Remembering The Forgotten War

Before leaving South Korea, we visited Seoul's War Memorial.  The building and grounds house a broad collection of military equipment, statues, and memorabilia which span several wars and many centuries, but our attention was drawn primarily to the Korean War exhibits.

The Korean War is referred to as "The Forgotten War" and with good reason.  Our exposure to this conflict was minimal prior to visiting the memorial, having likely learned more from watching MASHthan from high school and college history courses.  It is hard to believe that a protracted battle of three years with 35,000+ U.S. casualties, thousands of MIAs, and many hundreds of thousands of others killed in action can be footnoted as a blip on the historical radar between WWII and the Vietnam War.  We felt fortunate to have the opportunity to expand our knowledge of this specific conflict while in Seoul, a city with more than its share of battle scars.

The memorial was well presented and impressive.  It shared its message through:

1. Outdoor displays of military hardware (tanks, trucks, planes, missiles, etc.)
2. Impressive commemorative statues paying tribute the the many sacrifices of war
3. Well presented indoor displays exhibiting physical memorabilia and interpretive memorials, both informative and moving

The displays were English language friendly as were the numerous video installations.  One portion of the museum presented a large collection of personal items that had been donated by Korean War veterans and their families.  Uniforms, medals, diaries, letters, sketches, and coins, the miscellanea that one might stash away for a lifetime after living through something so traumatic.  These artifacts provide direct links to the people who wore or carried them into battle.

We left the memorial appreciative of what we had seen and learned, greatly pleased to find that admission is free of charge, making it readily available to the people of Seoul and the world beyond.

For Whom the Bell Tolls, Suwon, South Korea

The Bell Tolls for Several ReasonsWhile exploring South Korea, we visited Suwon and its impressive World Heritage Hwaseong Fortress.  We walked ~six kilometers along the 400+ year old structure that encloses much of the city, stopping to take in sweeping views as we ambled.  Shortly after our walk’s start, we encountered an enormous Filial Piety bell, a long-held tradition for expressing best wishes.  After making a small contribution we respectfully approached the imposing bell, drew back the suspended wooden ringer and released three clear tolls.

1^st Toll:  To show gratitude and respect for our parents
2^nd Toll:  To wish for our family’s health and harmony
3^rd Toll:  To wish for the realization of our dreams

We dedicated a few moments to ruminate upon the meaning of each toll before continuing our stroll.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – Seoul, South Korea

Goal:  Find a unique way to allocate Laura’s recent “Have Seconds” sponsorship of “Bring Back Cocktail Hour” while traveling in Seoul, South Korea.

Steps we followed to accomplish the goal:

1. Find a small, inviting restaurant lacking English-language signs.
2. Enter with a smile and extend a confident and hearty Korean-language “Hello” (AN-YOUNG-HA-SAY-YO) to the staff.
3. Select a unique looking item on the menu and deliver a friendly Korean-language “Please” (JOM-CHOO-SAY-YO).
4. Toast our generous friend Laura who sponsored an affordable and enjoyable two rounds of beer along with this amazing appetizer.  After some analysis we determined that the tasty treat was an asian-style pancake or omelet with bonita (fish) flakes that dance atop the dish as it lets off steam - Watch the action in this 12 second video:

We extend thanks to Laura in our best Korean (COM-SAH-HAAM-NEE-DAH) for helping us find this gem of a restaurant - We liked it so much, we returned a few days later for a spicy noodle bowl and wontons.  Delicious!