You can't really fault here. I mean, Christ was all she knew. She had heard and read of other religions but out in this rural part of Korea, Christ was king. The comment about the Jews being so rich because they pray very much really confused me. A total lost in translation moment and I kept trying to pry from her what exactly did she mean. And the cynic in me wanted to find out what she though of the Jews. But it wasn't so easy, so I let it drop. After all, I was in church. Yep, that's right. Me, a 6'4" Jewish man with a nice red beard surrounded by tons of church going Koreans at Easter sunday services. I didn't stand out too much. Ok, so no one could look at me and see I was Jewish but they could sure see I didn't fit the Korean build. I've never said "annyeong" so many times before. You know that feeling that everyone is looking at you. We've all had those vain moments. Well this time wasn't vain, they really were staring and pointing. But it wasn't cruel. They were excited to have this foreign person with them. Still, it wears on you when everyone is speaking a language you don't know and pointing at you. It does make it a little better when old Korean ladies tell you how big and handsome you are. :)
When I wasn't sleeping, I found parts of the service sort of comical. There were song and dance routines. A few different choirs. And there were a few different speakers. I couldn't tell who was the pastor and who just honored speakers. I actually went to three services. The kids, the regular sunday and the easter service. It was done more out of cultural relevance (I'm here now, why not) than anything else. Actually, the kids I was dragged into. I rather enjoyed the buddy Jesus and friend felt thing on the podium. However, the anime video they showed during the speaking of "the passion" I was pretty offended by. It seemed like propaganda they were feeding the kids, and the kids loved it. I had one of those moments of "religion makes me sick" but I tried to not think about it and find positivity or just disregard it as a whole. I passed on eating the eucharist (which was a cake of sorts) and the blood (grape juice) more so just to keep my mom happy (I had an experience as a child at church with a friend where I almost ate and drank them and nearly upset my mom when I told her).
At lunch people gave out hard boiled eggs. Some wrapped in plastic, tin foil or paper and others not wrapped. I was given a bunch but kept regifting them as I didn't really want any. Someone gave me one the night before that you can see at the bottom. It confused me at the time, not knowing it was Easter and all, and I thought it may have been a snack thing here. Yum, a snack of hard boiled eggs.
Tomorrow, I'll actually work on the farm here and I am excited for this. I wonder if more so because it'll be different than what i have been doing, or if just because right now I'm staying in a high school dorm room where i don't know anyone, nor speak their language, and I have no internet to watch online things or communicate with friends/family. If I sound like I'm whining, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be. Even with hanging out with korean high school boys, I'm still having a really exciting and different experience. :)
a hard boiled Easter egg a boy on my floor gave me. I wonder if he knows what the text says in English?
The kids service. a bit blurry but in front on the podium is the felt buddy jesus. the screen on the left is one of the Christ anime they showed.
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