July 6, 2011 : 2011 년 7월 6일

Today, we went to Grandpa's field early in the morning to harvest the potatoes.

The potatoes are between the trumpet flowers (tall stuff in the front) and the tomatoes and squash on the trellis in the back.

Here are the boys by about 1/3 of the potatoes we brought back.  Neither one actually dug up any.  BJ can't stand the feeling of the mud on his skin.  I couldn't explain sensory issues in Korean (they're hard enough to explain in English).  And AJ was afraid to get his hands dirty--although he had great fun jumping in and out of the field, across the little bridge, and by the stream that is now perhaps meriting the name stream after the recent influx of water from the summer rains.

For those of you not familiar with Korea, I want to show some of the really cool things about where my husband grew up.  Korea is horrifically overcrowded.  According to worldatlas.com, the US has a population density of 83 people per square mile.  In Korea, that number is 1,309.  Now, only 30% of Korea's land is actually habitable (according to "A Teacher's Sourcebook of Korean Art and Culture" available at http://www.pem.org/aux/pdf/learn/asia_curriculum/korea-tsb.pdf although I've heard this statistic many times before), which means that when you're walking through city streets, there are far more than 1,309 people per square mile.  You're actually nearing 4,000.

That's one thing that makes my husband's rural town so special; it is so very rare, at least this close to a major city.

Of course, to watch a documentary of Korea, it seems like a third world country with unpaved roads and people carrying their crops on their backs.  True, some of that does exist, but your average first grader has his or her own cell phone, rides several buses to academies, completes his or her own homework partially online, and navigates his or her own way to and from school and several afterschool activities.

So when I show you the pictures of the fields below, please recognize that this is not what all of Korea looks like and much of it is to make the very best use of space.  If it can be farmed, Koreans will farm it. (Seriously, the first time I came to Korea and rode the bus from the Incheon International Airport, there was corn growing in the drainage ditch along the side of the road.)

Lettuce and squash growing inside the dried streambed/drainage ditch.

Teddy bear scarecrows on a mountain field.

A traditional burial site...wedged in between two fields.  Now, I include this also because I have visited several graveyards in Ohio with my grandmother that are completely surrounded by fields and, in some cases, livestock.  I have never quite forgotten the sheep munching contentedly over Noah and Grace, may they rest in peace.

Fields still toward the base of the mountain.

Someone drying their socks on a tree across the stream from a field (what else?).

A small field further up the mountain.

And this would be the path that would take you back from that field.  To my left is a slope of about 60 degrees, and I forgot to take pictures of the various rocks you need to climb over to get this far.  How would you like to navigate your vegetables down that?

July 5, 2011 again : 다시 2011년 7월 5일

Chocolate arrived from the American grandparents for birthdays. 

Someone was very impressed.

Have chocolate, will travel.

Well fed.  ("Don't wash my little dirty beard, Mommy! Don't, Mommy, don't!!!")

July 5, 2011 : 2011년 7월 5일

From BJ's homework (진희 숙제): 
Today we played at the zoo with our friends.
오늘은 우리가 진구랑 동물공원 놀었어요.
Is it all over?
다 했서?
Yeah, but I want to go back!
네, 그러나 나는 다시 갈래요!
I want to go back because it was fun.
재밌다고 다시 가고 싶어요.
What was the best thing?
무슨것 최고야?
It's the zebra because he has cool stripes!
얼룩말 쵝 왜냐하면 줄무늬 멋진다!

July 4, 2011 : 2011년 7월 4일

(BJ) Today we played with our new toys. 
(AJ) We got our new toys at HomePlus with Grandpa and Grandma and Mommy and BJ and me. 
(BJ) First, I picked a car, and AJ picked legos,
(AJ) but then I found the Power Ranger robot I wanted.  I think he looks awesome! 
(BJ) I found a Kamyun Rider Kiba sword, and AJ also got another sword to fight with me.
(Mommy) I tried to get BJ to buy the toy he has been crying over, but no, he decided not to get it or another sword like AJ's so they could fight equally, came home, and cried about it.  Some things never change. 
(BJ) We came home and I battled with AJ.  We had a fun time battling.

Grandma and Grandpa at lunch.  You grill the meat in the center of the table.  BJ ate an adult portion at noon and then declared that he was hungry again at 2:00 PM.

BJ lovingly gazing at his new toy and AJ wielding his sword on Grandma and Grandpa on the ride home.

(Semi) happily playing (hey, they wouldn't be siblings without some rivalry, right?)

July 3, 2011 : 2011년 7월 3일

Haircuts! 머리 깎었네! 

Even though it is rainy this year, it's still as hot as ever.
금년 여름은 비가 많이 왔는데 날씨가 도우하지요.

Grandma and Grandpa thought the boys needed haircuts.
할머니 할아버지가 아들은 머리를 깎어야고 생각하셨어요.

The hairstylist cried when we came.  우리 왔을떼 미용사 울어셨어요.

The boys cried too, but they were itchy and had hair in their eyes.

아들도 울었어...그러나 가렵고 머리 눈 찌른다.

But after some cookies, we were cool and happy.
그러나 과자 먹기후 시원하고 행복해요.



July 2, 2011 : 2011년 7월 2일

Today was a Chaesa day.  Here's a pic for Daddy:

Because I needed to work and couldn't spend time with the boys, BJ had this report for Daddy: 

I play with AJ.  We play games.  (나는 범찬랑 놀다.  우리가 컴퓨터 게임 해요.)

And a picture of playing:

(didn't get the computer games).

And AJ wanted to tell Daddy about Pokemon cards:

July 1, 2011 : 2011년 7월 1일

Summer in Daegu is hot, very hot.  Today has been all about ice cream. 

Now, ice cream in Korea is kind of special.  It is generally not very creamy and not super sweet.  Translation: it is not terribly bad for you.  In addition, single servings/popsicles are sold for about $0.50 (sometimes as much $1.50, but that is very unusual) at every little convenience shop and the many stationery stores that dot the blocks of Korea.

So here are some that we have recently eaten and some of our favorites (not all eaten today).

Orange sherbet that we had today.

A coffee and vanilla bar that someone bought BJ that he refused to eat

A coffee popsicle that AJ was devouring until BJ started to play with his favorite toy.

AJ gnawing on a Screw Bar - an eight-inch apple-flavored popsicle covering a raspberry sorbet-like center.

AJ polishing off a Jaws bar - a fruit-flavored, shark-shaped confection. (There's a picture of BJ eating one last week).

AJ covered in vanilla ice cream.  AJ eats a good deal more ice cream than BJ.  Can you tell?

Of course, I haven't covered some of our real favorites--the push-up soda bottle type in a variety of flavors--or the East-meets-West versions of cold treats--red bean flavored popsicles, fish-shaped ice cream sandwiches with red bean added, dduk-covered ice cream, or green tea flavored nutty buddies.  While I must admit that I have never warmed to garlic doughnuts, these different kinds of frozen treats are endearing.  I'm even developing an affinity for corn ice cream.