we have the next 5 days off, so we're taking off! we're leaving for a roadtrip down south. we got ourselves a daewoo winstorm (not as cool sounding as the daewoo lalos) and heading to the coast.  

leaving you with a plastic piggy bank chillin' on the streets.

we met up with unni, hyungboo and their sons, youngbae and joonbae, for a climb up ansan...the mountain near both of our places. they packed up instant ramen and kimbop for a picnic on the mountain. we brought along the trader joe's trail mix my sisters recently sent. it was an awesome meal. after lunch, it was time for some badminton.

badminton!

cherry blossom petals were falling like snow.

the temple on ansan.

inside the temple.

cool drinking fountain.

a group of us went to a baseball game between the LG twins and Kia tigers. it was out of control.

in korea, you find a seat wherever there's an inch. we made a wise decision and smooshed ourselves in the red section (LG twins--the home team), which was the rowdier & louder section.

we had heard that the players actually stretch during the "7th inning stretch". it happened in the 6th inning instead, but it still was hilarious to see the teams on the field, stretching.

i've never been to a baseball game this lively and fun before. the stadium was filled with people, thunder sticks and nonstop chants. the game itself wasn't too exciting, but you wouldn't have known (at least, i didn't). it was all about the crowded stadium and having a good time.

this is what the vendors were selling around the stadium: beer, peanuts, dried squid, kimbop and bags of hard-boiled eggs. go baseball! 

this kid was so into his game.

our anniversary was today. it was fun to celebrate the occasion here in korea.

 

my friend, heather michel, sent me this necklace from texas (thank you). 

i wore it all day. it's seemed only fitting.

korea's right. love is sharing.

can't believe it's already been one year. what a good year it's been too.

mom, dad, and the send-off crew.

my parents left today. it was sad to see them go. i was getting used to living with them in our tiny box. whenever my dad left early in the morning for the golfing range, i'd snuggle up with my mom in our twin size bed. zachary would then squeeze in too (with me sleeping in the middle, of course). i don't know how the three of us managed to sleep like that, but we did.

mom and dad, i miss you already. who's going to make the morning coffee on the stove, in our only pot?

my parents are here! they arrived on the 6th, left for china on the 7th, came back on the 10th, took us all around korea on the 11th and 12th, left the 14th for jeju island, will return on the 20th for a few more days in korea and will leave for chicago on the 22nd. as expected, their visit has been jammed packed. lots of family and friends who want to see them, feed them, and catch up. 

last weekend was a lot of fun. we went to imcheon como's farm in the countryside, spent time in my dad's hometown, bounced over to my mom's hometown, then went through seoul to incheon, then back to seoul for dinner with my mom's only living uncle, and finally made it home where we all passed out from exhaustion and over-eating.

even though our work schedules have made it impossible to spend more time with them, it's been so good to have my parents here. just seeing their things in our place--my mom's curling iron, my dad's electric razor, their tiny shoes--makes me happy.

the first stop in our 48-hour family adventures all-around korea was to my imcheon como and como-boos farm. it was a beautiful day to be in the countryside, taking in the quiet surroundings.