They just buried someone in our backyard! I only wish I were kidding...
In Korea it's pretty hard to swing a stick and not hit a burial mound. Instead of burying their dead in a cemetery, underground; Koreans bury their deceased under large above ground mounds, occasionally accompanied by a totem like marker. Think something along the lines of native American burial mounds. The higher on the hillside a person is buried, the more important and wealthy they were in their life. Most families in the country side have family "plots" on their land. The family who owns the orchard next to us is no exception, and today they laid to rest a member of their family.
This morning when we awoke, it was pouring buckets. In our stairwell we have a very large window that overlooks the orchard next to us and the mountains in the distance. When the kids wake up in the morning, I stop in the staircase so they may look our the window. This morning I noticed lots of people standing in the rain, erecting a canopy. A couple of days ago Michael and I had noticed they had brought a backhoe in. We just assumed they were using it to work on their land. Well, as the day progressed I noticed more and more people showing up. When the nanny came to pick up the kids I was able to ask her what was going on next door, and she's the one who explained to me they were having a burial ceremony. Sure enough, they all gathered under the canopy and piled the dirt up higher and higher creating a mound. This all took several hours, but when they left, there was a new mound.
So, it's kind of creepy, just because I'm used to Western culture, and our use of cemeteries...which I would not want to live next door to either. They haven't put up any sort of a marker yet. Whoever it was must've been important in their family; as far as I can tell, they're highest on the hill at this point. That's kind of tricky...who isn't important in a family? Oh boy, what an experience.
The prettiest girl in all of Florence! We think possibly one of the prettiest girls in all of the world!
We got some very exciting news from the states. Our dear sweet friend (and former "nanny"), Ashley, won the Miss Florence High School beauty pageant! Isn't that incredible?! We always knew she was a beautiful girl...inside and out...apparently the judges agree! We're so proud of her. Guess we know who to send Ella to for pointers when she wants to enter the Miss Florence High School beauty pageant..
Luckily, Linda has put some video on youtube.com of Ashley preforming her talent portion, singing "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and accepting her tiara. I think you may have heard us clapping and screaming all the way back in the states! We're so, so proud!
Watch her singing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaQJbibuaW8
Watch her crowning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCGw8fHPn5w
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