Family Filled Weekend

Besides Chuseok, it was a family-fun-filled weekend. Just to jog your memory, my homestay family is...

아빠 (Ah-ppa): father, a civil engineer
엄마 (Awm-ma): mother, part-time assistant for Ah-ppa and part-time housewife
종인 (jong-een=JongIn, on left): homestay sister #1, middle school student (my student)
선미 (sawn-me=SanMi, second left): homestay sister #2, college student currently studying for TOEIC, an English test, in Jeju City



Friday with Ah-ppa, JongIn, and SanMi
산굼부리=San-koom-boo-ri=Sangumburi
While Awm-ma was cooking for Chuseok, the four of us went to Samkumbori. All they told me was that it was "a beautiful place". Samkumbori is a parasitic volcano east of Hallasan that has been landscaped with walks. True to their translation, it was a beautiful place; from Samkumbori, we could see the many smaller hills and mountains on Jeju. Unfortunately, those pictures didn't turn out due to the cloudcast, however the 100+ other pictures (mostly people pictures) did! SanMi and JongIn love taking pictures and insisted on many: together, 'solo-portraits', walking, sitting, standing in the tall grass, etc. SanMi even asked for a picture with the European tourists we ran into.

닭샤브샤브=dak-shya-beu-shya-beu=chicken shya-bu shya-bu
After Sankumburi, we had a great 3-course meal called 닭샤부샤부 (see what I ate here! except the ramen). First was the Sha-bu Sha-bu, a hot pot dish, in which vegetables and thin slices of meat are cooked in boiling water then eaten with a dipping sauce. Second, we were serve an entire chicken, I believe also boiled. Finally, third, was a pea and rice porridge. This was my first meal dining out with the family. On the way back home, we stopped at a TV-set (opposed to movie set). A drama that had just finished airing, had shot mansion scenes on Jeju. The set was empty, now a curiousity open to the public. This lead to many more photo opportunities!

Saturday, Chuseok
새섬=Say-Sawm= Seh Island
After the Chuseok meals, the entire family and I went to Seh Island. The city has just finished building a beautriful pedestrian bridge (reminiscent of the Seogwipo World Cup Stadium) to the island which has a 1.3km walkway. Because of Chuseok, the bridge and island were teeming with people. I couldn't see much of the island at night, but I hope to go back during the day to get some pictures! The bridge, on the other hand, was the night-time attraction with all its rainbow lights.

Sunday, with Ah-ppa and SanMi
영실코스=yawng-shil kko-seu=Yeongsil Course
For the third time, I trekked up Hallasan, but this time up Yeongsil Course. This trail was much steeper and much more scenic than the Seongpanak Course. However, this trail didn't go to the top; instead, the trail flattens at the top with a nice view looking up at the crater. As is protocol, we had a warm cup of ramen at the trail end. Yeongsil course will be gorgeous when the leaves change color (soon!) and also when the Hallasan wildflowers come out in spring!

My bioengineering degree has prepared me for life on Jeju...
(the tender cactus chocolate is made with cactus powder through vacuum lyophilization)