Man, time is just flying by here! The weeks and days are going my so fast! I have been here for over 4 months now! That is a 1/3 of the way there! I can’t believe it! Time just gets away from me here and before I know it, it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve updated you! Sorry about that!
The weather here in Korea is definitely fall weather! It is starting to get cooler… which is a nice change! It is a lot less humid, so this makes for more pleasant days! The temperature is usually in the 70’s or 80’s. The weather here is actually very similar to the weather in Kansas. Usually when I talk to people at home, we are experiencing about the same! That’s nice… It’s like a little piece of home! J I must admit though, I miss getting ready for the fall. The smells aren’t quite the same here! They don’t have Halloween, so I haven’t seen pumpkins and I know there will be no pumpkin carving! I’m missing some of my favorites, like ‘pumpkin spice’ candles, caramel for my apples, Orange Oreos, and Pumpkin Shaped Reese’s Peanut Butter cups! Now those say ‘fall’ to me! There are definitely certain things that just aren’t home! Peanut butter and chocolate snacks together, just never caught on over here! So, you can’t find things like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! It’s all about sacrifice… right?!? J
We are about to celebrate Chusok here I know Korea. This is their Thanksgiving. It is the biggest holiday in Korea. They spend this time with their families and eat very traditional meals. They also buy gifts for each other. It is similar to Christmas for us in that way. We get Friday off, so no complaints here! I’m anxious to experience this here! I think it has potential to be a lot of fun!
Let’s see, how have my students been entertaining recently?!? I feel like they are always doing something! I’ve been teaching more so I have a lot more interaction with my students inside of the classroom! I’m really glad about that! It helps my days and weeks go by a lot faster!
They just come up with the cutest things to say! One of my students asked me if I was married. She couldn’t quite figure out how to ask me in English, so she started singing the ‘Wedding March!’ It was so funny!
I have one 6th grade boy who always comes into class early and says, “I love you!” and then puts up a heart over his head! I always just laugh at him. But this week my head teacher said, “Do you really have those feelings?” (She said this in English and this boy does not speak English. I wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this!) She told me he doesn’t so he shouldn’t say it. Yeah, he still says it!
I was looking at my Facebook account one day! (This is something I do often b/c I have so much free time!) One of my girls came in and said, “Oh, Facebook. I know that!” She hasn’t found me yet, which is quite surprising! I love that even in Korea, you can find Facebook!
My 6th grade boys are ornery, but they know exactly what to say to me! They will do something and then I will go to get on to them and then they will just smile at me! They have the cutest little smiles where their eyes twinkle. Yeah, I lose all of my power, b/c they just melt my heart! In one of my classes there are these 2 boys who are best friends. They are also very much the leaders in the class. Whatever they do, their classmates follow. So, one day they were coming in late and I met them in the hallway. I told them if they participated and listened in class, I’d have something for them after class. I gave them a ‘high-five’ to signify the fact that they got it and they were going to do it. Then one of the boys grabbed my hand and tried to walk into class that way! Oh boys… they never change… even half way around the world!
I also had one of my boys give me his phone number. He took my phone and typed in his number then called his phone so he’d have my number! If only older boys were that persistent! J (This is the same boy who wrote me the letter earlier in the year!) Then one day in class he was sitting with some girls and he was not paying attention in class. I had to tell their table a couple of times to get back on task. He came into my room during the next break and apologized to me for not listening. He said, “I’m sorry I was not listening and paying attention in class.” Of course I to tell him it was okay!
My 3rd graders are pretty cute, too! I am sad b/c this is my last week with them! I start 4th grade next week. They are just so funny. I pointed to a character in the book and I asked who this was. The class said ‘Joon,’ and I had to say no. So, one boy said, ‘July?’ I laughed out loud on that one! At least he was getting the months figured out!
For some reason, they don’t have screens here on their windows. They don’t like to run the air either. So, they have a whole wall of windows they open up everyday. Of course, if there are no screens, then things can fly in. For some reason last week wasps were really bad. We had one fly in during the middle of the class and the students freaked out! They started screaming and some tried to get under their tables! If they had coats on, they pulled their hoods up over their heads. The teacher turned the lights off and had them put their heads down! Like that’s going to make the wasp think that they weren’t there or something?!? So, we had to take about a 15 minute break until the wasp flew out! I had to hide my face with my paper so they wouldn’t see me laughing! There was one boy in one my classes who said while we were waiting, “Teacher, English please!” He didn’t want to just sit there, he wanted me to start teaching again! Finally, the teacher took a book and swatted it down when it landed! Now that was entertaining!
I also got to experience my first fire drill here at school! I’m in the middle of teaching and a voice comes over the loud speaker. My teacher told me they said there was going to be a fire drill. She then told me to keep teaching b/c we had about 10 or 15 minutes before it would go off. So, I start teaching again. Then she tells me to stop and they line the students up (no bell has rung yet!) I asked her if we needed to go and she said, “No, we will have a break time!” So, I went to my classroom, the bell rang and all of the students went outside. Well, as I’m sitting at my desk, I start to smell smoke! Now my first reaction was, what are the odds of a real fire happening during a drill?!? Then it hit me, I’m smelling smoke and I am still INSIDE the school! I hear the students outside so I run over to my windows and look outside! There is a fire… but it’s in a fire pit. They actually started a real fire for the drill. I’d like to see that happen in the states! I was relieved to know that it was really just a practice though!
There are times, many times actually, that I will be teaching in my books and find something misspelled or it will just be wrong. Usually it’s not a big deal and I can just move right past it and correct it as I go! But the other day I had to chuckle at one of them. I was showing the students flashcards that are magnets. We came across a picture of a zebra, but it was labeled as a horse! Thankfully, the students knew it as a zebra and not a horse… I would have been worried if it was the other way around!
I played volleyball again this past week. Man, I ‘m so glad I get to do this! It’s fun and I love getting to know the guys better. This is the reason I actually have a relationship with most of them! There’s this one older guy that I just love! He’s a setter, but for some reason we’re never on the same team! He’s a tricky little guy. But, he’s on of my biggest fans! He’s so fun! We also had some other fans there this week! My 5th and 6th grade boys that play basketball showed up at the gym. They came in like 1 or 2 at a time. They were so cute! They’d look at me and smile and wave. It was like they were shocked to see me playing. They started cheering for the team I was on! Then, they’d try to tell me something in Korean but I couldn’t understand them. So then they’d just start playing charades with me! I think I scored some major points with the 6th grade boys though, b/c the next 2 days they did great in class! It’s funny how different things can be for you inside the classroom when you can connect with the student outside of the classroom.
My teachers can tell me some funny things too. The other day after lunch, I went to one of the teacher’s rooms with a group. We were eating chestnuts (which I’m not too sure if I’m a fan of or not!) and they were asking me questions and we were talking. One of them told me that Korean guys like to marry teachers. They are a ‘hot commodities’ over here (those weren’t her exact words but that is definitely what she was meaning!!). I asked why and she told me b/c they get off of work earlier then other jobs, so they can come home and have dinner cooked and ready for the husband when he gets home! Are you kidding me?!? (And this is reason #92 why I could not marry a Korean!!) She was laughing when she said this, but it’s true! My, oh my!
My relationship with my teacher is a lot better now, too! My director called and talked to her. She told her if I wasn’t teaching then I’d have to change schools. She didn’t want to lose a native speaker, so now I teach! It’s fun and it helps the days go by a lot quicker! To be honest though, that was a huge growing time for me! I had to have a lot of “Becky—God time” during those weeks. It was tough. I wasn’t happy with my job, so that made for some rough weeks! Thankfully I had a few people here who would let me vent and then help me to move on. Those relationships are a lot closer now b/c of it! I’m just glad that’s behind me for now!
I’m finally starting to get into my groove here and boy does it feel good!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Adventure Around the Corner
I never know where the weekend will take me. We’re not much of planners, so usually most things are spontaneous! We did have a plan for my birthday weekend though (mostly b/c others planned it for me J)! I really wanted to go see a baseball game and we all know my addictions to Mexican food! I got both… great weekend!! My firents made me a great lunch and I even got to have cheese dip (this is a very rare occurrence)! They also made me a real cake… vanilla, exactly what I like! I have some great friends over here… very thoughtful!
After some amazing food and good laughs, we headed out to the ballpark. On the way there we found out we were going to see the worst team (that didn’t really effect me too much, b/c I’m from KC and we all know the Royals’ record)! When we arrived, we were trying to figure out what seats to buy. I decided to go up and try to figure it out on my own. The lady handed me 6 tickets, for FREE! We got to see a free baseball game… that mad it even better! Koreans are crazy about their games! I felt like I was at a soccer game. The fans were doing cheers and yelling the whole game! They started off down 0-9… rough road ahead I thought. Oh Korea, always surprising me! They came back and won it in the 9th inning with a 3-run homerun. It was quite the experience, but it was super fun! I felt a little piece of home there. Oh and the left fielder was a foreigner… we had to heckle him b/c we knew he could speak English. That was entertaining!
We ended the weekend by going to a Pub Quiz. You get a team of 4 together and you try to answer the most random questions. Now, I’m not usually much help on this subject, but I held my own. Our team ended up winning first place! And along with the bragging rights, we won 75,000 won (about $75). We decided that we are going to use our money to go the driving range here… that should be fun!
I also started working at another school 2 Saturdays a mouth. It is at the school where my friend works and they needed an extra teacher. It’s 2 less Saturdays a month I get to sleep in, but I’ll survive. I go and play games with about 16 students for 3 hours. It’s a rough life, but someone’s got to do it! J
There was one night I though North Korea was invading us. It was about 11.30pm and I had just gone to sleep. All of the sudden I wake up to the sound of planes overhead. The sound lasted for a good 2-3 minutes! My first thought was “Oh no, we’re being attacked!” I jumped out of bed and looked out my window… nothing. I went to the other side of the room and looked out my front door… nothing! I still have no idea what it was, but I’m safe and unharmed, so that’s all that matters!
We decided to be adventurous this past weekend and try Norrebong again! (This is karaoking Korean style!) We found this hole in the wall and decided to try it out! It was just 4 of us, which is a lot more fun! We rocked out to some Killers and the Beetles and many others in the between! When we left, I could barely talk… it killed my voice! I got my fill for a few months!
Korea is known for all of their different festivals. However, many have gotten canceled this fall b/c of the Swine Flu. This past weekend they had a food expo here in Cheonan. It reminded me of a fair back home. There were a lot of booths set up and you walk around. Some booths had free samples… of course those were my favorite booths! It was a fun experience, but very overwhelming all at the same time! My picture was in the booth for the Public Schools. It was funny seeing a white person on the board full of Koreans! I didn’t stick out or anything! I tasted some great things and some questionable things all at the same time! It’s an adventure!
I’ve also had the opportunity to start at the Children’s Home. This is a home for kids who do not have families. Some are orphans, but others are not. Sometimes their parents just can’t afford to have them, so they give them to the local home and then they see their children about once or twice a year. My heart feels for them. They are a great bunch of boys! We have 6 boys in our group. They are all boy that’s for sure, but so sweet! I volunteer there once a week so I’m looking forward to developing some great relationships with my boys!
It has been a refreshing week this past week! It was a good week! I also have a new post below. Make sure you check it out b/c I shared what God is doing in my life right now!
After some amazing food and good laughs, we headed out to the ballpark. On the way there we found out we were going to see the worst team (that didn’t really effect me too much, b/c I’m from KC and we all know the Royals’ record)! When we arrived, we were trying to figure out what seats to buy. I decided to go up and try to figure it out on my own. The lady handed me 6 tickets, for FREE! We got to see a free baseball game… that mad it even better! Koreans are crazy about their games! I felt like I was at a soccer game. The fans were doing cheers and yelling the whole game! They started off down 0-9… rough road ahead I thought. Oh Korea, always surprising me! They came back and won it in the 9th inning with a 3-run homerun. It was quite the experience, but it was super fun! I felt a little piece of home there. Oh and the left fielder was a foreigner… we had to heckle him b/c we knew he could speak English. That was entertaining!
We ended the weekend by going to a Pub Quiz. You get a team of 4 together and you try to answer the most random questions. Now, I’m not usually much help on this subject, but I held my own. Our team ended up winning first place! And along with the bragging rights, we won 75,000 won (about $75). We decided that we are going to use our money to go the driving range here… that should be fun!
I also started working at another school 2 Saturdays a mouth. It is at the school where my friend works and they needed an extra teacher. It’s 2 less Saturdays a month I get to sleep in, but I’ll survive. I go and play games with about 16 students for 3 hours. It’s a rough life, but someone’s got to do it! J
There was one night I though North Korea was invading us. It was about 11.30pm and I had just gone to sleep. All of the sudden I wake up to the sound of planes overhead. The sound lasted for a good 2-3 minutes! My first thought was “Oh no, we’re being attacked!” I jumped out of bed and looked out my window… nothing. I went to the other side of the room and looked out my front door… nothing! I still have no idea what it was, but I’m safe and unharmed, so that’s all that matters!
We decided to be adventurous this past weekend and try Norrebong again! (This is karaoking Korean style!) We found this hole in the wall and decided to try it out! It was just 4 of us, which is a lot more fun! We rocked out to some Killers and the Beetles and many others in the between! When we left, I could barely talk… it killed my voice! I got my fill for a few months!
Korea is known for all of their different festivals. However, many have gotten canceled this fall b/c of the Swine Flu. This past weekend they had a food expo here in Cheonan. It reminded me of a fair back home. There were a lot of booths set up and you walk around. Some booths had free samples… of course those were my favorite booths! It was a fun experience, but very overwhelming all at the same time! My picture was in the booth for the Public Schools. It was funny seeing a white person on the board full of Koreans! I didn’t stick out or anything! I tasted some great things and some questionable things all at the same time! It’s an adventure!
I’ve also had the opportunity to start at the Children’s Home. This is a home for kids who do not have families. Some are orphans, but others are not. Sometimes their parents just can’t afford to have them, so they give them to the local home and then they see their children about once or twice a year. My heart feels for them. They are a great bunch of boys! We have 6 boys in our group. They are all boy that’s for sure, but so sweet! I volunteer there once a week so I’m looking forward to developing some great relationships with my boys!
It has been a refreshing week this past week! It was a good week! I also have a new post below. Make sure you check it out b/c I shared what God is doing in my life right now!
Life Learner
So I’ve said from the beginning, I want this blog to be a true representation of experience here. I want to share the amazing things I’m experiencing over here, but I also want to be able to be vulnerable and honest and say that life’s not always roses here for me. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve taken on this tone, but I think it’s important. I want to share my journey with you.
I know I use the statement ‘God is teaching me so much while I’m over here,’ but I feel like I’m not always as specific as I’d like to be. I think its b/c for me to share what God is teaching me is to admit that I fall short in many areas. I know this is something we all know, but to put yourself out there and share with others, can be a tough thing to do. Which, I feel this is all ironic, b/c I’ve always thought I was a pretty open and honest person and being vulnerable doesn’t scare me away. I’m learning though, there are differences. I am completely okay with being honest about my feelings… I’m not scared of them. I can embrace them. Many people think I wear my heart on my sleeve… I would try to debate that, but there’s no use, it’s the truth. If I am frustrated, you will know. If I’m excited, you will know. If I’m loving life or hating life, you will be able to read me.
But, I’m beginning to realize that when it comes to admitting my short comings, I’m not always the first to raise my hand and share openly. I feel like I am a good listener, so it’s always been easier for me to focus the conversation on others. Sometimes I feel like I know more then I’d like, but that’s okay… I enjoy this role that I play in others lives. It’s funny that I’ve only been in Korea for 4 months (which means I’ve only known these people for 4 months) and I’ve already fallen into that role here! Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I love relationships and I love hearing about people’s stories and I love helping people. I think many times people forget they have things to offer the world. I love helping them discover that again. But again, it’s easy for me to give my attention to others and not own up to my own baggage.
So, where is this all coming from you might be asking yourself… I mean this is supposed to be about my adventures in Korea, right?!? Well, it is. One of the main reasons I came to Korea was b/c I knew that God needed to mold me and He needed to chip away at things in my life. I know myself and in America it is very easy for me to get distracted and just go through my everyday life without thinking. It was a rut I was stuck in and I wanted to get out of.
I think God is beginning to shake me up a little. He is showing me that this thought of who I was is not really who I am at all. I’m not saying I’m going through some type of identity crisis or anything, but I am saying that God is working in my life. He is showing me areas where I can grow. He is showing me my areas of strengths. I’m not going to lie, it’s tough to go through, but I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel through all of this!
Okay, this is me being in a very vulnerable state right now. Before I came to Korea, I thought I was a pretty giving person. However, God is showing me that at times I can be very selfish. There are many times when I think of my self before others. There are many times that I am disgusted by my actions or my thoughts. When you move to another country, you quickly can figure out what your short comings are. I know God is challenging me in this area. He continually gives me situations where I have to choose to either think of myself or think of others. I am not saying I always choose the right thing, but I can say that God is faithful and He is teaching me to love others the way He does. He is putting difficult people into my life b/c I need to learn to love the unlovable. I feel this is what He has called us all to do! I am convicted often of this. This is where ‘wearing my heart on my sleeve’ can get me into trouble sometimes. But God’s grace that He extends to me is a gentle reminder daily that I in return need to offer grace to others. Grace is not something we earn or deserve, it’s a gift.
I’ve also been reminded (b/c this is not the first time I’ve realized this) that without being connected to a church body, I feel disconnected in every other area of my life. This is something I have many conversations with God about. It is not in my character for me to jump in and start doing things if I don’t know people. I’m more then welcome to help if I am asked; in fact, I truly long to be asked. God is teaching me though that it is my responsibility to get involved and to use my talents. He did not give them to me to be wasted or to be horded for myself. Again, this is a learning process and I’m working up the courage to do this. I have started a small group though and God is using those individuals to help us all be connected on a deeper spiritual level.
My experience here is not quite like I was expecting. I tried to come in with no expectations, but that’s almost impossible to do. Without knowing it, I had a picture in my head about what it was going to be like. I thought I would come to Korea and fall in love with the people and this place. I thought I would beam with passion. But honestly, that has not been my experience thus far. Don’t hear me wrong, I am enjoying my experience. I like it here a lot! I am so glad I am doing this and I know without a doubt this is exactly where God wants me to be. It is difficult sometimes though b/c I am not passionate about this place. I have had to work through this and allow myself to be okay with not being passionate about it. Sometimes we do things that we don’t absolutely love and that is perfectly okay. There is nothing wrong with me and there is nothing wrong with Korea. I know this is not where I want to be for the rest of my life, but for now it’s good. This is where I find my inner conflict though. I need to remember that I need to bloom where I am planted. I need to be content with where God has me now. I am learning things here that I would not be doing if I was at home. I really like Korea, but I don’t love it and that’s okay. I can’t compare my experience with another’s and expect it to be the same… I would be cheating myself out of MY adventure!
Through this, I’m reminded and I’m experiencing first hand what it means to be the Body of Christ. We all can’t be the mouth and we all can’t be the hands. Some of us need to be the feet and others need to be the ears. It’s easy to start comparing ourselves to others. Be careful though, that’s a dangerous game to play. That is something I have been doing more recently. I think it is more difficult over here, b/c there aren’t a lot of people like me (meaning Americas! J) It is very easy to compare our teaching abilities, or the fact that some of us have more relationships with Koreans than others, or who knows more Korean than who, or insert any other thing you can think of here. This can be a very slippery slope. This is definitely one of those things that are difficult to not do and it’s a constant battle everyday. However, I must remind myself that I found freedom in the Lord. I am free to be me b/c of Him. This thought alone comforts my fears.
I would have to say the biggest thing I’ve learned thus far though is to not to stress as much as I have in the past. If I have something come up, I take it to the Lord. There is a certain peace about this. Sure, it’s easy to say, but not always as easy to follow. Again, I’m still learning and there are times I don’t go to Him first. Those tend to be some difficult moments for me, b/c I try to do it on my own. I can breathe easier though after I give it to Him and trust that I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Philippians 4:5-7 has helped me to sustain this: 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So, this is me being vulnerable. This is me wearing my heart on my sleeve. And this is me, sharing with you, what God is doing in my life. I find great comfort in knowing that I can share with you what God is doing in my life. It’s an adventure, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Thanks for all of your prayers and encouragement! Even though I love to visit Islands, I don’t ever want to become one!
I know I use the statement ‘God is teaching me so much while I’m over here,’ but I feel like I’m not always as specific as I’d like to be. I think its b/c for me to share what God is teaching me is to admit that I fall short in many areas. I know this is something we all know, but to put yourself out there and share with others, can be a tough thing to do. Which, I feel this is all ironic, b/c I’ve always thought I was a pretty open and honest person and being vulnerable doesn’t scare me away. I’m learning though, there are differences. I am completely okay with being honest about my feelings… I’m not scared of them. I can embrace them. Many people think I wear my heart on my sleeve… I would try to debate that, but there’s no use, it’s the truth. If I am frustrated, you will know. If I’m excited, you will know. If I’m loving life or hating life, you will be able to read me.
But, I’m beginning to realize that when it comes to admitting my short comings, I’m not always the first to raise my hand and share openly. I feel like I am a good listener, so it’s always been easier for me to focus the conversation on others. Sometimes I feel like I know more then I’d like, but that’s okay… I enjoy this role that I play in others lives. It’s funny that I’ve only been in Korea for 4 months (which means I’ve only known these people for 4 months) and I’ve already fallen into that role here! Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I love relationships and I love hearing about people’s stories and I love helping people. I think many times people forget they have things to offer the world. I love helping them discover that again. But again, it’s easy for me to give my attention to others and not own up to my own baggage.
So, where is this all coming from you might be asking yourself… I mean this is supposed to be about my adventures in Korea, right?!? Well, it is. One of the main reasons I came to Korea was b/c I knew that God needed to mold me and He needed to chip away at things in my life. I know myself and in America it is very easy for me to get distracted and just go through my everyday life without thinking. It was a rut I was stuck in and I wanted to get out of.
I think God is beginning to shake me up a little. He is showing me that this thought of who I was is not really who I am at all. I’m not saying I’m going through some type of identity crisis or anything, but I am saying that God is working in my life. He is showing me areas where I can grow. He is showing me my areas of strengths. I’m not going to lie, it’s tough to go through, but I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel through all of this!
Okay, this is me being in a very vulnerable state right now. Before I came to Korea, I thought I was a pretty giving person. However, God is showing me that at times I can be very selfish. There are many times when I think of my self before others. There are many times that I am disgusted by my actions or my thoughts. When you move to another country, you quickly can figure out what your short comings are. I know God is challenging me in this area. He continually gives me situations where I have to choose to either think of myself or think of others. I am not saying I always choose the right thing, but I can say that God is faithful and He is teaching me to love others the way He does. He is putting difficult people into my life b/c I need to learn to love the unlovable. I feel this is what He has called us all to do! I am convicted often of this. This is where ‘wearing my heart on my sleeve’ can get me into trouble sometimes. But God’s grace that He extends to me is a gentle reminder daily that I in return need to offer grace to others. Grace is not something we earn or deserve, it’s a gift.
I’ve also been reminded (b/c this is not the first time I’ve realized this) that without being connected to a church body, I feel disconnected in every other area of my life. This is something I have many conversations with God about. It is not in my character for me to jump in and start doing things if I don’t know people. I’m more then welcome to help if I am asked; in fact, I truly long to be asked. God is teaching me though that it is my responsibility to get involved and to use my talents. He did not give them to me to be wasted or to be horded for myself. Again, this is a learning process and I’m working up the courage to do this. I have started a small group though and God is using those individuals to help us all be connected on a deeper spiritual level.
My experience here is not quite like I was expecting. I tried to come in with no expectations, but that’s almost impossible to do. Without knowing it, I had a picture in my head about what it was going to be like. I thought I would come to Korea and fall in love with the people and this place. I thought I would beam with passion. But honestly, that has not been my experience thus far. Don’t hear me wrong, I am enjoying my experience. I like it here a lot! I am so glad I am doing this and I know without a doubt this is exactly where God wants me to be. It is difficult sometimes though b/c I am not passionate about this place. I have had to work through this and allow myself to be okay with not being passionate about it. Sometimes we do things that we don’t absolutely love and that is perfectly okay. There is nothing wrong with me and there is nothing wrong with Korea. I know this is not where I want to be for the rest of my life, but for now it’s good. This is where I find my inner conflict though. I need to remember that I need to bloom where I am planted. I need to be content with where God has me now. I am learning things here that I would not be doing if I was at home. I really like Korea, but I don’t love it and that’s okay. I can’t compare my experience with another’s and expect it to be the same… I would be cheating myself out of MY adventure!
Through this, I’m reminded and I’m experiencing first hand what it means to be the Body of Christ. We all can’t be the mouth and we all can’t be the hands. Some of us need to be the feet and others need to be the ears. It’s easy to start comparing ourselves to others. Be careful though, that’s a dangerous game to play. That is something I have been doing more recently. I think it is more difficult over here, b/c there aren’t a lot of people like me (meaning Americas! J) It is very easy to compare our teaching abilities, or the fact that some of us have more relationships with Koreans than others, or who knows more Korean than who, or insert any other thing you can think of here. This can be a very slippery slope. This is definitely one of those things that are difficult to not do and it’s a constant battle everyday. However, I must remind myself that I found freedom in the Lord. I am free to be me b/c of Him. This thought alone comforts my fears.
I would have to say the biggest thing I’ve learned thus far though is to not to stress as much as I have in the past. If I have something come up, I take it to the Lord. There is a certain peace about this. Sure, it’s easy to say, but not always as easy to follow. Again, I’m still learning and there are times I don’t go to Him first. Those tend to be some difficult moments for me, b/c I try to do it on my own. I can breathe easier though after I give it to Him and trust that I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Philippians 4:5-7 has helped me to sustain this: 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So, this is me being vulnerable. This is me wearing my heart on my sleeve. And this is me, sharing with you, what God is doing in my life. I find great comfort in knowing that I can share with you what God is doing in my life. It’s an adventure, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Thanks for all of your prayers and encouragement! Even though I love to visit Islands, I don’t ever want to become one!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Routine Back In Swing
And just like that, I’ve been back in school for 2 weeks. It has been an interesting 2 weeks, that’s for sure! I was so excited to get back to see my kiddos! I went 6 weeks without seeing them, I missed them! They sure can be ornery , but they’re so cute when they do it!
But, if I had to be honest, I’d have to say the last 2 weeks have been the toughest thus far. My head teacher and I have been clashing. Korean education is very different! Therefore, my teacher and I have disagreed on things. I think my biggest frustration is the fact that I’m not teaching in her class, at all! On Thursdays and Fridays I sit in my classroom b/c she ways she has to teach alone. The students have a very important test coming up in October so she has to prepare them for it! I’m not going to go into all of the details, but if you’d help me pray for the situation, it’d be greatly appreciated!
I am choosing to have good days though! There are bright spots throughout my day and I need to focus on them! My students give me material to share with you all the time! J Here are a few of my favorite happenings over the past couple of weeks!
One day, I had 3 6th graders who came into my classroom during every break they had. The boy speaks pretty good English, so he translates for the girls. They were telling me and asking me all sorts of things. They pointed to my eyes and said “Oh, big eyes teacher.” And then told me my nose was high. They asked if I had my face fixed?!? (Meaning—have I had plastic surgery?) In Korea, their eyes are obviously not wide; so many people have surgery and have their top layer of skin removed on their eyelids. This is very common for actors and models, but many teachers here say they’ve seen their high school and middle school students have the procedure done. They also don’t have a bridge in their noses for the most part. Some people have reconstructive surgery to get bridges put in. So, b/c I did not look like them and b/c it’s common in their culture to have those tings done, they asked if I’ve had my ‘face fixed’! I chuckled a little and said no. They smiled and said, “Oh, very beautiful, teacher.” They want to look more westernized. That concept is so interesting to me, b/c I think Koreans are beautiful! I guess the grass is always greener on the other side!
Korean are very blunt when it comes to comments about your physical appearance. Sometimes it can hurt your feelings, but other times it can make your day! I told you I’ve been sick for the past few weeks. I haven’t had much of an appetite so I haven’t been eating a lot. And, if you’re not eating, you’re obviously going to lose weight. My first week back I had a group of my 6th grade boys, 6th Grade Boys, come up to me and say, “Teacher, you (point to me), small (put hands in a ‘smaller’ gesture).” 6th Grade BOYS said this! Yeah, they’re my favorites now! J
My teacher decided to let her 6th graders out of class 5-10 minutes early on Friday. I had no idea she was doing this. So, I had a group of 6th graders come in and act like crazy kids for a bit. It was funny though b/c the boys started arm wrestling with each other. Then, one boy came up to me and ask if he could arm wrestle me. Of course I said yes! He was good and he beat me. Then another boy wanted to try. He wasn’t quite so lucky. Come on, I couldn’t let them all beat me!
Of course my teachers can help me with stories too! We can do the most random things when I am with them. One of the first days back, my teacher came in and asked if I like grapes. Of course I do. So we went down to the ‘teacher’s room,’ which is also the Vice Principal’s office and sat and ate grapes with about 8-10 other teachers. They talked in Korean and were laughing and having a great time. I sat there and smiled. This is definitely one of the those times I wished there were subtitles so I could understand what they were saying. Something appeared to be hilarious! It was a fun afternoon though. This was definitely one of those ‘I’m in Korea?!?!’ moments!
Things get lost in translation a lot here. I know this isn’t what my teacher was meaning, but this is what she said. I told you we disagreed on a few things. Well, we had a pretty heated discussion. Later in the week we were talking and she said, “From the first day we met until last week I like you. But then after that, I don’t like you.” Wow, again I now that’s not exactly what she meant, but that’s what she said!
But all was right after the next day. I was walking into school one morning and there were about 4 teachers standing outside taking temperatures of the students b/c of the ‘swine flu’ scare. One teacher, who I don’t even know that well said, “Oh Becky” and then came at me with this big smile. She grabbed me and hugged me, she hugged me! It made my day!
My teachers do surprise me quite often. One day in the afternoon, I wasn’t feeling well so I thought I’d go to the nurse. There were about 6 other teachers when I went in. I told her I wasn’t feeling well, so she had me lay down. One of the teachers sitting there, which is one of the guys I play volleyball with, asked me why I didn’t go talk to the principal. He told me I should tell him I’m not feeling well, so I could go home. I told him it was okay and I could just stay here. He asked me why I didn’t want to go and talk to the principal. I told him I was scared to tell my principal that. He laughed and said, “Me too! I’m scared!” Oh that gave me confidence to talk to him! My principal did let me go home though, so I was very appreciative!
I’m reminded often that life is all about the ups and downs. Life is about the journey and your experiences, not the destination! I’m trying to remember this as I go through my days! I’m having the experience of a life time! God is good and He’s teaching me stuff daily! I know He is molding me and chipping away at me all at the same time. It’s a good place to be!
But, if I had to be honest, I’d have to say the last 2 weeks have been the toughest thus far. My head teacher and I have been clashing. Korean education is very different! Therefore, my teacher and I have disagreed on things. I think my biggest frustration is the fact that I’m not teaching in her class, at all! On Thursdays and Fridays I sit in my classroom b/c she ways she has to teach alone. The students have a very important test coming up in October so she has to prepare them for it! I’m not going to go into all of the details, but if you’d help me pray for the situation, it’d be greatly appreciated!
I am choosing to have good days though! There are bright spots throughout my day and I need to focus on them! My students give me material to share with you all the time! J Here are a few of my favorite happenings over the past couple of weeks!
One day, I had 3 6th graders who came into my classroom during every break they had. The boy speaks pretty good English, so he translates for the girls. They were telling me and asking me all sorts of things. They pointed to my eyes and said “Oh, big eyes teacher.” And then told me my nose was high. They asked if I had my face fixed?!? (Meaning—have I had plastic surgery?) In Korea, their eyes are obviously not wide; so many people have surgery and have their top layer of skin removed on their eyelids. This is very common for actors and models, but many teachers here say they’ve seen their high school and middle school students have the procedure done. They also don’t have a bridge in their noses for the most part. Some people have reconstructive surgery to get bridges put in. So, b/c I did not look like them and b/c it’s common in their culture to have those tings done, they asked if I’ve had my ‘face fixed’! I chuckled a little and said no. They smiled and said, “Oh, very beautiful, teacher.” They want to look more westernized. That concept is so interesting to me, b/c I think Koreans are beautiful! I guess the grass is always greener on the other side!
Korean are very blunt when it comes to comments about your physical appearance. Sometimes it can hurt your feelings, but other times it can make your day! I told you I’ve been sick for the past few weeks. I haven’t had much of an appetite so I haven’t been eating a lot. And, if you’re not eating, you’re obviously going to lose weight. My first week back I had a group of my 6th grade boys, 6th Grade Boys, come up to me and say, “Teacher, you (point to me), small (put hands in a ‘smaller’ gesture).” 6th Grade BOYS said this! Yeah, they’re my favorites now! J
My teacher decided to let her 6th graders out of class 5-10 minutes early on Friday. I had no idea she was doing this. So, I had a group of 6th graders come in and act like crazy kids for a bit. It was funny though b/c the boys started arm wrestling with each other. Then, one boy came up to me and ask if he could arm wrestle me. Of course I said yes! He was good and he beat me. Then another boy wanted to try. He wasn’t quite so lucky. Come on, I couldn’t let them all beat me!
Of course my teachers can help me with stories too! We can do the most random things when I am with them. One of the first days back, my teacher came in and asked if I like grapes. Of course I do. So we went down to the ‘teacher’s room,’ which is also the Vice Principal’s office and sat and ate grapes with about 8-10 other teachers. They talked in Korean and were laughing and having a great time. I sat there and smiled. This is definitely one of the those times I wished there were subtitles so I could understand what they were saying. Something appeared to be hilarious! It was a fun afternoon though. This was definitely one of those ‘I’m in Korea?!?!’ moments!
Things get lost in translation a lot here. I know this isn’t what my teacher was meaning, but this is what she said. I told you we disagreed on a few things. Well, we had a pretty heated discussion. Later in the week we were talking and she said, “From the first day we met until last week I like you. But then after that, I don’t like you.” Wow, again I now that’s not exactly what she meant, but that’s what she said!
But all was right after the next day. I was walking into school one morning and there were about 4 teachers standing outside taking temperatures of the students b/c of the ‘swine flu’ scare. One teacher, who I don’t even know that well said, “Oh Becky” and then came at me with this big smile. She grabbed me and hugged me, she hugged me! It made my day!
My teachers do surprise me quite often. One day in the afternoon, I wasn’t feeling well so I thought I’d go to the nurse. There were about 6 other teachers when I went in. I told her I wasn’t feeling well, so she had me lay down. One of the teachers sitting there, which is one of the guys I play volleyball with, asked me why I didn’t go talk to the principal. He told me I should tell him I’m not feeling well, so I could go home. I told him it was okay and I could just stay here. He asked me why I didn’t want to go and talk to the principal. I told him I was scared to tell my principal that. He laughed and said, “Me too! I’m scared!” Oh that gave me confidence to talk to him! My principal did let me go home though, so I was very appreciative!
I’m reminded often that life is all about the ups and downs. Life is about the journey and your experiences, not the destination! I’m trying to remember this as I go through my days! I’m having the experience of a life time! God is good and He’s teaching me stuff daily! I know He is molding me and chipping away at me all at the same time. It’s a good place to be!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sunday Funday!
Weekends are always fun here. It’s time to relax and enjoy some time with my fellow Americans! Don’t get me wrong we experience a lot Korean culture, we just do it together!
Video games are pretty huge over here in Korea. They have this one game called Starcraft. We have this game in America, but it came out in like the early 90’s. The graphics are hilarious… so old school! They eat it up though! They have these tournaments where they set up game systems and have games televised. So, of course we had to go! This was an experience! These players are really famous and have a huge fan base! We were on TV multiple times. We even heard them talking about us… on National TV! I must admit, I was bored! Probably won’t do it again, but it was worth the experience! This is like the thing to do in Korea though!
We also found this restaurant called Butterfinger Pancakes. Oh my word… this was fabulous! They had real breakfast!! (Remember we don’t get there here!) There were 8 of us and we ended up spending 120,00\, which is like $120 (roughly) on breakfast… worth it!! Oh I’m definitely coming back to this place! It was greatness! I’m telling you, it’s the little things in life! J
We also went to the beach again! We rented a beach house and about 20 of us Americans headed out and stayed the night! It was so much fun! I’m usually not a big group person, but it was a great time had by all! We had a cookout with real hamburgers and cupcakes to celebrate our friend’s birthday! We had fireworks and played games until late! It reminded me of all of those past retreats I’ve been on! Fun times, fun times! I’m sad to say that I’ve probably had my last ‘sun’ for the season though!
I got some sad news too! I was planning on going to Tokyo for Chusak (which is Korea’s Thanksgiving). We had our tickets bought and everything. There were 2 groups going though b/c of our schedules. I found out that the person I was going with had his days off switched. Therefore he couldn’t go on Thursday anymore. I may be adventurous, but I’m not stupid! I’m not heading to Tokyo by myself for a night! So, I had to cancel my trip! I’m way bummed, but that’s how it goes sometimes. It should be neat though to stay here and experience a Korean Thanksgiving! I’m sure I will experience all sorts of new things!!
I also had the unique opportunity to spend my birthday in Korea! Now this was an experience. Honestly, it just didn’t feel like birthday! Technically I had a birthday for 1 & 1/2 days! I do have great friends over here though to help me celebrate it! My friends took me to pizza for dinner and then we watched a movie together. It was a very chill evening, but it was a good night! This weekend I get Mexican food and a baseball game… 2 of my favorite things! I figured since why not double the amount of my actual birthday and have 3 days instead of the normal 1 & 1/2?!? Gotta embrace where I am! I'm thankful that my friends treated this day American Style instead of Korean Style though! In Korea, you pick up the tab on your birthday! I think I would choose not to celebrate it! Either that or I'd make a lot of friends so I could go out all of the time!
I love all of the new adventures I am able to experience! I’m so thankful that I get the opportunity to do the things I do! I am truly blessed and I try not to take it for granted! Oh the life!!
Video games are pretty huge over here in Korea. They have this one game called Starcraft. We have this game in America, but it came out in like the early 90’s. The graphics are hilarious… so old school! They eat it up though! They have these tournaments where they set up game systems and have games televised. So, of course we had to go! This was an experience! These players are really famous and have a huge fan base! We were on TV multiple times. We even heard them talking about us… on National TV! I must admit, I was bored! Probably won’t do it again, but it was worth the experience! This is like the thing to do in Korea though!
We also found this restaurant called Butterfinger Pancakes. Oh my word… this was fabulous! They had real breakfast!! (Remember we don’t get there here!) There were 8 of us and we ended up spending 120,00\, which is like $120 (roughly) on breakfast… worth it!! Oh I’m definitely coming back to this place! It was greatness! I’m telling you, it’s the little things in life! J
We also went to the beach again! We rented a beach house and about 20 of us Americans headed out and stayed the night! It was so much fun! I’m usually not a big group person, but it was a great time had by all! We had a cookout with real hamburgers and cupcakes to celebrate our friend’s birthday! We had fireworks and played games until late! It reminded me of all of those past retreats I’ve been on! Fun times, fun times! I’m sad to say that I’ve probably had my last ‘sun’ for the season though!
I got some sad news too! I was planning on going to Tokyo for Chusak (which is Korea’s Thanksgiving). We had our tickets bought and everything. There were 2 groups going though b/c of our schedules. I found out that the person I was going with had his days off switched. Therefore he couldn’t go on Thursday anymore. I may be adventurous, but I’m not stupid! I’m not heading to Tokyo by myself for a night! So, I had to cancel my trip! I’m way bummed, but that’s how it goes sometimes. It should be neat though to stay here and experience a Korean Thanksgiving! I’m sure I will experience all sorts of new things!!
I also had the unique opportunity to spend my birthday in Korea! Now this was an experience. Honestly, it just didn’t feel like birthday! Technically I had a birthday for 1 & 1/2 days! I do have great friends over here though to help me celebrate it! My friends took me to pizza for dinner and then we watched a movie together. It was a very chill evening, but it was a good night! This weekend I get Mexican food and a baseball game… 2 of my favorite things! I figured since why not double the amount of my actual birthday and have 3 days instead of the normal 1 & 1/2?!? Gotta embrace where I am! I'm thankful that my friends treated this day American Style instead of Korean Style though! In Korea, you pick up the tab on your birthday! I think I would choose not to celebrate it! Either that or I'd make a lot of friends so I could go out all of the time!
I love all of the new adventures I am able to experience! I’m so thankful that I get the opportunity to do the things I do! I am truly blessed and I try not to take it for granted! Oh the life!!
Almost There
After 2 long weeks in the class, I had 1 more week of English Camp before school started. Now, typically all the other teachers had English Camp for their actual students... not me, that’d be too easy! My teacher insisted we have English Camp for my teachers’ class. This takes a lot of planning on my part… but I guess that’s what I get paid for! (I’m not complaining by the way! J)
It was actually a nice transition, b/c I still had half a day off. I got to leave school at noon everyday… not a bad gig! I do love my teachers in my class, so it was fun! A couple highlights from the week:
We made Apple Crisp together. I found a recipe online for individual crisps that you make in the microwave… perfect! I didn’t have time to try it out before I had them do it… I know, I know, bad teacher! So I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best! We practice our listening skills. I tell them what to put in and they have to follow my directions. Well, at least that is the intentions. It ended up being 2 people measuring out the amounts for everyone… kind of defeated the purpose, but we rolled with it! After we mixed it, each person had to put theirs in the microwave for 2 minutes, so it took a little bit. The first couple people who tried it had interesting faces! I asked them if they liked it and they said it was okay. I told them it was okay if they didn’t like it. Then one lady was like, yeah, I don’t like it. The more that came out of the microwave, the more people were saying they really didn’t like it! I played it cool, but on the inside I was freaking out a bit! I thought I got the recipe messed up. I was kicking myself for being irresponsible and not making one first to try it out! The 2 guys in my class didn’t let me down though! One said it was really good and he likes to try foods from different cultures. I put my bowl in the microwave and just hoped it would turn out! I pulled it out for the moment of truth. I tasted it and I actually thought it was pretty good! It obviously wasn’t the best b/c it was in the microwave, not the oven, but the topping was great! It just reminded me yet again how different we are! They are not big ‘sweets’ people. Their idea of desserts is fruit and coffee. I had to chuckle to myself as we cleaned up! Some of them just threw it away b/c they didn’t like it! How many desserts get thrown away in America… uh, maybe that is our problem! J
I also taught them the Cha Cha Slide. It was straight comedy! Some of them have got moves! When they did the ‘cha cha’ part they were moving it! I’m sure if someone would have walked in on us they would have wondered what was going on! Koreans doing a line dance… priceless!
I also forgot to tell you a few things from a couple of weeks ago that I thought were pretty cool. The first week of English Camp, I got the unique opportunity to see the Eclipse. I honestly had no idea that it was coming. We were doing a morning free talk and one of the teachers told me about it. We took a break in the middle of class to go and see it! It was really neat and I’m so glad I got to experience it. The last eclipse I remember seeing was in 6th grade. I remember making little window things so we could look up at the sun and not have it hurt us! I found out later that day, that the eclipse was only in Asia… who knew?!? I’ll add to the list of cool experiences I’ve had in Korea!
I also think it’s interesting that I get a lot of the news headings from people’s Facebook statuses. I found out that Michael Jackson passed away, the Taco Bell dog is no longer with us, and the scores of most major sporting events! Facebook is taking over the world!! (Oh and if you have FB and we are not friends, look me up! I have all of my pictures posted on there!) Who knew that Facebook would be come the next news source?!?
I also found out that I am not moving off campus and into my own apartment until after January. They told me I’d be moving in August and then told me they miscounted and they didn’t need my apartment after all. Then I was told I could move into this girl’s apartment when her contract was over. Then I found out that she extended her contract, so now I won’t be moving until January! Yeah, I was bummed, but I figured no need to stress about it… nothing I can do about it now! So, I’m sitting tight in my on-campus room and trying to make the best of it!
My time off was officially over and I had to get ready for my normal schedule to start again. It’s so sad to say, but I was ready for routine. I love having time off, but sometimes you just need that stability! Oh, I must be getting old… I’m not losing my adventurous spirit though!!
It was actually a nice transition, b/c I still had half a day off. I got to leave school at noon everyday… not a bad gig! I do love my teachers in my class, so it was fun! A couple highlights from the week:
We made Apple Crisp together. I found a recipe online for individual crisps that you make in the microwave… perfect! I didn’t have time to try it out before I had them do it… I know, I know, bad teacher! So I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best! We practice our listening skills. I tell them what to put in and they have to follow my directions. Well, at least that is the intentions. It ended up being 2 people measuring out the amounts for everyone… kind of defeated the purpose, but we rolled with it! After we mixed it, each person had to put theirs in the microwave for 2 minutes, so it took a little bit. The first couple people who tried it had interesting faces! I asked them if they liked it and they said it was okay. I told them it was okay if they didn’t like it. Then one lady was like, yeah, I don’t like it. The more that came out of the microwave, the more people were saying they really didn’t like it! I played it cool, but on the inside I was freaking out a bit! I thought I got the recipe messed up. I was kicking myself for being irresponsible and not making one first to try it out! The 2 guys in my class didn’t let me down though! One said it was really good and he likes to try foods from different cultures. I put my bowl in the microwave and just hoped it would turn out! I pulled it out for the moment of truth. I tasted it and I actually thought it was pretty good! It obviously wasn’t the best b/c it was in the microwave, not the oven, but the topping was great! It just reminded me yet again how different we are! They are not big ‘sweets’ people. Their idea of desserts is fruit and coffee. I had to chuckle to myself as we cleaned up! Some of them just threw it away b/c they didn’t like it! How many desserts get thrown away in America… uh, maybe that is our problem! J
I also taught them the Cha Cha Slide. It was straight comedy! Some of them have got moves! When they did the ‘cha cha’ part they were moving it! I’m sure if someone would have walked in on us they would have wondered what was going on! Koreans doing a line dance… priceless!
I also forgot to tell you a few things from a couple of weeks ago that I thought were pretty cool. The first week of English Camp, I got the unique opportunity to see the Eclipse. I honestly had no idea that it was coming. We were doing a morning free talk and one of the teachers told me about it. We took a break in the middle of class to go and see it! It was really neat and I’m so glad I got to experience it. The last eclipse I remember seeing was in 6th grade. I remember making little window things so we could look up at the sun and not have it hurt us! I found out later that day, that the eclipse was only in Asia… who knew?!? I’ll add to the list of cool experiences I’ve had in Korea!
I also think it’s interesting that I get a lot of the news headings from people’s Facebook statuses. I found out that Michael Jackson passed away, the Taco Bell dog is no longer with us, and the scores of most major sporting events! Facebook is taking over the world!! (Oh and if you have FB and we are not friends, look me up! I have all of my pictures posted on there!) Who knew that Facebook would be come the next news source?!?
I also found out that I am not moving off campus and into my own apartment until after January. They told me I’d be moving in August and then told me they miscounted and they didn’t need my apartment after all. Then I was told I could move into this girl’s apartment when her contract was over. Then I found out that she extended her contract, so now I won’t be moving until January! Yeah, I was bummed, but I figured no need to stress about it… nothing I can do about it now! So, I’m sitting tight in my on-campus room and trying to make the best of it!
My time off was officially over and I had to get ready for my normal schedule to start again. It’s so sad to say, but I was ready for routine. I love having time off, but sometimes you just need that stability! Oh, I must be getting old… I’m not losing my adventurous spirit though!!
Who Knew?!?
After I returned from the Philippines, I had to start to start classes. For 2 weeks I was morphed back into a student. We had TESOL training and I was back in the classroom, but on the other side! I was quickly reminded, I do not like sitting in the classroom from 9-3! My brain was on overload! I know the certificate will be very beneficial when I return to the states… I had to keep reminding myself of that!
One day, the teacher taught part of the lesson in Korean. Oh man, was I lost!?! I felt so uncomfortable… I hated it! One of the other teachers who came with me doesn’t really know Korean either. We just kept looking at each other and shrugging our shoulders as the rest of the teachers knew exactly what she was saying! I got a glimpse into how some of my students fell during English class—No Fun!! I have tried to be more conscience of this when I am teaching, but it is difficult when I don’t know Korean and they don’t know English! I have a few translators in each class though! J It’s fun to have students translate for each other… they love it!
I learned a lot of great things, but I was definitely ready to be finished with that! We have 2 more weeks to take during winter vacation and then I will have my certificate! I’m not really sure if it will do a lot, but here’s hoping for the best!!
I also got sick over those 2 weeks. I must have contracted something while I was in the Philippines, and it hit me hard! I didn’t eat a regular size meal or more then 2 times a day for at least 3 weeks! It was rough. I went to the doctor, but nothing was confirmed so I was just put on medicine. I had to go and see her 3 times in the period of 2 weeks. The second time I went, she took blood. This was an experience! The next few lines are a bit graphic, so be advised… no, just kidding! It was a bit scary though. So, the nurse leads me into this room that is about the size of a closet… and not those walk-in closets that everyone has these days! I sit down and the nurse pulls out a needle. She doesn’t put gloves on, she just grabs the syringe and starts looking for a good vein. She sticks the needle in and draws the blood. Then she takes the needle out and grabs the tubes to put it in. But, she doesn’t have enough hands, so she sets the syringe of blood down on the table where I am sitting. She opens the tubes and then squirts the blood into 2 different tubes. Then she tosses the needle into a trashcan. NOT a biohazard container, just a normal trashcan and then tells me to go out to the receptionist. The receptionist sees that I am finished with the piece of cotton I was using to stop the bleeding. So she grabs it from me, let me remind you there is fresh blood on this, and throws it away in her trash! Seriously… that is how they do things here?!? That would have never passed health code in the states… oh wait, most stuff wouldn’t here! That’s the beauty of living in Asia! They freak out about the swine flu and put on masks, but blood is no big deal to them! What?!?
Oh, and H1N1 is huge over here right now! There have been outbreaks all over Korea. I had one friend who had 15 confirmed cases at her school. They closed her school for 1 whole week. They had teachers standing at the front door with masks on and each child had to get their temperature taken before they could enter the school. If they had a temperature, they had to go straight to the hospital. Thankfully, no students had to be sent home from my school. I think the Middle Schools were hit the hardest for some reason. I have never seen so many masks in one place before! I’m not sure if it’s like that in the states or not, but some of them have designs and animals faces on them! They are quite comical! They had recommended on the news that they cancel all schools in Korea for one week. That never happened! Which, I was actually happy about! We would have had to go to school an extra week in December if we would have got out! No bueno!! This process is definitely a culture experience though! Oh Korea!!
**I’m still not feeling 100% yet. I would appreciate it if you would keep me in your prayers! Thanks!
One day, the teacher taught part of the lesson in Korean. Oh man, was I lost!?! I felt so uncomfortable… I hated it! One of the other teachers who came with me doesn’t really know Korean either. We just kept looking at each other and shrugging our shoulders as the rest of the teachers knew exactly what she was saying! I got a glimpse into how some of my students fell during English class—No Fun!! I have tried to be more conscience of this when I am teaching, but it is difficult when I don’t know Korean and they don’t know English! I have a few translators in each class though! J It’s fun to have students translate for each other… they love it!
I learned a lot of great things, but I was definitely ready to be finished with that! We have 2 more weeks to take during winter vacation and then I will have my certificate! I’m not really sure if it will do a lot, but here’s hoping for the best!!
I also got sick over those 2 weeks. I must have contracted something while I was in the Philippines, and it hit me hard! I didn’t eat a regular size meal or more then 2 times a day for at least 3 weeks! It was rough. I went to the doctor, but nothing was confirmed so I was just put on medicine. I had to go and see her 3 times in the period of 2 weeks. The second time I went, she took blood. This was an experience! The next few lines are a bit graphic, so be advised… no, just kidding! It was a bit scary though. So, the nurse leads me into this room that is about the size of a closet… and not those walk-in closets that everyone has these days! I sit down and the nurse pulls out a needle. She doesn’t put gloves on, she just grabs the syringe and starts looking for a good vein. She sticks the needle in and draws the blood. Then she takes the needle out and grabs the tubes to put it in. But, she doesn’t have enough hands, so she sets the syringe of blood down on the table where I am sitting. She opens the tubes and then squirts the blood into 2 different tubes. Then she tosses the needle into a trashcan. NOT a biohazard container, just a normal trashcan and then tells me to go out to the receptionist. The receptionist sees that I am finished with the piece of cotton I was using to stop the bleeding. So she grabs it from me, let me remind you there is fresh blood on this, and throws it away in her trash! Seriously… that is how they do things here?!? That would have never passed health code in the states… oh wait, most stuff wouldn’t here! That’s the beauty of living in Asia! They freak out about the swine flu and put on masks, but blood is no big deal to them! What?!?
Oh, and H1N1 is huge over here right now! There have been outbreaks all over Korea. I had one friend who had 15 confirmed cases at her school. They closed her school for 1 whole week. They had teachers standing at the front door with masks on and each child had to get their temperature taken before they could enter the school. If they had a temperature, they had to go straight to the hospital. Thankfully, no students had to be sent home from my school. I think the Middle Schools were hit the hardest for some reason. I have never seen so many masks in one place before! I’m not sure if it’s like that in the states or not, but some of them have designs and animals faces on them! They are quite comical! They had recommended on the news that they cancel all schools in Korea for one week. That never happened! Which, I was actually happy about! We would have had to go to school an extra week in December if we would have got out! No bueno!! This process is definitely a culture experience though! Oh Korea!!
**I’m still not feeling 100% yet. I would appreciate it if you would keep me in your prayers! Thanks!
And I'm Back In The Game...
Wow, I’m back. This may take a few days to get caught up. I know I have been MIA for about a month. It was my vacation, and I was out of my routine… that does it to me every time! Sorry for the delay, but it should make you that much more excited to catch up! Okay, I’m going to take us back to the end of July. My mom and sister visited me for a week and then I headed off to a little version of Paradise for a week!
Monday morning had come too soon! It was such a bittersweet day! My mom and sister had to return to the states, but I got to leave for the Philippines. It was a lot more difficult then I thought to say goodbye this time! I know I won't see them for 10 months and that really started to set in! I think the first 2 months were easier b/c I knew I’d be seeing them at the end of July! But now I really don't have anything like that to look forward to!
So the Philippines... yeah it was pretty amazing! It’s like no place I’ve ever seen before! I would describe it as a little piece of paradise! The beaches were white and the water was blue! Beautiful can not even begin to describe it! It was probably one of the best vacas I’ve ever had! Every morning we would wake up and have a REAL breakfast (in Korea, they eat rice and kimchi mostly for breakfast)! I had scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and fresh fruit every morning for breakfast. We went to a different restaurant everyday though so we mixed it up a bit! J Then, we would go and get an hour long massage on the beach. It cost us about $6 for each massage! And, it was one of the best I’ve ever had! I had the same lady everyday! One day, we started our massages and about half way through I started getting wet. We realized that it was raining… not just raining, but a hurricane I think! It was intense, but the ladies just kept massaging us! They didn’t want us to get cheated on our time. Those last 30 minutes were not enjoyable! When they finished we started running back to our room (which was less then a 5 minute walk from the beach!!) but we were instantly soaked! So, we decided to slow down and enjoy a nice walk in the rain! It was so much fun! After we had our massages each day, we would go and play in the surf b/c it was high-tide. The waves got huge… I got knocked down a few times… but worth it! We went snorkeling one day and I had fish swim right up to me and eat bread out of my hand! We went snorkeling in caves and right in the middle of the ocean! We walked on the beach, watched the sunset, and enjoyed the sun! We found this little outside bar and hung out and listened to live music every night! I would definitely go back in a heartbeat! One day, after snorkeling, we decided to walk back to the beach where we were staying. We didn't think it was that far, but we ended up walking for about an hour! It was so sweet though b/c we really got to see Boracay! We saw the way people lived everyday. It is not this glamorous life for the locals! It was an interesting culture experience!
2 weeks of vacation was great, but I was ready to get back home! All of that travel wore me out! It was very relaxing though and it was exactly what I needed! It was so weird thinking I’d be coming back from vacation and return to Korea. It actually felt like home when I returned... I’m not sure how much I liked that though! I guess I’m still trying to adjust here! The honeymoon stage is over now and reality has set in that this is my life for the next 9.5 months! It’s still hard to believe sometimes!
Monday morning had come too soon! It was such a bittersweet day! My mom and sister had to return to the states, but I got to leave for the Philippines. It was a lot more difficult then I thought to say goodbye this time! I know I won't see them for 10 months and that really started to set in! I think the first 2 months were easier b/c I knew I’d be seeing them at the end of July! But now I really don't have anything like that to look forward to!
So the Philippines... yeah it was pretty amazing! It’s like no place I’ve ever seen before! I would describe it as a little piece of paradise! The beaches were white and the water was blue! Beautiful can not even begin to describe it! It was probably one of the best vacas I’ve ever had! Every morning we would wake up and have a REAL breakfast (in Korea, they eat rice and kimchi mostly for breakfast)! I had scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and fresh fruit every morning for breakfast. We went to a different restaurant everyday though so we mixed it up a bit! J Then, we would go and get an hour long massage on the beach. It cost us about $6 for each massage! And, it was one of the best I’ve ever had! I had the same lady everyday! One day, we started our massages and about half way through I started getting wet. We realized that it was raining… not just raining, but a hurricane I think! It was intense, but the ladies just kept massaging us! They didn’t want us to get cheated on our time. Those last 30 minutes were not enjoyable! When they finished we started running back to our room (which was less then a 5 minute walk from the beach!!) but we were instantly soaked! So, we decided to slow down and enjoy a nice walk in the rain! It was so much fun! After we had our massages each day, we would go and play in the surf b/c it was high-tide. The waves got huge… I got knocked down a few times… but worth it! We went snorkeling one day and I had fish swim right up to me and eat bread out of my hand! We went snorkeling in caves and right in the middle of the ocean! We walked on the beach, watched the sunset, and enjoyed the sun! We found this little outside bar and hung out and listened to live music every night! I would definitely go back in a heartbeat! One day, after snorkeling, we decided to walk back to the beach where we were staying. We didn't think it was that far, but we ended up walking for about an hour! It was so sweet though b/c we really got to see Boracay! We saw the way people lived everyday. It is not this glamorous life for the locals! It was an interesting culture experience!
2 weeks of vacation was great, but I was ready to get back home! All of that travel wore me out! It was very relaxing though and it was exactly what I needed! It was so weird thinking I’d be coming back from vacation and return to Korea. It actually felt like home when I returned... I’m not sure how much I liked that though! I guess I’m still trying to adjust here! The honeymoon stage is over now and reality has set in that this is my life for the next 9.5 months! It’s still hard to believe sometimes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
