The Return of the Elders

Saturday, I got to dive a little deeper into Dave's mission days, as one of his favorite companions, KC Kern was visiting Korea. We met up in one of their old areas, Anseong (about 1 1/2 hours by bus from our home in Ansan), for a wonderful trip down memory lane (for Dave that is, I was just soaking up every detail from his mission that came back to him, and loved hearing new stories from his mission that I still hadn't heard after 3 years of marriage).

We met up with one of the former Elder's favorite investigators, Joyce, who treated us to a fancy Korean lunch. It was absolutely perfect, and I even tried octopus (don't worry it wasn't the live kind that they cut up in front of you, while you try to grab the legs with your chopsticks before they wriggle off your plate. Dave says you have to chew that kind really well or else they will suction to your throat. Sometimes I think my taste buds are turning Korean, and then I remember I still have along way to go!). I actually liked it, but just looking at the suction cups on the legs didn't make me want to eat a whole lot!

I thought you would get a kick out of how many dishes are on the table. In Korea you get a dish, and they also bring many many side dishes. Surprisingly, this picture was taken after they had already cleared the first course! Can you believe it?
Joyce took us on a scenic drive of Anseong...

...after we saw this sign we were worried we might crash into the lake. You will be happy to know we survived without any casualties!
Next we stopped at this Tea House. After the large lunch I couldn't imagine having anything else, so David and I shared a glass of hot Citron Juice (Orange, lemony hot drink, with cut up peels, very delicious and tasted packed with vitamin C) I was in love with how picturesque it was, from the large purple couches we sat on that reminded me of Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" to the gentle music and gorgeous view. Lovely is really the only word to describe this experience (Lucy enjoyed it as well, as she napped in Dave's arms, maybe that is why I had such a good time!).
Outside the Tea House I caught a cute picture of Lucy's ringlet...haha...I guess only a mother would notice that sort of thing about this picture. I am so glad the humidity here in Korea has brought out the curls on my little girl.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the area. This area seemed a little more ancient, than the area we live in. Many houses reflected ancient architecture, there was more hidden alleyways, and altogether it was just brimming with character. I couldn't resist snapping a shot of these cute Grandmas just chillin' in the alleyway.
Here is Dave with KC outside their old house. They lived on the second floor, which means those lower two windows were theirs.
We ate a snack and watched Lucy play with Dave in the land of the smurfs. (I was so wishing I had some blue body paint and a white diaper so I could get a picture of my little baby in Smurfland...okay...just kidding, even for a funny picture I don't know if I would paint my daughter blue! But you have got to admit, this playground certainly does have the smurf feeling...)
I think this was the first time Lucy went on a slide with her Dad. Yay for mushroom slides!
I don't know if I was just being more observant because of the meandering feeling of the day, or what, but I sure saw a whole lot of spiders. I looked up in this alleyway and saw at least 40 of these gigantic spiders (yeah you think they look bad in this picture, up close they are neon!) I can only count 5 in this picture, but you have to imagine tons of these guys above our heads. The funny thing is I think my arachnophobia is getting a little better, because rather than running, I had to get a picture, then suddenly I imagined them all dropping from their webs and landing on us and my heart started racing and I immediately had to get out of there, but for a moment there, I did really well.
Here's one at the bus stop we found praying on a Cicada. This vicious sight totally helped me cope with my spider fears (yeah right!).
We found a traditional stone bridge...
And I took a million pictures as usual...I just couldn't get enough of the perfect reflection in the water!
They were preparing for a festival, setting up ancient stuff, so I think this guy was just tightening bolts and what not, but this picture still seemed to take me back a hundred years to the way things were in Ancient Asia...waterwheel, stone steps across the river, some reeds and a wide brimmed hat...I love it! A truly enjoyable day, picturesque to be precise, I hope it will forever remain like a picture in my mind!

Seoul Zoo

So after a month of talk, we finally made it to the zoo! Dave and I both happened to wake up really early on Friday (6:30 a.m., sometimes since Dave doesn't work until the afternoon we just snooze until 9:00 a.m.) and so spur of the moment I suggested we go to the Zoo (usually between sleeping until 9:00 a.m., Dave working at 3:00 p.m., and the Zoo being an hour away we just wouldn't have time, but with an early start I knew we could make it) and an hour later we were on our way! We knew we wouldn't be able to see everything in 4 hours so we just enjoyed what we could and vowed to come back in the spring when Lucy would enjoy it even more.

Unfortunately, the pictures just don't do the fun day justice. They are okay, but really the video did a much better job capturing the experience because the best part of the day was watching Lucy make animal noises and point with fascination saying "wow" or "ohhhhhh" or "oo oo oo" with the monkeys. I have been experiencing serious difficulties trying to upload videos, so you will have to wait until you visit us to see the great footage (which may be never for most of you). I am able to upload videos from my picture camera, but from the video camera it seems like too big a file or something. Oh well, I suppose watching our child point with wonder and excitement was probably a lot more fun for me and Dave than it would be for any of you anyway(well, maybe not the grandparents...sorry guys! Just come to Korea and see Lucy already!) I guess the pictures are still worth looking at:

The Korean Version of "The Wizard of Oz"...


Pretty little moments in the Flowers...



Don't you just want to snuggle up with one of these cuddly looking bears...

Lucy's first tunnel slide. Looks cute, huh? but at the top the rest of the Elephant was just bones. I found that funny.
The Elephants...
The Zebras...What a cute Dad, all wearing animal ears and everything...
We got these ears (zebra and giraffe) from cereal boxes so naturally I was obsessing over taking pictures at the Zoo with them.

Botanical Gardens...

Giraffes...
Rhinos...
And, of course, my two favorite animals (Daviraffe and Lucypotomus), who I can never take enough pictures of...

Life with my 1 year old

Who knew having a one year old would completely change my life? I can't believe it seems like the very day after her Birthday she was scribbling on the wall, climbing up everything, protesting that she can walk whenever she is being carried, not to mention figuring out how to reach and turn the knobs on the stove (I think they are a little low in Korea, or at least our house). So between Lucy figuring out how to unscrew water bottle caps (I thought I had screwed it on pretty tightly) and wanting to feed herself with a big girl spoon (she really won't eat with a little baby one anymore), there are a few more messes to clean up at the Pendergrass home, but it is truly a small burden compared to what a joyous stage this is. Really, I can't go on enough about how much I love it! I love love love having a one year old! Life seems to have magically jumped from ho-hum to thrilling in what seems like just overnight!

I love walking with her little hand in mine. I love the way she points and says "ohhhhhhh." I love watching her read herself stories (as I wonder if that is what I sound like to her). I love taking her to the playground and letting her make up her mind if we go on the swing or go down the slide. I love traveling with her and showing her the world. I love how she waves to people (and says something that resembles "hello") as she walks around, bringing a smile to the gloomiest of faces. I love how she laughs, her fake one and her real one. I love how she goes to the door, picks up her shoes, holds them out to me and says "Ticko, Ticko" as in "to go, to go" (I always ask her if she wants "to go," hence "ticko"). I love dancing with her to our favorite tunes (which is currently the "Enchanted" soundtrack). I love how she tries to sing "lalala," but comes out more like "lener, lener." I love when I say "come here, Lucy" and she walks into my arms with a big smile on her face. Of course, I can't resist laughing when I say "come here, Lucy" and she says "nah" and shakes her head. I love watching her put my shoes on. I love how every time I try to do the dishes she grabs on to my legs and follows me around. I love how she tries to help me make the bed by smoothing it out like mommy does. I love how she always wants to sing "head shoulders knees and toes" even though she only really does the head and toes part. I love her three little teeth, and her snaggle tooth grin. I love her curls. I love her monkey noises. I love having pillow fights. I love pretending to be asleep in the morning while listening to Lucy wake up as she begins to babble to the ceiling and then suddenly sits up and looks at me (probably because she hears me snicker a little). I love how she puts her big beady necklaces on. I love how she cuddles and kisses her stuffed animals as if each one needed a little love. I love how her hair blows in the wind as we bike around the town and how she begs to honk the horn every time we stop. I love when she is tired and puts her head on my shoulder (even though it only ever lasts 5 seconds). I love how she always wants to go up...up steps, up hills, up boxes, up anything that goes up (just up for a challenge, I guess). I love her funny waterspout ponytail that keeps her bangs out of her eyes. I love how she cuddles up to me when she is sleepy. I love how she slurps spaghetti. I love how she blows kisses to me. Okay, so I LOVE LUCY, you get the picture, but really it seems like I love her more and more everyday. I never pictured how much I would enjoy being the mother of a 1 year old! I liked having a baby and all, but I think this type of go go go life with Lucy suits me a little better.

Two days ago Lucy did her first jump. I was holding her hand of course, so I don't think it counts as a real jump, but she honestly did get off the ground, all of her own doing. But then she is Dave's daughter so what can I say? Anyway, it really caught me off guard and made me a little teary thinking about how fast this is all going by. Time seemed to go so slowly as a kid, but now it races by before you know it. Last night I knew my little baby was really becoming a toddler as I watched her walk all around the house without any coaxing from me or Dave (up until this point she could actually walk pretty far by herself, but only if I went out in front of her and said walk to me. Now, she needs no destination for the occasion). Her growing little personality seems very outgoing, but cautious at the same time (if that is possible). I guess that sounds about right for a mix between me and Dave. She seems to be a very deep thinker as well. I often catch her just watching something with such a deep look on her face, like she is wondering.

More about Lucy: she is pretty much trilingual, if you count all the English she understands, Korean Baby games she plays, and about 20 signs she knows (half of which she made up herself). So I guess that makes her a genius... like mother like daughter! Just kidding! Actually, she is really enjoying learning sign language and I think I am holding back her progress a little because she just makes up signs for stuff if I don't give her one (I don't know very many signs and she wants one for everything). She is very eager to communicate and really very good at showing me what she wants. She understands a few Korean words, such as how she bows when we say Annyeong hasayo (Hello) or Camsamnida (thank you), shakes her head when you say "dori dori," opens and closes her fists when you say "jam jam jam" and claps her hands when you say "jak jak oom", so this only adds to her Korean fame. She is a sweet girl and rarely loses her cool, although she does get awfully squirmy if you try to hold her for too long. She is very fond of animals (especially birds, dogs, and fish), her favorite food is a specific Korean soup (she slurps it from the spoon and I love watching her do it) that is served with many meals, and I think her favorite activity bounces back and forth from coloring (mostly missing the paper I give her and ending up on the floor, fridge and wall, don't worry they are washable), going to the park and reading books (she brings me books to read her, how can I refuse?). Hope this little Lucy update,-slash-Mom googling over child, filled your Lucy cravings for now!

Here is a few pics of Lucy hard at play:

Shoe Obsession...Book Worm Lucy...on our first trip to the library in KoreaSnaggle Tooth Lucy...so happy I got a good picture of her 3 little pearls One of Lucy's "Chingu"s as they call "Friend" in Korean. His mom is from Vietnam and we have become good friends through meeting at the park, even though neither of us speak very much Korean.Lucy learning to play with her stacking toyNot always a perfect stack, but always having fun! One cute girl at church made this puppet for Lucy. After a lot of tinkering and figuring on Lucy's part, she finally figured out how it worked before ripping it to shreds.

Well, that's the end...until next time!

Don't Rain on My Parade

So, our life isn't just beaches and gorgeous sunsets...yes we are still living a normal mortal existence with ups and downs, as follows:

We had been looking forward to going to the Seoul Zoo all week (well actually all month we have been trying to take Lucy for her Birthday). Finally Saturday came, and I was ready for a fun day! We filmed Lucy making animal noises and talked about going to the Zoo with her. I packed all of her animal books to read along the way. After all our preparations, we stepped outside to a little drizzle. Oh Man! We were blessed with beautiful days the entire week, and then, of course, on Dave' day off it was raining! After all the preparations and planning, I was in an "a little rain never hurt anybody" mood, so we travelled on the Subway to the Zoo anyway. We couldn't find it in us to leave the subway station. It was down pouring and we couldn't imagine very much joy on Lucy's face as she watched the monkeys from under a poncho, so with an optimistic spirit we decided to change our plans for the day. We had been wanting to check out the Costco in Seoul, so why not today? Costco is indoors...we should be fine, right?

Well, I'm sure you can tell just from the sheer fact that I took a picture of the Costco building that it took us a lot of hard work to get to this coveted place!

We had been given some pretty simple instructions, just get off the Subway at a specific station and get on the bus that says Emart. After wandering aimlessly in the rain for some time looking for this magical bus, I started begging Dave to take a taxi. Luckily (or not Luckily) we asked some people how to get to Costco and they told us we had to go to a different Subway station. So... back to the Subway. I just realized that this isn't sounding as miserable as it was, so what can I say to get a little more sympathy? Maybe the time we were spending would help paint the picture. We left our apartment around 11:00 a.m. and it was now 3:00 p.m., so the entire four hours was spent either on a subway, transferring subway lines, or wandering in the rain looking for non-existent buses (plus I think with a toddler that doubles the hours!)

The other good news at this point is that Lucy stepped in a puddle (where was her mother?) and I figured once her feet were wet I might as well let her experience puddle hopping. Another one of my brilliant Mom ideas, I know! So one of my personality flaws is the "do first, then think" characteristic. I always want Lucy to experience life to the fullest, and sometimes it gets me into trouble. Usually the worst damage caused by my mentality is stained clothing and big messes for me to clean, but this time her feet were soaked, which meant she had to go barefoot the rest of the day, which meant she couldn't do any walking, which meant sad sad Lucy. Hopefully all these crazy "live life to the fullest" experiences she has been blessed with, by her well meaning mother, add something good to her personality...or else I am just making my life a lot harder than it has to be.

So we get off at the newly recommended subway station and are still struggling to find the correct bus, and I was exhausted, so we broke down and spent the extra dollar and took a cab to Costco. After looking at a map we realize the Costco was directly in between the two Subway stations we got out at, so we might as well have just taken a taxi from the first stop, but that would have been too easy, right?

Now the misery has gone on long enough to start taking on a very comical aspect. We wanted to look around before we bought a membership, but they said "no" so we were at a loss. Should we pay $35 for a membership when we don't even know if we will like the products, or prices, or ever want to travel to this place again? Just when we started contemplating sneaking in and taking a look, I saw the guarantee on the wall "If you are not completely satisfied with your membership at anytime, you may request a full refund." So the decision was obvious...buy a membership, go look around, if we don't like it we will ask for a refund!

The products were divine! They had Cheerios, instant oatmeal, Costco muffins, and more! Too many delicious sights for an American Immigrant to handle! How could we resist? Well, the prices were pretty high. I can't remember the details on most products, but I do remember specifically for a small bag of dried blueberries it was over $20. So we decided to think it over with some good old Costco Pizza. I haven't had pizza since we have been here, and although we bought Korean Bulkogi Pizza (Bulkogi is Korean for Fire Meat), it still tasted American and I was in heaven! Even Lucy got to try a little. She is still pretty sensitive to dairy, so I didn't let her have any cheese, but she sure liked the part she got! Her favorite part was the olives, which surprised me (I have never been a fan). And then another small mistake (like number 10 for the day) Dave went to get cups for water, which cost 50 cents each, and then there wasn't any water, only soda. We were so annoyed because neither of us are big soda drinkers, and it so did not quench our thirst! At the end of our meal, after drinking a lot of soda, we see the water machine, with free little water cups. But on a day like this, what is another extra dollar?

And the verdict is...get a refund on our membership. Between high prices and how long and hard it would be to haul products with us on the Subway, we decided this would be our one and only trip to Costco in Korea. So, a little embarrassed, we returned our membership and won the shortest Costco membership record!

Time for a fun trip back home...I begged Dave not to even try looking for the right bus, and just take a Taxi (which I just realized I started pronouncing like Koreans "Tackshi"). I just wanted to get home, regardless of the cost.

Here we are outside Costco waiting for a Taxi in the rain, barefoot daughter and all! Lucy really loves holding the umbrella, or anything metal. She is always trying to hold the pole on the Subway (and I am always trying to distract her hoping she won't grasp the many invisible germs on the pole). Let me share another little Wendy Personality Clip with you: to get this shot I squatted down and just forgot about the flowing skirt I was wearing, so the bottom half of my skirt was pretty soaked for the rest of the day! Dave says I will do anything for a good picture. So far in life, I have found that to be true, but sincerely hope that I would never risk my life for one, if ever presented with the opportunity.

Well, we found a Taxi, but of course, it was the kind that charge a lot. Dave said he knew for some reason we shouldn't take black Taxis, but then he couldn't remember why until we got inside. So we got charged double for the ride back to the station, but at this point we had already wasted a little money on travel (in fact admission to the Zoo is only $3 for adults, so I am pretty sure between all the Taxi's and Subway rides, it cost more for us not to go to the Zoo, than to go to the Zoo) and so a few extra bucks didn't really matter at this point. We were just laughing at this point (although, I could still see David cringe every time the meter went up).

Finally the end of our long day was in sight, as we entered the Subway station to head home. I could tell it was going to be a long ride, because all the trains going by were packed like sardines. Luckily our train wasn't quite as packed as sardines, but there was still no chance of getting a seat. So I just sat on the ground of the train (in my soaked skirt) and nursed my very tired little one to sleep. Although conditions weren't ideal, I was just glad that she slept the whole way home. That made the trip a lot easier and it is so very precious to hold your sleeping baby every once in a while. I know my baby days with Lucy are numbered. Every day she is acting older and older, so I really soaked the experience in.

All in all, kind of a miserable day, huh? But there were moments I really enjoyed and we laughed pretty hard, so it was better than staying home. I mean how boring would that be to just stay home all day on a rainy day? Oh well, someday we will make it to the zoo...hopefully before it is snowing!

Day 4: Daebudo Island

So you may be wondering why I skipped day 3 of our 4 day weekend..well it was Sunday and although I did get a picture outside the church building, it wasn't really enough to write a post about (even though we were invited to a wonderful Chusuk dinner, I forgot to take pictures). So, on with Day 4: Daebudo Island.

I don't think I really have too much explaining to do, other than that it wasn't too far away so we will definitely be back. The sun, sand and water is all you need to cheer this California girl up! It really felt rather tropical being out here and the sunset was dazzling (as you can see by the number of photos of it in the slide show!)

The bus ride on the way back was a little crazy. The bus was completely packed and we didn't even know where the bus stop was. Luckily Sean just flagged the bus down and the nice driver let us on. The bus was jam packed, so I sat on the floor for the first part of the journey, amidst many other Korean Grandmas. Lucy and I were getting entirely too much attention, including an old lady who kept asking me if I was an actress on T.V. Lucy started getting antsy and wanting to nurse, so I thought, here goes...this could be my greatest public nursing session of all times (sitting on the floor of a bus with all eyes on me from every angle), when like a miracle from heaven the bus driver got up at a red light and kicked a junior high kid out of his seat for me. Just as I was about to sit down, a Grandma bolted for the seat. I quickly backed off seeing the way she would have risked her life for that seat, but the driver made her move for me. A little tension between me and the Grandma at first, but by the end of the busride we were good friends. Lucy stole her heart (being the little ham that she is). Watch Lucy playing with our new Grandma friend on our crowded bus ride:

I hate when I am cornered and can't run from people who want to kiss my child. Usually I can pull her away, but we were finally making friends and I didn't know what to do. Oh well, Lucy has survived this far, I guess one more kiss from a stranger won't hurt!
We finished the night with another amazing sunset and then a delicious Korean Barbeque. A wonderful finish to a great day!

Day 2: Korean Folk Village

For the second day of our adventurous weekend (Saturday) we went to the Korean Folk Village, with no less excitement than our first day! It started with a bang! On the subway ride to the Folk Village, Lucy succeeded in outdoing herself again with attention, but this time we didn't mind so much. This sweet old man pictured to your left gave Lucy 1,000 Won (okay so that sounds like a whole lot of money... I guess I should mention that is only about $1 U.S.) just for being a beautiful baby. The lady next to him saw it and then gave her another one! Nothing like a little money to put a smile on our honey! Wow! We thought about sending her down the isle with it in her hand to see if she could get any more! So yay, we made $2 to make up for all the germs she has been placated with since we arrived. This sort of eased the blow of leaving our precious, and oh so American PB&J sandwiches at home and having to buy lunch (which consequentially made us late for the bus, so we sprinted a few blocks, Lucy and all!)

We made it to the Folk Village and I was in cultural Korean heaven! We wandered through authentic huts and watched many old Koreans perform ancient tasks (basket weaving, pottery, straw shoe making, etc.) We encountered an authentic Kiln that was currently in use and I personally loved the thatched roofs, especially the ones growing vegetables. Pictured below is a pumpkin growing on top of one of the roofs. Pumpkins are one of my favorite things, so I thought this was a seriously artistic moment!

After a little wandering we went to watch the performances. First we saw the Farmer's dance. I was especially impressed with the streamers coming from their hats which they moved around in circles and different patterns with their heads, completely synchronized. I got some great video, so I will see if I can finally figure out video posting on the new computer. It is one of those things you just have to watch to understand. Then we watched Seesaw Acrobatics. 2 girls would bounce each other into the air using a seesaw and perform all sorts of tricks. There was also a great performance on a tightrope, without a pit, by an old man who had to be in his 70's at least! He definitely motivated me to stay in shape. I totally want to be that cool when I am his age! The last performance we caught was the equestrian show. We were dazzled with amazing tricks and riding skills. The performance was made all the more real as we watched one of the riders eat it and leave the rink injured. The picture below is just to entice you! There are more great shots of tricks on the horses, as well as the other performances on the slide show.
We spent the rest of our time wandering through a peaceful Buddhist Temple and some other ancient sights. We saw a gorgeous field of butterflies, giant Sunflowers (we're talking about 10 ft!), a cute little bridge and another breathtaking sunset. I don't think we would have ever left if it wasn't for the attack of the mosquitoes that left me looking like I have some form of the measles! Dave didn't get bitten nearly as many times as me, but he is allergic, so the few he got swelled up like golf balls. Between looking at the two of us, I think people are keeping their distance these days. To end on a high note, this wonderful day was totally worth all the hideous and not to mention itchy bug bites!