I LOVE Saturdays!

Oh, the joy that a Saturday can bring!  Today was AMAZING!  I began my day by sleeping in!  (Honestly, this might have been the best part of the day)... and thanks to my loving husband, I got to sleep all the way to 9 am.  When sleep deprivation is this consistent, a good night's rest is priceless.

Up next - Pedicures with some friends.  Jaren stayed home with the kids (really, aren't I the luckiest girl?), and I went out with my friends Crystal and Julie.  We were just going to go to the salon at the PX, but I couldn't be happier that they didn't have any available slots for us.  Because, this meant we got adventurous and went out into the vill.  Again, plans were foiled, and the place we knew of didn't have any openings, but we pressed on, and found this gem of a place called Honey Nails.

I knew it would be fun when I saw Dr Fish on the outside.  What is a Dr. Fish you ask?  Well... let me show you:

Basically, they eat all the dead skin off of your foot.  It tickles something fierce.

It was a fun moment of bonding over something totally foreign and different.  And I loved it.  And it was nice to have some adult conversation while pampering ourselves.  Julie and Crystal are my neighbors, and I feel so lucky and grateful to have been lead to such quality friends.  Blessed indeed.

After that, we headed over to the Katusa Snack bar for some Dolsot Bibimbap.  Basically, it's my go-to food here in Korea.  Bonus points for the best cucumber Kimchi that I have tasted thus far!

  

When I got home, Jaren and I packed up the girls and headed over to Sapgyoho Hamsang Park.  Ok, now this is an amazing find!  A fantastic park / playground for the kids!  They had everything!  Slides, skate ramps that the kids had taken over and were using for more slides, tire tube swings, rope swing crossings, pirate ships, and more.  Just an amazing place to play - and without all the bubble wrap you see in the States.  You could really play on it, and you could get hurt. I loved watching my girls test their limits, and see what they really could and could not do.  This is my kind of park.  I love watching Mila really be as fearless as she is.  

Alta plays in such an imaginative way.  She has all of these friends inside her head, and she makes up amazing stories to go along with her adventures.  It was just fun to watch.

And then we found the ships:  

All Aboard!!

Then we found Tanks!

 (Equipped with a toy gun for all the good little boys and girls to practice shooting their parents)... Yes, Alta immediately shot Dad.  What else was she supposed to do?  Oh, go put your head in this appropriate for kids cut-out?  Totally.

Yup, we are in South Korea folks!  

After that, we wandered past some street vendors.  Selling... oh the usual.  

Yeah, that octopus totally fell out on the street.  Like ya do, when your an octopus livin on the street.  

After that, we found ourselves in a mini carnaval... only it's permanent.  Jaren and I found ourselves smiling beyond what we thought was possible for not riding a single ride.  To watch your kids squeek with delight as they brave a ride - WAAAAY better than any ride I have ever been on.  The joy of watching your kids find joy is just the best thing I have experienced on this earth.  I love it.

Yup, it was an amazing day.  I feel blessed to live here.  Blessed to have the family I do.  I hope you had a good Saturday too!  XOXO

Embracing Touch

Thus far, one of the most fascinating things about Korea is how different their boundaries are with regard to personal space and touch.  It is not considered disrespectful, creepy, or strange, for complete strangers to come up and touch your children's face and hair.

I had been told that this would likely be our experience, and have found it to be completely true.  Koreans seem to adore my children.  It really is a mother's paradise; because what mother doesn't appreciate someone who pays sincere and endearing interest to their children?  Especially when this attention is not slighted by fear or suspicion.

It is not uncommon for grown men to stop, and make goo-goo-ga-ga's noises with Maisy.  Teenage boys stop to tell me how "cute-uh" my girls are.  I have not yet met a man that was too macho, cool, or disinterested to engage with the girls.

My favorite is when the girls meet other Korean children.  Just today at the market (I told you, I LOVE the market), these two little girls could not get enough of Mila.

They wanted to touch her skin, her hair, her nose.  In the end, Mila became less shy, and even gave them hugs.  It was so sweet.

Like these girls, I love the simplicity and beauty of seeing new things.  I love the innocence and the curiosity.

In regards to the Korean's attitudes towards children. I love how they embrace differences and cherish children.  Ultimately, I just love all the love.


So, who wants a hot dog?

Market Day

On the 3 and 8 days of each month there is Market Day in Anjeong-ri (the little "ville" right outside of Camp Humphreys).  So basically, on the 3rd, the 8th, 13th, 18th... and so on.

It is supposedly a small market for Korea... and I'm grateful for it.  It can be a bit overwhelming as it is, so it's nice to kind of enmesh myself in the culture in more bite-size chunks.  This market is now becoming more familiar and comfortable.  

When wandering the market, one can prepare to see all sorts of different fruits, vegetables, fish, and "what in the world is that???!!!" things.  The smells... Oh the smells of Korea.  Nothing creates a memory quite like a smell.  One second, you smell sweet cinnimon and nut filled pancakes... (called Hotteok)

And the next, you smell... this....

 Wait, let's go back to the Halmoni (term for Grandma that you use for all Grandma aged women) making Hotteok.  I wish that I could have just gotten you the video of it.  But she is literally using her fingers to push these pancakes around.  Hot oil ALL OVER THEM.  You can see that her hands are covered in it.  But I have to try to shut my jaw every time I see her.  I know that callouses build up, and that she can't really be in pain doing this... but it is just utterly fascinating to me.  I think of her having done this for years.  And watching her carefully craft each pancake with the yumminess that is inside, like it is part of a dance, is just something happy I will forever take with me.

Alta and Mila LOVE market day.  Alta eagerly seeks out her favorite thing each time we go.  To watch the Octopuses.  They squirm and wriggle and it fills her with such joy.  And you would think that this joy would be ended by her knowing their fate.  Nope... just today Alta informed me that "someone was going to take these home and kill them and eat them."

.... "Yup.  How do you feel about that?"

"Fine... then they get to be with Heavenly Father."

Oh how I love her!  

Mila got a bit camera shy this morning, but she wanted me to take a picture of the pretty fish.  Good idea kiddo!  

On our shopping trip today we scored the following:

Strawberries - Oh my goodness, the strawberries here are worth the trip to Korea in and of themselves! Best fruit you will ever taste in your lifetime.  Whatever I thought was a strawberry in America, will now be a sad and pathetic version of what God intended them to taste like.   Anyhow, we haven't left the market yet without some. 

Carrots

Sweet potatoes

Beets 

Lettuce 

Cucumbers 

Red and Yellow peppers 

Broccoli 

Bananas

Korean pastries - the girls got to pick a small assortment of pastries and guess what was inside them.  From what I could tell it was sweet bean paste.  Possibly dates.  

As you can imagine, my life as a vegetarian means that my meals are based around vegetables, and so this market is a bit of dream come true for me.  I do a large majority of our grocery shopping here... and love that it is part of MY Korea now.  My goal for each market is to try something new.

Happy Market day everyone!   

A new adventure - Korean style!

I am resuming the blog.  Jaren returned from deployment.    And we moved to Korea.  Oh, and I've had another child since I wrote last...

So I think I'll pretty much just reinvent this blog.  New title and all.  Queen of the Gingerpuffs.  (Thanks for the creative push Janis!)

But I hate the catch up game in pretty much anything ... so let's just roll with where we are now!

On Jan 6th, 2014 - Jaren and I moved the gingerpuffs to Korea.  We found a five bedroom place (that's crazy big for Korea) off post.

 We want to really experience Korea and all that it has to offer.  Lucky for us, our home here has a playground area, and great neighbors with lots of kids around.  We expect to be here for the next two to three years.

Jaren is still flying helicopters, and even got to keep doing the same mission.  They have a real medevac mission here in Korea - and he is so excited to be flying again.    

So far Korea has been full of adventure.  Anytime I step out of my house, I find myself in some sort of adventure.  Grocery shopping - yup adventure!

Running?  Yup - adventure!

You may even find a cautionary tale of "how not to drive" on a run...

How 'bout hiking?  YES PLEASE!  The kids are really enjoying this adventure...

And that just makes my heart sing!  

Anyhow, I am going to post things as they happen now.  I can't wait to share Korea with you.