Leap of Faith

Christopher and I were able to take a break from Seoul again this past weekend. We went rafting on the Hantan River in Gangwondo. The river is quite calm with a few rapids that make for a good time. We were in a raft with about 8 other foreigners and a guide who spoke two words of English – “Ledy, go!” It’s so great how human communication prevails and smiling and laughing are universal, even with no words. We had a blast floating down the river, playing lots of water games, and enjoying the scenery (beautiful vegetation and rock formations).

After rafting, our day was only just beginning. We enjoyed a delicious, traditional Korean meal of Yang Gobchang-gui (broiled beef and chitterlings, weird but really good), Gimbap (rice wrapped in dried seaweed), and Sukju Namul (bean sprout salad). After a quick shower we were off to the main event of the day – BUNGEE JUMPING!

There were about 20 members of our group who had enough courage to take the 55m plunge. You quickly make friends when you’re all facing the prospect of death. You could pick between jumping with ankle straps or jumping with a torso harness that held you upright, obviously we both chose the ankles - we had no choice but to go all out. We waited for a good hour and a half on the platform watching others take the leap. There were all sorts of jumping styles, there were those who didn't even hesitate, those who chose to have their head dunked in the water, and those who contemplated the jump white-knuckled on the edge, there was even someone who after a ten minute failed attempt, finally asked to be pushed off when unaware.

Well, I thought it was no big deal and knew I would be flying gracefully through the air when it was my turn, oh how could I be so naive?! As soon as it was my turn, my legs turned to stone and were bolted to the platform. My mind was all for it but my legs literally wouldn't move. This is an example of my ridiculousness....



There was a split second that I thought, "okay, this may not be for me" but then I was reminded "if you think about it, don't think about it" (such great advice from a loving husband....?) Alas, I was successful although it wasn't perfect form it was good for a rookie.



Here is the jump through Chris' eyes (I will add, he had perfect form and looked like an elegant swan)....



This last video sums up the experience...



As you can see, you bounce around quite a bit after the initial jump. Christopher was level with the bridge at one point during the recoil. I was worried about my motion sickness but luckily it didn't bother me until the winding bus ride home when Chris thought it would be a good idea to chat it up about the perpetual spinning while chowing down on some Pizza Pringles. I quickly snatched the half eaten can needing somewhere to deposit my upset stomach...eeeww, I know but I felt SO much better. Hopefully next time we will have lunch after bungee jumping, not before.

It was such a thrill and we're both so happy to have done it. I highly recommend the adventure and know that I will be keeping my eyes open for another jump in the future. BE WARE of the spinning :)

Thankful Thursday

Some things we are thankful for today...

the free gym in our building
Kindergarten classes
positive attitudes
breezy mornings
learning new words

Baseball

Baseball, Korean style, is pretty wild. There are some coockoo fanatics in the States (no doubt about it), but to compare the overall atmosphere of a professional sporting event to that of a professional Korean baseball game is a joke.

A few weekends ago Lauren and I played witness to the LG Twins taking on the Kia Tigers. We arrived at the subway stop approximately 45 minutes before the 1st pitch and figured we could have a nice relaxing afternoon at the ballpark. Maybe a hot dog, probably an overpriced beer, possibly even peanuts.

As we were exiting the subway station headed towards the stadium, a vendor was selling "thunder sticks" (think long tube shaped beach balls). Of course we had to pick some up. We had nobody to cheer for at this point, but thankfully the vendor handed us 4 Kia Tigers thunder sticks. All set, Tiger fans we now were.

Upon arriving at the line to the ticket sales we thought "I wonder what we say or how much tickets are, or really what is going to happen". Well, a quick moving line gave us no options. "something eyoanya something geuseo" (We assume "next in line please).
"Uhhh, doogay" (the only number we know in Korean - 2).
"something something something" - ticket lady
"hmmm, how much do you think I should give her?" - C
"I don't, try 10000krw" - L
Alright, one green bill coming up. Slide it under the glass.
...blank stares...
At this point I get super nervous take out all the cash in my wallet and spread it evenly over the surface of the counter. Thankfully she only grabbed one more green bill (10000krw), and returned to us 1 red bill (5000krw),3 blue bills(1000krw), two tickets, and a "move along" hand motion.

Alright! Tickets! This will be great, in we go. Once inside we stood at the bottom of a set of stairs looking at numbers on walls, numbers on our tickets, and back and forth at each other. I mean come on, there have got to be some matching numbers somewhere (for crying outloud, we went to the movies last week and had assigned seats).

We decided to just head on up the stairs and see what happens. What we came to find out quickly was that we purchased general admission tickets for open seating basically anywhere along the outer rim.

After two laps around the entire stadium sticking our necks out like ostridges down aisles scanning for a group of empty seats, we resigned to standing in the on the outer edge. Apparently, if you want to go to a baseball game, and you are going to be general admission, arrive early, VERY early.

Beind the last row of seats is about a 25 foot wide cement walkway circling the entire stadium. This walkway turned into a picinic area for most families coming to the baseball game. You had to dig and dive your way around all the foil blankets (very popular) and scattered shoes (of course you can't step on the foil blanket with your shoes on! Are you nuts?!). Luckily we were able to nab a standing spot.

The game began and there were a couple of key differences from the old American Ballpark.
1) They have cheerleaders
2) The teams fans have developed long chants. Intricate chants including timed thunderstick clapping and Korean phrases that must last a solid minute.
3) Not everyone gets a seat.
4) If you don't get a seat, it is permissible to sit in the stairs/aisles next to all the seats (apparently fire hazards are a non issue).
5) If you want a snack or a drink, you should have brought one in.

In the end we stepped out a couple innings early (with our beloved Kia Tigers ahead by 3 runs) due to a bit of fatigue in our legs. We really enjoyed the game and especially enjoyed seeing such passionate and energetic fans. If they had fans like this in the U.S. they really could create a stunning home field advantage. Our next Korean baseball game will yield a little more preparation. We'll either arrive 2 hours early, or learn how to say assigned seating.

Thankful Thursday

Just some things I am thankful for today...

our very own washing machine
keyless living
my Grade 4 Language Teacher's Manual
Thunderbird Email
Little Jakob's Coffee and Sandwich

Garak Market

Chris and I have been a little frustrated with our fruit and vegetable intake. This is due partly because the grocery stores near our home have very poor selections and partly because produce is so expensive here. So, we were extremely happy when we found the Garak Agricultural/Fish Market - it's basically a farmer's market on steroids. The market covers a huge area, encompassing nearly 20 buildings. We were more than happy to take a few hours strolling through the stands admiring the food and, of course, people watching. After spending only 12,000￦ (about $10), we have a refrigerator full of fresh fruit and veggies!


We decided to skip the stingray and dried anchovies this visit.




We have more green onions than we know what to do with and would hate to throw any out. Any non-bake green onion recipe suggestions?

Cleaner & Greener

This past Saturday Lauren and I were able to join a group of other foreigners and set off on a wilderness trek. The trek was in the county of Inje, which is in the Gangwon-do province located in the north east part of the country.

The bus ride was approximately 3 hours (heavy traffic due the Korean Memorial Day holiday) to Gangwon-do. We hiked for (our estimation based on speed and time) approximately 4km in and reached a flat rocky area where we stopped for lunch and spent a few hours enjoying the scenery and socializing before making our way back down to the bus. The trail lead us along and thru a shallow and very cold river - it was quite refreshing.

The area was gorgeous. It was such a rejuvination for our 'Seouls' to be out in nature and breathing in the fresh air. We were blessed to have the escape and look forward to another outdoor adventure we have planned at the end of this month.

Love Birds

Today my parents celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary. They were married June 2, 1979 - weren't they foxy?!



Marriage is an amazing bond and I've only experienced it for 8 months, I can't even begin to imagine the joy of 30 years! My parents have always been an exemplary couple whose relationship, friendship, and connection I've always admired. It is incredible to see how, through marriage, God brings two people together and guides them through the bliss, challenges, and cycles of life. I am so thankful to my Mom and Dad for being a perpetual love in my life and modeling such true devotion.




For as long as I can remember my parents have been silly-in-love (Chris and Derek, you remember all those wet, sloppy kisses we had to witness ;) and I hope it stays that way! Happy Anniversary! Here's to 30 more! We love you!! XOXO