Where Time Stood Still
Three months ago, I visited Gapyeong, South Korea, with my husband, thanks to the invitation from a friend who had no recollection of it! It was one of our best experiences: six days of enchanting silent retreat I had never planned.
My trip to Gapyeong was two years in the making. It started in January 2023 when I met an unassuming Korean-American couple, Grace and Chong Kim, at the CenterQuest School of Spiritual Direction Open Residency, where I was a student. We shared a table for breakfast one morning. After an initial awkwardness, our conversations centred on our spiritual journeys and what mattered to each of us. It was a refreshing and energising conversation; the spaciousness in their spirituality resonated with me. I felt a deep connection. We continued our discussion when they visited Singapore in April 2023; we talked about Thomas Merton, Martin Laird, contemplative spaces and practices, hopes and dreams, and the amazing surprises from God that keep appearing at the most unpredictable places and times!
They visited again in August 2024, and Chong said these unforgettable words to Malcolm: “We have an Airbnb in Gapyeong, why don’t you come and join us?” Without batting an eyelid, Malcolm said yes (I witnessed it), my husband who deliberates before going on a vacation! I thought Malcolm was just being polite, or maybe he had one too many glasses of wine at dinner that night. Nope, he was lucid as can be! We have all since accepted that as a Divine invitation, one of God’s many surprises.
You might wonder why I keep mentioning this place. While Gapyeong is known for its pinenuts, it holds significance to me as the birthplace of this blog, which has been in gestation for far too long! It is a place where time stood still, an enchanted place. The stillness and silence coached my heart to be still. In that stillness, I felt alive again! It felt like the gate guarding my heart was suddenly thrown open: each breath of crisp, fresh air was deeper than usual, fears dissipated, constraints melted away. I started to embrace possibilities and open the palms of my hands to receive what is mine. I could feel the inner movements of the Spirit again, to hear my deep desires, one of which was to write and share my stories and poems in a blog. It was a secret I buried in my heart. I have chided myself for dreaming beyond my capabilities. As I walked the many straight pathways lined by the golden leaves of the Ginkgo trees, pathways that extended beyond what the eyes could see, I heard and sensed God’s encouragement to do it: to start the blog. (God channelled his voice through my husband and friends too!) Safety and spaciousness returned, and I said goodbye to my unyielding fears and apprehensions. Is this what it means by the ‘unforced rhythm of grace’? (MSG Matthew 11:29)
I have captured my memories in ‘Gapyeong Memoirs,’ which I will share over the next few blog posts. I hope you get a glimpse of this enchanting place.
Chapter 1: Arriving
As Chong’s car turned onto the small country road, my heart dropped a beat. From the back seat, I looked out the window with a sinking feeling that I might not enjoy the next six days. This isn’t what I imagined it to be; how do we occupy our time here? I tried to stay positive as Chong skillfully navigated the multiple turns of narrow country roads. It was a difficult task! The rice fields, the vineyards, and the vegetable patches were bare after the harvest season. I wondered what Malcolm was thinking and feeling.
“Shift your gaze, stay curious.” I heard my heart saying.
I obeyed and cast my eyes beyond the rice fields. My obedience was rewarded.
“So much space!” my mind squealed.
A range of mountains surrounded the landscape of fields as far as my eyes could see. I know it was far away as they appeared shadowy. Lining the bottom of the landscape were trees in different shades of brown: auburn, rust, and golden yellow. It was predominantly golden yellow, though. How glorious, I thought. Isn’t it funny how my mood changed with the slight shift in my gaze before me?
With my spirits lifted, I noticed an orchard laden with apples. They looked juicy and crunchy, and they had the prettiest hues any apple could ever be. I never imagined apple trees to be short. My heart continued to rise.
When we reached our accommodation, an Airbnb Chong and Grace called home for the past month and the months to come; my fears were thrown out of the window. It stood out with its modern architecture among the country farmhouses. It was a very cozy and welcoming 2-storey house. It stood out like a sore thumb (a pretty one) in the country landscape. But I am not complaining. I am not embarrassed to admit I am the ‘glamping’ sort.
Chapter 2: Another Oddity
Who would have thought to find a café as pretty as a picture in the middle of the countryside? Every corner of this quaint place was Instagrammable. Chong had been talking about Café Sinhari1955 and how the owners were warm and friendly. It has been their go-to place since they set up home in Gapyeong. After we unloaded our luggage from the car, Café Sinhari1955 was our first stop.
Its ornate white wrought iron gate welcomed us. The first thing that caught my eye was the stunted pine tree in the corner of the well-manicured garden. I could see why this place so smote Chong and Grace. It was a café-cum-residence that made a U-shape on one end of the property. The garden sat in the centre, reminiscent of a traditional Korean home. Everything was immaculate, from the red-bricked house to the white-washed walls of the café.
True enough, a sprightly couple in their 70s with great smiles came towards us as we stepped out of the car. They were genuinely pleased to see Chong and Grace and started bantering in Korean. A few pleasantries followed before they ushered us to their backyard vegetable patch. Coming from urban Singapore, my senses worked feverishly to process the new experiences as we walked through a shed to the vegetable patch. Firewood and a pile of squash, fascinating? To me, it was! It felt like I walked into a film set of “Two Days, One Night”!
I have never, ever seen cabbages that were this enormous. Chong lifted a cabbage that the elderly man cut from the ground; it was more than twice the size of my head! (And I do have a huge head!) Grace pulled out a radish fatter than my arm and as long as my forearm and hand combined! The childlike glee on Grace’s face as she pulled it out was priceless.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to have any fragrant coffee and scones that Chong and Grace have been talking about. The daughter of this elderly couple who lives in Seoul was the barista of the café. She came only on weekends. Chong promised that we’d be back the next morning for breakfast. I couldn’t wait to return to this pretty, quaint place.
Till the next blog post, you can go to Photos on the menu to see the pictures curated by Malcolm.
