Reading is Fundamental...

No better time to start studying for an upcoming OMFS residency than now. Fishman's "Medicine 5th Edition" and Peterson's "Principles of OMFS, Vol 2" top the reading list.

An hour a day...

The Flamboya Tree...

I just finished reading the childhood memories of life inside a Japanese concentration camp. Dutch prisoners in Java--a mother and her three small children--overcame amazing hardships and inconceivable brutality.

As her daughter recounts, this amazing woman kept her family intact and alive by shear will and determination. A testament to the power of maturnal love!

A Trip to Bukchon...

I was determined to find the Brazilian Embassy and the Korea Seoul Mission Home today. Both are located in the same part of town, Bukchon. So off I went after work down Line #3 to Anguk. Using the Embassy website I found the building without a hitch.

Next was the mission home... up the road and around the corner a bit but doable! As I was passing the office a missionary noticed my BYU cap and waved. Upon meeting the office staff, I learned Elder Jensen is a neighbor to my sister in Utah. Small world!

The Banpo from Gangnam...

I'm on temporary duty at the 121 Hospital in Yongsan to learn about oral surgery and lodging at the JW Marriott just south of Post. Nice digs for sure!

Last night I headed out on the streets of Gangnam to explore. About 9:30 pm, I noticed a crowd on the Han River settling under the Banpo Bridge anticipating something.

Then ka-boom... colored water jets synchronized to music... it was the Bellagio turned on its side. Kind of cool... both sides shoot off simultaneously. The world's largest bridge fountain: 380 nozzles spewing 190 tons of water per minute.

Nice until the audio track hit Celine Dion... Eek!

Don't Be Lonely...

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, and whatever is done by only me is your doing) i fear no fate (for you are my fate) i want no world (for you are my world) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart) e e cummings

Mt. Soyo Ascent and Descent...

Captain Ewers and I trekked Soyosan (소요산) two Saturdays ago. Lots of friendly climbers took the 1,000 foot ascent in the first half mile rather seriously decked with backpacks, mountaineering boots and walking poles. A nice view from the top over looking Camp Casey and Dongducheon City plus cool woods to hike through. This trail lead us to four peaks--Uisangdae is the tallest at 1,925 feet (587 meters).

Going down, Cheong waterfall and Chajae Temple are at the bottom of the descent and offer a place to rest and relax. An overall trip of 7 miles and 2.5 hours, including a lunch break at the top was fun.

Historical note: During the opening days of the Korean War the ROK Army’s 7th Division fought against the North Korean 4th Division from the slopes of this mountain. On the way up you see concrete bunkers from which the ROK troops defended this ridgeline.

Seoul Food du Jour...

Bren and I stepped into a small Korean "bu-pay" (buffet... no "f" in Hangul) for dinner in Old Town and ate well. This Korean buffet featured scores of vegetable, meat, seafood, salad and fruit selections--all you can eat for 9,000 won ($6.67).

Collect your food items on plates and carry them back to your tabletop grill. Once cooked you wrap your meat and veggies in lettuce and dip it in sauce. Reminds me of cooking smores at the campfire except it's indoors.

In the pic are some of the choices of beef, chicken, and pork. At the top are some bowls of marinaded meat. On the lower right is a Korean delicacy... dog. Lovely!

Here's a Korean barbecue buffet in Australia

Seoul Food du Jour...

An old timey restaurant in Old Town Dongducheon serves up gom-guk (곰국) or oxtail soup. It's very nutritious, very high in protein. The key to its flavor is its long-term boiling--it can be simmered as long as six hours.

When the soup is served, add green onions, then taste. If the soup is too plain you can add salt or Korean hot pepper sauce.

Most Koreans eat this dish by putting rice into the soup and eating it together. A meal of gom-guk, rice, diakon and kimchi will cost 6,000 won ($4.60).

June 2009...

This is a big month for the fam...

June 2nd is Avery's 11th birthday. June 3rd is Mason's 15th birthday. June 6th is Jordan's high school graduation. June 8th Jordan departs for work in Ketchikan, Alaska. Lastly, Stu arrives from his two-year hiatus in Minas Gerais, Brazil on July 2nd (close enough).