I've been meaning to write on this for a while.

The is a man that I see every day at my school, and I've been wanting to write about him, because he has so impressed me.  I assure you that I have never said more that one word to him: 안녕하세요, but I look forward to seeing him from the moment my foot hits the sidewalk when I get off the bus.  (NO, I'm not confessing love.  Calm down.)

This man is a taekwondo instructor (actually, I'm unsure of his exact title, but I can assure you it's not "sensei".) near to our school.  Every morning, dressed in his uniform, complete with black belt, he freely gives of his time to stand outside our school and help students from their parents' cars and provide a certain level of security to our school.  Every time he sees me, yes, even when he's driving his shuttle van to bring students to his taekwondo school, he will bow and give an 안녕하세요.  Certainly, there is a strategic advantage to this move, as it is also free advertising for his school, but this does not lower my opinion of him in the slightest.

I am so impressed by this man, as well as always having been impressed by taekwondo to begin with.  He is an honor to his profession, and I certainly feel safer and more secure for having him around.  I hope to one day achieve a similar level of honor in what I choose to do with my life.

Okay.  That is all.  I've just been wanting to brag on this man for a while.

Love you!

Cheonan World Dance Festival

So, this past weekend, my city played host to a really cool international dance festival.  People of all ages competed alongside a series of cultural booths.  It was truly a cool thing to experience, in spite of the cold and lack of personal space.  I'm told that if I have braved it out until after dark it got even cooler, but, as it was, I couldn't feel my hands by the time I got back home, so I think I was okay not staying out there that long.  Here are some pictures for you:

These first two pictures where the first group I saw dancing at the festival, and I'm glad for that.  They made me remember how rich the culture is here.

These two photos were of the Rainbow Dance Company.  They made me remember how much I love to dance, along with thoroughly impressing me.  Kids have so much energy!

These kids go to my friend Carolyn's school.

A ballet company we saw with some pretty cute girls in it.

Pottery wheel at one of the cultural booths

Hand-dyed fabric and shawls

These are not glass, they're sugar!  It was astounding!  (And, in the back, they were teaching kids how to do it!  I would have joined in, but there were so many people that I was too overwhelmed.)