Buried by snow at Handong

Lots of snow - about 20 cms - perhaps not much by Winterpeg standards, but the most this area has had in one dump in almost 100 years! This is the view from the second floor of our teaching/office building.

This is another view from the second floor of our office/teaching building - taken from our resource room, looking north. By the end of the day, the snow was gone from the trees - the sun was that strong!

The big commute to work - it took us almost TEN MINUTES to complete the trek this morning under BRUTAL conditions - now, don't you feel sorry for us?!?!!!

Mom was exhausted from trekking through the snow and needed a break - watch out Momma - there's a vehicle a'coming twards ya!!!!

Koreans are very friendly people - until you try walking in their snow track lane - watch out for those snowballs!

Just some neighbourhood gang-members hanging around making trouble at Handong!

A couple of scary looking characters out for a stroll on our unusually lengthy trek/commute to work this morning.

This is the laneway leading down the "hill" (as the Americans call it - it's actually just a slope!) - part of our commute when we have to go the "long-way around"!

This is the eastern view from close to our apartment - the middle/high school is on the left-hand side.

Its gonna take a while to dig our car (4th from the left, 3rd from the right) out! Fortunately, we don't have to take the car on our commute - YIPPEE!!!!

The view this morning from in front of our apartment - ain't the view pretty (in addition to your Momma, that is!)

Your Momma (as if you didn't know) after a long, hard day at the office - now, don't you feel sorry for her?!?

News Flash - major snowstorm buries Pohang!!

Hey kids, it was great talking to each and all of you last night - we had a great time "rapping" (remember that one Nettie?) - even though the old man got tired and went to bed at midnight - can you imagine!!! Well, one of the reasons I went to bed when I did was that I figured 7:30 a.m. would roll around soon enough and then we'd have an all-day Handong University in-service in which to spend our 29th engagement anniversary - well, guess what - we woke up to snow falling this morning and it hasn't let up since! We were just about to leave the apartment at about 8:50 when we got the call that the in-service was being delayed, likely to 1:00 p.m. due to the snowstorm. Maybe this sounds selfish, but, to us, that was good news - we could use the morning off - it got even more intersting - about 11:00 a.m., we received an email over the Handong website telling us that the inservice was cancelled for the day. Then, early this afternoon, while the snowstorm was still raging away, we learned that the in-service was cancelled for Tuesday as well. We went into the office for a bit and then left for home, dancing through the snow and throwing snowballs at each other. I'd forgotten to turn the heat off, so the apartment was like a blast furnace! Mom made pizza, we watched a great old movie (Remembering Henry - with Harrison Ford and Annette Benning - a great movie!) and now we've just come back from a walk through the snow - beautiful - and it's still snowing! I've estimated that we've got between 20-30 cms. on the ground now already - who knows how much we'll have by tomorrow - pictures to follow tomorrow! GOD IS GOOD - Its been a WONDERFUL 29th engagement anniversary!!!!

Mom and I hope and pray that you're all doing well, and that you'll have wonderful weeks ahead of you!! We're praying for each of you!!!!

LOVE, ALWAYS AND FOREVER,

-Dad-

Prayer request

Hi all

So I know that I have a while until I graduate (6 months give or take) but still I am starting to get nervous about finding a job.  While the job market is recovering the financial industry is still hurting and I am having some difficulties in finding a job.  These difficulties in finding a job compounded with the fact that I have absolutely no idea where I would go when I complete my degree if I don't have a job are really starting to concern me (do I try to stay in Europe to see what I can find, do I go back to Canada and if I do go back to Canada where do I go etc.).  If you could please remember me in your prayers in these matters I would be very much appreciated that.

Love Wes

Mom and Dad's Contact Information

George and Judith (Judy)

Home number: +82-54-260-1577

Office number: +82-54-260-1856 (George)

Office number: +82-54-260-1172 (Judy)

Mobile: + 10126645702

Address: Handong Global University

Global Leadership School

Pohang, Gyeoungbuk Do

791-708 South Korea

E-mail addresses:

judyvb@handong.edu

georgevb@handong.edu

judyvb1982@yahoo.ca

georgevb1982@yahoo.com

jvanbruggenster@gmail.com

Wes's contact information

HI all

Dutch phone number:  +31 649 996 1782
email address:               wes.vanbruggen@gmail.com
current address:            Weesperstraat 17B, 1018 DN, Amsterdam, North Holland

Love

Wes

Family Celebration - 30th Wedding Anniversary

OK This is what everyone needs to think about and plan for:

Your parents 30th Wedding Anniversary on September 11, 2012

I would like to plan a family celebration in the Canary Island in either December 2012 or January/February 2013.

This will be a special celebration so I would like to be together for 5 to 7 days. This means that you need to plan schedule and finances. Dad and I will find an apartment for all of us.

I know that this is way in the future but consider this your official notice/invitation.

Keep it in your mind and your scheduler.

Mom

I guess it's time for my post!

The Van Bruggen men, loading our rental car (would you believe looking for stuff?) - we're by the dunes in the north part of the Island - very nice!

Watch out Wes - there's a flying fossil coming to attack you - too late, but luckilly (for the fossil or for Wes, we're not sure, it missed!!!! Now we're in the south part of the Island - behind us is a long, sandy beach - the three of us went walking for a long time.

Mom, trying to "out-height" her lil' baby boy - check out the black sand - this was at an isolated community on the west side of the Island - there was a great walkway along the cliffs which led down into caves - a great afternoon while cruising around in our rental.

This is the view from a nearby hilltop of the resort community we stayed in - lots of development here - our apartment is located in the "Caleta Garden", near the top left-hand of the picture - can you make it out?

The view of the balcony of our apartment - our balcony overlooked the pool and lounge areas, which was in the middle of the "Caleta Garden" complex.

The Van Bruggen boys - what else - resting in their humble abode at the Caleta Gardens! This couch also doubled as Wes' bed.

Mom talking to one of the statutes in the nearby capital - she says it was the only way she could get a word in edgewise - come on, that's unbelievable - Wes and Dad (at least Dad!) aren't talkative at all!!!

Here we are, eating yet again - one of the many activities we could all agree on and "sink our teeth into" - this time it was a metre [yup!] long sausage with fries, dips and salad - this was in the capital.

Hey - who's that cool dude - must be a movie star! First day in Furteventura - we're at one of the many restaurants - where we shed much of our clothes (thankfully, not all, or else they would have thrown us out) and just soaked up the sun - WONDERFUL!!

Even Mom had to admit that this warm weather business was going to pretty nice afterall!

Made it to Furteventurea, the Canary Islands - Wes is a happy camper - he got to don the shades, and shed his winter clothing - he's still wearing pants in this picture (I hope, anyways!!) but they soon were replaced by shorts when we checked into our apartment - just a few minutes away from this restaurant.

Wes is a happy camper - first time in T-shirt

and sandals - when we get to our hotel-apartment,

the shorts will come on next