She screams my name across the crowded airport and I see her bob and weave through the throngs of people until she is standing there and suddenly she is hugging me. I am so happy to see Janet, though it's only been a year since she left Wellington and moved back to South Korea. She chatters happily and constantly as we move through the airport and to the car, and she tells me that today we're going to go visit Namdaemun, and the Namdaemun Market place. Namdaemun is the "Great South Gate" to the old city, and the market dates back to 1414, when King Taejong ruled. It's a lot different now from when Korea first split into North and South Korea. The split occured after the end of World War II, ending Japan's colonial rule in the country. People during this time were mainly Buddhist and Muslim, but everything else from the government to the economy seemed very unstable, because the country had to create two new systems for each, since it was splitting up. She tells me about Korean burial rituals. The Koreans believed that after a person died their spirit would become a ghost and wander around. Also, a while ago, only people of the same gender could witness the death of each other. A man could not witness the death of a female, and vice versa. Money and three spoonfuls of ricewere placed in the deceased's mouth. This would assure the deceased person's journey to the next world would be easy. Then the body was dressed in a special outfit, and the hands and feet were tied and the body was wrapped and placed in the coffin and the coffin was sealed. Then the coffin went to a shrine in the house of the dead person.

French Postcard:

Aujord-hui, je rends visiter à ma copine Janet. Elle rétourne à Korea l'année dernier. Nous visitons Namdaemun. Nous mangeons au restauraunt. Nous parlons beaucoup!