samsung galaxy s2

I have been having "bloggers block" for a couple months with no posts. This post will try to break the block, but mostly just features photos (no stories). The past couple months have been spent back and forth between Korea and Hawaii. I'm just going to lump all the Korean photos in this post, and put the Hawaii photos the next post.

To begin with, SY has quit her daytime job, and now only has a very part time job 2 nights per week. She has been theatening to take a long holiday to some tropical beach in Asia - I hope she does.

SY at New Job (Check Out that Gold Vest) 

Here are a couple of my friends, enjoying some of the best Nachos we have found in Seoul.

Eating Nachos with some Friends 

I suffered a sore throat for a couple weeks, something I caught in Hawaii. But, after it healed, I was finally able to schedule an evening with my friends to include singing.

CH at the Singing Room 

The Stumbler Tries to Sing Korean Songs 

WJ+HJ are Thrilled to Hear The Stumbler Singing 

This visit to Korea included the frenzy leading up to and beginning the World Cup tournament in Germany. (I am waiting for someone to send me some good photo of me wearing that special shirt). I am glad to have been in Seoul cheering for the game that Korea won (against Togo), it was a very exciting night. The subsequent games that I missed because of my Hawaii travel perhaps would not have been so fun (they included a tie against France and a loss against Switzerland).

JI and Stumbler Cheering Korea (pre-World Cup match) 

SY Made The Stumbler this Football Cheering Shirt 

I have always wanted to try King Crab in Korea, so we finally did it:

King Crab in Korea 

Flaming Fish Dish (It was Very Delicious) 

Here's one for Mother Stumber's benefit:

The Stumbler's New Hippo Friend (sorry Mother Stumbler, it was not for sale) 

My last night in Korea this trip included my favorite pork dinner:

Yummmmmmm.... (before) 

Yummmmmmm.... (after) 

SY and HM 

Well, yet another long trip to Hawaii. Let's begin at the parking lot, where we have always had many chickens. My colleague S has always fed the chickens, and recently his friends had babies. Unfortunately, by the afternoon that this photo was taken, we were down to only 3 chicks from 5. Something ate two of them, probably cats we are thinking. Anyway, the remaining three have stayed alive for a couple weeks now, thanks to S care and feeding.

New Chicken Family 

S hails from Romania, and last trip we offered him some Kimchi, cautioning him about the strong taste. He tried it, and said it was very similar to a Romanian dish. Well, this trip he brought us some of this dish, which his sister had painstkingly prepared. It was delicious.

Romanian Stuffed Cabbage Dish 

Another day, we had a Hawaiian style meal, featuring Taro. Here are some photos.

Boiling the Taro Roots 

Taro Root Peeled and Ready to Eat 

Here it is Made Into a Taro Salad 

Hawaiian Pork Wrapped in Tea Leaves 

Let's Eat 

The medicinal salt below needs some explanation. They take the salt which they make here locally in the nearby salt beds, and some special red rock which had medicinal properties. The red rock is ground up and mixed in with the salt, making "medicinal salt".

Hawiian Chili Water and Medicinal Salt! 

My Avian Visitor, Just Outside My Balcony 

Between my Desert and next Hawaii trip, we drove down to visit YS#1 at college, and we all went to the zoo. Then, we took her to a delicious dinner, which was reportedly much better than the cafeteria food at her school. Sorry, no photos of the foods - what was I thinking? Anyway, here are some exciting shots from the Birmingham Zoo.

But the first photo needs some explanation. Mrs. Stumbler reported recently that YS#4 came running inside, and said that there was a ship going down our street. Since YS#4 often tells some tall tales, she was not believed. But, sure enough, our neighbor really did bring a ship and park it on our street! YS#4 was telling the truth.

"Mom, There is a Ship on our Street" 

Now the zoo photos:

That's the Stumbler's Style 

New Stumbling Career? 

Long Skinny Neck... 

Long Fat Neck. 

The Stumbling Girls at the Zoo 

I don't know What we were looking at 

Young Stumblers #1 and #4 

Young Stumblers #1 and #3 

And, speaking of animals, we have two new pets at the Stumbling House:

New Family Pets - Stumbling Guinea Pigs 

Just Babies, Very Small