well, this weekend I went on a trip that was organized by the University club AITC which is called Ajou International Travel Club, but the international means "international students" not international as you'd think :-) firstly we went to a place where they made 'traditional' Korean paper, and we all had a chance to make a sheet of paper for ourselves

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The paper making was interesting

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Then we went to a small 'cultural' center, in a refurbished older traditional Korean building, and joined the audience for some traditional Korean performances.

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One in particular was an interesting style where a 'singer' or vocalist and a single drummer basically recited poetry in a semi vocal style, and engaged the audience in what seemed to be getting them to be calling back agreement, or briefly clapping agreement

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There was some milky coloured rice wine served and like nama-zake needed to be kept refrigerated

We stayed in the mountains in a small cabin. We slept on the floor, but unlike Japan, without futons, just on the floor with a pillow .... (and the Koreans wonder why they feel stiff when they wake up ?)

Next day we went to a large temple site, which occupied a very large area of land. The front "MON" was quite huge, and the trees that made up the central pillars must have been enormous

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The temples are similar to Japan, but there is a difference in the colours that are used in the 'supports' under the roof

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In these temples were some very huge Buddha's apparently made of gold, the Buddha in the one below nearly extended to the top of the roof inside. Being inside, means that it remains impeccably clean.

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Other buildings had smaller Buddha like this one

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Lastly, a difference between Japanese and Korean temples is the existence of stone gods around the temple (facing out interestingly) such as this guy

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Hope that is all interesting stuff for you, as it sure was for me :-D

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