goodbye summer

summer is coming to a close and a new chapter is beginning. august has been a very busy month for us. peter has been working a lot lately during the night shift which is keeping him very busy and tired! we are looking forward for things to settle down and to resume normal sleeping schedules. here are a few updates:

• shaun & liz, peter's sister, delivered a healthy baby girl last week, inez catherine. she's a beauty and we're thrilled to have a niece! if only we didn't have an ocean separating us : (
• i began work as a full-time 1st grade teacher at the DOD school (military school on post). I've been decorating, preparing curriculum, and making a little "home" for my kiddos. i'm looking forward to the start of the school!
• i can legally rent a car now. thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes. i had a nice, relaxing day. i missed you all, but was thankful to have so many dear friends and family from far away (and here too!) i'm a lucky girl.

aside from the hectic schedules, we've been doing really well. i am very thankful for a job and am excited to be with little guys again--they help me see the world in a better way. i'll try to be better about blogging more regularly!

four years

four years ago today, peter and i made a covenant to one another to love each other until death do us part. i can't believe how quickly time flies! these past four years have been filled with learning, challenges, rich with love, joy, and the goodness of God.

"I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high." Psalm 7:17

Peter jokes we now graduated with a "bachelors in Marriage" : )

Let's continue our learning of how to love one another better and better each day. I'm so very thankful for you, am continually inspired by your heart, and find you a beautiful reflection of our Heavenly Father.

Let's aim for a dozen ph.d's! i'm game if you are...

the DMZ

susan and i took a day trip with the USO to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) right on the border between North and South Korea. it was fascinating, tense, and sad. our grandparents' hometown is actually located in North Korea (pre-war time). During the war, my grandparents (on both sides) fled to the south. my dad's mother was actually pregnant with my father when she tried to cross the border. fortunately, all of my grandparents successfully crossed the border to safety.

While on our drive, we passed through a village called "Reunification Village" where all families must be in their homes with doors and windows sealed at dark since this village would be most vulnerable to a North Korean attack being so near the DMZ. The village area is not under the jurisdiction of South Korea (?) so the citizens there have no obligation to pay taxes or serve the army (All South Korean men have a military requirement of 22 months.)

Korea is the only nation to remain divided. The tension between both nations is palpitable. We were warned very strongly by both our Korean tour guide (who spoke english) and our U.S. soldier tour guide that we were not permitted to take photos unless given permission to do so. During the tour we saw the JSA, the area where North Korean and South Korean leaders meet for negotiations. We actually saw North Korean soldiers standing on the steps of their building with binoculars in their hands. Apparently, the North Korean building, which faces the South Korean building, has many cameras that take photos of the DMZ tourists to use as negative propaganda against the rest of the world. Our U.S. tour guide told us very sternly that we "do NOT make any gesture of ANY kind toward the North Korean soldiers. We will NOT communicate with them in ANY way as they will react if they EVER feel any sort of threat." One of the North Korean guards actually waved toward us, perhaps to get a rise out of us tourists? We were told North Korean men have a military obligation of 8-10 years! Also, the North Korean soldiers that are visible to South Korea are said to be well-fed to give a good impression of their country, though much of the country is impoverished and hungry.

We were able to take photos inside the JSA where South Korean soldiers stand guard. All Korean soldiers that work at the DMZ must possess at least a black belt in TaeKwonDo. One soldier I took a picture of had a black belt in TaeKwonDo, Jiujitsu, and Hapkido. U.S. Soldiers also are also placed there based on their excellent records and abilities.

It was a chilling sight to see such tension, even in their stance. I suppose witnessing such intensity made me realize how hostile the relationship between North Korea and much of the world remains.

this photo is of the North Korean building. You can see a soldier standing at the top of the steps. He must have found all of us very interesting as he continued to look at us through his binoculars.

North Korean money I got from the DMZ shop. The photo is of Kim Il Sung, the father of the current dictator, Kim Jong Il.

Susan is standing at the Dora Observatory, which is a lookout point that juts out, very near the border of North Korea. It is said that on a clear day you can see where Kim Jong Il has erected his own gigantic bronze statue of himself very easily with binoculars. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day, so we couldn't seen a lot, but we were able to see the Wildlife Sanctuary between North and South Korea where various plants and animals of endangered species have thrived since no human contact has been made in the forest for over 56 years.

it was a sobering experience. i imagine we have family that still exist in North Korea and may not see them or ever know them. Not just our family, but hundreds of thousands of families were separated and long to see one another. I pray for a peaceful reunion and evil to be defeated.

daegu

in daegu, susan and i went on various larks. since peter has to work during the day, we did many things on our own. we went to various markets to buy gifts for when she returned home, went to the spa for some pampering, got our hair cut and permed (not such a good idea after all...), visited the downtown area for people watching and shopping, went to a daegu baseball game, rode the city buses for the first time (trying to figure out their routes was like trying to solve a rubix cube), and climbed Mount Apsan.

the mountain climb was fun and tough. i read somewhere it is a 20% grade mountain; the hike was at an incline the whole way up. i learned from our tour book that Mt. Apsan is where avid hikers go as it is quite beautiful. the entire hike took us 4-5 hours. while going up the mountain there would be several little "rest stops" which were actually outdoor gyms with free weights and elliptical machines. maybe i'm just lazy, but i don't think i'd hike for 2 hours to use the outdoor machines to exercise some more, but i'd really like to high-five the people who do. : )

another interesting observation were the lack of people climbing up the mountain alongside us, but we'd see several "ajummas" = middle aged ladies, sitting on blankets with picnics or playing cards with their friends on the edge of a jagged cliff. it was an odd sight since the mountain is on an incline the whole way up so they'd be perched in crevices or jutting rocks in the mountain like little birds in a nest. less than half the way up the mountain, the trails were not clearly marked and several boulders lined the paths so much of the "hike" was actually rock climbing. i wondered how all the ajummas got up here... the hike wore us out! nearing the top there were tons of stairs leading to the peak of the mountain. i hummed the rocky song while shaking my fist in the air....our victory to the top!

the view at the top of mountain was beautiful. unfortunately i didn't bring my camera since it's so bulky. but susan had hers with her. i'll have to steal a photo or two and will post later.

this is a little shop in downtown daegu that serves drinks in ziplock baggies. it has a cool vintage art feel to it. i'd like to go back again.

ulsan and gyeongju

our uncle, weh sahmchoon, my mother's oldest brother lives in ulsan, just 1.5 hours away from daegu. on occasion he and his wife make the drive out to daegu to take peter and i out to lunch. since susan was here, they came and took us to a yummy lunch and invited us to come to ulsan where he could show us around. peter, susan, and i drove down to ulsan and stayed one evening at their home.

ulsan was breathtakingly beautiful. it is situated right on the eastern coastline (on the southern end). the beaches are rocky and the water is a rich greenish purplish blue. i could have perched myself on a rock for hours just listening to the crash of the waves.

the second day of our trip we visited gyeongju. since it is only a 30 minute drive from ulsan, my uncle and aunt frequent the area for golf or the spa and know a great deal about the history.

the city of gyeongju is quite famous for its history. It was the home of the Silla dynasty and so possesses numerous ancient tourist spots. within the city are several famous temples, buddhist pagodas, and burial mounds.

my uncle, who is in his mid 70's has the energy of a 12 year-old and, in true korean fashion, wanted to show us as much as possible. we probably hit a dozen or so famous spots within ulsan and gyeongju in less than two days. it was fun, gorgeous, busy, and at the end of the day, we were beat. there were dozens and dozens of postcard perfect views of the ocean and the huge jutting boulders in the water. i'd like to go back again, but maybe for a relaxing lunch and nap instead. : )

here you'll see some female divers dressed in wet suits. in a few areas of Korea there are famous female divers located in Jeju Island, at times known as "mermaids" who are known for the ability to hold their breath for 2 or 3 minutes at at time. They use no special breathing apparatus, only a floater to help them locate where they need to surface. they dive many feet to dig up clams, abalone, and other seafood. as you can imagine, this sport is extremely dangerous, nevertheless, many of the divers are middle aged. i once saw a lady on television in her 80's still diving! you can read more here:

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309618

susan's visit

for those of you who didn't know already, my sister came to visit from seattle. we had a lot of fun together and traveled throughout the country. she left only today after a four-week visit. it was nice to have her here with us to show her our city and also have a traveling partner. we did so much i think i'll have to post several blogs to describe our experiences.

coming soon

dear friends.

i haven't forgotten about you. I have lots of stories and photos to share and will post soon!