The Last Blog for 2012

Food story 

There are a many coffee shops and patisseries here - chains such as "Paris Baguette", "Tous les Jours" and Starbucks. Coffee prices are generally similar to Australia.  The hot drinks include sweet potato latte and green tea latte.  Green tea cake is also popular. The yellow sweet potato cake in the photo has thin slices of deep fried sweet potato as decoration.  Recently someone had a birthday cake to share at lunch-time.  It was covered thickly in cream and decorated with fruit.  Aileen decided to choose the piece with a big cherry on top.  The following conversation took place...
Aileen: " Oh, I thought that was a cherry but it was a tomato!'  Students: "Yes?"  Aileen: " But it's a tomato on a cream cake!"  Students: "Yes?"  Aileen: "But why is there a tomato on a cream cake? " Students (very puzzled): " It's a fruit."

Brilliant red with tomatoes and other fruit.

All I want for Christmas is...

 SPAM did not go away after WW II. It is available in the shops here and you can buy a gift pack of 12! Cost is approx. 30AUD.
Monty Python's SPAM song comes to mind.
SURVEY
In our small corner of Yeosu (population 300,000+) there is a main street.  In half of the street I counted 110 shops.  20 are mobile phone shops!
HISTORY

EXPO 2012 Site, YEOS

 World EXPO 2012 starts here on May 12th.  The city has a population of about 300,000 and they are expecting 10,000,000 visitors over the three months.  All public transport will be free during EXPO.  We have tickets for the opening weekend - we may never leave there alive!!!

The EXPO site.

We have blogged a lot about food - you've noticed?? Well here is a little on traditional dances.  One is a ladies dance originally under a full moon.  It's called Ganggang sullae. Look at the website.
 http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=G16A94hWrvk

The second is the farmers' dance.  It is strange that the cacophony of sound has become quite pleasant to our ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tae4Zv6cDJM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztGeP1wCSiE
US
We leave on May 15th for a week in Seoul and then home, arriving the 24th.  It has as always been a wonderful and inspirational experience. We meet and become friends with many people whose faith and commitment are a gift and challenge to us.
We would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and our family in Australia who we are looking forward to seeing again.
To all of you who have been following this blog - thanks.  We hope it has been interesting and perhaps inspired you to plan a similar involvement somewhere in the world.  Please keep in contact and visit us when you can.

Peace and Grace
Robin and Aileen

Farmer's dance Traditional Folk village