A New Year!!!!

Some photos from the last two weeks...
You know, because there were some holidays and all.



~Traditional Tea House on New Year's Eve:









~"Nor-a-bahng" (Singing Room) Christmas Night:





~ Christmas Day get-together with the English Ministry







~ Christmas Eve Dinner with Friends

Cold

Update (12/17): Snow outside our apt window! Yeah, it's exciting because we are from Southern California...




At School (12/8):





These pictures were taken a few days ago now...and that day was warmer!

Yes, the snow is beautiful. It left and then today it got colder.

Today it is 17 degree fahrenheit.

Walking starts to hurt after a few minutes.

Ahhh, California dream'n ....yep...

LotteWorld!!!

Ahhhhhh! Lotteworld!!!


Rumor has it this is the largest indoor theme park in the East....perhaps in the world!

Dani and I enjoyed the Holiday Festivities while becoming slightly ill on their various "Adventures" (amped-up roller coasters) and Tasty Snacks (see photo above). All in all, it was a great time! Really!

This place has a lot to see and do all with a bit of familiar themes (see our post on Seoul Land) from a theme park back home.

This place is impressive; the indoor structure can be used when it is really hot and really cold, as it does get here in Seoul. But the outside part, which is an island in the middle of a (man-made?) lake. The "Lotte" company (which owns half of Seoul) has done a nice job creating an entertainment facility that's fun for the whole family.

Sans the peanut butter covered squid....

Island Trip

We call it the "Island Trip" because we can't remember the name of the island, but it was beautiful and a nice getaway. We went on this trip about two weeks ago and had a great time with Paul and Candy. Without them we would not get out!

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

"Rock of Ages" | Augustus M. Toplady | 1776

--
I was just singing the first verse of this song in my mind and then decided to look up the whole thing.

Who writes likes this in our day? Who can present the complete work of Jesus Christ as this man has? Who can now witness to the life and hope of a purchased believer in such a way as this man?

May those can speak, sing and write.

Yechon & Andong

Early in October we headed out of Seoul (finally!) to the countryside--about 2 hours south of seoul to Yecheon and Andong......




Early in October we headed out of Seoul (finally!) to the countryside--about 2 hours south of seoul to Yecheon and Andong. Yecheon is a beautiful town with mountains, trees, and fresh air. With our beautiful and wonderful hosts, we went to a Buddhist Temple, hiked for a view of the switch-back river, and went to one of the oldest "pubs" in Korea. It dated back to the 1500's. We also stayed in a wood cabin that had a Chinese style loft and bedding. Meaning a mat in the attic. It was surprisingly comfortable. Dinner was excellent too. Our hosts provided a Bulgolgi BBQ by moonlight on the balcony complete with a waterfall background. By far one of our best meals in Korea.

Todd, Candy (our hostess) & I also made it on TV when we crossed the Pyeongpyeongtalle (or something like that. It basically means Ping Ping bridge.) It is a tiny, rusty footbridge in the middle of the switchback river that you have to walk barefoot over because it's a couple inches under water. It's famous for being in a Korean drama. In fact, the whole area is becoming more popular due to the successful tv show. Whatever you hear from Todd, though, it was my idea to cross--which led to our two minutes of fame. We haven't found the footage yet but when we do we'll post it.

After risking lock-jaw and tetnis shot from PingPing, we drove another hour to the quaint and quiet village of Andong. It was very peaceful, beautiful yet commercialized. Every inch was kept up to standards you wouldn't see elsewhere. However, keeping it maintained that way preserves the opportunity to glimpse into how it looked a long time ago. The tile roofs of the wealthy houses sitting side-by-side with the thatch-roofed houses of their farmers and servants while crops and flowers grow all around makes us all wish we could leave Seoul and be country people.

Especially when we drive back home. The traffic was fine until we hit the city. What usually is a 20 minute train ride took us almost two hours by car. We almost lost the tranquil rest we gained from the trip. But at last we were home and we truly, truly enjoyed seeing Yecheon and Andong.




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Happy Chuseok! (추석)

What is Chuseok you may ask? I am not totally sure, but I am not working so that makes it a happy time indeed!

Okay, really it is a type of Korean Thanksgiving. Everyone visits parents and grandparents to eat a big feast and remember relatives that have past. The city is quiet as a majority of people go out to the countryside to congregate with their family.

So, raise a glass tonight to Chuseok!

Learn about Chuseok here.

Korean Expat Cartoonist

Dani and I really have loved reading this comic from a fellow Native English teacher, Luke Martin. (Here is the site: roketship.com/)

He just finished his teaching contract so he will not be doing any more, but the website is full of the little things in life here in Seoul. If you want to know what everyday life is like here, then check out this site.

Here is a video about him and his wife:





Oh, if only we could explain it all....

Summer English Camp

Dani and I finished our first half of teaching for this year! The last three weeks was teaching a summer English camp to the kids who signed up. We played games that related to grammar lessons, made British pancakes, constructed pinatas and watched some movies. All-in-all, good time. Below is an end of camp video I made full of our memories from the 3rd graders (basically, freshmen in high school if they where in the US) class. Hope you enjoy!

Lover's Walk - Seoul

The Dog Cafe

Ronell, our South African friend and fellow teacher, and I (Dani) went to the dog cafe. Todd stayed back claiming to "work" but we know he doesn't really like dogs (Todd: Not true). We're going to test him later at another dog cafe!






It was sooo much fun. We first got there and some dogs were interested in sniffing our bags but lost their curiosity. Then, we got iced cappuccinos and there was a little more attention. I guess you can't live in a dog cafe and not become addicted to caffeine. But we and the dogs truly became temporary best friends when I went to the front of the cafe and talked to a handler. He pointed to a package of green dog treats which were slightly more expensive than the rest. I no sooner picked up the package when I was surrounded by an army of dogs wanting to be loved, petted and adored.

Ronell spent most of her treats on trying to get all the dogs to give her hi-5's. They received a severe and lengthy lecture if they couldn't do it properly. I spent mine trying to get the most interesting dogs to come closer. There is a breed here that has large eyes and they are very quiet. I like these ones the best :).







There is also one cat that lives there. It looks like it's eternally pissed off. Can't imagine why.....

The Great Outdoors

We needed a little weekend getaway in the countryside. The city can be a bit too city sometimes.

We traveled traveled about two hours north/east out of the city to Chuncheon, popular for their lakes and general outdoor recreation.

Our particular rest stop was in Jiparigol Natural Forest and a 'pension' (the name they use for a motel where you get to cook your own food) (and you might find a huge spider) right in the middle of nowhere.

After an absolutely peaceful morning we rode bikes by the lake. On the lake is a famous statue of a young lady who is waiting for her love. This is based on a popular song from the 70's. Anyhow, the trip was really nice and we were back in Seoul in time for dinner!


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