Summer in Korea (Part 1)

We are now in the middle of Summer here in Korea, after enjoying the most wonderful Spring weather. Summer is warm and very humid here, with monsoonal rains constantly showing themselves. So far, this year, we have had quite a bit of rain, but interspersed with days of no rain and even sunshine!!!  It's only late July, but my feeling is that it hasn't been to difficult to cope with so far.  Give me another month and I may feel differently.

The last 6 weeks have been really wonderful.  We've spent a lot of time with friends, Alice has had 3 weeks back in Australia and we've had visits from our family and friends from Australia.

Before Summer even started, Michelle and Joel Jackson arrived for a couple of weeks in Korea and Japan.  Unfortunately we only saw them briefly because we were back in Brisbane, but it was great having them, and being able to provide accommodation while they were here!  Hopefully they'll come back again.....

It was very special to see Timo and Tahlia Gobius for one more visit before they left to join the rest of their family in Australia.  What  can I say about the Gobius family - they have been our family here in Korea, and an amazing link to our former life in Australia.  We relax with them, laugh with them, share our concerns and our highlights, and we will miss only being 2 hours away (or 3 if the traffic on Expressway No. 1 is busy!!!).  We will also miss visiting Daejeon and meeting up with the friends we've made their through the Gobius family!  We love you Marg, Timo, Tahlia, Lani, Danya and Tatiana!!

We've made many more friends while we've been here in Korea - The Freeman family are worthy of special note.  These wonderful people have been our lifeline and our 'partners in crime' as we've muddled our way through living in a country far from home.  Pam, Bob, Ted and Sam arrived about 3 weeks before us and Pam and I first met when we were both in the wrong place for a parent's meeting at school!!!  In our defense, the message that changed the meeting venue was sent to our phones in Korean (we think....)...  We started our friendship laughing, and so we continue.

I've spent some time exploring Seoul and our local area with some ladies who are a lot of fun to be with.  Pam, Leanne, Paula and Theresa and I have spent some lovely days just looking around or drinking coffee..... it's always fun to share experiences and have great company to do it with!

Coffee!!!  What more can I say - I consider the drinking of coffee (well..... the meeting at coffee shops, really) as one of the best catalysts to forging friendships!!  Of course, it's NOT about the coffee, or the interesting decor, or the cute Korean waiters....... it's all about making connections (the others are a bonus!).  I'm absolutely sure that I'm not going to come to the end of my life and regret the time I've spent in coffee shops with friends, both here and in Australia. I find it a way to step away from the treadmill we sometimes find ourselves on and to give ourselves time, and to give each other time. Thanks Heather, Kelly and Tammie for sharing your time with me.  And to Brent and Brenda, who Russell and I don't have coffee with often enough....

One of the best parts of life are the friends we collect along the way.  I was reminded very much of this recently, when Matt, Cathy and Ellen Dando came and stayed with us for a few days.  The highlight for me was to have a meal out to celebrate my birthday with the Dandos and the Freemans in ONE PLACE!!! It was made extra special because Mitch and Peta-Erin were here at the same time.  For me, it was one of those "I can die happy" moments!!!!

Visiting Buddhist Temples

One of the real pleasures in South Korea is visiting the Buddhist temples.  They come in a wide variety of forms and locations, from secluded mountains and valleys, to right in the middle of city blocks.  One thing that all the temples have in common is their calm, peaceful atmosphere.

From my observations, each temple I have visited has been a special place, where people come to step away from their busy lives, and reflect.  It seems such a personal experience and one that I can see is an amazing antidote to the crazy lives we often lead.

Yesterday Russell, Alice and I visited two temples about 15 minutes from where we live, in Seongnam. These temples are close to each other, and are not on the usual tourist trails.  One was right on the city streets and the other at the top of the hill.  As with other times that we have visited Buddhist temples, these places are beautifully kept, cared for with obvious love and commitment, and I felt a great sense of calm and privilege to be there.  They didn't "shout" at me about a lot of money that had been spent on them, they weren't large and dominant, and they fitted in quietly with their surroundings.

Days like yesterday are very special.

Bongguksa Temple is in Taepyeong, Seongnam - the entrance is right off a carpark!

Up the steps and we entered a well-kept courtyard, with the temple buldings around it.
The buddha in the middle is quite jolly, with children sitting all over him - the statue has a happy, relaxed feel to it!

The beautifully kept interior of one of the temple buildings.

Alice and I outside one of the temple buildings.

Buddha's birthday was just a few weeks ago -
not sure if all these lanterns have something to do with that, or if they are always there.

As always, the attention to detail in the paintwork is magnificent!

Looking back over Bongguksa Temple as we climbed the hill to Manggyeongam  Temple.
Apartments in the background.

We went on the wrong path at first, but it was worth it!!

Half way up the hill we found these air sprayers...... others were using them to cool down, so we thought we'd do it too. I think the signs says it's to blow dust off yourself, and of course, warns about children using it and being careful of your face, etc, but it was a great way to cool down a bit.... and fun!!

Up the top of the hill at Manggyeongam  Temple - beautiful temple, and magnificent view up to southern Seoul!

Manggyeongam  Temple

Manggyeongam  Temple

Manggyeongam  Temple

The lovely walk down the hill!

Seoul Forest

Last weekend Russell and I ventured to Seoul Forest, for a relaxing walk around the grounds.  I would call this a park rather than a forest, and one of the nicest parks I've seen anywhere!!!  The weather was perfect, the shade was abundant, and many Seoulites were out enjoying Spring. There were people just strolling, bikes for hire, and a lot of groups kicking soccer balls or throwing frisbees.  Here are a few photos from our day:

As with everywhere in Korea, there were plenty of sculptures, some of them very interesting!!!

The bushes behind the azaleas are 'snowball bushes' - just like my Mum had!

Kids can climb in this one!

This sculpture has the word for "love" carved in it, in 95 different languages!!!

Russ trying to work out where he is....... 

One of the entrances - the pansies are particularly nice this year!

While we were wandering, we bought coffee (of course) at a lovely coffee shop.  The posters on the walls were very interesting, and gave us a chuckle.  Here's two of them:

In case you can't read this one, it says: "Caffeine isn't a drug, It's a vitamin"..... hehe

We made it to Spring..... again

After an interminable Winter, Spring has once again arrived in South Korea, and it is SO worth the wait!!!  This is my favourite time of year, by a long way, partly because we are tired of the cold, but also because this place is so pretty at this time of year.  It isn't hot and humid yet, so that's a bonus.

Here are some of the pretty places around where we live:

This path runs just below our apartment building, along the creek.

Our creek.

Koreans love statues, and this is a particularly cute one - note the doves on top of the tree.

That's me giving a 'cute' Korean look for the photo!

Along the creek near our home.

The gardens and playground in our apartment complex.

That's our building in the background.

Right near our bus stop.

Grandpa Reinke

We said farewell to Russell's Dad last month - a wonderful, kind, gentle person, who was always thankful for his life, his family and friends and the experiences he had.  He passed away at the age of 91 on April 12.  The whole of his family, as well as many friends, gathered to say goodbye and celebrate his life. We are grateful that we have known and been influenced by such an amazing man.

It was very special for us to have our family with us - Russell, Alice and I flew back to Australia, and Hayden, Mitch and Peta-Erin come up to Maleny (just north of Brisbane) to join us for a few days.  We really love these guys and it has been a long time since we have all been together, so that made it all the more special.