Cheonggyecheon Stream and Han River Tour

Cruising down the Han River...
One of the many car/train bridges we passed under....

Daniel and I finally got around to taking the Han River Tour, after one failed attempt and endless summer heat that kept us away, and it was very enjoyable and relaxing. It was a short 1 hour cruise up and down the river where we got to see the tallest building in Seoul, the National Parliament Building, and other historic sights. While in the area, we also got to stroll down Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul. It was once completely covered up to make way for buildings, but has now been rebuilt and made into one of the city's most beautiful park areas. We're still enjoying the wonderful fall weather here. If only winter would stay away!

Hiking

At the top with our Kentucky friend, Amanda.
The leaves are changing and is so nice here!
Viewo of Seoul in the background...
Ascending the peak in Suwon...
View of Dongtan and Suwon in the background...


Daniel and I have had several great hiking adventures lately. . . Mt. Gwanggyosan in Suwon and Mt. Dobongsan in Seoul. From the mountain in Suwon, we could see our neighborhood in Dongtan, which was cool. Mt. Dobongsan was a strenuous hike uphill the entire way, but the view of Seoul from the top was amazing! My legs are killing me now, though :(

We've had wonderful weather here and we're really enjoying the outdoors before the cold winter hits. We have another hiking trip planned to one of the tallest mountains in Korea. Its on November 6th with the Adventure Korea Tour group...can't wait!

Farmer's Music and Dance

Suwon Folk Village

Traditional wedding ceremony. The groom rides away on a horse, while the bride is carried away in the box...



On Saturday we took a much anticipated trip to the Folk Village in Suwon with some co-workers and friends. We've tried to go several times, but because of the rain we've had to wait it out. The folk village had lots of cool performances, exhibits, and craft makers. We had lots of fun taking pictures and enjoying the nice weather!

We have the next three days off for Choosok (Korean Thanksgiving) and are planning to head to Lotte World Amusement park again, hike around Seoul's Mountains, and relax!

Seoul Racetrack

I've been slow to post these pictures. A few weeks ago, Daniel, Lexi, Issac, and I went to the Seoul Racetrack and had a great time! The admission to get in was less than a dollar. This is the only legal form of gambling that Korean citizens are allowed to do, so it was a mad house! We didn't lose any money or make any, but then again we were only betting quarters and dollars.

Monsoon season has just begun here in Korea, so it doesn't look like we'll be able to head back to the track any time soon. Fall is supposed to be beautiful here with great weather. I can't wait for that! We're planning a hiking trip for September and starting to think about a winter vacation in Thailand...

Super Students!

This is a video I made for the second CDI April video competition. My summer intensive class, which met twice a week for four weeks, participated. They are my youngest students, ages 7-10 years old. All the CDI schools in Korea are competing, so hopefully we win! The best video gets a 50,000 won prize ($50 USD) for the teacher...cha-ching cha-ching!

Beijing and The GREAT Wall!

Daniel and I finally got to escape the hustle and bustle of Dongtan life for a 7 day vacation to Beijing, China. While there we stayed at a hutong hostel, which was over 300 years old. We visited Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City on Day 1, which were amazing to see! Its stuff you read about but never think you're actually going to see one day....
We also traveled to the Great Wall, which is about 3 hours outside of Beijing. We hiked 10km uphill and I was exhausted by the time it was all over! Wonderful views of the wall, both restored and unrestored sections.
We also got to see three shows in total, acrobatics, Kungfu, and a modern dance performance. Other highlights of our trip included eating Peking Duck, taking a rickshaw ride, and visiting the Summer Palace. Now it's back to work...