Lotus Lantern Festival

After church Chris dropped me off at Tina's house with a change of clothes. After she straightened her hair, we drove to Gate 17. From there we walked to the subway and took line 4 to line 1 and got off at Jogno-3. We did some walking before we decided that we were in the wrong place. I asked several people to help us and finally we got the idea that we needed to go one stop back on the subway. The good thing about that stop was that we found someone serving those honey-nut-cinnemon pancakes we both like so much.
Our next stop was Jongak. And there it was. Crowds of people, little tents lining the road, people playing games in the middle of the street, and parade floats wating for the evening parade. We made the rounds, seeing what each tent was selling or giving instructions and materials to make.
I made a bar of soap at one, we made a little lotus flower at another, and we participated in a tea meditation ceremony at a third. Tina got some punchouts for building a paper temple. I bought a set of petal papers to make a lotus lantern. We watched four men swinging 2 jump ropes perpendicular to each other. Then people could jump in and if you lasted long enough they would give you a prize.
There were also people selling food. Tina bought us some walnut balls. I finally got a shot of the bugs that I ate on the templestay experience. I didn't eat any this time. We also ate plates of jobchai near the temple. Around 5:15 we decided it was getting too cold to hang around for the parade at 7. So we headed home on the subway. When we got to Seoul Station, we were supposed to get off, but we'd been talking so we were slow in getting out the door. In fact the doors closed behind me, keeping Tina inside.
So I stuck my hand in, thinking the doors would stop, but they closed anyway. I had a momentary flash of premonition. I could see the train taking off, dragging me with it. So I wrenched my hand out and waved goodbye as Tina was carried to the next station. I walked along the platform to find a place to sit. I waited for Tina to catch a train back. When she did and said she was glad I waited for her, I replied that I could have caught a train home, and then called her husband to say I'd lost his wife on the subway. But then I wouldn't have a ride home from Gate 17.