Tag Archives: festival

Oribi Mom, Travelinds

Oribi Mom: Escape the World – Read!

“Read wherever you can, even if it’s pouring with rain.”

The privilege of reading in a campsite next to Lake Navaisha, Kenya. Photo By: Heather Lind

 

November 2, 2023

There’s not much time to read these days. It used to be easy, grabbing a book in the evenings after a day of teaching or reading a quick few pages on the subway as we travelled up to Seoul or Pyeongtaek for various reasons. The ultimate relaxation was lying on a rickety lounger or a colourful towel with salt spray in my face. I’d fliick though an old, yellowed novel that I’d found on a resort’s shelf nearby or swapped with another traveller.

A Winter Escape With Piles of Books

There was one winter holiday where we had a few days off and couldn’t stand to be in -10 degrees for another second more than necessary. So, we hopped onto the cheapest flight we could find and headed south to The Philippines. In that case, it was to an island called Virac. The flights were cheap because it was the rainy season in that area, but who cares.

We took rain jackets, quick-drying shorts, and waterproof hand luggage. It absolutely poured when we arrived, and continued to do so for the whole week we were there. Since we needed rest more than adventure for those few days, we made full use of the hut on stilts we slept in with bamboo floors and a big mozzie net. And then we found the books.

Without much Wi-Fi around, even Oribi Dad got stuck into the whodunnits, corporate thrillers, and spies on offer. Days and days and days of reading, interspersed by meals of freshly caught crayfish… I mean who can really complain about a little bit of torrential rain?

Travelling To Tropical Islands Just To Read Books? Why Not

That happened to be a world-famous surfing beach with a festival of hundreds of people in July. But in January, we saw one other family arrive the entire time we were there.

The family who owned the five huts at our ‘resort’ seemed confused about why we were there. They kept apologising for the big box of books that were still wet from flooding before we arrived. We were glad that we could contribute to their income while getting a holiday out of it ourselves. And they made the most delicious crayfish and fresh fish meals for us every day.

When I pick up a book back at home, that’s the memory it triggers. Well, that, and the many other places I’ve been privileged enough to read books in. May there be many more in this lifetime!

Published here.

South Korea, Travelinds

Chuseok

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25 September 2013

This year, Chuseok (추석) was celebrated on Thursday, 19 September 2013.  Chuseok is a public holiday for all South Koreans (and, thankfully, all English teachers, too).  It is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar month. The widely-followed tradition is to go back to one’s hometown to spend time with family and to visit ancestral graves.  It is also referred to as “Korean thanksgiving” or “Autumn/Harvest Festival”.

Families come together to share some quality time, make traditional Korean food and honour the ancestors.  There are worship rituals, visits to the graves, weeding of the grave area and offerings of harvest to the ancestors.  Christians in South Korea, for the most part, still visit the graves and keep the area trimmed, but they do not worship the ancestors or engage in offering rituals.

The families eat traditional food and drink rice wine during this time.  The most famous traditional food is songpyeon (송편).  This is small rice cake with stuffing, which is steamed over pine needles (“song” 송 means pine).  The stuffing ranges from sesame seeds, black beans, mung (yellow sprout) beans, cinnamon, pine nuts, walnuts, chestnuts, jujubes (Chinese dates), and honey.  There are many folk tales around songpyeon and the significance revolves around the shape of the rice cake.  One old wives’ tale says that, for the women of the family, if they make a well-shaped rice cake then they will have a very beautiful daughter.

Since it is one of the two big holidays, the other being the Korean Lunar New Year, it is inevitable that travelling during this time is both busier and considerably more expensive.  Flights to Korea’s Jeju island and also out of the country, are sold out months in advance, at premium prices.  Roads are heavily congested and local resorts, pensions and inns are usually fully booked.

With the weather at this time of year being almost perfect, it’s no wonder that Chuseok is such a popular holiday.  “High sky”, only occasional rain, cooler but comfortable temperatures and beautiful landscapes transforming under autumn colours.  It’s perfect weather for hiking, camping, outdoor activity, picnics or spas.

Chuseok – Korean tradition at its best.