Mudfest 2011 in pictures

 Mud Fest 2011 was fantastic, it was also MONTHS ago, as in at the BEGINNING of the summer.  But I found this in my drafts and although I put up the Mudfest video post I didn't put up pictures!! Oops!  Well... no worries, picnik is here to save the day once more.

Mudfest 2011 video

We went to mudfest AGAIN this year!  Last year, albeit, had more activities for some reason, but because we went with a group of friends this year, it made our time, that much more fun.  And although the fireworks show wasn't caught on video, it was spectacular again.
Here is the video I remade for the US viewers.



This was the first video I made but it can only be watched by people who are outside of the US or Germany because Bob Marley is protected on youtube.  If you change at the bottom of your page on the youtube page what country your in, you can watch it.
Here is the original video of this years event.

RocKorea

Putting up the tent without any instructions.  My husbands amazing.  We wouldn't have been able to do it without him!

A month ago or so, we signed up to go on a weekend of Rock Music in Korea. RocKorea was  held on an unattractive dirt plot with a small stage, and fewer concession stands that I'd imagined. To be fair, this was its debut year, so the smallness of the event should have been expected.  The festival was located on a plot of land that is slated to be the new "Hong Kong" of Korea, the entirely man made island, the world's largest ubiquitous city" (Songdo), which consequently took us nearly four hours of subway and buses to travel to. Because the area is still in the beginning stages however, all we were able to witness was dirt.  All of the bands were cover bands of famous rock bands throughout the ages. Our lodging for the evening was a tent we'd found in one of the closets at school.  Although we'd prepared for an evening of average coolness, we were completely unprepared for the frigid temperatures of the evening that left all of us shivering like wet kittens, without any decent sleep.  The festival was fun.  It wasn't great unto itself, but because of the company, and the joy of being outside under the stars with pretty decent music, it was an overall blast.

the other campers

the tent finished

having fun with glow lights

look at those filthy feet

the dancing that ensued was hilarious.  I didn't partake because my stomache was not cooperating with me that evening, but it was fun to watch either way.

Pushing Kyle on the cart through the airport. Because the location was near the airport, the bus transporting revelers to and from the festival grounds was at the airport.

cherry blossom festival 2011

This is my third spring in Korea, and each year, the cherry blossoms are the emblem which signifies that winter has officially left. That doesn't mean that the cold weather is entirely absent from this icy country, but it is definitely on its way out.  This year, we had planned to meet up with friends in Seoul for some bike riding around Yeoido Park, however once we got there, and realized that every single Korean had the same idea, we decided to lay low and just enjoy the fresh air.  It was delightful to just sit and watch the masses of Koreans biking, running, putting out fires in a trash bin, or whatever their chosen activity of the day.  And of course we took beaucoups of photos.

sitting at the park.  Look at my purple feet.

Kyle was trying for a cartwheel.  It wasn't so great!

The "Free" Trip

So I meant to write this post ages ago, but since I can't seem to ever sit down to write about it, I am just going to do a brief play by play.

You might have seen the video I posted last month. If you didn't, click here to view it.

We were told that we were being offered a "free trip."  And there was a boat ride involved.  

"yippee!" we said

At 11 pm at night we boarded the equivalent to a polar express except that instead of Christmas themed, was solar system themed.  I felt like I was bound for outer space.

We conked out until we were woken at 3 am to board a bus.

This bus took us to a beach, the purpose of which was to watch the sunrise.  Either we were facing the wrong direction or the fog made it impossible to make out the sun, but I never saw a sunrise.  The sky did gradually get lighter, but it was far from spectacular when all I really wanted to do was to sleep.

The bathhouse was next.  I thought maybe there would be places to sleep like in a normal jimjilbang, but alas, no, only lots of naked Korean women cleaning, and scrubbing vigorously and the multiple pools of bath water.  I was sleepy and grumpy and not delighted to be sleep cleaning.

Psychodelic train. We weren't sure it was going to take us anywhere sane!

someone put a lot of time and effort into this train

happy to be on the spaced out train

on our way to the green tea fields

Next stop: Green tea field. In the early morning dew, the green tea field glittered like gossamer. The humidity's percentage level was so high that I felt we were constantly swimming, breathing in droplets as we toured the bushes of tea.  It was beautiful, and moving, and cheered me up from my previous zombie level I had been previously been participating at.

the fog also had an effect on the trees

the entrance

but the fog did make it the scenery stunning.

Non of us could dry off as the humidity was literally tangible.

too bad our hair is drenched

We then headed to a pottery festival.  There were many activities to be had, including spinning (I think that's the appropriate term), but unlike at the mud festival, the pottery festival did NOT  offer to fire our pot bowl.  Which basically means that the hardened, unglazed, unfired bowl becomes a waste of space.  It serves no purpose except to sit uncomplimentary in our kitchen as it cannot be used for food as it cannot be washed.    Oh well, making it was fun anyways.

The boat ride mysteriously was nixed, and the final market before we were to return home ended up to be closed this particular Saturday.

yummy silkworks!

Before returning on our psychedelic train ride home, we visited the train museum.  Kyle and I found a petting zoo, and spend most of our time petting and feeding the adorable rabbits. The donkey's however hilarious, were not as cute.  Especially when he mistook my dress for food, and chopped down rather powerfully on my leg, leaving a significant bruise which lasted for weeks.


This trip had been free, so although the trip had obvious holes, it was lovely regardless and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.