Every place has an origin story. Every place has a link to a birthplace. It always interests me the characters, the story arcs and what people believe.
As I release further extracts from my series of letters from nearly 10 years ago. I recall writing about a Korean origin story.
Here are my thoughts from 2012-2013
Every culture has a story of origin and Korea is no different in this regard. Like many cultures it is very elaborate, It is however, an interesting story of how people and cultures derive their origins and beliefs.
In Korean mythology, the Korean people traditionally believe that they originate from this mysterious character named Dangun. A quick summary of the story goes something along these lines. Once there was a tiger and a bear who both wished to become human. Following instructions from a heavenly Prince they were told to take a bundle of mugglewort, twenty bulbs of garlic and go to a cave for one hundred days. After this they would reach their dream and become human. However, the Tiger could not stand the situation and fled leaving the Bear alone to try and reach the goal. Finally, after twenty one days the Bear transformed into a beautiful woman who eventually became queen. Somehow she gave birth to the man they call Dangun, who later reigned as the first human king of Korea. Every child in Korea is aware of this tale and in fact there is a day dedicated to this story of origin whereby previously the population was rewarded with a day off work.
The symbolism in the story involving garlic is concurrent in present day Korean society. It is prevalent at every meal. Used to marinate meats and dishes and of course used to ward off colds and flu. Before my arrival I thought I was accustomed to the consumption of garlic. However, the method and size of garlic consumption here is probably unrivalled. In restaurants Garlic usually comes out in its full shape or in half sized bulbs. It is usually placed on the barbeque in this form or put into lettuce leaves with assorted meats and salads ready to be eaten like a sandwich but without the bread. Yes that’s right without the bread! The prevalence of this food in Korea which originated out of central Asia and has been used for over 7000 years is so prominent that the garlic farmers of Korea hold considerable political sway whenever they see fit to voice their opinions. This includes large scale opposition to trade deals which could affect their livelihood.
A Bear a Tiger and a Prince, who would have thought that such a combination, would create a place that I currently call home.
According to Maori mythology there were two gods. A male sky god named Ranginui (Rangi) and a female earth god named Papatuanuku (Papa). They were embraced tightly and had many children who were themselves gods. Some were gods of food, earthquakes, rivers, lakes, forests, birds, thunder, lightening and many more. After being locked in enmbrace between their parents the children wondered what existed beyond? What life could be out there? One of them Tumatuenga the god of war suggested killing them but a wiser choice was made to try to push them apart. Eventually after much effort Tane god of the forests and birds managed to seperate them and they could now see light. Rangi went to the sky and Papa to the earth. The children populated the earth and Rangi and Papa were seperated forever.
The rains symbolise the tears of Rangi and Papa releases mist to show her love for Rangi.
Very interesting how people have stories of mythology and origin.
GOAL SETTING
Looking at the calendar I have about seven months to go before my departure. Although it seems like a longtime there are many things to do and complete before that time.
This week I began the process in 3 areas.
Boxing up clothes and books that I will send back home in the next few weeks.
Looking at things around the house and deciding whether to sell or give away.
Working out the logistics of getting into New Zealand considering airline dates and quarrantine reservations.
As regards the first two issues they seem to be flowing quite well. When going through this process you realize how many books you have and never read also how many clothes you possess and never wear. Strangely I have clothes three sizes smaller and some two sizes larger. Symbols of previous dieting and exercise. They say moving houses is one of the most stressful experiences one can endure. I agree but on this occasion its quite exciting. Its amazing how many household products you collect, get rid of, then buy new things. Just repeating the cycle endlessly. Its a relief to be starting this process so early. I’m getting rid of a number of household products. However, people won’t be able to get most of them until January/February when I move out of my apartment. I’m expecting the packing of books and clothes to be complete in the next few weeks and the boxes ready to be sent.
The third point of working out the logistics of getting home initially looked quite daunting. However, after researching it in more depth I have discovered some key information.
1) I require a two week quarrantine reservation ticket that allows me to then make a reservation for a flight ticket.
2) I also require a pre departure PCR or RT-PCR pre-departure test showing a negative result within 72 hours before departure.
Visiting the official site it seems well organized. New Zealand is quite fortunate as people are generally living life normally during the pandemic. The rates of community COVID positive cases at the time of this writing are zero and have been that way for over six months. The site offers a quarrantine reservation system that at this stage is fully booked until October. Arrivals into the country require a two week stay in government provided accomodation before entering the community. I will have to keep my eye on this situation as dates are released closer to March 2022.
Once you have this quarrantine reservation confirmed you are required to make the flight reservation. The site is efficient in that it provides the flights listed allowing easy flow of quarrantine reservation and flight selection.
I will keep you updated as this situation develops.
The second point requires me to get a negative test within 72 hours before departure. This should not be too difficult as there are a number of testing centers available in South Korea and also at the international airport. The major aim will be making sure not to have a positive result from the test as this could stop you from boarding. It will also be interesting to see in the future if they require a proof of vaccination in order to enter countries.
Looking forward to keeping readers updated on these processes and more in future editions.
4) I am launching an instagram account for those that enjoy more pictures of Korea and also my future journey. Its a potentially brilliant supplement to the newsletter.
5) Coming soon I will be launching a Coconuts & Kimchi Youtube channel with video footage of my newsletter topics, journey home, and future projects. Stay tuned and feel free to subscribe.
Feel free to engage in the conversation below
1) Your ideas on different stories of mythology around the world.
2) Any opinions or information on requirements to enter other countries during the COVID pandemic.
3) The usage of garlic and its influence on societies and other health benefits.
