Cherry Blossom Walk at Namsan

After dog class yesterday, we ate some Chinese food in Myeongdong and then headed to Namsan where Tashi was tested on his loose-leash walking skills.  He did pretty good.    Jack took this video with his new smart phone, which takes better videos than our mini video camera.   The Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom so it was quite beautiful.  Tashi drank the water in the little stream, which I guess was a no-no. But, he's doing ok today.  Love the spring blooms!

Tashi gets an Edumacation

Tashi has been enrolled in training classes since the end of March.  The classes are every Saturday from 10 am to 11 am and take place right inside the gate of the US military post here.  Once our trainer, Amber, signs us onto the base, we get a taste of how good things are for dogs, and their people, on base.  The classes take place in the dog park, which is a place where dogs can run leash-free.  There are bags available for poop and a trash can to throw the waste in (unlike Namsan where bags are provided, but no trash can or place to throw away the poop--we usually get rid of it in the bathroom after carrying it around the duration of the walking path).  Also, Tashi is one of the smaller dogs in the class.  Unlike life outside of the base where Tashi is a hideously huge monster, inside the base he is dwarfed by Russian Wolfhounds, German Shephards, and Huskies. During class, we keep our dogs on their leashes, but class usually begins with some off-leash playtime.  If we have time after class, we also let them run around for a little bit before getting the dogs back on their leashes. I took pictures on sign-up day and the picture at the very bottom is from yesterday's class.  He has his exam and graduation next week.  Can't believe time has flown by so fast.  It seems like we just started.  Now, looking forward to the next round of training classes.

The dogs greet other dogs as they approach the dog park.  One of the best things about class is Tashi gets socialization with other dogs and humans.  Below, Amber (far left with light blond hair) talks to some of the people at the dog park.

Gone

Daejungok (perhaps can be translated as "gem of the people" or, perhaps, "popular spot"), one of the last vestiges of a Korea that is slowly disappearing thanks to contemporary obsessions with newness and hygiene (ok--I had to add this last part because there needs to be a bright side), served as a spot for hungry Koreans wanting that old school flavor that can be hard to come by. When the southern perimeters of the city were marked by the Han River, it greeted weary travelers making their way through the city gates and, over time, became a favorite spot for down-home Korean cooking as the city expanded and it became a part of the central district. Around since before the Korean War, this restaurant closed its doors early this spring. Another bright side is that the owners have opened a new location in Kangnamgu, Seoul's swank neighborhood south of the Han. Somehow, I think the flavors will be different. No more will the meals be prepared in these great iron pots heated by underground heating systems fueled by coal and hardwood. No more will patrons sit within the ramshackle, barely standing walls of the old hanok converted into this eatery long ago. No more will the smells of slightly molding layers, upon layers of wallpaper and inner city dust permeate the air as you sit in a restaurant smelling of--how can I say this--dirty feet (yes, this is true of any spot selling seollangtang, but here it was really strong). Funny through, I loved it. Maybe because I could just smell the history. Maybe because I knew that soon, it would no longer be here. Maybe because I could sit in this place filled with people in their 60s and 80s and no one, for once, stared or thought I shouldn't be there. Don't know why--but I think they were a bit surprised and appreciative that someone like me could be there and appreciate that flavor and environment without turning my nose up. Now, it sits, leveled, a lot being prepared for another highrise or parking garage. People will soon forget the history, the flavors, the smells, that once marked this spot.

 

 "Don't trash this spot!" with another sign advertising haejangguk--boiled ox blood soup. My personal favorite and what this place is famous for. You had to know this place was here to come. Turning off the main road through winding alleyways, you can squeeze into a parking spot and make your way in. Jack, the master of little cultural gems like this, insisted we must eat here before it closes (Jack and I once had lunch here while shopping for Christmas dinner fixings).

 The kids in front of the restaurant. In this entrance, there is a room full of tables and benches set up for eating, but that night it was totally packed, so we rounded the corner, through the kitchen and into the long part of this old L-shaped house where there were additional rooms where people could sit on the floor and eat at tables (notice the shoes below outside of rooms with sliding doors). Below, the madang, or central paved over outdoor spot of the hanok.

 The menue: galbi jjim (boiled and caramelized beef ribs), jongol (stew), songchi (veal), ulang (not sure, some sort of beef dish), gancheonyeop (have no idea what this is), meorigogi (meat prepared from the head, I assume of a cow), chutang (think this is chueotang, which is a kind of spicy fish soup, but out of character with the menu so not sure if it is what I think it is; some things were mispelled on the menu, so again, not 100% sure), seolleongtang (a beef soup with noodles--so yummy!), haejangguk (boiled ox blood soup--in photo below--yummy and loaded with iron).

Jack enjoys haejangguk while Dahin eats the kids' favorite, seolleongtang. We also got some free galbi jjim because the ajuma wanted us to try it since the people at the table next to use complained about it. Apparently, they are regular costumers and habitually complain every time they come. They were quite the jerks, I must say. So, the auntie made a big point of having us try the jjim and asking our opinion on it in front of the other people--awkward. It was good, though, and we said so.

 Walking through the kitchen, you can see the big pot in the foreground used to prepare our haejangguk.

Above, the kids walk into the main room where Apa checks us out (below). Before leaving, Jack and I grab some instant coffee available by the register and take one last look at this historic site.

Gold Medal!

Dahin participated in the 2nd annual national bilingual speech competition and was awarded a gold medal! At first, though, Dahin was totally not into doing it. Nerves+Long Wait=not a happy kid.

 She had to deliver the speech first in Korean, then in English--by memory! Voice a little soft, but great theme about acceptance and wonderful stage presentation (I'm biased).

 With one of the judges and the middle schooler who also was awarded a gold prize

 Taking a bow

 Me and my girl.

She was just beaming!  And I, personally, love it when I get to say, "See?  If you just apply yourself and try hard, you can do it!"  We also told her that, even if she had not won a prize, that the most important thing was going through with what she had committed to.  Winning the prize just made it seem really cool.

Snow Doggy

Tashi and I woke up on Friday morning to a fresh layer of snow on the ground.  While most of the snow melted throughout the day as the sun came out and the temps rose, at 6:30 am  in the field near our home we found a snow-loving dog's paradise.  Tashi jumped through, rolled in, and ate the snow.  He was one happy dog.  So cute, I had to take some photos, but only had my cell phone with me, so the quality is not that great. We spent about 40 minutes there so he could have his fill of snow time, probably the last this year and the first time he could run in it leash-free.  The field near the mountain is huge and people-less this early in the morning, so plenty of room to run around safely.  Plus, Tashi comes when he's called, which helps.

First Graders!

Entering first grade is a huge deal in Korea. I had no idea. From the circus that materializes on the SNU campus every 2nd of March, I've learned that the official day marking the entering of freshmen into college is a huge event, but haven't thought of first grade in the same way. Glad I came prepared with my camera. The newly-minted first-graders were welcomed with a 1-hour ceremony and tons of love from family and friends.  Above and below, the kids wearing the party hats they received from the 6th graders

 6th graders, teachers, and family joined in on the school song at the end of the ceremony. The ceremony included performances by the second graders, a 6th grade drumming ensemble, songs, and (thankfully) short speeches.Below, the boys and their classmates listen to their new teacher. Oliver and Ronan were lucky to get Dahin's 2nd-grade-turned-1st grade teacher: the totally awesome Kim Eungyeong. There are eight classes of first graders total. The school is huge.

 With apa. The boys look a little unsure of this first grade thing.

In front of their school. Their book and shoe bags looks so, so big right now.

In the school hallway with one of their little buddies from pre-school. Welcome to elementary school boys!

Spring Snow

It snowed today.  The weather had been mild and sunny every day, so when I had heard the forecast that it was supposed to snow, a lot, today, I thought people, or at least meteorologists, had gone nuts.  But, lo and behold, it did snow.  I took a short video of the snowfall outside my office window.  Six hours later, it's still snowing and we now have some accumulation.