Has It Really Been a Year?

Have you ever stopped your day and thought about what you were doing exactly one year ago? Hmmm, let’s play that game, shall we? One year ago today, I distinctly remember crawling into Becca’s tiny Tico hatchback with Elisha and Kathleen and heading to the downtown Daejeon clinic because Elisha was in labour. The thing about the Tico was that it didn’t have ANY suspension, so crossing the large intersections under the bright sunlight and accross the jarring traffic ruts was especially memorable. Upon arrival at the clinic, the labour started in earnest, and I was in full father flakeout mode. Not only did I rack up a big parking ticket, I was pretty useless in the delivery room. What, oh what would have happened without Kathleen and Youngsoon there to help???? In any case, Jakob arrived, and we welcomed him with joy.

So, a year has gone by, and what a year it’s been! I remember writing in this very blog that the combination of major stressors in the past year would be a stern test for us. We had our first child, packed up our home in Korea and moved, said goodbye to our friends and the place that we were comfortable in, then we headed off to a new, strange land to be greeted by a job that included 6 different subject areas. Yikes. But, we’ve survived and are very thankful.* We sincerely wish that we could have all of our family and friends together with us as we mark this milestone in Jakob’s life.

Here’s a little memory of the life we had in Korea with our friends from one year ago. It’s footage from Owen Steuernagel’s first birthday, 4 days prior to Jakob’s birth.

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Jakob’s Birthday Update will appear shortly.

Walk like an Egyptian

As some of you may know, we travelled to Egypt for our Spring Break.  We spent a couple of days in the 18 million person large city of Cairo, then took a 4 day cruise down the Nile that took in the major Pharaonic temples.  I would say that at times, it was the best vacation I’d ever taken, and at other times I felt like I would’ve rather been at home.  The highlights?

• King Tut’s exhibit at the Egyptian History Museum.  Now you’ve probably seen a picture of King Tut’s mask dozens of times.  It’s kind of like the Mona Lisa in that regard.  However, it differs from the Mona Lisa in that it is WAY cooler in real life. It truly is an amazing thing.  It is dazzling.  Completely stunning.
• The Pyramids were grand. Not quite as cool as King Tut. But good. Not quite as impressive as say, the Grand Canyon, but pretty cool.
•  The second best thing after Tut’s mask was the Karnak Temple at Luxor, on the Nile.  The Pillars are so gargantuan, they make you feel small, and to think of the massive, high ceiling that they supported was a very cool experience. 



• The Khan Khalili Market in Old Islamic Cairo was also excellent.  I’d rank it as one of the best markets I’ve ever gone to. 



• The friendliness shown by Egyptians of every kind towards Jakob was also great. They’d all smile at him, catch his attention, take his photo, and he just sat there and milked it!!!  Jakob was absolutely terrific the whole time.  We are so blessed to have such an easygoing kid.
• The last great thing about the trip was the forced relaxation on the boat.  Once that ship is sailing down the Nile, there’s nothing to do but enjoy the scenery drifting by.  I tend to run a little bit too hard when I’m on vacation, and end up feeling ragged, so this was good for me.

The downsides?

• The harassment from people trying to sell you stuff was extremely annoying.  “hey mister, you want a carriage ride?”  You could, and would, say no as he walked beside you for a block, trying every trick in the book to convince you to take the ride. One time we gave in and enjoyed a ride behind a smelly, aged, bony horse with a perpetual cloud of fleas hanging around it.  Lovely.


These guys swarmed our ship while it was waiting to get through the locks near Aswan. They have a neat little schtick. They throw merchandise up to the tourists on the boat in little plastic bags, and then you begin bartering back and forth. Needless to say, they have zero leverage in the negotiations. I could have just taken the table cloth and walked away! However, the tourists tend to be nice, and get caught up in the uniqueness of the whole event and end up paying more than what the items are worth. I paid 12 bucks for a table cloth set that was ruined in the first wash. So, I was suitably ripped off!

• being afraid of the water coming out of the tap. I was determined not to get “pharaoh’s revenge” and was very vigilant in not taking in any water or dodgy food.  It didn’t work.  arrrgggh.  I was so glad to come home to water from the taps that can be drunk!
• getting ripped off at the tourist markets.  I way overpaid on a few items.  Oh well, those guys have families to feed.  At least that’s how I console myself.
• being crushed like cattle running through the chutes when trying to leave for Jeddah at the airport.  Flying in the M.East is so frustrating and unenjoyable, it takes the luster off of any trip. At that point, I told Elisha that we’re not travelling anymore. I’m through.  But, then 3 months will go by and I’ll be needing a break from the Magic Kingdom. 

I think that the Falcon god was pretty important in Egypt…

It really is pretty cool to look at artwork that has survived thousands of years. I like the crocodile god relief on the right.