This week's highlights (and lowlights)

I don't have any big stories or deep thoughts this week, but I did take lots of pictures of our trips out of the house.  Here are some pictures of things that were particularly memorable for us.

Walking a hill above the beach, Sam found this hand-sized, brightly-colored
crab, which made a hissing/bubbling noise with its mouth as it dared
us to duel. Unfair fight: it could rapidly sidle up and down the cement walls.

Most rice fields are nearly ready for harvest - the grains are starting to weigh
down the grass and the leaves are turning from green to yellow.

This "rice combine" just harvested a field; we've seen
another type of rice being harvested by hand, one clump at a time.

We found a lovely orchid to celebrate Nick's first day of classes for only $4.50
at a local greenhouse.  That's less than a box of cereal or a single pear.
To bad we can't eat them.

Sam befriended some dogs at a nearby beach.  He sure misses
our dog Ralph.

At the grocery store, the beef is marked with a brown cow photo.  Pork
has pictures of... piglets in red boots.  Not a great sales approach, but perhaps better
than the shouting butcher who announces his wares as you approach
and as you scurry away, avoiding eye contact. 

In the seafood section are several  gift packages for the upcoming Thanksgiving
celebrations.  These two ugly fish are selling for about $130.  I'm sure any
boss would be delighted to receive such an honor.

This tubular stuff is one type of seaweed that washes onto the beach.
Some ajeemas were collecting it from amongst the rocks,shells, other seaweed,
and plastic dreck.  We found some to give them, which earned us bonus points.
Sam was NOT interested in eating it.

Elisabeth and David enjoyed body surfing some really high waves
near the port.  No one else swam until they saw the kids go in.
 I have a theory that most Koreans believe you need the right clothes and
equipment to do any sports - walking trails, biking, swimming.
My kids had no life vests, inner tubes, wet suits, or water socks
- and still had fun - so others without all the gear could follow suit.

We found a magical store with computer gear, art and school/office supplies,
shoes, tools, signs, games, sports equipment, leather wallets, designer pens,
and tons more - all in about 30x30 feet of floor space.  Sam bought a bat
and took David and Elisabeth to a field where they hit dozens of
tennis balls we found in the campus dumpster earlier this summer.

While the kids were batting, we kept hearing a drummer with a catchy beat.
A walk through the nearby woods revealed four women
on traditional Korean drums, pounding out rhythms on their own and their
neighbor's drums.  Check out videos of similar drumming and movement here
(a woman's team) and here (a men's team).

Elisabeth's Korean spelling/handwriting homework this week was on
"things in a classroom." All was well until I saw #8.
Apparently kids are supposed to bring box knives as a basic school supply item.
In response to my astonishment, Elisabeth scornfully said "No one hardly ever bleeds."
I think I will forget to buy one again this week.

We found thousands of these fingertip-sized monsters on a piece of driftwood.
They slowly wave around on their stalks (which are extremely glued to the wood),
open their little shell mouths, and stick out a nasty hairy worm thing.
I can't find anything like them on the internet.