Life Through Blue Glasses

Black and Red

2011-04-05T23:24:00.000+09:00

Kimchi Bokumbap (Kimchi fried rice)

Kimchi
Rice
1 egg
Seasame oil

Stir fry kimchi in some oil or another
(watch it and don't make the red stuff go black)
Then add rice and sesame oil
fry a little more

Make a lovely little circle in your fry pan, kinda like a doughnut
Crack and cook the egg in the middle (the doughnut hole, bit)

stir all together and put in a bowl or on a pretty plate

EAT without TV or computer (if it's still red)
If you turned it black, feel free to blog about your cooking while eating...

Bulgogi Donburi

2011-04-05T23:15:00.000+09:00

Seasoned beef
Rice
1 egg (per person)
Kimchi
Skiny mushrooms (the ones you cut apart with scissors)
Tsuyu - or some other sweet soy sauce concotion

Stir fry beef and mushrooms (cut to 1inch with scissors) in some kinda oil.
Add "tsuyu" or another sweet soy sauce concoction for a bit of seasoning

Fill a big bowl with SUPER HOT cooked rice
Immediately before putting the beef mix on the rice, crack the egg onto the rice
THEN place the beef on top
Place kimchi on top of that

EAT without TV or computer distractions!

Dinner

2010-11-18T21:55:00.001+09:00

I have begun, or resumed, some of my favorite pastimes.

1. Reading and enjoying God's word
2. Cooking dinners from "what's in the kitchen" and concocting rather delicious things.
3. Learning Japanese
4. Learning Korean
5. Cross-stitching
6. Reading (especially about the above 5 things)

Today, I meditated on Romans 12:17 which says
"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all."

The latter part is actually pretty hard. The principle of "two wrongs don't make a right"(squeaky old lady voice inserted here) is on that we are rather familiar with.

But thinking about doing what is honorable... now that's hard. It's not fun to think about the honorable thing to do. I'd really much rather spend my day thinking about how great it'd feel to shove that lady right back. I want to meditate on how I was justified in ignoring her shoving and voiceless demand for my seat on the bus. Thinking about how I should have been done the honorable thing, not repaying her evil (pain in my arm) with evil (remaining in my seat, thank you very much), and giving her my seat on that bus is not a great adventure that I want to embark upon.

On a far less serious note:
1/2 carrot
1 onion
1/2 bunch of mushrooms
some water
a stick of beef bouillon powder (from E-mart)
good bit of honey
Ishigaki 7 spice seasoning
a bit of curry powder
some salt
3 small handfuls of rice

Stir fry veggies in olive oil
Add water and seasonings
Bring to a boil on medium
Cover and simmer

I have no idea how it will turn out - it's still simmering.
I'll let you know.

A long delayed post

2010-10-05T01:21:00.000+09:00

I am very sorry to anyone who has been waiting for posts.

It has been several long, warm, and sunshine filled months in which I have not written.
Please forgive me; warm sunshine and adventures around the globe easily defeat staying next to my computer and typing into the small hours.
But, it is now autumn again (cold) so I will be more willing to take these computing adventured with you.

Since my last post I have:
-been on holiday to a small beach in Busan
-moved to a new house
-had my wonderful brother here for a visit
-been to Japan
-grown a lot in some ways (including sideways) and not so much in other ways (my nails, perhaps?)
-had wonderful joy
-wanted to cry and scream
-lived life with joy and abundance

I shall post a few of my favorite photos from my adventures soon.

2010-07-07T01:56:00.000+09:00

Today was a glorious day.
Everything worked.
Students were good.
Classes went well, so did phone teaching.
I love my school!

I was reminded of why mercy and grace are necessary.
You cannot EVER be perfect.

We are having a World Cup contest at one of my schools.
Kids have to guess the winning countries and the scores correctly in order to win.
If someone got it perfect, they would get a prize.
Well, not a single kid got a perfect score. Only three kids got even one right.
Brutal reminder.
Perfection is unattainable.
Even if we get the major things(the winning country) right
we cannot get all of the details (the score) right every time.
Thank God for changing rules.
Thank God for grace and new rules.
Where would we be without them?

Please read!

2010-07-03T23:13:00.002+09:00

Please read the article on the link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10498724.stm

There was a bus accident on the bridge from Incheon Airport to Seoul.
I know some of the people who were on that bus.

One of them is home.
One of them is MAJOR surgery.
One of them has broken bones.

PRAY!!

Andy

2010-06-24T12:56:00.000+09:00

My friend Andy, whom some of you may remember from earlier posts about his health, will be running in some sort of race. All I really understand about racing is that you have to train, sweat, and have good shoes.

What I do know is that Andy is running a 5k (I think) and is raising money for the Aeyugwan. They are a local orphanage that Andy volunteers at on Saturdays. Please read about the race and the great things happening because of it on Andy's blog.

Hallelujah!

2010-06-21T03:01:00.001+09:00

Hallelujah!
He sees my state and forgives
He knows my heart and loves
My God, who can compare to you?

Praise Him!
My soul and my evil, He sees
His Spirit and perfection, He gives
My God, who can compare to you?

Great is He!
He is my great strength
He has been my source of life
You give everything to me!

My mind was weak
My body, falling apart from within
He restored me! He gave me rest
My God! Who can compare to Him?

Hallelujah!
My soul shouts from within me
My weak flesh cannot express the joy
For no one can compare with my God

You are my strength and joy
From your love, I draw life
How great is my lover!
Praise! Worship! Him who is our all!

Orphanage

2010-06-08T01:13:00.004+09:00

On Saturday a group of us went to an orphanage on an island near Busan.

It was a place full of love and surrounded by nature.

All the kids call the couple in charge "Appa" and "Omma" (Dad and Mom in Korean) and they treat all of their 100 children with great love.

We went to perform a puppet show to celebrate the new library.

It's one of the coolest places I would ever want to spend time reading in.

Seoul

2010-06-03T22:47:00.003+09:00

I had a fabulous trip to Seoul last weekend.

I did not take my camera though.

I went to a small folk village that had lots of different classes and Korean traditional "stuff" to enjoy. I made two craft out of "Hanji" the Korean paper craft stuff. I also had a mini-lesson in Korean tea ceremony. This was probably supposed to be, oh 15/20 minutes tops, but the tea instructor, the other guys taking the class, and I were getting along so well that we were chatting, in English and Korean, and drinking tea, and having such a general all around wonderful time that we were there for a good hour. It was so much fun!

After a further adventure of walking around Dongdaemun (East Big Gate) shopping area, dinner and more tea, I made it to the King Sejong monument. It was fantastic. In the foreground was the Admiral Yi Sunshin (soon-sheen) monument. He is famous for having created the Gabuksan (Turtle Ship) in the 16th century. At the end of the wide street, surrounded by museums and shopping, is another grand something or another. It reminded me of the Champs Elysees.

After all that fun, I finally made it to my friend's house. I had a fun time hanging out with her, discussing current royalty gossip.

I slept in.

I met some new friends, darling people that will now forever be close to my heart, for lunch. I asked for my burrito without beans and got the best "what-in-blazes-is-this-crazy-woman-smoking" look I have EVER gotten. And let me to you, as a tall definitely not Korean, highly independent, and minorly insane woman, I have gotten a LOT of those looks. This one beat them ALL. This was accompanied with the "you want no beans. No beans on the inside?!" comment by our waiter. My friends and I about died from the comedy of the whole situation. It's like something one would have seen on an old "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" episodes.

Three hours and delicious bean-free burritos later, we parted company I went on a hunt for the illusive (not entirely elusive) New Philadelphia Church in Itaewon. It hides itself in King Bar, near-ish the Starbucks, and from there will do more and greater things for Christ the King through His great power and love.

then I went home.

From Hakata to Shinagawa abridged

2010-05-28T02:51:00.000+09:00

Wisdom

2010-05-25T01:47:00.000+09:00

There are nine stages in life:
Not old enough to know better
Old enough to know better
Not old enough to know
Old enough to know
Not old enough
Old enough
Not old
Old
Not
~Yana

Psalm 84

2010-05-11T00:52:00.002+09:00

How lovely is you dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise!

Blessed are those who strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.

They go up from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!

Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield' the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

- How blessed are we indeed who trust in Him. How rich is the life of the one who spends his days in God's presence. Oh how glorious to sing His praises all the time! How great and rich!

There is a hymn which sings about the oceans being ink, the skies parchment, and all the people scribes, how even then we could not write enough to express the greatness of God's love and blessing. Praise be to Him! Blessed be the one who gives mercy and love. Blessed is the one who trusts in you! -

Children's Day

2010-05-05T22:05:00.000+09:00

Today is Children's Day - a holiday for which I am VERY grateful.
It means a day of rest in the middle of the week.

It also means that my kids will be in sugar induced high, or coma, for the next two days of classes.
Since we helped with that by holding a festival for the kids yesterday, I suppose we are not allowed to complain too much about the whole sugar-death thing. I am grateful, though, that children in Korea only have this sugar-death once a year rather than the Halloween-and-Easter dentists conventions in the US.

A nice, sweet day to rest and enjoy myself. Clean, shop, arrange life, write letters, eat good food, cook slowly, and enjoy the GREAT weather that God has given.

Oh, and the obligatory chips and salsa to celebrate another holiday Cinqo de Mayo. I wonder what would happen if I tried to explain this holiday to my kids.

Pohang weekend

2010-04-27T01:30:00.000+09:00

Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, additional photos from the Sunday Cherry Blossom event will not be posted.

I was however able to enjoy a very restful weekend in Pohang.
I left Friday evening from Masan, the next town over from mine.
I had never been to Masan, much less tried to use the bus terminal there, but it was without incident and I was happy to arrive at a more decent hour.

I spent Saturday and Sunday resting, stitching, shopping, and enjoying people. I am so grateful for good friends. I have never ceased to be encouraged by the company of believers - especially the company of women in different stages and places in their walks with God. This pure joy, this love, this understanding, and this acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit's work are perhaps why we cannot forsake the community of believers and still live. I am reminded of the body, I remember that I am a member, a unique part of the whole different from the other members - as Bonhoeffer and Lewis both point out very often - and am brought to great joy and praise for the amazing God who has made me a part of that through His amazing grace and abundant love. It is great indeed that all of the members of His body can work together and differently in love for one another.

Also, praise God for amazing coffee. I am a very happy woman with my freshly roasted Papua New Guinea French Roast from Schumann and Clara's.

I am searching out an understanding of true Christ-like and Christ-centered love in my everyday life, especially in this intercultural context. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Black Day

2010-04-14T13:00:00.002+09:00

Most everyone, the world 'round knows at least a little something about Valentine's Day.

Some cultures celebrate an additional day - White Day - for the returning of gifts and affections. Koreans have brought single awareness to a new high. There is a third day of single awareness, this time celebrating the single person, called Black Day.

Today, 4/14, is that ominous day.

I will not eat Jajangmyeon - black noodles - since I find them rather vile and an evil force against which no taste buds should be forced into combat, unless they were so numbed by the sheer force of the great survival instinct of their host as to make them behave like a lower lip after jaw surgery. Fortunately for those of us eligible for Black Day, there are other much more pleasing alternatives. Dark chocolate, coffee, and steak could all be considered black foods and are therefore suitable for the palate of the chronically single.

Wearing all black - usually reserved for funerals, women's attire in parts of the Middle East, backstage areas, and protestors of the February holiday - is commonly seen among young men who clearly have no taste buds, or may in fact feel on the brink of starvation, and crowd the black noodle shops.

Some people are ineligible for Black Day celebrations and are not allowed to eat Jajangmyeon on this special day for singles. They are also secretly banned from wearing all black. If you are part of a couple and are ineligible, then please wear your ghastly couple shirts, shoes, and rings.

If you are still single, but are ineligible for Black Day because you gave or received chocolates/candies then sympathies are sent in your direction. Also, you had courage enough to try for the attentions of that other person and are therefore more commendable than the silly boys who mope about while devouring their large portions of that violent assault on the sense of taste.

Picnic #3

2010-04-13T23:18:00.003+09:00

All over the place in Jinhae - Saturday

I met up with two college friends, Matthew who is teaching here and JiSeon who was at Cedarville and Handong at the same time as me, and JiSeon's family near city hall in Jinhae.

We had a wonderful time starting with lunch.

This rice dish came after the rather filling meat course.

You scoop the rice out of the pot thing, then fill it with water.

Not only does it make it really easy to clean, the hot water/rice mix makes for a rather tasty tea to drink at the end of the meal.

We then went towards to the man pier area which was very low key this weekend since all the festivities were else where in the town.

We wound around to the Romantic Walk - really that's its name -

and had a nice long walk

complete with lots of carnival sweets and chocolate and melon ice cream in a waffle.

My taste buds nearly did not recover from the assault of the green nastiness.

After a LOT of walking, we made our way towards Changwon over the blossoming mountain road rather than the more industrial large tunnel thing. I am happy to report that through the long day, the cloudy weather, and hunger our spirits were high with the aroma and the overwhelming joy of pink that flooded our souls.

Thank you, Matthew, for your comment that perhaps this was just another way that nature truly praises the Lord. My heart was lifted to Him in joy and the opportunity to share in fellowship and community as we reveled in this beauty.

Picnic # 2

2010-04-12T00:13:00.000+09:00

Jinhae Navy Base area - Thursday morning

Arienne, Brittani, Shyla, and I went to Jinhae on Thursday morning.

At the Yi SunShin Rotary in town

We drove through the Korean Navy base and saw the blossoms from the car.

We then went to the Naval Academy to see their few blossoms and to tour the museum.

Beheading Swords

They had built a replica of Admiral Yi SunShin's famous Turtle ship. He used these ships, a very new and innovative idea, in the 1590s.

I had to eat my knees to get onboard the entrance was so low.

But the interior was VERY interesting and, from what I hear, very historically accurate.

A gentleman trying out the oars. It's much harder than it looks.

We went and took a look at the Romantic Walk on our way back up the mountain towards home and work.

Picnic # 1

2010-04-07T23:31:00.003+09:00

Today, my friend Shyla and I went to a park nearby and had a picnic under the cherry blossoms.
Here are few photos.

The road down to our picnic site

A close-up of one of those trees lining the street

The very very pink tree amidst all the very white blossom trees.
We chose this tree for our picnic spot.

One of its little pink-ish blossoms.

Here are a few more gorgeous blossoms.

Yours truly under the best kind of tree there is.

I will be going on another outing tomorrow to Jinhae - the best place in all Korea for Cherry Blossoms- for a mid-week morning adventure (hopefully a time of crowd avoidance as well).

Things that I cannot understand

2010-04-07T01:07:00.000+09:00

Every day, it seems, I am given new things that I simply cannot understand.
I don't understand how it happens that there is a new thing that amazes me every day.

Today, I was amazed by the pure joy of walking under cherry blossoms.
I also got to take a class outside and to the park across the street for our class time today.
We worked through the unit and even got to have two relay races.
I never realized how much fun teachers have with nice days and holding class outside.

In other news, I am now in Chapter 5 of Romans on my meditations.
This gives me a lot of new things to think about and to be surprised by everyday.

Home Improvement!

2010-03-27T00:35:00.000+09:00

I am blessed!

I have a new three piece sofa. I have the most gorgeous blinds ever!

I submit that my apartment has never looked finer.

Now if I could only keep the place clean...

A Great Celebration

2010-03-08T01:05:00.007+09:00

On February 21st, the International Fellowship of Hanbit Church prepared for a grand celebration: a baby shower for Jennifer.

Nancy and I organized the baby shower for Jennifer, pregnant with twin boys, the Sunday before the boys were to be born. As it was a totally new concept for the Korean women, we were put in charge.

This meant the googling (I submit that in the gerund form the "e" is dropped from the verb whose infinitive is "to google") a number of easy and non-English-reliant games for the party, making cookies, decorating, trying to find the great mystery of Korean baby fashions - onesies, and getting to ooo and ahhh in advance over little people. It was great fun!

The games were great fun! We played the blindfolded diaper change and the unwrap the present games.

The ladies of the church brought such wonderful gifts for Jennifer.

It was so much fun being able to bless Jennifer and Ejikye with gifts for the two greatest blessings.

David and Donald arrived on March 3rd.

David, poor guy, is wrapped in the pink blanket.

Fireworks for the Lunar New Year

2010-03-05T00:39:00.011+09:00

Rachel and I visited some of her friends on New Year's Eve for a few parties.

While we were at the second one we witnessed a good number of fireworks.

Once we finally ventured out from the party at about 10:00, we noticed even more fireworks going off all over the place.

Fireworks are set off in the street so that anyone can set them off anywhere.

A group of students handed us sparklers;

we started drawing in the air and having a grand old time.

Then, we decided that we would like to set off a few fireworks of our own. I mean, everyone had such awesome looking fireworks.

Around the corner we found a decent-sized fireworks stand.

We only bought two little fireworks. We may have been the smallest sale of the night.

Rachel lit the first one, one that was like a large sparkler fountain.

Then I lit the next one. It seemed to have some difficulty lighting. Had I not remembered the most basic rule of fireworks - never go back and check to see if it actually lit because it will blow up in your face. And behold, it had in fact lit. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the other important rule - stabilize the firework so it won't tip over. It was one of those fireworks that, had it been upright, would have shot beautiful circles up in the air at a decent hight.

Needless to say, it was an amusing sight. The guard from across the street from whom I had borrowed the lighter was cowering and clutching the fence behind him. He looked like he might have needed to go and change his shorts. I was doubled over laughing hysterically. (Please do not try lighting large fireworks like this at home. If you must be crazy like this, please do it in China and I will supervise your behavior.)

Chocolate Wonderland

2010-02-17T00:17:00.022+09:00

While on our way to the Olympic Park, we noticed a some signs for "World Chocolate Wonderland."

This seemed to be a wonderfully fun thing to experience. The great mystery was in the entrance. How were we to get to this place? We had no idea whatsoever. Signage was rather confusing. Walking about looking into places and hunting for colorful signs seemed to get us no thing but cold. Rachel then made a brilliant discovery. She knew the word for chocolate and the words to ask "where is." Eureka! So with our two-year-old sentence (which rather is an acceptable level for someone having only been learning for a short time) we asked numerous guards "Where is the chocolate?" (In Chinese the word order is different, of course) and found our way to the entrance to Chocolate Wonderland.

I knew this was a real exhibit and intended to be a wonderful adventure land of sorts because it was complete with mascots and their statues.

In the first builing we saw displays of chocolate from all around the world.

I was intrigued by the display about Flame Chocolate because I had recently taught a class about chocolate and the way in which the Aztecs used it.
They mixed the cacao bean with hot peppers and made a cold drink. Only the ultra-wealthy were able to have this because the cacao bean was often used as currency, it was so valuable. Can you imagine drinking gold dust?

There was even a large chocolate fountain, the largest moving piece of art using chocolate in Chinese history.
If that weren't exciting enough, there were people making wonderful creations out of chocolate. As a VERY amateur chocolate creator, I was most intrigued by this part of the whole exhibit.
The plane was to be a Korean Air plane, which presumably meant that there was to be a whole lot more color added to the piece.

These are some of the other smaller creations that we found fascinating.

In the second building, we found very large displays of chocolate creations. The Great Wall, the terra cota warriors, and a full-sized BMW were the highlights of this exhibit.
Rachel was greatly distraught by "the waste" of the 80 tons of Belgian chocolate that had been imported for the occasion. I was more intrigued by the wonderful creations and the artistic expression that is possible in such a unique medium. Also, I want to know they get the chocolate to be that maleable and not melt into nothingness.

Further into the second building we began to notice creations of a different nature - candy. There was an exhibit of lovely creations of spun sugar and a demonstration of spun sugar techniques. The woman was using a hand pump to blow air into the candy, handling it like one might a piece of glass that one was blowing.
The most fascinating candy creations were probably the season display,
the tea set,
and these exquisite shells.

A combination of chocolate and candy made this display of the Chocolate Wonderland characters on a traditional shelf unit.

Unfortunately, for all the wonderful things about this place, there was not any chocolate given out. Of course, we could pay to make some chocolate, but I was certainly not going to pay to have only on kind and color of chocolate with which to create tasty chocolate goodies. Instead, I spent money on a T-shirt.

Then, we ventured to the food building. Here, we meandered about the place until we found a vendor with Cadbury drinking chocolate. This was exciting! Such wonderful chocolate, here? It couldn't be! But oh yes, these were the authentic purple canisters. Alas, the vendors had not paid enough attention to said containers. They must have failed to notice that it was to be made with milk, not hot water. We nearly lost the very hot liquid.

The Olympic Park

2010-02-16T18:06:00.006+09:00

After our adventure at the wall and lunch of dumplings and noodles, we went into town and to the Olympic Park. The Birds' Nest was really neat.

The structure was something very daunting and amazing.

The little lights along the paths in the part kept the same feel and looked like metal tumbleweeds on golf tees. I think I would rather like them as driveway lights, oddly enough.

The park was alive with people, especially of the under four foot variety and the paired and looking nauseatingly adorable variety. The under four foot crowd and their five-something counterparts were headed into Winter Wonderland.

Among the many wonderful attractions was a small tubing hill.

If I were an under-four-foot, which I have not been on the outside for a long time, living in a city, this would definitely be one of the cooler things to have done over the holiday.

Some of the looking-adorables were tubing as well, but more of them were participating in the wow-isn't-he-fabulous and the I-hope-I-don't-look-like-an-idiot-in-front-of-her also known as the ski slope (slope is a bit generous a term, perhaps, but that was the marketing for it).

Near the water cube - perhaps inflated marshmallow cube - is a better term were some large Lunar New Year decorations.

Those paired and not trying to be awesome whilst skiing were over in this area of the park, just doing some general milling about. They were also having a grand time taking photos of each other.

I would like to note that the Christmas decorations are still up in February.

To be continued...

The Wall

2010-02-16T11:13:00.018+09:00

On Friday morning, I got up very early.

After a short flight on which I got a short nap, I arrived into Beijing.

Rachel picked me up and we went directly to Mutianyu, a less well-known, but very beautiful section of The Great Wall.

It takes some time to climb up to the wall from the parking lot.

There are cable car and ski lift options to get up to the wall for those less inclined to do any small (ok, not so small, don't let the picture fool you) scale climbing of stairs.

The good news for people insane enough to hop straight off a plane and then go climbing in the mountains with some good old fashioned crisp winter air (nope, this is not me at all) is that there are refreshments on sale on the wall.

Rachel and I walked a few towers. Then I needed to sit down and take it all in.

The mountains, the Wall, the air, the walk up to the wall in the cold air of the mountains, the idea that I was in China, and the glory and love of the Creator. I was caught up in that "glimpse of glory."

We goofed around and enjoyed the scenery all around.

This was one of the very, very few clear days in the Beijing area. This day was even more special because this clear weather was natural. In China, adding silver iodine (not certain on this particular note) to clouds forming is a very normal thing to do. I mean, if you have the ability and the moral obligation to have no clouds on certain days to bring good fortune, prosperity, and all sorts of warm-fuzzies, why not exercise your ability?

The mountains all around are really something incredible.

I felt like an eight-year-old kid (oh, wait, that's my usual self isn't it...).

Taking pictures and being silly,

talking to people who came along, and well, trying to maintain upright and balanced which is not an easy feat on the very uneven steps (please note the curved steps and the steep incline)

and the slanted wall (no distortion or editing in this photograph) were a lot of fun.

After we finally decided to say our farewells to the scenery and the general fun of the wall (mostly because our stomachs were about to mutiny) we went down the mountain on these strange sled-slide-toboggan-things. A person sits their behind on the back portion and then stretches his legs out in front of himself. Now this second part can only be accomplished when the rider is under the height of, oh say 5' 6", otherwise he may realize that his knees are not suitable nutrition to keep the mutiny of his innards sated.

Speeding down the track and nearly running into other people because you don't really want to have to pull up on the brake handle quite yet is really a lot of fun. This is provided you are not the ultra slow jerk in front of me. (Rachel was in front of me, but she was trying not to kill the girl in front of her so she is absolved.)

When we finally reached the bottom, we had lunch at a little dumpling place amongst the ultra tourist market.

One last picture of beautiful place, full of glory that will soon be more easily shared.

To be continued...

Beijing

2010-02-16T01:26:00.002+09:00

A brief narrative of my travels to Beijing:

I took a plane.

I went places.

I saw things.

I took pictures of me and things together.

I went to more places.

I bought stuff at places.

I took a plane home.

A not-so-brief narrative tomorrow after a not-so-brief time with my eye-lids.

Korean vocabulary

2010-02-09T00:24:00.003+09:00

Homeplus: a large discount shop owned by Samsung and Tesco; a great source of chocolate, tea, and cereal as well as various household appliances (including my awesome blender/mixer thing); home to a great number of gift-set options for your loved ones and other relatives as the gift-giving season of Seolnal approaches.

Seolnal: the Korean word for the lunar new year; a time to celebrate and enjoy the company of family narrowly avoiding imminent death and great family feuds to the face-saving of most; the traditional food of this season is deep-fried, well anything really, but mostly vegetables of various and leafy varieties; a season of gift-giving to all the aforementioned relatives, friends, and that guy two cubicles down who is always trying to find ways of getting you to do his work (the spam-and-olive-oil set or the eight-varieties-of-toothpaste set might be best)

Giputusetu: Konglish blending of the English "gift set" with the Korean "oh-dang-it-I-gotta-find -something-not-expensive-but-that-looks-really-nice-so-as-not-to-offend-anyone"; these are sold from attentive saleswomen, and the occasional salesman, from special displays in discount shops, such as Homeplus, in the month leading up to the two major lunar holidays - Seolnal and Chusseok.

Last minute: shopping that occurs while trying to push and shove every other soul on the planet so that you can get to that perfect, yet not too-terribly-over-priced gift that sold out three weeks ago; in the US this usually occurs between the 3rd Saturday in December and the wee hours of the 25th and on the 13 and 14th of February and is accompanied by parking lot violence, disarrayed shelves, and a ridiculous line to get of Meijer; in Korea this occurs in the evenings within 100 hours of the first day of the Seolnal and Chusseok holidays lasting through to the wee hours of the morning of the last day of both holidays and is accompanied by aggressive cart driving, locker area violence (all bags must be stored in a locker before you enter the store because your purse is problematic) including the use of elbows, and sleeping children being tried-on into new Hanbok.

Hanbok: the Korean traditional dress for both men and women; children dressed in these fineries bow to their elders and receive money for their good behavior and proper respect (This gives me an idea: what if we made kids write cards to their relatives before getting their Christmas money?)

Fun: navigating last minute Seolnal giputusetu shoppers at Homeplus looking for spaghetti noodles reminding myself that it's only 4 more days until I am in Beijing!

Journey to Taebaek

2010-01-19T23:42:00.008+09:00

It has come to my attention, through a real-live-handwritten-snail-mail-letter (the VERY best kind of letter ever invented, I tell you) from my dearest grandmother, that I have so far failed to mention even one little wondrous(why is there no "e" in this word?) detail about my trip up to the cold north - Jesus Abbey.

On the 30th of December I made my way to my local train station and then up to Daegu, a good-sized city where they have trains that *gasp* actually go places. My friend Julie graciously allowed me to crash at her place, and helped me get to a taxi in the morning, so that I could take the train up to Taebaek at a very early and strange morning hour (I had not, in fact, stayed up until this 6th hour of the day as would be more likely a reason for me to see this hour of the day).

Taebaek is a city in the coal-mining region of the north-eastern province of Gangwon-do. After the 4 hour train ride, most of which I spent enjoy the view of the back sides of my eye-lids, I arrived to a very cold, but snow-less area. I felt something akin to the disappointment of the four travelers from Florida arriving in a green Vermont after a night of singing and dreaming of glorious snow.

I then had the adventure of taking a city bus from the KTX station to the local bus station. The city bus reminded me so much of a distant memory and strange nostalgia. It smelled of salt and had rust spots. It is strange the things that the nose bring to mind in strange places. Fond memories of The Beast came across in those brief seconds of seeing a car with rust for the first time in what now seems like a lifetime.

While waiting at the bus station, I was able to take this picture.

Oh, yes. It is a stove type heater. I was also a congregant (is it acceptable for me to use this word in that sense?) around this stove, which was not terribly warm, and the pipe that led from it, which was very warm, from time to time. Boy was I glad to have my leggings, undershirt, and gloves!

More to come about the Abbey...

Mornings

2010-01-08T23:20:00.004+09:00

I have now moved to the winter intensive schedule for classes. This means that I have the unfortunate task of having to be at work the "early" hour of 11. Compared to my previous start time of 2 or 3, this is a drastic step in the sleepy direction. I used to think that getting up at 10 meant I was up early enough to be very leisurely about my morning routine. This seems to no longer be the case.

Whoever thought that mornings were a good idea ought to be taken out for dinner until 2am, a good morning hour by my standards, have grating music played in their ears until 6am, and then be forced to attempt a chipper attitude for the rest of the day sans coffee. Of course, The Almighty might not think that I have any right to complain, but that is pure nonsense! I as a small and insignificant creature demand, yes demand, to be heard by the inventor of mornings!

Now, you may be wondering why in all the world I would be so silly as to attempt what even Job so miserably failed at - complaining to God. I shall enlighten you. When a silly soul, such as myself, has to fortify itself against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, to borrow from a famous dead guy, it must be firing on all cylinders. It cannot dodge said slings and arrows and occasionally well-aimed and well-made paper airplanes when there is absolutely no will, or normal human reason, to be outside of its comfy bunny slippers. While the near intravenous supply of good hot black stuff does soften the blow of not being snuggled in a bath robe, it cannot take the sting out of either facing a class of the equally unenthusiastic normal students - that is the ones who believe days begin at sundown - or the raucously enthused ten year old boys who are never ever quiet.

It is my firm belief that the good Lord invented this age for boys for the sole purpose of trying the souls and patience of every other person that the above mentioned will encounter in this phase of life. If you want patience, my dear friend, spend time with your favorite ten year old. If by the end of the time, even a ordinarily short span of 20 minutes, alone with said child has not turned you into his mortal enemy, at least until he is eleven and a half, you have gained the great virtue of patience.

I do not like them. I do not like mornings and breakfasts. I do not want them anywhere. I do like mornings and breakfasts. I do not like them Sam I Am.

Andy

2010-01-07T01:16:00.002+09:00

My friend was diagnosed with leukemia yesterday morning.

After a rather awful and scary day yesterday, he's doing much better today. The doctor says that he has the type that is easily managed with medication.

He is on medication to lower his WBC count right now.

We are all praying and waiting for the rest of his tests to come back. Waiting to see what the medication is doing is a patience-building activity.

In the mean time, keeping busy seems to be the greatest trouble in the humdrum routine of the hospital.

In other news, Andy won the game of Scrabble, moved from IP to the hospital just for him this evening, by 6 points.

The 2009 Awesome Prize Nominees

2009-12-29T00:16:00.003+09:00

The nominees for this year's Awesome Prize are:

STEVE for his incredible Christmas Box complete with great reminders of loved ones, comic moments, and undeniably fantastic wrapping skills.

JANE PO LING for her gracious introduction of Bananagrams into my previously dull and joyless life.

ANDY for laboriously hanging my curtains with a claw-hook and trying not to die.

MARYANN for her wonderful joy, cheerful laugh, and warm heart and house that kept me sane and having fun during my last semester at university.

MOM because she's my mom.

NANCYANDHENRY for the ridiculously cold walk to try and see some stars after some great hot chocolate and a box of tissues.

JJ for loaning me his books and architecture tools to help me in the Senior Project - and for putting up with me during it - and letting me hang out with the greatest chocolate lab in the world.

MOMMY LYNN for giving me wonderful things, taking care of me, and being well, my mommy.

Please vote in e-mail or comment format. Comments will be kept private unless you specifically ask for them to be published. Thank you.

18

2009-12-25T22:34:00.004+09:00

I had always heard tales of missionaries and teachers confusing two words or mispronouncing a word in their new language and creating a rather comical situation. Well, I have now officially made my first, and certainly not the last, major verbal faux pas in Korean.

I went to see a movie with my friend last night. As we were walking into our theater, we were talking about our seats. For those who are unawares of the non-US movie system, seats are assigned at purchase for movie-goers. This would be a good thing for such ridiculous events as midnight showing and such, though it is sometimes rather a nuisance as this episode will prove. We were seated in row D and my friend announced that she was in "seventeen." So, I wanted to be all cool and awesome and say my seat number, 18, in Korean. Unfortunately for yours truly, "18" and the Korean equivalent of "F*** you" sound rather similar. If one doubles the "p/b" consonant rather than taking time to make them two very distinct sounds in their own syllabic contexts, the latter comes out of an innocently numerically inclined little mouth.

As soon as I announced, rather enthusiastically, that "oh, and I'm 18," the other movie attendees walking to our theater looked back in astonishment. Being a minor authority on Korean couple behavior, this noticing of something not the one's own reflection, the other party of the couple, or an object for the man to purchase for his lady-love impressed upon my still unknowing mind the dark shadow of fear and great humiliation.

My dear friend said, "What?" So naturally, I repeated myself. At this point, my dear friend disappeared and I began to hear uproarious laughter from the lower half of the wall a few steps behind me. Now, most walls I have encountered, especially the lower halves of them, tend not to laugh at one when passing; this lead me to think that something was even more awry than that dark shadow of fear and humiliation merely foreboded. I turned back to examine the laughing wall and behold, my friend was doubled over laughing and leaning on the wall for support. This was when my astute mind put together that I had made a serious error. What that error was had not yet been made clear to me.

After helping my dear friend to recover from her teary-eyed state, she gasped "I don't think you better say that" followed by a "oh, maybe your students taught you that." That was when my brilliance went to action. I had not taken the time to realize that the evil word that I had heard in my class, often passed off as "Teacher, shoe, shoe" ("shoe" sorta kinda sounds something similar to the bad word in question) was the treacherous word that had mistakenly crossed my poor unsuspecting little lips. Needless to say, I was embarrassed and mortified at my own silly self. I have since learned a less likely to be offensively mispronounced may of saying 18. And to think that I had ever doubted the nobility and great usefulness of two counting systems!

I was most relieved that my sweet little student, who had been wandering about with her family, had not been seeing the same movie nor was she near the general area of my butchered Korean. While it may have added significant comedy, too much of a good thing is sometimes a very bad word.

TIME!

2009-12-18T00:36:00.002+09:00

Oh that I had more time in my day!

I would spend it cheering my friends and encouraging my students.

I would spend it cherishing my family and praising my God.

But I have so few hours, that I can only do so much for each.

My dear friend lost her father yesterday - a sudden heart attack - and there are not enough hours in which I could spend comforting her.

My students are thirsty for knowledge and attention, but I have only one me to give them.

My family loves me, no matter what, and I only have a short time to show them what they mean to me.

My God gives me His attention everyday and every moment He keeps me, but I have so little time and so little attention that I can or will give to Him.

I cannot do everything. That's ok. I am who I am, and I do what I can for my friends, my students, and my family. As for my God, He is always with me and that gives me the joy and the strength to make it through every thing else.

Jeremiah and Pohang

2009-12-14T22:26:00.002+09:00

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says this "Thus says the Lord: ' Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"

I took a restful adventure to Pohang this weekend. It was intended to be a rather whirlwind affair. After having overslept there was not a single available taxi in the city, so I stayed another glorious day in Pohang. I was able to enjoy the company of friends. I was greatly nourished and blessed by the word of God and the people of God. The more I try to bless other people, the more blessed I am. I don't understand this glorious mystery, but I am so thankful for it.

Therefore, I boast in knowing God who is my blessing and the one whom I bless. It's a little easier for me, though, since I have no wisdom, riches, or might in which to boast. Paul's version of the above verses is a little different, but the idea is the same. I will boast in Christ. I will boast in being allowed to approach my God. I will revel in the little understandings He gives me of Himself.

A word

2009-12-05T02:47:00.003+09:00

Today, God gave me something today.

I was listening to a lecture from my discipleship class about meditation this evening.

As I was writing I was given this that I want to share.

"Let me live in remembrance of my freedom through the forgiveness you have given me in the cross."

Perfect

2009-11-28T01:04:00.002+09:00

My friend Michelle, a lady in my bible study, said something the other week that stuck with me. She was talking about her kids. She was talking about how God equips us to do the job He wants done. She shared something that God had laid on her heart: she is the perfect mom for her kids. She is exactly what her kids need to become the people God wants them to be AND they are exactly the people that she needs to become the woman God has her to become.

God brings to us the people and situations that we need to become what God has for us to become. I thank God for the places I've been, the things I've been through, and the people who I've encountered because He is molding me into the woman He wants me to be. I am the perfect teacher for my students and they are the perfect students for me (even if we do want to kill each other on occasion).

Gyeongju

2009-11-25T19:58:00.006+09:00

Last weekend I went to a nearby city, Gyeonju.

Gyeonju was the capital of Shilla in the Three Kingdoms and Unified Shilla periods in Korean history. The city is old with history.

There are large grass covered mounds around the city. These are the tombs of the ancient kings and queens. Most of them have been left undisturbed, but a few have been excavated. From those and from the palaces and other historical structures in the area, a large museum complex has been created.

These are a few of my favorite pictures from the collection in the museum. These are not the famous pieces that you will see on the museum maps and guides, but the ones I liked the best. None of my museum pictures used a flash.

I met a group from Handong Global University, where I did my study abroad, at the museum.

After a few hours of seeing wonderfully old things with a guide who was happy to explain things in both Korean and English for us, we went to lunch.

We were treated to a a feast of many different traditional Korean foods. I am a particular fan of the pork, though the fish was rather tasty as well. I met a lovely professor who brightened my day. Her cheerful energy and youth was bittersweet for me. She is two years younger than Grammy was.

One student created a puppet. Another student decided to try and feed the fish. Look out Jeff Dunham, you have competition!

After the feast we slowly made our way to the studio of a local potter. Here we created small vessels: pots, bowls, cups, and what-nots. We will get them back in a while after they have been fired. I'm excited to check out my little espresso cup. It would have been a nicer thing, but after having used too much water and ruined two things I tried to make I went for the smaller and less easy to completely ruin option. There are no pictures of this part of my adventure since my camera battery died.

It was good to spend time with friends.

Amazing love

2009-11-21T01:38:00.002+09:00

There is a part of a song that goes " I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross."

I was thinking about that. I wondered why I would never know it. Perhaps not knowing the pain and the cost of what Christ went through is part of his love for me. For those we truly love, we like to shield from pain.

I imagine myself asking God to tell me, to show me. He touches my hand and looks into my eyes. I see the worst moment of my life, the moment I wish had never existed, the greatest pain of my life, my deepest regret, and my darkest secret. It doesn't end. I turn away, crying. Scared and haunted by my own life and pain; grieved and broken by my own actions. Then I understand. I cannot understand. I cannot handle understanding. My one moment of sin is even too much for me to handle without him. My Jesus went through all of my bad moments, even the ones I have yet to experience. Not only that, but he had every moment of every sin of ever person who has ever lived while also in physical agony. He stayed there even though He didn't have to. And He was alone.

The gravity of this weighs heavily on me tonight.

Thank you.

Grief and Giggles

2009-11-18T21:19:00.006+09:00

Today, I taught my advanced class the phrase "the giggles." Some may wonder as to my judgement in teaching a group of young teens this phrase. I promise that I wouldn't have, had they not HAD the giggles. Needless to say, it was an amusing class.

It was good for me to have that especially goofy class today. Just like laughing at the antics of crazy kids and freezing my butt off trying to watch the stars last night were helpful to me. Grief is strange. There I was crying and calling a friend, but calm and even voiced when I called to tell my cousin. I went back to the moment where I was walking on the overpass, turning to go down the stairs on the way home from school. I was telling myself that it couldn't possibly be real. That Haigi wasn't really dead.

Today, I felt the same way. I though maybe, just maybe I'd wake up and find that I hadn't gotten the call. Or worse, that it was some kind of sick joke. Last night, after hanging up with my father, and I had stopped crying, I wanted to call back and make sure I wasn't dreaming. But I'm not. And it hurts. It's strange.

The wonderful woman who loved to go shopping, who quit smoking for her grandbabies, who took me to Disney Land and Disney World for the first time, who made really really good pot roast, at who's 60th birthday we sang the Barney song, who could win any game of monopoly with just the railroads, miss pygmy arms, who learned Skip-bo in Hawaii, who tried to teach me Gin Rummy, successfully taught me to play solitaire without cheating, who said "atta girl" when I did something well, who was always cheerful and talkative, who talked about "good people", who send videos of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune every few months, who took me to see a movie for the first time, who showed incredible strength and love, who snored loud enough to cover up the sound of her television going all night, who we watched lose her understanding of the world, and even when her words made no sense still had the passion and feeling in her eyes so that I understood what she was saying is gone.

Thank you, Lord for the beautiful moments and the funny moments that you gave us. Thank you for the time she was here and for the legacy of love, strength, and stubbornness that I have because of her.

Paul, Israel, and I

2009-11-06T13:24:00.002+09:00

We have a lot in common.

I never used to understand why the Israelites were so dumb that they forgot about how God got the m out of Egypt and started whining. Now, I understand. I even think that maybe they weren't as dumb as I can be.

I was meditating on Romans 1:13 today. Paul talks about how he has been wanting to go to Rome so that he can reach more gentiles. But by not going, by his plans being thwarted, God did more through him. My plans are less noble and far less grand than Paul's were. I know that God has something in mind here with changing them. I don't get it, but I know they'll be much more than I have ever imagined. So, God, I praise you for these weird days of uncertainty. I pray that glory will be given to you in this as well.

Rosemary

2009-10-29T01:06:00.002+09:00

I have a Rosemary plant.

She is a cute little plant. Soon, she will be trimmed to be even cuter; she will provide tasty meats and olive oils. It's my celebration of getting paid and being a real, actual, semi-grown-up. (Not sure Peter would approve of my celebration, but hey, we can't all have Neverland)

Through gestures and learning new words I now know that Rosemary plants must be watered twice a week - that's water, no water, no water, water... for those of us using gestures. THey also need sun. This is symbolized with hands coming onto the plant from above and a smiling face. The final things that all good rosemary plants need is of course, hurricane. You heard me right, hurricane. Cellphone dictionaries are very unreliable. The shop keeper noticed this strange thing and looked at her friend, the meter-maid equivalent, who had provided the translation with a look of incredulity. Air or wind seems to have been the more accurate translation.

I still have got to say, it was a lot of fun buying a plant that needs hurricane in order to be happy. And, if I kill it, the shop keeper will revive it for me. I don't think she knows what kind of trouble she is inviting.

Weekend in Seoul

2009-10-27T11:36:00.000+09:00

I had a lot of fun in Seoul this past weekend.

I got on a bus very late at night and arrived at the hotel at a very early hour on Saturday. Lynn Henk graciously shared her room with me.

After a nasty awakening (any time I have to get out of bed is nasty, really) at 6:30am, we went to Sookmyung Women's University where the conference was held. Lynn and I both helped out with registration. I got the very low stress job of giving name tags to those who were already pre-registered. I met a few student volunteers and fellow teachers who were volunteering who are pretty amazing! And for a few hours of smiling and giving directions - and even nearly knocking my fellow volunteer to the floor with my flight attendant style - I got a real, dead, burrito and salsa with the right kind of kick and yummy chippies for, get this, free.

After a lot of learning and getting some fun stuff, we went over to Itaewon. Internationals overload!!

We had dinner with Kelly and Brian - so much fun! This was one of the great highlights of my trip. Nothing like family to go crazy with!

Another nice day of information overload passed before I had a wonderfully funny dinner in which my name name was changed to Smith, bought some ties, and had an all around ridiculous time.

I learned so much that my head is about to implode; got that black hole thing going on. I think I just might make it through, though.

I am now testing mynew mug that I got at the conference. It wins; it can safely hold a full french press worth of coffee!

Conference

2009-10-26T02:57:00.002+09:00

FUN!

More about my amazing weekend in the most expensive city in the world after I officially end said weekend with the catching of some good old fashioned 26th letters.

Slow day

2009-10-22T14:48:00.002+09:00

Today is a very slow day here at work.
The elementary school that most of my kids attend has closed for two days because of swine flu. The principal of the school asked that parents keep their kids home from all activities - especially hagwons.
I am normally spinning a toothless little girl around the entry way right now, but she is home today. I don't know if I'll even have any more classes...

Hopefully there will be something ese I can do today, I guess we'll jsut have to wait and see. Fewer kids does mean that I can pay more attention to each kid, so that is nice. Just hoping none ofmy kids are the sickies; trying not to get sick myself.

Fireworks in Busan

2009-10-18T23:09:00.011+09:00

Yesterday, my friend Chantal and I ventured to Busan to see the fireworks at Gwangan Beach. Here are a few notes (some with illustrations) from our adventure:

I had my first solo bus ride in town. This was to get to the inner-city bus terminal where we boarded the bus to Busan. We had to stand for the hour-ish ride.

After arriving in Busan we were helped by a little old man wearing a sash of some sort in buying our train tickets.

Once we were in the area of the beach, we had some serious fun buying food and drinks from vendors lining the sidewalk.

We decided to stake our claim even though it was only 3:30 in hopes of getting a really awesome spot; we did get a good spot. Over the next 4 and a half hours until the fireworks started we noticed a few things:

- We should have brought cards or at least a book

-Blimp type balloons are fun to scare people with

- Teenage boys cuddling on the beach

-Vendors selling EVERYTHING including chicken, blankets, ice cream, and even coffee from a large hot water pot

-At about 5 a voice came over the sounds system and told everyone to "Hurry up and sit down" in formal Korean, of course.

-Shorts + leggings + socks = BAD^(age of the wearer)

-No woman should EVER wear a shirt that says "I walk on the wideside"

At 6:00 the pre-fireworks show started. There were a number of cool and totally bizarre things about this show.

-Hugh Jackman must hang his head in shame to the enthusiastic dance performance of the main entertainer/MC guy

- Taiko, didjeridu, and traditional Korean drums are really amazing together.

- This effect is intensified when fire is added.

- Opera should not be sung at Fireworks performances, but if it must be done the singers must harmonize.

-All mayors should learn from the Mayor of Busan; do not show up late to the performances, but do give short and lively speeches.

- The wave is a fun and acceptable way to keep a crowd of tens of thousands entertained and attentive.

Finally, we got to the coolest part of the evening: THE FIREWORKS!!

-The theme was "Love."

-Various songs and talking bits expressed different kinds and forms of love.

-There was flying bird firework deal that shot flames from its wings after flying about for a bit.

More Pictures of Fireworks can be viewed on Facebook - it's easier to upload pictures there - or upon special request.

We waited some time before going back to the train station, but were met with some crowding in the entrance to the train station. People were filtered down the stairs single file with the aid of many policemen and much to the chagrin of "Ajuma"s (Japanese - obatarian; English - Black Friday shoppers). The Korean marines were downstairs on the platforms and in the station itself; a great mystery as to why they were not the ones upstairs scaring the Ajumas...

All in all it was great fun: being given food from various neighbors on the beach; watching AMAZING fireworks; not walking with your own power; and of course hanging out with Chantal.

Not been posting a lot recently

2009-10-15T23:39:00.002+09:00

Sorry to all you avid followers of my blog, not too many I suppose, for not having posted more often in the last few weeks.

Things are getting busier and busier. I am, however, settling into more or a less a good routine.

My co-worker and I go walking together every few days for an hour. It's nice getting to talk to her and to get my cardio in.

I hope to be starting some dance lessons and Korean language lessons, too.

I have found a little boy who may in fact rival a small Ford boy for his "enthusiasm" about life.

I'm enjoying creating games (good thing I've made Memory before for English classes) and things for my kids to do to help them learn and understand the lessons.

I have a new found hatred of Amelia Bedelia and the Chocolate Moose for Dinner books. I used to like her and think they were a hoot. Then I began teaching ESL. They are the most difficult books to teach; everything in the books is about the literal interpretation of expressions and idioms. My kids are dreadfully confused. The pictures don't make sense. The story is weird. And of course they're really, really boring. I've been able to explain each idiom and misinterpretation to some students. I wish I knew the Korean idiomatic equivalents...oh well.

I am looking for some pen-pals (yeah the old fashioned paper and envelopes kind) for my more advanced students. If you know of anyone who is looking for writing opportunities out of the ordinary, let me know.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support. God has graciously provided for my needs and even a lot of wants (like good kimchi). I'm praying for more grace and love from him all the time.

Life in the last week

2009-10-11T15:06:00.003+09:00

My classes have been shuffled around this week.

It has been a rather tiring time.

But I do have some pictures from my trip to Pohang.

Yukkori

Pictures from the picnic

Hot Chocolate

2009-10-06T23:56:00.002+09:00

Tonight, my friend Andy and I made hot chocolate in a pan.

This was the first time I ever did that. It was quite a lot of fun. We just kind of poured stuff in the pan and made it taste better as we went along. My favorite cooking method EVER.

Pictures are already on facebook from my weekend adventure; I will be posting them here in the morning when I write the tales of my great adventure.

Thanks especially to everyone who has been praying for me. God has provided! Please continue to pray for me, my friends, and the students here.

Chuseok

2009-10-05T11:17:00.003+09:00

I think I have finally mastered the spelling of the Korean Thanksgiving/Harvest holiday.

I have been in Pohang visiting friends (family) for the weekend; that's why there haven't been any updates. I will be back on again with a longer update and photos very soon.

If anyone sees my brother before I do and it is October 5th according to your time zone, please tell him "Happy getting older day" from me. Thanks!

Taters

2009-10-03T01:09:00.002+09:00

"What's Taters, precious?"

"Po-ta-toes? Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew."

Yes, I love mashed potatoes. I didn't think I would be having them for quite some time, but my dear friend decided that we should have a Chusok meal for the internationals still in town.

Meatloaf, a newly acquired taste, mac&cheese, and the potatoes. We were happy friends.

Add a few wonderful people, some Rockband, and Newsies; you get a wonderfully good time.

And that's what I did on my first day of Chusok vacation.

Cleaning my apartment doesn't count...

Party?

2009-10-01T00:41:00.000+09:00

Tonight was the Chusseok (proper spelling unknown) party for work. This was a rather tame dinner with lots of meat. I had rather expected a little, well, less tame party so I was very happy.

Chusseok is very similar to Obon, in fact, it's the same idea. Honor the ancestors and celebrate the harvest. The Koreans still keep it fixed to the lunar calendar and celebrate accordingly. This year it is rather late and overlaps with both the weekend and another national holiday. The exceptionally short celebratory time (a.k.a. time off work) makes for some less than exuberant employees. I am rather blessed to be have Monday off as well.

I did not get out to taking pictures today. I was out buying an iron until the wee hours... Hopefully, tomorrow will work out better for photography

My students

2009-09-29T20:38:00.003+09:00

As you can expect, I have some students who like me and others who aren't so sure about me.

I have a few who think that I am the world. Not sure how I hoodwinked them. AR would say it's because I have a musical voice like my mother. Some like my "style" (in fashion I do believe). So, I say "ha!" in the general direction of those who think I look weird (Sibling). Others like that I treat them as "adults".

There are, however, a few who think that I really ought to go for a long walk on a very short pier. These include the boys who eat candy in speaking class, the ones who are affixed to their phones (which I remove), and a few who resent my existence itself for whatever reason.

All that to say that...

Today, I won! I have one very little boy by himself in a class. He does not like me. He does not like English. He does not want to sit still. He does not like the school. And he certainly does NOT want to read. I asked the other teachers what would be best for him. They told me that it's important for him to like English. So today, he brought in a small stack of Pokemon cards. I, being the astute teacher (and amateur Pokemon expert) that I am, decided that talking about the cards would be fun. It was. He told me about the colors and the animals in English! And we read a book with animals in it. He didn't want to leave! I definitely feel on top of the world tonight.

Life in Changwon night

2009-09-29T10:32:00.001+09:00

Life in Changwon night, on Sunday, was great.

I learned some really great and useful stuff like: how to ride the Nubija, a system of take and ride rental bikes like the Velibre in Paris; how to ride the buses; where to get Korean classes; and help in trying to find ballroom dance classes. I've decided that I really don't want to go for the traditional exercise stuff. Dancing sounds like fun to me, so I'm going to try that out. The food was really good, too.

I have no pictures from the event as of yet, but I hope to be getting some from people soon.

After that I had people over to my place, newly rearranged, and we watched The Princess Bride. It was so much fun. The best part - the title that was printed on the disc was created in such a way that the title was always right side up. It was sweet!

Washer's fixed!!

2009-09-26T10:29:00.000+09:00

So, the washer is fixed!

But I have to go buy detergent for front loaders. Seems the pervious occupant(s) did not do so. It clogged the thing up which is why I had the mess I did.

I'm also going out to get my nails done and to find a tension rod.

I found some nice stuff at a shop near the one school so I know where I can get some better dishes and boxes and whatnots. I bought a tea kettle there last night.

In a less happy note, I bought some curry the other day. I had it and the rice boiling together for a bit in the pot. Finally, I deemed the rice ready to be served. I had the rice all ready and then I opened the curry. It was NOT a boil in the bag curry. It was powder. Imagine my great dismay. Here I thought I was going to eat and awesome boil-in-the-bag fast and easy meal. But no...

I actually had to cook something! Adding the powder to some already hot water worked well enough to make a sauce, but I hadn't prepared anything to go in the curry. It was probably the worst curry I have ever eaten, though I'm not certain there. But I do know it was the worst curry I have ever made the misfortune of making. Moral of the story? Check to see if there is a picture of a pot of water on the back before you buy a boil-in-the-bag anything!

2009-09-24T22:51:00.002+09:00

Last night, I went to O'Brien's.

It was pretty cool.

The BLT was really good.

I met a bunch of new people.

They gave me a few pointers and advice on kids and where to find things. Seemed that they found a really great deal on some bikes... I'll have to check it out sometime...

Right now I'm waiting for the repair man to come. Yup, this process doesn't change no matter where you are. Hopefully the washer will be fully operational after this...

Pictures of my place

2009-09-24T11:47:00.005+09:00

The view from my giant window.

My living area and part of the kitchen

My eating/working/computer area. As you can see, I have not yet finished unpacking.

The kitchen/laundry/pantry, entry way, bedroom loft, and the stairs.

So the "private" sleeping area is a huge plus. It also doubles well for storage. The height up there, is well, not designed for my height, but hey. 99% of my time up there is spent horizontally, in quality time with my new pillow (complete with magnets) so it's all good.

I am currently working on how to:

a) get an inexpensive rice cooker and toaster oven

b) where in the world to keep said items

c) finding boxes/drawers/etc. to set in my shelves so that I have some more hidden storage

d) figuring out where to put a hanging bar

e) where to buy the tension rod to make into said hanging bar

f) what to do with my odd color chairs and couches

g) where to get big curtains

h) what I want said curtains to look like

Umbrellas

2009-09-23T11:37:00.002+09:00

I think I have the best "welcome to our church" gift EVER.

The church I visited on Sunday (Hanbit) gave me a beautiful umbrella.

I said to myself "oh, well, hey, an umbrella."

Then, this morning, while listening to the rain I thought "Oh, hey I DO have an umbrella. YES!"

I had to leave mine behind, weight limits and all that.

So, umbrellas. They're great!

You forget how great they are when it's only a short run from the car to the store and you park in the garage attached to your house.

First day of Teaching

2009-09-22T09:14:00.002+09:00

Well,

my very first day of teaching went well.

Of course I do think a good part of that was that the kids were excited not to have to do any studying. We just did get to know you kinds of things. Next week they might not like me so much...

Also, I cleaned my kitchen. The glass over the stove is not, in fact, frosted as I had thought before I "GI"ed the thing. (GI - to clean thoroughly occasionally with the aid of a toothbrush as is often threatened to new recruits in the US armed forces).

Still working on the pictures. By that I mean, I haven't actually taken any yet so I'll have to get moving in the unpacking the camera direction.

Why lifethroughblueglasses??

2009-09-21T09:35:00.000+09:00

I had these awesome pair of light blue sunglasses one time...

My glasses have a blue frame...

No actually, it's more that I insist on not seeing things through rose colored glasses. And I certainly couldn't go with green glasses because that's what the poor hoodwinked citizens of The Emerald City wore (nothing was actually green in the city according to the book).

Also, designers back in the day of black and white filming all wore dark blue glasses when looking at their designs so that they could see what the audiences would see. Edith Head being the most famous of these blue glasses wearing designers.

So I hope you are able to enjoy a bit of life through my eyes (and glasses).