"retreat"

HIYA!

I'll do another meditation "retreat". This will be at the temple where I go regularly. I'll start on the 24th or so. This will be in combination with a fast.

My friend Sunmi told me some of the details and it sounds impressive indeed. I don't know about water intake, but the only other thing we'll take is bamboo salt. I'd never heard of bamboo salt before coming to Korea but think I had it once. The first day I went to the temple, a lady brought me and another guy some boiled potatoes with some super fine salt. Sunmi told me a couple of days ago that that was bamboo salt. It's salty, like other salts. I don't know how this differs.

She said wake up time is 3:30. Sitting and walking meditation. I don't know how much of either and at what times. The killer is that this retreat includes three hours of walking in the nearby mountain! On a fast?!?! And in winter! Wow.

But I am no guinea pig in this. They've been doing it for years now, in both winter and in summer. I didn't arrive in the country in time for the summer retreat and don't know if I'll be able to do it next summer with the group. My work schedule may not allow it.

I will do this fast alone. That's because I will work early next year when everyone else will do the fasting retreat. I won't be alone all day every day though. I'll be at the temple and others will be around. Sunmi will interpret a meeting with the head monk every day.

I won't be at home during this retreat and won't check emails. I'll send something afterwards.

I will start work again on Jan 2. There will be lots of new students and we'll start using at least one different textbook, which I should familiarize myself with beforehand. Plus I should make lots of materials for school during the first week or two of January. It'll be a rough month. It'd be nice to take care of things during the week vacation. But, it's vacation and I don't want to work during vacation. I'll write more about work in another entry in a few minutes.

Troy.