lelabelasouthkorea

setting sail

2005-06-24T10:05:00.000+09:00

I had plans (well, rough plans) for a beautiful goodbye Seoul post. Since I have to leave in about 5 minutes, that's not gonna happen, but maybe it'll happen later. In the meantime, email me!

2005-06-20T23:43:00.000+09:00

a part of the suwon fortress on a cloudy day

2005-06-20T23:42:00.000+09:00

my reading spot on wednesday, my day of reading and rest after class finished.

2005-06-20T23:41:00.000+09:00

view of suwon through an arrow hole in the fortress wall

countdown: 3 days

2005-06-20T23:22:00.000+09:00

well, three days in which i can see people and get packed, then i leave on the fourth day. when school ended last tuesday, i went straight to get an extension on my visa, and it went off without a hitch. that was something to rejoice about. somehow last week seems like a month ago, but i haven't really done that much since then. wednesday, i reveled in getting almost nine hours of sleep and took the day to read and relax. i went to the suwon fortress, read a book, and got rained on. thursday, i got to go to a modern art exhibit with my friend and ate at an italian place called "my x wife's secret recipe." friday, i had a wonderful traditional korean lunch and tea afterwards in insadong, then worked one last afternoon, made a bunch of stuff for a the baby shower, and went to life group. saturday, had a baby shower for my friend, then a going away party for me. sunday was church and a movie afterwards. today i got to accompany the visiting texas ladies to namdaemoon market and myeongdong, then passed out some flyers for the school in downtown suji.
tonight was when it hit me. i was having dinner with a friend (she took me to bennigan's! yum!) and three different friends called me right after one another to say goodbye or to try to schedule a time to meet. i'm so glad that i have friends i want to see again before i go, but it got a little overwhelming tonight when i was trying to have a conversation with one and three others call. well, i think we got it worked out when we'll meet. i have all my lunches and dinners except for two planned to meet people between now and the time i go. whew! i think it'll be a relief to get on that plane.
tonight when i got home, the girls wanted to play games. i played "snakes and ladders" then kongi. kongi is a korean game the kids play with 5 pieces that you toss into the air and try to catch one (or more, depending on the level you're at) while the other is in the air. at first, i was REALLY bad at it, but now i can actually play. i'm not competitive by any means, but i can play. it's a fun game. when the mom got home, she challenged us to play her left handed and she was just as good left handed as right handed. i'm jealous, but she's been playing for quite a lot longer than the month i since i started. when the dad got home (just before 11) he rounded everybody up for some exercise. i declined for some quiet (and some internet time). now it's almost 12 and they're still out!

2005-06-20T23:21:00.000+09:00

a lady who smiled when i asked if i could take her picture:) usually, people get a little grouchy and shoo you away if you ask that

2005-06-20T23:19:00.000+09:00

hanboks (korean traditional dress) at a market near dongdaemoon last week

2005-06-20T23:18:00.000+09:00

i have a shiny face and a friend who brought two fans with the landscape of Kangnam on them to my going away party.

2005-06-16T11:38:00.000+09:00

last thursday was a pretty hot day. i met a friend at city hall in downtown seoul and afterwards i watched people play in this fountain. i saw one little boy, two foreign girls, and only one korean girl who played in the water. this girl was actually trying not to get wet, though. it was so hot that i wanted to get wet, but i had a long bus ride home, so i decided against it.

2005-06-16T11:33:00.000+09:00

on the same day, in the exact same place as that girl was playing in the fountain, this guy is walking across the street in a winter coat. weird.

trials and errors

2005-06-16T11:11:00.000+09:00

A few Sundays ago, we decided to go to the school to order some pizza and play some games after church. We usually have a few Korean speakers among our group when we hang out, but this time it was just a bunch of Americans. So, I was nominated to order some pizza over the phone. Normally, ordering pizza isn't a big deal because it doesn't take a very high level of vocabulary to do it and a lot of the words you use in English you can sub in and the Korean speakers still understand. Well, I had never ordered to the school address before, and since addresses don't really mean that much in Korea anyhow, you sometimes have to explain the area that you're in, too. So, I did this and finally got across where we were. To make the ordering harder, though, I had to read off a string of numbers from Jason's discount card to the lady over the phone and then I had to ask what pizzas they had since we didn't have a menu. All of this over the phone was beginning to wear me out, but I guess it was just as hard on the lady I was talking to, because she finally asked "Isn't there a person there who speaks Korean well?" I just laughed and said there wasn't, but what I really wanted to say (if I were this fluent) was "Do you think I would put myself through all this if there was a better Korean speaker here?" Anyhow, we did get the pizzas and the discount, so all was well.

I have a Happy Point card that I give the cashier at Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, and Paris Baguette. I've been saving up my points over the past year and now I have enough to get a small ice cream cake or about five ice cream cones for free. So, I thought I would start using it a few weeks ago since I won't be in the country much longer. Well, I didn't know that you could save points on your card without it being registered. So, I tried to use it and the lady told me that first I need to call the number on the back of the card and register it. I finally got around to doing that this morning, and it was a success! I had to listen to the menu in Korean and then choose the right number twice, then I got a real person. When I got a person, I asked her if, by chance, she spoke English. She said, she didn't, so I told her I wanted to register my card. She asked for my card number, then my alien registration number, then my address, then she told me it was ready to use! Success! This time, I wasn't asked if there was someone around who could speak Korean well, so I'll chalk it up as a mark of improvement.

Japanese

2005-06-15T11:15:00.000+09:00

This is a really interesting post on how Japanese are all bilingual. Wow. I guess I could have picked a harder language to learn.

2005-06-12T00:08:00.000+09:00

the traditional korean wedding setup, performed at the folk village

2005-06-12T00:07:00.000+09:00

the bride coming out with her face covered

2005-06-12T00:06:00.000+09:00

this is the traditional korean tightrope walking...this guy was pretty old, but so amazing!

2005-06-12T00:05:00.000+09:00

traditional korean seesaw sport at the folk village today

2005-06-12T00:04:00.000+09:00

today at the folk village was my first time to see the traditional korean version of seesaw. this girls take turns bouncing high up in the air. this time was with fans.

2005-06-12T00:02:00.000+09:00

every time i watch this kind of traditional drum and dancing performance, i'm amazed

2005-06-12T00:01:00.000+09:00

at the korean folk village this afternoon

2005-06-12T00:00:00.000+09:00

some people i used to work with at a mountain overlooking seoul this morning

a thinking game

2005-06-10T18:25:00.000+09:00

I found this link on jenni's blog. It's in Japanese, but the directions are something like this:
1. All the people need to get across the river.
2. Only two people on the raft at a time.
3. The dad can't be alone with the daughters.
4. The mom can't be alone with the sons.
5. The robber can't be alone with anyone but the policeman.
6. Only the adults can operate the raft.
Try it out!

procrastinating

2005-06-09T19:25:00.000+09:00

I have three days left of school. Two of those are class and one is our final test. I should be studying, but I'm procrastinating. I thought I was going to go to a performance that showcased North Korean culture tonight, but I found out it was in Suwon instead of Seoul. I go to school in Suwon and would have stayed there if I'd known, but instead I went to Seoul and then found out. So, I came back to Suji and now don't have the motivation to study. I just finished an egg sandwich for dinner and now am listening to a sermon online. After the sermon, I'll make myself study.

I met a girl who lives in Seoul that I'm planning on travelling with and teaching with in China this summer. It was good to meet her and chat for a bit. Neither one of us knows much about what we're getting into, but together we know a little bit and it was good to share stories. I'm leaving in two weeks!

my new favorite meal

2005-06-08T19:01:00.000+09:00

Since I moved into this homestay house, I eat this twice a week or so...it's tasty and easy:
day old rice mixed with seaweed flakes and tuna.
Mmmm....I'm sure you guys can't appreciate how good this might be, but trust me. In a house where there's always leftover cooked rice (from breakfast usually, or sometimes from the day before that's sitting in the fridge), there's always tuna in the cabinet, and there's almost always a bag of dried seaweed flakes on the counter, this is the perfect fast and easy meal.

I'm going to try to post something more interesting than my dinner soon, but there are a lot of things going on right now....Our final exam is Tuesday, some friends from Texas and England just got in today, and I'm in the middle of shaving down my possessions and wrapping up my life here to move. So, I'll post again soon.

two shirts and a shirt story

2005-06-02T16:07:00.000+09:00

Two shirts I've seen recently that are just funny:
One is worn often by a Russian girl in our class. It says, in small letters on a striped background, so it's not that easy to read, but still noticeable if you take the time to read it:
"what are some fun games to play naked?"
Another I just saw in large pink and green letters on a girl at the bus stop:
"ARE YOU ENJOY HAPPY?"

Just thinking of funny ways English is used, here's a funny story from my childhood. One Christmas my Mom bought a plaid shirt for our younger cousin. We were pretty good then about writing thank you notes after Christmas, so our cousin (who shall remain nameless for the protection of the embarrassed) wrote in her thank you note: "Thank you so much for the plaid shit." She just forgot the "r". Ha. That makes me laugh still. I think my Mom still has that card in a drawer in the living room. We used to pull it out quite often to laugh.

ah, rain

2005-06-02T15:53:00.000+09:00

I've probably posted many times on how I love rain. This week as one of our activities in Korean class, we had to write a list of five reasons why we love something and then read them to the class. The class had to guess what we were talking about. I wrote about rain. Mine was the hardest one to get (hopefully not because of my Korean ability, but because not that many people love rain.) I admit, after a month or so of rain (like we get here in Korea in the summer), it's nice to see the sun again, but it doesn't diminish the fact that I love rain.

Today, in our third hour of class, the sky got ominously dark and by the fourth hour it was pouring. We're on the third floor of our building, and a few of us went straight to the window during our break to watch it fall. There's just something about it that entrances me. Luckily, by the end of class it was reduced to a mist so I could walk across campus and get back to Suji without getting soaked, because as much as I love rain, I don't like to walk around soaked for the rest of the day.

Last night we had a small group for our regular Wednesday night prayer meeting. It had rained late in the afternoon yesterday, too. We opened a window or two to get some of that cool air flowing and we worshipped together to begin our prayer. It was really sweet to be there together, just four of us, singing our impromptu songs and breathing in the clean, moisture laced air. I thought as we prayed that in one of God's many facets of glory, He must smell like rain. The smell that tells you refreshment is coming, nourisment, cleansing, and purity are coming. Those things can't be manufactured by our own will, but are given by His grace like rain. That fragrance must be a part of His aroma when we get to meet Him.

a quote

2005-06-02T15:48:00.000+09:00

Those alone labor effectively among men who impetously fling themselves upward toward God.
- Richard Foster

2005-05-31T16:40:00.000+09:00

I made a new friend on Saturday, a friend of one of the girls. She was holding my hand all the way through the seven museums of Korean independence! Here we are in front of a bunch of Korean flags.

2005-05-31T16:38:00.000+09:00

Tae Yeon, the younger girl, at the museum we went to on Saturday.

2005-05-31T16:37:00.000+09:00

For some reason, I feel compelled to post pictures of my living space every time it changes. This is my room at the Korean family's house. The porch is also full of some of my stuff, and you can see that I have a piano (in the bottom left corner of the picture). If I were here for longer and had a little more time, I miight consider learning again...the little girl gave me an impromptu lesson one night.

2005-05-31T16:34:00.000+09:00

a gathering of friends at a park for Okja and Alina's birthdays. (They're the two on the left.)

2005-05-31T16:33:00.000+09:00

my korean class, with the cake we gave our teacher on teacher's day

the 80's

2005-05-26T18:09:00.000+09:00

Here in Korea, I feel like I get to relive a bit of my childhood. Who remembers jellies (the shoes)? Who wore them until they broke? Who wore them even through winter with socks and then when they wore out went to the shoe store with your mom and tried to get new ones but were disappointed because they said they only sold those in the summer? Yeah, that was me. Well, jellies are popular here in Korea.

Other strangely familiar things are popular here, too. I bought some mascara recently that said "dark brown" on the outside. I wore it for the first time on Tuesday and a friend said, "Wow, cool red mascara!" Umm, I didn't actually know it was red mascara until she said that. I don't always put on my makeup in the best light because I share a bathroom with two girls who also have to use it in the morning, so I usually just make do with a pocket mirror in the bedroom. I guess I should have known to be cautious, though, because the so-called "dark brown" mascara was in the same section as the pink, purple, and silver mascara.

In the winter, a version of legwarmers are popular here. Miniskirts are all the rage on the university campus, and side ponytails make the occasional appearance as well. The layered sock thing (you know, when you put blue on top and yellow underneath on your right foot, then the opposite on your left?) hasn't been spotted yet, thank goodness. There is a problem with (older people especially) wearing, say, striped hat, a blue hawaiian print shirt with brown plaid pants and pink floral shoes (just one example from today's bus ride home), but that's a completely different story....

snails and other food adventures

2005-05-23T20:18:00.000+09:00

When I came home from school today, I saw a bowl of something moving on the back porch. I went to check it out and found that it was a large bowl full of snails in water. When the dad came home, he showed them to me and told me how delicious they are. I told him they looked a little scary. I went into my room to study, thinking maybe I should jet before he started cooking something with them. When he called out to come eat, I walked into the kitchen and thought I saw fried pieces of things on plates. I was beginning to sweat it when I realized that it was just fried rice. (Maybe I need glasses, or maybe my eyes were just tired of studying already.) So, I was really relieved to eat a normal dinner. He told me that he washed the snails and got em cleaned up for later. Maybe breakfast!?

In other food news, I was planning an early escape yesterday (Sunday) morning to go downtown to a bakery when I walked into the kitchen to make myself some coffee. The mom said that she didn't want to cook so we were just having toast and fruit. Hallelujah. To make the weekend even better, I had the house to myself on Saturday morning while the kids and dad were at school and the mom had gone back to bed to catch up on sleep (their philosophy is that you can make up for all the sleep you lost during the week on the weekend). So, I made myself some pancakes. Yum.

One more food story, then I'm back to my Korean homework. Last Wednesday, I made some sour cream chicken enchiladas (not an easy feat when you have to travel far and wide to find tortillas, sour cream, and good cheese) both to share in the cooking and give them a taste of some Mexican food. The older girl helped me before she had to go to her night English institute. She ate some as soon as they were out of the oven and she said she liked them, but the cream wasn't very good. I left them out while I went to prayer that night and came back to find that the rest of the family had eaten other food. I didn't know if they had tried it and not liked it or not known they could eat it or what. The next night, I got home a little later than dinner time and heated some up. The rest of the family crowded around and started eating off my plate, so we heated some more. The next morning, the girls finished them off for breakfast. Go figure.

learning a language

2005-05-20T23:23:00.000+09:00

I think I posted before about the different nationalities in my Korean class. I'm constantly amazed at their language study. Most of them speak fluent English because they studied it from a young age. Of course, there are a few that don't speak much English at all, and the others I don't actually know how well they can speak English because we always speak in Korean except during break time, when you can hear all sorts of different languages being spoken. I looked at one of the Sri Lankan girls notebooks the other day and saw her lovely Sri Lankan writing next to some of the Korean. It just looked like a series of neat spirals to me. She is really amazing to me because she speaks English well, is one of the best Korean speakers in the class, and she also knows Japanese and I think some Chinese. She's still in college at home and took a break to come here for a semester of Korean. Wow.

I've always been jealous of people who could speak other languages well. Now that I'm getting to where I can speak Korean, I wonder why I never took the time to really study a language like I am now. It's completely rewarding, in my opinion, even though it takes A LOT of effort. I started trying to study Chinese this week. I bought a book when I was at home for Christmas on Chinese characters and another on conversation. I looked at them a few times, but I stay so busy with Korean that I haven't made much time to study anything else. Well, since I decided I'm going to China for sure, I thought I should get a bit of a jump on the language. It's incredibly hard. The grammar is similar to English, so in that respect it'll be easier than Korean, but learning to read the characters with the right pronunciation will take a lot of time. I can write about 15 or so and can read about 25 maybe, but that's barely scratching the surface. I heard that you need to know about 1000 to read a newspaper!

After Korean class, I usually walk to the bus stop with the two Russian ladies and they often speak Russian. I can recognize some of the words (since my Dad speaks Russian and I've visited there). This week, after I started studying the Chinese characters again and then walked along listening to Russian, the thought ran through my mind that learning Russian would be so much easier! Maybe after I master Korean and Chinese....

i really just want to extol the benefits of napping on a bus

2005-05-17T23:25:00.000+09:00

I took a bus into Seoul today (I do almost every Tuesday for one of two different meetings). A great thing about Suji is that even though there's no subway, there are these direct buses that will take you into Seoul pretty quickly. I left a little early with plans to eat in Itaewon, which is on the way to one of the places I go. So, it was about 5 o'clock when I got on...perfect time for a nap on the bus. It's really hard to describe the lovely effect of a nap on a bus (with seats that recline) when you stayed up too late the night before. The amazing thing about taking a nap on public transportation is that you almost always wake up at just the right time to get off. I've never missed a stop because I was sleeping. After my nap, I ate a great kebab at a Turkish restaurant in Itaewon, the international street of Seoul near the army base (which isn't a place I enjoy, but there is great food to be found there) and then I walked to the meeting in the rain. What a lovely evening!

something new every day

2005-05-14T23:12:00.000+09:00

I went to a coffee shop today with a friend in the middle of Seoul. We got there, ordered our coffee, and sat and talked for a while, then they turned the lights off, closed the blinds, rolled down a hidden video screen from the ceiling, and rolled up the coffee pictures into the ceiling to reveal lit up liquor cabinets. It was so weird! The coffee shop changed itself into a bar as we were sitting there.

Last night, I went to see Kingdom of Heaven. After the movie, us girls were visiting the bathroom and I noticed something called an etiquette bell on the wall of the stall. I'd seen these before but never wondered what they were. I'm in the habit of reading everything around me, partly because I'm curious and partly to practice Korean since I can understand more after 15 weeks of intensive classes. So, I read the instructions on the etiquette bell. It will make the sound of running water and then turn off automatically. I thought it was nice for them to install something to help you pee faster, and I mentioned it to my Korean friend outside that I thought it was funny. She said, no, those are so that other people don't have to hear us pee. That just made me laugh...Isn't that one of the main reasons to go into a bathroom stall?

One of the current crazes in Korea is well-being. In Korean, they pronounce it as well-bing. They have well-bing burgers, well-bing ice cream, all sorts of stuff. Yesterday, I was looking around a stationery shop and I saw a well-bing pencil case! It had some plastic pockets on the front that held a selection of sealed rice and beans. I'm sure that would impact how you study, if you're able to have some whole grains next to you. That's not the best example of the craze, though. On the subway yesterday, I noticed an ad for a popular underwear company. It was advertising a new well-bing double up bra.

reunification

2005-05-13T19:32:00.000+09:00

from an article by Andrei Lankov:

One can easily imagine how discontent about the North Korean system, as well as information about the almost unbelievable South Korean prosperity, will first spread through the relatively well-heeled North Korean groups who are allowed to interact with South Koreans and foreigners or have better access to the foreign media and entertainment, and then filter down to the wider social strata. Once people come to the conclusion that they have no reason to be afraid of the usual crackdown, followed by the slaughter of real or alleged rebels and their entire families, they are more likely to react in East German style than the supporters of the Sunshine Policy are willing to consider. And this will be the end of South Koreans' dream of the North's peaceful and painless evolution. Of course, the current South Korean government is dead set against German-style unification. But what will they do if a large-scale popular movement erupts in the North demanding immediate unification?

level 3 midterm finished!

2005-05-13T13:29:00.000+09:00

I got home from school early today because we had our midterm. I wanted to study a lot more for it, but I think I did pretty well anyhow. My purpose in taking the class isn't to get a good grade, but to learn the language, and while I am sure that studying more will result in learning more, spending too much time on memorizing words and grammar rules isn't in my mind the most important way to learn the language. I did spend a good three hours, if not longer, yesterday evening at a coffee shop so I could study without the distractions of my home. Our test consisted of a thirty minute listening test, a grammar/writing test, and a reading comprehension test. In the middle of the written tests, we were called out to talk one on one with the teacher.

I came home to a cell meeting that the mom of the family I live with is a part of. After they left, I ate the leftovers of what they had for lunch (bulgogi, which was really good) and the mom asked me to make some cookies. I have to go to my Friday job in about an hour, so I told her I didn't have time but would make something for them later during the weekend. This morning, she asked me if pizza dough can also be used to make cookies. I told her that probably wouldn't work. I already had some pizza dough made and in the freezer from last time, so she asked me this afternoon to make some pizza instead of cookies. She already had the dough thawed and ready for me. :) I really think that God has given me a lot of patience, either so I can live here or because I live here. Probably both. In my mind, I'm thinking that it's weird to ask people to make stuff for you on demand, but I don't feel irritated. Yay!

another link

2005-05-13T13:26:00.000+09:00

I thought this, by John Piper, was really interesting. The Good, Insane Concordance Maker. God's plan is to use even our insufficiencies for His glory!

a typical night

2005-05-10T23:52:00.000+09:00

It's almost midnight. I got home just before the parents did about 30 minutes ago and the kids hadn't done any homework until the parents walked in the door. Now both girls are yelling at their mom at about three minute intervals to help them with something or get them some water and I'm thinking this is pretty crazy.

Our Korean midterm is Friday. I spent almost all day on Saturday (10:30-5 with a break for lunch) in the library studying, but haven't studied much since then because of here and there commitments. I'm hoping the next two days will be a little more free. I did get a little jogging time in and also watched two Korean movies on DVD over the weekend. I still read the subtitles in English, but it's good practice to hear it.

I am getting my visa to go to China this summer this week, and I think I have a plane ticket. That's exciting. I'm starting to think how I need to get rid of more stuff and get ready to be there for a while, because I think I'm gonna stay for at least a year to teach English conversation at a university. Did I already mention that? Well, it is late and there are yelling girls around, so I'm not thinking clearly.

it's happening today

2005-05-06T18:01:00.000+09:00

Here's a link a friend sent me about North Korea. It was featured on Breakpoint with Chuck Colson and has some links for more information.

where does the time go?

2005-05-06T14:06:00.000+09:00

At about the same time I moved in with the Korean family, I started tutoring three times a week and teaching one class at an English institute a week. It only adds up to 5 or so hours of work a week, and I don't do any outside prep for it, but somehow finding time to stay caught up on e-mail, blogging, homework, keeping in touch with friends, getting ready to go to China, you know, all that... is hard now. You would think that since I moved in to someone else's house where all I do is help with the dishes and just a little bit of grocery shopping and cooking would save me some time, but somehow the opposite happened. I help the kids with their English homework only occassionally, I try to have conversations with the parents whenever we have time, and I've been on two little "family trips" since I moved in. I guess it all adds up.

Yesterday was children's day in Korea. We started the day with fermented bean soup, seaweed, rice, mushrooms, and eggs for breakfast. The girls both had an ice cream bar after breakfast. I guess if you eat regular food for breakfast then you can have dessert afterwards! I thought seriously about telling the family that I had plans so I could get caught up on some stuff like studying for our midterm test, cleaning out my email inbox, and reading, but I decided that it would be fun to spend it with the family and I keep praying that no matter how much I don't understand or can't express myself like I want to in a conversation with the parents that I am still learning something. So, we went to a park about 2 hours away (should have taken less time, but there was a lot of traffic because it was a holiday), went shopping in an outdoor mall that felt strangely like San Antonio (it was called La Festa), saw some of their old friends who live near there, had a yummy lunch, and then walked around the park until it started raining. On the way home, in the car, the girls and I played games. We played the noun game in Korean and English, and bingo and I spy in a mix of Korean and English, but mostly English for me. We had a good time, and I was glad I went.

Today, Friday, was back to normal, but tomorrow is Saturday and I am committing myself to starting to exercise again (I haven't made time for that since I moved into the homestay either) and then getting caught up on studying. Wheeee!

2005-04-30T09:00:00.000+09:00

at Hwaseong fortress, posing with the "guards" there to answer questions and pose for pictures, i guess

2005-04-30T08:58:00.000+09:00

the family i'm living with, last weekend on our family trip to Hwaseong fortress in Suwon

culture

2005-04-25T20:33:00.000+09:00

When I started talking about moving into a homestay, everybody said, "Oh, you'll learn so much about the culture!" I thought, yeah, but I really already know a lot. I'm really just doing it to learn the language. While I know I'm gonna learn the language a lot faster, I've sure learned a lot more about the culture than I thought I would. I didn't know I'd be so surprised at so many things.

The kids, who are 10 and 12, don't usually go to bed until 12 or sometimes even later! Last night, I was doing my homework while watching a Korean TV program (now that I live in a place that has a TV, I'm watching Korean TV for the first time). The family came home from visiting a friend's house around 10 and they hadn't even started their homework! The mom asked me to go over their English homework with them, so I did, and then I finished my homework and got ready to go to bed. When I went in my room, the mom made the younger girl come in with me so I could read a few pages in her English book to her and then listen to her read. I went to bed a little after 12 and both of the girls were still awake. I asked the older one what time she went to bed and she said 1! She didn't even have a project, just normal homework. Then, the mom has to perform magic to get the kids up and dressed in the morning so they can eat their spicy stir fried squid and seaweed soup. :)

After school, I knew that all kids whose parents can afford it go to a hagwon (private institute) for every subject they consider important, but it is really pretty crazy to think how much time and money they spend on all that. The girls I live with have a private science teacher, violin teacher, and someone else who I can't remember who come to their house. They also go to two English institutes and a math institute after school. I think I might be forgetting one of the institutes, too. They are busy! I'm jealous of them, though, that they can play musical instruments well and already speak another language.

2005-04-24T21:28:00.000+09:00

a magnolia-like tree with blossoms that appear in spring time...there's also a purple version

2005-04-24T21:26:00.000+09:00

a common site this past week...pictures under the cherry blossoms (with the common victory sign, shown in almost every korean picture)

2005-04-24T21:25:00.000+09:00

beautiful cherry blossoms on campus

2005-04-24T21:24:00.000+09:00

amazing spring blooms at my university...now a lot have fallen off and turned into snow like floating petals when you walk under them

homestay...the first days

2005-04-23T19:30:00.000+09:00

I moved in Tuesday evening, with the help of Donnie and Clint. Everyone, including me, was amazed at how much stuff I have, which is sad. It all fits in my room with the piano and a few other things they left in there, but still, I need to get back down to two or three suitcases. I'm gonna work on that. I took my bed with me and left the other furniture and dishes at my old apartment for Treavor and Alina to use. All they had was a bed, so they were glad to get the stuff.

So, living with a Korean family is teaching me a lot already! I am actually pretty surprised about how patient and unirritated I've been. Praise God! The whole family was there to help me arrange my stuff. The dad insisted on helping me move things around. He said a lot of things to me that I didn't really understand and the girls told him to use simple language. I generally understand the topic of what the parents are saying when they keep talking like that and that's it. But, I hope that with more time, that will get better.

On the first night, the girls didn't want to leave my room. They were looking at everything, from my Korean study books to going through each piece of jewelry and commenting on it to opening every drawer. The younger girl made me some labels in English and Korean for my dresser, then she taped them on. They've actually come in pretty handy. I was so tired that night after staying up until three AM, going to school, then moving and unpacking, that I think I was too tired to think anything. The older girl stayed in my room until after 11 looking at stuff. When her mom asked her to go to bed, she said she wanted to look more and the mom just said OK!

The hardest part about living here is eating Korean food every morning for breakfast. I was hoping that the mom just cooked the first few mornings and didn't usually do that, but I asked the girls and they said she cooks every morning. Wow. I'm eating kimchi, dried seaweed, all the other side dishes, rice and soup for breakfast every day. The first day it was fermented bean soup (dwinjang jjigae), the next day beansprout soup, then kimchi stew, and this morning it was something with mushrooms in it. It's really good food, and my stomach can handle it, but i just want to eat cereal or toast and jam for breakfast!

There's an oven here, so I used it on my second day to make cookies. I gave a speech in Korean about how to make cookies (hardly anybody in Korea bakes) and I took pictures of the process for my speech and then took cookies to share afterwards. Of course, the family here got some too and they were impressed. I'm sure there are a lot of things I'm not doing right culturally so far, but homemade cookies can cover up a multitude of errors. The oven in this house had never even been used before!

I could write more, but I'll leave it at that for now. I have some pictures to post, but I don't have internet access from my own computer, so I can't post them yet. Later, I'll post some pretty spring blooms and pictures of our family trip to Hwaseong fortress today soon.

내일 홈스태으로 이사 할 거에요!

2005-04-18T23:52:00.000+09:00

For those of you who speak Korean, please correct my title if it's wrong. For those who don't, it says that tomorrow I'm moving into a homestay. I don't even know if homestay is a word we use in America. Anyhow, tomorrowI'm moving in with a Korean family. They are a friend of a friend. I met them at their home on Friday and they were really excited to have me. They are clearing out a room (everything but the piano in it) for me. They have two daughters: 10 and 12. The daughters both speak English. One of them I think even lived abroad for a while. The parents don't speak a lot of English, so I can practice Korean with them. That's the reason I'm moving. (Another reason is that I'm going to China for five weeks this summer and don't want to pay rent during that time.)

I told them the reason I want to live with a Korean family is that I'm learning Korean, but don't practice speaking enough to really get good at it. The dad, who is a funny guy, said "Well, fortunately, I can speak Korean very well." In the short time that I was at their house on Friday, he corrected my pronunciation a few times, and even made me repeat after him, so I think he'll be a good person to practice with. Of course, they also want me to speak some English with the daughters, but I don't think that will distract too much from the reason why I'm there, and they're not charging me anything, so I can certainly repay them in that way and other ways.

I'm actually supposed to be packing right now. It's getting late and there are still quite a few piles laying around my living room that need to be packed. I'm amazed again at how long it takes to pack my junk. I am convinced that moving often is really good for keeping your stuff to a minimum. I feel like I've been to the trash more times in the past few days than in the whole time I've lived here. I'm trying to sort through and organize as I go, but now that plan has pretty much been ditched as I'm just trying to get the stuff crammed into bags and boxes.

On to another topic....I hope to post a few good pictures of the cherry blossoms here. The difference between how the campus looked Friday and how it looked today is absolutely amazing. There are a bunch of cherry trees and other spring blooms all over the campus. I walked around a bit today after class just taking it all in. I was going to take some fantastic pictures for you, but when I turned my camera on, it told me it was out of batteries. Tomorrow I'll hopefully get some before all the blooms fall.

2005-04-14T23:29:00.000+09:00

keh-na-ri is the korean name for this. i don't know the english name, but this is one of the first flowers that pops up everywhere to show that spring is here. i love it.

2005-04-14T23:23:00.000+09:00

korean girls are addicted to high heeled shoes. they wear them with jeans, sweats, capris, whatever... they have so many stores with only high heels that i might consider buying some except for the fact that i'm already too tall for korea and they don't sell girls shoes in my size. this is at the express bus terminal on saturday when julie and i were shopping underground to escape the rain.

오늘은 개교기념 이에요!

2005-04-12T12:43:00.000+09:00

Today is our school's anniversary, so I have the day off. Yay! It's a tradition for schools to take the day off on the anniversary of their founding date. I've been in level three of Korean language for almost a week now. I am enjoying it a lot more than level two. Our teacher is really funny (our reading teacher is kinda scary, but we only have her for one hour a day) and we have a bigger class with students from all over. We have a French guy, two Russian girls, four Chinese students, two girls from Sri Lanka, and a girl from Kazakhstan (I don't know how to spell that one). I'm the lonely American, but that will make me speak in Korean more with the other students. The teacher pulled me and the Russian lady who took level two with me aside and asked us if she was speaking too slowly or going through things too slowly. She's actually much faster than our previous teacher, so we were really surprised that she asked us that. She said we wrote really well in our homework, so she was wondering if we were bored. I'm far from bored. It takes all my concentration to stay with her when she talks in class and take notes at the same time. That's really good for me, though.

The weather is getting warmer. We had a lot of rain on Saturday, then Sunday the sun came out and surprised us with a beautiful, warm day. Yesterday the sun showed up enough for me to go to the roof with my picnic mat after school and read. It was windy up there, though, so I was still in jeans and a jacket, but the sun felt so good. Last night and this morning, I did my taxes (just to get them done...I'm afraid they're not done very thoroughly, but I think it'll be ok since I think I just need to file so I don't get in trouble) and now I think I'll head over to the library so I can study and be prepared for Korean tomorrow.

random slices of Korea, perhaps funny only to me

2005-04-09T23:09:00.000+09:00

Every day as I walk across campus to my Korean class, the outside speakers belt out some song. Usually Korean pop, but one day this week it was Celine Dion "My heart will go on." I think if that were played on loudspeakers at an American university, the students would revolt.

The use of English is a continual source of entertainment. Recently, a woman on the bus was carrying a gift bag with this motto: "Please understand how I feels with this heartly present."

I'm constantly surprised by Korean fashion statements. A few weeks ago, there was a guy wearing jeans, a blue and white striped shirt, a short bright red necktie, and a purple velvet sports coat.

My level two Korean teacher would stand at the front of the class while she was talking to us and hit her rear end with her fist. It's pretty common here to hit yourself as a form of massage. When my Dad came to Korea, we were walking in the park one morning and there was someone repeatedly bumping up against a tree. Dad looked over questioningly and asked what the person was doing, but by that time it didn't look funny to me.

2005-04-05T21:31:00.000+09:00

some girls enjoying their day off...sharing a package of chips in front of the main room of the palace

2005-04-05T21:29:00.000+09:00

two kids, encouraged by their mom to pose for us picture takers

2005-04-05T21:28:00.000+09:00

Val and the first blooms of spring at Deoksu palace.

and tomorrow, back to school

2005-04-05T21:15:00.000+09:00

It was an absolutely beautiful day. Today was the Korean equivalent of Arbor day. I went to the Seoul Museum of Art downtown with Val. I had some sort of longing to absorb some art after reading the books I've been reading. (I know, I can't stop talking about them, but tomorrow, I'll be absorbed in studying again.) Afterwards, we went to Deoksu palace next door and watched Koreans pose skillfully for pictures next to the first blooms of spring that appeared in random sunny spots. I wore my chaco sandals with jeans and a long sleeved shirt. I took along my sweatshirt jacket, but didn't need it. I love this time of the year when your feet are reminded of what air feels like, when the top of your jeans brush against your toes when you climb the stairs. When I got home, I realized my face had a little bit of new color in it from the sun. Yay!

2005-04-03T22:27:00.000+09:00

view from the roof of my apartment building...apartments as far as the eye can see, and in the foreground, a park and the library

2005-04-03T22:26:00.000+09:00

my apartment building, seen from across the creek

responding

2005-04-02T15:58:00.000+09:00

I spent most of the day so far finishing my second book this week. I've had the time to spend on some other things than studying Korean, so I read two books (Chaim Potok's The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev), watched a movie (Hotel Rwanda), and just made a little more space to think and reflect than I usually do. I don't know what exactly happened through these things, but when I finished the book this afternoon, I cried. It's a book about an artistic genius in a Hasidic Jew community. He's pulled between his dad, who wants his son to be a respectable Jew and not shame the family, and knowing that he has to use his gift. It's a complex story of family, amazing talent, and faith.

The two books involve genius and the struggles of the boys who have to chose between fitting in to their faith community and responding to the amazing talents they've been given. Their families struggle with the same things, going back and forth between thinking the gifts have been given by God or by "the other side." Because, why would a gift of God make them have to make the choices they have to make?

I remember having sort of the same reaction that I had to these books when I saw A Beautiful Mind. I've cried every time I've seen that movie. (Part of the reason is that, to quote my mom, I can cry at the opening of a Kmart.) But there's something about genius that requires sacrifice if the fullness of the gift is to be realized, and there is struggle. Not that I know this, because in myself I have a smattering of lots of talents and not a real concentration of any one (the result of a physicist and an artist who had kids), but I still identify with responding to a call. Responding to what you feel like is a call might require separation from family, friends, things you know and love. But it's not just separation. It's also fulfillment. Fulfillment in knowing you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, in experiencing and preparing for what you're called to do next. In finding joy in unlikely and lonely places. Some people see you as being selfish and others the opposite.

After journaling for a while, mostly just with questions instead of finding answers, I wanted some music. I looked through the music files on my computer and settled on a little sample of Beethoven that I think came on the media player and then Rich Mullins. There's something about Rich Mullins that identifies with what I'm feeling. A longing for what we can only taste in this life. Here's one of his songs:

The Love of God

There's a wideness in God's mercy I cannot find in my own
And He keeps His fire burning To melt this heart of stone
Keeps me aching with a yearning
Keeps me glad to have been caught
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God
Now I've seen no band of angels
But I've heard the soldiers' songs
Love hangs over them like a banner
Love within them leads them on
To the battle on the journey
And it's never gonna stop
Ever widening their mercies
And the fury of His love
Oh the love of God And oh, the love of God
The love of God Joy and sorrow are this ocean
And in their every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened
That all Hell could never close
Here I'm tested and made worthy
Tossed about but lifted up
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God

don't vacations go by fast?

2005-03-31T21:53:00.000+09:00

I can't believe it's already Thursday night! I still have the first two days of next week before I start class, but it's going quickly! Well, my goal of studying everyday four hours like I do when I'm taking class has been a little harder than expected. Tuesday, I studied for an hour then met a friend then went into Seoul to meet another friend. We went to a worship service (in Korean). I really need to practice listening to Korean, especially church words, and singing worship songs in Korean is a great way to practice too. Plus, the auditorium is full of people really glad to be worshipping. Worshipping with people who are passionate about worship is just good. So, I'm thinking that counts as Korean study time, because real experience is worth a lot more than acutal study time anyhow.

Yesterday and today, I spent five hours each afternoon in the library. I was pretty productive during the time. I just divided it between reading the things we didn't get to in our reading book from level 2, reviewing grammar I should have down by now, and reviewing vocabulary. I don't see any real results from it, but I'll just keep reviewing and reviewing and sooner or later it will sink in and make its way into the real world of speaking.

This morning before my library time, I went to pick up my alien registration card (remember the one that I look like a deer in the headlights? yeah, that one) and my new text books for level 3. Tomorrow, I'll finish reviewing level 2 and start getting ahead a little for level 3.

Had a pretty good but too expensive sushi dinner with my friend Olivia tonight, then spent a few hours chatting with her. Oh, on Tuesday I went to the big English bookstore in Seoul to look for more Chaim Potok books and bought four. That was a splurge, but I'm already more than halfway through one of them: My Name is Asher Lev. It's brilliant. They were all out of The Promise (the sequel to The Chosen), but I'll find it later.

I just realized I've posted a lot lately about just normal stuff...what I've been filling my days with. Maybe I'll try to post some more meaningful thoughts soon. Lots of stuff goes through my head at times about possibly significant things to write about, but then when I sit down to post, it's just easier to write this stuff. Now, back to Asher Lev...

2005-03-31T21:52:00.000+09:00

Inah, Laura, Youngju, and Irang on Easter.

2005-03-31T21:49:00.000+09:00

For Easter, we had a choir and a drama. It was good to have a bit of a change of the norm. One girl who came for the first time said she was so touched by the drama that she went up to kneel in front of the cross before the end of the service. It's often pretty hard to get people to come out of their shells and be expressive in worship, but on Easter, God brought us some new life!

day one of vacation

2005-03-28T23:36:00.000+09:00

Well, I didn't get any Korean studying done today for a few reasons. At 10:30, I hopped on a bus to meet a friend that I used to work with for lunch. I took a book with me that I just bought at a used bookstore in Itaewon. I took it with me as an alternative to the Korean flashcards I intended on studying on the bus. Instead, I opened up the book first and was drawn in. Check out this author if you haven't yet: Chaim Potok. The book I got of his is The Chosen. I'm gonna have to see if the English bookstores here have his other books.

Lunch with my friend was lovely...the reconnecting and the food. She took me to a place where the main dish was a stone bowl of rice that you scoop out into another bowl, then you pour some kind of watery broth into the crispy rice that's stuck to the edges of the stone bowl and it makes a rice soup. The table was full of many, many side dishes in their little bowls to make the rest of the meal. Afterwards, I went to my old hagwon - where I taught English last year, and saw my youngest kids who are now not the youngest anymore. They have already grown up a lot. I was really happy that they remembered my name and were happy to see me. Aww.

I took the bus back to Suji and went to the library to study, but it was closed, so I came back home and read more of my book. I couldn't put it down, except for a long walk before it got dark. I finished the book about an hour ago. I haven't finished a book in a day in a long while.

So, until I get my hands on another one of these books, I will study, yes I will.

2005-03-24T21:25:00.000+09:00

the view from my window...across the creek, there is this shopping center with a dentist office, multiple real estate offices, a kimbap shop, a cleaners, and a tae kwon do place, to name a few.

2005-03-24T21:22:00.000+09:00

This is the guy making fried rice at the student cafeteria at Ajou University, where my Korean classes are. Julie and I were very impressed with how big the pot was and how hard this guy was working to stir it. I wanted a better action shot, but this is all I got before I had to move on.

2005-03-24T21:15:00.000+09:00

There's my bus, #720, that I take to school everyday. Yesterday, I wasn't at the bus stop yet when it came, but the driver stopped for me anyway, without me having to run or flag him down. I was shocked, because generally bus drivers are sticklers about stopping at the bus stop, but this guy recognized me and was nice enough to not make me wait another 15 minutes.

first 10 weeks finished!

2005-03-24T19:32:00.000+09:00

I took my final test this morning, and I think it went pretty well. It felt easier than the midterm test, probably because I knew the format better. There was only one word I didn't know that I was supposed to make a sentence with, and a few "find the mistake" questions where I couldn't figure out what was wrong on the grammar section. The reading and the listening parts were pretty easy, though. Anyhow, now I have a sort of spring break for the next week and a half. My plan is to try to get four hours of studying in every week day like I do in class. I'll let you know how I do...that way, I'm accountable. :)

After the test, I took my tuition receipt for next semester to the Suwon immigration office, because I needed to change my visa to a student visa so I wouldn't have to leave the country. That place is like heaven compared to the one in Seoul. It's much less crowded and the people were much nicer. The only frustrating thing was that I had to get my picture taken for the application, so I went upstairs to the photo machine and paid my 5,000won (about 5 bucks). It said I had to move the stool to make sure my face was inside the red circle on the mirror, and then as I was doing that, it took the picture! I wish I had a scanner so I could show you how goofy I am. I actually thought it would wait for me to get it adjusted, so I have a set of six passport sized pictures of my left shoulder and the back of my head. After I paid my second 5,ooo won, I was so ready for the picture that I look like a deer caught in headlights. (I'm glad I don't have a scanner to show you that, but unfortunately I will have that picture on my foreigner registration card!)

If I didn't know better, I would promise you guys that winter is on its way. It snowed today! It was really beautiful. With the wind blowing and the huge flakes, it felt like the inside of a just shaken snowglobe, and it ended just about as fast, too. I'm glad I was outside to see it. Hopefully, though, the next week that I have off will bring some more spring like weather. I'm ready to spend some time outside without shivering.

small things

2005-03-21T16:22:00.000+09:00

I guess my decision is made. I just paid the fee for the next 10 weeks of classes at the Korean language school I'm at. We have our final this Thursday, then a week off, then school starts again. Sometime this week I need to get my visa changed to a student visa so I don't have to leave the country, and I need my registration fee receipt to do that. A small thing to be excited about: I just had the entire phone conversation with the secretary at the language school in Korean. It really is a small thing considering all I said was "Hi, it's Lela." "I just paid the money for the next semester." "Is it possible to get the receipt tomorrow?" I did understand what she said in between, too, and responded, so that's an extra few points. Talking on the phone is way harder than face to face. I wouldn't be excited at all if I had said those things in person to my teacher.

Well, thought all you (whoever you are ;) who read this blog might want to share that bit of excitement with me. Now back to my regularly scheduled program....

learning Korean: my current obsession

2005-03-19T11:26:00.000+09:00

Last night, I stayed up too late working on putting together some video clips to send to my church at home as they requested. I tried to get some other people to do it for me, because I didn't realize how easy it was and I generally don't like to spend time on techie stuff. Anyway, Jason was really nice and said he would actually do it if I gave him the clips. Then, I sat down to cue up the tapes and ended up making a little video myself. Window Media Maker is really easy! Anyhow, I just have to make it prettier with some transitions and maybe some music or words to explain a few things and I'll be done. I bought this camera so I could send videos home, but haven't been motivated to edit anything yet. Thanks, Community Fellowship, for motivating me!

This morning I didn't want to get up, but was awakened by a wrong number and decided I needed to. I made some frothed milk for my coffee to make the morning a little more fun. I've had a lot of thoughts floating around in my head to blog about, but because I've been trying to get caught up studying for my final Korean test on Thursday, I haven't made much time to do other stuff.

I've been trying to decide what I should do about learning Korean. My level of speaking isn't where I feel comfortable or competent to carry on a good conversation, although under the right circumstances (a person who speaks to my level), I have good moments. I toyed with the idea of finding another school that focused on conversation more, but it would likely be pretty far from where I live now and it would be a lot of hassle to find that school, check it out, take a level test, etc. So, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna stay at my current school for another 10 weeks at level 3. I am also pretty seriously thinking about moving into a Korean speaking household so I can get everyday conversation. I haven't asked anyone yet, but am gonna ask someone at our church to see if they would consider it or if they know anyone else who would. It's a pretty scary thing, because I like living in my own place so much, but I think it's necessary for my Korean ability.

jesus videos

2005-03-19T10:42:00.000+09:00

When I was home for Christmas, my cousin Erin and her husband Nate showed us these old Jesus videos that have been dubbed over. They're so funny. They said they were made to use as clips at youth conferences as a lead in to how Jesus really is. Oh my. I just found a link to them online. So glad I got to watch em again!

million dollar thoughts

2005-03-12T00:19:00.000+09:00

I saw Million Dollar Baby last night and was totally unprepared for how hard it would be to watch. I don't like it when stories are too good to be true, but I also don't like it when they end without hope! Anyway, I cried. A lot. I held myself back from sobbing, but only because I was in a theater. I kept asking what I could take away from it (sometimes I'm good at over analyzing things to find meaning) and I decided that since, to me, it ended so hopelessly, I could look at the opposite and find what there is meaning and hope in. Meaning is found in relationship, not necessarily religion. There is hope to live even though all meaning in life is taken away, Jesus is enough, while we long for fulfillment of that hope eternally.

After the movie, I went to a friends house to chat. We talked about waiting on answers from God, about how to pass on the knowledge that Jesus is real, about faith. I had so much on my mind and heart from the movie and just from my prayers lately. When I left, the bus had long since stopped running for the night, so I walked home in the mist. I continued to unfold my heart to the Lord as I walked, and I had the sense of Him being there, as close as the mist on my face. I thanked Him for how He's teaching me to wait, even as I continued to ask for answers to my prayers. I remembered that my life is like a vapor, so short. I thanked Him for the depths that He's creating in me, the emotions He's given me, and asked for more love for Him, more dependence on Him.

"For your love is better than wine...draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers." - Song of Solomon 1:2,4

2005-03-06T19:50:00.000+09:00

michu fulfilling her job as greeter today

2005-03-06T19:47:00.000+09:00

michu waiting anxiously to greet more people at church today

2005-03-06T19:46:00.000+09:00

kids singing on stage today as part of the childrens service

2005-03-06T19:45:00.000+09:00

Laura greeting Inah as she comes to church.

2005-03-06T19:40:00.000+09:00

our amazing children's teacher did the lesson in front of the whole church today. she paints as she tells...it's so cool!

2005-03-06T19:39:00.000+09:00

prayer over the kids at the end of our childrens service today

snow pictures!

2005-03-03T22:26:00.000+09:00

It snowed yesterday (Wednesday) and more is expected for tomorrow! I love snow. It didn't stick, though, which makes it a little less fun. I left a little early for school so I wouldn't be late, because I knew the traffic would be a little worse, and because I wanted to take some pictures. Well, I took a few pictures just around the bus stop and then hopped on the bus. Oh my goodness, the bus was so crowded and the traffic was terrible. What usually takes less than 30 minutes took almost an hour and a half. It was crazy. Needless to say, I didn't leave early enough and was late to class. Our teacher was late too, though, so it turned out OK. So, enjoy a few of the pictures I took below. Maybe I can get some better ones if it does snow again. Laura took some too, I know, so you can check out her site later and see if she posts em (hint, hint Laura!)

I'm not sure why I've been posting so many pictures lately, but it kinda livens up the blog, eh?

2005-03-03T22:24:00.000+09:00

walking to school (the first day of the university semester) after it took me more than twice as long to get there because of the crazy snow traffic!

2005-03-03T22:20:00.000+09:00

the park across the street from our apartments

2005-03-03T22:18:00.000+09:00

the view from my window...a little creek and some apartments, plus cool suncatchers from my beautiful cousin Audra!

two links

2005-03-03T16:48:00.000+09:00

A visual history of Korea from 1-1000.

Why you should plant a church.

Okay, now I'm really gonna study some Korean before my evening melts away like my afternoon did.

2005-03-01T23:20:00.000+09:00

after climbing the mountain today, we came back to my house and had dduk bokki, then cake for donghee's (in the yellow sweater) birthday

2005-03-01T23:18:00.000+09:00

our group on the benches at a snack area on the mountain

2005-03-01T23:17:00.000+09:00

today was a holiday, so there were a lot of people lined up to get fresh mountain water from the spring halfway up the mountain

2005-02-28T23:53:00.000+09:00

this little guy kept peeking into the window where shannon and i were talking. he was too shy to let me take a picture until he got too involved in playing with this balloon to notice me. he won the cute boy award in my book.

2005-02-28T23:51:00.000+09:00

a hula hoop contest at the open house for the new school on saturday

2005-02-28T23:48:00.000+09:00

I went to the fabric and flower market at the Express Bus Terminal on Saturday. I absolutely love that place...I would have taken more people pictures, but the flower sellers didn't like it.

2005-02-28T23:46:00.000+09:00

at the flower market

2005-02-28T23:45:00.000+09:00

Umm, another food post. This time, we got burritos from a guy who used to live in LA, and now has a restaurant at Migeum (that even has sour cream and jalapenos!) Oh my, they are tasty to those of us who long for Mexican food!

2005-02-28T23:41:00.000+09:00

JiYeon and her mom made us a great meal with dduk guk, the traditional rice cake soup for new years, and lots of other good stuff, for lunar new year. Yum!

boy on the bus

2005-02-28T23:26:00.000+09:00

I was coming home from a little shopping trip to E-mart today when I heard the cute little boy standing next to me on the bus whispering "bus-uh duh-ribuh" (bus driver) over and over. I got the sense that he was getting up the courage to talk to me in English, so I glanced at him. He looked at me and in a slow, careful voice asked me where I was from. I told him America. He said "Canada?" I said "No, United States...Miguk." He understood, then told me his name. I told him mine. I asked him how old he was, then it was time for him to get off the bus. I should have so much gumption to practice my Korean every chance I get. Too bad there's not a chance I can be as cute as that little 11 year old, though.

Tomorrow's a holiday! The first of March commemorates the day that there was an uprising against the Japanese occupation. My friend today was explaining it to me and I compared it to the Alamo for Texans. A lot of people were killed and it became a rally point for the Koreans' independence.

studying, etc.

2005-02-25T17:10:00.000+09:00

Another week already over! It went by fast. I am trying to spend my time this afternoon (now evening, I guess) studying. I have done a few pages in my practice book, looked up a few words, etc, and that's about it. I rediscovered a Korean language study site this week, after looking at the stats available on my new counter (that I installed on the occassion of my year anniversary.) It's a really interesting site for me. The author lived in Korea and now doesn't, but still wants to speak Korean fluently someday. It has a list of a bunch of Korea blogs and other stuff on the links page, and I am one of the blogs. Didn't know that until I saw the stats on my site (one of the things you can see is if someone found your site through a link from another.) So, I pretended I was actually studying while looking around on that site for a while, too.

I've been meaning to start a prayer group for North Korea, and it finally happened this week. I really just wanted to keep myself accountable to at least one concentrated time of prayer per week (more than just a few prayers here and there). So, now there's a time for anyone who wants to come 30 minutes before our normal Wednesday night prayer time. Hopefully we can grow as a church into more awareness for the persecuted church there and develop more of a heart for the situation there. We're so close, and so connected to North Korea as a country that it's a shame not to. I started going a few weeks ago to a group that meets in Seoul to pray and talk about North Korea related stuff. The discussion varies, depending on who shows up. There's usually someone there who wants to share a testimony (sometimes from a NK defector) or about the work they're doing related to North Korea. It's becoming a great way for me to stay aware of what work is going on in and around there and to stay open to what God might want to do through me.

We were supposed to have some snow this week, but barely got any. I was hoping for a really nice snowfall before winter was over, but now we probably won't get one. I'm jealous of hearing from friends in England and New York who are getting beautiful snows. Here, it's just cold. Our heater has been out the past two days at school. Today I came home, made a cup of tea, turned the heat up, and laid down on the floor to study. I love floor heating!

it's been a year!

2005-02-20T23:58:00.000+09:00

I guess Blogger and I are still newlyweds, but I'm celebrating the year mark today. Celebrate with me and let me know who you lovely people are who read my blog. Come on, just this once, leave me a comment. (Blogger just made it easier to leave comments! You don' t have to have a blogger ID anymore! Yes, Mom, you too can leave me a comment!) Here, I'll give you a good question to answer....Umm, okay, maybe I don't have a good question, but here are some ideas of what you could share with us:

a link to a good recipe
a silly joke
just where you're from
a link to (another) great blog
what you love about winter
what you want to do when you come visit me in South Korea

See, the possibilities of thoughts you can comment on are almost endless, so come on, if you're reading this, leave me a comment to celebrate my year of blogging!

argh...

2005-02-20T23:08:00.000+09:00

I just typed out a long weekend update and then I pressed publish (at least I think that's what I pressed) and it only published the title. That's no fun. Now, do I want to write it again? Maybe a shorter version.

Friday, we had a combined guy/girl life group party. It started at JimBob's, then we split up. Some came to my apt. to play games. We had a good time, but I think the whole switching apartment thing was a little confusing. JB has the biggest place, but it's still not big enough for a party of any size. When it gets warmer, maybe we'll plan another party on our newly renovated roof!

Saturday, I went with Laura, JiYeon, and Julie to give blood. JiYeon had made a lot of phone calls to make sure us foreigners could give, but it ended up that we couldn't. So, just JiYeon gave. They apologized up one side and down the other, but we weren't actually that disappointed. We really went to support JiYeon anyhow. After giving blood, we came back to my apartment and made leftover pizza on crusts that I had made for the party on Friday, then we watched Val's "A Beautiful Mind." I love that movie. I've seen it three times and cried every time.

Today, we had our team meeting, then lunch, then church. We had our first drama at church, planned and directed by Alina! It was great. Afterwards, we had tak-kalbi, one of my favorite Korean dishes, then went bowling. I scored something like 119, 76, 134. I don't know what happened in that middle game. Well, actually, I don't know what happened in the first and last games. Normally, I don't get above a hundred, but with JimBob and Jason's coaching :), I'm gettin' better. Actually, in the States, I went bowling maybe once a year. Here, we go a lot more often than that, so maybe it's just more practice.

It got a lot colder today, so I came home, made a big mug of milk tea, and finished my Korean homework for tomorrow. Now, I'm finishing typing this for the second time and it's time for bed!

sunny day

2005-02-17T15:32:00.000+09:00

After two drizzly, rainy days, today is sunny and WARM! It's so nice outside, I changed into some 운동복 (exercise clothes) and am going outside for a little jog. Yay! I checked the weather online, though, and it's expected to turn cold again for the weekend. That's OK. I'm in no hurry for hot weather to come.

I changed my phone from English language to Korean language today (the menus and display). We were talking about phones, messages, answering machines, etc. today in class, so I figured I'd get more practice if I had to figure my phone out in Korean. Even though I'm used to using it in English, it makes me think when I see the Korean words there. I'm understanding a lot more of what I hear and read, but still have a long way to go. When I'm not busy on the bus, I read signs and ads as I pass and on the inside of the bus. It used to just give me practice sounding things out, but now, since I understand more, I can get practice spelling things, and can figure out what unknown words mean from the context clues. (Context clues - that word takes me back to elementary school reading class!) It's pretty exciting stuff to be able to use a foreign language, but still frustrating when I can't say what I want.

Now...off to enjoy this sun!

beans

2005-02-14T16:39:00.000+09:00

After school today, I went to the lady who sits on the corner in downtown Suji and sells vegetables, beans, and tofu. Today, though, she didn't have beans, which I needed to make chicken chili. I was at a loss, because the supermarkets don't sell beans. I asked her, just to make sure, if she had any. She looked at the person standing next to me, as if she couldn't understand me. So, I asked her again, a little louder, and slower. She understood, and told me she was all out, but to be sure and come back tomorrow. I thanked her and began wandering the streets in search of another bean seller. I found a woman who had dry beans, but I wanted fresh ones so I could cook my soup soon! I went into a little market and asked if she had beans. Again, this lady looked at the other person at the register as if she didn't understand me. (I swear, there's a preconceived notion that if the speaker of Korean is white, that person will be hard to understand!) So, again, I repeated and enunciated more clearly. She understood, and showed me some bean milk. No, not what I need. I asked her where a store would be that sold beans, and she told me there wasn't one in the neighborhood. I decided I had to go back and get some dry beans. As I was buying them, a little lady was watching me. She then crossed the street with me, and once across, she asked me which country I came from. I answered her and she said, "Don't you want to go back to America?" I told her I like it there, but that I also like Korea. I have been lamenting the fact that I don't get enough practice speaking the language, but today, just in the process of wandering around looking for beans, I was able to have a few decent real world conversations. Now, my soup is on the stove and "Drops of Jupiter" just came on launchcast. Love that song.