Yummy!!

Yesterday (Monday) we woke up to a big thunder storm, so we made a decision to find some indoor exploring for the day. A little retail therapy seemed in order, so we went off to see a big department store, Lotte, where we were told "they have everything!" Well, that was a little hyperbolic. But they do have 12 floors (I think) of high end merchandise from all the chic corners of the world. All the Paris and New York and Italian designers are well represented, as well as many others we were not familiar with. We were all kind of stunned to discover that we would be stretched to buy a handkerchief in a place like that, let alone an outfit! Prices there, unlike in the rest of Seoul, were pretty astronomical. Same was true for the next store we entered, Shinsegae, a Japanese department store, very exclusive and hushed. We felt like a troop of beggars schlepping through there in our ordinary outfits when everyone around us looked like a fashion ad. On the way into the first store, we passed the egg-mcmuffin-maker (above) and were drooling for a taste of his wares. But then we discovered the department store basements! Here were the food courts, grocery stores, and specialty food markets where we happily spent the next several hours exploring, tasting bites of dozens of surprising things, and eventually having a lunch purchased from among all the items on view. Yum!!! For retail therapy, we all failed to purchase anything yesterday. But we all enjoyed the food shopping and the opportunity to see and try so many new things.

In some of the photos I'm about to post, you'll see prices in Korean won. The rough estimate is that 1,000 won equals about 1 US dollar. So if you knock off the last 3 zeros, you get an idea of the equivalent US price of things in these food markets. Ready to drool??

Dumpling stand here....
waffles every which way....

everything on a stick....
not really sure - peppers? meat?
dried persimmons....
rice and noodle bowls...
wild mushrooms.....
mochi buns .....
melons, gift wrapped.....
dried persimmons used as decor......

dried beef (kind of like jerky, with dozens of flavors)....
concord grapes .....
cakes.....
dried fish in bondage....
sashimi or ahi .....
mixed deli, Korean style.....
Later in the afternoon we stumbled out into the bright daylight, and across the street we saw the Tomato Bank! It seemed just right after such a culinary day.

Korea Day 3 - Who Are These People?

Yesterday I gave you a blizzard of photos. Today it's more words. I want to tell you some of the reasons that I think Korea is a treasure. Somebody said that they thought that Korea was the Italy of Asia, and as a lover of Italy and all things Italian, that feels right to me. There is a fresh and joyful feeling here. The people seem very family-centered. Yesterday (Sunday) there were families with their children everywhere we went - looking at art, picnicking , playing together, eating out. Another thing is that it feels completely safe here. People are scrupulously honest and considerate. If you lose something, you can rest assured that no-one will pick it up and keep it - it will still be there when you go back to retrieve it. We have seen no homeless people, no beggars, and the streets are immaculately clean. And we're not just walking in tourist areas. People are friendly, respectful, and forthcoming. Young people often walk up to us and spontaneously start conversations. And we've loved the laughter here, so bubbling and heart-felt!

There is a huge eco-consciousness here. Everything is "green", recycling is practiced everywhere, and people make a big point of pointing that out. Bathrooms are astonishingly modern, immaculate and streamlined. It's not at all unusual to find bidet-type toilet seats (like our Toto at home) in many public bathrooms, and all the plumbing fixtures are very clean-lined, and up to the minute. For example they have hand-dryers in bathrooms where you insert your hands between two panels, and they are blasted with warm air. Yesterday we spent much of the day at the Seoul Olympic stadium, visiting the 2009 Design Olympics - a huge mega-event with some of the most exciting art installations, design innovations, model buildings, etc. etc. I'm sure Daniella will write about all that. But at every entrance to this huge stadium, they had a crew of people having us sanitize our hands, and then blasting our shoes with some kind of a germ-killing mist. I don't know how people get sick here, because everyone eats so much hot food it undoubtedly kills every form of bacteria! To top it all off, there is no tipping anywhere, any time, and no sales tax. The price you see is what you pay. Period. What's not to love about that?!

So, about yesterday - many hours at the Seoul 2009 Design Olmypiad. Then into an area of the city called something like Dong Yuk (?) where the theater section is. I walked alone for more than an hour through streets filled to the brim with young people who were going to clubs, strolling around, eating fast food, and watching a big rock-music festival that was happening in a nearby park. We went into a gallery and met the artist of a delightful show, who had lived in Italy for 5 years. He spoke no English, but we talked in Italian for awhile, and he drew a little goat for us in the book of his work that we purchased. At 6 pm we went to a Performance Art event where the three people showed above did art work and drawing on stage, combined with lots of miming and audience-participation improv. It was delightful and exciting! Later we at at a "chicken and beer" restaurant in that neighborhood, then came home and collapsed! Now we're off to the races once again. Loving every minute!

Korea Day 2, A Parade, A Wedding, A Festival

In the interest of brevity, today there will be more photos than words. We had another fabulous day, and in the middle of a morning wander, suddenly bumped into a parade. Of course we followed it, and found out that what we were seeing was the reenactment of the royal wedding ceremony of Emperor Gojong and Empress Myungsung in the 1880's. Here's some of what we saw:

The parade went around a corner and down the street to a Palace, where we then latched on to the festivities for the bride:



We did not stay for the actual wedding, because we had a date with Wendy's adopted daughter, Betsy, who took us on for the next event, the Hongik Art Design Festival, at one of the university campuses. Art was terrific!

As for food, we ate some of those dumplings I showed you yesterday, scrumptious! And last night we had dinner in a restaurant carved out of a cave-like rock underground! Food is divine, every bite! We are, no doubt about it, in an unimagined heaven!!
We're running out the door the the 2009 Design Olympiad, at a stadium where we have to go by subway. Wish us luck! Remember to ask us about our careening cab rides yesterday, hurtling through Seoul at light speed, jabbering away with the cab driver in two languages and laughing until it hurt, and about the Medicinal Herb festival we went to, and about the dozens of galleries we visited..... Later!

Kimchi for Kimmie

Day One in Seoul was magical. I must admit that my expectations were kind of low (hard to admit how ill-informed I was before coming here). I didn't know anybody who came to Korea for pleasure - everyone I know goes to Japan or China or Thailand, or maybe Vietnam. But Korea? It just seemed as if it might be all shiny skyscrapers with busy people rushing around and eating lots of kimchi with everything. Little did we expect that we would fall madly in love with this place, on the first day here!

First impressions are that this is a city where art and artists are revered, not just tolerated. All around us are galleries, vibrant and exciting places where the entry-ways are filled to overflowing with HUGE fresh bouquets sent to congratulate the artist - honestly some flower arrangements are 8 feet tall! The art work is contemporary, edgy, and exciting. People are looking at it and enjoying it. The streets are full of sculpture.

Every gallery has guest books where people write the comments in beautiful calligraphy. I've been photographing the guest books because they, themselves, are so fascinating.
Then there is an abundance of art-supply stores, dozens of them! They stock hand-made papers, brushes, raw pigment, fabric, and ink-stones. Each one is like entering a new world of fascinating possibility.
We spent hours within about 4 blocks of our hotel, going down each little winding alley-way, in and out of every shop, and admiring the wonderful buildings and signs. The architecture is a mixture of ancient, traditional structures, preserved amidst the newer buildings. Some buildings are breathtaking, as we round a corner and see something so unexpected:
As for food, wowie zowie!! There are literally hundreds of restaurants right here in our neighborhood, and the scents and aromas are truly mouth-watering. Also there are street vendors everywhere cooking up everything from crispy dried octopus to little pastries shaped like golden fish and filled with fresh fig paste. We sampled a few things, and opted for lunch in a lovely old place where nothing on the menu was in English, so we put ourselves into the hands of the waiter and had the most amazingly huge, spicy, and delectable lunch - so big that we couldn't eat dinner later on! Yes, there was plenty of kimchi, and it was totally delicious and not at all difficult to eat. Can't wait to try some of the other places we saw yesterday, like this dumpling shop and ...... and ......
Last night we swam in the hotel pool, lay in the various hot tubs, and saunas, and then watched a pounding thunder storm, with real lightening strikes punctuated by an unexplainable fireworks display going on across the city. Be sure to also read Daniella's blog for more photos and commentary on this trip! More soon...

Korea Day #1

Yesterday was the start of our newest and most excellent adventure. We flew overnight from SF on Singapore Airlines to Seoul, Korea. We're traveling for fun with our pals Wendy and Judy, sisters, and both artists, and both delicious company in every way! Our flight was the best ever. Each of the 4 of us had a full row of 3 seats on which to recline. Each seat came with a personal TV screen and remote, where one could select from 150 movies, 170 TV shows, 750 music CD's, 65 games, and 22 radio channels, just for starters. We immediately visualized staying up all night watching movies, which was pretty much what happened! (see me above not sleeping). Each seat was spacious and comfortable, especially compared with US flights we've had recently. They gave us pillows, blankets, washcloths, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hot towels, 2 delicious full meals (Indian vegetarian for us), tons of snacks, free wine and cocktails. Airline personnel were finely tuned to cater to every whim with complete politeness and friendliness. And this was in economy class. Can you imagine what those folks in First Class were getting??!!??

Arrived here at about 4:30 am California time, about 6:30 pm Korea time, so we came straight to our hotel suite and, after a brief foray down the block, and around the hotel, we crashed for the night. Up at 4:30 this morning, but that's an adjustment that will take awhile!

We're staying in the Fraser Suites, Insadong, 12th floor, an absolutely stunning apartment with every amenity imaginable. We just went down for our breakfast (included) and ate ourselves silly on a combination of Western and Asian foods. My favorite so far was a hot rice porridge with lots of veggies, topped by scallions, dried seaweed slivers, and a salty soy sauce. Yum!! We'll go out exploring soon. Weather is gray and rain is predicted today, but so far so good! More soon.

The Promise of a New Year

We are poised on the turning of the year. Tonight we are heading to a party - something we have rarely done in many recent years. We of the quiet evenings, early-ish bedtimes, are set to go out and celebrate the end of this dismal and shame-filled year (politically speaking)! Like so many others, we feel the prescience of something newer and, of course, better, just over the horizon. In this moment, I am thinking of my many friends and family members around the world, and wishing for all of you, and all of us, and all of the world a better new year. A happy new year! Try to imagine it, and if enough of us can imagine it, maybe we can make it manifest!

Can't resist one more clip of the little one - now there is a great reason to hope and rejoice in the newness of the world!

Home!!

We made it back home! Coming over the Siskyou Pass, through the freezing mountains, we had the opportunity to find out what we are made of (once again) as we lay down in the wet ice on the shoulder of I-5 and tried to untangle the chains wrapped around the wheel axles! We are made of tough and fine stuff!! We butch-ly donned and removed chains several times on that journey home, and got here safely.

Arrived Christmas evening to find the whole family gathered, and a fabulous dinner on the table waiting for us. We are tired, but so happy to be here. Here is a little video clip of Desmond, my grandson, during the festivities. Hope you can see it, and then understand why we were racing to get back here!

50 Miles of Iced Washboard....

Here is a photo of Oregon's Highway I-5, covered in ice. Picture this bumper to bumper, 4 lanes across, moving at a speed of 3-5 hours, and you get the drift of what happened in our world today. We made it 225 miles in 7 grueling hours of driving, much of it with chains on our tires. So much for making it back to California in a timely way! But we are safe, in a comfy motel room in Wilsonville, OR, and prepared to stay here for as long as it takes to get safer driving conditions. Meanwhile, just as we got off of I-5, they closed it down so that plows and sanders could go through. It has been closed for several hours. We can see people sitting out there in line, waiting for the highway to open up again. Don't try this at home!

A Little Laughter

A close friend sent us a wonderful YouTube video clip of a performance, in England, by Robin Williams, introduced by John Cleese. He talks about the Obama election, and so much more - a wonderful collection of zaniness! Thank you Connie!!!!

http://politicalirony.com/2008/11/30/robin-williams-on-obamas-election/

Daniella, this morning, said that we now have a PhD in Snow (that is, Piled High and Deep). It snowed all night again, and now there is about 18 inches on the ground, making it almost impossible for the dogs to take a walk (where are they?), and also for us to make much headway in our sneakers (yes, we don't have any appropriate footwear for this weather!). It is light and powdery, with ice below. Yikes! Yesterday we were able to take quite a good walk up the hill. Today I don't think we will be able to walk beyond the driveway unless things radically change somehow - but the forecast is ...... you guessed it ...... snow!

We just spent time trimming Django's fur with scissors, so that perhaps he won't get so bogged down when he goes outside. This morning he went a few yards and could not even move, he had so much snow clumped to his fur.

Late afternoon bulletin: we have made a snap decision to "go for it" and try to leave the island tomorrow and head for California. There is a one-day window of opportunity where the snow storms are not happening and we want to see if we can get down to warmer temperatures, somewhere in Oregon tomorrow night. We'll stick to I-5 all day, to be as safe as we can. Hope we don't run into any troubles! We have chains, and common sense. Let's hope we also have luck!

Winter Solstice

Here in the twinkling darkness of 4:30 pm on a quiet Sunday afternoon, we have just lit the Hannukah menorah with the first candle. Our day consisted of lots of indoor time, followed by a few walks, and a visit with a dear neighbor who stopped by. I had to give Django no less than 3 warm baths so far to remove his ice-ball coating, each time he joyfully rushed out into the snow to play! Daniella made a snow-woman (her first, as an LA girl), and we fed the birds. So goes life in the slow lane on Whidbey Island. Tonight we'll share a meal with the boys up the hill, and probably spend a quiet evening together. As we contemplate the turning of the solstice, it is heartening to remember that, after today, the daylight begins to lengthen again. We will be on the way back to the light soon. The ice and snow, on the other hand, show no signs of retreat. We are thankful for the mercies of electricity, warmth, and good company.

How to Avoid Cabin Fever

Today the ongoing saga continues. We are stuck here. A new big storm is on the way. We still have power, food, and many comforts of home, so we're lucky. But we only leave this small studio for walks with the dogs - have not driven in days. Here's what I'm doing.

Reading: Tales of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz. This is a multi-generational memoir mostly set in Israel in a family of story-tellers, dreamers, scholars and unforgettable characters. It is elegantly written, so that every page is dense, delicious, and chewy like a fabulous fruity cake (not like the fruitcake that everyone hates!).

Watching: A series of DVD's of the complete UCSC course Introduction to Feminisms, taught to wild acclaim by Bettina Aptheker for the last 25 years, and without a doubt the most popular class at UCSC. It has now been made available in its entirety on a large set of DVD's, and is being sold as a set for only $20 at the UCSC Baytree Bookstore. This is a wonderful way to pass many hours and actually learn something!

Also: Making oatmeal with raisins, candied ginger, apricots, and flax seeds, a big batch to last for several days. Eating leftover chile with tortillas, cheese, and avocados. Taking more icy walks down the street and back. Watching the geese waddle across the frozen lake on their bright yellow feet, a solitary display of color in this otherwise black and white world.

Also: Obsessively watching "the weather channel" online to see if we can find a window of opportunity to drive south to California, but so far the prospects don't look good for several days. Sighing. Missing my grandson, Desmond, more every day. Wishing for a little sunshine. Reading some more. How do you deal with cabin fever??

Not Going Anywhere

Obviously we're not going anywhere at the moment! That's our car and our driveway. Snow continues to fall, and driving conditions are treacherous here on the island and throughout the Seattle area as well. But we are cozy, warm, and well-fed. We have videos to watch, art projects to work on, crossword puzzles to puzzle over, books to read, doggies to get us outside, plenty of food, our computers, our phones, our sense of humor. Best of all, we have the continuous black and white nature show, huge puffy snowflakes falling continuously, every twig and limb blanketed in deep whiteness, roads free of traffic, and only a few bunny tracks in the virginal snow. There are huge flocks of Canada geese feeding on the meadow near the lake, and then making periodic flights into the lake where they float on the silvery sheen of the water. Their loud squawks punctuate the vast silence of this snow-covered land. The horses in the pasture next door are blanketed but lively, and we see them running and rolling in the snow.

This is another world, a world of immense peacefulness, where time has slowed to a crawl. It is hard to take it in that this is the pre-Christmas week. Out there, away from this snow, life is going on. People are shopping, decorating, wrapping gifts, and participating in various festivities. Vehicles are moving somewhere in the world. My brother in Florida tells me that it is 78 degrees there. But for us the drama of the day lies in deciding whether to walk to the end of the street, or venture across the highway for a slightly longer loop; whether to heat up some soup or just make popcorn for dinner; whether to do a little hand-washing, or just wear our dirty clothes for another day! So far we are opting for dirty clothes, and popcorn has always been one of our favorite dinner options, so long as there is a good movie to go along with it. Last night we watched a Danish film called "The Inheritance" that was very good indeed.
The dogs are always ready to go outside and take walks. We're setting out again now for the third walk of the day, and it's only 11 am! Who needs sun??!!

Thinking of you at the Holidays

This note is written from snowy Whidbey Island, where we are spending a few precious days before returning to Santa Cruz for the holidays. (That is, if the weather lets us leave the island... the forecast is for more snow this week, and continued freezing temperatures.) Brrrrr - we California girls are not used to this! But our little dogs love it!
This year has seen the joyful addition of a new family member, little Desmond, born in July to Phil & Megan. He is our first grandchild, and like every grandparent, we KNOW that he is the best baby ever, in every way possible - cute, smart, mellow, already way ahead of his crowd, etc. etc. Needless to say, the spoiling has begun! We couldn't be more thrilled.In other ways the year has been great for us. Daniella won two big art awards, the Gail Rich award and the Rydell Fellowship, both given out to excellent artists in the Santa Cruz area. She has had her best professional year ever, and is immersed in so many projects that her studio seems to buzz at a frenzied energy level. I spent June and July on Whidbey Island, and we both traveled to Toronto for a small vacation/art workshop (for D). I also had a week with my brother in Sarasota, Florida, in September.

I've had a little work at the university (part time recall) during the fall, and also got involved in a huge garden makeover (front yard) that happily occupied several of my days. We both worked on the political campaign, doing phone calls for Obama, walking precincts, and for me, working at the voting place all day on election day.

The election itself was thrilling, and gives us hope that the world might get back on a more rational, humane track again. It is devastating to hear of the many people who have lost jobs, homes, pensions, savings, and so much more. What a mess we're in - it will take all of us to fix it.

If you are receiving this letter it is because you are one of the people whom I cherish in my life! I wish you happy holidays, a healthy and safe new year, and the chance to give and receive love, the ultimate healer. I hope that our paths will cross and we will be able to share precious time together in the months ahead.
Love,
Kim

Early Riser

I've always been an early riser. When I retired I thought that might change, but it hasn't. I'm still up before daylight every day. The first thing I do every morning is go outside, into the back yard, with the two dogs - rain or shine. This morning, standing out there, I did what I always do, breathe deeply, gaze at the night sky, listen to the sounds of the morning, and feel thankful for my home, my place in the world, my wonderful life. This morning the sky was full of stars after the drenching rains we've had for the last several days. The air was damp and sweet, with a hint of the tangy ocean - only a mile away. The garbage trucks were clanging and humming through the streets. I could see iris buds swelling in my garden, saved for another day by the heroic actions of my little Django pup. This week he caught and valiantly dispatched an enormous gopher with long, curving yellow teeth. While he and the gopher were dancing at each other, I called for Zuma, our rat terrier, thinking that she would know what to do. She took one look at the situation and then backed away primly, shivering with fear and disgust. Her "ratter nature" did not kick in, but Django managed on his own, to save the day!

While I stood there this morning I remembered my childhood on the farm, where the early rising took root in me. Nobody ever slept past 7 am in our home. My father was always up at around 5 am to go check on the sheep and turkeys, and begin the day. My mother cooked breakfast for the whole family, often baking some fresh pastry to have steaming hot when we kids got up. There were chores to do, a school bus to catch, and nobody was allowed to lie around in bed.

Now the early mornings are my most precious time - delicately fresh and quiet hours when I savor the coming day, and feel the new energy surging through my body. Yes, I'm a morning person! And this morning I'm feeling hopeful for the world.

Happy Holidays - Where Did That Year Go??

Another year gone by, and it seems like a good idea to mention a few highlights. Everybody knows the low-lights (they emanate daily from Washington, DC), so I won't go there, in this holiday season.

1. We spent 5 months on Whidbey Island this year (May-September). We were lucky to stay in a house belonging to our wonderful next-door-neighbors, so we could spread out and entertain, have visitors, cook real meals, etc. Hallelujah!
2. A new little pup, Django (above), joined our family in late August. He is like an animated stuffed toy, adorable and spritely, full of mischief. Having him gives me an all-day huge grin and expands my heart with happiness! He has become best pals with our other dog, Zuma.
3. Daniella (above with Zuma) had a great art year, with many honors, firsts, publications, and sales. You can read all about it on her blog (http://www.encausticopolis.blogspot.com). Her art work just gets better and better. She's now working on some sensational, big installation pieces.
4. My favorite niece, Amy, (above, who lived with us a few years back) gave birth to a beautiful daughter on my birthday, April 18. I met Kasey for the first time in early November when we went to a family wedding (my nephew) in Annapolis, Md., and she is off-the-charts cute and smart. That wedding was a major family reunion - all my brothers and their families together for the first time in many years. My nephew, Peter, married a young Indian woman, Priya, and there were 3 days of fabulous parties.
5. I found out that I will become a grandmother for the first time in 2008! My daughter-in-law Megan, and son Phil expect a baby in July. The photo above shows them together at Phil's graduation about 1 1/2 years ago. Let the spoiling begin!! Whoooohooo!
6. My son Tom (above) rediscovered school this year, after may years away from it, and has been studying at our local community college. He has done really well and should have straight A's for the year. WOW!
I plan to celebrate the holiday season with my three grown children (and their partners), in a vacation rental house north of San Francisco for a few days. I think it will be great for all of us to go away together to a place where we can relax and just enjoy our time together without anyone having to be the "host". We're not big on the "christmas" thing, but we are all looking forward to the time together.

Every day I celebrate the joy of living (now 33 years) in our Santa Cruz home (we have the most amazing and generous friends and neighbors), and in our Whidbey Island home (where we have made many new friends). It is truly the best of both worlds, and life in both places is rich and full. I'm getting old(er) but my health and energy is still great, and I love the "retired" lifestyle. Never bored, moving at my own pace, enjoying every day.

This message comes with an abundance of good wishes and love for you all during the holidays. Let's try to brighten the world in our own special way in the days ahead, with kindness, generosity, and caring for those who don't have much to celebrate. Please, also, send healing energy to my beloved brother, Dick, in Florida, who is battling metastatic renal cancer. We're all hoping for a big miracle for that sweet guy.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and love