Sunset in Naun-dong

I have a much better view in my old apartment now than when I first came back to Korea again:

Behold My Culinary Feat

There was something about the cheese that just didn't taste like cheese, though...

I Went to the Store and I Bought...

An awesomely cute lunchbox:





Some much-needed potholders:



Way cool cookie cutters:



(Which I used on cheese sandwiches, since there aren't really ovens in Korea...)



All in all, a satisfying shopping trip!

Adorable Toothpaste Clenchers

Why didn't somebody invent these sooner?

CGV at Night

As always, photographs can't do this city justice.

I Love Cycling so Much I Bought a Second Bicycle

Remember this bike trail? I plan on tackling it soon.

Since the guy at the bike shop laughed at me for taking on the world's longest man-made seawall with this, I finally got legit and bought a second bike for my long-distance adventures:

Apple Squeeze

A gift from one of my adult students:

Church Picnic

My church's cell group went on a picnic after church today. We threw up a tent at an elementary school some of the kids attend and had an awesome time.

We ate 삼겹살 (a favorite Korean meal involving pork and exciting Korean-style grilling), grilled sausage, cup ramen, watermelon, squid, kimchi, and various other side dishes I didn't bother to identify.

I had to share some of these pictures because the cooking style is so different from what I'm used to in the West. A subtle difference is the use of scissors to cut meat, but one of the most fascinating differences is the use of a stone slab set up on bricks over a stove to cook the meat. How cool is that?

Enjoy the pics.

Canine Cubbies

Ever find yourself in the vicinity of the grocery store and realize it'd be super convenient to pick up that thing you just ran out of, only to remember you're walking your pesky dog and can't go in?

No worries! Emart had you in mind when they installed these handy temporary pet kennels for you to use, right next to the lockers for your bags:

맨 오브 스틸

I saw the new Superman movie in the theater tonight. Just thought I should mention it since it hasn't come out yet in the States... ;)

Tsushima: Representative of the History between Korea and Japan

This is an interesting article about Tsushima, a Japanese island near Korea.  Not only was it interesting to me because I visited Tsushima this past March, but also because it's a fascinating microcosm of the precarious relationship between Japan and South Korea - both sides seem to be working toward a climate of mutual respect, but neither side is wholly willing to let go of the past or to let go of their pride and admit that the goal is really worth the cost.

Here's the beginning of the article to entice you to read more:

Over the centuries, this mountainous island in the strait separating Japan and Korea has seen some of the most violent episodes between those ancient Asian rivals, serving as a hide-out for pirates, a forward base for invaders and a desperate first line against attack. But in recent years that troubled history seemed hazily remote in Tsushima’s sleepy fishing hamlet of Kozuna, where villagers have gathered for generations in a tiny temple to pray before a statue of the Buddhist deity of compassion that is centuries old.

At least they did until October, when villagers discovered that someone had broken into the unguarded temple at night to steal the bronze statue, which is believed to have been made in Korea. Villagers breathed a sigh of relief in January, when it was safely recovered by the police in Daejeon, South Korea. 

But then the case took an unexpected turn. A South Korean court prevented the statue’s repatriation on the grounds that it might have been stolen from Korea centuries ago by Japanese pirates. Outraged at what they called a baseless claim, the islanders retaliated by canceling a summer pageant that attracts South Korean tourists with a colorful re-enactment of a procession of Korean emissaries who visited the island during a rare era of peace. 

The standoff over a single small statue (just a foot and a half high) offers a glimpse into how disagreements over history continue to divide Japan and South Korea, two nations that share more in common culturally than either would care to admit.

After-School Soccer

Remember my soccer ball? 

I'd mentioned to some of the kids I teach that I'd gotten one, and had sort of absently wondered out loud if any of them would be interested in playing.  A couple of them were really enthusiastic about the idea, and would actually ask where my soccer ball was after class.  Unfortunately, by that time I'd usually be downstairs with my shoes on, and my ball would be upstairs under my desk.  Going back up would be a pain since I'd have to take off my shoes and put on my school shoes, so usually I wouldn't bother. 

But today one of my students reminded me early enough that I thought to bring it down with me.  I'm much too sick right now to play myself, but they seemed delighted to kick it around outside next to our school.  And they were good about it, too - when it was time for them to load the buses and go home, they brought it straight back to me.  If I remember I'll let them play with it again tomorrow.  Who knows?  Maybe my doctor's appointment tomorrow morning will facilitate my fast recovery, and maybe soon enough I'll play with them.