Exploring Daegu

School started August 20 and we hit the ground running!

It is so nice to have small groups, more flexibility, and a less hectic schedule for teaching. The students are bright and motivated so we move through lessons quickly, and they are doing amazing work!

Levi and Marly are really enjoying their new school and seem to be making the adjustment fine. They are benefiting from smaller groups and more attention too.  It is nice to see them around school.  We have so much more family time available now which is fantastic.

 

 During the first week, all of of us new teachers went to the Immigration Office to process our alien cards. We are official, yay!  

After the first week of school, we went to nearby Bongmu Park Lake for a little fun.  We went with some teachers, their kids, and resident hall kids.

At the lake, there are these giant floats that the kids had fun running on, and falling off of...

Staying balanced is a challenge.

Here's one of our teachers (and a dad) mixing it up for the kids.

 

Sometimes the kids had to rest as staying balanced was hard work.

Getting ready for a speedboat ride. There's Levi on the left behind a new friend.

Here's the gang getting ready for a banana boat ride.  They looked a little nervous.

But, they had a blast!!

Even the headmaster got in on the fun.  Here he is water-skiing.

The coolest mom, who went on all the obstacles with the kids!  I was happy just to watch. :)

Lovely and elegant Duck Boats at the park, waiting for a ride.  Quack.

Duck boat in action.  They are motorized and move pretty slowly.

Levi and Mike skippering a Duck Boat.  We only hit the rocks twice (Good thing it's made of plastic).

A beautiful butterfly taking a drink by the lake.  I am amazed at the variety of butterflies I have seen in Korea.  They are also popular everywhere in songs and culture.

Pretty orchids at the waterpark entrance.

After a busy second week of school, on Saturday, Sept. 1 we headed downtown to the Daegu International Bodypainting Festival.

This was an amazing event where girls were painted and coiffed and dressed in fantasy attire.

Each girl had a team of artists for makeup and costuming.  They all wore incredibly high heels and towered over everyone.

 

Love the extreme eyelashes.

My favorite.  She's wearing peacock feathers.

Amazing, the hours of work that went into them!

Here we are waiting for the Fantasy pageant to begin.  The area became pretty full and many people picnicked on the grass.  A mom and daughter, our kids' age came and sat by us and introduced themselves and handed us snacks to eat.  Of course we got some goodies to share with them too.  Everyone is so nice and family-oriented here.  They love kids.

Before the pageant started there was an "Oppa Gangnam Style" dance contest.  Who appeared on the stage, but Marly's teacher (center), who won!  Go Ms. G!  That's one of our teaching interns next to her on the right.  Our school rocks!

And, the Pageant:  The girls glided around the stage to pop music, with a large video of themselves behind.

So graceful.  I was amazed at how they walked down those stairs in their gigantic heels.  Love her butterfly fan.

A colorful girl, exiting the stage.

Each girl had a team of attendants helping her walk with her costume- see her platform stilettos?

A fishy theme.

A sculpture at Duryu park near the Bodypainting Festival. The tower behind us is at E-World amusement park; a trip we'll make another day.

On the way home, we stopped at Daegu Stadium where the IAAF Track & Field World Championships are run.  James did very well.

Home again.  The view from the rooftop at sunset. The new luxury high-rise apartments being built are to the right, and the fashion school is to the left.  The mall is in the center left, a block away.  This is a totally planned, and rapidly growing luxury community called Esiapolis.

From the roof, looking north to Mt. Palgonsan at sunset.  Life in Korea is very good.