Our little Christmas tree and train

Preparing for the holidays

 

It seems like little has happened in the past week but if I wait too long then too much happens so here is another attempt at a weekly blog update.

The weather has really changed for the colder and we are learning about the faults of our home come wintertime. We have added some insulation and weather stripping which seems to have made a difference in the overall draftiness of the house. The house still feels cold but maybe not as cold as last year (a definite maybe).

Joon has been changing rapidly every day it seems. He speaks way better Korean than me (as I am reminded of often) and he is really getting into books. He is always looking at the pictures and asking “what is this?” and requiring us to read the book several (hundred?) times per night. He has also discovered the tv but books seem to be the priority for now. 

It seems the past week has been mostly about shopping. Buying christmas presents for the family back home and trying to decide what everyone is into these days. Shopping is one of Joon’s favorite activities. He has not crossed into the I must have this toy phase yet so we consider ourselves lucky thus far.

A couple of weeks ago I ran in a local 10k race. Here they are very organized about the whole affair with prizes, free food, photos and medals for all. It is pretty fun to be involved.  Here is a link to the website to see some pictures: http://marathon.hallailbo.co.kr/ In the middle of the page are some pictures. type the number 15243 in to the search bar above those pictures and hit enter.

Okay, Joon is waking up from his nap, gotta run, Peace

New Pics

Finally uploaded our pictures from the last two months so check it out!

http://picasaweb.google.com/yjoely

Chopsticks 101

Here is Joon learning to use his trainer chopsticks for the first time...

Time for an update!

Sorry for the delay. October just disappeared. Here we are in November with cooler temps and shorter days. It has been a busy month including the Cheosuk holiday, Mandarin harvest, home improvement projects and Joon growing quicker than we can sometimes believe. Today I made an attempt to have him 'reading' (really just memorizing) for the camera with no luck. I will try again soon. Currently he is supposed to be going down for his nap although it seems like his need for the nap becomes less and less. We do like the nap tome around here so hopefully it will continue for a little while longer.


Moon and I are putting up some interior insulation for our concrete walls and preparing to replace some doors to make the house a little more bearable on the cold windy days. We are also getting read for another 10 k race next weekend. So far we have kept up with our weekly runs and our energy levels are good. They usually take a not so glamorous photo of us while running which I will post a link to if I can find it.

Here's a pic from a few weeks ago on one of our many walks around the island. They have a coastal system of trails that are 15 to 25 km in length and offer a nice mostly flat walk through farms and coastal vistas. There are also Oreum' s which are parasitic volcanoes that are all over the island and provide short but steep and strenuous hikes with nice views at the top. This is how we have spent our fall when not indoors. Joon will soon be to big for his carrier so we wanted to take advantage of the cooler weather to get some hikes in before the really cold weather arrives.

So long for now, More pictures to come and we hope everyone is doing well.

Traditions

Moon's Fathers grave with a classic Oreom (parasitic volcano) in the background

The month of September marks the end of the summer around here and the transition to fall and winter activities. An annual tradition for most families on the island is the maintenance of the graves. These graves are simple mounds scattered everywhere and anywhere you might look in the country. For most of the summer these mounds become overgrown with ferns and grass and become almost invisible. Of course everyone knows where their family member's graves are and weed whackers and scythes come out in force to trim them down so they look like nicely manicured plots. Some folks have stone walls surrounding their graves and some even have headstones or fancy marble structures. Often they are grouped together in fields or in a space that resembles a cemetery.

After a small hike Moon's family starts the clearing process. (yours truly lazing behind the camera of course)

After the hardwork there is a small ceremony to honor her father and then we eat a well deserved meal.


Here we are at the end of the hardworking day posing on the nicely trimmed mound.

Fun...

Hey! Long time no see...It has been a busy Month both here and at home and posting to the blog has become a low priority. Sorry about that. As many of you know my parents were in a pretty severe car accident. They were pretty shaken up and suffering from a variety of injuries but are doing much better now. Thanks to everyone who kept them in their thoughts and prayers. We felt pretty helpless on this side of the ocean since we couldn't be there to offer physical support but we did what we could.

For now I am just going to post some older pics we took back in August. Joon has been turning into a little man which is awesome to watch. We will have a new singing video up soon. For now, Enjoy!

Here is Joon working on his first pizza dough. He was pretty excited about the whole process especially since cheese was involved!

Here are some pictures from our second camping trip to the beach. ( smudges compliments of Joon's fingers!)

Fun in the sand!

And this gem is our first attempt at clamming which was a minimal success. Once we figured out we didn't need to dig so deep we were too tired to try much longer. Still we had a nice soup with our catch.

More to come! Hope all is well...

Family camping

We decided to buy a tent recently and it was a great idea. Joon probably remembers car camping up the alcan and had no propblem adjusting to the tent lifestyle. Camping in korea is not a go it alone experience and that is not necessarily a bad thing. People take their tents and gear seriously even if only a few hundred yards from their cars.

Here you can see what we think of as a massive tent compared to our old two person (one with gear) bike tent. No regrets however, we enjoyed the space and I certainly like being able to almost stand upright inside.

Here is Joon getting ready for bed despite it being only 4 in the afternoon.

This last picture is for grandma and grandpa to show off his latest outfit from the states. Of course he is stylin' and ready for the beach.

Birds of a different feather...

First a little update of our Swallow family. We counted about four babies and here they are ready to fly away. We were fortunate to be home last Saturday evening when they took their first flight. There was a lot of chatter as they figured out they could get out of their overcrowded nest. I think momma was ready to push them out if they didn't figure it out on their own!

Onto our new addition of chickens. When My folks were here my dad and I took the time to build a coop out of random wood laying around the house. It was not finished by the time they left but with a litlle scavenging I was able to locate some roofing material and close the deal. We bought two chickens at the five day market (local farmer's market) and tested things out. Here is Joon looking pretty excited about it all

With More scavenging for dead trees and a lot of netting it was time to build a small yard for the chickens to run around in during the day.

They seem happy to peck around and settle in. A little late to be hoping for eggs but we will see. Of course one chicken decided to fly out. A chase around the mandrin fields ensued and wings had to be clipped. otherwise, so far so good!

Fun Times in the summer

Here is a little experiment in collages. i promise they will get better if i keep working on it. Anyway, we have been hitting the beaches, watching the garden explode and enjoying the Swallows and their growing family. Joon is changing dramatically everyday, playing with his dolls, fascinations with trucks, tractors and Choo Choo trains, talking and even singing his ABC's. Hard to believe but it is happening... It is way cool to watch. Hope everyone is having fun! .

Where were you.....

When you heard that Micheal Jackson had died?

Warm Weather and the Wild life....

As summer progresses the temps quickly rise and suddenly it feels like we are in a tropical zone. Soon after the parents left there was an increase of wildlife around the house. With Joon dropping grapes and sweet things all over the place ie...under couches and refirdgerators we had an overnight ant invasion. Very different from the small colonies of ants in Seattle or Alaska. These suckers are numerous and voracious. Of course it has forced us to clean the house which is probably a good thing.

Here is a shot of a swallow who has decided to live above our screen door. Occasionally they fly in the house but fly out with no problems. I have since put up a piece of styrofoam as a platform and poop guard. Seems to be working for now...

Also with the wamer temps we are able to have nice outdoor dinners and Joon can crack open his first beer(?) Don't remember that happening...

and fun days at the beach. Here is Joon trying his new Thomas floaty. Joon looks like he is having fun and dad looks like he is taking a crap...oh well, you can't always make everybody look good in a picture. Hope every one else is having fun out there during Joon, I mean June. They say it will get warmer. Having lived in the far north for so long I have a hard time imagining. Party on for now...

Weeks 2 and 3 of the parent's visit

The next two weeks of the parent's vacation began with a visit to the west coast to meet her grandmother. She Lives in the small community of Hallim in an area surrounded by cows, horses, vegetable fields and of course rock walls. Here is a shot of their meeting. There was not much to be said but all were happy to finally be seeing each other for the first time.




Towards the middle of the week we took a nice trip to the small island of Udo a half hour ferry ride off the east coast. It is a relaxing place to visit with spectacular views and on our visit, strong winds.



At the beginning of third week it was time to make the journey up the famous Hallasan Mountain, seen above. The peak is about 6000 ft and there are four trails one can hike. Two go to the top while the other two plateau at a nice highland vista. Since it was azalea seaon we decided to take the lower and more scenic Eorimok trail.



It was the shortest of the four trails on the mountain and also said to be the easiest but easy is a relative term in Korea. Most trails venture straight up with little time for switchbacks or flat meanders. And so it was with this trail. Mom and dad were ready and willing here but had little idea of what they were getting into. Fortunately we left early enough in the day so that everyone had enough time to make it up and down before sunset.



Of course the reward was worthwhie as we were treated to the beginnings of the Azalea blooms, friendly and supportive hikers who offered assistance and even a little dancing along the way as well as just beautiful views and a proud feeling of accomplishment. All were exhausted but there were no regrets.



Throughout this time it was Joon who was having the most fun. He joined us on all of our adventures and was super excited to have all the choices of people to take care of him. " I want grandpa to put on my shoes!" I want grandma to change my diaper" It was a real treat. Of course when Moon and I were at work was when the real fun began.


Joon was treated to daring rides downhill on his stroller wild games of kick the ball and good beach fun with grandma and grandpa. When we would return home scrapes on his knees were the signs of a good time had by all. He toughend up his legs and has learned a lot of new games for mom and dad to play.

the visit - Week 1

Well the grandparents have departed but they are not forgotten. Joon is asking for them frequently and doesn't seem quite sure where they went. Their visit was spent seeing the island and hanging out with joon.

The first week of their visit was an eventful one. We decided to take it easy and relax figuring they would need the rest. Amazingly they adjusted to the 13 hour difference in time and they were ready to go from day 1 and so we were off on our adventures.


Here they are at the airport in Seoul where they met Moon's brother Sangho. He took great care of them and helped them navigate their way to the next airport to get to the island.

Here is a super happy grandma and joon after a nice meal of sushi.



Our first adventure was a scenic drive and the folk village to get our fill of the history of the island. here you see the beautiful basalt coast


Here is Grandma trying on the traditional water carrier.


Here is Joon among the Rape Flowers that were just after their peak but still beautiful.


Next it was off to the manjangul cave, a huge lava tube that although dark was certainly a spectacular sight. I had no idea it was sooo big!


Finally we finished the week with a visit to Moon's Aunt and her newly established daycare.

It was a good start to their visit and we packed alot in including a little cool water swimming at the local beach. As we headed into the weekend it was time to prepare for a visit to Moon's grandmother and take in some more sights that jeju has to offer. stay tuned!

the fam!

Hey! we have had a super busy month with my parents here. They arrived on the second of may and just left yesterday the 30th. it has been a blast and an excellent opportunity to see more of the island. Moon and I were both able to take some time off and relax. Joon was one happy kid bonding with grandma and grandpa and learning all kinds of new words. He is officially switching languages depending on who he is speaking to. He can point to an object and easily tell me both words. I have no clue how a young brain operates but it is pretty impressive to watch.

Anyway, I have been inspired by my friend kristi who has started a blog. once a week with pictures. That's a reasonable goal right? well as said many times before, i'm going to try. This week I will enter several installments documenting my parent's visit on the island with pics so check it out. party on!

Springtime

Hey! Long time no hear. Sorry about that. I'd like to say it is due to a lack of time but it is really due to an abundance of procrastination. Nothing to say at first and then putting off until there is too much to say. I'm sure some of you know the routine.

Anyway, life has been busy in mostly a good way. moon and I have been working at the same school since Feb. and it is going relatively good. We enjoy teaching the kids and not taking our job home with us. The hours are decent and we both have a lot of time to spend with Joon.

Joon has been growing up extremely fast. That sponge of a brain just keeps growing and he is repeating everything (did I mention everything) we say these days. He has begun to point and ask what things are. It is cool to watch his brain process and retain all the information in two different languages. Moon's Aunt is running a daycare so he is now spending some time there with other friends and cool toys. Daycare is pretty intensive and excellent here. The teachers are awesome and give plenty of attention to each child's need. Hopefully we will have more time to take him there since we think it is good for him to play with other kids (not a lot of kids out here where we live).

Recently we had our first friends visit us. Sam and Mayura are friends of ours from Seattle who are currently living in Japan. Sam had business in Korea so they both took the opportunity to visit the island. It was a real treat. Sam brought us some wonderful treats from the US base and we had a great time catching up and reminiscing...not to mention the opportunity that visitors provide to see the island. Joon really grew fond of them both and was still asking where they were for a couple of days after they left.

Of course sickness has been an issue since starting to teach. We seem to be cycling through every one of the colds around. When I used to work at the homeless shelter in Seattle I remember staff getting really ill in the first six months and then feeling like we had super immunity given the amount of crap we were exposed to. Hopefully the same will be true here. We are all tired of colds.

Despite the illnesses Moon and I managed to run in a 10k a couple of weeks ago. The race was part of a larger marathon and all we thought throughout the run was 'how could we do this for 26 miles?' Fortunately we didn't have to and we both reached our weak target of finishing within an hour. The Koreans really know how to put together an event with freebies, prizes and a singing contest.

See why I haven't posted in a while? things are pretty routine (which is a good thing). Hot weather is here and the sun is intense. I want to swim but suspect the ocean water might still be a little chilly. The next phase of our journey involves preparing for the arrival of Joon's grandparents in May. They will be here for most of the month and we are looking forward to their arrival.

Feel free to post questions and I will try to answer them. I give up on promising to write more frequently and Hopefully we haven't lost too many visitors. Hope everyone is having fun!

From Mountain to sea on the lunar New year...

Hey! We have just finished celebrating the big holiday of sulnal or lunar new year. It is one of the biggest holidays with huge importance on family. Everyone returns to their home for the long weekend and much of the country shuts down.

The holiday began on Sunday with preparation. The goal is to have food ready for early morning ceremonies the next day to honor the parents and grandparents who have passed on. Moon was busy helping mom and and her brothers arrived to relax at home and hang out with Joon. Everyone stayed at the house and on Monday morning we were up early and out the door to a relatives house to honor Moon's Grandfather. Then we returned home for another ceremony to honor her father. We taught Joon how to bow and he seemed fascinated by the whole process. Then it was off to grandmothers house where all the children bow to each elder member of the family and are given around 10 dollars in return. They manage to collect quite a bit of cash most of which usually ends up in a savings account. The new pictures added will show you some of the events of the day including the ceremony at our house and all of the family gathered at grandmother's home.

The next day the siblings , myself and Joon all went for a drive that led us from a small crater site in the hills down to the coast for a sunny day of beautiful scenery. Joon had a blast despite his cold and we were all very relaxed and well fed after two days of excellent grub and sleeping in. Joon really bonded with his uncles and even today calls out for them. We are certainly sad they are not staying here anymore. It was fun.

Interesting fact: I learned that all of the kids turn one year older on the new year day. There is no differentation of age based on what month you are born. One day everyone is 13 and the next they are all 14. I realized this is why when I ask the age of my students they are almost always the same age. Interesting concept I am trying to wrap my head around.

I am updating the look of the blog and playing with colors and any comments are appreciated. We hope everyone has a great new year!

Korean 101

Here is Joon working on his vocabulary with some flash cards. He is 21 months now and adding new words quickly. Of course he will soon (or already does) speak better Korean than his appa (dad). Enjoy!

What's up? Chicken Butt!

Hey! It has been a long delay and the nudges to post are coming. What has been happening? Not a heck of a whole lot really. Post visa approval it seemed that a series of illnesses affected one, two, or all of us at any given time over the past month. I had various stomach ailments, Joon caught a nasty cold that was later diagnosed as mild pneumonia and then moon and mother-in-law caught same cold. It was un-fun. In addition the temperature dropped and the sun disappeared. It was definitely a time to crank the heat watch loads of Big Love and commiserate about our various ailments.

As soon as the illnesses passed it was time to move into the working life. I managed to negotiate a decent contract with a local academy and Moon continues working part time for now. Our schedules are similar so we can go to work together. For now I am working part-time which means about 3 hours a day. It is pretty darn simple and low stress. Moon is teaching elementary aged kids and I work with the middle schoolers. Apparently the younger kids love to talk but in middle school self conciousness kicks in and speaking in English in the classroom can be a tall order.
What is an academy? Essentially kids go to public school during the day and then after school they attend various academy's . Not only english academy's but math, speed reading, and a variety of others ( I'm still learning what's out there). The competetiveness for kids to get ahead in a very uniform system is strong. Moon says it is much worse than when she grew up. Right now the kids are on a month holiday from public school but the academy's are still in session. This means they continue to go to programs and study despite being "on break".

Now it is mid January. Few pictures were taken but I will post what I have. Joon has adjusted well to our working and is spending more time with grandma. They both seem to be enjoying their time together. He is healthy now and putting together two words and learning to ask for what he wants more and more. We think he can't get any cuter and he just keeps amazing us more.
The title of this post refers to my first venture in eating spicy chicken ass. "try iy its chewy" they said. Actually not too bad if I didn't think about what I was eating. Just when I think I have tried it all there is one more new thing on the table. The adventure continues.....Party on!