[2010] St. Gilgen, Austria

With a fish-eye (film)

[2010-2011] GIFS, S. Korea

I worked at Gyeongnam International Foreign School (not sure why they needed 2 adjectives: international + foreign, shrug) for 1 short year and it was a major contrast to my 2 years in Daejeon. Even though it was the same country, one was a major city and Sacheon was a rural town. The school was there to serve children from the multiple foreign companies that had brought their companies there due to the tax breaks. We had a great mix of students, but the most represented were French, Brazilian and Israeli. I really miss my students from this year, I grew to care for them and felt a really strong connection to them. I really hope they're all doing well, and hope that our paths will cross again in the future.
I was really blessed with this little school, my colleagues and students. It was a short chapter in my life, but I'm so glad it happened. 

[2010] Monument, USA

My trips to Monument, CO are always the most relaxing. They usually involve animal and sunset watching. Not a pasttime I get to enjoy on a daily basis, living in a city and all, so it is quite a delight. I also find it so easy to nap, mostly due to the altitude, partially due to my laziness, which is also a bonus.

We bought a salt lick while we visited and it seems to attract deer consistently, which makes deer watching even more exciting. Throw in a ninja kitten lurking in the grass trying to pounce on them and you've got double the excitement! :)

[2010] Miyajima, Japan

Thanks to our friend Brian, who highly suggested this tourist site, we visited this city and let me tell you, it was well worth the ferry ride. Miyajima is a beautiful wonderland. I thought I had popped into a Disney fairyland because I found myself surrounded by beautiful temples, cherry blossoms, dirt roads and deer. Yes, DEER! Just roaming the streets, eating cherry blossom petals and just hangin'.
SIGH~

[2010] Daejon, S. Korea

Ali Babba's was our go to place in Daejon. Ali is from Tunisia, works for some tech company in Daejon as an engineer and then owns this restaurant as a hobby. He just loved to host and cook food. He told us that he started cooking to impress the ladies, which was obvious because he was still quite the ladies man.
Ali Babba's is a whole evening affair because he is the only person in the kitchen, so you sit back relax wait for the yummy saffron rice and kafka over some hummus and beers, and then finish off with some free sheesha.  Ali was selling the establishment to some ladies, and it was starting to change as we were leaving Korea, so it may not be the same now, but man oh man nights at Ali Babba's were the best!

I don't have any good photos here, but here's a blurry one that was a TNSC event in Feb 2010. Miss you all!

[2010] Hallstatt, Austria

Day trip!!!!

Beautiful little mountain village. We enjoyed lunch and a mug of some very very good punch at a hotel on the water with slow service. We took some jumping photos and then decided to throw ice chunks at the ducks below. It wasn't as bad as you think. I mean, we weren't aiming at them.

[2010] Daejon, S. Korea

Hayes' Roof

Although he moved to a smaller place his second year in Daejon, the benefit was the awesome roof top we could use to host parties during the warmer months.

It was perfect! We could have BBQs, soak in the sun, take jumping photos and had a view of the city.

I miss this place.

Sigh~

[2010] Beijing, China

Almost exactly two years ago (Lunar New Year) I took a trip with three lovely ladies to Beijing during our break. It was FREEZING! And, that's how I remember Beijing.

It's big and windy...it's quite a shame because I think it would have been so much better if it had just been about 20 degrees warmer.

The amazing part of being there during that time was the fireworks. They were EVERYWHERE. You could spin around and in every direction you could see them lighting up the sky. It was really amazing.

During this trip we became the 'coolest' family ever.  2 artificially inseminated girls from different wombs + two moms! I think people on our tour overheard our conversation and thought it was true. Oh well!

[2010] St. Gilgen, Austria

Our time living in St. Gilgen was bitter sweet. We lived there a short 11 months. Although sometimes the bitter part seemed to be predominant, when I look back now, I can remember the sweetness of that time. Barbarossa was one of sweetest parts of St. Gilgen. 

Matt, Hayes and I frequented the Barbarossa for its amazing atmosphere and hosts (aka the owners/chef/bartender), which eventually evolved into a Stammtisch. During this time we became good friends with Ushi and Hubert. We learned good lessons from them, one including: "you must drink better wine as the night continues, not worse!"

On our last week in St. Gilgen Ushi and Hubert had us over for a BBQ in their backyard, which was preluded with prossecco on the lake. We also had our going away party there. And on our final Stammtisch, we ate in the wine cellar and enjoyed a wonderful red wine.

Ushi and Hubert say that they will retire soon, but they can never manage to say no to the reservations that continue to be made.  Hayes and I (and hopefully Matt) will try to return before they retire and move away from St. Gilgen. I'm just crossing my fingers that they'll remain there until then.