Red Mud Healing

This week is finals week here in most schools in Korea. Late, isn't it? Actually the last day of school isn't until July 21st (!!!) so we actually have two more weeks after this of COMPLETE FLUFF. Seriously, teachers break out the movies and it is just hot, sweaty, monsoony mayhem.

Because midterm and final exams only take place in the mornings, it provides a great opportunity for school teachers to do something together as a type of bonding in the afternoons. As I have mentioned many times, it's all about community and family in this country. Whenever there is an opportunity to strengthen relationships, these peeps will do it.

This time around we went to a recreational forest outside of Daejeon that is famous for its red mud path. You take off your shoes and delight in walking in squishy clay that is supposedly beneficial for your health.

view from the path

can you spot the snowy crane in the rice fields?

two of my English co-teachers enjoying the clay

it's definitely not mud, but clay

three of my English co-teachers and one Korean teacher

What made today interesting was that Matt's school ended up going on a field trip to the SAME place! This never happens, since there are so many mountains surrounding the city. My teachers and I sat on that platform pictured above and he just came strolling up the path with his teachers, too funny! He sat and chatted with my teachers for a while, since they all know him. They had just gotten their wedding invitations from me a few hours earlier, so they were so excited and happy to be talking to us about the big day.

After our nice walk we went to a local restaurant for some du-bu (tofu in English) that had been soaked in soy sauce, duck and pork, and simple side dishes. Can I just say that I love duck?

It makes me a little sad to know that I only have two more testing periods left before my time here at Mannyeon Middle School is done.

It makes me HAPPY though, to know that I have less than 4 weeks left until MAINE! ^___^

Bloom.

In a few days, summer will officially be here. It's not welcome though, if what happened last year repeats itself. I distinctly remember the first day of summer last year, it was amazing. A few of us teachers went out to the rooftop garden and harvested a bunch of lettuce to eat with lunch, the sun was shining and the humidity wasn't unbearable. Then the next day came, and BAM! Jang Ma (the rainy season) hit like a ton of wet, soggy, sticky, bricks. The humidity came tumbling in to a disgusting degree, and the heavens opened up like you wouldn't believe. I am NOT looking forward to that again! Oh, the joys of the Korean rainy season, where you must carry an umbrella no matter the weather, or risk getting completely soaked with not a moment's notice. FUN.

So, with just a few days (hopefully weeks) until the start of the monsoon season, I am going to appreciate the beauty that is our urban garden:

The lily's are blooming!!! It's been a long impatient road, but finally they are blooming, just in time for us to enjoy them for another month before going home. So far, only two of the four plants have bloomed, we have a pink and a yellow one. I believe we were given four bulbs of different colors, so the other two are a mystery!

Besides enjoying the lily from the garden, walking down the sidewalk now is beautiful:

This cool tree has wispy-like pink flowers, similar to dead dandelions in texture.

Cheers to enjoying what little we have left of dryish, sunny days before the deluge!