Sorry for the absence . . . (3.Dec.12)

Hi everyone. Sorry for the long absence. I've been sick since late October. With being sick, my wanderlust has diminished drastically. I've barely gone out. I haven't exercised. I think I even lost weight too.

I just got back from the doctor. I've got sinusitis. This explains why I wasn't getting any better.

Well, just wanted to let you know I'm still alive--not well, but alive. I saw a few random pictures I took and thought I'd share them with you. Here are the random pics:

Autumn foliage by the District Court in Jeju.

Top of Jeongbang Falls.

A friend came to visit me 2 weekends ago. We went here and I took this pic.

Sorry, no exciting story behind the pic. It was great having her for the weekend. Other than that, this was the first time I've gone out since I felt really bad in Nov. 1st.

Creation at Cheonjaeyeong Falls that demanded my attention.

The bridge of the 9 sea nymphs.

Cheonjaeyeong Falls from the other side of the previous bridge.

Maze Land/Maze Museum

Looking at the "Stone Grandfather" labyrinth.

Same place, looking at the "Whirlwind" labyrinth, with the "Lady" labyrinth just behind it.

Now these 2 are from today.

My prescription for 5 days. I have to take these pills 2x a day (morning & evening) 30 min. after I eat.

Wow, 5 pills a turn; 10 pills a day? Man, I'm worse than I thought!

One thing I'll say about medicine in Korea: the service & quality are excellent and the insurance is trustworthy. I got a check-up, x-ray, & prescriptions for just less than $12 (maybe more like $10).

I better check out any other health problems I may have while I'm still here.

Explorations of 2 days . . .

Hi there. Let me show you some stuff I saw during my 2-day term break (the shortest term break EVER).

Vegetarians and vegans, behold, I give you LOVING HUT!

The international restaurant chain that is completely vegan. 

Finally, a restaurant in Korea in which I can eat everything in the menu without any worries whatsoever!

(this one is in Jung-ang-ro, 중앙로)

They even sell different kinds of health foods.

If you're curious, here's the menu. Sorry for the glare.

I didn't walk around it, but I found the Jeju Sports Complex (just behind the Bus Terminal).

It's bigger than I expected.

Another Loving Hut!

This one is in ShinJeju (신제주).

They have a smaller menu, but they offer more side dishes. I also found this one to be a bit cheaper than the first one too.

Another view, this time head-on.

They sell a few things too, just not as much as the one in 중앙로.

Walking aimlessly, I found this sign on a building that houses an English institute. I thought this was worth saving.

Flamenco in Jeju, Korea . . . who knew?

I went to this restaurant in Cheonan a couple of times. I loved that it has a salad bar (mostly pasta) and it's all-you-can-eat. This one offers more dishes as well (not in the salad bar). Haven't had the chance to eat there yet, but I hope to change that soon.

The sign of yet another university in Jeju. ("Jeju" used to be spelled "Cheju." Either one is ok. This is the kind of stuff that happens when you switch alphabets).

The map of the campus. I didn't explore it either. Strange, right? But I was sick at this time . . .

Autumn walk at Saryeoni Park (29. Oct)

Hi there. Many apologies for not posting this earlier. I've been having a problem in that I posted my pictures first, but now that I'm going to add the captions, I don't see the pictures at all. I clicked "Preview" and the pictures are there, but I need to add in the captions blindly. Good thing I can click "Preview" and it pops up on another tab, that way I can "see" how my post is coming.

Anyway, 2 of my students and I went out for a walk at Saryeoni Park. This park is popular and HUGE! This was also an excellent time to see the Autumn foliage. For those who are more laid back hikers or want a more relaxing stroll, this is the place for you. Let's go to the pics.

Whoa, just to get an idea of what you'll be seeing.

A sign at one of the entrances (there are about 3 or so).

This has some details about the forest.

This must be the steepest climb in the entire forest.

Look at these colors!

I don't remember ever seeing a red leaf this bright before.

You know what, let me be quiet so you can enjoy these pictures fully, with your own interpretation.

This is a map of the trails/forest. Each number is a kilometer. We only made it 5 km in. For the rest of day, I could feel that I truly walked 10 km!

Here's a sign and information about an "orum" or hill you can hike up. For some reason, although, it was closed and will stay closed until New Years. Oh well, they know what they're doing.

A sign of the same hill that's not going away anytime soon.

The end.

Wasn't it lovely? Now I understand why they say this is a "healing forest," you can't help but feel better when you see all this nature.

Quick Week Summary (21.-27. Oct.)

I went out for a bit and just thought I'd combine it all into 1 post. Everything is either from Sunday or Saturday. Either way, let me show you a little bit from what I saw this week.

I visited a cafe on Sunday (21.Oct.) that I wanted to check out for a long time. It's called "Ludwig" (as in Ludwig van Beethoven).

Serene.

The outside.

Some of what they offer, as well as their hours of operation.

Some more info if you want.

They're a bit pricey, but the ambiance is really nice.

That's the end of Sunday. Off to Saturday.

The view out my bedroom window.

You can see it's Autumn--and the institute.

I decided to take a walk to my favorite, nearby park--but with my camera this time.

Some of the most vivid reds I've ever seen.

"The long and winding road . . ."

"A cord of three is not easily broken."

If you feel like working out outside, here's the place to do it (with palm trees).

Now, off to a special traditional Korean music concert in which one of the church members (and a former student of mine) played.

The musician's husband and son. They're a really nice family, each one of them.

The traditional Korean orchestra. The conductor (dressed in green) doesn't do much other than signal when to begin and when to stop. The orchestra takes care of themselves--together.

By the way, they're dressed here in the traditional garb of the royal orchestra, which played in the palace.

Chan-gu and Dragon drum.

I learned to play the Chan-gu 2 years ago in Cheonan.

The conductor (and founder of this traditional orchestra).

Honestly don't know what it's called, but find it fascinating how it resembles a cello on a table.

A special duo.

The founder himself plays.

My former student and a current church member doing what she does wonderfully.

A group from within the orchestra.

Like a table harp I've seen in Austria.

They pluck the strings with a stick and press them down for the desired sound.

It's hard to believe, but this little flute sounds like a saxophone.

The orchestra with a singer.

The entire orchestra again.

This was a nice educational and cultural night. Too bad I didn't have the battery-life to take video.

Now, off to enjoy my shortest term break ever . . .