One Month Down for the Count

Wow, it’s been a hot and sticky week here! I didn’t realize that the humidity was this bad here! It’s not so much the heat that gets you, but it’s just the stickiness! It also doesn’t help that we don’t have air conditioner at school. I am in a constant state of sweatiness all day, every day… mmm, refreshing! On Sunday and Monday mornings we did not have hot water! That made for some freezing showers! I was worried that my internal thermometer was discombobulated b/d the water was so cold and it was so hot outside! It was a rough couple of days! But, now I have hot water and I’m constantly hot and sweaty… at least it’s consistent now!

I got a cell phone last week! This has brought a whole new freedom to my life! I’m able to do more things now! The phones here don’t have English ‘t-9’ so it’s very difficult to text! I feel like I’m just learning how to text all over again! It takes me forever to text one message! It is so nice to have a cell phone again… very convenient! What has my life come to that I can’t survive with out one?!? (They actually call them hand phones, not cell phones!!) Yeah I’ve caved to the societal norm… and I LOVE it! J

I did have my heart broken this week! It was a sad, sad day. One of our lessons for my 5th Grade lessons we are learning “She is tall.” What that means is we are teaching them descriptive words and sentences. My teacher had this great idea of having one student stand up and then have the class describe them. (We were learning things like ‘She is beautiful.’ ‘He has long hair.’ ‘She has a big nose.’ ‘He has small ears.’ You get it… Thankfully fat and thin were not descriptions we were learning!) I had this sick feeling every time she called on a student to stand up. We did it in about 2 or 3 classes. In one of those classes she had this boy stand up and the students started ‘describing’ him. He’s shorter, so of course they focused on that! They were just saying some statements that wouldn’t necessarily make you feel good about yourself. It’s like they were picking at all of his faults. I felt so uncomfortable for this kid so I was like okay, that’s enough, we should move on to the next thing. He was sitting in the front row and I saw his head drop a little lower with every comment. After we moved on to the next thing I looked over and saw tears going down his face! My heart just broke and it made me almost start crying. It was so sad! I felt awful for this kid. So, I ran (literally) to my classroom, which is in another building and up 2 more flights of stairs, to get him some cookies I had in my room. I got back to class when they were leaving and knelt down beside him and asked if he was okay and if he wanted some cookies. He told me he was fine and didn’t want the cookies. He didn’t want his classmates to know he was upset. This is a very ‘save face’ culture. This is pressed on them beginning at very young ages. It is very sad that children have to endure this. So after they left, I told my teacher we shouldn’t have the students describe their classmates anymore. She asked me why and I told her b/c it can hurt people’s feelings. She asked if the boy was upset and I said he was crying. She was like oh, I didn’t realize that. Which I honestly don’t think she did notice but still! She said most students think it’s funny to describe each other. I told her I understand, but it’s not funny for all students and it makes them feel bad. She understood and we kept to pictures the rest of the time. Then at lunch, I saw that boy and he comes up to me and says ‘Hello, Becky Teacher.” I said hi and asked him how he was. He said bad and kept walking, but he was smiling! It just shows that he wanted to save face so he painted on a smile!

There are times I just don’t understand this culture and I have a hard time stomaching some things. I am learning that I must take the good with the bad if I truly want to embrace this culture. It has taken some getting used to! They have some amazing things to offer and it’s an incredible group of people. But, there are also so many areas where they are harming themselves. It’s very interesting to be able to experience their culture without having to become a full part of it!

On a lighter note, I had a student bring in a pack of gum to class and I noticed it was a pack of ‘5’ gum. I got so excited (b/c they don’t really sell American gum here and theirs looses flavor very quickly!) when I saw it! I asked him where he got that gum. (He doesn’t speak very much English, so at first I think he thought he was in trouble so he was shy to answer!) His friends translated for him and he said he got it from his house. (Ha, I love that he thought I was asking where he literally got it from!) I asked if he got here in Korea. He said no, from Canada! Bummer… I thought I hit the jackpot… no such luck! I guess I’ll have to have my parents send me packages with real gum in it! It’s a cherished commodity here among us Native Teachers!

I was at lunch yesterday eating lunch with my main teacher and she was trying to figure out a word for when people come into your class and watch you. She asked if ‘open class’ was right. I told her that is one way of saying it. I said it could also be called a ‘Supervised Class’ or ‘Supervision.’ She then asked me if that was correct or if it was ‘Konglish’ (Korean and English mix, like ‘Spanglish’)?!? I laughed out loud on that one! We Americans joke about that all time here and then I had my teacher actually ask! Ha! I also saw a sweet shirt on my way to school today! (Shirts usually have some great stuff on them!) This t-shirt said, ‘Head Over Hills’! Hilarious… it sounds right though, doesn’t it?!?

I told you there is a fire station right by campus, right? Well, if I didn’t, there is! I was walking to get to the bus stop and I was walking past the station (which is pretty much their driveway). All of the sudden I hear sirens and see lights and one truck comes out right behind me. I had to run so that I didn’t get hit by the other trucks coming out! It was a bit intense for about 2.5 seconds! That was the first time I had ever seen a fire truck outside of the station!

I met another teacher this week in my school. She actually speaks very good English. She asked me if I wanted to go to a movie with her and of course I accepted! Transformers came out here on Wednesday, so we went to see that! She took me to this restaurant before that was so good! It was chicken with soy sauce and then onion and noodles and other vegetables… fabulous! They gave us aprons to put on b/c the soy sauce splashes. She gave me one of the chicken legs to eat and I ate about half of it with my chopsticks. Then she said, “Oh, in our culture we just pick it up and eat it. It’s much more enjoyable that way!” I laughed and told her we did the same thing, I just wasn’t sure what to do here! I loved talking with her! I could hold a normal conversation with her! I found out we have tons in common. We are both the youngest of 3 kids, we both love sports, and her favorite sitcom is ‘Friends’… are you kidding me?!? There were times I thought I was talking to the Korean version of myself! I’m sure you can hear me saying “Me too!” and getting really excited every time she said something I liked too! I hope we start to hang out a lot! She said anytime I wanted to, give her a call. She invited me to go swimming with her (but she goes at 5am!!) and go play badminton with her! I am so glad I made a Korean friend I can actually talk to and hold a conversation with!

While we were at the theater, we saw one of the 6th grade teachers and his wife there. He always gets nervous when he has to talk to me! We play volleyball together! I’m hoping this will help him feel more comfortable to talk with me! It was so neat to see them outside of school though! They are normal people… not that I didn’t think they were, it’s just comforting! They’re both my age too so that makes me feel a lot more comfortable hanging out!

The theater is the mall so you park in the parking garage… experience (which I think I already told you about)!! Well, if they run out of spots, people park in front of other cars. It looks like this: - - l Therefore, the car in the middle is trapped. I asked her how people got out that way. She said they leave their cars unlocked and then you put the car in neutral and roll it! Yes, you read that right! Crazy, huh?!? So, we find our car (after we go to the wrong level) and there is a car in front of us. She tried to find a parking attendant to help us, but couldn’t. So the driver also leaves their number on their windshield or yours so you can call them if you can’t move it! She called the guy. But, he was walking up right when you dialed. It was a culture experience! I asked her if that happened often and she said yes! No way… that would never fly in the States. People are too impatient! Road rage would be at an all time high… or parking rage!

She was so sweet and she paid for my ticket to the movie and got us snacks—a drink and this phenomenal caramel popcorn! When we were leaving she also asked me if I had a cell phone charm. (For some reason, they like to attach charms to their phones. It’s like little key chains for your phone! I’m not a huge fan, but it’s very Korean!) I told her I didn’t, so she gave me one to put on my phone! And yes, I put it on right then! I had a fantastic night!

This week at work has been a bit long. On Wednesday and Thursday and probably Friday, I only teach for 10 minutes of the class and then head back to my class! They are getting ready for tests, so I don’t have much to do! I haven’t taught a full load since I’ve been here. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I actually have to teach all of my classes the whole week! I will be tired!!

The new group of teachers arrived this week, so I’m not the ‘newbie’ anymore! I feel like I still don’t really know much, but it’s encouraging when I talk to the new teachers b/c they know even less then me! J

On Thursday I was going to duck out of school a little early b/c my teacher left for a doctor’s appointment. I decided to run downstairs real quick and then head out. It was 4.20pm and I was hoping to leave by 4.30pm. I decided to stop in and say hi to the teacher that we saw at the movies first though. He always gets so nervous when I try to say anything to him. I decided I was going to make him talk to me. I asked him if he liked the movie! At first he was a little shy. But then he tried actually talking to me. He told me I was the first Native Speaker he has ever spoken with! Now I understand why he gets nervous. I asked him if I made him nervous, but he didn’t know what that meant. So, I asked him I scared him and he said, ‘Oh, yeah!’ I laughed and told him not to worry! It was quite a conversation! I found out his wife went to KNU (which is where I live). He also remembered that I went to a Nazarene University in Kansas! He told me that when he was younger he had an English class, but he didn’t study and now he regrets it! I invited him to my class for teachers. He said he hasn’t come before he didn’t have the confidence, but now since he talked with me he will be confident enough to come! I recruited a new student!! We ended up talking until 5pm! I didn’t get to leave early, but that’s okay… the conversation was well worth it! It was so cute he kept getting so frustrated with himself b/c he couldn’t figure out how to say something and then he would run to his computer to look it up! We talked for about 35 minutes and we probably on said 10 sentences! Oh it was fun! He was so appreciative that I would come and talk to him! It gave me the confidence to talk to more Koreans, too! He said next time we play volleyball together we will ‘exercise’ (he said this instead of practice and I didn’t have the heart to correct him!) our English! I am looking forward to that!

I also had the opportunity to go to a Korean Ballet. We went to see ‘Cinderella.’ It was a great time and very entertaining! I felt very cultured after this visit! When we entered the performance hall, we were given these light blue bandannas. We weren’t sure what they were for so we just took them and smiled. (This sort of thing happens often here!) Well, at the end of the show all of the Koreans pulled them out and started waving them as they were clapping! It was quite a sight and very entertaining! Ours were in our bags so we (the 2 people I was sitting by and myself) didn’t get them out. So, a woman came by and tried giving us another one to start waving! So we pulled ours out real quick! Chalk one up to another learning experience! J

I was waiting at the bus stop today (now it’s Friday; I started writing this yesterday, so time is relative.) and my teacher pulled up so I jumped in with her to ride to school. She had her 7 year old (5 year old in American age) with her too. She was adorable! Her name was Annie and she is a very smart little girl. On the way to school every morning they listen to an English CD with songs and dialogue. We had a nice little conversation in the backseat. Her mom told me she wanted to meet me! I was very impressed with her! This put me to school way early, but it was okay. I had a chance to enjoy my Kim Bop that I brought for breakfast!

Today for lunch, my teacher took me out! She told me the Principal and Vice Principal doesn’t like us to leave, so this would be our secret! The restaurant had a lot of character to it! It was an old house and very cozy. The walls were clay and they had leather couches instead of chairs! I loved it! I was so bummed that I didn’t have my camera! I need to get better at carrying that everywhere with me! I used to be so good at that… I don’t know what has happened! This place is also famous for their Korean Tea. So, of course we had to try some! It was made from Jujubes. It wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t say it was necessarily good either! (My body is starting to get used to eating things I don’t really enjoy, so now I have a much higher tolerance!) The guy gave us a free drink. He told my teacher it was for me and it was on him! They are very generous here!

So, needless to say, this past week has been full of new culture experiences and new norms for me! It started off very slow, but now I can’t believe it is already Friday! I have been here for over a month now and that is so hard to believe! The time is just flying by and is far from boring or mundane! I am so blessed to be having this experience!

Many Kodak moments... too bad my batteries ran out!

I was hoping this past weekend would be a relaxing one.  It had its moments.

On Friday night I found one of my new favorite restaurants!  (I know I seem to talk about food a lot here, but it’s totally cultural… I promise!)  It’s this little shop with a window outside you order at.  It’s right behind campus and it’s called Isaac’s.  They take a huge stick of butter and slick down the griddle (I think that’s what it is called) and then they put 2 pieces of toast down.  They fry up an egg and sausage and then put these 3 different sauces on it with the lettuce stuff (it’s like coleslaw without the dressing) on it and melt cheese!  Oh my word, it is a little piece of heaven in my mouth!  With every bite it got better and better!  They also have these amazing smoothies!  Oh it was just fabulous!  So, we ate dinner and then we headed downtown.  It was just me and my friend Eric at this time.  We see the bus, so we take off running down the hill so we don’t miss it.  (Let me remind you that the humidity here is out of control!!)  We get to the bus in time and get on.  As we were getting on, the bus driver is getting out of his seat.  We thought he was going to maybe pick up trash or something b/c he heads to the back of the bus.  Oh no, he goes in the back and sits with us.  He tried to start talking to us, but he speaks extremely broken English.  We had a very hard time following, so we just smiled and nodded!  (Also, remember people don’t really talk on the buses, especially the bus driver.)  2 other girls got on the bus from the University and he tried to get them to translate for him.  They were a little better.  He asked what we did and we told him we were teachers.  He asked where we were from and we said the US.  He then went up to the front of the bus to start driving.  Then all of the sudden he started yelling back to the girls to ask us more questions.  We are in the back of the bus and he is yelling from the front!  He kept looking at us in the mirror and was not watching the road!  There were a few times I started freaking out a bit!  He told her to ask us if we thought North Korea had nuclear weapons… are you kidding me?!?  I let Eric take the lead on this one.  I just sat there.  He then wanted to know who we (as in the US) thought was the most intelligent country in the world.  Again… are you kidding me?!?  We dodged a few bullets b/c it was neither the time or the place to start talking politics!  Before we left that night Eric told me he had been praying for God to take him on adventures.  This was definitely adventurous!!  We debated whether to get off at an early stop but then we realized we couldn’t b/c we already told them where we were going!  Oh well, it all worked out!  It was definitely a crazy story to add to my list!

We went to a ‘Norebong’ later that night!  This is a room that is dedicated to karaoke!  It is lined in mirrors and has a big screen for the words.  They also have a pole and props in there for you to use.  It was way fun!  (No pictures b/c my batteries were dead!  You will get some next time!)  I would like you to know I got a 100% on Mr. Brightside!  J  It was so much fun!   Oh, and they gave away free ice-cream there… I’m telling you RANDOM here!

We headed out for another adventure fieldtrip in our ‘same same’ shirts on Saturday!  We decided to embrace it and make the best of the situation though.  It rained all day on us but that just added to the adventure!  We went to see this huge sitting Buddha statue.  It was cool to see it, but it was also sad at the same time.  People come here all of the time to pray to Buddha.  We witnessed quite a few people there that morning.  It’s just this big hallow empty statue that they think can solve all of their problems.  They say they are searching for truth, but really they are just searching for something that makes them feel good now.  If they could just get their minds wrapped around the fact that when you experience real truth it will give you a peace that is overwhelming.  The statue was wet from the rain and it made his face look like he was crying.  We saw monks here and everything.  There was this huge temple filled with people who were praying to Buddha.  I’m glad I visited and I will go back.  It was an experience you can’t get everywhere.   

We also went to a Korean History Museum.  They had some interesting things.  It was just built a few years ago.  They had a “Kid’s Zone” and I must admit this was the best part for me!  It had interactive activities you could do!  Of course I would appreciate this more then the artifacts! 

Korea also has a memorial called “Independence Hall.”  This is a lot of history as well and showed us how Korea has been oppressed by Japan.  I had no idea the things they had to endure.  The Japanese were horrible to Koreans.  I now understand the older generation here and can allow them more grace with their reactions to things.  They saw things that I would never wish on my worst enemy.  I think it also gave me a new appreciation for Korea as a whole.  They have always been treated like the stepchild of Asia, but somehow they still managed to rise above and be a successful country.  They have a work ethic like I have never encountered from any other group of people.  This is another place I would like to go back to when it’s not raining.  The history there is so rich and they love to share it with people… especially foreigners. 

I was exhausted after the fieldtrip and it had been a long week, so I went home at 5.30pm and took an hour and a half nap and was still able to go to sleep that night!  I guess my body was trying to tell me to slow down!  I listened… momentarily!  

One of the professors here at KNU is part of a band.  They had a concert and we went and checked it out!  It was way fun!  It pretty much turns into a foreigner hangout and there aren’t lots of Koreans, but it was still super fun!  We danced and sung and had a chill night!  It’s so crazy how many random things there are to do here! 

Sunday I went out to eat with the Pastor and his wife and daughter.  There were also a few other teachers and 2 Koreans with us.  It was fun to talk with them and get to know them more.  The Korean ladies are super sweet!  They both teach Korean too, so I’m debating whether to start taking lessons or not.  I haven’t quite decided for sure yet.  I just love meeting new Koreans who can speak English and carry on a conversation.  It’s so neat to have them introduce their culture to you through their eyes.  Then, I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning our common room with another person on my floor.  We have new teachers coming this week and I know when I arrived and saw how disgusting the room was it made me think ‘what the heck did I get myself into?’  I didn’t want them to have to experience that so we decided to clean. It took 2 of 3.5 hours to clean it from top to bottom!  Yeah, it was pretty nasty!  For some reason I felt like cleaning and that never happens!!  (I’m sure some of you are shocked by that statement! J)  Then I finished the night off with Mexican food… can’t go wrong there can you? 

It was a great weekend!  Full of new adventures, but that’s what it’s all about, right?!? 

Back by Demand!

So I realize I haven’t given you an update in quite awhile. I do apologize for that! Honestly, I didn’t realize that that many people kept up with it, but my parents have told me they have gotten questions about when I’ll be updating again. So, here it… lucky you!

Last week was a good but long week. I’m definitely at that point where my days are running together and it’s hard to remember what happened when! I’m getting older everyday I swear! I was tired when I stared off the week b/c I had been at the beach all weekend! Rough life, I know… but well needed! When I was at the beach, I definitely got some sun… thank you Jesus (although I’ve already lost it)!! [Side note: Koreans DO NOT like to get sun. When they are walking down the street on sunny days they’ll have parasols, which are umbrellas, up so they don’t have contact with the sun. They think it is horrible!] When I came to school on Monday my teachers were like “Oh my, what happened to you?” It was so hard to keep from laughing but I kept my composure for the most part. It was a great learning session though, b/c I taught them the difference between sunburn and suntan. I taught them that red meant I was burnt, but tomorrow I would be brown, which was tan. They totally got it! I like to think I was just taking one for the team and got a sunburn so I could help teach them something new… just doing what I can! I know they were thinking ‘crazy American’ but what’s new?!?

I was teaching my 3rd graders animals this week. I thought I would spice up the lesson a bit and ask them not only the name of the animal, but what sound it makes. It was quite entertaining. I told them that monkeys were my favorite and then I made the sound and the action with my arms. They thought it was hilarious (I love that kids will laugh at anything! Great self-esteem booster!) One of the animals was a Panda. I have no idea what sound a Panda makes so this is one I just let them go with. They had some pretty good ideas. One boy yelled, “they’re made in china!” I think he was trying to say that’s where Pandas live, and he got mixed up a bit! He was right Pandas are made in China! I love my 3rd graders! Who else with laugh with you when you’re making crazy animals sounds and actions?!? I know many people who would at me, just not with me!

These kids can be pretty brave sometimes. Sometimes I think they just try to see what they can get away with. On Fridays I have 6th graders… who are typical crazy, hormonal 13 year olds! At the end of every class I stand at the door and wave to them as they go out the back door. Well, this girl stuck her tongue out at me as she was going past. I told her ‘anyo’ (no) and put an ‘x’ up. She kept walking. Well, then this week, she comes in and doesn’t say a word. She just looks at me, smiles and then sticks her tongue out AGAIN at me. This time I was firm and slightly mean and said ‘anyo’ with an ‘x.’ I told her that was NOT okay! She then pouted the rest of class and wouldn’t say anything! (I made her even more mad later in class b/c I started teaching them the Macarena dance for the months of the year song and I said “Everyone has to participate” and looked right at her b/c she was the only one not doing it!) So I thought it was over. But then a couple days later I saw her in the hall and she said Hi Becky Teacher. I thought wow, she’s good now, that’s cool. I smiled and said hi back. Then, you are not going to believe this, but she stuck it out AGAIN! This time I was mean! No smile came from my face! I think I’m going to have the English teacher talk to her! I still can’t believe that!

I’m not sure if I’ve told you, but Education is very important over here! The kids go to school all day!! Elementary isn’t that bad, but once you get to Middle School and High School you go to school at 7.30am and then go to a Hagwon after school until 11pm everyday! Some Elementary students go for shorter time periods. A few of students go. The past 2 weeks one of my boys has ridden my bus with me. The first week it was so cute b/c he was so surprised to see me when he got on. He came and stood close to me but far enough away to check out the situation. Then one of my teacher friends got on and he was stuck in the middle of us. We were talking and he politely switched me spots so we could talk easier. Then, when it was his stop, he told me bye and waved. Then, after he got off, he looked back on the bus to see if I was still watching him and he waved again! He is so stinkin cute… it just melted my heart! Then I saw him the next week and he was like, I’m riding your bus again today! Sure enough, he was there! This time he sat by me and we talked for a bit! He did the whole wave thing again. Oh I just love my students!!

Many times my kiddos just make me laugh too! I have this convenient store on the same street as my school and I sometimes stop in there before school. Well one day it was super hot and so I decided to go get a cold drink and a snicker’s bar after school. (The students had already left, but the teachers have to stay later.) They mobbed me on the way there ‘Becky Teacher, Becky Teacher!’ But then on the way back they stopped me again and asked me what I got. I had gotten a ‘Cider’ (which is Sprite) and it was in a green bottle. They have an alcoholic drink over here called ‘Soju’ which is also in a green bottle (and it’s very common for them to have it with a meal). My students asked me if I got Soju? Are you kidding me, they really think I’m going to take alcoholic back to school and drink in the middle of the day? Oh their little minds kill me sometimes! It was quite comical!

Flowers and plants are a pretty big thing over here. I’ve wanted to get one pretty bad so I’ve been checking them out. One of my teachers has an orchid and I was telling her I really liked it and I was trying to get one like it. She told me that in Korea they have a different flower they call orchids. Then she proceeds to tell me that the single guys in Korea love our orchids. Random, I know. So, I took the bait and asked her why. She then told me they like them b/c they look like a female body part! Are you kidding me… AKWARD?!? Yeah that conversation died off quickly!

I’m still trying to get the bus schedule figured out here… it’s pretty random. One night I was waiting for the bus for about 15 minutes and one of my teachers drove by and saw me waiting so she picked me up and took me home. It was so nice of her and so much better then the bus! She told me that her daughter was going on a fieldtrip on Friday so she’d have to get up early and make some Kim Bop (the rolls that are wrapped in seaweed with the rice and stuff in it) for her. She asked if I’d want some and of course I said yes!! So, on Friday she brought a small box of about 30 pieces to school for lunch. My other teacher and I were later then usual to lunch that day. When we got to the cafeteria, the other teachers were more then half way done with lunch. When I sat down she pulled out the Kim Bop. She didn’t open it until I got there so that I for sure could get some! He was like here, eat. She let the other teachers have some too, but she pretty much just brought them for me! It was FABULOUS!! She told me she’d teach me how to make it if I wanted to learn. Of course I want to learn how to make one of my favorite things here! I’m looking forward to that!

I’ve had some random cravings lately! Well not random, just cravings for good, solid food more like it! So, a couple of decided we wanted a real hamburger and fries. So, we took the subway 25 or 30 minutes away to go to the this restaurant for a real burger. Of course it’s more expensive since it’s western food… but WORTH IT!!!!! Oh it was delish! Pretty sure that trip is going to be a very common one! I’ve also had a craving for Mexican food. That has been the roughest one so far! One of the girls had a group of us over on Sunday night for Mexican food! Oh my word, totally hit the spot! I’m already planning a trip to Seoul this weekend though and we are going to ‘On The Boarder’ for dinner and Subway for lunch! I can’t wait!!!

Oh and last week I played volleyball again. This week though we played another Elementary school. They play with 9 people on the court at the same time and they never rotate. There is supposed to be 2 girls on at a time. There were only 2 of us who played and of course, we got moved to the back. It’s so funny that no matter where you are in the world, when it comes to sports and competition, guys are the same! I had a great growing moment while I was playing though. It could have been very easy for me to get frustrated b/c I touched the ball may 5 times and we played 5 games. But, God is helping me to have a different mindset and instead I embraced and began to laugh b/c I was playing volleyball in the middle of South Korea with a bunch of Koreans! Not very many people could say that! Besides, it’s still fun to just be out there! The Vice Principal gets pretty intense… he’s definitely competitive! Let me tell you, to be in a huddle with 7 Korean guys speaking Korean can be a little intimidating! I could not understand one word they said, but I knew exactly what he was saying! It’s so interesting how no matter what language you speak, athletics is a universal language. It really makes me want to go to the Olympics someday! It was fun. Our team of course won! J At the end of the game we went up to the net and said ‘good game’ (well in my head I think that’s what they are saying. I just smiled and nodded, well bowed.) One of the guys from the other team shook my hand and didn’t let go though. It sort of took me back but then he asked me where I played at? It took me a second to figure out what he was trying to say. But, then I realized he was curious to know my experience. I told him I played in the States in High School and in College. They were like “Ohh.” Their reactions kill me every time! How crazy is it that Korean Elementary School teachers play volleyball against other teachers after school?!? It’s a pretty big deal to. Teachers from the other schools come to cheer too! Let’s just say I definitely stuck out that day! J

I heard a statement the other day that really made me stop and think. I’m not saying I fully 100% agree with this statement, but it has surely made me take a step back and reevaluate things. “Competitiveness is not from God.” I think wanting to win is fine and it’s human nature. But, how many times have we missed out on an opportunity to show Christ’s Character to others b/c of our competitive natures? I know I personally have been convicted of this lately. It’s okay to want to win, but it’s not okay to win at any cause. For me, I am choosing relationships over a tally in the win column. It’s just something to ponder! I’m not against the will to win here. I’m just trying to get things into perspective on my end! I think the volleyball game was case in point for me! A few years ago I would have been ticked that I was stuck in the back row not getting much action… especially when you see a ball drop that you could have gotten to! But now I was able to laugh and enjoy myself in spite of it all! Just thought I would share with you one of the many things I am learning here! Oh and are there many things I’m learning!!

**I know a few of you have tried to leave comments. I’ve figured out that you have to one of my ‘followers’ to leave a comment. If you join my blog you’ll be able to use the comment section. Or, you can just email me too! I’d love to hear how you are doing!!

Night and Day Different… Literally!

The longer I’m here, the more and more I’m realizing how different things can be!  I mean it is literally night and day different (14 hours to be exact).  I’m sleeping when you’re enjoying your days and I have sunshine when you have the moon!  That has taken some getting used to.  When I think about it, it’s a bit overwhelming sometimes.  One day I talked to my sister during her morning and my late night.  Then, when I woke up the next day, I talked to her again!  It was so crazy to think that she just lived her day and did lots of things and I simply slept the WHOLE time!

I thought you might enjoy hearing some of the differences I’m experiencing here.  I thought I’d share them with you before I realize they’re different and just start assuming that’s how things are!  I’m putting a disclaimer here for when I return to the states, you’ll offer me some grace for these things I’ve grown accustomed to! J

Clothing:

Okay, honestly I LOVE their style here-for the most part!  Not something I’d be comfortable in everyday, but such cute stuff!  Unfortunately, the girls here don’t have much as far as chests go, which translates to “Good luck trying to find something that will fit you!”  Umm, we don’t dare to even look at their bottoms!  But, it is a culture experience to even go into a store and look.  You’ll pull something out and ask if you can try it on.  The lady at the store will look at you and say no.  Which that translates in to “ You’re too big and that will not fit you.”  This has happened to a few girls I’ve been shopping with.  You can’t try clothes on here for some reason.  So, I just put the shirt over whatever I’m wearing.  They don’t like that… they think you’re going to stretch it out!  Gotta love it!  You can’t wear tank tops here.  It’s ‘scandalous’ to have your shoulders showing.  It doesn’t matter how short your bottoms are though… it’s okay if everything’s hanging out!  You can also ‘bend’ the rules by wearing a shear cover over the tank top.  A lot of women do that here!  They are obsessed with high heels here!  The women wear them everywhere.  They go for walks and wear them.  They walk up multiple flights of stairs and less-intense mountains with them on!  I’m not exaggerating here either!  When I was at the beach last weekend, I saw women wearing heels!  They wear more of the platforms with the wide base, but still a heel!  I don’t get it!  I also heard that girls aren’t really supposed to wear them until after they graduate from High School!  I have seen a couple of girls pull them out of their backpacks and switch their Converse for High Heels—Scandalous!!

Gestures:

There are also a few gestures that are different.  They don’t wave here.  (Although the students do wave to me and now some of the teachers do, too.  It’s just b/c they know I’m a foreigner!)  They bow at the waist and lower their heads.  How far down you go, depends on who you are saying hello to.  When I say it to my principal, vice principal, or someone else important, I bow pretty far down.  The kids just get a head nod, but usually a wave!  When you’re leaving a store or a restaurant, they’ll do the same thing!  Whenever you say thank you or see someone, you do this!  It’s also funny b/c they don’t shake their heads ‘no.’  If they are trying to say no to something, they will put their arms together and make a ‘x.’  This is how I tell me students to stop doing something too! 

Living:

It is also very common and normal for the most part for people to live in apartments here.  They actually prefer apartments over houses.  It’s also more convenient for everyone b/c there are so many people in such a small land mass.  Everything here is built up instead of out.  Stores have multiple levels instead of wide square feet.  This means that you get a work out everyday b/c you are doing so many stairs!  You also can’t really buy lots of groceries and things at the store b/c you have to carry all of your bags home.  Some people have cars, so it’s not that big of a deal, but those of us who don’t, you have to be strategic.  They also charge you for sacks.  I’ve bought a couple reusable bags and they’re great, when I remember them! J  It’s also interesting at the store b/c they wait to pick their fruit until it’s ripe.  Which, this makes for some amazing fruit, but you can’t store it.  You have to eat it within 2 days or so or it goes bad.  Give and take or you can just split some with your neighbor… this usually works the best!

 School:

I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting with the schools but they are definitely different.  They don’t start until 9am and then depending what grade you are in, you leave at different times.  The youngest students leave at 1pm usually, and then the 2^nd and 3^rd graders leave at 2pm.  I’m not real sure what time the 5^th and 6^th graders get out, but I know all the students are gone by 3pm.  They can’t drink the water here, so instead of having water fountains on the halls, they have water machines (like Culligan jugs).  When you are in school, you don’t wear your shoes, you wear slippers.  The teachers wear them to teach in and the kids change every morning right outside the front door.  The principals wear them and even visitors have to put them on before they come in.  It’s interesting.  I haven’t really got a direct answer as to why they do this.  They say it’s just more comfortable, but I have no idea!  Everyday at lunch we have rice, soup, and kimchi no matter what.  The other 2 spots are reserved for some type of meat and a vegetable.  The teachers do not walk their students to places.  They just let them leave and the students make it to my room.  They do walk them to lunch, but that’s the only place.  They also do their age different here.  When you are born, you are automatically 1 year old.  Then, on January 1^st, EVERYONE turn another year old.  You do not celebrate your birthday on the day you were born (although I’m a bit confused b/c my kids tell me when their birthdays are.  I guess they celebrate their birthdays, but they don’t age on that day.)  So potentially, if a baby was born on December 31^st, he would be considered 2 years old when he is really 2 days old.  They will ask you when your birthday is to know if you are a young 27 year old or an older 27 year old.  I thought this was  very interesting!

Food:

So we all know that the food is different, that’s a given.  But, here are some more specifics.  They don’t drink with their meals.  After they eat, they will go over to a water jug and take a small drink.  Even when their food is spicy!  So at lunch, I always bring my water bottle with me.  Sometimes that’s the only way I’ll get my food down! J  Every food place here delivers.  McDonald’s has little mopeds for their delivery guys… yes even McDonald’s delivers!  If you need your waiter they yell “Yugio” (or something like that… haven’t fully got this one yet!)  Could you imagine yelling across a restaurant in the states?  I know there have probably been plenty of times you would like to, but you don’t really do it! Here you do!  There is no tax on anything here.  So you pay exactly what the menu says the cost is.  You also don’t tip here.  Therefore, going out to eat isn’t too expensive.  Usually it’s cheaper to do that then to cook!  (Yeah, I haven’t cooked anything since I’ve been here!)  In many traditional restaurants you all share out of the same dishes so everyone eats off of each other’s plates.  It’s so funny b/c now even if it’s not a place you share, we all still do, trying each other’s choices!  Oh community!  They also don’t have separate breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals.  I was teaching my ‘teachers class’ the other day and one of our warm-up questions was ‘what did you have for breakfast?’  Their answers were Bean Soup, Sea Weed Soup, Kimchi, and Rice.  Yummy!  I said I had cereal and milk and they laughed at me.  I will say I have had Kim Bop (the roll that’s wrapped in sea weed) 2 times for breakfast.   Needless to say if you want to buy breakfast food like cereal here you will definitely have to pay for it!  You can find it it’s just expensive.

Driving:

Oh my word, it’s pretty crazy here.  I’ve never felt unsafe, but I don’t always feel safe… if that makes any sense?!?  The stoplights are different here.  Only one direction gets a green light a time.  In the states, North and South go at the same time, but here all of the northbound traffic would go and then the light would turn red.  You sit at lights forever!!  Sometimes it’s easy to get antsy at crosswalks and you just decide to go.  You have to be careful for a couple of reasons though if you do that.  First, cars have the right away, not pedestrians.  That’s a new one, right?  Then second they don’t always wait for a green light to go.  The lights are on a timer not a sensor, so if there aren’t cars, they’ll just go regardless of their light color.  Let’s just say I’ve almost got hit by a bus and who knows how many cars!  It’s an adventure though!  (I run across the street now every morning to get to school.  One morning I got caught in the middle and cars were coming in both directions so I just stood on the double yellow line… I was a bit worried.)  Busses pretty much do what they want.  My bus always turns left out of a straight lane, not a turning lane.  People just them do it though!  This next one still blows my mind, but kids aren’t always in car seats.  The other day on the way home from school I’m on the bus and I look over at the car next to us at a stoplight.  The mother had her baby (about 15 months old) laying on her lap and she was feeding him.  The crazy part is, she was driving… she was NOT the passenger!!  I still can’t get over that one!  They have no fear as far as how close they will get to someone or another car either.  They can squeeze into some tight spots!  It’s truly amazing!

Restrooms:

So we all know that most of my crazy stories somehow involve the bathrooms.  There are a couple of other unique things besides the ‘squatty potties.’  If you are using a public bathroom, you have to get your toilet paper before you go into the stall.  It’s on the wall and better not forget it before you go in or you’re in trouble.  They also do not have soap dispensers for the most part.  They have a bar of soap that everyone uses.  I have not found any restrooms with paper towels either.  Usually they will have a hand dryer, but most of the time it does not work!  I use a lot of hand sanitizer! 

So, as you can see, there are quite a few differences here that I was not prepared for.  Almost all of these are things I have figured out since I’ve been here!  It’s all part of the adventure!! J  Hope you found these as entertaining as I have!  That was your crash course for Korea (I found out while I was teaching my ‘teacher class’ on yesterday that they do not like to be called South Korea, they are Korea!  I won’t make that mistake again!!)

Relaxation: Beach Style

I spent the weekend at the beach and LOVED it!!  A group of us woke up early Saturday morning and headed to Busan to enjoy one of the best beaches in South Korea!  We had a 4 hour train ride, but SO worth it!  On the way down I sat and talked with my friend Beth and was able to get to know her a lot better!  It was a great experience! 

I did have to use the bathroom once while I was on the train!  I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty, but it was a sacrifice I was going to have to make!  The restrooms are in between the cars.  I found the first one, but it was just a urinal, so obviously that wouldn’t work for me!  I found one with an ‘American Toilet’ eventually!  I know I locked the door, b/c it’s a latch, but obviously the latch wasn’t working b/c someone opened the door on me! (It’s an automatic door too, so you can’t just shut it, it has to shut on it’s own!)  Thankfully it was just 2 women, but they were mortified.  Awkward!!  When I walked out, they were like “Oh, we’re so sorry!”  I’m beginning to realize that some of my craziest stories here so far has involved the bathroom!  That can’t be good!

We arrived at the train station and we were getting off and I heard something drop out of my bag and land under the train.  My first though was, ‘oh no, that was my ipod!’  Thankfully it wasn’t!  It was my favorite pair of sunglasses though!  They fell under the train onto the tracks.  I said we could go, it wasn’t that big of a deal.  But, the guys said they thought they could get them after the train left.  We stood there for about 5 minutes and the trains didn’t leave.  Finally one of the guys lays down on the ground and gets another guys flip-flop and tries to flick the glasses back.  He starts to get them and then the train starts moving!  We all yelled and he jumped back quick!  It so could have taken his arm!!  I felt awful but he said no big deal… just a near death experience!  I was so glad to get my glasses back!  They have a couple scratches, but I figure it gives them character and it has a great story!!

We took a subway and walked a few blocks and finally walked right onto the beach!  Amazing!!  It was so beautiful!  It’s so interesting to go to a Korean beach though b/c it’s so different.  They don’t suntan so they don’t really wear bathing suits.  It’s Koreans on the beach in normal clothes!  Even the kids have on clothes while they’re playing in the ocean!  We walked on the beach and took it all in!  We played ultimate Frisbee against another group of foreigners (Americans and Canadians)!  We won and it was fun! 

We found this really sweet hotel to stay in, too.  It was about 2 or 3 blocks from the beach and had such character!  We took a boat tour once the sun went down and the tip of the peninsula was beautiful!  My camera ran out of batteries half way through though… bummer! 

The next day we got up and headed back to the beach.  They have this park right off the beach though, so we decided to hike through there first!  Absolutely stunning!  We walked for about an hour or so and then hit the beach!  I laid out in the sand and relaxed all afternoon… it was exactly what I needed! 

We headed back to Cheonan at about 6.30pm.  We had another 4 hour train ride!  Again, long, but it gave me a chance to get to know my friend Kendal more!  I’m all about the one-on-one conversations getting to know people better!  It was 11.30pm before we got home, but so worth it!  This weekend was exactly what I needed! 

2 For 1

I have a few days to get caught up on!  Lucky for you, I’m going to do a two for one here!  Thursday and Friday were 2 drastically different days for me here! 

Thursday started with me thinking I saw my bus at the bus stop when I was at the top of the hill, so I took off running… I’m sure that was a sight!  I cut through some trees to get there and then I realized this was a bus that was just sitting there and it didn’t have a number lit up which meant it wasn’t in route!  I saw 3 other people do the same thing, so I didn’t feel that bad for looking ridiculous!  The bus gets there shortly after and we get on.  Then, the bus driver puts the bus in park and gets up out of his seat and gets off the bus.  He pulls out a pack of cigarettes, smokes one and texts on his phone, while he has about 10 or 12 passengers on the bus!  No one else looked alarmed or perturbed, so I just went with it and waited patiently!  I chose to enjoy the beautiful sunshine instead!

I arrived at school and got ready for my first class of the day (6^th graders).  My teacher told me, “It’s your lucky day, you can’t teach this section, only I can.  You go to your room and take a rest!”  So for 4 classes, I spent about 5 or 10 minutes in each class and that’s it!  I was really frustrated with this!  I talked with a few people about it that morning though and they really helped me put things into perspective!  One suggested that I take the time to myself to get things done I needed to and another told me to use it to pray for my students!  Let’s just say I spent a lot of time in prayer that day!!  It was truly amazing to see how God worked it all out! (stay tuned until my Friday update!)  It reminded me yet again of what we can do when we simply aloud God to take control of the situations instead of us trying to take it on our own!  I also had another teacher who totally changed my mindset about this situation!  We were talking about how things can get frustrating b/c of the language barrier and how there is always miscommunication!  He reminded me that this is true for both sides!  I will get frustrated with my teachers, but they will also get frustrated with me b/c of miscommunication and failed expectations!  It’s a constant learning game!

Thursday was just a rough day and I felt like I just kept being misunderstood!  I went to use the ‘American toilet’ and it’s clogged!  I literally almost got sick when I walked in!  I tried to tell my teacher and she said, “Oh, just use another one!”  Are you kidding me… no “I’ll get someone to take care of it?!?”  Oh… this is an experience! J

I had to get my picture taken today for the 6^th graders yearbook.  (This isn’t what they call it, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s like.)  It was quite comical trying to figure out what the photographer was wanting me to do.  Finally, he just came over and physically put my head the way he wanted it!  Sometimes, that’s just the easiest way!

The day did end on a positive note though!  I had a great class with my ‘teachers class.’  I really feel like they are getting in to it!  Everyone returned from the first week… that doesn’t happen very often!  They are a fun group and I enjoy getting to know them better!

I found my favorite meal in Korea!!  It’s called Kalbi.  It’s meat that gets cooked in front of you and then you wrap it in lettuce with rice!  The meat is pork and it is marinated in something amazing!  I will be frequenting this restaurant often!  The owner is super nice and he knows a couple of the guys in my program (they play soccer together).  He gave us free Pepsi!  He saw my camera and so we started talking about it, b/c he has an SLR.  It was way fun getting to know him!

I met a few new girls tonight.  I went out to this sweet coffee shop downtown.  I had my first Frapaccuino without coffee!  It was black tea!  It was pretty tasty… definitely an experience!  This place also gives you a free piece of cake if you order 2 drinks… how sweet is that?!?  Definitely worth it!

Thursday turned around a bit, but I was looking forward to Friday!  Wow… can I just say what a difference one day can make!  I know God knew I needed to catch a break!  I get to school and my teacher greets me.  I asked her how she was and she said, “I feel much better then I did yesterday.  Yesterday wasn’t a good day!”  I’d second that!!  She was in the middle of cleaning her room when I came in.  She handed me a wet towel and said I needed to clean room.  No big deal, I wiped the tables off and the counters off.  I just think it’s so crazy that the teachers and students have to clean the schools!  Oh one of the many differences!!

I had so much fun in my classes today!!  We reviewed during all of the classes and the kids were really into it!  Probably b/c I was giving them stickers for the right answers, but hey whatever works!  I have some really smart kids!  It is a lot different here though, b/c if a student gets a wrong answer or doesn’t know how to answer, they have to stand up in the back of the class until we move on to the next thing!  I always feel so bad for those kids!  Today I asked a student what her favorite month was and why.  She told me August, but couldn’t tell me why.  I was going to give her a sticker for trying, but the teacher told me, “Don’t give her a sticker.  She can talk English.”  I felt horrible for this girl, but I couldn’t go against my teacher.  I just made sure I called on her to answer a different question so she could get a sticker!  I don’t feel that negative reinforcement in positive for kids!  I’m more of an encourager so this has been a little difficult for me to witness sometimes!

We had shorter classes today b/c the teachers were going on a field trip and the students were leaving school early!  Some classes were late b/c they had to take ‘urine tests.’  I was a little concern when I heard this b/c I was thinking, what did you have an outbreak of drugs or something?   No worries, they do this to all 6^th graders… it was a physical.  My teacher called it a ‘pee test’… ha, I had to explain to her that yes it was technically a ‘pee test’ but we call them ‘urine tests’ b/c it is more polite!  That made me laugh! J

I had one boy come in and introduce himself as David.  I asked him if that was his English name.  He told me, “My name is David, David Beckum and  I’m from Enland!”  Ha, I laughed in his face!  His friend told me his name was Obama… oh man!!  These are 2 of favorite boys though! 

During lunch, I ate with my teacher and then with another teacher who is in my ‘teachers class.’   It was neat to sit and talk with and see how hard she is trying to learn English.  She’s doing great and she is such a sweet person!  I enjoyed getting to know her more!  I also noticed at lunch that our nurse was wearing a sweatshirt jacket with playboy bunnies all over them!  I don’t think Asians have a grasp on what that symbol really means!  The SCHOOL NURSE was wearing that!  Oh, My!

I lucked out and got to leave school at 1pm today!  It was so amazing to have the afternoon off!  I did laundry and relaxed… I totally could get used to this!  It was nice to have some time to myself! 

Today I was reminded how faithful God is!  He helped me work through my frustrations and He allowed me to see things in a new perspective!  2 things I really needed!!

 

 

 

Refreshed... Momentarily!

I woke up feeling refreshed this morning.  I slept for almost 11 hours last night!  I came home from the doctor and decided to watch a movie and relax! I woke up half way through the movie and realized I was too tired so I turned it off and went to bed by 8:15!  It was so great!  It was raining this morning, 2nd day in a row, so that was a bummer!  I don't mind the rain, it just makes getting to school a little bit harder!  I survived! 

I'm not sure I've told you this, but corporal punishment is completely acceptable in South Korea!  Other teachers had told me stories, but I thought my teachers were too nice to do that!  Welp, I wrong!!  I witnessed my first 'attack' today!  My teacher was in a roll... she hit 3 boys on the back of their heads and she wasn't playing around!  They got their act together though!  One of my friends told me that his teacher hit a kid today and another student said, "head shot"... a few moments later she smacked a different student and the same kid yelled "double kill."  Gotta love Korean kids... video games are shaping the world, one mind at a time!

Today was my long day and I had 3rd graders all day!  I was a bit frustrated today with my teacher!  She didn't really use me much!  My experiences have taught me that kids are usually smarter then we give them credit for!  If you want them to succeed, you need to raise the bar!  I was doing 'conversation' with them at the beginning of class and I asked them what day of the week it was, what day was yesterday, and what will tomorrow be.  No one answered for a couple of seconds (which I think is totally normal) and she said, "they don't know that" and expected me to answer it for them.  I didn't and they answered!  They are smart if you allow them to be!  I think she uses way too much Korean and not enough English!  She totally cut me off when I was trying to teach them the days of the week!  I believe that before you can start learning conversation, you need to know the basics and 'days of the week' and 'months of year' are basic!  I guess we just see things different!  I'm learning to continually be flexible and use the 10 minutes I have per class to get things done!  The frustrating part was that I was trying to teach them something they can use and she spent 15 minutes on this chant, "wash, wash your face, wash, wash your hands."  To each his own!!

**Okay, that was my rant for the day!  I really am enjoying my time here, I promise!  I just decided that I am going to be open and vulnerable through this process and help you see what I am experiencing everyday!!  Hope this wans't too much of a turn off! :)

I realized through different jobs I have had that the reason I am here is for the students and I can't let other things bother me/ get in the way!  I absolutely LOVE my students so I am going to do what I can to help them! 

I have this one little boy who just kills me!  He totally reminds me of a cross between Simon and Theodore from the chipmunks!  He has glasses just like Simon, but it short and chunky like Theodore and for some reason he just looks like a chipmunk!  He is so stinking cute!!  I'll try to get a picture of him soon! :)

One boy brought us some breakfast that he made at school!  He brought it in the middle of class and I was excited to eat it!  I saw that it was potatoes and it had a little grilled sandwhich with cheese!  Oh how I have missed cheese... they don't really eat cheese here!  You can't really find it and if you do, it's pretty expensive!  I could taste it!  Then, I realized the teacher was giving it out to the students for participating! NOOOOOO!!! was all that was running through my head!  It was so close and then I saw it vanishing right before my eyes!  She gave away over half of it, but saved about a 1/3 of it for me... guess better then nothing, right?!?  It's just so funny how different our taste buds are.  She could have cared less to eat that and it didn't bother her to give it away b/c she wasn't a fan of it!  I on the other hand cared a lot b/c I love that stuff!  But, there's plenty of Korean food I'd give away that she would probably love to have!  I did enjoy what I had though!  The bread was french toast (obviously without the syprup) and cheese in the middle... great combo!!

I had this other boy named Mick (that's his English name) hang out in my room after school!  His English is so good and it was fun to talk with him and ask him questions!  I bet he speaks better English then the teacher!  He's went to an institute 5 days a week for the past 3 years though!!  He's probably becoming one of my favorites! :)  Favorites are okay... right?!?  As long as the other kids don't find out!!

I did feel a bit uncomfortable for one of the first times today.  I have 2 teachers that both teach 3rd graders.  One of them came up to me before I was about to teach with the other one and asked "in your opinion and experience from America, which one of us teaches better?"  Are you kidding me... who asks that?!?  That was definitely a loaded quesiton!  I said, "I'll tell you after this class.  I'm getting ready to teach with her now."  She said, "No, you've already taught with her, what do you think now?"  Somehow I avoided the question and she didn't ask again.  I don't think she was asking the way I was interpretting it, but still!  Oh Koreans!!

I impressed my teachers at lunch b/c I ate Kimchi Bip-m-Bop.  It wasn't too bad!  They thought it would be too spicy for me!  It was spicy, but rice is my old faithful and it was on the rice!  Gotta do what you gotta do... survival!

We didn't play volleyball today because the teachers were all busy, bummer,  but that's okay b/c I was productive!  I had to make lesson plans for my teacher's class!  I started them at school, but then had to finish them last night!  That is what I spent most of my evening doing!  My goal is to get all of the lessons prepared by next Friday though!  Then I won't have anything to worry about and I can relax! 

We have a visitor outside our building that is quite lively!  We're not sure what it is exactly.  We've guessed that it could be a frog or a duck or something completly different!  It is so LOUD and ANNOYING though!  I have to have some type of background noise or I can't sleep!  It woke me up at 3am going strong, but thankfully I went right back to sleep!  He just randomly showed up 2 nights ago!  We can't find him tough... we just hear him!

I made plans last night to go to the beach this weekend!  A small group of us are going to head out Saturday and come back on Sunday!  I'm so looking forward to it!! It's going to be fabulous!  Don't worry... you'll hear all about it!

Roll with the Punches...

Today was my first day to teach by myself!  I finished my lesson plans last night and was ready to go.  I got there early b/c I knew the teacher needed to make copies for me.  I was a little nervous b/c my teacher's book has more Korean then English.  It's really just a guessing game to me of what they are trying to tell me!  Sure makes me feel confident, that's for sure!  I ask my teacher to make copies and she tells me we won't have time do that activity.  That's fine, not a big deal.  Then I realize what I had planned is not what she had planned for me!  It was a bit frustrating, but I just have to roll with the punches!  She translates everything, which I don't think is always good for the students.  Then, she pretty much takes the lead teaching.  Which, I was sort of happy about b/c she knew what she wanted i didn't have to guess!  Then we have about 10 minutes left in class and she asked me if I had the survey she had asked me to create.  I told her that was the paper I asked her to copy earlier.  Oh miscommunication... it's a beautiful thing!  By the 3rd class, I had it all figured out.  Too bad the 3rd class was the last class!  I felt a bit defeated b/c i didn't feel like my teaching skills were up to par today.  However at the end, she said, "oh your teaching was great!"  I just had to laugh b/c it wasn't, but I guess our expectations are just different!  Whatever... that's how it goes and I'm okay with it!  I don't have to do lesson plans for another 2 weeks... can't beat that!!  I had my 3rd Graders for one class today... they are just too stinkin cute!  I love them! 

I decided that I needed to go to the Doctor day.  I've started to get a bit sick.  I have a really bad cough that I thought was getting better!  Nope, I've had a few coughing attacks today!  Figured I should be proactive and get on it now!  Especially since my job is pretty much talking the whole time.  Can't do much if I can't talk!  My experience at the Doctor was quite pleasant.  She speaks English so it was vey easy to talk to her!  I don’t have my insurance card right now, so I had to pay full price: 11,900 won (rough estimate $10)!  When I go in the next time with my card, I’ll get a 70% refund!  She put me on medicine, for 3 days.  I’m thinking it’s cough medicine and amoxicillin… at least that’s what it tastes like!  Again, I had to pay full price: 7,150 won (rough estimate $5.50).  I’ll get a refund from there too when I get my card!  I was in and out of the doctors office and pharmacy with my prescription in less than 30 minutes… show me where you can do that in the states!  The medicine is funny… it doesn’t come in bottles.  Each dosage is in its own pack.  I have 9 little baggies with 3 pills each.  And, my cough medicine comes in little individual packets that I tear open and drink out of the package!  Oh Korea… you are so entertaining!

I decided for dinner I would try something safe tonight!  I wasn’t feeling Korean food b/c today at lunch I was served little fish!  And by little fish I mean fish about the size pencil lead, dried out, but still had it’s eyes and off its bones in tact!  Not too appetizing!  I had to stop into our directors office so he could tell me how to take my medicine… I didn’t understand anything the pharmacist told me!  Then I decided tonight was going to be a shut-in night!  I ate dinner and watched a movie!  I figured I should rest and try to get better soon!  I mean, I totally have to rest up for my volleyball game tomorrow! J

Oh, I almost forgot.  Funny Story:  So every day at least one time a day, while I'm walking up the stairs from using the restroom multiple times a day, I trip going up the stairs.  Sometimes are worse then others.  It's definitely noticable though! I figured out today why I do it.  One of the steps is higher then the rest.  I was walking down the stairs and I realized that one step was not like the rest!  Good to know I haven't completely lost it!

I will leave you with an encouraging thought that a friend shared with me today:

It is awesome to think that even a little bit of God’s grace and love is more than enough for everything we need.  He'll never place you anywhere out of His reach; all we have to do is trust.