GilbertsGoToKorea

Happy Lunar New Year!

2012-01-29T04:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Lunar New Year! This is one of the main holidays celebrated in Asia. Lunar New Year was rather early this year, since we only had two weeks of school since Christmas break. This week off just gave us another reason to explore Asia, so we took off for Hong Kong, China to take in the festivities of the Chinese New Year in China. Last year we were in Beijing for Chinese New Year, but we found Hong Kong to be much more "festive" as they celebrated the "Year of the Dragon". We spent five days exploring Hong Kong. The weather was not great as it was cloudy/foggy, cool, and rainy, but we still enjoyed our time. The highlights of the trip included attending the International Chinese New Year Night Parade through the streets of Hong Kong (similar to the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade in NYC), fireworks over Victoria Harbor, Disneyland Hong Kong, shopping in the many markets around the city, and visiting the "Peak" overlooking the skyline and harbor (although it was very foggy). We became experts at riding the MTR (subway) around Hong Kong. It is such a densely populated city (over 7 million) that over 91% of the people who live in Hong Kong use public transportation, so it was very easy and efficient to explore. Liisa seemed to find many "deals" as she wandered the street markets. I never realized how many shoes someone really "NEEDS"! The kids were exhausted each day as we trekked around, but they never seemed to get "tired" at Disneyland. Check out our blog pictures to "see" the sights of Hong Kong. Well, back to reality tomorrow as we return to school. Liisa has a busy stretch coming up as she is the Assistant Cheerleading coach and the team has their conference cheerleading competition in Seoul this upcoming weekend for two days. Also, she is chaperoning a group of kids to The Philippines for five days (Feb 15-19) to attend a GINA conference in Manila. She is the one the advisors of this club on campus. My schedule also begins to pick up as the middle school activities season gets back into full swing after the break. The kids are all doing well and involved in many activities. Take care and we miss everyone at home! The Gilberts

Hong Kong

2012-01-29T04:37:00.001-08:00

Anja and Ailsa enjoying the stunning view of the Hong Kong skyline across Victoria Harbor.

Lukas and Ailsa exploring the night market area of Hong Kong. Lukas is happy because he just found a "cool" pair of Nike tennis shoes.

One of the many dragons that we saw as Hong Kong celebrated the "Year of the Dragon".

Lonne enjoying his ride across Victoria Harbor on the famous "Star Ferry".

We "lost" Lukas for a few minutes in the crowd. He decided to tie his shoes while we were walking and looking around. I told him that he better know which subway line to take in order to get back to our hotel! Thank goodness we found him after 10 minutes - he didn't look quite as happy as he does in the photo!!

Disneyland Hong Kong

2012-01-29T04:28:00.000-08:00

Liisa and Lonne enjoying their time on the "Dumbo" ride at Disney.

One of Anja's main goals was to get autographs from all of the Disney characters in her trip journal!

Family picture around Minnie Mouse!

Ailsa and Mickey!

The kids at the end of the 12 hour day at Disneyland Hong Kong - at least they could muster one more smile at the end of the day!

Pics from Hong Kong

2012-01-29T04:10:00.000-08:00

One the many "shopping" districts in Hong Kong. Busy place, but Liisa seemed to find good deals as we weaved through the crowds

This was our view from the famous "Peak"

over the city of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbor.. The weather was not great and we caught a glimpse of the skyline through the fog. 5 minutes after this picture you could not see anything!!!

Lonne waiting patiently in line (2 1/2 hours) so that we could ride the tram to "The Peak". All the people were behind us in this picture!

Enjoying the fireworks display over the castle at Disneyland.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-06T05:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from the Gilbert's! We are wrapping up our three week Christmas vacation and now preparing ourselves for second semester. We had a wonderful break. Both of my brothers (Christian and John) and their wives (Abby and Leah) were able to make the trek over the Pacific and spent two weeks with us. They began their "tour" by exploring Seoul for a couple of days and then we brought them back to Daejeon, so they could experience our "hometown" in Korea. After five days in Korea, we took off for warmer weather in Vietnam. What a trip - we spent time in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the Mekong Delta, and Mui Ne (beach resort on the South China Sea) with Christian/Abby and John/Leah. Very interesting spending Christmas Day walking around Ho Chi Minh in flip flops and shorts - I even saw Santa wearing red shorts outside one store! We enjoyed the Vietnamese cuisine (especially Pho'), the sites/culture of Vietnam, and spending time/relaxing as a family. We had to part ways on Dec. 30 (they had to go back to work!!) and Liisa, the kids and I took a bus up the coast of Vietnam to the city of Nha Trang to celebrate the new year. I have posted some pictures below to give you an idea of some of the things that we experienced. We hope that everyone at home had a wonderful Christmas and great start to 2012. We think about and talk often as a family about everyone back home - we miss you! The Gilberts

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

2012-01-06T04:36:00.000-08:00

Lonne draws some attention at the Ben Thanh Markets. Since it was Christmas Eve Day, he was "flying" Santa around all day!

Andrew enjoying a bicycle taxi ride (Tin Tin) around Ho Chi Minh.

The streets of Ho Chi Minh - Crazy traffic!!! Home of 10 million people and 7 million motor bikes. Try crossing the street with four kids!!!!

Christmas Day in Ho Chi Minh - Upper 80's and humid! A little different than Minnesota.

Liisa and Lonne sporting their new "authentic" Ray Ban sunglasses that they bought off the street for 5 bucks (100,000 Dong in Vietnamese currency).

Mekong Delta, Vietnam

2012-01-06T04:15:00.000-08:00

Ailsa enjoying a fresh coconut drink as she takes a ride on the Mekong River.

Andrew, Lukas, and Lonne get ready to explore the canals along the Mekong River.

Lonne relaxing in a hammock and enjoying some mango fruit at one of our plantation stops along the river.

We also ventured off to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels, uses by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam and other wars. Anja comes out of the "ground" from one of the tunnels.

Lonne and Lukas enjoying the boat ride on the Mekong!

Mui Ne, Vietnam

2012-01-06T04:04:00.001-08:00

We spent a day on motor bikes exploring the coast and country side of Mui Ne, Vietnam. Lonne really wanted to drive his own "bike". Only problem is that they don't come with training wheels!

The Gilbert Gang enjoying lunch at our resort in Mui Ne.

Ailsa walking the beaches of the East China Sea in the morning with her conical hat on.

Lukas finding a jelly fish that washed up on shore. Earlier in the day he was stung by one in the arm when he was swimming! Ouch!!!

Taking a break from the motor bikes for a quick picture at a fishing village.

Nha Trang, Vietnam

2012-01-06T03:47:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve in Vietnam! The girls are wearing their new Vietnamese dresses that we had made in Ho Chi Minh City.

Anja riding an ostrich on Hon Loa Island.

The family enjoying a warm mud bath at the Thap Ba Hot Springs on New Year's Day morning!

Lukas washing off the mud under a "warm" waterfall.

Ailsa trying to get close to monkeys at Monkey Island, an island off the coast of Nha Trang. There are thousands of monkeys on this island!

Hello from South Korea - Fall 2011

2011-11-18T19:10:00.001-08:00

Hello! Just wanted to give an update of how we are doing! This fall has been very busy at school. Liisa has been busy with four different preps at school along with many activities including make-up crew for fall play, assistant cheerleading coach, coach for dance crew, and also advises three students clubs. I have been busy teaching, coaching girls middle school soccer, and always organizing schedules/tournaments as the MS Activities Coordinator. Due to this schedule, we haven't been able to do too much traveling on the weekends. We are looking forward to John/Leah and Christian/Abby visiting us over Christmas break. We will show them around Korea for a few days and then head to Vietnam for 10 days. The kids have been busy with school and activities. I attached a few pictures of the family in "action" below. Lukas is doing well in school and has been on the TCIS middle school soccer team - he was thrilled to be selected to the "All-Star" team and competed in an extra tournament at the end of the season. School has also been going well for Ailsa. She was on the elementary cross-country team, continues to attend gymnastics, and recently began playing the flute. This week she performed a gymnastics routine at our school to over 400 people for an APAC ceremony. Anja LOVES school, Tae Kwon Do, and also has enjoyed being in science club/cooking club after school. This past week she "earned" her yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do. Lonne is Lonne - enjoys school, running around campus, and attending all of his siblings events. Take care and hope everyone at home has a great Thanksgiving!

Family Pics-Fall 2011

2011-11-18T17:29:00.001-08:00

This past week Anja passed her test in Tae Kwon Do and is now a "yellow" belt. I feel much safer now walking the streets with Anja!

We were able to find a used bike for Lonne and he enjoys riding around the neighborhood.

Lukas in "action" during a soccer tournament in Seoul.

Liisa and I "dressed" up for "tacky day" during spirit week at TCIS. Liisa is wearing her Packers bandana - now that is "tacky"!

Ailsa is being carried around in a traditional Korean "Marriage Carriage" at a traditional village that we visited a few weekends ago.

Hello from South Korea!

2011-09-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy September! We enjoyed a week off for the Chusok Holiday in Korea. (Liisa thought we had the week off in honor of her 40th!) This holiday is "Thanksgiving" in Korea, where families get together and give thanks for the harvest season that will soon begin. We spent a few days in the beach city of Busan (Liisa spent her entire B-Day on the beach - I think she smiled once that day!) and then took the train up to Gyeongju, the ancient capital city of the Silla Kingdom. In Busan, we swam in the East Sea, went to a Lotte Giants baseball game, and hiked/explored in the mountains above Busan. It was wonderful to relax and catch some last rays of summer. We then took the train to Gyeongju and explored some historical areas and temples in the mountains. This past weekend, our church sponsored a trip to the DMZ, the border between North and South Korea. It was an unforgettable experience to be in place where you feel the division and tension. We stayed overnight in a village peace retreat center just outside the DMZ, that is used for programs designed for people to reflect and pray for peace between the countries. School is keeping Liisa and I very busy. The kids are doing great. Lukas is now on the middle school soccer team and Ailsa joined the cross-country running team along with keeping her gymnastics schedule. Anja starts soccer next week and Lonne "plays" dad in baseball behind our apartment every night. Lonne is undefeated! The fall weather is great and the colors will soon spread across the mountains. Take care! Andrew

DMZ - Peace Village

2011-09-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Family picture near the DMZ, the border of North and South Korea.

A "glimpse" of North Korea looking through the heavily fortified/guarded DMZ on the border of North and South Korea.

We explored the 4th tunnel just outside the DMZ zone. This was a tunnel that the North Koreans were building through the mountain in an attempt to invade the South. It was found before they finished. We had to walk through this tunnel to get to 4th tunnel. We were not allowed to take pictures in the tunnel.

Lukas and I explored some bunkers and tunnels from the Korean War that were in the mountains just south of the DMZ. This area was cleared of mines and is used for training exercises today. Thousands of South Korean and American troops are stationed along the border. Much of the mountain area is off limits due to land mines

Villages just outside the DMZ area hope and pray for peace between North and South Korea.

Pics from Gyeongju, South Korea

2011-09-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

A pagoda near the top of Mt Tohamsan high above Gyeongju. The kids were able to "ring" the bell - see below!

Lukas and Lonne relaxing on the train! This is how we travel in Korea!

Anja, Ailsa, and Lonne "ringing" the bell!

The kids at Bulguksa Temple, considered to be one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Korea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of the many temples offered for meditation within Bulguksa.

Pictures from Busan - Chusok Holiday

2011-09-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

Goofing around at the train station as we are waiting for our train from Busan to Gyeonju. Lonne wasn't in the mood, he did not want to leave Busan!

Exploring temples in Busan!

A long hike to the top of a mountain in Busan to explore a 15 century fortress. Lonne is in the lead with Lukas close behind!

Taking a ride into the mountains above Busan to go explore and hike.

Pictures from Busan - Chusok Holiday

2011-09-25T06:17:00.001-07:00

Anja joined in with some Lotte Giant fans at the game in Busan.

Ailsa and Anja showing off the Giant version of the "rally-cap", an orange plastic bag that people made into various hats in the eighth inning!

Lonne loves the Busan baseball team - the Lotte Giants - we had to get him a jersey and he is very proud to wear it at the game!

Lonne gets a lot of attention on the beaches of Busan!

Anja and Lonne enjoying the East Sea during the Chusok Holiday in Busan, South Korea.

We are back in South Korea

2011-09-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

We are back for the 2011-12 school year in South Korea. We enjoyed our time at home this summer spending time with family and friends. It has been just over a month since we arrived back in Daejeon. The school year has started and we forget how busy life is here. Liisa is teaching four different high school classes (mainly English/Writing) along with supervising the Amnesty Club, helping with make-up for the HS fall play and coaching the dance team. I am teaching 8th grade humanities, serving as the activities coordinator for the middle school, and coaching. The kids are off to a good start. Lonne is very excited about being a "student" this year, since he now attends Pre-K in the mornings. His teacher says he asks for homework because his brother and sisters have to do homework! Lukas is in middle school and enjoying switching classes each period along with more activity choices (he is currently on the rugby team and in middle school band). Ailsa is enjoying fifth grade and has returned to her gymnastics academy two days a week. Anja loves second grade and joined a cooking club and once again is back in Tae Kwon Do. Although life is busy, we try to get out on the weekends to hike the mountains around Daejeon. Last weekend, we attended the World Track Championships in Daegu, South Korea. The athletes were amazing, especially watching Usain Bolt run! Next weekend is Chuseok (Korean Holiday) and we are heading to the beaches of Busan for a few days to relax. We have also planned a trip to the DMZ Zone (border of N/S Korea) the following weekend. We miss everyone at home and hope all is well as the school year begins in the states!

HIking around Daejeon, South Korea

2011-09-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Liisa and Lonne taking a break on one of our weekend hikes in the mountains.

This is a picture of our "neighborhood" from the top of a mountain. Our apartment is near the middle of this picture. It is the dark building with 4 white vertical stripes. Little different than Ivanhoe Drive in Watertown!!!!!!

The kids hiking! Lonne brought a friend along from school to hike, since Lukas was at a friends house!

Anja and Ailsa climbing on some rocks to find a mountain stream to put their feet in.

Lonne in front of a pagoda on the top of Mt. Bomusan overlooking the city of Daejeon.

Track Championships in Daegu, SK

2011-09-04T06:58:00.001-07:00

We had great seats at the World Track Championships that were held in Daegu, South Korea - 4th row. Usain Bolt warmed up right in front of us before the 100m.

Here we are in the stadium!

The 10000 m race - The medals were swept by Kenya in this race! The US runners were ahead for the first two laps - too bad this race was 25 laps!

We attended the open ceremonies and the first night of track competetion.

Lukas on his 12th birthday! Enjoying some brownies that we packed in our suitcase from home!

Pictures-First Days of School 2011

2011-09-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

The boys spending our last day of summer vacation at the baseball stadium in Daejeon - GO Hanawha Eagles!

It has been raining quite a bit in August. Here is Anja and her friend Kasey trying to keep dry after school.

Liisa and Ailsa walking to school in the rain!

Lonne with his two best friends at Pre-K. Lonne loves school!

First day of School 2011-12!

Hello from the long, lost Gilbert clan!

2011-04-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since we posted our last message. Our only excuse is that our life is crazy. My goal was to create a post before I turn 40. Since that is tomorrow, I better get this done!! As I mentioned, life have been busy, but we have been able to create some great memories over the past three months. We have posted a few pictures below to give you an idea of what we have been up to. Liisa spent a week in Australia at a MYP workshop, but was able to sneak in some sightseeing in Syndey the day before the workshop and in Adalaide following the workshop. If you ask me, I think she did more "sightseeing" based on the number of pictures she took! Liisa's parents visited us in Febuary and we spent the week of Lunar New Year in Beijing. We toured the sites of Beijing and traveled to the Great Wall - a memorable week! Over spring break in March, Jim and Sandy visited us and we escaped to Jeju Island, an island off the southern tip of South Korea for a few days of relaxing and sightseeing! The weather was cool and windy, but we still had a great time. The rest of our time has been spent teaching, coaching (Andrew - elementary and middle school basketball, Liisa - high school dance crew), and parenting. The kids have kept busy, but are looking forward to being home this summer!

Pictures of the Kids

2011-04-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Family picture on Jeju Island during spring break! It was "unseasonably cool" the week we went!

Lonne performs in his first play - "Tacky the Penguin" at school. Lukas "decides" to play basketball this year, since the school does not have a wrestling team - Dad could not be prouder!!!

Ailsa with her first grade friends at her 7th birthday party!

Jeju Island - Spring Break

2011-04-11T06:40:00.001-07:00

Jim and Sandy (Andrew's parents) were able to join us for a trip to Jeju Island. The kids at a pagoda (temple) on Jeju.

Ailsa finds a basalt figure on Jeju that she thinks is pretty cool! I'm not sure why this picture uploaded twice!

Liisa and the girls before we hiked into the crater of the volcano that is pictured in the background.

The Great Wall of China

2011-04-11T06:29:00.001-07:00

Lukas, Ailsa, Anja, and Lonne stretch across the Great Wall of China!!!!

Liisa enjoying a walk along the Great Wall!

Andrew and Lonne prepare for the slide from the Great Wall back to the parking lot below - tourism at its best!

Eino and Jeanne (Liisa's parents) eating Hot Pot in Beijing. Wow - Jeanne looks like a natural with those chop sticks!

Lukas and Ailsa posing with a Kung Fu cast after a show in Beijing.

Lunar New Year in China

2011-04-11T06:16:00.001-07:00

Lukas outside of the Olympic Stadium (The Birds Nest) in Beijing.

Andrew and Lonne surviving the street scene in downtown Beijing on Lunar New Year - Lonne had the best views of China!

Liisa, Ailsa, and Anja sharing some street food - their favorite was candy covered strawberries!

Outside the "Forbidden City" in Beijing!

Lunar New Year in Beijing, China

2011-04-11T06:12:00.001-07:00

Liisa in Australia

2011-04-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

Liisa and a couple of friends from school visiting a winery near Adelaide, Australia.

Looking out of the winery into the valley of grapes. Liisa looooves her animal pictures. I will spare you the pain of seeing all 200 pictures she took of animals - the highlights include one of a Kuala Bear and Liisa feeding a Kangaroo!

Probably the most well known site in Australia - the Opera House in the harbor of Sydney!

Happy New Year from South Korea

2011-01-10T04:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from South Korea! Today we returned to school after a three week Christmas Break. Our break was great! Liisa's sister and family (Marja, Bob, Eila, and Mak) made the trek to South Korea to spend Christmas with us. It was great to be with family again. We spent some time showing them around Daejeon and also ventured up to Seoul for three days. On Christmas morning ( at 4:00 am after Santa visited) we took off on a 10 day trip to Thailand. What an experience- 3 days in Bangkok, 3 days on the island of Phuket, and 4 days on the island of Yao Yai. Swimming, riding elephants, renting motor bikes, eating Thai food, and experiencing the culture of Thailand is something that we will never forget. We tried to capture a few of those moments with the pictures posted below. We hope that everyone had a great holiday season! Liisa is off to Australia next week for 8 days to attend an MYP workshop. Nice - I only left for 5 days for my MYP training in Japan. All teachers at our school are required to attend these workshops for the IB certification. She is a little stressed since she has sub plans to prepare for five days! That is why I am the "guest" writer on our blog. Also, Liisa's parent's will be arriving in two weeks for a visit, so the kids are excited to see Noni and Grandpa. We have been thinking about all of you at home and kids are missing their friends! Only one more semester and we will be home to visit for six weeks this summer. Take care! Andrew

Bangkok Pictures

2011-01-09T02:27:00.000-08:00

Liisa and the girls shopping at the night markets in Bangkok - they never seem to get tired of shopping!

Lonne loved his experience of riding an elephant, so for the rest of the trip he wanted pictures next to elephants! Notice his t-shirt!

Riding in a Tuk-Tuk around Bangkok - traffic was unbelievable, but the ride was exciting!

The Emerald Palace - Home to the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Thailand. The King of Thailand is currently the longest serving leader of a country in the world - 65 years!

Boat traffic in Bangkok was also busy. Anja getting wet by the wake of another boat as we are riding in a long boat - part of the experience!

2011-01-09T02:03:00.000-08:00

Traveling on the river by long boat through Bangkok and looking at the famous Buddhist Temple - Wat Arun.

City view of Bangkok from the balcony of our hotel - 56th floor - Great views of the city of 10 million people!

The hotel in Bangkok upgraded our room to a 3 bedroom suite with a living room and kitchen. This was a surprise! Not really sure why they upgraded us for no extra cost - I think they looked at four kids and decided that this room was away from the other guests!!!! :)

Our hotel taxi on the island of Yoh Yai -kids had a blast riding on top!

Thailand

2011-01-08T22:56:00.000-08:00

Liisa hanging on as she rides an elephant in Krabi, Thailand.

Here she looks a little too comfortable! The kids thought that the elephant experience was one of the highlights of the trip!

Lukas and Mak searching for sea creatures!

Sea kayaking - traveling down some canals into the rain forest. We saw monkeys and some very large lizards on our adventure.

Pictures of Thailand

2011-01-08T22:48:00.000-08:00

Lukas, Lonne, and Mak enjoying ridng on the front of a long boat on our ride to Krabi, Thailand.

Thailand is a beautiful country!

Having lunch at a local restaurant on Yao Yai Island.

Kids playing beachball soccer!

Exploring the island of Yao Yai off Thailand

2011-01-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

Liisa and Lukas taking off on the motor bike to explore more of the island! Lukas drew the short end of the stick - had to ride with Mom!!!

Family picture around the motor bike. It was a fun and exciting way to explore the island.

Ailsa finding hermit crabs in the sand,

Anja and Lonne goofing around on the beach.

The kids enjoying the sun with a traditional Thai long boat in the background.

Vacation in Thailand

2011-01-08T22:28:00.000-08:00

Ailsa and Anja getting their hair braided at Sirum Beach.

Enjoying fruit drinks at the beach - the fresh fruit shakes were the best!!

Ailsa and Anja walking along the market areas near the beach!

Lonne "surviving" swimming in the ocean!

Let's wear our neck pillows on our heads as we are waiting in the airport on our way to Thailand!

Visiting Seoul Before Christmas

2011-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Liisa, Ailsa, and Eila "standing guard" at the Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Liisa, Anja, and our niece Eila ice skating at the city center in downtown Seoul.

Lukas and his cousin Mak racing around the outdoor ice rink.

Lukas and Mak hanging out at the Namdaemun Market area as the parents finish off some Christmas shopping.

The cousins exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul

Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!!!!!!!

2011-01-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve in Daejeon 2010 - showing off some of their new PJ's.

Hiking to the top of Mt. Gyejoksong - Great view of the City of Daejeon and the surrounding mountatains.

SNOW

2010-12-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone - I just had to blog quick to tell you all how I was feeling this Saturday morning. Andrew has just read me the new this morning from the MN and it was all about the weather. As you know how big of kid I am when it comes to snowstorms - I LOVE THEM and the snow and winter feeling is one of the things I miss most here in Korea. There are SNOW WARNINGS and BLIZARD WARNINGS all over - I hope you are all SAFE - but how cool with 20+ inches of snow over Watertown - WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel bad that these storms seem to be hitting over the weekend - I hope for a day off for you all - just to stay safe at home - play in the snow and drink hot chocolate - I'm sure our sledding hill is being used - Know that we miss you all and wish you a warm-cozy weekend as you watch the beautiful snow. My sister and family are coming today -we are crazy with anticipation! Take Care...

2010-12-04T23:38:00.000-08:00

Andrew and his middle school cross-country team. Go Dragons!

Ail is working out on bars at the East Deajeon Education Center. This is a place where there are gymnasts who practice 4+ hours every day with hopes of being in the Olympics!

2010-12-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

Hiking up' chicken-foot' mountain just last weekend. It isn't that steep, but I was huffing and puffing! Lonne is becoming quite the hiker - he actually runs up the hill and amazes the Koreans.

Here Lukas and Lonne are trying out some foot therapy!

Santa even stopped over to Korea for some early Christmas photo ops!

Ailsa trying out the street fare in Seoul -YUM!

2010-12-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

We happened upon this lantern festival as we were in Seoul a couple of weeks ago. It is held once a year in SEOUL in November and because of the G-20 Summit this year - the staging was INCREDIBLE! There were floating lanterns depicting symbols from each of the 20 countries represented at the summit.

The kids inside the palace grounds. Anja is taking after her father's fanstastic map-reading skills.

2010-12-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

OK - We just wanted to add some additional pictures of this fall and now winter. You can see Lukas gettting his hair cut. He loves getting the massage - the service is great! We had a fantastic day in Seoul about 3 weeks ago - we made it to 2 palaces, a lantern festival, out to eat and a little shopping - the kids slept well on the train home as did their mom and dad!

2010-12-04T21:55:00.001-08:00

Deoksugung palace in Seoul - Changing of the guard.

The fruit and food stands out in the streets are plentiful - These apples were AMAZING

A top the fortress wall (700 years+) high above Daejeon

Andrew gets double the workout as 1/2 of our family members refuse to walk...

Look at Anja's determination - She is one TOUGH cookie - No one will mess with her!

Hi Everyone - Sorry it has taken us so long to update. At one point this summer, we thought that keeping a blog would be easy and we would have more time in Korea...We have been proven wrong once again.

We are doing fine. Can't believe it is December 5th. We just came back from a church potluck which was scrumptious. We have been busy, busy, busy. We are trying to keep up with school. Andrew's grades are due this week and mine after break. We have final exams week after next. It will all get done, but at times we don't know how. Ailsa has been doing gymnastics 3 days a week. Lukas is going through wrestling withdrawal, but has plenty of studying to do. Anja's social calendar is booked with weekend birthday parties and sleepovers. She is also perfecting her kicks in Tae Kwon Do. Lonne is busy climbing trees, running, birthday partying - yelling....among other activities. Andrew and I try to run after and keep things as quiet as possible. We have also been trying to dedicate some time on the weekends to trek around this HUGE city we live in. The mountains are gorgeous- so we have been doing some exploring/hiking - enjoying the physical exercise and great views -the weather here is quite mild - no snow and on average around 50 degrees F. It is nice!

Christmas is right around the corner so we are preparing the kids for school Christmas concerts and church programs which may include reading bible verses in front of church - Anja is reading the Holy Bible every night in preparation. As Ailsa was questioning her process, Anja responded... "Well what if we have to say 'Ecclesiastes' 'or something like that??? I don't want to mess up in front of the WHOLE church!" It was pretty cute.

My sister and family are coming in a week so we are busy decorating (Korean style...) and are excited. We will travel around Deajeon and also to Seoul. On Christmas morn we are heading off for an adventure in Thailand -(with my sister and niece and nephew...unfortunately, my brother-in-law has to head home Christmas day.) We will spend 8 days in Bangkok, Phuket and an island off of Phuket -we are very excited and very fortunate. Anyway - until then it is survival.

We miss all of you over the holidays. Friends and Family are so important. We are excited about the opportuntities to do some orphanage visits here and help some less fortunate individuls have a warm Christmas. We are thinking of you all - snuggle up and enjoy the season. Pray for Peace here in Korea and all over! We haven't felt the politics here in Daejeon, but we know that the Korean people are really feeling stressed and are hurting. Everyones' hopes for a unified country seem farther away these days - we are praying that a sense of calmness and peace is established and there can be discussions on bringing the countries together.

We will try to update as we can - Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers this holiday season! Take Care - LALALA

2010-10-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Go Ail!

Check out that speed and the socks - he is as goofy as ever!

TCIS UNITED - This was before they actually played ha/ha///

All the teams from TCIS -

(organized by Andrew! -A true photo op.)

And last - The Chicken truck - I know it seems a bit random -but after a long week - the chicken guy sets up camp outside of our apartment and we feast....It's all good!

2010-10-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Our corner Kagae (sp???) or the corner store :)

Our apartment building - We live on the 3rd floor.

Japan Pics - Kobe is a busy port city - check out those fishing poles!

Kobe beef - This is for you Jimmy and Marja - YUM! (Andrew didn't even use steak sauce - go figure!)

2010-10-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here we are on the city bus (our preferred mode of transportation) - going grocery shopping...
TCIS gym - Home of the Dragons!

This picture was taken During Open House - We can safely report after today's conference that Lukas has had a smooth transition and is doing great in school...

Lukas and his teacher Mr. Lober - Look at those smiles!

2010-10-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

These pics were taken during Open House back in Sept - You can see Ail and Anja with their classroom teachers. We just went to conferences for the 3 oldest today - We can safely say they are all progressing and doing great~!

One of Andrew's classes - out in the portable....

Looking down from Mr. Gilbert's classroom

Anja and her new friends!

2010-10-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone. First, we want to apologize that we haven't blogged in awhile. We have been busy with daily life - posting grades, conferences, PD and our first visitors from the states!

Two weeks ago, Andrew went to Kobe Japan for professional development on the Middle Years Programme in IB. He had a great time and tasted Kobe beef (my family will be drooling!)...He attended the conference during the day and explored by night. He wasn't feeling very good (coughing/conjestion) prior to going and his condition only got worse when he was there as he pushed himself to explore. Today he actually went to the "Happy Clinic" (no lie - although Andrew said they weren't very happy there....hmmm...) He got some antibiotics and is on the mend - FINALLY>

While he was off in Japan for 5 days, Mary Kleis and her friend Jennifer came for the weekend on their way to China. It was wonderful to spend some time with Mayr (college roommate and very good friend) and it was an opportunity for her to see our life here in Korea. I hope she and Jennifer had a great time. We even experienced our first Jin Ju Ban (sp???) Korean bathhouse together - this was an extreme cultural experience - complete with multiple soaking baths at different temperatures, various saunas and ice houses as well as a Dr. Fish pool. Yes, we soaked our feet in a pool with tons of little fish who swam up and ate the dead skin off our feet - it was a hair-raising experience and I screamed most of the time - Mayr and Jennifer were much braver than I - A 'must do' if you come to Korea!

Last weekend, I went to Seoul for the weekend for a KOTESOL conference (Korean TESOL). This was exciting. It was much better attended than in MinneTESOL - I haven't been to the National Conference, but I imagine it was something like that. This was for the PanAsian countries - very cool! We went to lots of sessions, learned about some Korean traditional games- which my co-worker and friend Michelle and I played and won! - And also did some shopping. Seoul has some really GREAT SHOPPING - VERY CUTE clothes - it was fun!

While I was at KOTESOL, Andrew went with the kids to a soccer Jamboree in Suwon. This is a city about 1.5 hours away from Daejeon. They had a great day - They played teams from all over Korea -as far as the results for their team: TCIS UNITED - Well...they weren't as good as they hoped (they won one)- let's just say the Koreans are GOOD little players! Ail played goalie and of course Lukas blamed her for the loss - this wasn't the real truth - Andrew said she has talent in this area -but it didn't help when the other team had over 20 shots on goal per game - Can we say Defense!

This week Andrew and I prepared for conferences. These took place yesterday starting at 12 - 8:30 (we taught for first 1/2 the day) and then again today from 11 - 3. We both felt they went well. At the high school level, they set up the tables in the gym as private/individual teacher stations with linons (white and black) with glass bulbs on each table - name plate in plastic - etc.... It was very professional and well attended. I think I have 30 total students (my classes are quite small)...and I had 20 parents attend - this was a good turn out! All my students are in 10th grade - usually the numbers dwindle as the kids get older. Andrew had an even better turn out - but middle school didn't have quite the presentation as the high school. Most of the TCIS students come to this school for their high school years (due to the tuition costs). The parents were very professional - extremely respectful - greatful...They want their kids to get an A - and want to see how they can help make that happen. It was a great cultural experience.

We now have a long weekend. We are really happy about this little break. We have PD on Monday and Tuesday again focusing on the Middle Years Programme -This time, our focus is on assessment. It is a good overview for all us newbees to the IB system or framework.

Anyway - the weather here has been gorgious! Sunny almost every day and in the 60's. We all are very greatful for this warm weather coming off of the monsoon season. We can't believe it is almost Halloween time - one of our favorite. We will miss hosting our annual Chili feed and constume party. We will be thinking of all you! We haven't decided what we will do here - I think it is much mellower here - we may go to Seoul as there are quite a few festivities there - we will keep you all posted. I hope all is well - missing you! LALAL A

Chusok - Buson Sept 2010

2010-09-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Blog from Buson.

Hello - Finally, we are on vacation after teaching 6 of the 7 weeks we have been in Korea. OH DOES IT FEEL GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is Chusok break. This is the harvest holiday or the Korean Thanksgiving holiday (and other countries following the lunar calendar). It is one of the biggest holidays in Korea - The country basically shuts down and the celebration occurs on Tuesday - Thursday. Today is Sunday,
I am sitting in a hotel room trying to connect to the internet - to no avail while the rest of my family sleeps. We are staying in the Haeundae Grand Hotel in Buson. It is beautiful- a bit pricey - but beautiful. The hotel faces the ocean (Sea of Japan - leading into the Pacific) WE are on the 18th floor - yikes!
We arrived on Friday night - after teaching, trying to leave school straight away - getting home with about 50 minutes to spare to try to pack up - getting a taxi to the train station and then off to Buson. We left Daejeon at 5:30 - arrived at Buson 7:30 pm. And then the adventure of trying to get to our hotel. I think we finally arrived at 9:30 - 10pm. The kids were exhausted! We decided to take the subway out to our hotel which was like 30-40 minutes from the train station. Buson is the 2nd largest city in Korea - so things take a lot more time than actual miles might suggest (as does traveling with a family of 6 - not quite the relaxing vacation time of Jamaica!!!). Anyway - after lugging our luggage (which was way to much by Korean standards) one bag per person….after toilet breaks - after dinner break by a fountain w/VERY whiny tired kids….we made it.
The story of our hotel room…..When we reserved the room we were shocked by the hotel costs. We therefore, elected to get a ‘Korean style’ hotel room where we would sleep on the floor on mats. I didn’t know what we had in store for us. Upon arrival - we were shocked - Our hotel was beautiful - Lukas announced, “This is what I‘m talk’en about, maybe this wasn‘t such a bad idea after all!” Our room was big, with vaulted ceiling, etc….but with one big floor. No chairs - etc. after looking through all the cabinets we finally found mats - there were only 4. After much discussion of which way the mats should go down - they were like pretty fancy comforters with a bit more body…with a white sheet over one side. The girls thought the sheet part should go face down so the pretty pink of the comforter was what we laid on - we went with that for part of the night - when things were sooooooooo uncomfortable - we switched to the other side (at least I did). When we finally woke - after really not sleeping I felt more tired than before we arrived. I told Andrew that something had to change - either more mats or a new room. We elected to ask at the front desk. They have since moved our rooms to one with beds. They said there wasn’t an up-charge. This was different from the information we received when we booked the hotel (thus the choice to sleep Korean styly initially). The cost on the door is about 100 dollars more than the other room. We are both holding our breath until check-out time - OH well, I just can’t do the “Korean style”…..Anyway - our room faces the ocean. It is beautiful. It is in a protected cove by an outcropping of rocks - the waves aren’t bad.

Yesterday, was the kids’ first experience swimming in an ocean. After screaming at the jelly fish on the beach and making all heads turn our way - we settled down. The weather is beautiful!!!!! Sunny - about 80-85 degrees. We played on the beach all day - the kids collected shells - swam - got very sandy (you all know how my kids are one with the sand - I’m not sure what that is about…..) Anyway - they had fun and were happy. We only ate a donut for breakfast - couldn’t find a reasonable western syle breakfast. We were very hungry around dinner time. We ate at Outback Steakhouse - It was GREAT! Anyway - after filling our bellies, we came back and the kids watched movies on the computer - Andrew went to the grocery store for supplies for today’s breakfast and I got really tired and eventually dozed off to sleep on a bed!
Today, I am watching early a.m. swimmers swim in the ocean - there are tons of Korean swimming and it is 7a.m. This is odd as Koreans usually sleep until 11 - as they are up so late at night. Lonne is by me asking if he can eat a piece of candy he received yesterday from a gentleman in the streets. It is really pretty. Sunny again today. Lonne and I are going to step out for some coffee before he wakes everybody up. I will write more soon! Liisa.

Hello - Today is Sunday - Sept. 26th. We arrived home from our vacation on Wednesday - it was awesome - we actually got tan! We then had PD days on Fri and Sat - not so much fun, but interesting - we are learning all about IB and the Middle Years Programme (educator lingo) - it was a good overview. We are tired and going to bed - not as prepared for the week as we may have hoped - but rested and full of beautiful Korean sites! This week is an easy week for me with SES (Spiritual Emphasis Week) we meet in ‘house’ groups for 3 days…no school - this will be my saving grace J Andrew is preparing for his travels to Japan for training and also a visit to the World Cup Soccer Stadium in Daejeon this coming SAt - Should be fun! Anyway - We miss you all and hope you enjoy the pics!

1st visit to SEOUL Sept 2010

2010-09-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our very first visit to Seoul. We went for the day - shopped - ate - walked - visited a tower - etc. Too Cool!

2010-09-26T05:41:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from about 3 weeks ago from our trip to Hanoe Village. We saw a very old town and a traditional Korean mask dance - Enjoy!

2010-09-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to mention a BIG birthday wish to my friend Sharla.....I'm thinking of you and hope your Trip to Montana and lake plunge was invigorating. I thought it was such a big birthday it deserved its own blog page :) Enjoy - have fun during the first week of school!

weekly updates

2010-09-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone.

Sorry, it has been awhile. We are sitting here on Friday night 8/3...Happy BD this week to Sandy/Grandma/Mom - we hope it was great and also to Mary Kleis - I hope it was wonderful - and upcoming wishes to Kelly Smith - Have a wonderful day - OK - it is your a.m....we are now watching some crazy American TV show about an alien invasion - there are 4 channels in English at night (the only time we have tested it...) Anyway - We are doing well. We have been busy this week. It has been a tiring/borderline exhausting week. I will start off with last weekend when we went to Hanoe Village a 500 year old village. We watched a traditional mask dance (it was a little different - adult humor!) and visited the premises. We went to an old school area. We also went out for dinner - it was fantastic. We had barbeque - beef Borgogi - traditional dish - like a beef plate/soup that you eat with rice and wrap in lettuce. It was made with natural beef from the area - this was special - it was really good. I will add pictures. We came home around 8 pm after leaving at 8a.m. It was a long day, but a great cultural experiece. On Sunday, we went to church and then out for lunch - came home around 2 then studied and got ready for the week on Monday. The week was busy. We had Open House on Thursday - last night. I will re-cap last night - We started with running home after school to get all dolled up! We were to get dressed up and ready to present to parents. During the week we worked on creating powerpoints, folders of assessements, putting thins on edline, etc. Anyway - We walked back to high schools - high heels on, sort of crazy on my part....ate dinner on campus, then raced around to all of our kids' events. It was a bit nuts. They each needed 7 stamps in their passports - 7 classes x3. We got to them all (in high heels for me mind you...). At least, they had a couple of the classes in common - namely Korean and also Art. They like school and are doing well. Ail is part of the newsapaper crew now. She is a colomnist, cartoonist and also a survey taker.- hmmm hopefully it won't turn into Mom and Dad's job! She is also having soccer on Fridays. and Tae Kwon Do - We signed up all 3 for that event. It is free and a senior is teaching it. Nice! Anyway, back to my story. After making it to all their classes....had to go to the PTA meeting - then headed to our own Open House. We had 10 minutes per class. I have very small classes - the largest being 9... I had 2-4 parents in each session. It was good. The parents are very nice, very professional - dress up - etc. Andrew had more of a subject area meeting where they co-presented to a grade - he had more parents due to having more students - he too felt it went well. We got home at 9:30. We invited a high school student to watch the kids on campus. The kids were tired. We got home and went to bed - had to come to school today. After school, it was Lukas' touch rugby tourni... another quite interesting sport - We have so many Aussies and New Zealanders...The day was long, but we are home now. We had pizza tonight - it was good. We found pizza for about 6,000Wan - about $5. It is a good deal. we are taking it easy this weekend. Tomorrow we need to buy groceries downtown. That involves a bus trip with the 6 of us. We all can't fit in one taxi - so it is less expensive for us to take the bus. We then shop and may either take the bus back with all our groceries - this is an interesting adventure in its own right...or take a taxi - another adventure...OH BOY - The CHOICES. Anyway, I thought I would write as I'm not quite tired yet. Andrew is conked out on the couch and the kids are finally asleep. Take care and I will add pics from last weekend as soon as I am able. We are having a couple over for dinner tomorrow so trying to cook is part of tomorrow's agenda - wish me luck!.

2010-08-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

Here is how they deliver in Korea... and even at McDonalds! I think the US should consider moving in this direction - Wow!

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here are pics from Lukas' BD - Korean style- We

didn't make him eat Sushi...He had fried chicken and flavored ice chunks!

2010-08-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Here we are trying to buy school supplies - These are some of the streets right out from our campus. Notice the bandage on Anja's head...She had a little run-in with the water drinking machine and burned her forehead...hmmmm......

2010-08-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here are the 4 munchkins outside of the HS - front entrance to campus

2010-08-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

Anja first day of school - 3 weeks earlier than all of you! No fair!

This little guy isn't ours, I just don't know how to delete the pic. too funny!

2010-08-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone - My attempts to add pictures are slow going. I bought a new camera - a few days before coming over here and my attempt to put them on this blog via this computer has been unsuccessful. I will try using a new computer soon. Our week/weekend has been busy. It was Lukas' BD last Thursday. We celebrated by going to McDonalds. It was good - but got late as we turned it into a walking grocery trip. We got ice cream as his BD treat. Andrew and I split a malt - we went to Basken Robins....we tried a flavor coined as "Grandma's secret recipe" shake. It tasted like sawdust. We can't quite figure out what the secret incgredient was - we won't be ordering that one again anytime soon. We then went to school on Friday then headed to the baseball game in the evening. We watched the professional baseball team for Daejeon (the Eagles) play in the evening. It was exciting. There were 2 cheerleaders doing some interesting dances... lots of people cheering and dancing. They cheer for every little thing and stand much of the time. We had a good time. We bought fried chicken outside of the stadium and may have gotten ripped off for prices - but the experience was worth it. We then got home at 10:30 - taking the city buses. On Sat. we went to Songtan - and shopped near an army base there - we could use American dollars.. It was good, but extremely hot and our 2 younger children didn't have their listening caps on! Not good. The children in Korea are better listeners than our children seem to be---but we still love them! I keep telling them to take lessons from the other kids - it hasn't sunk in quite yet. We shopped all day - dripped of sweat - were tired when we returned on the bus around 6 p.m. We decided we needed to go out that evening to try to get some bread - this turned into a shopping trip -long walk - no bread - home around 8....eating dinner then. YIKES. We finally got the kiddos to bed then headed off to bed ourselves. We woke up and went to church on Sunday. We then go out for lunch. We found a quaint little place called Jin and Kinnos. They are 2 very hard workers who serve some fantastic 'western' pancakes. YUM> We then went on a walking trip to HOMEPLUS - our new Target in Korea. We were on a search for play table and chairs for Anja and Lonne. We found our 'stuffs' plus groceries. We are trying to be brave and try many different items to see what we like and don't. The food thing is slow going - but we definitely aren' starving. Don't worry about us. There is plenty of icecream treats to go around! Anyway - today was a long day at work. We have PD on Monday's until 5 p.m. It is a lot to learn. Open Houses are coming - there are quite a few requirements. We once again are getting observed which brings us back to our first years teaching. We are definately learning - albeit slow at times - we are trying to do our best, but this at times means preparing minutes before the block.... Anyway- I've got to correct some journals - Andrew is working on his stuff. We finally have the kids down for once which is a success - it has been tough in that regard - This journey is a test in patience that is all I have to say - God truly has a master plan for us in Korea! Anyway - take Care - when I get the pictures up and running - I will post as many as I can.

2010-08-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone - Long time no chat - Sorry. Andrew and I have decided to post once a week - maybe we got off to a little too ambitious start! Life has been crazy for us this past week. We started school last Monday, Aug. 9th. With all the kids starting and finding school supplies in Korea, along with trying to learn new curriculum and many other things - we have been busy. So highlights and some pictures. We didn't have our camera until this week as we left it on the kitchen counter back in Watertown. My parents sent it to us and this weekend when we were trying to be adventurous and take the city busses to climb a mountain - we took out the camera and no battery. If this one sentence doesn't sums up our experience so far - I don't know what does. It has been a rocky start. Anja - Lonne - Lukas and Ailsa have been on top of each other here at the apartment. We can't figure out how to be quiet. Go figure! It has been quite rainy - so the kids can't get outside much - we fight about who carries umbrellas daily.... They only have one day of gym a week, so we have taken them to the track at Hannam University (located right by our school) and run them...much like that one commercial where the guy takes the kids and runs them up the hill so he can have some peace and quiet. This is where Andrew and I are at! We have been stressed trying to get daily lesson plans done, help kids with homework and haven't had a lot of success in cooking! Our first cooking experience was with rice that was mushy - then pancakes that were burnt - no syrup - grape jelly - meal number three was spaghetti korean style - VERY tomato based!!!! Let's see. The people are very nice - and cultural elements/differences quite funny. We have been trying out restaurants and foods galore to see what we like and what the kids can - or should I say "will" eat. Most of the food is quite spicy...Yesterday, we went to a restaurant for lunch and there wasn't a lick of English on the menu. We pulled out a menu from our lunch experience after church the week before where we had written the English translation for some of the items. Needless to say, none of these items were on this particular menu. So, I asked if there was beef bulgogi (sp?) their national dish...and the waitress said something, I said OK and then she brought out an extremely spicy dish of meet with vegetables. This was served with Kimchi (this will take a long time for me and everyone else in our family to aquire the taste, but my goal is to try it in every resaurant we go in.) They bring a ton of side dishes in addition to the main meal - it is always the same side dishes,...pickled radishes, kimchi, onion, peppers, soup, some other pickled stuff...ha/ha interesting. Anyway - the main dish was way hot...then the soup needed salt - I thought she told us to take a pinch of some salt and put it in..so we did with our hands as did Lonne :) Well, after getting yelled at, we realized that this wasn't the way to add salt...The waitress went on to taste our soup with a spoon, dump one bowl into another to mix the soup and put it back on the table - CRAZY, but funny. Anyway, after this, we met another couple...took the busses for the first time to the main train/bus station and then got some English maps and went on a journey to a mountain - can't remember the name...(Andrew just looked it up - Bomunsan MT.)we hiked straight up a trecherous mountain side (my gut said this wasn't the only way - ultimately, at the top we found there was a road) dripping of sweat in like %100 humidity = made it to the observation deck to oversee the city - quite cool, but we were so hot - we could hardly stand it....then we attempted to hike more to see a temple - this didn't happen - for fear of one the kids sliding off the hill and becoming seriously injured....all in all it was a great day - we ended up having ice cream down the MT. and then taking the bus back and eating at Pizza Hut - Lukas was in heaven! Anyway - I will try to post some pictures. Today consisted of church - lunch - meeting with some colleagues - Lukas' first Rugby practice (there are quite a few teachers from New Zealand and Australia here) - Ailsa tried, but complained that no one passed her the ball - so her Rugby career was very short lived. Andrew is playing basketball on Tuesdays- the guys are quite competitive. I attempted Volleyball this past Wed. I couldn't walk for 2 days - but it's all good. Anyway - we miss you all terribly - we are fine and definitely having an experience of a lifetime. Will write soon.

2010-08-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

Monday - Aug. 2nd. Today we were at the school by 7:30. We were in division meetings all morning. I will be at the HS and Andrew at MS. We are both going to be challenged to say the least. The expectations are high. I am teaching mostly English - writing (to be exact) to 10th graders. Andrew will be teaching 6th and 7th. He is mostly doing Social studies but also was lucky enough to get a technology class thrown in there - MYP or advanced tech - I can't help smile a little! Anyway....we went to Costco today - picture us drenched in sweat - the last ones in the store with a Costco card stuck in a locker and no money - credit cards were not accepted only a special SAMSUNG card - go figure. It was embarrassing and only something we would pull off. CRAZY?!!!!!... The rest of the staff are returning today. We had dinner with many. Tomorrow we are heading to Suwan - our sister school to meet and greet - signing off from Korea - LALALA

2010-08-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hi - day 4 - full day in Korea Sunday. August 1. We woke up at 4 a.m. and are getting over jet lag. We decided we needed to get out of the apartment and get some exercise before church at 10:30. We decided to go for a walk which turned into a get-lost adventure holding the 2 little munchkins on our shoulders. We thought we would go to the river and on the walk/run on the trails by the river. This didn’t happen. We went through the neighborhoods - saw a lot of houses/pots/flowers/smells/animals ( a small kitten on a wire chain in a shop along w/ a Chihuahua w/ mom and daughter trying to talk to us in Korean/fires burning in the street/garbage/lots of stores - cell phone stores/restaurants/coffee shops…it was a bit crazy.- it was also very hot. It happened to be the hottest day yet in our experience and actually sunny. It felt like 100 degrees with high-high humidity. We were just dripping. We constantly switched kids from shoulder to shoulder and or back. Lonne isn’t able to hang on to our back )piggyback style) so it is a bit difficult. The days so far have been gloomy with maybe 5 - 10 minutes of sun - if that…. They are overcast and very humid. Today was unique with the sun/but it was sooooo hot. Anyway, getting on to my story. We finally made it to a bit of a river - it was interesting - not the river we were supposed to go to. We then made it home and jumped in the showers. We went to church. This was held in at TCIS is their auditorium. The music was good as was the service - it was long and the kids got a bit antsy - but made it - both Lonne and Anja fell asleep during the service. Lukas/Ailsa were good. We then loaded onto busses - we went on a 15 minute drive to the new campus. There were many shops/apartments/etc. there - it is a very nice part of town. We went into this department store - more up-scale and ate brunch. It was a huge brunch - a lot of food - all different kinds - a lot of seafood - crab legs/kim che/great sushi/ ice cream and deserts/etc…it was nice - we ate way too much then got back on a bus and headed to the new school site. Here we looked at the site and went on a tour w/construction hats on. It was a bit crazy. Extremely hot. Beautiful new campus - it will attract a lot of individuals - it must cost a lot. We then drove back to the school and went to another co-workers apartment to use their internet quickly. They bought us soft drinks along the way and then we cooled off in their apartment and they filled us in on the way of life in Daejeon, South Korea - we had lots of questions from how to get garbage bags to where to go for different things. It was interesting. They were very nice. I now am sitting on the couch while the kids are playing on the playground by our apartment. Lukas was invited to join in a neighborhood baseball game. We do have air conditioning and a fan -it is good. You can cool down quickly. We will write more soon.

2010-08-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

Day 3 Saturday - full day in Korea. July 31 We woke up and had to be to the school by 7:30. We went into policy statements by the Headmaster. The school is Christian school so they definitely expect professional behavior - attending church regularly/lead by example/etc. There are quite a few responsibilities and expectations - interesting. We then had a break and got on a bus to go on a longer bus tour out to the other side of Daejeon. This was fantastic because we got to go to see the mountainous county side. It is very green - a lot of trees - a lot of agriculture or growing fruits and veggies. This was interesting. It is very pretty outside the city. We then went to this Japanese/Korean style restaurant. It was beautiful. We entered the restaurant in the countryside and took off our shoes (part of the Korean culture) we then sat on the floor on pillows to eat they had boiling pots of water inlaid to little tables. These were heated by hot rocks…they then gave us thin beef and lettuce wraps. We boiled the beef in the water and then laid it in the wraps. It was fantastic. We had many side dishes which is traditional Korean. This was cool. They had raw shrimp which we boiled. They also had kim che (not really liking this one) they have some type of root, spinach - it was good...

A Great Pict of the Kids...Spending the last days on the Boat!

2010-07-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Final Days in Watertown

2010-07-22T05:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone...well the serious countdown has begun! Our days are consumed by cleaning the house, packing, and saying goodbye to friends and family. The plane lifts off this coming Tuesday, July 27th and whether we are ready or not...WE WILL BE ON THAT PLANE! This blog will hopefully be updated by us throughout our 2 year adventure in South Korea. We will strive to post stories and pictures weekly in order for you all to be a part of this adventure...talk to you all soon!

Love The Gilbert Family