Shocking Experience in Hanok Traditional Village

Bi ismi Allah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

10 years ago I had no interest in history, so I had not visited this village then. Now, visiting historical places is on top of my agenda. On the 3rd day in Seoul, Dr. Shakour, his wife and I took a subway to Hanok Traditional village. From our hotel, we took the dark blue line subway to Dongdeamon and changed train to Chungmuro. We got off at Chungmuro station (two station away from Dongdeamon) and walked up onto the surface which is located very near to the Traditional Village. The Village is sort of like a reservation where the Korean government preserved the traditional village and homes of the Korean people. Korea is very hilly and we have to walk up and down many hills. The streets are in the valley and the houses are usually on hills or higher ground.

This Traditional Village is also on a hill. We walked up the hill and there it was, a very beautiful surrounding.

We looked at the houses and took many photos. After that we walked into a big and beautiful garden behind the houses. I walked up to a drinking water tap made of a very big granite...near the tap was a big gazebo. There was an old man watching me drinking some water from the tap. After I finished drinking, the old man called me and asked me to take pictures of him and me on the big gazebo. There were 3 old Korean ladies on that gazebo, resting after a big walk up the hill. The old man looked harmless and very sincere.

A very trusting old me walked up to him and gave him a big smile. I sat down next to him. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and squeezed between my thumb and index finger. It was so painful that I screamed. He, then, squeezed on my elbow and my shoulder. He took both of my feet and sat on them while saying "no power, no power". I didn't understand what he was saying cuz he kept talking in Hanguk Language. I tried to move but the old man was sooooo strong. While he sat on my feet, his hands started to squeeze hard my knee. I screamed in pain. I still have the purplish and brownish mark on my left knee until today. I was afraid that he might broke my back cuz my spine is fragile. I kept praying to Allah that this man would not harm or injure me. I struggle to free myself off him. He became angry at me and said, "no power" repeatedly. To make sure that I didn't move, he sat on both of my legs. Then, he took my leg and folded it to meet my shoulder. I screamed again, it was soooo painful. He did this to my other leg.

Then he asked me to stand up and he asked whether my back pain was gone. To my surprise, my back pain was gone. He said he is a traditional doctor. Oh my God, this was a very scary and insightful experience for me. The whole time in Seoul, I did not have any problem with my lumbar (I have lumbar stenosis) even though I walked for kilometers everyday, up and down hills and stairs (they do not provide escalators at some of the subway stations).

The second week at home, I bent to collect a piece of paper on the floor without bending my knees. I hear a cracking sound in my lumbar, and now I could not walk straight...Oh well...That old man must be angry at me for not taking care of my back. I am thankful cuz I still can move even though I move soooo slow like a new mom who just delivered her baby.

WHADDA EXPERIENCE :D