14 July

14 July, at 2 p.m. pro. Dongil Lee's teams had first fild work all together. Frankly, it wasn't the day cause it was sooooo humid!! but it wasn't humid enough to make professor give up the fild work. Anyway it was cool, I loved it :)

I though about myself, the body, and Seoul. They three are connected; as an indivisual I sense all the exterior of myself and I'm also part of Seoul. For this SUNY program, it's necessary to open up all my senses and make myself be friendly with curiosity.

It was green line; subway no.2. In the watiting line, some of student chattered and some of them did photos every nook and corner as if they're first time at there and seeking some treasure(so did I). Flashes and clickings in subway.. I suddenly noticed that especially Koreans are being little bit more brave when they're in group.

Anyhow we arrived at Bookchon; traditional residential districk situated near Gyeongbok palace and Chanhdeok palace. We walk through the alleys. It smelled yummys when I passed some restaurants in small street. I also saw a wall that so many littered stickers were put on. One sticker for chinese restaurant, one for remover, one for laudry...etc. those proofs of time in Bookchon.

We first drop in museum. it was HanOk, the traditional Korean-style house.
As I'm a Korean and that means I've seen this more than hundreds of times. But even if I visit it so many times, what we call in korean 'the wind passage(바람길)' is everytime admirable. Through this wind passage, the wind isn't blocked but passes the house in way it has to be. So the inhabitant could feel the wind that came from nature. All those holes and passages are carefully measured.

I also focused in how it is built. the structure influences inhabitant's life style.
Wooden floor and cute garden facing at it. Imagining how they treat a guest. They'll be sitting on the wooden floor, tasting green tea, exposed to natural wind, and talk about the trees that grown up than last visit...

Little water tank made with rock(instead of fountain). The water's surface is always calm.. and the old pine trees. Silence, calmness, and nature. Feeling this emotions and senses that HanOk give us was one of ritual. Ritual that only arrives when we are part of it.