Here and Now

Meklit Hadero

2011-07-07T11:27:00.001+09:00

I saw Meklit Hadero on an episode of CNN's My City My Life (San Francisco) a few months back. I've been enamored with her ever since. She's a bit Ani Difranco and a bit Billie Holiday - two of my favorite artists. Enjoy!

Naked in a New Land

2011-05-09T18:28:00.017+09:00

I think it's true what people say about Americans. We're prudes. You may doubt this, what with the tattoos, and skimpy clothes, and medical marijuana...but it's true. Think about it. How many nude beaches are there in the states? Sorry, naturist beaches. Actually, I just googled this...and there are more than I would have believed, but who really goes to these places other than pervy old men. I guess I wouldn't know since I've never been to one. Maybe I should stop calling America a prude and start pointing at myself.

Either way, Koreans are much more comfortable in their birthday suits than I am. This has been evident to me for a long time as I've actively avoided jimjilbangs since I arrived here. Jimjilbangs are saunas - they're just not saunas like I'm used to. I've been to many different gyms/health clubs in the states that have saunas in them. People wear towels wrapped around their precious parts and let the steam do its thing to purify the skin. That's what I always thought they were, but no. Not here in South Korea. Here they are something different.

They're places of camaraderie. Places you go with friends to hang out...naked. I'm not talking about towel around the privates naked...I'm talking about the whole enchilada naked. Jimjilbangs are huge complexes where you go to cleanse yourself. The hot water flows in tubs and showers. People sit around and talk, scrub themselves, shave their legs, loofa their bodies and just hang out. That's cool. No judgment here, but I'm once again a spectacle at these places. People out and out stare at me. I'm not Pamela Anderson, but you wouldn't know it if you saw the way people stop and open mouth stare when they see me. That has kept me away from most saunas on the peninsula.

However, a group of friends and I went to a hot springs resort recently. The place was swimsuit-required. There were co-ed waiting pools, a lazy river type-thing, and herbal spas touting the benefits of ginseng and rose petals. It was a fun, relaxing sort of vacation destination. Once we went to the changing room though, it was the same all over again. An American friend and I hid behind the rows of lockers to change, since old ladies were sitting on the floor, staring unabashedly at us. We skipped the shower there and hurried back to the hotel room instead. Our friend Eun-ha asked why we weren't going to shower at the resort. When we told her that everyone stares at us, she replied "oh yeah...I would probably stare at a foreigner I didn't know too." That settled it for us.

This situation has been keeping me away from the swimming pools as well. I just don't like to be scrutinized in such a vulnerable state. But! I finally decided to hell with it. I need some exercise and I want to swim. So, I have a membership at a health club that has a pool. It took a little getting used to, but now I can semi-comfortably shower and dress at the club. It's still a bit weird as it's such a naked place. The women seem to want to spend as much time possible airing their wares as they can. They blow-dry their hair, put on make-up, and chat with other folks all while as they're as naked as the day they were born.

I'm still the prude of the place and wear a towel after showering until I get my clothes on. It's taken some time, but now I try not to notice the women staring objectively at my body while I try to hurriedly drop my towel and slip into something more comfortable.

My new health club. The green net thingy off to the right side is a putting green. They're very popular in Korea.

The rest of the photos are from the trip to the hot springs resort. We stayed overnight and barbequed samgyepsol on the back porch of the hotel.

Scissors - I have a different appreciation for their kitchen functions since moving to Korea. They used to cut everything here...meat, vegetables, snacks, you name it.

Carolyn in a box.

The people who owned the hotel, brought out the webber for us. They were very happy that their American grill finally got used.

Eun-ha and Carolyn supervising the vegetables.

It was delicious!

Nathan enjoying the grub.

Thankfully, Fritz has since shaved his Amish beard.

Eulogy

2011-04-16T19:17:00.013+09:00

Obviously, there are some issues that make it difficult to live abroad. The foreign language, food, culture, ect., come into play, but being so far away when a family emergency or family death occurs is the hardest part for me. With a 20+ hour plane ride, flying in for a funeral almost isn't feasible.

Since I've been in Korea, I've lost both of my Grandma's - two wonderful women whom I adored. I don't like funerals...that's not why it hurts. In fact, the first funeral I ever went to was my Great Grandma Ruthie's. And though I was only 4 years old, I remember it vividly. Looking into a casket isn't something that is easy for me, as I still remember her more often from that moment than I do from all the other times we had together. What I miss when I'm away, is the stories we share of the person who passed - when family and friends get together and remember the good times. I always find out something special or surprising about the person I loved from other people.

At my Grandpa Charles's funeral, his sister Joyce told stories of how they were as children. They used to sit on the cows they had at their farm and "wind" them up. That is, one person would sit on the cow, while the other grabbed the tail and swung it in a circle. Sadly, once during a very cold winter...the tail snapped off. :(

At my Grandpa Vernie's funeral, we looked through all of his old photo albums. There were a ton of pictures from his time as an MP on a military base during WWII. He was such a handsome man in a uniform...and there were quite a few pictures of him with lovely ladies who were not my Grandma Helen. (gasp!)

It's a very cathartic way to observe the passing of a life by sharing memories. We should do this more while the people we love are still here.

It's also hard to be so far away when something sad happens here. Though not as difficult as losing a close family member, I lost one of my best friends recently. My Kitty. Well, I didn't lose her...I know exactly where she is...on a hill behind our apartment.

At sixteen years old, her health that had belied her age for so long, finally turned. I guess it was a blessing that she didn't suffer a long drawn out death...but the last month of her life was anything but good. Now that she's gone, I have a kitty-sized hole in my heart. She was such a little lover, cuddler, comfort, and trial. She had more personality and sass than almost anyone I knew. Jason nicknamed her Phyllis. That was my Grandma's name. My Grandma was one of the sassiest people I knew...she was like that. If you didn't know her very well...she was off-putting. But, if you were fortunate enough to really get close to her, you knew what a wonderful soul she was. I miss them both.

I want to thank everyone who helped me over the years in caring for Kitty. I had a lot of help from friends, family, roommates, ect. Especially Carley and Stefan, who were her foster family for a year, even if she didn't say it...I'm sure she was appreciative.

To all my loved ones who have passed, I miss you all and hope you are in a better and happier place. And if you're looking down on me...please close your eyes when I'm in the shower.

Wasn't she a doll?

Finding a place to hide was high on her list of priorities - suitcases were a particular favorite.

She was very good at comforting me whenever I felt ill.

Miss you!

32 flavors and then some...

2011-02-28T11:30:00.015+09:00

I have lived in a number of places in my life. I don't think this is my fault...in fact, this is one of the few things I do attribute to my upbringing. I was a gypsy as far back as I can recall...and further since there is documentation of moves made before I was in short pants. I moved approximately 13 times before I ever graduated from high school. Apparently, I'm not one of those people who suddenly turn the other way and stop the craziness from continuing...oh no! I continued on in the tradition I was raised. Since I moved to Arizona after graduating from high school, I've lived in 19 other places. That's 32 different places in 33 years of life. Not all of these were my decision...as were none of the moves before I graduated high school - except one move in California to a beautiful house with an atrium and possibly a ghost. I also went on vacation one New Year's to New Orleans...when I came back my roommate had moved me to a new house...that's a whole other story on its own. :)

I've once again moved to a new place that wasn't my idea. Jason and I were informed that we needed to move to a new apartment before the semester started this year. Why? Because students are loud and obnoxious in every country. Actually, our school has "dorms" in a few of the different apartment complexes near campus. Apparently, the students in one of these apartments were too loud for the occupants below them. The old crotchety man on the third floor had complained so many times to the school, that they finally decided to move the students to a new location...our location. Since our apartment is furnished by the university, we really didn't have a say in the matter. The only bright spot at the time, was that I finally didn't have to schlep any household goods from one spot to another. They hired a moving company. Score!

Now that we've settled into our new digs, we actually like them better. The apartment complex is better situated near restaurants and stores, the grounds are nicer and full of trees and flowers, and we're closer to the earth. Our last two places in Korea were on the 15th and 16th floor. Now we're on the 4th floor and it's so much nicer. Not only because I think I'd probably survive a jump if the building caught on fire, but because the view is so much more human. I feel more connected with life down here - I can hear the birds, see the trees, and hear the kids screaming on the playground.

So, move number 32 is a success. I'll have to thank the students for giving the old guy downstairs heartburn when I see them around campus.

We live in the LG XI apartments - supposedly the same ones that Yu-na Kim lived in.

What does Xi stand for? X-tra Intelligence, of course.

We have a nice long reflexology path on the grounds.

We haven't walked on it barefoot yet...being cold and all still.

There are several gym/playgrounds.

It takes a while to figure some of the equipment out. Jason's walking toward what we think is a climbing wall.

Jason standing out in front of our building.

One thing that is a let down compared to our last place is our shoe closet. No more his and hers - we've had to intergrate our shoes.

Guest Bathroom

Clothes/Bike/Yoga/Ironing Room

Kitchen & Living Room

Notice the oven and the dish washer - we're high class.

Our vestibule porch area is quite nice in this place.

View from our apartment

Our Office - where Jason has been camped out all semester working on his master's classes.

Our Bathroom - off the dressing area & bedroom

Dressing Area

Bedroom - I've decided that it's impossible to get a good shot of a bedroom...it usually ends up as a picture of a bed. Oh well...

Sta-range-ee

2011-02-16T10:27:00.014+09:00

It's always hard when I try to teach my students about comparatives and superlatives. Just in case you aren't up on your English grammar sh*t; comparatives compare two things...better than, prettier than, more unique, and superlatives compare more than two things...the best, the most comfortable, the coolest, ect. If you didn't know it...and I probably didn't a few years ago, there are rules to these things as there are to everything else under the sun.

The rules to determine whether to use "er", "est", "more" or "most" are dependent on syllables. We all know syllables, right. (hands clapping - red (1), yellow (2), magenta (3)). Unfortunately, when you're learning a new language this isn't so simple. You may have never heard the word spoken before or your language has Konglisized or Spanglisized certain words incorrectly. For example, strange. It's a one syllable word, right? Not in Korea. Here it's pronounced, sta-range-ee.

It may not be politically correct to talk about how strange Korea is...or how strange certain things here are. Things are normal (2 syllables) to the people here, but they are strange to me. They might not even be strange to other Asians or Europeans or Africans or what-have-you. They are strange to me though, so I thought it was time for another posting of "things in Korea that are weird". Yup! Even after 3+ years, I'm still encountering things that throw me for a loop.

Eel catching contests are very popular at festivals in Korea. I haven't entered one yet as I've seen the eels bite a few too many people.

These trucks make the rounds in Korea. There's one that shows up every few weeks near an intersection by our apartment. How handy is it that all your bamboo-weaved needs are all in one place?

The Anyang River walk near our house could use a little sprucing up. I guess that city thinks so too since it has pictures of nice nature scenes over all of the ducts.

It's strange that it took this long to get a Taco Bell in Korea...and that I still haven't been there.

This is one of the forms I had to fill out when I got my health check. I'm pretty sure there's a typo on it since I can't understand why someone would need to know if you get imitated easily.

The curtesy button in the bathroom stall...once pushed it creates a very loud toilet flushing sound.

Did you know that armpits are prettier when they're white? I didn't.

Winter English Camp

2011-01-26T15:43:00.016+09:00

There are some sadistic parents out there who send their kids away to English camp during winter vacation. These unfortunate kids have to study English 9 hours a day for an entire week. Even more unfortunate are the teachers who sign up for the gig. This year, two of those teachers were me and Jason.

We taught a three week English camp that was held at a resort about an hour south of where we live. Jason got the job first and encouraged (or more accurately bullied) me into applying for it too. It paid well, so I decided it was something I could do. It didn't sound so bad in the interview...in fact it sounded kind of fun and different. In addition to the regular English classes, we also taught science, math, cooking, music, and would go sledding with the kids.

I was under the impression that I would be with the kids for 5 or 6 hours a day - ha! I was required to be with them from 8:50 in the morning until 10:00 at night. Well, actually I had the littlest kids (8 - 10 years old) and it was decided after the first week that 10:00 was a bit too late for them to stay up. The second and third week we ended class at 9:50 instead.

The kids were super cute though. It wasn't their fault that they were shipped off to bootcamp, so I somehow mustered up the energy everyday to teach, sing, play, dance, and mother them. I only had a few criers, a few ADHD kids, and one pooper the whole time - the rest of the kids were fantastic.

The woman in the middle was my TA during the camp. Kate is a university student and was gaining experience for her resume.

All of the kids received certificates of completion during the graduation ceremony...and then they had everyone sign them like yearbooks.

This little cutie was in my second week class. She warmed my heart when she told me that she very very loved me. :)

Week three students showing off their certificates - they were really proud of them.

The girl on the right had a crush on one of the male teachers (she's only 10!). She told my TA Kate that she couldn't sleep at night because she was thinking of him. All the other teachers gave Alan (the male teacher) a lot of hell for that one.

This is Cathy. She was showing off the bow-tie that she colored for our Wipeout Korea skit. When I looked at the photo I started laughing. She asked why I was laughing and I told her that it looked like she was giving me the bad finger. To this she replied, "Teacher! No f*ck you! No f*ck you, teacher!" - which made me laugh even harder.

On Thursdays we went sledding with the kids. The runs were a lot steeper than they look in this picture. I went down a few times and my legs would be all jiggly afterwards because I was a little freaked out by the speed I picked up.

Two TA's (Vanessa and Stacy) and Niall teacher enjoying the winter weather.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-12-11T17:04:00.016+09:00

Surprisingly enough, I think Thanksgiving might be moving into position as my new favorite holiday. It seems a simple, almost humble holiday to me. There are no cartoon mascots, no candy, no obligatory gifts - just a traditional meal with people you care about. I adore how Elizabeth Gilbert puts it in her book Eat, Pray, Love, that Thanksgiving is "a day of grace and thanks and community and ... pleasure." That’s exactly how I feel.

Jason and I held Thanksgiving at our place this year. We invited a large group of people - friends, friends of friends, co-workers, and neighbors to come together and celebrate. Over the years, my Thanksgiving traditions have evolved. As I’ve spent 14 years living far from my family, I tend to celebrate with groups of friends or their families. In doing this, it’s easy to pick up new traditions. For instance, cranberry sauce never made to the table (or into the house) during holidays while I was growing up. However, it's now a staple on my Thanksgiving table because a friend once insisted I try it...and I loved it. This year, my friend Nate could not comfortably celebrate without Martinelli's Sparkling Cider. He bought a ton of it at Costco and lugged it over to our place. It was a nice treat and one that I’ll probably adopt in the future.

Along with a dominate group of Americans, we had many non-Americans at the table too. We shared our Thanksgiving with a German, numerous Koreans, a Kiwi, some Canadians, and a Polack. I found out this year that Thanksgiving isn't an exclusively American holiday. Canadians celebrate it too, albeit a little sooner than we do. Their holiday falls on the second Monday in October. Of course the end of harvest season is celebrated in many other countries, only under different names. Since everyone worked on Thursday, we waited until the following Saturday to celebrate. And although it was a cold, grey, rainy day outside, it was a warm, peaceful, homey day inside.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday this year and were able to celebrate with it with people you love.

Holidays don't seem as special if there aren't kids around. Thankfully we had four little ones as guests this year.

As our friend John's birthday fell on the same day as our celebration, we had cake along with pumpkin and apple pie.

Darts were a part of the festivities - as they have been daily since Jason brought a board back from the states last summer.

We had recently acquired a few new pieces of furniture - just in time too. Previously we only had one couch to offer people.

I made a sweet potato cassarole, deviled eggs, and gravy. Everything else came from a restaurant on the American military base in Itaewon.

Brendan and Jenna have since moved on from Korea. They're moving to Istanbul in a few days time.

I love trivia games, so I put one together for the party. Eden even tried to join in for a while.

Bookworms

2010-11-07T15:49:00.020+09:00

I've been a part of two book clubs in my life. The first one, Poppy and I started our last semester of college. While most people were cramming for tests and sending out resumes, Poppy and I sat at coffee shops drawing up lists of things to occupy our time. (We only took two classes our last semester.) One thing on our list was to plan (or more accurately fantasize about) our trip to Mexico and Central America. Another one was a book club. We gathered a great group of ladies together, read a bunch of books, drank some decent wine, and ate delicious food. The books I remember from that time are A Room of One's Own and Little Alters Everywhere. After we left, the book club continued on and may still be in progress (it was going strong a few years ago, but I haven't inquired since).

The second book club is one that I'm a part of currently. It isn't a Korean book club, it's a Skype book club with a group of wonderful friends I met in Flagstaff. However, no one lives there anymore.

Our new book club meets once a month and lasts anywhere from 2 - 5 hours depending on what's happening in our lives. We've read some wonderful books so far - Three Cups of Tea, The Winner Stands Alone/The Alchemist, Love Medicine, Midwives, Here on Earth, ect. I look forward to these discussions all month. Sometimes we have deep, in-depth conversations about love, life, our personal legends, deceit, brief encounters, daydreaming, ect. Sometimes though...when there are a few of us who haven't finished (or read) the book, we look up the 50 hottest men of the year and discuss them in depth. Either way, it's always a blast.

I'd like to introduce you to these lovely ladies. In reverse alphabetical order, here they are:

Poppy Villavicencio

I first saw Poppy in a business class in college - we first met at Flagstaff Brewery. She's a sagittarius who likes yoga, fasting, walks in the woods, and Peruvian men. Together we survived Huehuetenango, bedbugs, and Guatemalan bandits. She currently resides in Burnsville, MN with her husband Edward, and little girl Ananda.

Nicole Hanson

The first time I met Nicole, I invited her to a Thanksgiving party. I knew right away she was a cool chica - she even owns a Jeep Wrangler! Nicole likes sleeping in, playing with her puppy Berlin, Sedona daytrips, and eating the fine cuisine her boyfriend prepares. Although she professes to hate the cold, she's contemplating leaving Las Vegas for frigid mid-west winters.

Lara Lau Schommer

Lara and I were like two ships passing in the night. We met briefly in Flagstaff but she returned to Minneapolis around the time I started hanging out with her group of friends. We became close after I moved to MN which is where she lives with her husband Jeff, and rather large dog Moose. Lara is an activist, a bike rider, a music lover, a great tour guide (I've seen all of the houses of her childhood friends), and the only person I'd want to be stuck in a pine box with.

Erika Henderson Flak

I don't remember when I met Erika, but we had some great times in college and even hiked the Grand Canyon together. I only wish I had spent more time in her company when we lived in Flagstaff. She's one funny girl. Her passions include karoke, taking in stray animals, hair extensions, and most recently snuggies. Her and her husband were married in Alaska and now live in Susanville, CA.

Carley Saravia

I met Carley through Nicole, but we didn't start hanging out until Nicole moved to Vegas. Then we tried to get our boyfriends to become friends, which was a surprisingly trying experience - now they're great buds. Carley is a talented jewelry designer, avid house painter, garage sale enthusiast, and great pen pal. She's also one to dole out wise words when they're needed most. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband Stefan, and two children, Aislyn and Greyden.

Urban Camping

2010-10-26T13:55:00.015+09:00

Camping in the middle of a megacity - a city of more than 10 million people. Impossible? Not at all. Not when that city is Seoul. If you look at the geography of Seoul, you'll see it is bordered by 8 different mountains. This allows Korean folk to get their hiking fix in between their hellishly long hours - be it working, studying, or keeping house.

If you think the last one doesn't involve hellishly long hours, you'd be wrong. Things get dirty here quick! Living here is like living on a dirt road in a house with open windows. You sweep, dust, mop, and wash windows one day - and the next you have to do it all over again. I sometimes contemplate hiring a maid (as my co-workers do) to keep our apartment sparkling clean. However, we're too cheap for that.

But yes, you can go camping in the middle of Seoul. I read about it on the internet. There were no pictures or maps - just one small reference to "campground #5" somewhere near Seoul National University. So, I convinced Jason, Fritz, and Nathan that I knew of a campground on Gwanaksan. Since it was peak season for autumn colors, we decided to try it out.

After a longer than anticipated hike from the subway station, we found the (a) trailhead. We kept our eyes peeled for any signs that would show us the way. Unfortunately, the only signs we came across were 'No Camping' and 'No Fires' signs. Undeterred, we hiked on. After 45 minutes or so on the trail, we began to ask other hikers where the campground was. While I may not know much Korean, I was positive that no one we spoke to knew of campground #5. The laughter, the crossing of arms into an X, and the words "no camping" weren't too hard to interpret. "No worries" I said to the guys, "Koreans aren't really into camping".

After another 20 minutes of hiking, Jason and Fritz left the trail to explore a clearing which turned out to be campground #5. Unfortunately, the campground was surrounded by razor wire and the camp pads were overgrown by about 5 years worth of grasses and such. Apparently the 'No Camping' signs were for real. Jason has never been one to be deterred by trespassing, so he led us back into a creek bed that was hidden from the main trail.

So, we set up our tents, made a fire, and commenced to camp. I'll admit my heart quickened a few times when we heard sirens, and I was quite preoccupied by errant sparks, but it was a good time. I'm not sure the guys will trust me the next time I come up with an idea though. My last one was a hike around a "beautiful lake" which we did on a cold, gray, rainy day. The "beautiful lake" part wasn't quite so beautiful either as there was a freeway overpass right above it. Oh well, I'm sure I'll keep trying.

The hike from the subway station - I have no idea what was so dangerous about this road. It looked fine to me.

Colors on Gwanaksan.

Nathan and I waiting while Jason and Fritz explored the clearing.

Jason and I slept in Fritz's tent.

While Nathan enthusiastically slept in his own.

Group shot with my pretty bag in the foreground.

We took the easy way out and jumped on a bus for the return trip to the subway station.

Why - oh - ming

2010-10-19T08:51:00.058+09:00

When people ask, as they do often in Korea, where I'm from, I usually pause for a moment to consider my options. Do I say Iowa, which is where I was born? Do I say Arizona, the place I lived the longest? Do I say Minnesota, the last place I lived in the states? Do I say Wyoming, where the bulk of my family lives?

After the pause, I choose one place or another and give a short caveat.

"I was born in Iowa."

"The last place I lived was Minnesota."

"My family lives in Wyoming."

"I went to school in Arizona."

The Wyoming answer always gets a similar response.

"Ah! Hello! How are you?"

"Good. Thank you."

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from the United States."

"Ah...migook...America...California?"

"Ah no, actually my family lives in Wyoming."

"Miami! Oh nice! Very beautiful!"

"No, not Miami. Wyoming."

"Huh?"

"Why - oh - ming."

"Wah - oh - me."

"Yes, Wyoming."

"Where is this?"

"Do you know Colorado?"

"Yes."

"It's the state just north of Colorado. Do you know Yellowstone National Park?"

"No."

"Well, it's a beautiful place."

"Ah, good."

However, there are some people I've met in Korea that have actually been to Yellowstone...and boy do they want to talk about it. Kenji, a Japanese man who works at Hansei, went there 10 years ago. He loved it. Every time we talk, he finds a way to bring it up so he can relate his experiences to me. After two years of this, I find myself very busy whenever he walks into a room.

Thinking about this now, I realize that I more often say, "Wyoming" now when I answer that question. I guess it's the whole family thing. As much as I love Flagstaff, I haven't been there in too many years to count. And Minnesota...where a group of wonderful friends are, doesn't seem like home anymore. So, Wyoming it is.

During my visit there this summer, I missed my older nieces. They live in California and we didn't coordinate our vacations. So, I spent the summer playing aunt to my sisters' kids. They span in age from two and a half to eight...and they are lovely. I used to be worried that I would be that strange woman who came to town once in a while and brought presents that were too young for them. Thankfully, our jobs over here allow us to spend a great deal of time in Wyoming in the summer. This means that I have the pleasure of getting to know the little ones and hone my aunty skills for a least one month out of the year. I love it!

Abby didn't waste any time, she started picking on Jason as soon as we got off the plane.

Luckily the Frog Pond was saved from demolition and we were able to take the kids swimming a few times over the summer.

My sister Theresa has a fondness for bowling so we usually stop by the bowling alley once a season.

The kids are cheaters...they used this little contraption. I think I'll use it next time. I tied for the lowest score in both of the games we played.

Dad, Theresa, and Chad

Jaime and Jason chatting it up.

After a few turns with the bowling ball, the kids decided they liked the arcade games better.

Grandma helping the kids pick out balls.

I helped out with Violet and Amelia's Vacation Bible School class this summer. Aren't they cuties!

We camped in the same campground as last summer, but we were missing my parents and the Wollschlagers this year.

Ben and Abby playing in the dirt.

Shoshone River

Reinker Crew

On our hike Amelia got a bit tired, so she convinced everyone to carry her at different times. Not hard to do when you're that cute.

Mike doing what he loves best.

Campfire

On our way back from camping we ran across this little guy.

I think he was trying to cross the highway, but the crowd of onlookers made him shy and he stayed where he was.

Park County Fair Demolition Derby

My little sister Theresa participated in this a few years ago. Thankfully she's stayed out of it the last few years.

They have a regular derby, a women's derby, and a small car derby. I believe this was the regular round.

As you can see, it's draws quite a crowd.

Storm's coming!

The Wild West Balloon Fest is held in Cody in early August. We didn't have to go any farther than my parent's back porch to enjoy the spectacle.

One guy seemed to have some problems and barely made it over the rooftop of their neighbor's home.

The Wollschlager's welcomed a new addition to their family this year. Meet Lulu.

I can't believe how old the kids are getting. Ava and Ben started kindergarten this year.

Jason and I took a drive up to Pahaska Teepee and came across a moose. Though we usually see one each summer, they're still a treat.

He didn't seem intimidated at all by the numerous onlookers taking photos of him eating dinner.

We took a second camping trip in WY this summer and the Lamascus family joined us.

Amelia and Jessica's youngest daughter, Layla played well together.

Two little tow-heads...Abby and Melody.

I'm pretty sure Ben just got caught on the wrong side of the fence.

Annual Colorado Trip

2010-09-28T13:25:00.014+09:00

MLK Day is very special to me, and though I admire and respect Dr. King, it’s not because of him. On January 15, 2007 Jason and I both had the day off of work, so we walked through the snow to a coffee shop in our neighborhood. Although we’d done this millions of times, on this day we didn’t read newspaper articles to each other, work on a crossword puzzle, or play Rummy. Instead we decided to talk about our dreams – what we wanted to do/achieve in our lives.

After agreeing on a 5 year timeline, Jason and I got down to business. Luckily, we share a lot of the same goals and dreams, so it was easy to make a list that included what we both wanted. One major thing on the list was to find new jobs, possibly overseas, that we enjoyed. Check! Another thing on the list was to buy some land in Colorado. Check! I know there were other things on the list, but we didn’t save the dang thing and that’s all I can remember.

Since buying land in Colorado, we’ve tried to visit whenever possible – which usually ends up being once a year. We camp out, cut down dead trees, clear hiking paths, and enjoy the beautiful view. This year, we spent an entire week camping on our property. Since we had more time than usual, we were able to make some real progress. We started clearing an area for our future cabin. So far, the area will accommodate our gigantic tent. We splurged this summer and bought a 20 x 12, ten person tent. If you feel like joining us next year, we have plenty of room!

We were also fortunate enough to meet up with our wonderful friends Jeff and Lara from Minnesota. They flew in for a few days and we lived it up in Fort Collins and got lost in Rocky Mountain National Park together. It was a really, really fun time and I love both of them dearly. It was the perfect way to end our Colorado trip and a highlight of the summer.

Downtown Westcliffe

Westcliffe's (one and only) Super Market. What a nice background, eh?

Our new home away from home. It didn't leak at all even though it rained every evening.

View of the Wet Mountain Valley.

Our kitchen...it's a great place to eat oatmeal in the morning.

Squatters! These little guys like to roost in the trees on our property. They run and flap their wings as fast as possible and try to jump up onto the lowest branch of a tree - sometimes it takes a few attempts. Then they spend some time hopping from limb to limb until they reach the top of the tree where they spend the night.

Another view of the valley.

Wild Flowers

On our way back from town one day, we spotted a beautiful rainbow.

Our favorite trail in the Sangres is the Rainbow trail. It runs the entire length of the range and there are a ton of trailheads along it. My goal is to hike the entire trail - section by section, of course.

It's a very peaceful trail...so much different than the rush hour style trails in Seoul.

We went for a drive one day to the other side of the Wet Mountains. We had heard about Bishop's Castle from someone a few years ago, but hadn't made it there before. Suffice it to say, it's quite an interesting place.

The castle was/is being built by Jim Bishop. It's a work in progress that started in 1969.

It's beautiful and peculiar at the same time.

Apparently, the dragon's head is a chimney. There's also a hot air balloon burner attached to it that allows the dragon to breathe fire - on the weekends only. Unfortunately, we were there on a Monday.

We were pleasantly surprised by Lake Isabel. It's a nicely developed lake/campground/cabin area with a small general store, church, and a restaurant.

While walking around the lake we encountered several groups of people and small families. Everyone was extremely friendly and one such bloke snapped a picture for us.

The new camp pad! It was a lot of work...but it was worth it. We're going to be so set up the next time we go camping there.

Lara is one of my best friends in the whole wide world - even though she made me sit in the hot sun. ;) haha!

We rode on an urban bike trail that runs along a river in Fort Collins. It was a great day!

Unfortunately, I'm getting old...and I had to wear a knee brace while biking. I think I rocked the look though.

We did the touristy thing and stopped by some of the breweries on our bike tour. O'Dells is my new favorite brewery in town. I love New Belgium, but it feels a little too kitchy these days.

We had sushi on our last night in town. It was owned by a Korean man so there were a few Korean delicacies on the menu, including Soju. Our friends were keen to try it...but at a 10,000 percent mark-up we just couldn't do it. Jeff and Lara - I'll bring you a whole bottle the next time we get together.

The view from our campsite in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Even though the woman at the main entrance tried to frighten us with bear tales, we boldly went on a few hikes in the area.

Jeff and Lara looking lovely after our hike on the Fern Lake trail.

Hippy ingenuity at its best - A VW bus with an added VW bug top soldered onto the roof...sweet.

Lara and I got lost a few times in Colorado. We were too engrossed in our conversations to pay attention to where we were going. Thankfully, we only went an hour out of our way on this trail.

Pretty Bird

I didn't realize how matchy-matchy we were. Next time we'll have to call each other to uncoordinate our outfits.

Iowa & New York; same-same

2010-09-08T15:35:00.019+09:00

Growing up, I knew my parents loved me even though they shipped me and my siblings off to our grandparent’s houses each summer. We spent one month with each set of grandparents. After my father’s parents moved to Wyoming, we were able to visit two different states during our summer vacation. And while it was nice in Wyoming, I still loved Iowa best. I relished the lush green humid environment. It was far from the pseudo-Mediterranean climate of the bay area where I lived the rest of the year.

The most vivid memories I have of those summers in Iowa are of running wild around Sibley – a very small town in northwest Iowa. We were either barefoot or shod in jelly shoes from sunup to sundown. We raided the park store for 3 cent candies and spent every day possible at the town pool. In the late afternoons, tired from exertion and the sun, my sisters and I would gather around the TV and watch The Incredible Hulk, I Dream of Jeannie, or The Dukes of Hazzard while we sipped RC cola. When a particularly good movie came to town, like The Muppets Take Manhattan, the neighborhood kids went as a group.

I think it’s the similarity of the environment that makes me love New York as I do. It has so many of the characteristics that I remember fondly from childhood – fireflies, humid nights, soft grass for bare feet, and a pool to lounge in all the live long day. Jason and I spent several weeks in the Hudson Valley again this summer and it’s always a treat. I spent everyday possible in the pool, watched TV or movies in the evenings, and spent time with my in-laws. It was lovely and I’m already looking forward to next year.

We usually do at least one hike a year on a section of the Appalachian Trail that runs near Hopewell.

I remember these same ferns growing outside my grandparent's farmhouse.

Jason and George showing off their hiking sticks.

We caught a concert while we were in New York. It was at Bascobel - an Federal style home from the 1800's that has been turned into a museum of sorts. This is the view from the lawn where we picnicked before the show. http://www.boscobel.org/

We saw Tom Rush play a wonderful acoustic set. He's a folk/blues singer/songwriter whose contemporaries are Joni Mitchell and James Taylor.

Jason and George enjoying the show.

On our way up to Bear Mountain State Park.

View of the Hudson from the Bear Mountain Bridge.

Perkins Memorial Tower is at the top of Bear Mountain.

"With its 360-degree panorama, the Perkins Memorial Tower offers spectacular views of the Hudson River, the Bear Mountain Bridge, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Storm King, and Fort Montgomery. Four states are visible (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania), as well as the New York City skyline. The observation floor has interpretive displays that describe the distant views, which include several mountain ranges: the Taconics, Ramapos, Shawangunks, and even the Catskills. Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower truly are a highlight of any visit to Bear Mountain."

If you look closely, you can see the NYC skyline off in the distance.

We went on a little tour of diners while I was in New York. We had pie and coffee at a diner that was featured on an episode of Seinfeld. Then we stopped at the I-84 diner near Fishkill, which is as old as I am.

After our trip to the I-84 diner, we went to the Valley Soaring Club to check out George's glider and do a little maintenance.

First, George mowed while Jason supervised.

Then, Jason mowed while George supervised.

As usual, we went to Pennslyvania for a few days to visit Jason's grandmother. On our way back we stopped in Lititz for a bite to eat near this Hotel. I love the Americana feel of this picture.

The Walkway over the Hudson is an old railroad bridge that has been converted into a pedestrain walkway.

Nice view!

The bridge is in Poughkeepsie, NY.

The weather was fantastic while we were in New York - blue skies almost every day.

Teacher's Day

2010-05-24T16:06:00.004+09:00

In Korea, there's a holiday called Teacher's Day. I assume we have one in the States as well, but I don't remember it. Now that I'm a teacher though, this holiday is much more important to me.

I even received a gift this year from one of my students. She is a very nice student and always stays after class to practice her pronunciation with me. She gave me a nice expensive bottle of anti-wrinkle cream. I don't know whether to be thankful or offended by the gift.

Once again, I'm reminded that there are some serious cultural differences between my new life and my old one. :)

Arts & Culture

2010-05-09T16:18:00.014+09:00

While we haven't been taking as many trips around Korea this year, we are seeing a heck of a lot more cultural performances. We saw an amazing production of a comedy/martial arts performance called, JUMP. Jason and I met up with Nathan and Kat for this show and we all loved it. It was so funny I had tears running down my face. If you ever get a chance to see it...go for it. The show has played all over the world, so you don't have to travel to Seoul to see it.

http://www.yegam.com/jump/ENG/introduction/01_about.asp

We also went to see Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble at the Seoul Performing Arts Center. This was also a great night. Jason and I were really excited to see Yo-Yo Ma. We played his Bach Cello Suites at our wedding, so his music has special meaning for us. Most of the instruments that were played were totally foreign to me. And even though the sounds were unfamiliar, the music was composed in a way that was exceptionally beautiful.

http://www.silkroadproject.org/

The next cultural performance that I'm planning to see is Sex and the City 2. I know, I know...I've heard it's awful, but I have to see it.

Jason and I went to Anyang Art Park with Fritz and Caroline. It's at the base of Gwanaksan Mountain. A series of trails leads to different sculptural art works throughout the area. A very neat thing to do on a sunny spring day.

I'm thinking, hospital on the left hand side of the road...

Although I wanted a turn at the wheel, I didn't want to be the only one over the age of eight...so I opted out.

Art!

?

Art tunnel.

Art house.

While I'm not so good at interpreting Korean, I'm getting fabulous at interpreting Konglish. 'No more than 5 people allowed at one time."

Hong Kong

2010-04-07T12:37:00.021+09:00

Hong Kong is another city I could see living in for a while. Of course the pollution is horrible, but I think that's par for the course if you're going to live in a city in Asia. Hong Kong reminds me a bit of Manhattan...if Manhattan was in Asia. It's very cultured, everyone wears black, the buildings are really tall, and it's expensive as all get out. Hong Kong is the place where we spent the most money on a hotel...and it definately wasn't the nicest. However, the people who owned the place were wonderful and that more than made up for it.

The highs in Hong Kong were eating dim sum - the pork buns were super yummy, scoring an awesome grey wool jacket that must have fallen off a truck somewhere, and seeing the skyline in person that I'd seen many times on CNN - their Asian headquarters are in Hong Kong. But in general, everything we did in Hong Kong was fun. The only thing I regret about Hong Kong was the fact that we didn't take the tram up to Victoria Peak. The weather was kind of yucky - it rained quite a bit. It did give us the chance to check out some nice pubs though. ;)

Bruce Lee is the king of Hong Kong.

View of the skyline and Victoria Harbor with storm clouds covering the mountain.

Much prettier once the sun goes down.

We wandered around the markets but never found the mahjong set I had my heart on.

Strange fruit.

Nan Lian Garden was a beautiful spot for a tranquil afternoon stroll.

The garden is filled with pagodas, ornate bridges, and gorgeous landscaping.

Not quite templed out...we stopped by Tin Hua temple in Yau Ma Tei.

Devotees bowed with incense sticks held in their hands as they said prayers. It was as smokey as a bar on New Year's Eve there.

Jason and I were both excited to see the Bank of China building. It's a I.M. Pei building for all you architecture enthusiasts out there.

Cool picture of a double decker bus flying by.

Jason in front of some funky buildings.

We decided to walk into the Bank of China building to see if they had an observation floor/deck. They didn't have anything like the Empire State building, but we were allowed to visit a small observation area on one of the upper floors.

View from the 43rd floor.

Yay! It was wild to feel the building swaying - enough to make my feet itch.

I think this is an artistic performance piece. They're trying to say something about homelessness. What do you think?

I loved the double decker buses.

This is for you, T.J.

They were everywhere in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Marina

The rich weekend boating side.

And the everyday side.

Street scene.

Bangkok, Thailand

2010-04-03T11:18:00.019+09:00

Although my love of train travel has been well documented...I wasn't sure what to expect from Thai trains. From what reading I'd done beforehand, I gathered they were either heaven or hell depending on the individual. Since I have an aversion to flying, we decided to take the night train from Trang to Bangkok, and hope for the best.

The best, it turned out, was really frickin' good. We left the station in Trang around 4:00 in the afternoon. A few hours later, dinner was served. Jason and I brought our own food, but the other options looked decent. We passed a few hours by playing cards, talking, reading, and looking out the windows at the landscape. Around 10:00 pm, the train stewards came around to put the bunks together for everyone. I got the top, and Jason slept below me. The beds folded out from the walls, they were long enough for me to stretch out, and had a little reading light - they were perfect. They also had clean sheets and blankets that they removed from sealed plastic bags. For some reason, those plastic bags made me feel so secure and happy. Once I was tucked into my bunk, sleep came almost immediately. The rocking of the train was better than a sleeping pill.

When I awoke in the morning, we were only a few hours from Bangkok. After cleaning up in the bathroom, having a small breakfast and coffee, we were ready to disembark.

The only downside of the whole trip happened the next morning. As we were canvassing the other people on the train for information on hotels, we found ourselves stuck in a long conversation with some "travellers" from New York city. They were professional artsy folks in their late twenties to early thirties - people I thought we'd like from the outset. We were wrong. They were also pretentious.

I was forced to listen to the traveller vs. tourist spiel for the umpteenth time. (I cringe just wondering if I ever espoused such twaddle). We were informed that Laos was so overtouristed it wasn't even worth going to anymore. (Really? Laos? Yes, I've heard it's all Holiday Inns and KFC restaurants nowdays.) That the airport hotel in Bangkok was the best place to stay. (That must be where all the authentic Thai culture is.) And that the place to go these days is Central America. (Not sure why they weren't there.) I pasted on my old waitressing face and politely nodded when appropriate. I was glad we hadn't struck up a conversation with them the night before.

Bangkok though was another nice surprise on our trip. I'd only ever heard terrible, nasty things about the city. Maybe I'd been expecting the worst (i.e. Guatemala City), but we were happy with it. The weather was beautiful while we were there. The city is full of interesting sights to see and the markets are incredible. We also found a super swank place to stay for a pittance. Score!

We'll get better at making videos...I promise.

Bangkok Train Station

Another view of the Station

The king! He's everywhere. It's the law that every home and business displays a picture of him. You can also be arrested for insulting the king or his family. He means business!

Elephants are a symbol of Thailand. The royal family keeps several elephants on the grounds, including the famed white elephants.

The Emerald Palace.

This guy, literally and figuratively, took us for a ride.

Their building are so dang decorative.

Long eared Buddha.

more decoration...

monk

I think Jason trailed him for a while.

Thailand...not England. Promise.

Khaosan Road is the backpacker's ghetto in Bangkok.

Now I know where to go for a TEFL certificate - no more studying for me! ;)

Street Food.

Bangkok Market...just like Portabello Road.

Koh Lanta, Thailand

2010-03-06T10:00:00.017+09:00

This island is huge! Not Jamaica huge, but so much larger than Koh Kradan. In some ways, it felt like we returned to civilization when we set foot on Koh Lanta. Everywhere you looked there were stores, souvenir stands, restaurants, pharmacies, cars, tourists, bars, and motor-taxis. There were trucks with speakers that sang the praises of this club or that at top volume. The roads were lined with bars touting happy hour specials and nightly parties. Along the beaches, though still much more calm than Jamaica, were nude sunbathing europeans, beach side restaurants with the requisite thai pillow chairs around short tables, and children everywhere playing in the sand & water. And in spite of, or perhaps because of this, I really liked Koh Lanta. I would go there again in a heartbeat. Because while it was one of the tourist haven islands, it was still a nice place to go. The beaches were clean, the people were still friendly, and it was so dang convenient.

Even the day we spent at the hospital didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the place. Of course it was Jason hooked up to the IV and not me...but I'm a very empathetic person. I won't bore you with the gory details, but Jason got sick. Food poisoning, we think. And not just the, "Oh, I feel terrible and I don't want to leave my bed." kind of thing. It was the violent emptying out of his stomach in every way possible. After a long night in our hotel room, we set out bright and early for the hospital on the other side of the island.

Although the hospital was far cry from anything in the states, it was actually pretty okay. The folks there spoke English, and they were efficient and friendly. After Jason filled up on an IV and was able to keep some food down, we took off. I found us a place with a pool - so Jason was able to recouperate in style over the next few days.

Since it took Jason a few days to get back on his feet, we have significantly fewer photos of Koh Lanta than we'd like.

The place we stayed at was owned by a former Belgian baker. The restaurant menu was delicious and after a few unsettling experiences, we choose to eat there quite often.

The pool was a treat. It was a great place to chill out in the evenings.

Lovely trees

I had one of the best and one of the worst massages of my life on Koh Lanta. Thai massages are vigorous to say the least.

The beach was lined this type of with open air massage shacks.

Beach during low-tide

It was very serene.

It was amazing how much the water level changed throughout the day. The water was only a few feet from the floor of these houses for most of the day.

While the hospitals were nice, the gas stations were more simplistic.

The roads were lined with these motor-taxis. They're similar to those in the Philippines, but the Thai version is much roomier.

There were a nice way to get out of the sun for a few moments.

Relaxing after the good massage.

Ocean at sunset.

Koh Kradan, Thailand

2010-02-26T15:05:00.033+09:00

Literally paradise! And I mean that in all seriousness. In fact, I just bought a book called, LITERALLY, THE BEST LANGUAGE BOOK EVER. It talks about the fact that people use the word, literally, all the time and don't mean it. They use it to embelish descriptive phrases. Apparently, we should all go around saying figuratively instead. Like, it was figuratively the longest line ever at the Embassy. I don't know if that'll catch on though.

Back to the point. Koh Kradan is a paradise. When we were planning our trip, it was a bit daunting weighing all the pros and cons of the different Thai islands without any first hand knowledge. I didn't want to end up on a crowded island with angry locals and beaches full of trash and the sand sprinkled with glass (many of the horror stories I read made this seem the norm). So, we waded through all the information we could find on the internet, polled our friends who had been there and finally decided on Koh Kradan. It was one of the only islands that we didn't find much information on...and therefore didn't read any reviews trashing the place. I think it was this fact that led us there.

We reserved a bungalow on the island before we left Korea. We knew we'd need to reserve in advance in order to have somewhere to stay over New Year's. Apparently, Thailand is quite popular at that time of year, and I can see why. This was my first year spending the holiday on a tropical beach, and I highly recommend it for anyone considering such a trip.

Koh Kradan is tiny. If low tide lasted longer, we could have walked around the whole island in a couple of hours. It doesn't have any roads, vehicles, or bikes. There were no stores, no clinics, no nothing...except for one swanky resort, a few bungalow operations scattered along the main beach, and a small camping area. It was paradise!

The water was so beautiful, two-toned blue and calm throughout most of the day. Absolutely perfect for swimming. The sand was white, white, white! No trash or glass to be found. The food was pretty good...especially at Paradise Lost. A resort owned by an American guy that reminded me a lot of Dustin Hoffman.

Our days followed a pattern similar to this...

Wake-up
Swim
Eat Breakfast
Drink Coffee
Lay in Hammock and Read
Walk along Beach
Swim
Eat Lunch
Lay in Hammock and Read
Snorkel
Walk along Beach
Swim
Shower
Eat Dinner
Drink Beer
Sleep

There was some variety...what I read, the direction we walked in, the food we ate, ect. It was one of the most relaxing times I've ever had. I miss floating on my back and feeling the current push and pull me around the bay. Aaaaaahhhh...I want to go back!

We didn't take any pictures the first day we got to the island. Instead we swam and chilled out. This is a photo of the sunrise the next morning.

Our rustic home for the week. (Yes, we did bring our own hammocks - and they were awesome!)

View from our Bungalow

There were a few more people near the other end of the beach close to the where the larger boats anchored. We lucked out and there were never many people on our little section of paradise.

During low tide, a sandbar emerged from the water and became a spectacular lounging spot.

Total Relaxation

This is the restaurant at the place we stayed. It was so nice sitting in the shade of the palapa roof, listening to groovy music, drinking wicked strong coffee, and looking out at the beautiful ocean.

Fortunately there were quite a few trees along the beach for us to string up our hammocks so we could change our view daily.

No skinny dipping for me...it's a halter suit.

There is a reef a few hundred feet from the beach. The lack of waves made the water perfect for prolonged back floating.

Another idyllic scene.

When the tide went out intersting sea life emerged.

Although some of it was pretty yucky. I think this is a sea slug.

We saw these signs on both of the islands we visited. A reminder of what can happen even in a place that feels so safe and peaceful.

Interior of the Island

The opposite side of the island (Sunset Beach) was more rocky and supported a number of wild pineapple trees.

It was pretty but there were sand fleas and only a few bare patches of sand. Needless to say, we didn't spend much time over there.

The path across the island was a nice way to keep cool and soak in a bit of the tropical atmosphere is the late afternoons.

I didn't know clematis grew on sand.

Kids in Kayaks

On New Year's Eve, Jason and I sat on the beach and watched the full moon rise.

Near midnight, the guys who worked at the resort lit these paper laterns. When they filled with enough hot air they took flight. It wasn't a very smooth operation, and luckily nothing substantial started on fire.

No high pressure sales tactics here. (Sales office for buying trips or boat rides to other islands.)

This little cutie pie liked to sit under our hammocks and keep us company in the afternoons.

Paradise

Penang, Malaysia

2010-02-10T13:07:00.057+09:00

Jason and I like to set different paces when we’re on the road, be it a two hour drive somewhere or traveling in another country. It doesn’t matter. I’m always worried about wasting time, while Jason’s trying to stop and smell the roses. Not that I’m all get up and go…I spend hours upon hours sitting on my butt reading books. However on vacation, I tend to want to go out and see it all, which propels me along at a faster clip than Jason cares for.

In fact, I think he’s still mad at me for “making” him leave San Pedro on our Central American trip. In my defense, I thought we were going to be thrown into jail or have to pay thousands of dollars in fines if we didn’t get entry stamps on our passports. Jason, on the other hand, thought since we’d been in Guatemala for a week without any stamps, what were a few more days going to matter. In hindsight, he was probably right. We didn’t need to rush off to Guatemala City, but I’m glad we got things sorted out and didn’t have to check out the provisions inside a Central American prison.

Up till now on our SE Asia trip, we’d spent around 4 days in each place. This was the general plan until we hit the beaches in Thailand - where we planned to adopt a snail’s pace. Unfortunately…or fortunately, we ended up staying in Penang for a whole week.

With so much time on our hands, we were able to fully explore the little island. We toured the major sites, walked around the residential areas, ate many different meals in a variety of restaurants, learned the bus routes, and saw the old, new, and clashing areas of the island. It turned out to be a good thing that we were waylaid for a few extra days.

The reason for the abrupt change of plans was not so good. I know certain rules about traveling in foreign countries…especially when it comes to hygiene and food safety. But that doesn’t mean I always follow those rules. And it was one of those that got me. Sauces…they’re deadly. Not the ones that come out of the kitchen piping hot; those are fine. I’m talking about the ones that sit in glass jars on café tables, ones that are sitting out in the heat of the day breeding unhealthy bacteria. Even as I was spooning the delicious garlic-ginger sauce onto my chicken and rice dish, I knew it was wrong.

I didn’t know how wrong until a day later as I struggled with a 101.9 degree fever, body aches, a headache, and many trips to the bathroom. Thankfully we didn’t make a hospital visit while in Penang. We held off on that fun time until a little further into our trip.

Penang was great though. I really enjoyed the city, the people, the food (with exceptions of course), the architecture…everything really. Plus, I got to see the biggest rats EVER!

From Tana Rata, we caught a direct bus to Butterworth. From there, we jumped on a ferry that cut travel time to the island by an hour or more. We didn't travel on this bridge to the island, but we did on our way back to the mainland. The bridge is one of the longest in the world at 8 1/2 miles long.

The ferry took us to Georgetown, the capital city of Penang.

Picture of a ferry pulling into the harbor.

Our lovely hotel.

As with most places on our trip, we stayed in Chinatown. It tends to have more affordable hotels and lots of interesting sights to see.

Evil food.

I'm not sure why they need a 24 hour funeral service here...and I'm glad the food poisoning wasn't terrible enough for me to find out.

The area we stayed in is a UNESCO heritage site. The two-story buildings dominate the area, some in better shape than others.

Klasik Rut Bir...yummy in any language.

It was hard to tell which buildings were vacant. A lot of places that looked decrepit had potted plants out front or laundry drying in the sun.

I think this is an awesome picture. Good job, babe!

If you look closely at this picture you can see the top of the gutters. They ran along the streets and were two to three feet deep. Singapore was similar in this regard. I think it might be due to heavy rains in the monsoon season - to avoid flooding streets. They also turn out to be great places for rats to hang out. I only saw a few, but they were memorable for sure.

Do you think they're hoping for a good samaritan to stop and fix this on their way

to work one day???

Not too far from Chinatown, a different aspect of Georgetown is revealed.

The streets were clean, buildings well-kept, and the prices for food in restaurants skyrocketed.

Kek Lok Si Temple

The Malaysian signs that are printed in romanized letter are quite phonetic. I found this to be very helpful more than a time or two.

Kek Lok Si Temple is a Chinese Buddhist temple.

There was something funny going on in the pond at the temple. The fish swam in circular patterns.

Seven Story Pagoda

The temple was much more colorful and vibrant than a Korean temple...but it was a bit garish.

We get our couple pictures when we can.

There were also Christian churches in Penang that were quite beautiful.

This is some sort of government building...I think the governor may live here.

Here's my proof.

This is a tri-shaw. They tended to be operated by the oldest men in all of Penang.

While standing on a median trying to cross a road, we found ourselves in the middle of a motorcycle rally. The bikers all seemed pretty friendly as many of them waved to us as they rode past. I would estimate over a hundred bikers participated in...whatever is was.

Newstand

We found a good coffee shop on one of our wanderings.

Another pretty church...

Chinese Buddhist Temple

I couldn't get over the size of the incense they burned in the courtyard.

Wild, eh?

This beautiful artwork is done with bits of glass and ceramic tile.

The artwork was set into the columns of a row of buildings that had had a full face lift. Workers were still putting on the finishing touches, but there were For Sale signs in the windows of the future shops.

Mosque near Armenian Street.

We came across a parade one evening. We'd gone a far distance from our hotel for dinner. On our way back, our taxi became stuck in the traffic that was being held up for the parade. We quickly jumped out of the cab so see what it was all about.

Groups of young men carried these 30-35 foot flags. One of the guys would try to balance the bamboo pole on his head and balance it as long as possible. This was a crowd favorite as everyone had to keep moving out of the way as the flags threatened to fall on the spectators watching. I didn't see any injuries though.

Along with the floats, there were Chinese dragons, a bands marching down the street.

On our last day there, we ventured to the northern part of the island to check out the beach area.

Fisherman using nets off the beach to catch fish.

While it was pretty, it's not somewhere I would swim. These waters are smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

We wandered around a Spice Garden for a few hours. Jason was enamored with the size of the house plants he ran across.

Jason does have a green thumb, but he's not this good.

This video shows us on a lovely swing. The ropes were 20 feet long and attached to a tree high up in the canopy, which made for a very smooth ride.

Inside the Spice Garden.

This little guy freaked me out something good. I'm still not quite sure what he is...I'm going to guess that he's a monitor lizard. Any objections?

Tanah Rata, Malaysia

2010-01-28T20:34:00.059+09:00

There's a Malaysian restaurant in Minneapolis named Peninsula that Jason and I ate at only once in the four years we lived there. Granted it was only open for the last two years, but we'd eaten a so-so rice dish and a okay soup so we didn't go back. I should have tried the Beef Rendang and the Roti. If I'd have known how delicious some Malaysian food was, we'd have eaten there once a week for the rest of our time in Minnesota. Malaysian food is that good.

I especially loved the breakfast food we ate in Tanah Rata. Savory food for breakfast - and no guilt! I've decided samosas are the perfect breakfast food. They're hot, tasty, and handheld. What else could you ask for? In Malaysia, samosas are a breakfast food - not prepared at any other time of day. Once they sell out, they're gone. This caused us to run frantically into town every morning of our stay in Tanah Rata looking for a restaurant that still had samosas to sell. When we did, we generally bought out their whole stock. I'm not kidding about the frantically running part either. The population of Tanah Rata is mainly Malay Muslims and they get up really early for morning prayers. We didn't beat them to the restaurants, but we generally made it before the second rush of the morning, beating out the non-Muslim folks.

In addition to the delicious food we sampled in the Cameron Highlands, we also visited some tea plantations which turned out to be one of the coolest things we saw on our whole trip. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. We took a few short hikes including one though The Mossy Forest, visited a local tourist trap that showcased the native people, their homes, and their hunting methods, and I had my genitals massaged by an older Chinese man through my feet.

Maybe I should explain that one a little better.

All over Malaysia there were shops touting the benefits of reflexology. I've tried a handful of 'alternative healing' methods in my time - various massages, acupuncture, acupressure, ect. But no reflexology thus far. I didn't really know a lot about it...or had forgotten everything I once knew about it. In fact, I'm an Amazing Race addict (thanks to my sister) and I watched the teams endure a reflexology foot massage during season 12. Somehow, that little tidbit of knowledge slipped my mind.

If you're at all curious about what one looks like, click on the link below. The massage starts around the 3:00 minute mark...and the pain starts around the 5:00 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXP6vVq1r5Y&feature=related

When I sat in the chair for my massage, I was handed a laminated card with a picture of a foot that was separated into different colored/numbered segments. Along the side of the card, was a key listing body parts or organs that corresponded to numbers on the foot.

It was a painful experience though not quite as bad as the people on The Amazing Race made it seem - either the masseur wasn't as rough on me or I'm a badass. I'd like to think it's the latter. What made the massage really uncomfortable was the foot chart I held in my hands.

Things were going well until he hit a particularly tender spot and I literally cried out in pain. He looked at me and said, "30". I looked at my chart and tried not to blush as I saw it read "genital glands". "Hmmm" was all I said. This continued for a whole half hour. They definitely didn't scrimp on their service. In that time I was aware of my hips, my thyroid glands, my anus, and my transverse colon (whatever that is). It was the most intimate massage I've ever received.

I have to say that, other than the pain, it was exceedingly helpful. My feet didn't hurt for about a week.

I would suggest trying it once. I tried and tried to get Jason to do it...but he kept opting for the traditional massages throughout the rest of our trip. Wussie!

The weather was much cooler up in the highlands. We were lucky we wore warm clothes to the airport in Seoul, or we would have froze.

Such a cute little baby.

Coconut milk is no tourist gimmick in Malaysia. Coconuts are sold everywhere and still have the green fruit around the coconut husk. The top is chopped off, they put a straw inside, and viola!

As always, I love the different flowers we see when we travel.

Delicious Malaysian breakfast!

Child's play.

On our first full day in Tanah Rata, we took a hike on one of the many trails that surround the town.

The trail was fairly well-kept and not busy at all.

The trail led us to a small waterfall.

Curled up fern.

The trail also led us to a look-out tower, but we were unable to take in the view.

After our hike, we found a restaurant to enjoy some more delicious food.

Tandoori Chicken - step 1

The chicken is coasted in a thick tandoori sauce, skewered, and placed inside a large pot where it's cooked over wood coals.

Tandoori Chicken - step 2

Tandoori Chicken - step 3

Banana leaf curry is one of the more popular Malaysian dishes. They simply lay a slice of a banana leaf in front of you, and then different people come around with pots of food that they ladle onto your banana leaf.

These are durians, a type of fruit native to Southeast Asia. The pulp is rumored to taste like butterscotch or creme caramel. I didn't try them however as they're more famous for their pungent smell. Let me quote travel writer Richard Sterling, as I think he has a way with words.

"... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."

The banishment of the fruit it true. We saw signs forbidding it in every hotel we stayed at.

Fields under cultivation for the Boh tea plantation.

It was a bit rainy and foggy while we were in the Cameron Highlands - all the more surreal and romantic.

To cultivate the tea, two people would pull this lawn mower-type machine over the bushes.

People with modified lawn sheers follow the lawn mower things to trim the leaves that are still sticking up from the shaped bushes.

The sheers have an attached plastic box to collect the leaves. Then they are tossed into the baskets the workers wear on their backs.

There was a women from the govt. working in the fields that day. She was full of interesting information about the plantation, the tea, and the workers. Her job was to survey the workers to determine if they were being paid appropriately and treated well. She was from Kuala Lumpur and spoke English quite well.

Raw Tea

These are the plantation worker's houses.

The Mossy Forest is located around the second highest peak in the Cameron Highlands. It sits at 6,700 feet.

It was raining or misting the whole time we were near the top of the mountain. It was lovely.

Everything was covered with a thick layer of moss and lichen.

The guide plucked this plant from the ground and handed it to me (I promise I didn't pick it myself). It's a pitcher plant - a carnivorous plant similar to a venus fly trap.

There were several stands identical to this one lining the main road through the Cameron Highlands. They were selling fruit, vegetables, and some sort sweet looking homemade drink.

This is one of several waterfalls in the area.

Another roadside attraction was a simulated Orang Asli village.

The man who toured us around was very charming. His warm outgoing personality made the experience less uncomfortable than I thought it was going to be.

While we both hit the styrofoam target, only Jason hit the monkey (stuffed animal).

It's hard to tell...but Jason is learning how to make music. He pounded different lengths of bamboo against the larger piece of bamboo lying on the floor of the hut.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2010-01-20T22:09:00.032+09:00

As I alluded to in my last post, we found Kuala Lumpur to be...how can I put this delicately...not our cup of tea. We started off on the wrong foot and kept hopping around on it until we left the city. I blame myself for this, really.

For one thing, Jason and I are not really city people. When we travel, we usually like to experience the natural environment and visit smaller towns. After being in Singapore, I think we needed a relaxing green respite. Instead we arrived in a huge city where it rained constantly and the people seemed rude.

Also, I got us lost. I'd booked accommodations for a few of our intended visits beforehand, which for the most part worked out fabulously. It enabled us to start off in "the" place to be and we didn't have to wander forlornly from hotel to hotel lugging our backpacks in the dwindling daylight searching for something within our budget. The unfortunate thing about this was that I read the directions to the hotel wrong.

We'd taken a bus from Singapore that could have dropped us off mere minutes from our hotel. Instead, we stayed on the bus until it drove all the way to the other side of the city. It was hot, sprinkling rain, we had no Malaysian money, no map of the city, and Jason had left his tennis shoes on the bus. And although this sounds bad, it was easier than almost any travel day of our Central American trip. Within a half hour we had solved our problems (minus the shoes) and were on the air conditioned light rail train to our hotel. However, the tone for our stay had been set.

Which isn't to say that KL is a terrible city; I liked it better than San Salvador. Of course I only spent a dozen hours there, shuffling between a sketchy hotel and a dodgy restaurant a bit shell shocked after a bus hijacking. So, I guess that's not a good comparison. :)

The saving grace in KL was our hotel - it was lovely. We also enjoyed the shopping - we acquired some great stuff, and the food - we ate at a yummy Muslim restaurant daily.

While poring over the pictures in order to choose some to post here, it looked like we had a good time. Although we did enjoy ourselves (as we usually do) because we were seeing and experiencing new things...I won't hurry back.

Not the best map, but it did it's job.

We stumbled across this nature reserve while walking in the general direction of the KL needle thingy.

That's what I was talking about. It's officially called the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower.

It's hard to see the color of these birds, but they're really pretty.

View of downtown KL from the needle thing.

Another view from the same spot of the Petronas Towers.

The park surrounding the Petronas was quite nice actually.

View from the train platform looking toward the National Mosque.

Peddling Street was around the corner from the hotel we were staying in. It was full of hawkers trying to sell everything from durian fruit to fake Jimmy Choo bags. Interesting to walk around, but the DVD sellers were persistent to the point of annoyance.

Mosque at night.

The food in KL was pretty tasty. We had some really delicious Chinese dishes as we were staying in Chinatown. Pictured above are fried dumplings and pepper chicken. Yum!

HotLink is a cell phone store. There was at least one shop on every block (possible exaggeration).

We took a public bus out to the Batu Caves on our last day there. The caves, or rather the largest cave, houses a Hindu temple. Apparently, it's one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India. Indeed I did feel as though I was in India for a few hours that day.

Behind Jason and to the left of the big yellow statue, you can see the staircase up to the mouth of the cave.

Cows are considered sacred in the Hindu religion, so there were a lot of them wandering around the streets in many of the places we visited in Malaysia.

Up we went.

My last breath of fresh air before entering the cave.

The cave is home to very aggressive monkeys, roosters, cats, pigeons, bats, and probably many more things that I didn't want to know about that day.

Opening in the top of the cave.

I was spooked by the monkeys, so I stayed close to the group.

This picture plays tricks with my eyes. My mind sees a Hindu Times Square, but no it's a souvenir shop selling very colorful religious souvenirs.

Ahhh, the air outside was so much better. It smelled of wet animal fur, feces, and urine inside.

The restaurant I mentioned eating at daily.

Their fish curry was one of my favorite dishes on the whole trip.

This is roti. I'm a sucker for anything bread-like. I even enjoyed watching it being made. The men throw balls of dough onto a counter, pull it into shape, and then fold some butter into it before it cooking it on a large griddle surface.

I just thought this was a cool picture that Jason took. Very colorful.

Singapore

2010-01-17T12:30:00.037+09:00

Aaahhh, Singapore. I miss it already. Actually I started missing it as soon as we arrived in KL, but that’s another story. Maybe I loved it so much because I had not one iota of expectation for it. We added it onto our trip at the last moment. Our initial flight into KL had been sold out, so we took the next flight our agent offered…which led us to Singapore.

We only had two days there, so we made the most of them. We left the airport at 5:30am and didn’t stop wandering around until late that night. The next day we wandered all around the city too. One surprising thing about our trip was that I lost weight. Even though I was eating two to three big meals a day, I worked off the calories by walking 6 – 8 hours most days.

When I think of our trip, I’ll remember what this lady from Prague told me. I met her on a boat in Thailand. When I asked her what she did for fun in the Czech Republic, she said, “I guess I am like a pervert. I like to walk around looking at things and also to sit in the park”. So, I guess you could say that we are like perverts too. We walked around looking at things, and sat in many parks.

We spent our first night in the Singapore International Terminal. Our flight didn't land until 12:30 am, so the busses and the metro weren't running at that time. It seemed like a good idea to bed down in the airport instead of spending a bunch of money on a taxi. In hindsight it's still a good idea. I slept quick nicely with my backpack as a pillow. There were other people like us sleeping around there too...so it felt safe.

Our first meal in Singapore...it tasted a lot better than it looks.

Surprisingly we didn't try this place. I favor more flowery adjectives when it comes to describing food.

Our first tourist spot in Singapore...

It's purported to be one of the best botanical gardens in the world. I sure liked it.

It was full of families and nannies enjoying the beautiful day.

I have to say, maybe because Jason keeps reminding me, that I need a bit more practice shooting videos. I hope this doesn't make you sick...or annoy you with my constant commentary.

Cute little bugger.

One of the many types of palm trees in the gardens.

I would love to live in Singapore...I'm sure I'll be searching the want ads there from now on.

This is the area where our hostel was located.

Someday, I'm going to buy one of these little numbers. They're so beautiful.

We discovered many different delicious dishes while sampling the local cuisine.

These are the most common types of places for eating cheap in Singapore. It's a large market-type atmosphere with a ton of different stalls to choose from.

Hindu Temple

It was the rainy season in Singapore and we were lucky to only experience the rain in the evenings.

To escape the rain we wandered around a mall for a little while. (I know...I probably shouldn't be admitting this.)

We sat across the street from this temple on the first night and shared a Tiger beer. Drinking is something we didn't do much of in Singapore - too expensive.

On our second day, we went to the Bukit Timah Reserve. Though fairly small, it's one of only two primary rainforests located within a city - Rio de Janeiro has the other one.

I think people must be ignoring this sign. The monkey's seemed fairly aggressive to me.

Long-tailed Macaque

The trees made me look really skinny.

Believe it not...it didn't take us nearly as long to get to the summit...and Jason even had a camera in his hands.

This is the pom-pom tree. It's native to Singapore.

And this is the crazy root tree...also native to Singapore.

If you look closely, you can see it's tongue shooting out of it's mouth. I bet he can touch his nose.

These are the monkeys I mentioned earlier. They were hanging out on the trail and had a baby monkey with them. We waited a while to see if they'd clear off the trail but they didn't seem as though they were going to move anytime soon. I suggested that we ignore them and just walk by. As we were walking by, one of the monkeys hissed at Jason. I turned around and saw it baring it's teeth and running after us. I got a bit freaked out. I screamed, "Run!" and Jason and I barrelled through the rest of the monkeys until we made it past them.

They're still super cute though.

After a short siesta and freshening up, we walked along the riverfront area.

Here is where we could have had a really expensive dinner if we chose to - we didn't.

There was an interesting mix of old colonial and modern skyscrapers along the water.

The hedgehog is the local name for the art theatre behind us...and the Singapore Flyer is off in the distance.

This creature is the offical symbol of Singapore. It has a lion's head and a fish body. I don't know why it's puking up water though.

If you look closely you can see white balls floating in the water.

They're for the New Year's celebration. You get to write your wish for the New Year on them and float them in the water until something happens. I didn't quite understand what that something was...but I'm sure it was very spectacular.

Singapore is a very romantic city to wander around.

Of Mice and Men

2010-01-09T12:55:00.006+09:00

I have the beginning of a famous quote by John Steinbeck running through my head right now..."the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry..." or something like that. But it's true! I had plans to blog while I was on vacation and it's not come to pass. It takes entirely too much time to upload pictures, even with a Flickr account.

We'll be back in Seoul on the 14th of January. Then we have 2 weeks before we have to teach camp classes. I'll use that time to update you all on our little odyssey and to go through the many thousands of pictures that Jason is taking.

We did a little math the other day (yes, I know I'm on vacation but it was only some simple division) and we estimated that Jason is taking a picture every three minutes - so I'm sure we'll have a few good ones to share.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's holiday.

Spirituality in Kuala Lumpur

2009-12-21T13:04:00.003+09:00

I came across this little dittie in the wonderful guest house we stayed at in Kuala Lumpur. I thought it fabulous and worth sharing.

Prayer for Tourists

Heavenly father, look down on us your humble tourist servants, who are doomed to travel this earth, taking photographs, mailing postcards, buying souvenirs and walking around in drip-dry underware.

Give us divine guidance in the selection of our hotels, that we may find our reservations honored, our rooms made up, and hot water running from the faucets.

We pray that the telephones work, and the operators speak our tongue.

Lead us, dear Lord, to good, inexpensive restaurants where the food is superb, the waiters friendly and the wine included in the price.

Give us the wisdom to tip correctly in currencies we do not understand. Forgive us for undertipping out of ignorance and overtipping out of fear. Make the natives love us for what we are, and not for what we can contribute to their worldly goods.

Grant us the strength to visit the museums, the cathedrals, the palaces and castles listed as "musts" in our guidebooks.

And if perchance we skip a historic monument to take a nap after lunch, have mercy on us, for our flesh is weak.

Korean Health Care Rocks!

2009-12-09T19:01:00.011+09:00

Well, I don’t want to turn this into "Sarah’s Medical Blog", but I do have more medical news to share. And no, I’m not pregnant. (I’m getting very tired of answering that question. Is it my clothes or my big American belly?)

Back to the story...I had an extensive medical check-up this morning! And yes, I’m super excited about it. Hell, I’m an American - I don’t get check-ups unless my feet are in stirrups. And this was no ordinary check-up. It was a Korean style health care check-up. I know this is going to bore you even more, but I just need to tell you what I didn’t have to pay for this morning.

EKG
Bone Density/Mineral Content Test

Artery Check
Chest X-Ray (lung check)
Body Fat Ratio Test
Eye Exam (including eye pressure test)
Hearing Test
Ultrasound Check of: thyroid, carotid artery, kidney, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas
Endoscope (looked at my esophagus, stomach, intestines, and whatnot)
Mammogram
Blood Tests

I was happy to discover that there may be a cure for acid reflux. Hopefully, the medication will clear it up in 60 days. If so, I think I’m going to have to buy doughnuts (or healthy rice cakes) for the entire staff at the heath center. I’ve had horrible acid reflux since middle school and no doctor has ever given me anything for it…other than a recommendation for Tums with Calcium - which I have taken to heart. I even got to see the damage (minimal) the acid has done to my esophagus. It was a totally wild morning.

And while I'm sure that was more than interesting to everyone out there, I have a few more tidbits to share. One, that both Jason and I finally know how to read/write Korean. Yeah!!! We're taking classes from someone that we work with. Below is a little sample...

사라 (Sarah) 재선 (Jason)

(We're farther along than that example suggests - I just didn't know what else to write.)

Two, that Jason and I are leaving for winter vacation on Monday. We finished our finals and submitted the grades and we're ready to go. We're taking a month to travel around SE Asia a bit.

Our itinerary: flying into Singapore, then traveling overland through Malaysia and Thailand, flying out of Bangkok, and stopping by Hong Kong for a few days before returning to Seoul.

I'll try to post pics of our travels while I'm on the road. Check back for updates if you're interested.

The very helpful nurse in the white uniform guided me around the center to the different little rooms I needed to visit.

They gave us hospital clothes to wear for our check-ups. Jason rocked the turquoise one, and I had the obligatory pink one.

We were put under for the endoscope, and I woke up to Jason talking incoherantly in the little curtained area next to me.

This is Daniel Sohn (pronounced Daniel Son aka Karate Kid) and his son Heechan. We went to his first birthday party (Tol party) on Thanksgiving Day.

Esther and John enjoying their dessert at the party.

Jason dressed up in his professor costume. Isn't he good lookin'?

So good lookin' in fact that he's now a member of the Sexy Club.

I didn't know if I should include this because of it's naughty language...but then I thought, "What the hell?". They don't know what it says, but it's English - so it looks cool.

On the weekend after Thanksgiving, we went to Nathan and Kat's place for a belated Thanksgiving dinner. This pic was taken at the Home Plus across the street. I thought the Iowa people would appreciate this little ice cream shop in Korea.

S & M

2009-11-24T16:52:00.017+09:00

On a drive from Minnesota to Wyoming a few years ago, Jason and I hit a deer. I don’t know if the deer lived or not since it was dark and I was too afraid to go looking for it if it wasn’t. I know that may seem heartless but I couldn’t image having to kill it if it was close to death and suffering. We didn’t have a gun or any other type of weapon, so it wouldn’t have been a merciful thing to do. I’ll spare you the thoughts I had on how I might have to do it. Instead I’ll tell you this, it screwed up my back pretty good. I went to a chiropractor in Wyoming for a few weeks (and had many nice massages) to deal with the impact. (haha)

It had been pretty good since then – only occasional stiffness in the morning and the usual back pain from my waitressing days in college. Then a few days ago I did quite a number on it. I’m not sure if it’s due to the deer injury or not, but my back seized and I was in some serious pain. Since I don’t know any chiropractors in Korea I decided to try the local way to cure pain. Acupuncture.

My co-worker Heather took me to a place very close to where we live. After an initial consultation, I was put on a table with a heating pad on my back. So far – so good. Then they placed a dozen clear plastic cup thingy’s on my back which were attached to a machine. When the machine was turned on my flesh was sucked up inside them. I probably don’t have to tell you that this hurt…but I do probably have to tell you it looked like I had udders on the wrong side.

After that fun, the doctor then inserted a seemingly unending supply of needles into the strained muscles in my back. It hurt must less than the nipple creator did. After about 10 minutes, the needles were removed. Then I was hooked up to a machine that massaged my back via electric shocks delivered through small circular disks attached to my skin. It wasn't quite the relaxing meditative Asian experience I'd anticipated - no trickling water fountains, paper screens, or strange twangy music.

Even so, I went back the next day. The nipple things were bypassed this time - probably due to the horrific bruises that hung around for over a week. Instead electrodes were attached to the needles that were again put in my back. The needles allowed the electric shocks to penetrate deep into my muscles. Every time a shock was delivered it made my whole body tense up and I made a strange gasping sound. When the nurse told me that I would have to deal with this for ten minutes I cursed aloud, albeit softly. And yes, after this I still went back one more time.

Surprisingly all that pain has paid off – either that or it distracted me enough to forget my earlier whining. Luckily it costs much less than it does in the states. I only paid about ten dollars (spread over three visits) for this new experience. I’m quite the bargain hunter these days.

(Photos curtesy of Heather)

Ahhh...the heating pad was very nice. Thankfully they put one on me before AND afer the treatments.

Told ya...udders.

How on earth does this help a sore back? Anyone?

The least painful treatment of the whole experience.

Halloween Lessons

2009-11-06T13:53:00.021+09:00

Halloween came and went this year with no real celebrations at the Schmidt-Behuniak residence. We were invited to a costume party at a friend of a friends’ place but turned the invitation down – it was raining like crazy. Plus, we’re trying to save as much money as possible before the end of the semester. We want a vacation – hopefully a nice long one to somewhere warm and tropical.

We’ve been pretty good at saving – as it helps when you send most of your paycheck overseas. It’s kind of like when I put Kitty on a diet. She has no opposable thumbs - or any fingers for that matter – to make herself food, so she has no choice but to lose weight.

I do miss celebrating Halloween though. Before this current drought, I had been in costume for the last 25 years or so – and not only on Halloween. I’m sure I skipped a few years in high school because my only memory is when I dressed up as Betty Rubble. My girlfriends were Wilma and Pebbles. Surprisingly, none of our boyfriends at the time were into dressing up as Fred, Barney, or Bam Bam. My mom sewed me a cute costume and I dyed my hair black. The only problem that year was that I used semi-permanent dye so my hair slowly morphed from black to violet, to a yucky gray, and finally back to blonde. I never made that mistake again.

And actually, that’s what most of my costumes end up being – lessons on “what to never do again”. For example, I now know its best not to improvise with other people’s extras at the last minute. Quite a few years ago I decided not to freeze my buns off for Halloween. A friend was having a party and I knew I’d end up standing around a bonfire most of the evening. I shredded white sheets into strips and wound them around my long johns (both top and bottom) and pinned them discretely. I finished off my look by putting my hair up in a ponytail and using a long piece of the shredded sheet as a bow. After adding a little fifties style make-up, I was ready to go. I was going to be a cute, fifties inspired mummy. I was feeling very warm and very proud of my costume.

Since my place was centrally located, it was usually the meeting spot where my group of friends gathered before parties or bar outings. My friend Jonas had come over and was dressed as a vampire. Did I want some of his leftover fake blood, he asked. Of course I did. I have a problem with saying enuffs enough – which my fat tire attests to as well. So, blood was squirted onto my cute mummy costume and I suddenly morphed from being a cute fifties inspired mummy to a dirty tampon – complete with the string (aka my ponytail).

I was horrified but my friends quickly told me it was no big deal. They were probably just ready to leave and knew I’d take another hour replacing the dirtied strips. No one else will think that, they said. But ho! They were wrong. For weeks after the party I had people come up to me and say, “Hey, aren’t you the one who dressed up as a dirty tampon for Halloween?” I’ve never been good at lying so it didn’t occur to me to deny it. I’m sure that there are people out there that remember me that way. (Cringe!) The other lesson I learned is that your friends lie to you when it’s in their best interest. :)

Jason and I both have Thursdays off this semester, so we try to get out and do something different each week.

On this particular Thursday we walked around Pyeongcheon Park and looked at the strange sculptures they have there.

It's empty inside...in case you're curious.

The leaves are starting to turn here - this is a gingko tree.

We met up with Nathan, Kat, Fritz, and some other random people for the Seoul International Jazz Festival a few weeks ago.

It was cool jazz...of which I'm not a fan. We entertained

ourselves by throwing popcorn at Jason instead.

After the festival we decided to grab some galbi for dinner. (Kat demonstrating the proper way to wear an orange apron and cut meat with scissors.)

Coca-Cola

(This is for Theresa) Look! It's here too.

And here I always thought it stood for International Grocers of America.

We went on a work outing this weekend to...you guessed it...ChangGyeongGung Palace.

There's an interesting (and morbid) story about one of the princes who lived in the palace in the 18th century...give it a read if you're interested. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Sado

It was nice having an English tour guide, even though she pointed to an open field and said, "That's where they kept the Jew." Koreans say Jew instead of Zoo. After a shocked moment of confusion we all cracked up.

That's right! No fires allowed.

Marnie & Jake

It's best to wear slip on shoes most everywhere in Korea - and good socks!

Jason & I

Thomas & Eunha

Luckily I sit near Heather in our office. She is one of the funniest people I've ever met.

Seoul Tower in the background.

Tamara and Isabella faint from exhaustion. I don't remember the inspiration for this picture...imagine what you will.

Eunha is an artist. She does watercolor paintings, and has quite a few shows a year in Seoul. She made a five minute sketch of me while waiting for our lunch to arrive.

What do you think?

Cat Fights

2009-09-20T10:53:00.004+09:00

This cracks me up. It's kind of gross but if you own cats you know it comes with the territory.

Our Acting Debut

2009-08-24T21:32:00.025+09:00

Stephanie isn't the only actor in the family anymore. She has competition. Jason and I (and our co-worker Nate) will be starring in a government sponsored ad for the Jolla provinces in Korea. What were our qualifications you ask...being non-Korean. Yup - that's all I seem to need these days. ;)

On an early Friday morning we were whisked off to the Chungju Dam to create a commercial. The purpose of said commercial is to bring business to the sparsley populated provinces of Jeollabuk-do and Jeollnam-do. The scenario was that Nate and I were business people - I think. Jason was a construction worker. When we asked the producer why he didn't get people from the area to do the commercial he asked, "Do you know any foreigners in Jolla?" Well neither did he. I guess that makes us lucky. We were paid hansomely for a half an hour of standing in the sun and saying a few words.

We weren't the only actors on hand that day. A little girl and boy about 10 years old were also there. I had to walk with Nate toward the kids who were standing on the edge of the lake throwing rocks. My monologue consisted of "Hey girl" as I walked toward the children. When the girl turned toward me, I handed her a bouquet of flowers. Then I gave her a present. After a few dozen takes I guess I got it right...'cause Jason was up next.

He worked alone...with only a backhoe as a prop. He had to step out of the backhoe, give a thumbs up sign, and say "Wonderful." It was pretty serious work and we gave it all we had.

After lunch with the "crew", our friends Thomas and Uhna picked us up and we headed to the southern islands for a weekend trip. We didn't do any swimming as the waters were teaming with jelly fish but it was still a great time.

The directors doing what directors do...standing around and smoking. I think...

The camera men in their official hats.

It looks glamous, doesn't it?

I have no idea why I give the girl flowers or a present. It must be metaphorical.

Working hard...

Jason gave an Academy Award winning performance - just look at the enthusiasm of his thumb.

We stayed near the harbor the first night of our weekend trip.

The next morning we watched the fisherman load their catch into cargo crates. If you look closely you can see the steam rising from the fish - apparently due to them being frozen in the hold of the ship to stay fresh throughout the entire fishing trip.

(smirk)

I'm always thankful when things are translated into English - even though they usually turn out like this.

No chairs on the ferry either...

I saw at least two different types of jellyfish on our trip. These were the most spectacular. I'd estimate they were 2.5 feet long and at least a foot wide.

Pulling into Yokjido Harbor.

Thomas and Uhna against a beautiful backdrop.

We drove around the island looking at the beautiful views while searching for a pension.

Different view of the harbor.

The view from our pension.

The road along the shore was lined with raw fish stalls. I do like sushi but after a bad experience with the Korean version we decided to forgo this treat.

Sesame and chilis drying in the sun.

We barely made it on the last ferry pulling out of town on Sunday afternoon. Thomas' truck is the silver and blue one up against the gate. I wouldn't have minded another day there...

TV Land

2009-08-11T17:24:00.027+09:00

TV. I didn’t watch it much while I was in the states but it’s been quite the lifesaver over here. We have cable and although most of the channels are unintelligible to us there is a good selection of English ones. We get the Discovery channel (I’m a huge Bear Gryllis fan) but you do have to watch other things once in a while.

Last year Jason and I OD’d on America’s Next Top Model. Yes, it’s crazy the things you’ll watch when you need to hear English spoken. Jason does a great Tyra Banks impression. “I only have two photos in my hand….”. I’ve also shed many a tear while watching The Biggest Loser - which probably means I'm the biggest loser. But the majority of shows here are criminal type shows. I’ve now seen CSI, Law & Order, NCIS, Missing Persons, Medium, ect. A strange genre when you consider the low crime rate here.

Yes, we’re terrible. I’m thinking of this while spending an afternoon doing just that. Watching crap TV. The weather patterns that spawned the typoon that hit Taiwan with devastating effects has shown up in Seoul. Luckily we won’t be getting anything other than a few days of heavy rain. However since we’re not working for a few more weeks we’ve decided to hunker down for the duration and veg out. I watched Goonies this morning which I must say is still a good movie.

We spent the majority of our vacation in the states and it was fantastic. We visited family and friends in NY and WY. We did hit CO for a few days and stole a few hours in the Minneapolis airport with Jeff and Lara. I’m sad that we didn’t see all of our wonderful friends and family. Sara and Cara - I wish you could have made it. Minneapolis crew – we’ll be there next summer. And Mary…I’m sure Maine is beautiful but really...didn’t you miss me? ;)

It’d be hard to chronicle all the great times we had in the states this summer. Instead I’ll post some pictures. Hope you’re having a good one!

The Vanderbilt Masion...or as my Kiwi co-worker said, "the best cricket field ever."

There are quite a few gardens around the Vanderbilt grounds that we wandered around.

A beautiful path through the Vanderbilt woods.

For Jason's birthday this year we went to a bookstore. We're at that age when things get really exciting. :) Actually, I loved it!

It's the best bookstore I've ever been to.

I think this is the only picture I have of Jason's mom from the whole trip. :(

Jason's dad was the one who turned us onto the bookstore a few years ago. Thank you!

It's really expensive to buy English books in Korea so I stocked up. I bought thirty books and lugged them in my carry-on. As an aside...if you're looking for a good book check out Empire Falls.

Millie Beans is so damn cute!!

I think I took the most pictures of her by far.

My cousin Stephanie and her little boy Gavin.

Jaime and Jessica hanging out on my Dad's Birthday.

Violet drunk on my Dad's birthday cake.

Yes, it's baby season again. Kim and her little boy Myles.

Ava and Violet enjoying the slip and slide.

I love them!

Ava at the Frog Pond.

Abby showing them how it's done.

Water Babies

Jason and I went to Clark's Fork Canyon which is only a short drive from Cody.

While we were visiting there was a Grizzly attack in the area. I'm glad we didn't run into one that day.

Hot but not humid - thankfully.

Ben is a little jock. He loves sports especially baseball. He's really good at it too. Just look at his concentration.

Chad taking a rest.

Ben getting some coaching advice from Dad.

We went to Hugh Smith Park one afternoon for a BBQ. The kids had a lot of fun playing around.

Dad manning the grill.

Jason and I took a trip down to Colorado to visit our land. This is the fabulous tent we borrowed from my cousin Matt. Thanks again!

Our land

Our wash

Jason restaking our property boundries with the appropriate color.

Dorky shot of us on our land before we left for Wyoming.

I've driven by Hell's Half Acre all my life on the road from Denver to Cody but have never stopped. My curiosity finally got the best of me and we pulled over.

Aparently Hell's Half Acre is where they filmed Starship Troopers (a sci-fi movie from a few years ago).

Jason and I and the Wyoming crew took a camping trip up North Fork. This was my first camping trip in an RV since I was little.

Jason and Violet enjoying the sunshine and some ice cream.

Squirt guns were very popular with the kids until they got clogged with sand.

Ladies lounging

My sisters and I sporting our hoodies.

One of my favorite places in the world is the Beartooths. Jason and I took a drive through there on one of our last days in Wyoming.

Me modeling my new cool fleece that my mom gave me.

We were stopped by this lake while we waited for the pilot car to pass through some road contruction. I didn't mind at all.

The bear's tooth

End of Semester

2009-06-17T11:48:00.018+09:00

We've been keeping really busy here in Gunpo. The semester has flown by and we're now on summer vacation. We're going to visit the States again in a week. We've decided to flip our schedule - go home in the summer and travel around Asia in the winter. I love spending the holidays with family...but being couped up inside for a vacation isn't ideal. I'm really looking forward to hanging out by the pool in New York this summer and camping a ton while we're in Wyoming.

Since I've been a bit lax lately, I thought I'd post a photo summary of a few things we've done in the last few months in Korea. I figured it would be best to catch you all up before we see you again. :0)

Jason, Jake, Marnie, Fritz, and I went to the Lantern Festival in Insadong in May.

Lotus Lantern.

Ladies getting ready for the parade.

More parade folks.

Knick Knack shop.

Jake and Jason seem to share a love of wandering down random alleys.

The lanterns weren't typical laterns as you can see.

Most of them were around 15 - 20 feet tall.

And some of them breathed fire....as Bear Gryllis would say, "It was just awesome!"

Kellee, Dale, and their daughter Abbey came up to Seoul for a visit. We went to the DMZ and the War Memorial Museum. It was so cool! I learned so much about the Korean War. I think I'll start going to the non-arty museums from now on.

The DMZ is the most heavily fortified border in the world. We went there around the time that the North was shooting off rockets. Maybe that was why I found it so fascinating.

People come to the DMZ and leave memorials. It's possible they're for the families that were seperated during the war, or maybe just in solidarity for other human beings.

It rained the whole day so we didn't get very many pictures. Jason didn't want his fancy camera to get wet.

Isn't he cute?

Yes, there are train tracks that run to Pyeongyang. People aren't allowed to travel by train to North Korea though...it's just for grain and other relief supplies that the South sends to them via the Sunshine Policy agreement.

Wedding Medley

2009-06-15T19:36:00.025+09:00

I've been to quite a few weddings so far in my life and all of them have been different. I've been to a swanky Manhattan wedding on a rooftop overlooking Central Park, an outdoor wedding in the Colorado mountains, a few small town traditional weddings, a garden wedding in Phoenix, and a Mormon wedding (which had the most boring reception I've ever been to). Over the weekend I went to another wedding that was once again different from all the others.

My co-worker Nathan and his fiancée tied the knot. I had seen pictures of a Korean wedding that (other) Nathan had gone to a few years ago. http://bigbadboonis.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html. So, I was kind of expecting the same thing...but I should know by now not to expect anything in Korea.

Nathan and Sung Hee didn't have a traditional Korean wedding. Instead they had a combo wedding - modern Korea, Vegas karaoke, and traditional Maori. It was interesting to say the least.

Modern Korean weddings take place in wedding halls; however wedding megaplexes would be a more apt name. The wedding halls have several floors of pre-decorated chapel rooms and a huge buffet style restaurant. It was the first (and probably only) wedding that I've attended that had the wedding procession accompanied by smoke machines that ran down the center aisle. The ceremonies are booked for a half hour each and you have to be prompt since the next wedding party is gathered outside the chapel waiting for their turn.

During their ceremony, Nathan sang a romantic Elvis song to his new bride. When I say this, you probably assume that Nathan is an accomplished singer. He is not. I wasn't sure if it was okay to chuckle as I watched him but there was no other reaction that seemed appropriate.

Nathan's mother, a nice lady from New Zealand, wore a hanbok as did the bride’s family. The wedding couple wore traditional western wedding clothes for the ceremony. Sung Hee looked beautiful in her white wedding dress, tiara, and glitter. The happy couple changed into hanboks for the reception.

The reception at the buffet restaurant was also interesting. There were several wedding parties there and it wasn't geared toward any specific couple. There was however a few choice wedding photo ops. There was a generic unity candle-type thing, a rubber cake that the couples pretended to cut, and a champagne tower that the couples stood next to while the wedding hall host made some generic toasts.

After the buffet, we went to a great little bar in Ansan where Nathan changed out of his traditional Korean clothes. His third wedding ensemble was a super tight white Elvis costume and an exaggerated Elvis wig. He joined the band for a humorous rendition of Heartbreak Hotel and the crowd went wild.

Toward the end of the evening, a few of his friends from home convinced him to join them for a traditional Maori dance. Only one of the guys was part Maori, but it was surprisingly well done.

All in all, I'd give the wedding a 10 on originality. As Jason was saying the other day...Korea should change its tourism slogan from Korea Sparkling to Korea: It's never boring.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I've included pictures from a trip Jason and I took to Chiaksan National Park a few months ago.

We went early in the season so all of the pensions and minbaks close to the park were closed. Jason approached the family that owned this one and they agreed to open up a room for us.

This was an old school minbak so it was nothing more than a small room with some blankets to sleep on. Since the owners weren't expecting guests they didn't have the restroom in working order. I asked the lady who owned the place where the bathroom was...and she gave me a small chamber pot.

Since the place didn't have a bathroom (or shower or sink or ....) this is the only angle I allowed Jason to shoot of me all day.

Last year we were in the Philippines for Buddah's birthday so we missed all of the celebrations.

Lanterns are put up on every street/path in Korea that leads to a Buddhist temple.

The temple was in the National Park - as many of them are.

Coolest bridge ever!

This waterfall has been turned into a wishing well. The bottom of the pool is covered with coins.

The trail was really steep and a bit freaky in some places. In this picture, you can see that the trail is only a couple feet wide. What you can't see is that there are 50+ feet drops on either side and gaps in the rock trail.

It was really windy that day and in order to not do what the sign says, we decided to turn around and try again another day.

View from the trail.

Jason contemplating the best way down.

It was easier to appreciate the view on the way down knowing we'd soon be on level ground.

Greener Grass

2009-04-15T18:47:00.021+09:00

My older sister Jaime thinks my life is more exciting than hers. I beg to differ. She's a school teacher in Cody. She deals with a new bunch of 3rd graders every year. She also has three kids, an adorable but pain in the butt husband, three dogs and a cat. I stayed with her while I was in Wyoming over the winter holidays this year and her life is anything but boring. I don't think I could last a week in her position. She is living at 150 mph.

My life in comparison is pretty boring. I work, I watch TV with my husband on the week nights, and we go sightseeing on the weekends. Sure, we're in Asia. But really, if we were in North Dakota we'd be doing the same things. Looking for places to hike, good restaurants to eat at, and friends to pass the time with.

I like my life, don't get me wrong. It suits me. But it's not The Amazing Race. I'm not skydiving or bungee jumping, thank God. The coolest thing in my life lately is my work. I'm getting to know my students and that has been so much fun. But really, living here isn't exciting in the traditional sense of the word. It's just different and challenging.

Take today as an example. I paid my electric bill. Woo hoo! Will the fun never end? But I have to admit, it made me smile and it was more fun than licking a stamp and going to a mailbox.

I had a bill to pay (written completely in Korean characters). Here's an example of some Korean writing, 한글은 표음문자 중 음소문자이다. (I have no idea what that says by the way.) So, I had to go looking for a bank. In Korea you don't mail your bills into the company. You have to find a specific bank that for some reason or another takes the money for these bills. I went into one bank and they helpfully pointed in the direction I needed to walk to find the appropriate one. I walked in that direction for awhile and asked a security guard at an apartment complex where I needed to go by holding out my bill and smiling. He was kind enough to walk me about two blocks to where the bank was. I then walked in...waited for my number to be called (similar to the DMV)...and walked up to the teller. Since my Korean is terrible, I simply held out the bill to the guy, smiled, and mumbled some intelligible (Konglish) words. Yes, I'm kind of like the idiot cousin here. I don't make sense to anyone...I just smile and hope for the best.

It worked out fine. Like most things do here. But seriously, is that exciting? Paying your electric bill...I don't think so. I just find the challenge of doing things to be fun. I guess that's why I like being here. It suits me.

When I talked to my sister this morning, she asked what I'd been up to lately. I said I'd had my feet nibbled on by fish. Which is true. They're crazy about Dr. Fish in Korea (fish that nibble on your feet and clean off the dead skin cells). But her husband is a fisherman. I'm sure she could have him put some fish in the bathtub and have them nibble at her feet if necessary. It'd be much more cost effective.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the grass is always greener or more Asian. My life right now suits me more than the cubicle did. That's just what works for me. I wish I had my sister's life sometimes. The comfort of family all around you, kids loving you, and animals that need to be fed. Kitty of course eats as much as three dogs but she doesn't like to go on walks.

I've decided to post some pics of a day trip Fritz and I took to Hwaseong Fortress Wall. It was a beautiful spring day. But really, this was the equivalent of an old homestead where Theodore Roosevelt stayed while he toured around North Dakota. It's old and well preserved, but cool...because it's in Asia.

The Hwaseong Fortress Wall is in Suwon - a short subway ride from our place in Gunpo.

The wall was built in built in the late 1700's by King Jeongjo to honour and house the remains of his father, who had been murdered by being locked alive inside a rice chest by his own father having failed to obey his command to commit suicide.

One of the observation towers along the wall.

Fritz.

I don't know if it's because of my sister talking about Twilight all the time...but these look like vampires to me.

The city of Suwon has grown outside the city walls. If you look closely you can see the wall as it winds through the scenic town.

The Magnolias are in bloom once again. Springtime in Korea is beautiful. A new flower blooms every few weeks.

There are a lot of structures along the wall. This is a view of one of the pavillions. There are also sentry posts, chimneys, gates, and turrets along the way.

The wall is a little under 6 km in length. If you're not up for the physical challenge of it you can take the traditional dragon mobile to different points of interest. Unfortunately, we missed out on this experience as it left before we could buy tickets. Next time!

Idioms

2009-03-21T11:44:00.003+09:00

I've incorporated idioms into quite a few of my classes this year. I think they're of utmost importance for ESL learners. If they are to properly understand native English speakers they need to understand idioms, as our regular speech is littered with them.

So far, we've talked about color idioms (out of the blue, green with envy, a white lie) and food idioms (a lemon, a piece of cake, cheesy). I've stressed again and again with my students that they need to incorporate idioms into their speech.

I've also noticed that many Koreans do not have very polished email skills, to put it lightly. So, I'm also working dilligently with my students on improving their email response time, grammar, and format. Their current assignment is to pretend that they are the manager of a small electronics store. They have 12 employees. They need to fire 4 of the employees due to slow sales. So, they need to send an email to their employees calling a meeting. They have to give a specific time and ask their employees to bring a list of their contributions from the last year (ala American Beauty).

After putting so much stress on the importance of idioms, I shouldn't have been surprised when some of my more enthusiatic learners combined the two lessons. My student Mina wrote....."at meeting in Wednesday on 9:00 pm 4 of you will get the boot."

I think I'll address idiom etiquette in my next class.

Gunpo it is!

2009-03-03T16:59:00.002+09:00

We’ve been in Gunpo for almost three weeks now…and although most Korean people would probably consider this the country…it’s big city living to Jason and I. We’ve got our T-Money cards and our swanky new clothes. Our old students in Cheongok dong would hardly recognize us. Even though we’re in one of the far outer ring suburbs of Seoul we’re still on the subway line. We have access to all parts of Seoul. Which so far we have used to visit Fritz and the Costco. Not exactly big city excitement but we’re working up to that.

Our new apartment is great. It’s bigger and much nicer than our last one. The only downfall is that it’s not furnished. It came with a bed and a TV stand and that’s it. We’ve since bought tupperware (which by the way, is far superior to the U.S. kind) and floor pillows. I think we’re going to have a very zen place this year…at least until we find some good dumpster diving scores.

Teaching so far seems great. I’ve only taught three classes this week but I love it. I was surprised at how energized I was after my first class. I don’t know if it’s from being so idle over the last few months or if I really like it that much. Either way, I’m glad (and a bit surprised) at my reaction to coming back. I wasn’t nervous or anything. I felt extremely comfortable in front of the classes. I never thought I would.

Another big change this year is that we have co-workers who are foreigners as well. So, we have people to help us navigate our first few weeks, people to ask question of, and people to talk smack with. Yeah!!! So, far they’re all really nice and only two of the people seem like they could be weirdos. One of the other guys at the university quietly referred to one of them as the new Boo Radley. I love dorky literature references!

So, here’s to another year in Korea – new jobs, new experiences, new friends, new memories! Kombai!

Blog Guilt

2009-02-05T23:58:00.036+09:00

I wrote the following post a few weeks ago when we were still in New York. I'm a guilty procrastinator, I know.

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I suffer from blog guilt...it's true. I thought it was time to come clean and let everyone know. I hate when people nag me about stuff and now I'm doing it to myself. In the back of my head I know I should be keeping up with this but I've been so busy not working and hanging out with people the last two months that I haven't done a damn thing. I've finally worked myself in a tizzy and got up the determination to put something on here.

So, yes...I've been loving my winter vacation. We've spent time in Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts (seriously can anyone spell that without looking it up?), and a quick few hours in New Hampshire and Maine. I've seen most of my family, quite a few of my friends, and a bunch of Jason's family. I don't know what I'll do when people aren't lining up to spend time with me. I guess I'll have to go to work like normal people do.

A big surprise to me is that after the initial hell of jet lag I was met with almost no culture shock whatsoever. There are only two things that threw me off on this trip so far. When we landed in Seattle for a layover I took money out of the ATM to buy a snack. When U.S. dollars came out of the machine - I flipped! They looked so strange. I guess I'm pretty used to the won at this point. As an aside there are only three bills for Korean won. There's an equivilent of a dollar bill (it's blue), a five dollar bill (it's red), and a ten dollar bill (it's green). So if you want to take out a thousand dollars to buy a camera...you'll be carrying around a hundred ten dollar bills.

The other thing was that I've gotten very used to some of the Korean customs. For example, when giving someone an item, be it a shot of soju or money at a convenience store, it's polite to touch your left fingertips to your right elbow. When receiving an item it's polite to accept it with two hands. The significance of this is that the traditional clothing had long sleeves so it was polite to tuck your sleeve back when giving something and when accepting something with two hands it was seen as treasuring it more. Jason noticed that I was touching my elbow when paying for stuff when we were in Wyoming. I've caught myself doing it quite a bit since then.

I have a little less than two weeks left in the States at this point. I'm both excited to get back to Korea and sad to leave all the people I love. Hopefully some of you will come visit soon. (Sorry Minnesota people for the lack of pictures while we were there. I guess we forgot - what with all the snowshoeing and ice fishing we did.)

This is a picture of the best behaved little girl I have ever met....which is a good thing if you've ever met her brother.

The intense concentration in this pic makes me think she might take after her mom and become an artist.

Seriously, how could you ever get mad at them?

Cute cousins.

This was a common sight in Wyoming...me buried under a load of little people.

The girls came down most mornings and evenings to climb up on our bed to cuddle. They usually brought their kitties along too.

Grandpa and his little girls.

In case you're wondering...it's a blue bird...not a penguin as Jaime thought.

I brought these hats back from Korea for the kids. They're so popular and so cute. I thought the kids would love them. Abby's a wolf, Amelia's a blue bird, Violet's a fox, Ben's a dog, and Ava is a tiger.

We spent a few days in Colorado visiting with friends.

And this is how we spent the majority of our time...drinking,

eating...

and laughing.

While in Colorado we partook in a Spanish New Year's tradition (a la Elena). We ate a cake with a plastic figurine of a baby inside. It ended up in Jason's piece. This was quite appropriate as we were the only couple there not pregnant or already parents. What wasn't appropriate was my reaction when Jason found it - I blame the champagne.

Hiking in Wyoming in the winter...what a pleasure. Actually it was as cold as a popsickle in Denmark. Sorry about that. I hate using cliches. I'm obviously not going to be coming up with any great sayings on my own though.

I've never seen Big Horn Sheep this close and I lived in Wyoming for years. Jason took these photos one day when he was out driving on his own.

Apparently it's an American Bison...not a buffalo. Who cares? I'll call it what I want to call it...I'm from Wyoming after all.

Kids in hats!

An idyllic Wyoming scene.

Ava celebrated a birthday while we were in Wyoming. Theresa put together an impromptu party for her in only a few hours complete with guests, presents, balloons, cake, and party bags. It was Ava's most fun day ever!

Little Amelia cracks me up. She's a year old so there's only a few things that she does right now. One of them is finding things on the ground to eat.

The other is to put panties on her head and laugh. She already has a great sense of humor.

Grandma and the birthday girl.

Nicole, one of my bestest friends, flew to Minnesota from Vegas while I was in town. That's what I call sacrificing for someone you love.
Nicole and I have progressed from discussing the differences in brands of Tequila to differences in brush techniques. (yeah, right!)

Carley - Sarah, Sarah - Carley. Can you guess who's who? Raina's the one on the leash...if that helps any....

Aislyn had a blast sledding even thought it was a bitterly cold day.

I had a bit of fun too.

This is Jason's parents home in New York. I told Lara I'd post a pic so she could finally put a picture in her head. I hope this helps.
Even I have trouble picking out where we were in our pictures since everywhere we went was covered in snow. This is NY by the way.
Jason (posing in his cool jacket he got at a smokin' price from Sierra Trading Post) overlooking the Hudson Valley.

Goodbye Cheongok-dong

2008-12-08T18:54:00.021+09:00

Jason and I will be flying back to the states in a few days, seven to be exact...but whose counting? I am!!! It's been 13 months since I've seen my family and many of my friends. That's a hell of a long time. Hopefully next year I'll be able to visit the states more often.

We're moving to Gunpo come February. It's south of Seoul but still on the subway line. Our new jobs are at a university and if you're an ESL teacher in Korea you know what that means. VACATION! I mean...a chance to teach at an institute of higher learning, a chance to do some research, a chance to interact with a group of more mature students, and three months of paid vacation. Woo hoo! I'm truly excited and feel very fortunate to have found such a great opportunity. I'll be able to get my master's degree since I'll be working far fewer hours, I'll get experience working at a university, and I'll have an opportunity to visit my family and travel around Asia. I feel truly blessed to have landed this job.

Although I'm estatic to be seeing my family again, I am feeling a little trepidacious about going back to the states. I think this must be due to reverse culture shock - I can't think of any other reason. I remember when I returned from traveling through Mexico and Central America after college... walking through the airport and seeing the automatic sliding doors tripped me out - they seemed so futuristic. Of course I'd been dealing with them my whole life but three months of living in third world countries had reset my buttons. I also remember going to a restaurant in southern Arizona. I went to the bathroom and it was huge! I came out and said to Jason, "You have to see the size of the bathrooms here. I could live in them". But eventually I became used to the States again and I took all of the modern conveniences and space for granted.

So I think I might be a bit worried about this kind of stuff happening again. Of course Korea is a first world country but it has only been so for a short time. When you realize the Korean War was only 50 years ago and that the country was thrown into abject poverty, their current status is amazing. Yet while traveling around here you realize there are some places where the 21st century has not yet arrived. Plus, I've been living as an alien in this land for some time.

I've gotten used to being in my own little world. People are so conscious of me here that I've had to develop a thick skin in order to not notice how I'm gawked at and paid attention to so severly. I'm afraid this has given me some stange habbits. For example, I sing all the time. Not loudly or anything but in a small voice. Jason and I'll be shopping at the grocery store and I'll just start singing, "Meet me in the morning...56th and Wabasha, ba ban ban baoum...." I know this kind of behavior is unacceptable in the states, but I'm so insulated here. No matter what I do I'm stared at so I've come to view my myself as living in my own little world. Other people are almost paper dolls that are set into my landscape. They don't speak my language, they don't understand me, and they think whatever I do is strange and/or interesting anyway. I'll have to watch myself over the next few months while I'm in the states.

Since I've started to analyze what things might throw me off when I return to the states, I thought I'd post some pics that show how different Korea is. (I'd have said weird but that might be viewed as culturally insensitive.)

Koreans are very into fitness. They have hiking trails everywhere. Usually along the hiking trails there are also outdoor gyms. I love the giant hula hoops. I'm teaching Jason how to work them.
He's more at home with the weight benches.

This was my New Year's gift from my school. Jason and I both got one! Yes, I've tried Spam. It's hard to avoid in Korea. But I'm glad to say that my palette hasn't accepted it as 'real food' yet.

This picture is for my grandpa Vernie. He was a big fan of John Deere tractors.

There are so many different kinds of street food in Korea. They have vendors that sell everything from bundage (silkworm pupa) to tiny waffles shaped like fish with whipped cream inside. Pictured above is a chesnut roaster.

The women in Korea no longer bind their feet in the traditional fashion...they've upgraded to high heels. Women wear high heels all the time here...even to go hiking. Yes, I've seen this a few times. The women are limping along in their fashionable get ups while whining at their male companions in an especially irritating tone of voice.

This proud man is the cleaner of the first floor bathrooms at the Seoul airport. Nuff said...

This rad picture is from the Seafood Festival. We were forced to watch psuedo eighties style music and dancing complete with smoke machines, laser lights, and side pony tails (not pictured). The style of music and dress most popular here is very eighties inspired.

And doesn't have to match...as long as everything is hip looking.

Ahhh...fishing in Korea. It's not quite what I had in mind. Although it is very spacially efficient.

I haven't eaten here yet but it's on my list of things to do next year. As an aside, if you call a kid crazy...something like, "you're a crazy little bugger, aren't you?" the kid will start crying hysterically. Apparently, 'crazy' here doesn't translate so well...they take it to mean actually insane. Both Jason and I learned this the hard way.

Korea reminds me of Vegas in so many ways; the open all night bars, the neon lights everywhere, and the ads for ladies that paper the streets after a Friday or Saturday night. These are the more conservative ones I've seen.

Speaking of prostitution...the variety of concoctions Koreans have to improve 'male stamina' is overwhelming. Essentially if something tastes or looks particularly vile the reason given for it's existence is that it helps with 'male stamina' - you'd think the whole country was impotent or something.

Tripitaka Koreana

2008-11-24T12:39:00.015+09:00

I've had a wonderful autumn in Korea. It's so beautiful when the leaves are changing. I celebrated with some great hiking, a very romantic picnic, and a trip to a Haeinsa Temple.

Haeinsa Temple is in Gayasan National Park. It's an old and very important temple in Korea. It's one of three main temples of Chogye Buddhism. The Haeinsa temple represents Dharma (Buddah's teachings). It also contains the Tripitaka. The Tripitaka is a large collection of wooden blocks upon which buddhist scripture is carved. The Tripitaka was first carved in the 11th century but was destroyed by the Mongols during an invasion. The current Tripitaka that is housed in the temple was carved in the 13th century and is made up of 81,340 wooden blocks. It's been designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you want to read more on this - check out this link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripitaka_Koreana

The temple is quite lively this time of year. Like many temples in Korea it's located inside a National Park. So there were plenty of people that were popping into the temple for a moment before they embarked on a hike.

Kelly and Dale joined us on this trip. They have a car so it was so much easier than the last time we went. We had to take a taxi to a train to a subway to a bus the last time we came.

The temple was decorated with colorful lotus lanterns.

This is a shot inside one of the rooms that house the Tripitaka. The tablets are stacked on the shelves on the right side of the photo. The shelves are at least 25 feet high.

The photos we have from inside the rooms are illegal. Jason wasn't supposed to take any pictures but it's hard to stop him when he has a camera in his hands. He was scolded by a few of the security guards.

After viewing the Tripitaka we went on a short hike into the mountains. This was the first time that Kelly and Dale had seen fall colors. They're from a tropical area of Australia.

Couple photo!

Australian style couple photo!

I love this photo. I could live in it.

There are a wide variety of trees in Gayasan National Park, but the bulk of them are pines, gingko, and maple.

Pretty maple leaf.

Somewhere over the Rainbow

2008-11-12T11:28:00.005+09:00

I first heard this version of the song while watching 50 First Dates. If you're looking for an Adam Sandler romantic comedy, I would highly recommend it. I heard it for the second time at Jed and Leni's wedding. They put together a wedding album full of wonderful music. I played the song over and over on the trip back to Minneapolis. Then a few months ago, a friend in Korea played it for me on YouTube. I find myself singing it all the time these days - so I thought I'd let you hear what it sounds like when I'm not butchering it with my falsetto.

It's sung by a guy named Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. He was a famous Hawaiian ukulele player and a beloved national hero in his home state. When he died in 1997, he was the third person ever to lay in state at the capitol building in Honolulu. This video was made as a tribute to him so it might seem a bit cheesey to some of you. At the end of the video it shows a part of his funeral in which his ashes are scattered in the ocean.

Listening to his song, I get the same type of feelings I have when I listen to What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong or Imagine by John Lennon. There is a sweetness and feeling of love and kinship and hope that I don't find a lot in the music that I generally listen to. I hope you will find it as beautiful as I do.

KTX

2008-11-05T09:41:00.006+09:00

I'm usually of the mindset that the price of a product or service doesn't always allude to it's value. Cheap products are sometimes better than the high priced ones. For example, Totino's frozen pizzas are the best frozen pizzas around. Sure there's the 'rising' crust pizzas like Freshetta or Dijourno but they taste half as good as Totino's. The have actual tomato sauce (scoff!) instead of the tasty neon red tomato gel that is a signature of Totino's. You can't beat that - plus it's cheap as all get out!

Of course there's always the exceptions, such as eyebrow waxing. I've found that its worth the extra $5 to get it done at a salon instead of at a beauty college. Unless you don't mind looking like a confused vulcan for a few weeks, then it's a good deal.

Well, I've found something else that is worth the pretty penny you pay for it. The KTX. What's the KTX, you ask? It's only the coolest way to travel in all of the Korean penninsula. High speed rail! I know I've talked about the trains before, but this is different. It's quiet and smooth and fast. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to the 'slow' trains now. I might be ruined for life. It would be like eating velveeta after trying fresh mozzarella, like wearing Tevas after having Chacos, like watching ER after seeing House. It's not possible for me...unless I'm willing to endure some pain.

The trains have monitors on board that track its speed. We got up to 300 kph (186 mph) and it was as smooth as butter. Plus we got to Seoul in a fraction of the time it usually takes. I'm hooked! Why don't we have these in the States?

This is a picture of the 'slow' train. We couldn't even get a picture of the KTX - it went by so fast. ;)

This magazine looks like it's an English language magazine, right? It's not. A lot of the magazines here have English on the front covers but only Korean characters inside. I think it must look more sophisticated or fancy to people here if it has romanized letters on the cover.

If you think this looks like a staged photo...you're right. I finished my coffee before we got on the train.

This is the platform at one of the KTX stations. They all have Dunkin' Donuts franchises and convenience stores inside. On a side note...Dunkin' Donuts is really popular over here.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-05T08:39:00.005+09:00

Sadly enough...Halloween isn't celebrated in Korea. I was crushed when I found this out. As you may know it's one of my favorite holidays. I love costumes! I'll take any excuse to dress up as a sexy_______. Since college I haven't been to one costume party outside of October so Halloween has been my saving grace the last few years.

Instead of dressing up this year, we threw a Halloween party at school for the kids. A few days before the holiday the kids colored pictures of jack o' lanterns, vampires, witches, and zombies to decorate the hallways. In case any of you are interested....jombie is the Korean word for zombie. Yeah! More Korean words that I'll remember.

On the big day, my class played hot potato and musical chairs. These are internationally loved games now! I didn't realize how violent musical chairs is...I had about six crying kids throughout the day. The most common injury was smashed fingers. No blood or stiches though so I'll call it a success.

Jason and I (by that I really mean Jason) meant to take more pics of the kids but we were the unwitting MC's of the festivities and didn't find the time.

I hope you all had a blast this year!

It was pretty festive around school with all the decorations up and the kids jacked up on candy. The little boy in the picture is a darling. His name is Vincent...actually it's not but that's his English name. I only know a few of the kids real names.

They sell a select few costumes at the major 'Wal-Mart' type stores here. That's a testament to the popularity of English education. The only place Halloween is celebrated is at the hogwans. The little girl on the left (Sophie) is both Jason and my favorite student. She's so tiny and cute!

As I said above...the selection of costumes here is quite limited, so we had a lot of Scream masks and glittery witch hats.

Erica Teacher...as she's known by the kids...did the face painting. I thought she did a pretty bang up job.