So today... was church day.
It was interesting to say the least. The church was HUGE! It's a presbyterian church and I've never gone to a presbyterian service before. It's very... evangelical to say the least. I don't know, when I do go to church in Canada or even Indonesia, I'm used to going to small congregation churches and usually the church building is only 2 floors max. This church was 12 stories in total. 6 floors going up and 6 floors underground. It has a library facility and a very huge sanctuary and they are adding onto it to build an even larger sanctuary. Apparently there are about 10,000 members of the church. I'm floored at the massiveness of the church. I wish I did take a picture of the building. I'll have more chances and I'll show it to you how massive the church is and will be. My home stay parents are very active members of the church it seems. My home stay mother introduced me to a lady, in which I didn't catch a name, who became a guide for me. She spoke english and accompanied me throughout the two, yes TWO services I went to.
The first service was the main service in which everyone attended. The lady handed me something in which I could hear the whole service in English. Then after that, I went to another service for Multi-ethnicity they call it. There they had it in both English and Korean. At the first service it was very elegant and nicely decorated. I thought the choir was amazing. They even had an orchestra accompaniment for both choir singing and congregation singing. The mediator? or the person who reads the scriptures first and then the congregation reads a response, he had an interesting hairstyle. (Yes I should have paid attention to what was being said but the interpreter only translated the main message not the stuff in between, so I was bored and jetlagged and sleepy yeah... not good. For those of you who went to New York with me on that band/choir trip? It was like that. The service and the elaborateness was like the Time Square church in new york. except this was more conservative.) The message spoken to the all at this service was to be born again. A very evangelical message.
The second service I went to, was a lot more familiar to me. Only about 40 people? The message spoken was about reforming yourself/church.
After the 2nd service, I said good bye to the lady and my home stay mom and I picked up two people and went somewhere. Reading from the signs, we drove all the way to Paju? I remembered that because it reminded me of the Indonesian word Baju. Anyways, turns out we were driving to my home stay mom's older brother's BBQ restaurant. To get there though, on the highway on one side it's South Korea and the other side, there were barred wire fence just before the Han River side. Yes, the other side was north korea. What a great contrast to Seoul, with high buildings everywhere, North Korea was really beautiful in greenery. At least from what I could see through the window of the car. I could see the soldiers guarding the border and keeping an eye of the river.
Once we got to the restaurant, we were accompanied by my home stay's bible study group or something and I was left with the people that we came in the car with. One lady was good at speaking Japanese and her son was good at speaking English. So basically we could make some sort of conversation. ^0^
So my day was... long.
Tomorrow, I think we're going out for the day? I don't know... really. Oh to change what's left of my money and then... and then I don't know...
BY THE WAY! I forgot to tell you yesterday, contact lens solution is cheaper in South Korea! So if you are planning to come here, buy it here! I'm talking about the Renu contact lens brand. :)
well, i'm gonna relax right now. I want to watch tv but my homestay mother is sleeping and I don't know where my homestay father is. My home stay are not big tv watchers like my homestay in Japan. So I think I might have to learn how to use the tv and watch on my own because in reality, it's from the tv where I learn the language faster.
well chillax. Maybe sleep again. i'm so tired.
current time: 19:47
current song: Better Together by SE7EN
current mood: tired
It was interesting to say the least. The church was HUGE! It's a presbyterian church and I've never gone to a presbyterian service before. It's very... evangelical to say the least. I don't know, when I do go to church in Canada or even Indonesia, I'm used to going to small congregation churches and usually the church building is only 2 floors max. This church was 12 stories in total. 6 floors going up and 6 floors underground. It has a library facility and a very huge sanctuary and they are adding onto it to build an even larger sanctuary. Apparently there are about 10,000 members of the church. I'm floored at the massiveness of the church. I wish I did take a picture of the building. I'll have more chances and I'll show it to you how massive the church is and will be. My home stay parents are very active members of the church it seems. My home stay mother introduced me to a lady, in which I didn't catch a name, who became a guide for me. She spoke english and accompanied me throughout the two, yes TWO services I went to.
The first service was the main service in which everyone attended. The lady handed me something in which I could hear the whole service in English. Then after that, I went to another service for Multi-ethnicity they call it. There they had it in both English and Korean. At the first service it was very elegant and nicely decorated. I thought the choir was amazing. They even had an orchestra accompaniment for both choir singing and congregation singing. The mediator? or the person who reads the scriptures first and then the congregation reads a response, he had an interesting hairstyle. (Yes I should have paid attention to what was being said but the interpreter only translated the main message not the stuff in between, so I was bored and jetlagged and sleepy yeah... not good. For those of you who went to New York with me on that band/choir trip? It was like that. The service and the elaborateness was like the Time Square church in new york. except this was more conservative.) The message spoken to the all at this service was to be born again. A very evangelical message.
 |
| On the way to restaurant on the freeway |
After the 2nd service, I said good bye to the lady and my home stay mom and I picked up two people and went somewhere. Reading from the signs, we drove all the way to Paju? I remembered that because it reminded me of the Indonesian word Baju. Anyways, turns out we were driving to my home stay mom's older brother's BBQ restaurant. To get there though, on the highway on one side it's South Korea and the other side, there were barred wire fence just before the Han River side. Yes, the other side was north korea. What a great contrast to Seoul, with high buildings everywhere, North Korea was really beautiful in greenery. At least from what I could see through the window of the car. I could see the soldiers guarding the border and keeping an eye of the river.
 |
| North Korea across the river |
So my day was... long.
Tomorrow, I think we're going out for the day? I don't know... really. Oh to change what's left of my money and then... and then I don't know...
 |
| North Korea on the other side again |
 |
| Beef! |
well, i'm gonna relax right now. I want to watch tv but my homestay mother is sleeping and I don't know where my homestay father is. My home stay are not big tv watchers like my homestay in Japan. So I think I might have to learn how to use the tv and watch on my own because in reality, it's from the tv where I learn the language faster.
well chillax. Maybe sleep again. i'm so tired.
current time: 19:47
current song: Better Together by SE7EN
current mood: tired
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