Day 3

We had a FABULOUS day today at the Boryeong Mud Festival today. The kids had so much fun, and we had a great time watching them. As a parent and a teacher, it was one of those rare moments in time when kids this age are just acting like a bunch of crazy kids. I don't think the pictures need much explanation...just enjoy!

Photobucket is not working tonight, so I uploaded a group of photos to a walmart.com account for you to look at.
1. Go to www.walmart.com.
2. Click on Photo
3. Sign in. Ours is grantcountyece@yahoo.com and the password is grantcounty.


Tomorrow, Sunday, is our host-family day. I can't wait to hear about the kids' experiences!

I'll try and get the blog properly fixed tomorrow.

Day 2

We had a very busy day today traveling to and around the DMZ. The kids all learned a great deal about this important part of Korean history.

Along the way we met interesting people and saw interesting things.


Michael met a man who enthusiastically told him all about the significance of the symbols on the South Korean flag. I didn't get to hear all of it, so I hope Michael will share what he learned with us.


It was very interesting to travel into the countryside of Korea. We saw many different beautiful flowers and birds. The area heading into the DMZ is also very agricultural and we saw many very lush, green farms. South Korea prides itself on all of its greenery.


This is a photo taken from one of the observation points at Camp Bonafus looking into North Korea. It shows what is commonly called Propoganda City. It is actually void of people, but the North really wants it to look inviting for anyone who would like to live there.


At the end of our tour we gathered for a final group picture. In the background is North Korea. Behind the kids, hidden in the trees, is the building in which the cease-fire agreement was signed. That building now houses the North Korean Peace Museum. Ironically, inside the museum are the axes used in the infamous axe murders in 1976-an incident in which two U.S. military men were killed while trying to trim branches from a poplar tree that was blocking the view into North Korea.

Lunch today was interesting. There was no meat (except for some tiny anchovies!). We were served many different types of tofu dishes and other soy bean based foods. The area we were traveling through is apparently famous for their soy bean products. Delicious!

Day 1

Finally! We arrived in South Korea to a very warm welcome by our Gunpo students and chaperone.


One of our first stops today was the Nong Shim Noodle Factory. It was like watching a live episode of "How It's Made"! The kids looked fabulous in their lab coats and hats.


We were greeted today by the Deputy Mayor. He welcomed us all and was curious to know what we thought of Korea. The City of Gunpo gave each student a caligraphy set and a fan that we will use for a caligraphy lesson later on in our stay.


The Youth Center is always a big hit. Joey was a good sport and put on the pregnancy outfit.


We couldn't help but to fall in love with these cute little ballet dancers at the youth center. Precious!!


We spent time this afternoon at the Nuri Observatory. Since it was raining, we didn't get to peer into space, but we did have a wonderful 3-D experience.


This was our first Korean meal where we sat on the floor. I think it will take the kids a day or two to get used to it, but I didn't hear any compaints.

The kids are doing great and having a good time. I am very impressed by how well behaved they are!

Ready to Go!