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Hello everyone!  Has it really been 10 months since I posted a message here?  !   Yikes!   I've been back in the states since late July 2005.   Last week (March 13 through 20) I flew to Florida to attend the 40th annual TESOL Convention in Tampa.   At the end of the convention/conference on Saturday, I flew to Miami to visit a friend.  She took me to Fairchild's Botanical Gardens, where Chihully (a glass sculptor) had an exhibition.  Here are a few photos.  More are in the gallery!  Chihully is amazing!  The warm weather and gorgeous flowers in Florida were amazing, too!

 

Yesterday, six students and I traveled to Achim Goyo (The Gardens of Morning Calm) and spent several delightful hours walking about.  Here is a link to my WebShots photo album with over 120 pictures from our visit:  http://community.webshots.com/user/smilin7365

I hope you'll take a look at the photos and enjoy.  Write me and ask me questions about what you see!   Korea is indeed a beautiful country.

Hello everyone!  It's been awhile since I've posted anything -- but LOTS to share.  Will post a few photos tonight and try to do more soon!

Spring here is glorious!   I'll continue adding photos to my "Spring" gallery album.

Also, May 1, today, I began my day taking photos here on campus and in town on the way to the subway station -- then I spent the day in Seoul -- attended a festival, watched a parade honoring King Sejong and then a ceremony at a palace, then had a nice lunch at a restaurant that's been serving since 1939, then walked the streets and visited a temple preparing for Buddha's birthday celebrations.   So, I'll be adding lots of photos to the May1 gallery album, too! 

PLEASE GO TO MY PHOTO GALLERY AND VIEW THE SPRING AND MAY 1 GALLERIES -- Thanks!  (They have changed the way I post photos and I cannot figure out how to post the photos to this page; sorry!)

This past Friday I visited the Yangjae Flower Market area in Seoul -- it had been recommended by friends months ago, but this was the first time I finally made it there.   Wow!   A different concept, new to me -- 50 or more floral designers rent space in one large building -- open warehouse style, and you walk the aisles and can view their created (and for sale) arrangements and watch them creating new floral designs.   There was an astounding array of creations nestled among buckets and buckets full of glorious flowers.  Ahh, the fragrance!  

Then, in the same vicinity, there are 15 or more large greenhouses full of live plants -- wholesale and retail -- spring bulbs, water garden plants, bonsai, larger trees, cacti, orchids, fountains, plant gardens, all within a few city blocks!   Wow!   I could live there!  

Here are a few photos, and I'll put more in my Gallery soon.

Enjoy ~ Happy Spring! 

 

Last week I visited Incheon again -- we walked to and through the Freedom Park and then into Chinatown, where I was guided to a "must-see-again" teahouse.

Two entire floors/levels of this building are greenhouses -- the roof is actually arched greenhouse domes -- lush with green foliages, plants of all sizes, buckets of flowers, blooming plants, ponds, mini-waterfalls, spectacular! And, birds! There are over 100 songbirds flying freely throughout these two floors -- wonderful! And, the owner is a hanji (Korean paper) artist -- and she has placed many of her "hanji people" throughout the rooms. Tea is served on benches/tables nestled in among the greenery. Poetry books are piled in nooks and crannies. This place is a haven!

I will surely revisit again, and often, bringing friends. Next time I will plan time for a meal at the Traditional Korean Restaurant located in the lowest level of the building.

*See the full album of photos in the Gallery -- "Incheon (teahouse)" -- click on the Gallery link. *

Wow! Last Tuesday, Ojin and I attended a showing of The Last Empress (Myeong-Seong Hwang Hu) at the Seoul Performing Arts Center.

A magnificent performance! There were over 600 changes of costumes during the show -- phenomenal!

As many of you know, I love flowers! An interesting (to me) custom here is that for grand openings of "anything," very similar large sprays of flowers are delivered and left outside the new business (often remaining for weeks, no longer looking so fresh).

In busier areas, it is possible to RENT these by the hour!

Different flowers are used, but gerberas have been present in every one I've seen so far.