I'm just regretting."
"Hey it's okay. Maybe Heejern can fix it."
I went trying to weed the hexagon star in the field. Yang made it to pay omage to the universe.
"The alien's can see it from space," he joked last week.
But I was tired. Fatigued from yesterday set in and the heat. So I puttered about and took a lot of breaks and then stopped for day just before lunch.
Ju Hee made bimbimap and jeon. It was perfect to have something with some fat to revive me a bit.
After lunch I tried to go to work but I just took a break. Ju Hee took a nap and came back as I was sitting down to meditate. She joined me in meditating and while meditating I fell asleep. Ooops. I woke up later while she was still meditating so she finished.
I took the dogs for a run, behind Ju Hee on her bicycle. We went to a farm field where we grow food crops, like corn, potatoes, beans, watermelon, chamwe, and salad greens, cabbage, onion, and chives. Ju Hee collected vegetables while I played with the dogs.
I had eaten a lot of lunch thinking my fatigue was food deprivation, which it wasn't so I told Ju Hee to go ahead with dinner and I'll take the dogs for a long walk.
I talked to Korean women with a straw hat. Some kids found me and made me there friend. I said hello and they called other friends and some followed me a way.
I came back to the house and did an hour of meditation. My mind was foggy and still fighting negative thoughts from my destruction of property so I need to calm down a bit.
I feel better now knowing that I've thought clearly about my actions and that in light of it all the experience has been great for the farm and I.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Sunday
I got up around 6. I did gumdo. I sat down and tried to do 2 hours of meditation. I've done well with meditation but today hunger set in. So I ate a massive breakfast of salad greens and sweet potatoes.
Yang came over at 11. We took the chain saws to cut the branches of trees that Yang will use for building wood.
We got to the site. We try to start the chain saws. They wouldn't start. Exchanges of looks and laughter. After 20 minutes of at the site trying Yang drove us back to the house to get out his tools.
He shuffled through his messy toolshed and got out an air compressor. I felt increasing anticipation of failure as we've tried three times in the last week to get these to work. He blew air through the machine.
People came over to give us gas. Yang talked with friends while I called my wife who I've only communicated with by text as we both have been busy.
She told me about her great templestay experience. Good things have come.
We finished the conversation.
I told Yang about the great experience. I was decided on going and that it was going to happen.
"Decide slowly," Yang advised.
"This is so exciting."
"Remember that in the happy times to prepare yourself for the bad times. Gather strength"
"Like the story of the old man and the horse."
"Yes."
"Yes, you're right. I should prepare."
"Okay Greg pick vegetables from the garden some gatnip- not too many. For bimbimpap."
He gather medicinal herbs.
"I'm making incense in this dish."
"What are those?"
"These are medicinal herbs."
I recognized black henbane berries but the other I didn't recognize. There was no time to learn as Yang was cooking now.
I chopped and plated. We moved around each other, him chopping and frying vegetables and medicinal herbs while I chopped garden vegetables.
"Let's eat outside."
We sat outside. Then we began our conversations.
"Have you tried the Gwanju bimbimpap?
"No, I have heard it has many different vegetables. What do you think?"
"I think it is a perfect food. It has many traditional vegetables. But many bimbipaps have lot s of additives for the taste- for yummy."
"Yes."
"I want to take the food and put the organic foods from my farm- and make it tasty."
This describes my affinity for what he is doing. What I'm trying to do with ketchup, hotsauce, beer and other western foods, he wants to do the same with Korean food. Food should be healthy and delicious.
We looked out over the fields of his neighbor who was growing tangerines. The only plant to survive the herbicides was seurebirum. Far different from the herbal farm on which we have to weed a lot.
"I think that if my neighbor's farm was mine then many medicinal herbs could grow there. But with the weedicide and pesticide nothing can grow. Only seurebirum. It's a strong weed."
The beauty of medicinal plants is that to farmers they are weeds because they grow so well, but are in fact part of the ecosystem. I thought about what Yang said about his horse eating the grasses sometimes and the medicinal plants at the other times. We were eating some of them as he spoke. What is wonderful about these herbs is that once you identify the medicinal plants than its a matter of weeding around them. The best way to do this is talk to the plants. This communication is not an oral communication but something more ethereal. Working around them and curiosity and hearing the lore about them. Doing research and it got better.
"I am thinking about coming here and doing more meditating. But common people don't understand me. You see if a top temple master meditates for his family he removes their karma. But if the family karma is high then it's difficult."
"I understand your situation. When your friends want to go to the restaurant to eat pork or your family wants to eat chicken."
He laughed. "There is no answer to that."
"Yes, I realize this too. It's a difficult situation."
Its difficult here because family and friends are everything. There is no room for loners or disregard of convention. And in this culture we go to restaurants when friends ask us and when friends come to dinner and bring meat we eat it. I struggle every time to get something positive from it.
"The karma is getting worse and will get worse in the future. The negative energy is gathering around us. With the pigs and cows, 5 million were burried."
He was referring to the fact that last year there was an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The solution to the problem was to corral the 5 million animals and then burry them alive. It made some hesitant to eat meat and is one of many horrible scenarios that will unfold as people disrespect the food for easy money and cheap eats. Yangs pigs are not sick and don't need antibiotics because they live outside and aren't corralled into small pens. They are fed healthy food and also eat veg on the tangerine farm.
The factory farm situation is certainly something I choose to opt out of.
We were cut off. People interested in consultation for their eating came. Yang asked me to give them yeju cha, which is a cold tea of a tangerine jam and cold water.
He came in.
"Greg shall we do meditation."
"Okay, great I was thinking the same thing."
We sat down and did two hours of meditation. My back which use to kill was doing well. And my breathing was getting better. But the point is to clear of your mind of stress to continue doing your lifes tasks with a good mindset.
We finished. I went outside and did gumdo.
Yang told me soccer was cancelled. There weren't enough players. He was going home to work on the documentation for the time. Yang is waiting to hear about if his farm will be getting sponsorship by the government to expand his farm. The Jeju government wants to let people know about the organic situation in Jeju and the town wants his farm to be a model farm for the area. However, it's small for there standards. It can only feed guests of the healing farm and the workers. It works well as a laboratory for food development and as a healing center.
"I'll find out tomorrow."
"I pray things turn out good for you."
We said goodbye and I went inside.
It was dinner time so I ate left over fish soup and half a watermelon and I watched through the window, the golden retriever puppies chase each other around.
Yang came over at 11. We took the chain saws to cut the branches of trees that Yang will use for building wood.
We got to the site. We try to start the chain saws. They wouldn't start. Exchanges of looks and laughter. After 20 minutes of at the site trying Yang drove us back to the house to get out his tools.
He shuffled through his messy toolshed and got out an air compressor. I felt increasing anticipation of failure as we've tried three times in the last week to get these to work. He blew air through the machine.
People came over to give us gas. Yang talked with friends while I called my wife who I've only communicated with by text as we both have been busy.
She told me about her great templestay experience. Good things have come.
We finished the conversation.
I told Yang about the great experience. I was decided on going and that it was going to happen.
"Decide slowly," Yang advised.
"This is so exciting."
"Remember that in the happy times to prepare yourself for the bad times. Gather strength"
"Like the story of the old man and the horse."
"Yes."
"Yes, you're right. I should prepare."
"Okay Greg pick vegetables from the garden some gatnip- not too many. For bimbimpap."
He gather medicinal herbs.
"I'm making incense in this dish."
"What are those?"
"These are medicinal herbs."
I recognized black henbane berries but the other I didn't recognize. There was no time to learn as Yang was cooking now.
I chopped and plated. We moved around each other, him chopping and frying vegetables and medicinal herbs while I chopped garden vegetables.
"Let's eat outside."
We sat outside. Then we began our conversations.
"Have you tried the Gwanju bimbimpap?
"No, I have heard it has many different vegetables. What do you think?"
"I think it is a perfect food. It has many traditional vegetables. But many bimbipaps have lot s of additives for the taste- for yummy."
"Yes."
"I want to take the food and put the organic foods from my farm- and make it tasty."
This describes my affinity for what he is doing. What I'm trying to do with ketchup, hotsauce, beer and other western foods, he wants to do the same with Korean food. Food should be healthy and delicious.
We looked out over the fields of his neighbor who was growing tangerines. The only plant to survive the herbicides was seurebirum. Far different from the herbal farm on which we have to weed a lot.
"I think that if my neighbor's farm was mine then many medicinal herbs could grow there. But with the weedicide and pesticide nothing can grow. Only seurebirum. It's a strong weed."
The beauty of medicinal plants is that to farmers they are weeds because they grow so well, but are in fact part of the ecosystem. I thought about what Yang said about his horse eating the grasses sometimes and the medicinal plants at the other times. We were eating some of them as he spoke. What is wonderful about these herbs is that once you identify the medicinal plants than its a matter of weeding around them. The best way to do this is talk to the plants. This communication is not an oral communication but something more ethereal. Working around them and curiosity and hearing the lore about them. Doing research and it got better.
"I am thinking about coming here and doing more meditating. But common people don't understand me. You see if a top temple master meditates for his family he removes their karma. But if the family karma is high then it's difficult."
"I understand your situation. When your friends want to go to the restaurant to eat pork or your family wants to eat chicken."
He laughed. "There is no answer to that."
"Yes, I realize this too. It's a difficult situation."
Its difficult here because family and friends are everything. There is no room for loners or disregard of convention. And in this culture we go to restaurants when friends ask us and when friends come to dinner and bring meat we eat it. I struggle every time to get something positive from it.
"The karma is getting worse and will get worse in the future. The negative energy is gathering around us. With the pigs and cows, 5 million were burried."
He was referring to the fact that last year there was an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The solution to the problem was to corral the 5 million animals and then burry them alive. It made some hesitant to eat meat and is one of many horrible scenarios that will unfold as people disrespect the food for easy money and cheap eats. Yangs pigs are not sick and don't need antibiotics because they live outside and aren't corralled into small pens. They are fed healthy food and also eat veg on the tangerine farm.
The factory farm situation is certainly something I choose to opt out of.
We were cut off. People interested in consultation for their eating came. Yang asked me to give them yeju cha, which is a cold tea of a tangerine jam and cold water.
He came in.
"Greg shall we do meditation."
"Okay, great I was thinking the same thing."
We sat down and did two hours of meditation. My back which use to kill was doing well. And my breathing was getting better. But the point is to clear of your mind of stress to continue doing your lifes tasks with a good mindset.
We finished. I went outside and did gumdo.
Yang told me soccer was cancelled. There weren't enough players. He was going home to work on the documentation for the time. Yang is waiting to hear about if his farm will be getting sponsorship by the government to expand his farm. The Jeju government wants to let people know about the organic situation in Jeju and the town wants his farm to be a model farm for the area. However, it's small for there standards. It can only feed guests of the healing farm and the workers. It works well as a laboratory for food development and as a healing center.
"I'll find out tomorrow."
"I pray things turn out good for you."
We said goodbye and I went inside.
It was dinner time so I ate left over fish soup and half a watermelon and I watched through the window, the golden retriever puppies chase each other around.
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Saturday
I Was expecting Heejern at 10am but he never came. I had the day to myself. I worked on a project for the farm and ate delicious organic foods all day, including watermelon, sweet potato, sticky corn, and wild greens, and salad greens.
JuHee came inside dressed nicely and came and told me she was leaving for Hallasan with a friend with Yang who was waiting in a red car.
"Oh then you're free now," I said thinking she was working too.
"Yes, lucky me!," she said.
Friends of the farm came over. They had very little English knowledge. The couple were married. The husband, a muscular man, said, "We come tonight and we drink mackeoli."
Yang came around 4 with his daughter.
"Hello," I said.
"Hello," he said and took his daughter around the farm to play.
He came to me.
"Ride the horse."
He set up the horse and said, "Him first," to his daughter.
I got on the horse and tried to get the horse to gallop. The horse was tired I thought and later I found out he was injured so he didn't want to run.
He got around and 15 minutes later I turned him around so his daughter had a chance.
Watching his daughter ride filled my heart up. She was small and strong on the horse.
Yang gave instructions to his daughter.
Then he told me to ride again. I rode him gently to another part of town. I felt great on the animal and thought about how it could be possible to have the opportunity to ride one again and again.
The couple came with chicken and pork belly and we ate for dinner.
Yang asked me if I was going to continue the meditation in Seoul. I said yes. He said he wasn't sure because it is very hard to do.
"The environment here is easy to do it, but Seoul is very difficult."
Talking more I realized that it wasn't that he thought the environment is important but what that the mind is strong enough to do it. The environment is secondary.
"I feel confident I told him.
"Do the meditation and try not to sepparate good from bad. Later you can do this but for now just meditate."
"When I was young I meditated to open my conciousness and I didn't sepparate good and bad. I did that later."
If I focus on my soul's and being awake sepparating good and bad will follow.
I finished eating and practiced gumdo outside. He saw my posture. He has been correcting if everytime he saw me.
"That's good," he said positively.
HE walked away. I smiled.
------------------------------------
A conversation happened about my thoughts about my lifestyle. I don't when or where but when I do I'll edit this.
Me: "I think about my lifestyle and meditation clears my mind but also working out in the field. I never wanted to work in a office working at a computer and getting fat like a factory farm animal. At least with teaching I am standing. I am moving around and talking to people."
Yang: "in a cage.:
Me: "like a factory farm"
Yang: Eating food in their cubes and working in a pen. Getting fat. I think working in an office is like being a factory farm animal."
JuHee came inside dressed nicely and came and told me she was leaving for Hallasan with a friend with Yang who was waiting in a red car.
"Oh then you're free now," I said thinking she was working too.
"Yes, lucky me!," she said.
Friends of the farm came over. They had very little English knowledge. The couple were married. The husband, a muscular man, said, "We come tonight and we drink mackeoli."
Yang came around 4 with his daughter.
"Hello," I said.
"Hello," he said and took his daughter around the farm to play.
He came to me.
"Ride the horse."
He set up the horse and said, "Him first," to his daughter.
I got on the horse and tried to get the horse to gallop. The horse was tired I thought and later I found out he was injured so he didn't want to run.
He got around and 15 minutes later I turned him around so his daughter had a chance.
Watching his daughter ride filled my heart up. She was small and strong on the horse.
Yang gave instructions to his daughter.
Then he told me to ride again. I rode him gently to another part of town. I felt great on the animal and thought about how it could be possible to have the opportunity to ride one again and again.
The couple came with chicken and pork belly and we ate for dinner.
Yang asked me if I was going to continue the meditation in Seoul. I said yes. He said he wasn't sure because it is very hard to do.
"The environment here is easy to do it, but Seoul is very difficult."
Talking more I realized that it wasn't that he thought the environment is important but what that the mind is strong enough to do it. The environment is secondary.
"I feel confident I told him.
"Do the meditation and try not to sepparate good from bad. Later you can do this but for now just meditate."
"When I was young I meditated to open my conciousness and I didn't sepparate good and bad. I did that later."
If I focus on my soul's and being awake sepparating good and bad will follow.
I finished eating and practiced gumdo outside. He saw my posture. He has been correcting if everytime he saw me.
"That's good," he said positively.
HE walked away. I smiled.
------------------------------------
A conversation happened about my thoughts about my lifestyle. I don't when or where but when I do I'll edit this.
Me: "I think about my lifestyle and meditation clears my mind but also working out in the field. I never wanted to work in a office working at a computer and getting fat like a factory farm animal. At least with teaching I am standing. I am moving around and talking to people."
Yang: "in a cage.:
Me: "like a factory farm"
Yang: Eating food in their cubes and working in a pen. Getting fat. I think working in an office is like being a factory farm animal."
Friday, 12 August 2011
Friday August 12
Today, I got up determined to try harder with gomdo and meditation. My back has felt great since Yang Heejern gave me a chiropractic message. I did it.
Meals have returned to simpler far since we often eat a few non-organic meals out with Koreans and usually that means eating a lot. I've felt mixed feelings about eating factory farm animals in social situations but I defered to my hosts wishes to maintain ties with his community. Yang has to live with these people and refusing to eat with them when they want to go out for food is bad for food.
I think about this problem a lot. All I've seen to do is move the line forward and backward.
Heejern has advised me to keep a flexible mind to overcome the situation. "Let's think positve feelings about this animal since it had a hard life," was a type of grace before we ate barbequed pork with friends of his.
Yesterday, I found some peace and calm with this as we had beef stew with Yang school friend's. Peace in the fact that these were friends and trying to enjoy it was enough. Here in the grace and generosity of my host I've overcome the situation.
This makes the meals in this house more important.
So we ate mixed vegetables and rice and a lot of fruit today.
Heejern came at 830. Him and I took a chain saw and we went to cut down trees. He has been training to me in skills to help in future projects after my stint in Wwoofing. Today I got practice using a chain saw. When it worked. Heejern tried to get it to work for 20 minutes before leaving and coming back with another that didn't work so he worked on the other one until it started. He cut the trees and used his crane to knock them over. He then asked me to trim off the branches.
We took a break and turned off the chainsaw. Then that was basically finished for today because we couldn't start it again. We ate watermelon and sweet potatoes and a snack. We went home.
It was lunch time. But Heejern said we would meditate first. Then gumdo. An hour later we ate lunch which was fish soup.
"Today people found the body of people who suicide."
"Really. Man or woman?
"Both."
"How many?"
"4"
"4? Really?"
"Yes. They didn't know each other but they got together to suicide."
JuHee added: "Someone told me that there is a cafe for people who suicide. You know an internet cafe."
"Many of the reasons for these suicide are economic. So the society tells them to buy things and make the money and they get a lot of debt and they suicide."
"But what happens to people who suicide go to a very painful place. They think that they will escape pain. They will be reborn into a very painful place and this will continue until they struggle and resolve the situation."
"They are only thinking about getting the money and they only know that way."
"Thirteen years ago I had very little money but I didn't care about. I got some pigs and food from the restaurant owner. It was an easy way."
JuHee: "How many did you begin with?"
"20"
JuHee: "And how many did you sell?"
"50."
JuHee: "Woow."
Yang: "And I didn't make a lot of money with it, but young people don't want to do this because there family will see this."
Me: "Yes, Many parents want to hear there child say I want to be a doctor or a lawyer. Few parents want to hear their child say I want to be a farmer."
Yang: "There are many varieties of lives. There are rich people and poor people and middlle people. This society only wants one kind of people."
It was difficult to say more when nothing can be done about the society as a whole. We occupy our position and we will try to explain it to other people so they have an opportunity to choose our alternative.
We finished eating. I went outside and did weeding around the house.
Then we went to the a growing farm and we planted potatoes.
FOr a break we ate two watermelons because we ate one and then saw one which was about to rot so then 2 and we ate sweet potato. Because of the situation that was the bulk of our dinner.
Heejerns' friend came by and saw us and gave us a home.
We came home and decided to do meditation and gumdo first before dinner. Ate salad for dinner. Two actually. I gathered some wild green and added some onion and a soy sesame dressing. That was salad 1. Salad two consisted of peppers, garlic shoots, lettuce leaves, and catnip from the gardens with with bimbimpap sauce. Hmm. Yummy. I could feel all the positive energy from the happy food.
At around 9, I decided I need to be stronger so I should endure a run along the road.
Heejern's voice was in my head. "Endure," Even though I was tired I eventually gained strength and stamina. I was happy I endured and struggled. I thought about the people who give up trying and struggling to live in this difficult world with the thought that things are painless in the next. Why not make this one special?
Meals have returned to simpler far since we often eat a few non-organic meals out with Koreans and usually that means eating a lot. I've felt mixed feelings about eating factory farm animals in social situations but I defered to my hosts wishes to maintain ties with his community. Yang has to live with these people and refusing to eat with them when they want to go out for food is bad for food.
I think about this problem a lot. All I've seen to do is move the line forward and backward.
Heejern has advised me to keep a flexible mind to overcome the situation. "Let's think positve feelings about this animal since it had a hard life," was a type of grace before we ate barbequed pork with friends of his.
Yesterday, I found some peace and calm with this as we had beef stew with Yang school friend's. Peace in the fact that these were friends and trying to enjoy it was enough. Here in the grace and generosity of my host I've overcome the situation.
This makes the meals in this house more important.
So we ate mixed vegetables and rice and a lot of fruit today.
Heejern came at 830. Him and I took a chain saw and we went to cut down trees. He has been training to me in skills to help in future projects after my stint in Wwoofing. Today I got practice using a chain saw. When it worked. Heejern tried to get it to work for 20 minutes before leaving and coming back with another that didn't work so he worked on the other one until it started. He cut the trees and used his crane to knock them over. He then asked me to trim off the branches.
We took a break and turned off the chainsaw. Then that was basically finished for today because we couldn't start it again. We ate watermelon and sweet potatoes and a snack. We went home.
It was lunch time. But Heejern said we would meditate first. Then gumdo. An hour later we ate lunch which was fish soup.
"Today people found the body of people who suicide."
"Really. Man or woman?
"Both."
"How many?"
"4"
"4? Really?"
"Yes. They didn't know each other but they got together to suicide."
JuHee added: "Someone told me that there is a cafe for people who suicide. You know an internet cafe."
"Many of the reasons for these suicide are economic. So the society tells them to buy things and make the money and they get a lot of debt and they suicide."
"But what happens to people who suicide go to a very painful place. They think that they will escape pain. They will be reborn into a very painful place and this will continue until they struggle and resolve the situation."
"They are only thinking about getting the money and they only know that way."
"Thirteen years ago I had very little money but I didn't care about. I got some pigs and food from the restaurant owner. It was an easy way."
JuHee: "How many did you begin with?"
"20"
JuHee: "And how many did you sell?"
"50."
JuHee: "Woow."
Yang: "And I didn't make a lot of money with it, but young people don't want to do this because there family will see this."
Me: "Yes, Many parents want to hear there child say I want to be a doctor or a lawyer. Few parents want to hear their child say I want to be a farmer."
Yang: "There are many varieties of lives. There are rich people and poor people and middlle people. This society only wants one kind of people."
It was difficult to say more when nothing can be done about the society as a whole. We occupy our position and we will try to explain it to other people so they have an opportunity to choose our alternative.
We finished eating. I went outside and did weeding around the house.
Then we went to the a growing farm and we planted potatoes.
FOr a break we ate two watermelons because we ate one and then saw one which was about to rot so then 2 and we ate sweet potato. Because of the situation that was the bulk of our dinner.
Heejerns' friend came by and saw us and gave us a home.
We came home and decided to do meditation and gumdo first before dinner. Ate salad for dinner. Two actually. I gathered some wild green and added some onion and a soy sesame dressing. That was salad 1. Salad two consisted of peppers, garlic shoots, lettuce leaves, and catnip from the gardens with with bimbimpap sauce. Hmm. Yummy. I could feel all the positive energy from the happy food.
At around 9, I decided I need to be stronger so I should endure a run along the road.
Heejern's voice was in my head. "Endure," Even though I was tired I eventually gained strength and stamina. I was happy I endured and struggled. I thought about the people who give up trying and struggling to live in this difficult world with the thought that things are painless in the next. Why not make this one special?
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Thursday August 11
The week has been going quickly. Yang has been busy trying to secure funding to expand the farm. He is often on the computer. We did weeding around the house.
We did 2 hours of meditation. After we finished, Yang came from behind me.
"Greg I need your help."
Yang Heejern put his hands on my shoulders and rubbed them.
"Oh yeah," I said enthusiastically anticipating a back message.
"So tense. Let me help you. Endure."
He dug his hands deep into my shoulders. I felt the piercing pain and tension fighting.
"Relax. You're very tense. Lay down."
I laid down on the floor. He gave me pillows.
"On your back."
I laid down. He was walking over to me when he said: "You've suffered from a lot of stress in your life."
He stood over me.
"Your heart is very weak."
He messaged the area over my heart intensly.
He touched my chest and shoulders and back, legs with intense pressure. I sometimes screamed. I sometimes cried. All throughout it, I kept hearing endure and breath in and breath out as he pressed and twisted and stretched.
When finished I felt excellent. My posture was immediately improved. The results were amazing.
"You've suffered from a lot of stress in your life. The chiropractic and message I gave you will help you. But you need to try harder meditating and exercising."
"Yes I do."
"Is it easier to seat?"
"Yes it is."
"Is your mind clear."
"Yes it is."
"You're face is bright. Your eyes are shining."
He walked about the room. Then I heard him say,
"I need you to help me finish the parking lot."
Five minutes later we left to finish a drive way.
Tomorrow, I am cutting down trees. Whooo!
We did 2 hours of meditation. After we finished, Yang came from behind me.
"Greg I need your help."
Yang Heejern put his hands on my shoulders and rubbed them.
"Oh yeah," I said enthusiastically anticipating a back message.
"So tense. Let me help you. Endure."
He dug his hands deep into my shoulders. I felt the piercing pain and tension fighting.
"Relax. You're very tense. Lay down."
I laid down on the floor. He gave me pillows.
"On your back."
I laid down. He was walking over to me when he said: "You've suffered from a lot of stress in your life."
He stood over me.
"Your heart is very weak."
He messaged the area over my heart intensly.
He touched my chest and shoulders and back, legs with intense pressure. I sometimes screamed. I sometimes cried. All throughout it, I kept hearing endure and breath in and breath out as he pressed and twisted and stretched.
When finished I felt excellent. My posture was immediately improved. The results were amazing.
"You've suffered from a lot of stress in your life. The chiropractic and message I gave you will help you. But you need to try harder meditating and exercising."
"Yes I do."
"Is it easier to seat?"
"Yes it is."
"Is your mind clear."
"Yes it is."
"You're face is bright. Your eyes are shining."
He walked about the room. Then I heard him say,
"I need you to help me finish the parking lot."
Five minutes later we left to finish a drive way.
Tomorrow, I am cutting down trees. Whooo!
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Wednesday August 10
I will update this more but for now:
Corn pancakes that I developed in the Korean style is very good for the Korean eaters.
I did a lot of weeding the medicinal farm. The original design which was overflowing with weeds is beginning to show. The design of the farm can be seen from the air. You can see a 6 pointed star.
Yang Heejern Nim and talked about working together.
Corn pancakes that I developed in the Korean style is very good for the Korean eaters.
I did a lot of weeding the medicinal farm. The original design which was overflowing with weeds is beginning to show. The design of the farm can be seen from the air. You can see a 6 pointed star.
Yang Heejern Nim and talked about working together.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
I didn't know why I was crying when I woke up today but I quickly remembered looking too closely at the welding sparks. I started and stopped. I did morning meditation and I was okay for a while. When chopping vegetables I burst into tears. Ju Hee was beside me preparing for breakfast.
"Ohhh," she said gasping. "Are you okay?"
"I am okay," I tried to calm her down. "It's because of the welding."
I explained to her the situation.
I was basically useless for the next 5 hours until about after lunch.
There wasn't much needed to do.
Yang and I delivered organic fertilizer to another farm. We unloaded the bags. But basically I road for about 3 hours in the truck with my eyes closed while Yang and I talked.
We talked about my wife and what she is doing. I explained to her our work situation and vacation situation and that sometimes a husband and wife need separate vacations. I found it a great coincidence that my wife is doing meditations and martials arts as I speak. Our outlets are similar.
I am looking forward to seeing wifey again.
He told me a story to explain his philosophy with discomfort and pain.
"An old farmer's horse dissappears and the villagers say that's so sad. And the farmer says that's okay. The horse reappears with a lady horse. And the villagers say that's great. And the farmers say's that's okay. Then one day the Old Farmer's son breaks his leg while riding the horse. And the villagers say that's too sad. The Old Farmer say's that's okay. Then there is a war and all the boys must go to war and fight except for the son with the broken leg. The war is fought and all the boys in the village that are off to war die except for the farmer's son who couldn't fight.
We discussed developing food and business ideas since we both have similar passions in healing foods.
"It's hard to describe it in language I think."
"Many people when they are happy they are soo happy and when they are sad they are soo sad.
The reason I tell you this story is because when things are very good people shouldn't... how do I say? applause?"
We drove most of way in silence. I focused on my breathing. Yang Heejern stopped the truck near the house at the city office. He was in for maybe an hour.
"I'm sorry," he yelled into the car.
"Okay," I said in a calm half asleep way as I was jolted out my meditation.
I saw him walking with the town officer who is discussing town development with Heejern.
Heejern came back into the car.
I asked him about the progress on development.
"He works for the town and he has a lot of stress. Though he works for the town the boss is in Seoul... so... (pause)
"So he doesn't know the information yet."
We stopped home for a few minutes and then we went to another farmer to help him out. Yang went to another job. Ju Hee now with me helped the farmer put up piping. Though for most of the time I cried into my blanket while the sun was getting darker.
Eventually we broke. The man gave us some stale beer and peanut flavored chips. I took some beer and left the rest.
Then we drove to lunch to Ju Hee's favorite restaurant. It specializes in rice dishes and is on the healthier side. The farmer I am got MaBap which is yam and rice mixed with peppers and sesame seeds and vinegar. Ju Hee got rice with lotus flowers wrapped in what looked like a banana leaf. We got 6 different side dishes.
The food made me feel great. My eyes recovered and I no longer needed to cry into a towel anymore.
Then we stopped at Yang Heejern who was riding his horse.
"Get on," he said.
I got on the horse and took the bull whip and tapped the horse and off I trotted. I got the horse to gallop and felt the power of this beautiful animal. I came back and gave the horse to Ju Hee. But I definately wanted more.
We then went back to work attaching plastic sheets to the metal pipping to contruct a fence to keep the weeds away from young sapplings that were growing.
My eyes stayed fresh and I was climbing onto the frames to attach food to the rafters. All in all I felt great.
We got home later. Un Shim was there with her husband. The farmer friend of Yang came and eventually Yang came home. THe Korean's talked a lot to each other. I proposed different food ideas and eventually we made dinner.
Earth Elements definately is making fermented food and sauces, but for Mulme I am making food that follows a Korean theme and style. Yang wants to develop all the local food we have. We have a lot of corn so he wants to make corn noodles using traditional molds. I proposed I could play with different things using the fresh corn we have. It's good to play. So Ju Hee prepped for me some items and eventually made fish and I made
corn fritters, corn soup, and a corn salad for dinner.
We called the men over and everyone enjoyed the food a lot. Ju Hee made a pickling of peanut I picked and boiled the week before and added onions peppers sugar and soy into something delicious. Her fish was great too!
Yang left at 9.
Greg tonight, "Two hours of meditation."
"Oh I'll try I said."
We cleaned the kitchen. And then I got in 1 and half hours of meditation.
Now, it's time for sleep. Good night!
"Ohhh," she said gasping. "Are you okay?"
"I am okay," I tried to calm her down. "It's because of the welding."
I explained to her the situation.
I was basically useless for the next 5 hours until about after lunch.
There wasn't much needed to do.
Yang and I delivered organic fertilizer to another farm. We unloaded the bags. But basically I road for about 3 hours in the truck with my eyes closed while Yang and I talked.
We talked about my wife and what she is doing. I explained to her our work situation and vacation situation and that sometimes a husband and wife need separate vacations. I found it a great coincidence that my wife is doing meditations and martials arts as I speak. Our outlets are similar.
I am looking forward to seeing wifey again.
He told me a story to explain his philosophy with discomfort and pain.
"An old farmer's horse dissappears and the villagers say that's so sad. And the farmer says that's okay. The horse reappears with a lady horse. And the villagers say that's great. And the farmers say's that's okay. Then one day the Old Farmer's son breaks his leg while riding the horse. And the villagers say that's too sad. The Old Farmer say's that's okay. Then there is a war and all the boys must go to war and fight except for the son with the broken leg. The war is fought and all the boys in the village that are off to war die except for the farmer's son who couldn't fight.
We discussed developing food and business ideas since we both have similar passions in healing foods.
"It's hard to describe it in language I think."
"Many people when they are happy they are soo happy and when they are sad they are soo sad.
The reason I tell you this story is because when things are very good people shouldn't... how do I say? applause?"
We drove most of way in silence. I focused on my breathing. Yang Heejern stopped the truck near the house at the city office. He was in for maybe an hour.
"I'm sorry," he yelled into the car.
"Okay," I said in a calm half asleep way as I was jolted out my meditation.
I saw him walking with the town officer who is discussing town development with Heejern.
Heejern came back into the car.
I asked him about the progress on development.
"He works for the town and he has a lot of stress. Though he works for the town the boss is in Seoul... so... (pause)
"So he doesn't know the information yet."
We stopped home for a few minutes and then we went to another farmer to help him out. Yang went to another job. Ju Hee now with me helped the farmer put up piping. Though for most of the time I cried into my blanket while the sun was getting darker.
Eventually we broke. The man gave us some stale beer and peanut flavored chips. I took some beer and left the rest.
Then we drove to lunch to Ju Hee's favorite restaurant. It specializes in rice dishes and is on the healthier side. The farmer I am got MaBap which is yam and rice mixed with peppers and sesame seeds and vinegar. Ju Hee got rice with lotus flowers wrapped in what looked like a banana leaf. We got 6 different side dishes.
The food made me feel great. My eyes recovered and I no longer needed to cry into a towel anymore.
Then we stopped at Yang Heejern who was riding his horse.
"Get on," he said.
I got on the horse and took the bull whip and tapped the horse and off I trotted. I got the horse to gallop and felt the power of this beautiful animal. I came back and gave the horse to Ju Hee. But I definately wanted more.
We then went back to work attaching plastic sheets to the metal pipping to contruct a fence to keep the weeds away from young sapplings that were growing.
My eyes stayed fresh and I was climbing onto the frames to attach food to the rafters. All in all I felt great.
We got home later. Un Shim was there with her husband. The farmer friend of Yang came and eventually Yang came home. THe Korean's talked a lot to each other. I proposed different food ideas and eventually we made dinner.
Earth Elements definately is making fermented food and sauces, but for Mulme I am making food that follows a Korean theme and style. Yang wants to develop all the local food we have. We have a lot of corn so he wants to make corn noodles using traditional molds. I proposed I could play with different things using the fresh corn we have. It's good to play. So Ju Hee prepped for me some items and eventually made fish and I made
corn fritters, corn soup, and a corn salad for dinner.
We called the men over and everyone enjoyed the food a lot. Ju Hee made a pickling of peanut I picked and boiled the week before and added onions peppers sugar and soy into something delicious. Her fish was great too!
Yang left at 9.
Greg tonight, "Two hours of meditation."
"Oh I'll try I said."
We cleaned the kitchen. And then I got in 1 and half hours of meditation.
Now, it's time for sleep. Good night!
Monday, 8 August 2011
Monday August 8
Baraggo is a naughty boy. The male horse of Yang's broke out of the farm during the tsunami and had sex with another horse on the farm. The other farmer's horse is a racing horse pregnant with a thorough bred horse. It possible that the sex with Baraggo could kill the baby. If that's soo it could cost Yang a lot of money.
Yang and I were waiting for Ju Hee to get ready so we could drive to the horse farmer and to our farm to look at the damage.
"I'm disapointed in him. The reason why is because when I rode him on Friday. He was very tired and weak. And during the tsunami he was wild and strong. Oh my god."
We got to the farm. Yang talked to the farmer. The farmer showed us where Brago entered. He had to jump down a rock and back to an enclosure. Braraggo could barely run three days ago but for a female horse he made a big effort.
It will be some weeks before we know the result.
In the car, I was talking about building eco houses and taking a course. Yang proposed we be partners to build an eco houses. I am really excited. I need to prepare myself for the task. THe first house will be Yangs own house.
We moved to a job. We had to clean a parking lot of mud and dirt. We going to have lunch with workers we were working with first.
"Can you eat Cattle Belly?," Yang asked.
"For the taste I like it, but sometimes I have difficulty eating the factory farm animal. I don't want to be rude to the people who are nice and to hurt their feelings."
"That is a good attitude to have."
"But I do struggle sometimes. Because I am thinking about the karma."
"Do you believe this now?"
"Maybe. Before now, I would just say ---- conscious---- I feel bad, but now I am saying karma. I worry about becoming a pig."
Do I believe in Karma exactly. No not yet, but I feel cowardly sometimes eating just to make people feel better.
"It's hard for people to become a pig or a cow, but these days with the foot and mouth disease. Maybe more people could become one."
"But do you struggle sometimes."
"Yes. I have seen the factory farms many times. But in Korean culture the community is important and eating together is important for this."
This was not a subject to complete in a day. It's a hard topic for me. I really don't know the answer. I've just decided and maybe Yang too that refusing to eat lunch with people on the basis of food is a poor way to get to know people.
"Try to overcome the situation," he suggested.
And I did.
The day was good. We worked with people. They brought sweet breads and coffee for snacks. We skipped the coffee but drank their herbal drinks and the breads.
Yang called me over and asked me to cut a tree.
Cut here.
I was cutting.
"Focus on the breathing."
I got zoned in on my breathing.
"In the eco-school this the first thing they teach you to do- sewing."
"Okay I will take over."
"I'm okay. I need to get stronger. You are already strong."
He laughed.
We went home. He took the truck and went back to the work site. Ju Hee and I ate some corn and pumpkin. Yang came back and taught me how to weld. It was awesome.
I made a mistake today. Yang asked me to get coil for electric cable. I went to the shed. The cord was under the rocket batteries. I tried to lift the lower battery so I could get the cable out. They were heavy. I thought to call Yang but I really wanted to do it myself and I yanked the bottom battery. The top battery slide off and flipped over into the street. Some acid leak out of the top.
I told Yang later what happened.
"Is it a problem?"
"Yes, it is. But it is done so what can we do about it?"
"But it's my fault."
"Okay clean up now and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
There is a stubborn quality to do things myself that I need to work on.
Yang and I were waiting for Ju Hee to get ready so we could drive to the horse farmer and to our farm to look at the damage.
"I'm disapointed in him. The reason why is because when I rode him on Friday. He was very tired and weak. And during the tsunami he was wild and strong. Oh my god."
We got to the farm. Yang talked to the farmer. The farmer showed us where Brago entered. He had to jump down a rock and back to an enclosure. Braraggo could barely run three days ago but for a female horse he made a big effort.
It will be some weeks before we know the result.
In the car, I was talking about building eco houses and taking a course. Yang proposed we be partners to build an eco houses. I am really excited. I need to prepare myself for the task. THe first house will be Yangs own house.
We moved to a job. We had to clean a parking lot of mud and dirt. We going to have lunch with workers we were working with first.
"Can you eat Cattle Belly?," Yang asked.
"For the taste I like it, but sometimes I have difficulty eating the factory farm animal. I don't want to be rude to the people who are nice and to hurt their feelings."
"That is a good attitude to have."
"But I do struggle sometimes. Because I am thinking about the karma."
"Do you believe this now?"
"Maybe. Before now, I would just say ---- conscious---- I feel bad, but now I am saying karma. I worry about becoming a pig."
Do I believe in Karma exactly. No not yet, but I feel cowardly sometimes eating just to make people feel better.
"It's hard for people to become a pig or a cow, but these days with the foot and mouth disease. Maybe more people could become one."
"But do you struggle sometimes."
"Yes. I have seen the factory farms many times. But in Korean culture the community is important and eating together is important for this."
This was not a subject to complete in a day. It's a hard topic for me. I really don't know the answer. I've just decided and maybe Yang too that refusing to eat lunch with people on the basis of food is a poor way to get to know people.
"Try to overcome the situation," he suggested.
And I did.
The day was good. We worked with people. They brought sweet breads and coffee for snacks. We skipped the coffee but drank their herbal drinks and the breads.
Yang called me over and asked me to cut a tree.
Cut here.
I was cutting.
"Focus on the breathing."
I got zoned in on my breathing.
"In the eco-school this the first thing they teach you to do- sewing."
"Okay I will take over."
"I'm okay. I need to get stronger. You are already strong."
He laughed.
We went home. He took the truck and went back to the work site. Ju Hee and I ate some corn and pumpkin. Yang came back and taught me how to weld. It was awesome.
I made a mistake today. Yang asked me to get coil for electric cable. I went to the shed. The cord was under the rocket batteries. I tried to lift the lower battery so I could get the cable out. They were heavy. I thought to call Yang but I really wanted to do it myself and I yanked the bottom battery. The top battery slide off and flipped over into the street. Some acid leak out of the top.
I told Yang later what happened.
"Is it a problem?"
"Yes, it is. But it is done so what can we do about it?"
"But it's my fault."
"Okay clean up now and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
There is a stubborn quality to do things myself that I need to work on.
Week in Review and Note on Organization
What posts below are from Monday to last Friday. It's just how the writing worked out. The days blurred into one and I how to retrace just what I was doing.
Saturday I took a big rest from it all. I hurt my leg the day before in my close call with serious injury so instead of working I sketched a map of the herbal garden though towards the back its hard to make out the growing bed seens weeds have taken the shapes. Ju Hee weeded the herbalism beds. A friend Kang Yung Ju came over and watered.
After lunch, Ju Hee invited me to the Jimjilbang in town but instead I took a nap.
The farm has a very interesting layout. There are growing beds like other farms but there is a bed shaped like a 6 point star which is a symbol of the universe.
Yang Heejern invited me to meet some friends at night, but I didn't say yes so I could rest.
Later in the day, I tried to ride the bike designated for me but my leg hurt so much I just rolled into down the hills and walked up the hills in town. My destination was Hagwi the nearest town. I bought a fly swater to replace the one I broke the day before killing a lot of flies. There are many sometimes.
Ju Hee and I started some miscommunication that continued until Sunday. THis is what will happen. Ju Hee called me to say that Yang Un Sim a friend of Yan Heejern wanted to give me a tour. I asked what the plan was. She said she didn't know but that I needed to say yes or no. I said I want to go but I need to know the schedule because there are things I want to do Sunday. She said okay so do you want to go.
"Has she sent you a time table."
"No but she she said she will text me when she knows."
"Okay will you text me when you know the time table?"
Sunday
My day off. The rain was hard outside. I was curious if Ju Hee was going to her less. Ju Hee came into the main room around 930. The rain was getting hard. I asked her if she was going to her art lesson. She said yes, and that she was waiting for the call from her teaching and just then he called.
I asked Ju Hee if Yang's friend texted her the time table.
"Oh I told her that you couldn't go. That's what you wanted right?"
"No, I just wanted to know the time table because it's possible I could go."
She didn't understand. "Okay I will text you when she texts me the time table."
I watched some documentaries on the environment, and type about the week.
I felt extreme satisfaction with the work I've been doing and how right it is.
Yang Un Sim seemed to show up at door. After calling Ju Hee and no response, Yang Un Sim had called Yang when I started calling Ju Hee. She doesn't speak much English but more English than I Korean. Yang answered and was translator. She was going to take me for an hour. It was perfect time. I get out and we ride around for an hour and then I'm back to my computer.
The rain had turn to a waterfall. And we ran to her car.
"We will take the coastal road," she told me.
We road around and then I was back. I said thank you to her. She is so nice. And then she left.
I got back to work and things were going well with my writing when I noticed the heavy rains seeping up the sliding door on the Westerly side of the building. I called Yang.
"HI Yang. I am calling because there is water coming in on the windows on the left side. And our towels are being washed?
"Oh my god. Do you have a solution?"
"I don't know what else I can use."
"THen take the blanket from the Hu Jee's room. PUt one in the front for the window on the outside. And put the other on the inside."
"Okay I understand. Thanks."
"OKay see you tomorrow!"
And after getting blown around by the tsunami I go the blankets on the door.
The Tsunami was on the verge of being series. Trees were swaying. The wood from the swing blew off and Yangs horse will cause some problems we would learn tomorrow.
I tried to meditate later. But it was short. The sounds of a tsunami are distracting when breaking snapping and whoosing noises are outside.
I ate bimbimpaps throughout the day and a green smoothie. This is the first green smoothie I've had in a while.
THe day was relaxing despite the hiccups.
Saturday I took a big rest from it all. I hurt my leg the day before in my close call with serious injury so instead of working I sketched a map of the herbal garden though towards the back its hard to make out the growing bed seens weeds have taken the shapes. Ju Hee weeded the herbalism beds. A friend Kang Yung Ju came over and watered.
After lunch, Ju Hee invited me to the Jimjilbang in town but instead I took a nap.
The farm has a very interesting layout. There are growing beds like other farms but there is a bed shaped like a 6 point star which is a symbol of the universe.
Yang Heejern invited me to meet some friends at night, but I didn't say yes so I could rest.
Later in the day, I tried to ride the bike designated for me but my leg hurt so much I just rolled into down the hills and walked up the hills in town. My destination was Hagwi the nearest town. I bought a fly swater to replace the one I broke the day before killing a lot of flies. There are many sometimes.
Ju Hee and I started some miscommunication that continued until Sunday. THis is what will happen. Ju Hee called me to say that Yang Un Sim a friend of Yan Heejern wanted to give me a tour. I asked what the plan was. She said she didn't know but that I needed to say yes or no. I said I want to go but I need to know the schedule because there are things I want to do Sunday. She said okay so do you want to go.
"Has she sent you a time table."
"No but she she said she will text me when she knows."
"Okay will you text me when you know the time table?"
Sunday
My day off. The rain was hard outside. I was curious if Ju Hee was going to her less. Ju Hee came into the main room around 930. The rain was getting hard. I asked her if she was going to her art lesson. She said yes, and that she was waiting for the call from her teaching and just then he called.
I asked Ju Hee if Yang's friend texted her the time table.
"Oh I told her that you couldn't go. That's what you wanted right?"
"No, I just wanted to know the time table because it's possible I could go."
She didn't understand. "Okay I will text you when she texts me the time table."
I watched some documentaries on the environment, and type about the week.
I felt extreme satisfaction with the work I've been doing and how right it is.
Yang Un Sim seemed to show up at door. After calling Ju Hee and no response, Yang Un Sim had called Yang when I started calling Ju Hee. She doesn't speak much English but more English than I Korean. Yang answered and was translator. She was going to take me for an hour. It was perfect time. I get out and we ride around for an hour and then I'm back to my computer.
The rain had turn to a waterfall. And we ran to her car.
"We will take the coastal road," she told me.
We road around and then I was back. I said thank you to her. She is so nice. And then she left.
I got back to work and things were going well with my writing when I noticed the heavy rains seeping up the sliding door on the Westerly side of the building. I called Yang.
"HI Yang. I am calling because there is water coming in on the windows on the left side. And our towels are being washed?
"Oh my god. Do you have a solution?"
"I don't know what else I can use."
"THen take the blanket from the Hu Jee's room. PUt one in the front for the window on the outside. And put the other on the inside."
"Okay I understand. Thanks."
"OKay see you tomorrow!"
And after getting blown around by the tsunami I go the blankets on the door.
The Tsunami was on the verge of being series. Trees were swaying. The wood from the swing blew off and Yangs horse will cause some problems we would learn tomorrow.
I tried to meditate later. But it was short. The sounds of a tsunami are distracting when breaking snapping and whoosing noises are outside.
I ate bimbimpaps throughout the day and a green smoothie. This is the first green smoothie I've had in a while.
THe day was relaxing despite the hiccups.
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