Night Lights and More

Time does fly when you are having fun. It flys when you are not expecting it as well. Life has been pretty normal around here lately. We honestly are not too, busy but seem to find lots of things to do. We try not to get "busy" at least while we have the chance.

As the weather has improved we have made additional trips to the beach. It makes for such a relaxing weekend.

The city scape in the evenings can be quite eye catching. This shot is from our front porch.

Our small city buzzes busily until about 1:00am and then it is sleepy until 6:00.

The neon signs still strike us as fun and interesting. We can now read them phonetically but more often than not we still have no clue what they mean.

Gohyeon Harbor

One of the shipyards is right around the bend. At night the lights are beautiful. The combination of colors and the reflection create a painting. (Right to Left: golf driving range, Gohyeon Dinner Cruise, bridge, restaurants, apartments)

Our west facing porch gives us the opportunity to watch the moon settle into the mountains above the city scape.

Although this is not the church we attend, it is a common site around town and a cool reminder that we are surrounded by believers even in another part of the world.

This is our Sunday afternoon church service. We feel really blessed to have connected with a church in the area which has a small English service. The congregation is a unique blend of individuals from many countries and many walks of life. Chelsie and I have become involved in the praise and worship portion of the service. I sing (ha ha), and she plays the piano.

Since the church is very large and has multiple services they offer lunch to all those who are hungry. Our service begins at 1:00 and so we grab a bite to eat at the church cafeteria every Sunday. It gives us a chance to meet other church members as well as try out some staple foods. For cafeteria cooking we are impressed.

The church is very warm and welcoming. They hold a number of activities and events which we do our best to attend. Many of the Korean members have made themselves available when we needed help or a translator.

God has really blessed us being here. It is our prayer that we are able to bless others by being here as well.

Chelsie has been busy in the kitchen as usual. She made a mean broccoli salad this week. We have really been enjoying the fresh tomatoes which appeared at the market a few weeks ago. Chels gets such a kick out of trying new and interesting recipes. I get a kick out of trying them as well. We have had some good "experiments" lately.I had some delicious tuna wraps.

I finished my last big bamboo project this week. It was a end table for our couch.

The most difficult part is getting all the joints to fit together.I designed it so it dissembles so I may be able to take it home when we leave. Well see!??

A coconut with seashells and the tea light candle holder add a nice touch.

Here is another humorous, at least we thought, video from ECC. The kiddos are pretty funny on a regular basis. I wish I could catch it on film more often.

Living in a bamboo house

One thing for sure, from the way bamboo grows around here you would think we were in Asia. Its just that you don't see any panda bears. The bamboo forests are thick and tall. Reaching about 35 to 40 feet in the air they are prone to damage from winds and seaside gusts. A quick bit of research tells me that bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth. It can average four feet of growth a day. Its incredible ability to grow so fast makes it an excellent resource.

Bamboo was one of the novelties which I was really looking froward to seeing while we are here.

The other day Mike, a friend and fellow English teacher from the states, and I went out to harvest some of this plentiful natural resource. We found a number of canes that had fallen in the last wind storm, cut them up, tied them in bundles, and hiked back to the apartment. We did get some funny looks. Unlike the States, it is legal to harvest off of national and state parks here. With tons of ideas for products in mind we had an "arts and crafts day" on our front porch. We bought all of our tools at the local "made in china store" and begun to saw, sand, and glue.

Here is my workshop on our front porch. Chelsie has been very sweet and has tolerated the mess that I make when construction is under way.

My largest project was a floor lamp. Floor lamps are very expensive here so I decided to make one. It is great for replacing the bright flouresent light with a warmer light.

It has been a challenge, and I wish I had some power tools.

The shade was made out of split bamboo, glue, string, and paper from the paper store across the street.

Drinking mugs were a must. I have had lots of fun experimenting with the handles.

Smaller drinking glasses came as well. I hope to have a nice set when all is said and done.

A soap dish for beside the tub.

Incense holder.

Tiki sounds now come from our new windchime.

One of the most unique creations has been the candle holders which are lashed together by a paper rope material. They add great atmosphere to our living room. The bamboo is initially green and then after a week or two it begins to turn the golden brown that we are more familiar with.

In the mornings while Chelsie is gone to dance class I sometimes go climbing with my friend Zach. Because there is no "Z" sound in Korean and the "J" is similar, he is known also as Jack at school. First by bus, and then by taxi we find our way to the climbing area out by Tongyong.

Its a short hike into the mountains and on the way we walk through a small rural area. All the garlic has just been harvested and so it is piled in huge mounds and hung on fences and cables stretched between trees and houses.

The climbs that we have tackled reciently are rated 5.10a and 5.10b. Zach is a better climber that me and keeps me challenged. There are around 20 to 25 bolted routes that are well maintained at this location. Most are two pitched routes which means that there is a change up in belays before reaching the top.

Zach and I trade off on leading the route. There was a really challenging spot on the route this week that we took a couple cracks at after we had it top-roped.

The view from the top is great. The rice patties are really greening up, and the islands on the horizon peek out of the moring fog. We both really enjoy the fresh air, the rocks, and the wilderness.

I would be happy to admit that the highlight of this past week was the surprise birthday party that Chelsie held for me. Upon arriving home one night I was jumped by a bunch of our friends and co-workers packed in our living room. The evening was filled with brownies, rice crispies, juice, and laughter. Yes I have made it to the ripe age of 24.