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| Ginkgo Tree, Gyeongbokgung palace |
Ginkgo trees are everywhere here.
It’s a sacred tree of the East – a symbol of the unity of
opposites.
There many other meanings but
the idea of opposites and finding common ground intrigued me.
It’s
quite fitting for a trip given our tumultuous times: North & South, East & West, Yin & Yang - even the Taegeukgi
(South Korean flag) epitomizes this.
In an oddly connected way, I'm reading Jodi Picoult's new book, A Spark of Light. The story covers a hostage situation in a women's clinic in America where protesters and those seeking care are suddenly forced on the same side in an attempt to outsmart the man taking them all hostage.
Globally, we all seem to be living lives now that are the balance of opposites - who we support or don't. Families ripped apart because of the 38th Parallel. When we all come from the standpoint that one side has to win over the other, I wonder, will we ever find common ground? Or, "...are we all drowning slowly in the tide of our opinions, oblivious that we are taking on water every time we open our mouths." (
Source)
Coming East has reawakened something in me. I felt a need to reconnect; this is my first post in almost 5 years!
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| For you, Mom |
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| Mt. Rainier, Washington State |
Getting here was an adventure (isn’t it always now, though…). If I’m not running for a gate, something’s
wrong! There were some fine flight
attendants that made it much better – thank you. I was greeted with Champagne on the flight
from Seattle to Incheon and the flight Attendant kept it coming…and, I left with a bottle, too
(thanks to my travel mates J&J). I
essentially, crossed half the world to get here (yes, flat earthers the world
is round!).
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| Yes, we were going in the wrong direction! We circled Spokane for about an hour. |
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| Korean Food on Delta Airlines - yum! |
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| Heading into Seoul; see how we completely go around N. Korea |
I dived right into traditional (airplane) Korean food on the plane and
continued after we got settled into our Hotel – you’ll see the name of the
Korean BBQ place below and Holee Chow was right across the hallway! J was a good sport but I’m thinking she would
have preferred Shake Shack!
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| Exhaust Fan & Charcoal to cook the steak |
Next post will be about the Lotte World Tower - 123 Floors - amazing way to kick off the trip!
