September

September!

I know, that was a while ago--I promise I'll only show the highlights...

If you saw my previous posts, you might remember that Andrew has been taking Tae Kwon Do here. Well, in September the students of Andrew's Tae Kwon Do master, Grand Master Moon, did a demonstration at the "Songtan Friendship Festival."

Here is the group of students who did demonstrations that day (Andrew had just started Tae Kwon Do, so he was a white belt--the kids who did the least complicated thing).

But he got to break his first board!

Check out the martial arts action...

Katelyn in front of some festival food.

More festival food...look closely.

Earlier in the month, we drove a few hours to a place called Malipo Beach. The sun is brutal here in the summertime. In spite of our earnest sunscreen efforts, we all had sunburns.

Andrew found a real starfish!

Some restaurants across from the beach. They have tanks with living seafood just outside. Can't get any fresher than that, right?

These next photos were from a heritage site near to us called Hwaseong Fortress. It's a very old fortress with a defensive wall that snakes for quite a distance.

The painted ceiling of one of the fortress buildings.

The view.

At the Suwon Cultural Village

We went with our good friends right around the time of Chusok (Korean Thanksgiving)--so we decided to let the kids wear their traditional Korean Hanbok (Andrew and Allison don't have them, but I think I'll buy new ones for Allison and Katelyn for Easter next year. I think they are really beautiful).

At the folk village, they have different performances to show what traditional life was like. Here are the kids waiting for a show:

And here's a little part of one show. If you don't want to see Traditional Korean dancing with head-ribbons, then don't click here...

Some traditional costumes.

Korean-style tight-rope performance.

Here, Katelyn is sitting in the marriage cart (where the bride sits while they carry her to and from the marriage ceremony).

Last but not least, a little taste of Modern Korea--one of the very many embroidery shops (think it up and they can make it for you). Here Andrew is watching the huge machine stitch rows and rows of embroidered patches.