Riding the Unification Train

In Korea, there is a very popular melon called a chamwhe. Dane's boss manages a facebook group called Unification Train. They focus on Korean Reunification, and this week she organized for them to go to visit a melon festival and a small village that grows these chamwhe. Of course, we went too as the groups newest members.

Our drive took us out into the country side of Korea and past hundreds of rice paddies followed by hundreds of greenhouses of melons. The village that we visited is trying to build it's tourism, so we got to see some of the village people building a very cool straw house. Then we helped set-up a totem pole in the village and had a tour of the hanok homes. Before leaving, we planted a "unification" tree and sang some songs. It was all very Korean.

The melon festival had lots of melons, a Peruvian music group (?), and some Asian pear popsicles that tasted like heaven on such a hot day. My favorite part, or at least the most cultural part was actually the bus ride home. Adults here work so hard that they really get into having fun when given the chance. Someone had brought some wine, and the buses all have colored lights running along the sides, so this led to some interesting singing and dancing. I like to think that I'm not that different from Koreans, but then we spend all day with them, and I realize that there is still a pretty big gap.

The back of the bus is still where the cool kids sit.

The first Korean I have met that has visited BYU.

The crazy looking one goes around Korea making these totem poles.

Dane and I almost forgot the colored fabric at our apartment.  Quelle horreur! The birds at the top represent the journey to heaven and back, such as their ancestors make. The totem pole is at the entrance of the village to signify that people leave, but may also return.

Cool hut.

Melons!

Beautiful home...I didn't notice the dish satellite til we got home.