Photography Café w/ Ann

Hello,

 

My friend Ann and I went on a train trip up to Seoul to adventure to a café that neither of us had ever been to but that sounded interesting.  It was presented to us as a "photography café" but we weren't totally sure about what to expect.  What we observed was pictures on the walls and were actually able to meet the photographer.  The café was pretty cool and in an industrial like area with decent sandwiches.  It was a good time!  I think for both of us it was our first times out traveling a significant distance without our husbands.  We survived and kind of want to make this a more regular thing now since it was a success :-)

 

 

 

Love,

Camille

"Nori bang"

That my friends would be the Korean form of karaoke and we did it with some friends last week and we had a good time.  Here karaoke is not embarrassing like in the States.  It doesn't really take any liquid courage, just willing participants.  "Nori bang" apparently translates to "singing room" or something along those lines.  It's a private room with a couch that has tv screens that shows the lyrics to the songs you pick.  No need for a DJ or audience of random people.  It's just you and your friends.  We had some pop and popcorn to share and I think could have ordered more but we had just come from going out to eat so we weren't hungry.

A couple of funny things happened intermixed with this fun time.  First, we all were not able to ride the elevator together because we were apparently too heavy.  The elevator buzzed and a red light came on and as one by one we stepped off it eventually went.  I believe it could have fit 5 people safely but we went ahead and did 4 at a time.  When the elevator came down there were 6 Korean people on the elevator so we laughed because obviously us Americans were just too big!

Also we noticed that when we were doing our singing the background to the lyrics were very different.  If it was a Korean song the video in the background appeared to go with the lyrics being sung.  Like you could see a story being told.  Then when we did English songs the background was beautiful scenic video clips from all over the world.  I kid you not, one of the songs performed was "The Thong Song" (in no shape or form godly I know) the background however was beautiful and very majestic.

To the right you can see the doors to the private rooms.

 Here is part of our group before we got started.  None of us had been here before so it was all new; Daniel has one of the light up tambourines LOL

 This was the one Korean couple with us and he sang a couple of songs in Korean.

 Daniel sang a couple of songs and was very active and energetic. 

There were flashing lights and all LOL

Daniel and Dallas rapping together!!!

So if anyone wants to come and visit us *hint hint* this is super fun without being embarrassing!

Love,

Camille

Hiking with the Hubby

Hello There!

Daniel and I recently went to Songnisan National Park (I went here a couple of weeks ago with the Korean Women's Ministry).  It was a pretty perfect day once again with it seeming like it was going to rain and so cloudy but it only drizzled towards the end.  On the drive down we passed an area of bloomed lotus flowers that was really pretty!  I enjoyed the brief stop after the 90 minute drive.  The drive wasn't bad mostly because the scenery was often green and hilly which was really pretty. 

We brought lunch with us and so after hiking for like an hour we stopped and ate sandwiches, fruit, and nuts, and drank water.  Daniel commented about my working out insinuating that it should make hiking easier.  Let me just say that it did not.  I was just as slow, breathless, and sweaty as any other hike we have done that was kind of tough.  This hike wasn't scary at any points but since it has been raining we both slid several times throughout.  Enjoy the pics without the effort ;-)

 Lotus!

 

There were so many and they were so pretty!

 

 He was more interested in the tadpoles than the flowers.

 

Although we didn't drink any of this water, it was available!

 

 Along the hike there were streams of water coming from everywhere and meeting up.  It sounded so relaxing.

 

 This was nicer in person, as was everything, but you get the idea.

 

 

 I even thought to get a picture of us together (finally).

 

 For a second it got real... (You had to pull yourself up because the cuts in the rock were slanted).

 

 

 I was excited about this bridge until I got closer and realized it was fake wood.

 



This was the view from our lunch spot on the rock :-)

 

Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

 

 

³ 

Love,

Camille

"Lady" vs. "Girl"

hey Hey HEY!

So I feel like I have, for several years now, been stuck in a place where I refer to people as "lady" when they are older than me but "girl" when they are my age or older.  Even though I know I am a woman that just seems so mature sounding.  Like I remember the transition from the jr's section of clothing to the women's section of clothing being long and hard.  It took some years for me to get that together.  Now I help in the women's ministry at church and it seems awkward sometimes.  I feel like I skipped a step by never being in a young adults ministry but it's whatever.

Recently I participated in 2 different ministry events. One was with the Korean women that are married to American men.  I was invited by one of the women to attend a picnic with these other women at a national park like 2 hours away from the church.  It was raining outside but not too bad and it actually turned out great.  The air had just enough of a breeze and the sun was not hot since it was super cloudy.  I'm pretty sure temperature-wise it was in like the upper 70s, so perfect.  Although it was not a nice looking day it was an enjoyable day. 

I of course couldn't understand most of the conversations because they spoke in Korean the majority of the time.  I am confident that they were talking about me right in front of me several times because they would be looking at me and suddenly say something to me in English then start talking in Korean again.  I've decided that I was "comfortably uncomfortable."  I enjoyed the various goodies that they brought, once again failing to bring food for others so I had nothing to share as I devoured side dishes of rice, kimchi, leafy greens, and other things I don't know the names of.  They were very friendly and I wouldn't mind to on another outing with them in the future.

The English speaking women did a get together that following day.  We had an ice cream social.  Much fewer women attended but I believe we have a more transient group so many people are in the US for the summer while others have recently left the country for good.  One of the lady's shared her testimony and it was really powerful!  She has the type of testimony that shocked me because I have only known her for a few months and she is very kind and helpful and just pleasant, but she had a rough life before getting saved.  It was another good time and I am so glad to have other women to pray for me and with me and to be able to pray for as well. 

1 Corinthians 12:14-27

¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts,yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 

Ice Cream social ladies (and girl)!

Yum!

 

Korean style picnic... Sit cross legged on the platform and place your food and drinks on the small coffee-like tables.

So much food was shared, some familiar (hotdogs) and some not (cooked kimchi-tuna).

After eating we went on a walk and I was able to take some good pics.

 

The only thing that could have made this prettier would have been a blue sky.

Once we walked over the bridge we turned around and went back.

 

We took a tour bus and of course they watched a Korean movie, without subtitles.

 

Miss you all and love you all!

Camille