Photos I've taken while out and about in our neighborhood.....
Redbuds, outside our apartment building, ready to bloom, in early April
A kindergarten class, taking a springtime walk during the cherry blossoms.
Dog, cart, and bicycle in front of a blue home along the river
A blue heron in the river
Redbuds in bloom!
:Laundry hanging out to dry in our neighborhood, beind our apartment complex (in the background to the right):
One of the things that I am enjoying most about our life here in Korea is the opportunity for us to simplify. We moved here in our suitcases - 5 large suitcases, 5 carry-ons, and 5 large suitcase-sized boxes. So we didn't bring much with us. We have a simple apartment without a dryer, which is typical for Korea. We have a small kitchen with a tiny oven, not much bigger than the typical American microwave overn. And we don't have a car. We may get one. We haven't decided yet. In some ways not having a car makes life more complicated. But not having a car helps us get more exercise. We walk much more, and carry out groceries home from the store. And a lack of car also keeps life simple by not needing to worry about car insurance, car registration, drivers licenses, keeping gas in the car, repairs and maintenance of the car, etc.
:Our laundry - mostly hapkido uniforms - hanging to dry on our veranda. I love hanging my laundry out to dry at home in Nauvoo too. But I am used to the option of using the dryer on cold, rainy days and when in a hurry:
I am truly loving it. Having fewer belongings frees up so much mental space, time, and energy that can be directed in so many different ways. It also helps me to focus on the basics and what is truly most important. We value each other more as a family and are less distracted, pulled in fewer directions. I am so grateful for this opportunity. We lived the simple life almost 20 years ago in Japan, when our family was just starting, and I have missed it ever since. How lucky we are to do it again with a new crop of children. I'm so glad that they can experience it too.
:our apartment:
And speaking of those children, after more than two years of having no teenagers in our family, today we officially have a teenager again. Mia came into this world 13 years ago today on a beautiful Easter Sunday. We didn't know about it until 3 days later, but throughout that Sunday I had a joyous feeling that something wonderful and significant was happening. I just didn't know what it was.
I'm making her request, our favorite dark chocolate cake, today, and grinding up my own powdered sugar in the blender, since I haven't been able to find any here. I'm also making gyoza and simmered kabocha (Japanese foods) at her request. I love that girl.
The cherry blossoms have almost come to an end, but we are savoring every moment that we can with them. The kids (and I) have wanted to take walks and take pictures every chance we get.
I was able to quickly snap photos of this beautiful elderly woman enjoying the blossoms. When I see elderly Koreans, I can't help but wonder at the difficulties and heartbreak they must have seen in their lifetimes - being conquered by the Japanese, having their country split in half and devestated by the Korean war and the evil of communism, the destruction of their cultural heritage sites, cities, and farmland, and the decades of economic devastation that followed.
The KTX towers.
The Solbridge International Business School Campus (where Brock works) is comprised of this single tall building. I took the photo while the kids were playing on teh playground.
The view from our balcony now that leaves and blossoms are appearing. It was a hazy day, but still lovely.
The cherry blossoms (Sakura in Japanese & Peojggot in Korean) have been the most wonderful surprise. They came earlier than expected, and are much more abundant than we expected. There are cherry trees everywhere. We don't see the huge, ancient cherry trees like we did in Japan, here they are fairly new, young trees, but they line the riverways, fill our parks and playgrounds, and make us very happy.
Sunday after church we went for a walk in the perfect weather, and enjoyed the blossoms.
cherry blossoms and plum blossoms along the river
Sharing the bounteous blossoms
I've been excited for the neighborhood to green up so that it would look better in photographs. It will get much greener still, but I couldn't wait any longer, and brought my camera with me on my walk on the first day of spring. The same day that I took these photos, and these.
Daejeon seems to be full of Christian churches. We can see at least 10 steeples topped with crosses when we look out from our balcony. Korea is estimated to be as much as 30% Christian. That is a huge number compared to other Asian countries. (Japan, for example, is less than 1% Christian). Only in the Philippines is Christianity more of a way of life, and that is because of their colonization by Spain.
As I walk along the river, at one point I can see these two Christian churches alongside a Buddhist Temple (the backwards swastika is the sign for a Buddhist Temple - Hitler actually took that sign and turned it backwards to make his swastika).
I love seeing people pushing or pulling carts along the roads like this.
Another Christian church along the river.
Our apartment complex.
An elderly man sells "popped and puffed goods" from his cart on the bridge near our complex. He has a machine inside his truck that heats up the corn, rice, wheat, etc, and pops it. I've heard that it is illegal to sell on the streets in Korea, but policemen can be paid to look the other way. Street carts like this are common.
The grocer right in front of our apartment complex. I enjoy being able to pop into this shop, and many others like it right in our neighborhood when I need something.
One of the things I love most about Asia is the mixture of the ancient and the modern, the old and the new. I am captivated by the juxtaposition of rickity old buildings next to sparkling new skyscrapers, electronic shops with all the latest techonolgies next ancient shrines.
Our neighborhood in Daejeon, Korea is an old neighborhood. And while many old and run-down homes and buildings are being cleared away and replaced by new high-rises, many intriguing and old structures & homes remain.
Last week, on the first day of spring, I tried to capture these contrasts & their beauty with my camera.
A picturesque scene from old Korea painted on a house wall. At first glance, it seemed to me like a cowboy riding a horse - a western scene, but on closer insepction I saw it was a man in traditional Korean dress.
I LOVE Korean roof tiles.
This green seems to be the most popular color for gates.
More roof tiles
As I was taking pictures of the roof tiles above, a man asked me in what seemed to be an unfriendly and accusatory tone "why". Why was I taking pictures? It made me nervous, but I tried to stay calm, and told him it was because I thought it was pretty. He beckoned me to follow him, and I questioned the wisdom of it. But I tried to follow my heart, and it felt right to go with him. He led me into a narrow alley way between two old houses, which made me a little nervous, and then he proudly showed me this gate, and wanted me to photograph it. The yellow tape seems to be caution tape. I wonder if it will be torn down soon.....I hope not.
It is common to see people pulling carts like this around, even on busy streets.
The "backwards swastika" is the sign for a Buddhist Temple. And actually, the swastika is a backwards sign for a Buddhist Temple. Hitler stole it and turned it backwards.
Buildings like these remind me of structures we saw on our trip to Beijing.
The sweet signs of spring are here.
I took these photos on my walk yesterday ~ the first day of Spring. It was such a treat for my eyes and my spirit.
Plum blossoms ~ Ume in Japanese ~ Maehwa in Korean.
We loved the ume in Japan, letting us know that winter was coming to a close. So happy to find them here in Korea too.
Daejeon has 3 rivers or creeks that flow through it, and they are lined with rubberized walking paths on both sides. It's a lovely way to take a walk.
The magnolias are also starting to bloom! These photos were taken at our apartment complex.
We had a surprise delivery today ~ two large boxes from our Natasha. She sent us her winter missionary clothes to keep for her until next winter, and also sent some fun letters, Korean study helps, and this lovely Hanbok set for Susanna Grace. I love traditional Korean clothes - so feminine and colorful.
Once a month, our stake (a group of congregations) charters a large bus for the two hour trip to visit the Temple in Seoul. On March 8th we waked 20 minutes in the early morning darkness to catch the bus at 6:00 am. At 8:15 or so we arrived in Seoul, where our Natasha is serving as a missionary.
The Seoul Temple is so lovely. We have loved it since October of 2000 when we first saw it during a 24 hour layover in Seoul on our way to Beijing. The landscaping is beautifully Asian, and so is the interior of the temple.
We can't wait to see it again when the trees have leaved out and the undulating waves of shrubs have become green and vibrant.
A feeling of peace, love, and serenity fills the temple and it's grounds.
Natasha visits the temple about once a month as a missionary, and it was fun to feel closer to her while we were there.
:Natasha and Sister Kim at the Seoul Temple in November. Sister Kim's family is in our ward (church congregation) here in Daejeon!:
After our session at the temple, we had time to walk around the city.
:notice the words on the window, the cakes on display inside, and the traffic reflected in the window - I love Asia:
Journal entries and facebook status posts during our first days in Korea.
Feb. 15th
Watching the Olympics on Korean television, which our children are learning means watching the events that have strong Korean competitors, with commentary in Korean. They are still loving it, especially the commercials.
Feb 16th
It's 3:55 am, and we're all awake ~ the joys of jet lag.
Feb 18th
We have finally learned how to sort our garbage properly in ~ vinyl, plastic, glass, styrofoam, metal, cardboard, food, and everything else. We got to sort through 3 days of garbage once we finally learned - so fun. We have also attended church, taken a taxi to and from the bus terminal successfully, learned how to use our washing machine, rice cooker, thermostat, and water heater, taken exploratory walks, applied for our foreigner registration, and met interesting people from all over the world - Kazakhstan, India, etc. And we've eaten lots of yummy Asian food that we've been missing - the Korean versions of onigiri, sushi, inarizushi, mochi, dim sum, mikans, miso, etc.
:A "garbage" truck, taking away styrofoam to be recycled:
As unfamiliar and confusing as many things in Korea are, it is almost like coming home when we go to the grocery store. So many beloved favorite foods that we've been missing from Japan ~ kaki (persimmons), mikans (fresh mandarin oranges), ichigo (Japanese strawberries that are somehow always so much more beautiful and tastier than in the U.S.), asian bok choy, fresh crisp bean sprouts, burdock root, so many yummy varieties of mushrooms, Oh! and kabocha! (Japanese squash, and the best squash in the world). And so many other things that are in the Japanese style and so much better than in the U.S. ~ the yogurt (to die for), the mayonnaise, the yogurt drinks, and all the yummy snacks and candies ~ a little bit of heaven.
Feb 21st
Yesterday a new friend we made at church took us to Costco. That was the best. And then his Korean wife helped us order the additional furniture we need online through a clearance site. Such a relief! Can't wait to have a sofa to sit on, a table we can all sit at, and beds for the kids. We've also had a 3 hour tour of Daejeon (the city where we live)- offered to us through the University. We are surrounded by mountains, which virtually all cities in Korea are, and they are promising to be gorgeous spring through fall. The kids have made some great friends at the playground in our apartment complex. Today we had our first full day of homeschool, and it went really well...... Tonight it will be a week since we arrived. Time goes so fast.
:Our kids on the playground with friends. We've been blessed that they have made friends quickly and easily:
I am in our apartment, watching the kids play on the playground, via our TV screen, which is linked to security cameras, and shows the playground and surrounding areas from several different angles. We just stumbled across this on our TV when we were looking at channels. Korea is very high tech in surprising ways.
Feb 24th
I am so grateful to be done running our home business, so that I can focus my time and energies on homeschooling our kids, and just enjoying them. I'm also grateful for our new simple lifestyle overseas that makes these same blessings even richer."
Feb 27th
I just made ddeokbokki (rice cakes in spicy sauce)! I'm trying to cook Korean/Asian as much as possible while we are here. It's yummy, healthy, and much more fun than focusing on the American foods that we can't get here. Thanks to the internet in general, and Pinterest specifically, I can find Korean & Asian recipes written for Americans - something I couldn't do when we first moved to Japan 18.5 years ago. (Just one way that the internet has made living overseas much easier.)
I left out the fish cakes, because they aren't my favorite. I don't know how a Korean would feel about my attempt, but we think it's yummy!"
March 3rd
Making kimchi.
:We love kimchi, and were making it in the U.S before we came to Korea. I expected to buy it here, in the land of kimchi, but quickly discovered that it was looked down upon. Homemade is healthiest and tastes best. This is our favorite recipe.
March 4th
Just put my three little ones on a bus/van to go to their first day of Hapkido martial arts. The van picks them up and drops them off, 5 days a week. They learn tumbling, tae kwon do, judo, weapons like nunchakus & swords, yoga, meditation, and the list goes on and on. I'm excited for them, and miss them already.....
And I'm feeling badly for their friends that are expecting them to play on the playground today. They were confused to see them drive away. It's so hard not to have enough language skills to explain it all.
March 5th
The dresser for Mia & Susie finally arrived this morning, so we are officially unpacked from our suitcases now. And our sofa finally arrived on Saturday, so we have a comfy place to sit. Life is good.
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