"I would like the Poles coming over Korea to watch Poland-Korea play to kill lodging and eating expenses by staying at nearby temples," said Polish ambassador to Korea Tadeusz Chomicki who was totally enamored of Jikji temple in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk Province over the weekend. He said he would love to visit there again even alone for the great toilet and shower facilities that were better than expected.

In the gray dawn of Sunday at 3:00am in front of the main building of the temple, some 40 foreigners in temple dress began gathering, including Chomicki, at the invitation of the government and Jogae Temple, co-host of the Temple Stay Experience Program in celebration of the opening ceremony of the World Cup.

Some 21 ambassadors and family members, made 30 bows for about 40 minutes with a tired look, but no one giving up. The previous night, they slept in a room in groups of five to ten.

The Canadian ambassador Denis Comeau's son Stephan, 11, was nicknamed Harry Potter as he had a broom taller than him while sweeping the temple after breakfast with some Buddhist monks. The Hungarian ambassador's wife Julia Laszlo closely questioned monks in question and answer sessions with the monks.

Norwaegian Ambassador Arild Braastad said it was difficult to repeatedly stand ups and sit down as westerners were accustomed to comfortable beds and chairs, unlike Koreans. Mexican Ambassador Rogelio Granguillhome Morfin though it was unbelievable for monks to meditate 12 hours a day.

The Temple Stay is a unique form of copying the life of Buddhist monk including meditating before the image of Buddha, Buddhist meals, and sweeping the temple. The program will operate during the World Cup in 31 temples nationwide, including Jogae Temple in Seoul and Jikji Temple in Gyeonggbuk Province.

(Shin Dong-heun, dhshin@chosun.com )