More Laubers in Korea

On Monday, April 27 my parents, Paul and Lynn Lauber, set out on a new adventure and came to visit us in Korea. While they had both traveled internationally before, neither of them had been to Asia, much less Korea -- the same situation as Rachel and I were in before moving last November. After flying from Chicago to Incheon International Airport (via San Francisco), they stayed two nights in Seoul before traveling by bus down to Changnyeong, our home. Of course we were thrilled beyond words to have them here and were so delighted that they were willing to make the effort. Here's a picture from just after we met up at the Changnyeong bus terminal:

Our schedule during their visit really worked out quite nicely, as we had fewer teaching commitments and more free time than usual during the time that we were together. On Friday, May 1, our boss, Richard, took us to tour the Upo Wetlands. This is one of the largest preserved freshwater bioregions in Korea and is a must-see in Changnyeong County. Rachel and I actually hadn't been there before, either, so we were delighted to visit. There's also an excellent museum to tour there.

We enjoyed showing them so many aspects of our lives here. They were able to get in on a trip to the Korean barbecue place that we frequent on Friday nights with our coworkers. The metal chopsticks that are commonly used in Korea present a pretty strong learning curve, but they both did an excellent job of picking up this new skill.

After eating barbecue, we usually find some other way(s) to occupy ourselves in Changnyeong. One thing some of us like to do on occasion is take a few cuts in the batting cages. Dad was sporting enough to do the same:

Mom and Dad were completely willing to try whatever we suggested they do, and we planned a lot. On Saturday, we took a bus to Gyeongju, a very historic city northeast of us. This was the capital of the Silla dynasty, which peaked well over 1,000 years ago. There are numerous ancient sites to see there -- so much so that Gyeongju is commonly referred to as a "museum without walls". Rachel and I had been there last fall, after just a couple of weeks in Korea, so it was fun to go back with our guests and have a little familiarity.

Riding the bus, as one does in Korea:

Gyeongju contains dozens of burial mounds, remaining from the Silla years. Many are now enclosed in a pretty park.

Hanging out in a little bamboo grove. The ladies are looking much better than this first guy.

Gyeongju is quite a tourist hot spot for Koreans, and this was a holiday weekend, due to Children's Day falling on the following Tuesday. Many families were out and about enjoying the beautiful spring weather. Kites were plentiful.

We got a kick out of these just-my-size remote control cars.

This is an astronomical observatory that was built over 1,500 years ago. It is one of the oldest structures in Korea.

For dinner, we ate at a terrific bibimbop restaurant, which is a very traditional Korean dish. As I said, Mom and Dad were great sports about trying anything and everything -- including sitting on the floor to eat!

That night, we toured Anapchi Pond, which remains from the Silla period and is quite lovely at night, due to the reflections off the water.

We wouldn't really be Korean tourists without taking some selfies.

The next day was quite rainy, which made for a perfect time to tour the fabulous Gyeongju National Museum, which contains an unparalleled collection of Silla era artifacts.

After this, we made our way (by bus, then a lengthy subway ride) to the Nampo-dong neighborhood in Busan. Here, we got to show Mom and Dad one of our favorite beer bars in Korea, which is one of the few places we're able to get the kind of flavorful beers we enjoy back home. The free snacks really put it over the top.

While we had to head back to CEV for work on Monday, Mom and Dad enjoyed spending the rest of the day in Busan. You'll have to check out their blog for those pictures. It's an old school blog, I think called a "photo album".

On Tuesday, May 5, we were off work for Children's Day. We had the great fortune of this also being one of the most absolutely beautiful days of the spring. The four of us traveled via Masan to the city of Jinju to explore the Jinju Fortress. There is a great deal of history at this site, particularly tied to the Imjin War, the Japanese invasions of 1592-1598. There were hundreds of families at the Fortress with their adorable children, and Rachel was completely unapologetic about taking pictures of them. You can't really blame her.

We'd first visited Jinju last December, when we'd been in Korea only about five weeks. The beautiful spring weather was a nice change, and the fun visitors an even nicer one.

This rock is of particular significance. It is said that a brave Korean woman named Nongae, in patriotic revenge for her husband's assassination, lured a Japanese general into an embrace. Then, while they were intertwined, threw herself and him off the cliff to their deaths on the rock below. She is celebrated to this day for her heroism. Men are stupid.

This Buddhist Temple, also within the fortress, was one of the prettiest that we've seen in Korea, Rachel and I thought. And we've seen a few.

As you might gather, we did loads of walking while Mom and Dad were here. Thankfully they're in terrific shape and handled all of it with ease. Dad is proudly rocking what is likely the first Valpo cap that Jinju has seen in its centuries of history.

A budding K-Pop star demonstrates her talent.

The next few days Rachel and I had our normal work duties. Mom and Dad were able to do some more exploring of our local area, including a day trip to Daegu. One evening we took them to our favorite local restaurant to eat bulgogi tteokbokki, a beef and rice noodle soup. This also gave us a chance to introduce our visitors to soju, a cheap distilled spirit that is consumed widely in Korea (often too widely). It's taste -- and ability to produce hangovers -- is not unlike that of vodka. We just sipped a bit, of course, in order to get the experience.

Of course our students this week were a joy, as always, and Mom and Dad enjoyed getting to see us in action a little bit.

One young lady, whose adopted English name was "Mary" (next to me in the above picture with the red purse), left me a sweet note on her way out the door.

Finally, with one weekend left to spend together, we headed up to Seoul, from where they would be flying out the following Monday. After a quick overnight in Daegu, we took a train north to the capital. I'm pretty sure Dad enjoyed this.

After arriving, we toured the very impressive War Memorial of Korea, which Rachel and I had not yet visited. In addition to the monuments pictured below, which commemorates the sacrifices made during the inter-Korean conflict of 1950-1953, the museum contains a great deal of history on all of R. O. Korea's recent military engagements. The uneasy peace that exists between our home and our self-isolated neighbor to the north prompts a great deal of defense planning and spending here, and all Korean young men are required to give two years' service to the ROK armed forces.

We stayed in the Gangnam area of Seoul, which you might know from the large role it plays in Korean popular culture. Here we are enjoying a Western-style meal in the luxury of chairs.

Sunday, May 10 was our final day together. Back in the US it was Mother's Day, so that was a fun happenstance. In the morning, we attended a service at International Lutheran Church, where Rachel and I had attended previously. This was special for all of us. After church, we ate nearby in the foreigner friendly region of Itaewon. A mass skateboarding lesson provided more good photo ops of Korean kids being cute.

Next, we headed north to the Insa-dong area of Seoul, which is popular with tourists and others looking to buy all manner of Korean souvenirs. Dad received some unsolicited help from very chatty schoolchildren while looking at a map.

After some more strolling and a pause for happy hour, we finished our sightseeing in northern Seoul in front of Gyeongbukgung Palace, which Mom and Dad had toured earlier in their visit.

Preparations were already underway for the observance of Buddha's birthday in late May. Pagodas and lanterns have abounded in Korea for the last few weeks -- even more than usual.

As we headed back across the city to Gangnam, we encouraged our guests to enjoy the subway seats reserved for older folks and those with special needs. They seemed happy with the accommodations.

After a final Korean barbecue meal for dinner, we enjoyed one last view of Gangnam at night.

The next morning we parted ways, Mom and Dad to Incheon airport, then Chicago, while we headed back to Changnyeong for work. There's no more Korean way to end a trip than with a final selfie together.

Although I can't entirely speak for them, I think Mom and Dad had a great time in Korea, seeing and experiencing innumerable new sights, tastes, and ways of life. We were so happy to have them join us and are thankful for their ability to make the trip. While we wish we could see all of our loved ones frequently, we delight in our contacts with those at home and anxiously anticipate being reunited in the coming months.