Steve and I set out today for our "quiet sitting place". There is a park near our school that has become quite beautiful with the spring bloom. Shortly after we arrived in Jinyeong we found a path off the side of the park that leads to a secluded overlook amidst burial mounds. It is a very peaceful and quiet place indeed. We have gone there several times, mostly when we are feeling upset or need to gain perspective on why we are here or, like today, to seek peace and quiet. South Korea, like other places in Asia, can be an overwhelmingly loud and bustling place. Steve and I live in a small town and still become overwhelmed with the fast pace of South Korea. Cars and scooters that zoom past you within inches of your body, crowds of people (even on mountain hiking trails), loud speakers blaring K pop on every corner. Sometimes it just gets to be too much to deal with. We seek solitude, quiet, and wide open spaces. There are none, it seems, except for our quiet place. We went there today, on Mother's Day. We took some drinks and snacks and books. We sat in silence, no need to converse. As I was writing, Steve stated, "this is heavenly" and it was. There were no other people in sight. We could actually hear the songs of birds and the buzzing of bugs. The cars and the voices of people were distant. The sound of a motorbike, the crow of a rooster, a child crying, all out of sight and pleasantly distant. Our quiet place, our escape.
See some photos of our place. It's not exceptionally beautiful, but it's quiet!