Cirque de Soleil in Seoul...

This past Sunday our family boarded the bullet train to Seoul and took in a performance by Quebec's own Cirque de Soleil. We had heard about how awesome their performances were, and it was truly amazing. What a testimony to the miracle of the human body and what it can do! The acrobatics were astounding, and we enjoyed spending time with our friends the Wilders (Ron and Melinda and their 3 cute little boys). We missed our train back to Taejon, but even that couldn't put a damper on our great day (thankfully we were able to get seats on another train which left just 15 minutes after our scheduled departure!).

Bird's Eye View of Taejon...

On Sunday afternoon (May 20th), Brian and I hiked up a mountain called Bomunsan on the south end of Taejon. We were rewarded with an incredible view of the city on one side and of thickly-wooded mountains on the other. At the top of the mountain was a small fortress wall dating back to about 600 AD. Along the way to the top there were little mountain cafes and rest stops, some with polka-like Korean folk music playing (perhaps to put a spring in your step as you hike?). It was a beautiful afternoon; the girls unfortunately missed the adventure because they had too much homework to complete (very sad for them!). We also couldn't resist throwing in one more photo of a sunset over Taejon from just a few days ago.

Magnificent Maisan...

This past Sunday we spent Mother's Day hiking up a mountain at Maisan National Park (about 1 1/2 hours from Taejon) with a few colleagues and Korean friends. It was a beautiful sunny day (it felt like late June or early July weather in Ontario), and hundreds of stone pinnacle sculptures surrounded a small temple next to a sheer rock face. The scene resembled something from Lord of the Rings... very ancient-looking and myterious. It seemed as if dwarves might surface at any moment. It was a great day (alas, without any dwarf sightings).

More pics from Maisan

View from our new perch...

About a month ago we moved from our bungalow at the school's back gate to a bright and clean 4-bedroom apartment just a block or so away. We're up on the 11th floor and can't believe how comfortable we are in this much space. It seems like the perfect, cozy home for the five of us right now. Here are some views from our kitchen and from Rebecca's room.