Gumo Island Adventure

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!
    
I have a lot of fun things to talk about today and a bunch of wonderful photos to share. The Lord has truly blessed David and I this year and I am so thankful that we are able to share in our excitement with all of you. Last weekend our good friends Joy and Grant came down to visit us from Seoul. They stayed for two days and we had the pleasure of taking them to Odong Island as well as the World Expo. While David and I had already been to the expo I will say it was much better the second time around. There was less of a crowd and we were able to get in to see a very large number of the various country exhibits. Just a few to name include Qatar, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, USA, Spain, Romania, and Israel. Each exhibit was unique in its own way. The US had a very moving video about the ocean and what it means to different people. Qatar had women doing Henna and a traditional band performing; Romania had a really good cafe with all Romanian foods and Israel had a wonderful undersea experience with lots of special effects and lighting.

Now this past weekend David and I were scheduled to do our open water certification dive for our Scuba cert. Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip do to the three day weekend for Buddhas birthday. Whenever there is a big holiday here travel becomes about 80 percent more difficult. Being that David had Monday off work we wanted to enjoy the long weekend and have a memorial celebration of our own (ignoring that of the Buddhist holiday). South Korea and Yeosu specifically, is surrounded by almost two hundred islands. With that in mind we decided to do a little exploring. David and I first took a ferry over to Gumo Island for a bit of hiking. This was my first time on a ferry so I was very exciting. The cost was a little pricy for the one hour trip but we decided to take our car anyways and load up with a delicious picnic and all our hiking needs. Upon arrival to the island we were able to hike along most of the outer perimeter. It was a pretty big Island that is inhabited by several fisherman and farming families. While things are very basic and bare there, hiking was even better. Everything was just so natural and scenic. All the paths were dirt and there were trees, fauna and water everywhere! At some points you feel like you are in Hawaii while other places its as if you are in the jungle, the forest and then a more arid climate such as California. It was a beautiful Island and we really enjoyed getting to see all the high cliffs and deep green waters.

So if all that weren't enough, we took another short ferry ride over to Dolsan Island and took to the beach! Now it wasn't as nice as the Florida coast but it had its perks. Its was a smaller beach with rocky areas on either side and island out in the distance. The water was very clear and also very cold. The sand was nice and the sun made things all the better. The only down side in my opinion is that no one wears a swim suit. They wear shorts and t shirts to swim because sun exposure is a big no no to the Koreans. While I'm not opposed to wearing a one piece and some shorts, even that would have looked out of sorts compared to the full attire of the natives. Either way though, David enjoyed wading in the cool water and lounging out on the beach for some much needed sunshine.

To leave you with a final thought....one of my favorite verses from Philippians 4:8 says "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise worthy- meditate on these things" While life isn't a walk in the park, I choose to find the good in everything. This past weekend I saw God's creation all around me and it was most certainly lovely and praiseworthy!

 

May Madness

Happy Spring everyone! I have just returned from a short but great trip back to Seoul to send my mother in law and aunt back to the US. David and I were fortunate enough to have received our very first visitors since we got to Korea. My mother in law Wendy and David's aunt Bonnie flew in about two weeks ago and came to stay with us in Yeosu. I have to say their trip came at the most perfect time because everything has started to come alive here. We had the most perfect 70-80 degree weather and David was able to get a day off work so that we could do some fun activities. We started out by taking them to Odong Island for some light hiking and and a beautiful view on the water. We also visited the Nagan traditional folk village in Suncheon as well as the Suncheon Eco Park which is one of the top five biggest marshlands in the world! Apart from those two adventures we did some shopping around town, saw Mirror Mirror in theaters while enjoying some delicious Korean popcorn and we ventured out to a few Korean restaurants. I believe that Shabu Shabu was a big hit because it is a large pot of seasoned water that cooks at the table and you just have to add a whole bunch of cabbage and greens along with thin strips of beef. It is actually very tasty and healthy at the same time. At the end of the meal we cook our noodles and the make a sort of rice porridge with the remainder of the liquid. The day we attended the World Expo was also a big adventure. The World expo is a giant convention of sorts that happens every three years at a different location around the world. It just so happened to be here in Yeosu this year so me managed to show up for the rehearsal day at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, so did the rest of Korea. While the grounds were very beautiful and well constructed there were just too many people to really enjoy ourselves. We have decided that if we go back we will have to make reservations for the different country exhibits so that we wont have to wait in all the long lines. Apart from all that fun there managed to be a bit of down time thankfully in which we were able to explore the beach and do some walking around our apartment community. They really seemed to enjoy all the coffee shops and bakeries which I cant blame the for, they are wonderful! This last Friday we then took the three and a half hour KTX train into the city so that they could experience a bit of Seoul before they had to go to the airport on Sunday morning. While in Seoul we visited the most northern royal palace as well as the famous Namdaemun outdoor market and Myeongdong shopping district. We basically walked until our legs about gave out. Friday night our old Korean instructor Isabel met us for some Mexican food and Ice cream so that she could meet Wendy and Bonnie. Isabel of course was a big hit and showed them a good time. Saturday night in turn we met our good Korean friends Rahni and Min Seok for Korean BBQ and Karaoke. I must say that we had a wonderful time and I even got up and sang which is a big deal! Sadly our time with them had to come to an end and we are back in Yeosu once again. We took an exorbitant amount of pictures though so I hope you enjoy some of the highlights.

Since it was Mothers day this past Monday as well I must mention That I have been extremely blessed to have such an amazing mother and Mother in law as well as step mother for that matter. I am blessed three fold and am so eternally grateful to my father in heaven for all that he has given me! May God bless you and all the mothers out there.