Travel and Friends

I went to Boise about a month ago to see Chalise. We played. We ate a lot. And I found my bridesmaid dress for her wedding! Good times.

Taking a walk along the Boise River.

We are cute.

And then Amber came to California! We hung out in San Francisco for a couple of days before driving up the coast and heading back to Red Bluff. It was a blast!

View of SF

What can I say - we're rocking Alcatraz.

And no trip to SF would be complete without the Golden Gate Bridge.

Hick Town

I am from a hick town and pretty darn proud of it. One of the things Red Bluff, CA is famous for is the Bull and Gelding Sale. It just happened this past week and I ventured over to the fairgrounds (which happen to be right next to my house). I saw some really well trained, smart cattle dogs herd cattle. It was pretty darn impressive. I wondered around the western art show and other westerny booths. My mom ended up buying a photograph I wanted - that's what happens when moms have more money than you do. I went in to watch the bull auction and wondered how in the world auctioneers learn to talk that fast. I felt out of place in my cords and t-shirt; I was sadly lacking the Wranglers, boots, and cowboy hat. But I still had a good time.

This is the photograph my mom bought. The photographer is Grief Hoskin. He has some pretty cool stuff, so you should check out his website: www.riovaqueros.com

God Bless Country Music

I made it home safe and sound from Korea (after a 9 hour delay, but that's a story I don't want to relive). There was a fun and crazy Christmas with the whole family and I'm loving the 65 degree weather and sunshine that is California. I've been helping out the mom, trying to finish grad school applications, and being a little lazy too.

Last night mom and I went to a little concert with three awesome country singers: Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw, and Joe Diffy. They're older guys, but they can still sing and it brought back some memories from junior high and high school. Enjoy a sampling of their work.

Crowded streets

I've been taking the opportunity to visit my favorite places before I ship out of Korea. One of my favorite places is Myeong-dong; a highly overcrowded shopping area. But the shops and outdoor tables are fun, even if you get pushed and shoved along the way. And now there are Christmas decorations up.

Christmas decorations - and of course the ever present "missionaries." They just have a loud speaker and yell at people and sing.

Crowded streets and bright lights.

And crowded stores.

Hanging out with friends - Brandon and Jessica #2.

And no Korean shopping area would be complete without cutouts of famous Korean Boys.

Yum...dog!

As part of one of my last cultural experiences, I told my Korean co-worker Tae-Hoon that I wanted to eat dog. It's not super common here, but they do serve it so he said he'd find a place. The other foreign coworkers came along for the experience. My verdict on dog - it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. So I got to cross it off my cultural list, but I'm not planning on eating it again any time soon.

Tae-Hoon and Sonja, enjoying some dog soup.

Robert, Christine, and me - holding some dog.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I have to work - darn you Korea! - but I still have lots to be grateful for. Like today Hyeok Soo took me to meet his brother Seung Ha who works at the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). Unfortunately there was no filming going on, but I did get to see some sets, which was pretty cool and then we went out for a yummy lunch that I didn't have to pay for and had some great conversation.

And I have another story too. On Saturday morning I got a call from a temple worker. He said that some Russian sisters were coming to the temple on Tuesday and they needed a translator. He asked if I would do it - I agreed but was really worried because my Russian is rusty. I woke up early on Tuesday morning and went to the temple to help. It was ... interesting. At one point the translation went from Korean to English to Russian. There was some lost words and a bit of misunderstanding, and it made my brain muddled. In the end I think it all worked out. But even though it was confusing and I felt frustrated with my lack of ability to explain perfectly in Russian, I walked out of there awed. Because there we were - women from three different cultures who speak three different languages but we were all inside the temple because we shared the same faith. That was pretty awesome and something to be thankful for.

So I hope you can all find something to be grateful for this year. Enjoy it, soak it in, bask in it, and then share it :)

Pure Talent

I had a lovely time at our singles break the fast today, and one of the guys showed me this video on his smart phone. I was really impressed by this girl - she does something I'll call sand drawing. In the video she depicts when Germany conquered Ukraine during WWII. Truly interesting and in my opinion, amazing. Enjoy!