6 Months

Just in case you have not been keeping track, we have. It has now been over 6 months since Bee and I were married on that happy day in February. It has been a wonderful, growth filled, fun filled, adventurous, challenging, happy six months of marriage. To celebrate Bee and I went to out to a show called JUMP, or JUMP Seoul. It was a show similar to that of NANTA but it was a marshal arts theme rather than a food theme. It was fun. I think I enjoyed the percussions of NANTA more than the acrobatics of JUMP, but it was very enjoyable and we had a good time out together. It had been a while since we last went up to Seoul and spent the evening together up there wandering the streets. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong mode of transportation to get up there so we were a little stressed about getting there on time but we made it; the show was good, and we had a very fun evening together.

After the show we grabbed some dinner at a little place near the theater called 'Pita Pit'. It was very delicious. And then wandered over to Dunkin' Donuts to indulge a little. And indulge we did! We went with a box of six mini-donuts, just to try the different types...and now that I think about it- six was a very fitting number on the occasion.

We had no particular plans that evening but while sitting at work in the morning I was thinking that we should do something. Our event calendar that Bee made for us back in December said that we would "go to a play" on the following day, a Friday. I don't know of very many plays in Seoul or if they would even be in English. I think I remember finding something but at 100'000-something won a ticking I figured Jump was a healthy alternative. One of my co-workers suggested it after I told him we had seen NANTA. We had talked about going in the past but you have to space that sort of thing out. Well, I figured it was worth a shot- so after getting home I talked it over with the wife, called up the box office, and booked us some tickets for the show. I was surprised when the lady taking my reservation spoke better English than I expected. It was my first time doing all the footwork for an activity in Korea myself instead of going through an agency, like USO or MWR or someone.

For a last minute activity we also got better seating than I thought we would. I figured it would be like previously experienced when we were on a balcony a little farther away from the action but this theater only had one floor that was set up in arena style seating with the stage at the front. Good seats. Good show. Good experience. Great company.

Happy 6 Months!

Reverence

Today is Korean Independence Day. It is actually not the day Korea became and independent nation but it is celebrated as such. Historically today is the day that Korea was liberated from Japanese rule with the surrender of Japan in 1945 at the close of WWII. That is also when the U.S. and Soviet Union stepped in to receive the surrender of Japanese authorities in Korea and prevent anarchy in the void of government officials. Most government authorities at that time where Japanese so if they were surrendering there had to be someone there to prevent mad Koreans from retaliating against these surrendering Japanese. It was decided the 38th parallel would be the line that divided the zones of responsibility between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. So Korea was not independent because it still was functioning under the direction of an alien nation, TWO very different alien nations now. We know Korea now as a divided nation so I am sure we can say Korea has yet to become an independent nation. However, on 13 August 1948 South Korea became independent of any foreign administration. It was not two years after that that the Communist government of the North decided to attempt unification by force and the tragic Korean War ensued.

Yesterday Bee and I went on a picnic after church. We seem to be making this Sunday afternoon picnic a regular thing. I decided for this picnic we would visit and eat at the Seoul National Cemetery. We had been there once before but it was closing when we got there and did not have any time to wander around and see the sights; we only had enough time to take the picture we had gone there for (a picture scavenger hunt) and leave.

This time we had plenty of time to relax and wander around and take it in. Cemeteries are such reverent places. What more is that it was raining while we were there. If you remember the last Sunday picnic we did it was raining then too. Not sure why we decided to go on a picnic when it is rainy out. It was a good picnic though. It was a nice place to visit, especially so close to Independence Day. We visited the tomb of the first president of independent South Korea, Syngman Rhee. We found a gazebo overlooking hundreds of flower stinted plots in which we sat, protected from the rain, and ate our lunch. I love that each grave had a vase of flowers next to it. It was beautiful, but saddening. You can not help but have reverence in your heart for the hundreds of thousands who fought to defend their freedom, and the freedom of others.

Lunch was very delightful and spending time with Bee was even more delightful. I love our outings and am glad she suggested going on a picnic yesterday. I am grateful for the sacrifices of many who have lived and died to establish and defend the freedoms I enjoy as an American citizen. God bless you!

Something Different

We have several posts on mexican dishes which we have made in the past but not much else in the way of dinners. Before you start thinking that is all we eat (which wouldn't be a bad thing) I figured we ought to post about an Italian dish we made recently. The other day Bee and I made Stuffed Manicotti. They were not as good as some of the meals we have made but they were tasty and super fun to make. Making them was probably my favorite part. Bee made the stuffing and together we crammed it into the manicotti shells, buryed them in sause, and covered it all in cheese. We love cheese!

They were delicious. If it weren't for Mexican food, Italian would probably be my favorite. Which is funny because I did not used to like it much. I liked spighetti and ate other Italian foods but I preferred other foods. Now it is my second favorite.And Italian soda...mmm...italian soda...

Vanishing Rabbit

SOOO!!!! Hunny and I were at Olympic Park again this weekend to explore some parts that we had missed on the raining Sunday when we had lunch there. There is a massive statue garden that we wandered through and still didn't get to see all of. It was hot and humid and we had plans to go to the mall afterward, so we began to walk toward the subway station. On our way there was a huge metal statue out in the middle of a concrete walkway path. I'm talking all concrete for a good 15 yards to ANY vegetation.

I wasn't too interesting in it til Hunny nonchalantly says, 'there's a rabbit.' As calmly as he said it I thought he meant like a carving or picture or something incorporated in the statue. I walk over questioningly and sure enough, there was a panting, pathetic-looking rabbit hunched against the sculpture trying to stay cool in the little bit of shade it provided. Why it was out in the middle of stone, metal, and concrete I'm still trying to figure out but have a clue that will be disclosed later.

click to see exactly where we found her

Hunny walked over and stooped down without it so much as looking at him. He began to pet it and no flinch or nothing. We tried to give it some of the water in our bag, it lapped it out of Hunny's hand and began to lick the salt off his arm. We moved it over to some shade and grass and shrubs and let it eat some. It was mostly so hot it just wanted to cool off on some cool soil in the shade. By this point I am begging. "Hunny, we have to take it home or it will die out here!!" We were both thinking the same things though; How do we get it home? Where do we keep it? After careful convincing, we buy a cold water bottle and place it under the rabbit in our backpack and head for the subway!

We have a bunny!!! Oh this poor pitiful thing. Since it was pretty dirty we gave her a bath and realized she was a LOT smaller then we thought. No wonder she was so hot outside, she has such thick fur!

The coolest thing about this rabbit is that she would let you do about anything with her. I was in awe. Most rabbits race away if a strangers tries to pet them, let alone pick them up and WALK. Don't believe me? Go to the pet store and try to pick up a rabbit. But this one. PSSsshhh... We picked her up, walked around, gave her a bath (okay a bit of a fight but come on), towel dried her, blow-dried some, and walk around her and bang stuff around from time to time and she is so chill. Never bolts or jumps. AND SOO CUTE!!! Except I'm really wanting to trim the ugly mess on her forehead.

So now we have this perfect little rabbit. There is a perfect plot of grass out the back door we sit outside on and read as she hops around. She loves it. She stays out on the balcony and has some roaming room. But then THE weirdest thing happens. She's roaming around the house and I go check on her and she's running around in circles. Hehe... cute right? Well then I catch her again but this time she's up on her back feet twitching and falls over and gets up to do it two more times before she starts running in circles again. We began to notice these spasms and began to worry. Especially when she would run into walls over and over after the spasm. So I called the vet and scheduled an appointment. Ya know just the usual check up for new pets, oh and she's a bit of a nut case...

We got so used to these spasms that whenever we heard her food dish bang, we figured that's what it was. But early this morning it was so loud I jumped. Weird... But we got up a few hours later and she was gone. Poof. Vanished. Disappeared. We are on the second floor and a garage below that puts us three stories up. If she jumped off the balcony there is no way she could've survived. But I walked around and checked anyway for any sign of her. Nothing. I am convinced that a giant bird came in and nabbed her and that's why that bang was as loud as it was. As crazy as that sounds... it's the only thing we could think of. It is so bizarre and I'm too confused to really believe it.

We had that bunny for all of 4 days... We didn't even name it... unless you count Fluffykins which is what I called her in lieu of a name.

Libraries

Libraries are so awesome! Bee and I went to the library today. Often she goes to the library and comes home with stacks of books or she messages me to meet her there after work so she can use my library card because hers is maxed out. But we were there together this evening and it was very enjoyable. Books are great. There is so much you can learn from books. Dispite all the internet and so many portable electronic technologies people still print books. Why is that? Because there is value in books. They are firm. They are tangible. They are physical. Call me old fashion but I don't think you can ever replace the affect of actual pages, the feel of flipping through them.

Talking about books and the gravity of books reminds me of a lecture titled Solitude and Leadership that my uncle recommended I read recently. It is a lecture given by William Deresiewicz to first-year students at West Point. It was a very good lecture. I enjoyed reading it. In part he says:

So, why is reading books any better than reading tweets or wall posts? ...a book has two advantages over a tweet. First, the person who wrote it thought about it a lot more carefully. The book is the result of his solitude, his attempt to think for himself.

Second, most books are old. This is not a disadvantage: this is precisely what makes them valuable. They stand against the conventional wisdom of today simply because they’re not from today. Even if they merely reflect the conventional wisdom of their own day, they say something different from what you hear all the time. But the great books, the ones you find on a syllabus, the ones people have continued to read, don’t reflect the conventional wisdom of their day. They say things that have the permanent power to disrupt our habits of thought. They were revolutionary in their own time, and they are still revolutionary today. And when I say “revolutionary,” I am deliberately evoking the American Revolution, because it was a result of precisely this kind of independent thinking. Without solitude—the solitude of Adams and Jefferson and Hamilton and Madison and Thomas Paine—there would be no America.

I was never much into books as a child. I did not enjoy reading. As I have grown however, I realize how much I have missed out by not reading as a child. There is so much knowledge to be had in books, so much insight. There is also much leisure in books- but very many kids nowadays wouldn't know it because they are too busy soaking up their time with more electronic leisure's.

Back to our trip to the Library, Bee and I had a delightful evening at the library. We did not check anything out this time but we did find a few books of interest. I found a few books on Korea and the "Korea Question" as well as found a few other books to answer some questions of my own. Bee found a 'How-To' book or two to keep her occupied. Libraries are wonderful, peaceful places to study in or just spend time in.

Shut off the computer and go visit a library. Take your kid with you. There is so much discovery to be had there. Wander around, see what interests you. If you have trouble you can play this library game I came up with-

Most libraries are referenced with a number system; three digits, a decimal, followed by two or three more digits. Pick a random three digit number and have a friend or family member pick another three digits and put the two together with a decimal between them (if you are by yourself pick all the numbers), then go see if you can find the book to that reference number and see what it is about. It can be entertaining to see the different books you find. The game may have to be modified slightly for your library but it is simple, and it gets you looking at books.

Marshmallows

Marshmallows are tasty! If you remember from our camping post we were unable to have s'mores while camping because we could not find marshmallows the day we went camping and we forgot to get them when we went shopping before our trip.

Because we did not have any on our campout we had to get some marshmallows and make s'mores at home. We got the marshmallows and Bee's mom sent us some in a package with some skewers and other goodies. We cooked them over our gas stove and ate them and they tasted delicious. It is not the same as over a campfire but it gets the job done. Typing it up now just makes me want to go and make some more!

Toward the end of our eating s'mores we had so many marshmallows left I decided to throw one at my wife.  I highly recommend throwing a marshmallow at someone! It is so much fun. (WARNING: I would not recommend doing this to your wife if you think she would react less than positively.)

It was a blast throwing marshmallows back and forth at each other for a while. If you want to throw something at someone I highly recommend marshmallows. They are a good size, they fly well, and they are so light that no matter how hard you throw it you are not likely to do any damage....So I thought! One misguided marshmallow stuck a glass near the edge of the table and it was enough force to knock it over and on to the floor where it shattered to pieces. That ended that! I still don't blame the marshmallow though; if the glass were further in on the table it would have simply been knocked over and the little bit of water in it spilled. So it was the locale of the glass, not the misplaced marshmallow. Conclusion: marshmallows are awesome projectiles when you just feel like throwing something at someone, just be sure to sanitize your environment.

Rain

Everything in this country is sopping wet right now. If it is not the rain it is the humidity. You would think that the rain would cool things down a bit. Nope!

This is a road we take to church on Sundays.
Click it to see it the day before flooding.

Last week it rained every day. It poured a few of those days. The river almost overflowed. In some areas it did overflow. You may have even heard about it on the news.

So, there is a gigantic river that runs through Seoul, the Han River. It is massive! Well, this week it was doubly so. I think it doubled in size. There are highways along each side of this massive river that set quite a ways above the normal water mark. There was so much water that it came up over these highways in spots. All of the river parks were completely submerged. I was surprised that it could swell that high above its normal height; this is a massive river we are talking about! There are a bunch of bridges over this river and in Korean they are called daegyo meaning BIG bridge. There is a lot of dirty water flowing down this river when it has not been raining for weeks. To think that how much rain water it collected to get it the size it was last week. That's a lot of rain. That is a lot of rain cloud.

There was so much rain Tuesday night that the street Bee and I live off of was a river Wednesday morning when I left for work. A watershed of the hill we live against dumps out onto the street right across from our driveway. The water rushing out of that, combined with the water already in the road from some other watershed up the street, made for a several inch thick flow all the way down the street, and there is a pretty good slope to our street (I wish I would have thought to take a picture). It made for a lake at the bottom of the hill where our street meets the main road.

I drove to work that morning because I had to be in Yongsan 40 minutes away and I picked the wrong way to go. The river had crested the highway I was on in a spot and all the freeway traffic was being diverted onto the road that I chose to take to get there. I was not too bad; it only added twenty minutes to my commute. It is a good thing I left early, except I only left twenty minutes early. I should have picked the south side of the river.  I am pretty sure I did see a couch floating down the river though, along with all sorts of other debris.
At work one of the parking lots flooded but I do not feel too bad for the person whose car was was soaked up to the hood because there are signs all over in that parking lot that say "Area subject to flooding." The day of a torrential downpour is not the day to park your car in that lot. I must say that the drainage system her in Seoul is rather effective because everything recedes quickly after the rain. But no matter how effective it can still only handle so much rain in a short amount of time.