Back in "the Gu"

 Warm greetings to the folks who read my blog.  Many of my blog posts start with an apology for my having neglected to keep the audience updated on my life.  This one is no different.  I'm sorry to have gone dark for so long, but believe me when I say that my days are busy...and there is rarely a dull moment.  I have made the decision to renew my teaching contract, so I will remain in Daegu for at least another year.  I was given a lovely three-week vacation, during which I returned to the U.S.A. to spend time with friends and family.  As I am still sorting through the photosand videos from my trip to the states, I hope you will be patient and anticipate a full debriefing in a later post.  This post is a hodgepodge of Korean summer time, and I hope you enjoy it.

 My good friend YongSung Park let me crash at his house in Seoul on my way back home to the U.S.A.  He's a righteous dude studying to get his CPA, and he knows his way around Seoul quite well. 

 I asked my students to create some simple newspaper headlines.  One of my young boys seems to be asking the question, "Did all of the beautiful women perhaps leave the earth on phallic rocket ships?"

 In Korea I experienced a typhoon (in Korean 태풍 = 'Tay-Poong') for the first time.  Typhoon Bolaven.  As it approached from the East Sea, all of the major news networks were making it seem as though doomsday had arrived.  Some of the southern cities were even instructed to board up the windows and turn of electrical appliances.  While the storm did strike with a force (25 deaths in the southern island provinces) it was nothing more than wind and rain in my city, Daegu.  I enjoyed watching the storm blow through...I would liken it to a junior-varsity hurricane.    

 The two photos above are from the international bodypainting festival (featured a year ago in the blog).  Because I know how speak a bit of Korean these days, I was able to gain access to the photo area.  It was a swiveling white backdrop thing that the girls 'handlers' would orient such that the shadows improved the photos.

 This photo comes from Jecheon at ChungPoong Land.  It is a lake/adventure park where I went bunjee jumping with my friends BK and Kamili.  You can rent small watercraft, and night concerts are sometimes held on that big pier accompanied by laserlight shows and sometimes fireworks.  We did not stick around for the night show, but be sure to check out the video below!




A 65 meter bunjee cord was the only thing that separated me from my maker.  I didn't scream though. (I couldn't even breathe much less squeal)  I would totally do it again though and I have plans to make that happen. 





More baseball games at Daegu Citizen Stadium.  We root, root, root for the home team (Daegu Samsung Lions) and if they don't win... 안돼군요 'ahn-dwey-goon-yo' = it's a shame



Hiking in the summer heat is not for the faint of heart, but here's a view worth having.

This is a video compilation I made.  (MOM click the box above these words) As the title suggests, it is my summer in South Korea.  It includes bunjee jumping, white water rafting, spelunking, relaxing with friends, Korean calligraphy class, and some of my summer English camp activities.  I hope you'll watch, it took me a long time putting it together.