A trip to Norayangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market

A little while ago, I spent the afternoon walking around a massive 70 000 m2 market selling all kinds of bizarre sea creatures. Over 450 tonnes to be exact, or so the pamphlet claimed, is caught from inshore and the deep seas and traded daily.

Shortly after exiting the subway train I walked into the smell of the fish market. It was ironically the sort of smell that makes eating the last thing on your mind. I liken it to the smell of something decomposing in your refrigerator (or so I've been told that this is pretty bad smell hahaha). I was excited; I mean, I came to be shocked and grossed out and so far my expectations had not been disappointed. I looked around for fish market signs but couldn't find any so I let my nose be the guide. I was led behind the train station to a walkway across the top of an adjacent building, which after taking, took me to a set of damp and dark stairs leading downward into another building. My excitement was growing as I descended the stairs where incidentally, the smell was at times on the verge of being unbearable (perhaps from being concentrated in the tight stairwell). When I exited the stairwell, I found myself in a massive dimly lit warehouse filled with a frenzy of people, roaring air conditioners, and endless unsanitary tables crammed with unsightly and unsanitary sea creatures.

For about 15 minutes I observed the bustling in-door market along a balcony that ran the length of the warehouse. I was stunned, and even at times a little mortified by the sights and smells. Thoughts about animal rights groups with picket signs and hand sanitizers crossed my mind on several occasions. "Uugh, what is that?" I thought as my stomach turned. "Hmm.. that seems pretty savage," I said wincing while watching a fish being flogged with a wooden pole. "That can't be hygienic or ethical," I said grimacing on a couple of occasions (and I really did grimace). I was a little hesitant to get down on the main floor with my camera. No one looked happy and I thought perhaps the merchants had been hardened from butchering sea creatures and would take little thought to hacking my arm off for taking pictures. But I did catch a break. I saw a couple of foreigners with cameras (people are always braver in pairs) taking all kinds of obnoxious, in-your face style pictures below and no one seeming to mind. "Perfect, I thought," and I too descended into the melee to take some pictures. Surprisingly, everyone was quite friendly and the sea creatures, which I thought were about as gross as could be from the balcony, were actually much grosser under closer examination.

While on the main floor I saw many strange sights. I saw a live octopus resist being stuffed into a grocery bag by tensing up and latching on to some of its cousins in the bucket it was being pulled out of. I saw giant semi-transparent worms that looked like jumbo ballgame sausages writhing in a bucket. This was easily the most unappetizing critter on the scene.  I saw crustaceans piled so high that I thought at any moment they would landslide onto the floor. I watched in suspense as some seriously large crabs tried to clamber and piggy back their way out of an acquarium. They would've succeeded if weren't for the cavalier merchant who seemed only to care at the moment a crab was about to break free. There were piles of slop that looked like mounds of spaghetti that was likely ground fish entrails (I imagine its sort of like the seafood equivalent from which hotdogs are made from). I saw an old lady who could at best hobble, making such short work of a fish with a large knife that it was almost frightening. I indeed saw many strange things that afternoon. 

 When I left the market, I left with wet shoes and one thorny question. What do they do with all the fish that doesn't sell? Hmmm...    I can only imagine...

After sharing the details of the fish market, it seems difficult to transition into talking about last Sunday at church, but I'll try. Sunday was great. As usual, the message really spoke to my heart and rebuked me for the times I've been guilty for griping about my hardships at work and other areas in my life. Pastor Bill, or PB as he is affectionately referred to, urged us not to complain or grumble about our circumstances whatever, and however trying they may be. We should, as followers of Christ realize the supremacy of our good God over all the affairs of this life and live as it were, joyfully when we fall into various hardships. We should do this because the Lord is in control and He is working in us so that He may work through us to do great things. In one of the praise songs we were urged to surrender our wills, for it is only in so doing that we become who we were created to be. CS Lewis says something to this effect in his book Mere Christianity when he says that we are the most unique when we are living according to God's will. It makes sense when you think about it. After the message, a group of us went to a bible study where he had some good discussion on Galatians 1:1-11.

Teaching is going well, but our Hagwon is undergoing some stress right now. Please pray for us as it has been trying at times. Nevertheless, God has been refreshing me and continues to challenge me daily.

I'll try to tell you about hiking the mountain shortly... It was an amazing experience!

Here's a snippet from a day in the life of George Whitefield's journals as he was crossing the perilous Atlantic ocean during the 1700's. Read it if you care to. I haven't been able to forget since I did.

"After this I went on deck; but surely a more noble, awful sight my eyes never yet beheld! For the waves rose mountain high, and sometimes came on the quarter deck. I endeavoured all the while to magnify God, for thus making His power to be known. Then creeping on my knees (for I knew not how to go otherwise), I followed my friend H. between decks, and sang psalms and comforted the poor wet people. After this. I read prayers in the great cabin, but we were obliged to sit all the while. Though things were tumbling, the ship rocking, and persons falling down unable to stand, and sick about me, I never was more cheerful in my life, and was enabled, though in the midst of company, to finish a sermon before I went to bed, which I had begun a few days before. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me praise His Holy Name" pg 124

Be blessed