spring

 So after being delayed for several weeks, spring finally came, and with it the world's most beautiful sight (site? which one is it?): cherry blossoms.

There is nothing prettier in the world than a street filled with cherry blossoms, except perhaps if that street is next to a lake called Eunpa.  Luckily we live next to such a lake.  Everyday after school I get off the bus a little early and walk down this little piece of heaven.  Jordan meets me and we eat snacks as we go.  It's the prime holiday week for Eunpa, so all the street snacks are out.  Our favorites include chicken on a stick, waffle, and lately we've found ice cream sandwiches at the GSMart across from the lake.  The other day we had chestnuts and sometimes we have cotton candy.  Jordan eats hot dogs occasionally and once in a while I have a corn dog.  We never eat the stinky silk worm larvae (well, Jordan ate it once).  

Spring not only means the blossoming of the trees and the ability to wear only half my closet to school instead of everything to stay warm, but also the fact that I get to chillax at school.  If this year is anything like last year (and it looks like it might be) I hardly taught at all once we got to the last weeks of April.  The first month and a half is hard work, but from here on out it's coasting time.

Luckily I am very busy running a new digital scrapbooking website:  Pixeled Memories.  Jordan is also very busy helping me to get it up and going.  We are both very excited about it and are hoping to take over the entire digital scrapbooking community soon.  We seem to have just the perfect skills to make this website and I can hardly believe that the nicest website on the internet is mine.  Jordan also recently finished a game related to the 10 Days board games, although it's not posted online yet, so we'll let you know when that's up.  

And that is a brief update of life in the Dream Hub, even dreamier now that we have our very own Subway and Coldstone.  

If you want to take a peek at lots of pictures of the beautiful cherry blossoms, go here.

Jordan looking cute.

As we were walking around the lake today, we saw Jordan's co-teacher Mr. Song.  He invited us to his famous Secret Garden as this weekend his popular gardening internet group was having an exhibition.  The spring flowers were in full glory.  Click on the picture to see more.

Jordan's new co-teacher tells the story that she moved to Gunsan because "the lake charmed her." Previously a dweller of the capital city Jeonju, she packed it all in the reside beside (or somewhere near) Eunpa Lake. Before the spring, I thought the lake was nice, but having seen it in the spring I have to confess that I too have been charmed by the lake, and now may have to stay here forever.

In all the places I've been and seen, I haven't experienced anything quite like the tunnel of cherry blossoms that covers the road next to the lake. Trees that look like they're covered in snow, when actually they're covered in small flowers. I like to call it "spring snow" and it's infinitely better than the stuff that comes in the winter.

On Tuesday, as we were leaving class, Ms Park asked me if I had class during fourth period. When I said no, she said, "ok, we will go see my mom." It turned out that her mom lives right at the base of Wolmeyong Mountain (mountain in this case is like calling me a giant). She lives in an old, Korean style house that Jordan wouldn't be able to stand up in. The road was so narrow, that Ms Park had to fold in the mirrors on her SUV. The park had many stunning views and was being enjoyed by many people apparently also out on lunch break. We had an ice cream, and had our picture taken several times. After the walk, we went back to the house for lunch. The table was set with enough food for an army. There were various ladies hanging around the house, so I thought they were eating. In the end, once we all got settled, it was just me and Ms Park eating, not even her mom, although she made sure that we ate enough. This however seems like a sweet deal to me, so I plan someday to work near my mom so I can sneak out and she can make me lunch.

Doug and Patti also visited us this weekend. They were very lucky to come on perhaps the best weekend of the whole year. We had a great time showing them around our town, although Jordan decided this was also the best time to get sick with some terrible coughing thing, still to be diagnosed by the doctors. They are worried about him though, so he get's to see the doctors everyday.

Luckily the rain yesterday wasn't hard enough to knock the flowers off the trees, so hopefully we'll be able to enjoy them again this weekend.

This last weekend we ventured up to Matthew's town for a visit.  Spring is coming, it feels very slowly, to Korea and so the countryside was filled with blooming flowers.  Matthew took us on a nice walk to a temple, and then a hike through the brush and straight up the side of a mountain.  When I finally arrived to a bench at the top I was greeted by a lady laughing and yelling at me in Korean (I was not properly dressed for hiking).  She was so shocked at my feet in sandals and the fact that I was wearing a skirt, she talked to me for about 5 minutes.  It was most amusing.

Koreans who know how to dress appropriately.

Follow this link for more pictures.