Victory over Songnisan mountain!

On Saturday, August 25th, we traveled 1 1/2 hours to Songnisan National Park (the place with the huge golden buddha that we posted pictures of last year). Instead of meandering leisurely through the town and temple complex, however, this year we tackled the formidable mountain. We walked 2 kilometres from the bus station to the base of the mountain, and then climbed 6 more kilometres (a lot of it steep climbing) to the summit. Towards the end we were all doubting whether we would make it, and our muscles are expressing a lot of unhappiness today. But we did it! Sixteen kilometres round trip (or 10 miles) took us just over 1,000 metres up to the peak (or about 3,500 feet). We all have new respect for people who climb huge mountains like Kilimanjaro! (We also have ultimate respect for a man we encountered on our descent who was carrying a traditional Korean chigae loaded with supplies for one of the mountainside cafes; wow!!)

Celebrating Brian's birthday...

To celebrate Brian's birthday (yep, he turned 38 on Saturday!), we had a gathering of friends at our apartment on Friday night. Here are some of our TCIS friends from New Zealand, New Brunswick, Ireland, South Africa, Minnesota, Idaho and Florida. Lots of cake and Starbucks coffee made sure we celebrated Brian's birthday with plenty of enthusiasm and energy!

Bomunsan hike...

On Sunday, August 19th, Brian and I hiked up a small mountain on the other side of Daejeon. Called Bomunsan, the mountain requires about one hour of hiking to reach the top. Along the way you find some secluded, shady cafes (this is an amazing trademark of Korean hiking - there are always little restaurants and cafes along the mountainside, which is quite convenient!). Although it was a blazingly hot afternoon, the path was shady and the view was excellent.

Pepper time...

Peppers are being harvested in abundance now in Daejeon, and wherever you go you can find peppers drying in baskets and on tarps. The amazing thing is that people will leave their peppers out to dry in communal, public places (like around the parking lots in our apartment complex) and no one ever touches anyone else's peppers. There is an unspoken code that when produce is out drying, it is off limits. The other photo here is of a poster we found last weekend for a "wedding hole"; we thought it was quite humorous!

Take me out to the ball game (or soccer match!)

After a wonderful first week of classes, we have been enjoying some very nice down-time this weekend. After going to the movies on Friday night, Brian and Cora enjoyed a Hanwa Eagles professional ball game here in Daejeon on Saturday evening (complete with hot dogs on a stick, Korean-style, shown here with Marco Dewey from Colorado), while Rebecca and LeeAnne travelled 1 1/2 hours north to Suwon to catch two games in the Fifa U-17 World Cup. The second game featured South Korea playing against Peru, and the stadium was filled with thousands upon thousands of very enthusiastic (and patriotic!) Korean fans. We all enjoyed a chance to unwind a little, and are looking forward to what God has in store for this school year.

Our lovely home...

After 12 wonderful years at 298 Prince Street, our family said good-bye to our home before we travelled back to Korea on Wednesday, August 1st. Thanks to everyone who supported our contents sale; we raised almost $4,600 for The Bethlehem Project ministry in North Korea and can't wait to see our friends the Covingtons to deliver your donations to them. Now we are battling a bit of jet lag and are unpacking here at our apartment in Daejeon. What a blessing it was to spend such precious time with our family and friends this summer!

Hawaii and then home...

From June 10th - 21st we took a bit of a break in Hawaii on our way home, spending 3 1/2 days on Oahu and then 6 1/2 days on the Big Island. We saw sea turtles, toured a pineapple plantation, Kona coffee fields, a black sand beach, an active volcanoe (from our perch in a helicopter!) and a coral reef. We also had lots of time to relax as a family and count all of the blessings God has brought our way this year. Now we're home at 298 Prince Street until August 1st; make sure you visit if you're in Peterborough!!

End-of-year fun at Everland

The entire middle school at TCIS spent Monday at two theme parks near Seoul. One is called Everland and it's kind of like Canada's Wonderland, and the other (called Carribean Bay) is a water park next door. It was a fantastic day full of fun, and Brian and I ended up spending a lot of time wandering through Monkeyland and Bird Paradise. Very cool. Hannah spent the day splashing around at Caribbean Bay. Yes, the end of the year is really here, and class trips like this prove it!

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.