Krembendous: It just gets better...

Another very eventful week has passed for us and we are still happier than ever. Some say to us, "wait until the honeymoon of Korea is over." We are still waiting.

Last week was tough. I can't sugarcoat it. Monday was parent-teacher day, so we met most of the parents at KIS. Our enrollment is over 600; so that's a lot of people. The event went well and we just keep rolling on and adjusting to the tilts and angles and bumps as they come. I am impressed with the KIS admin and their ability to roll with the punches. A brand-new facility poses huge obstacles for us; but we seem to take them as they come without too much fuss or drama. Well...Maybe a little drama...but not bad!

So, Wednesday was out first day of school...for real. The simple things like bus drop-offs and traffic flow through the 3 buildings made for challenges, but by Friday most issues were ironed out. Jennifer's class could not be cuter. I would post pics but that's just not ok these days. Take my word for it. So far, I have visited all 26 of my MS and ES classes and enjoyed every minute of it. Okay...so I haven't mastered going from 8th grade to Kindergarten in a span of 10 minutes. That will take much time. So far, I've been talking about what it feels like to be new to a school. I asked for a favor of the kids: to say 'hi' to the new person. I explained that I am new too. So, now I have over 400 kids saying 'hi' to me as I walk the halls, lunchroom, and schoolyard. "HI, MR. KREMBS!"

After the short week, (felt long due to the newness. We have to put every ounce we can muster into our days at this point.) we spent a quiet and early Friday night at home. Why??? Well, Saturday we wanted to summit the highest peak in Seoul! We arose at 6 am for a 7 am departure up the subway to the north. Two hours later, we found ourselves on the road to the trail. Outdoor outfitters abound, we trudged on up the steep road to the trail. Then, we began our assent.

The hike lasted about 4-5 hours of busy pandemonium up a very steep mountain. We enjoyed the experience and can't wait to go back. The trail began in the Forrest and ended at the top of Bukhansan Peak, a rocky crag about 800 meters above Seoul. The view was spectacular and the last bit of hike was not easy. In fact, we struggled to make it up the last rocky piece, as the trail turned to cables and carved-out rock steps (much like the hike up Half-Dome in Yosemite Natl Park in CA.) There was a point where we were not certain if we could go on, but two guys helped us out and encouraged us to proceed to the top. Toma and Martin were their names. It turned out they were both deaf, but could read and speak English, German and Korean. Ohh...did I mention that they communicated through reading lips in different languages. Honestly, we would have never made it to the top without them. They just keep telling us that we would make it and it wasn't too bad. They climbed ahead and cleared out the path for Jen to climb up. And, at the top, they bought all of us Bukhansan pins for our backpacks. Their kindness and generosity were are still are truly humbling.

After making our way down, we parted with Valerie, Susan and Tommy because we had a dinner date with Eun Ju and Robin at their home. We made it back down just in time to the Samsung Plaza station to walk to their place. We enjoyed an awesome Korean meal of bacon, onions, kimchee, bean-paste, mushrooms and much more. The food was tasty! After dinner, they took us to a Korean sauna/spa. The sauna/spas are single-sex to begin with. So, Hugo, Robin and myself (the ladies, Jen, Eun Ju, Jesika, and Tina to the ladies section) spent about 45 minutes hanging out in the pools, saunas, and steam room (yes, OD, they have steam-rooms!). After that, we met the ladies down in the coed area which includes massage, 4 different saunas, food, etc...

So, Sunday, we woke up late and had a laaaaaazy day. But not too lazy. We went to the Olympic Park which was beautiful and full of life.

Today, we had the Grand Opening Ceremony for Korea International School's new campus. This was interesting because we got to hob-nob with the mayor and governor of our area and town. Dignitaries, fireworks, and speeches capped off our day.

Now, it's time to look toward Tuesday.

A few pictures to illustrate-

Trying to look tough before the hike up Bukhansan. It's no use; I can't help but smile. (Me, Valerie, and Tommy)

Lunch time on the mountain. A Korean family invited us to eat with them. We obliged...and shared peanut butter and jelly. I think we came out ahead on the deal.