Case of the Mondays

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, Mondays still come!  I was actually looking forward to this Monday!  I had it all planned out in my head... yeah you know where this story is going!  I woke up and gave myself plenty of time to get ready b/c I know how Monday mornings can be.  I found out that my nieces were waiting at my parents to talk to me on skype (this time with video chat)!  So, of course I had to stop what I was doing and call them!  This was the first time I've seen them since I left!  Through my schedule off, but well worth the adjustment!  It was so good to see them!

 

We have this really great bakery across from campus called Paris Baquette.  It is phenomenal!  I decided on Sunday night that I would have this for breakfast on my way to school.  I skipped breakfast and headed out the door.  I felt like I was salivating as I was walking.  I walk into the bakery and there is nothing there!  (I thought they had already ran out by 8:20am.  I found out later though, that it hadn't even been put out.  If I want something in the morning, I have to get it the night before... seriously?!?)  I was so disappointed!  So, I had to settle for McDonald's breakfast--it was good, but not great!  I got it and headed to the bus stop.  This morning, I got on at the 2nd bus stop instead of the 1st b/c it's closer to the bakery.  So, I waited and waited and waited some more!  This is the longest I've ever waited for the bus.  One of the other Native Teachers walked by and I noticed she was carrying a pastery!  I was so bummed... I forgot about this new bakery that opened up right across the street!  Oh well, there's always other mornings!  The bus finally got there (some people got tired of waiting, so they decided to jump into a cab)!  I got on and all of the seats were taken, except for one in the very back corner!  The bus is NEVER that full in the mornings (it's b/c he was late!!)  I climbed in the back, but I was so nervous that I would miss my stop b/c I still wasn't 100% sure where my stop was!  People kept piling on and piling on.  There was litterally not one extra spot.  People were standing everywhere, but they kept jamming them in!  My stop was quickly approaching so I got up and stepped over the gentleman next to me.  I could barely reach the button, but got it pushed in time.  Then, I had to literally push myself through the aisle to get off!  It was chaos!

 

Oh Monday mornings how I love thee!!  I knew it was going to be a great day though b/c I didn't have to teach today!  The students were taking tests all day, so I just sat in my classroom.  I was tempted to wear jeans today since I didn't have to teach... boy am I glad I didn't do that!  My teacher comes in and tells me that I'm going to start meeting with my principal weekly.  I wasn't sure if this was normal or if I was in trouble!  It would not have been good if I was in jeans meeting him!!  We went to his office and got us 2 bottles to drink.  It ended up being Vitamin C, which was actually perfect b/c I've been sick!  They talked for about 5 minutes or so and then we left!  He smiled at me when I got there and when I left... so I assumed I wasn't in trouble!  Koreans don't really use emotion when they speak and their faces stay the same.  He was stone cold as he was talking!  I survived!

 

The day was very refreshing!  It was great to have some time to myself!  I've started bring my bible to work so that I can do my devotions here and hopefully start some conversations with my teachers.  God reminded me of his unconditional love and his presence was so real to me in that moment!  "My cup runneth over!"  It was such a great moment and that carried me throughout the rest of my day!

 

I'm beginning to think on Mondays, we have to go to the Nurse's Office after lunch (she's my teachers' friend).  The past 2 weeks we have gone there and sat and talked.  Which this is fine, but definitely a bit awkward sometimes.  They all talk in Korean and I just set there.  Then I'll hear my name and know they are totally talking about me!  Oh well!!  So, I was trying to make small talk and I asked them where I could get a plant or a small flower.  I do really want one, but I was more or less just trying to find something to talk about.  They talked in Korean for a bit and then my other teacher said, I will take you to get one.  I said okay.  Then she said, I only have time on the weekends and went and got a calendar.  She told me she'd take me on Sunday.  This should be fun!!

 

My other teacher brought me in a toothbrush and toothpaste after lunch.  She told me that I need to brush my teeth after lunch and it was 'her pleasure to give me this.'  Which it is good b/c their food definitely had a 'distinct' smell!  I just thought it was quite comical that she would bring me this!  I guess my mom would be proud that I'm brushing my teeth after lunch!

 

In the afternoon, I was trying to get some lesson plans done!  Tuesday is the first day I'm going to teach by myself!  Of course, I wait until the afternoon to do this... did you expect any different?  So, I'm working on my plans and the phone rings.  I decide to answer it and see what happens!  It was a teacher who wanted to come down and practice her English.  I told her sure.  She came down and we talked for about 20 minutes.  This can prove to be difficult!  Trying to find questions to ask that are easy enough to get answered but aren't just one word answers was a little tricky.  At first I wasn't really in it, b/c I knew I had all this stuff to do!  But, the Lord so gently reminded me that this is why I am here!  Relationships are important, not to-do lists!  I could finish this stuff at home tonight if I needed to!  So we ended up having a great conversation!  She's actually pretty good at English!

 

My head teacher had left early to go order some books.  She said she might come back, but she might not!  The school was dead and I was so tempted to leave early!  I'm SO GLAD I resisted!  My teacher came back and told me that my principal wanted to introduce me in this meeting he was in.  It was for the Head Teachers in the school and the Head Parents... important people!  That could have been so bad!  We went and I opened with 'Hello' in Korean!  They gave me a loud round of applause!  They loved it!  I gave my spill and the teacher tranlated!  The principal leans over and tells the guy at the head of the table something and I see him smile and look right at me!  He gestured 'setting' the ball and 'hitting' the ball for volleyball.  I shook my head yes and he was like oh!!  I so wish that I could have a hidden camera on my shirt during the days!  You guys would love this entertainment!!

 

I finally called it a day and headed home!  I went to dinner with some friends and I said I wanted "cheap and fast" food.  Of course, we ended up not cheap and definitely not quick!  We went to a Vietnamese Restaurant!  It was actually very tasty and I was glad I went!  Food and Fellowship--great combination!

 

So, I realized that God was teaching me a lesson today... go figure! It's okay to have a schedule, but it's important to be flexible!  You never know what He is going to put in your path and it can be so easy to miss it b/c we're focused somewhere else!  I love it when I can look back and see what he wast trying to get through to me... and to know that I didn't miss it!!  It's all about our experiences and the moments! 

It's Long, But Worth It!

I guess I’ll have to give you my weekend in review.  I’m not very good at keeping this up on the weekends!  It was a busy one, but also rejuvenating!  I woke up on Friday morning with a cough.  It wasn’t painful, just a dry/scratchy throat!  I sounded kind of funny too!  On Saturday there were moments that I really couldn’t talk… my voice would crack!  I started stressing out a bit b/c if I lose my voice, I can’t teach!  That wouldn’t be good!  Saturday afternoon I took it easy and then on Sunday I took a good 2 hour nap and it was fabulous (although I paid for it Sunday night b/c I couldn’t fall asleep)!!  I feel like I’m feeling a lot better though.  Everyone is telling me this is very normal.  Almost everyone has said they got sick the first few weeks as well!  I guess with all the changes that are going on, my body is just trying to adjust.  The air over here is a lot more polluted then it is in the states.  I think my lungs are building up a film right now that will cover them until I return… fun! J

On Friday, I finished my first full week of classes!  I actually finish at 12.10pm on Fridays… that’s so amazing!!  I had 6^th Graders again.  Some of them are actually pretty good at English.  My last class of the day/week is probably the craziest class I have, too!  It’s so much fun!  I had the boy who likes to touch my arms in that class!  I don’t really know what to expect or say.  You have to give him so credit… he’s a brave one!  He walks up to me and feels my bicep and then rubs my arm.  I’ve come the conclusion that there are few things he’s checking out.  First, my arms are a bit meatier then Korean Women’s arms, so he just wants to see what it feels like.  Second, I think he’s checking out my arm hair.  It’s blonde so you can’t really see it from far away.  They (male and female) don’t have arm hair.  And third, he’s not quite sure what to think about my freckles.  This is another thing they don’t have!  So this combo is really making this kid curious! 

I had a boy come in late to class, so the teacher told him he had to sing.  He got really nervous and just stood there.  The students started chanting his name (that’s what they do here when they want someone to do something… the teacher even joins in)!  He just froze.  They eventually let him go without singing.  He’s a great student though!  The teacher told me that he was a star student.  I also found out he was one of the boys who were in the gym on Wednesday watching us play volleyball.  His friend pointed at me at pretended to hit a ball and grunted!  It was comedy!!

I got to leave school at 2.30pm!  But, I went to another school with my English teachers.  They had a TESOL meeting with local Elementary school teachers.  Pretty sure I was the only foreigner there (I’m not sure why my teacher wanted me to go so bad)!  So the English Teacher at the school we were at took pity on my and introduced me to their Native Speaking teacher.  She was a Korean American!  It was so great to talk with her!  She speaks Korean pretty fluent as well, so she is a great resource to have!  We even go to the same church!  (She’s not in my program though!)  She’ll only be here for about 2 more months, but she told me to call if I had any questions.  She even said I could call her if I was in the store and needed a translator!  How great is that!?!  She is also the director of volunteers at a local children’s home.  This is for kids who sort of orphaned.  Let me explain that statement.  Some are true orphans—their parents have deceased.  Others are sent here b/c their parents can’t afford to keep them.  These kids see their parents about once a year.  Then there are kids who’s parents have just abandoned them and they have nowhere else to go.  In Korea, those kids can’t be adopted.  If they can’t make contact with the parents (and they are still living) they have to stay in the system.  So, all that to say, once I’m settled a bit more (a few more weeks), I am planning on volunteering 1 night a week.  I’m really looking forward to this ministry!  Technically it’s a ministry through our church so I’m glad to be getting involved!  I’ll keep you posted on that!

She had to leave to actually head to the Children’s Home, but the meeting wasn’t over yet, so they popped Shrek 2 in for me!  This school has it’s own mini movie theater in the English Department… yeah it’s the wealthy school in town!

After the meeting, my teacher wanted to take me to a movie (b/c she knows I really enjoy movies)!  We decided on Night at the Museum 2.  (I wasn’t a fan of the first one, but I thought I’d give the 2^nd one a try!)  She paid for my ticket and told me “My pleasure.”  We got popcorn and a drink and headed in (which by the way is WAY cheaper here!  It cost 8,000 won, which is about $6.50 for 2 small drinks and 2 bags of popcorn!)  We headed in and sat in our ‘assigned seats.’  Yes, they tell us where we have to sit!  I’m not sure if we can pick like front or back or what, I didn’t understand the Korean being spoken!  It was an experience!  Yes, it is in English!  It’s subtitled in Korean.  It was quite comical b/c that movie has a lot of one-liners and slang words.  I was the only one laughing at a lot of the parts b/c the literal translation isn’t that funny!  Ha… I definitely realized I was the only Foreigner in there!  It was fun and I know my teacher really enjoyed it! 

Later that night, I hung out with some of my American teachers.  After we went out we came back and watched a movie on the roof of our building… good times!  Definitely one of those things I say “only in Korea!”  Friday was a great day!

Saturday I slept in a bit (9.15am… it’s definitely better then the 6.30am I’ve been doing!)  I cleaned my room (yes, this is a regular occurrence for me… at least now it still is! J)  A group of girls had decided to do lunch and bowling together!  We had lunch at this restaurant who is owned by a North Korean Refugee.  I guess he swam across the river to get here!  It was nice.  One half of the restaurant has tables and chairs and the other half is the traditional setting on the ground… we sat on the ground!  I had the BEST mondue, which are dumplings!  Mmm… tasty!!

Then we hit up the bowling alley!  We had such a blast!  There were 10 of us, but I know it sounded like there were so many more!  They take bowling serious here… we didn’t so much!  We decided that we were already getting stared at b/c we were foreigners so we might as well give them something to stare at!  Needless to say, we weren’t very covert at the alley!  It was really fun getting to know the other teachers!  We are definitely a diverse group… but that keeps in interesting!!  I’m not sure if my Wii bowling days helped me or hurt me!  I definitely thought I could do more then I could!  I scored over 80, which is amazing for me at real bowling!!  I just had to remind myself a couple of times that ‘this is just for fun and it’s okay if you’re terrible!”  This was one of my humbling moments!! J

Saturday night, I went to Dr. Fish with a few people!  Let me explain what this entails.  You go to this café and tell them you want to do the fish.  First we had to order drinks though for some reason. (I spent 4,650 won on a can of cider—which is their Sprite.  I can get that a the store for 900 won!)  Then you walk over and step up to a platform.  There are then 2 tanks with about, oh I don’t know, maybe 200 fish in them.  You wash your feet off and then stick them in these tanks with the fish.  The fish then swarm to feet and eat your dead skin off!  OH MY WORD!!!!!!!!  It’s all of these different feelings surging through your body.  It tickles, but it creeps you out, and it feels like jets.  I don’t know… it was an experience!!  You set in there for about 20 minutes.  Well, the people forgot about us, so we stayed in there for over 30 minutes!  It was quite intense!  They would got to the arches of your feet and try to get in between your toes.  I had a blister on the back of my ankle and they ate that sucker up!  It was funny b/c one would find something and then it was like he yelled to his friends, here, come over here, b/c then about 15 of them would just swarm to it!  I could also tell that my legs must have been dry b/c they were chomping at my ankles!  It was actually better when they came in groups b/c it didn’t feel as weird.  It was difficult when like 1 would find something.  About half way through I got brave and would look at them!  It made it so much better b/c the people I was with were quite entertaining.  3 out of the 4 of us were first-timers!  One guy’s so laid back that it didn’t phase him one bit!  The other guy was straight comedy… he was freaking out the most!  I would say this was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever done!  Will I do it again—if there is someone who has never done it, I would do it with them for moral support!  This will by no means become a regular occurrence though!  They did a pretty good job though!  After I disinfected my feet with spray I felt them and they got most of my dead skin off!  They do wonders for calluses… ha!!

After Dr. Fish, we went up 2 flights of stairs (remember every thing in Korea is built up, not out.  So you have to take stairs up everywhere!) to a DVD Bong!  (Bong is room in Korean.)  You pick out a movie that you want to watch on DVD and then take it to the counter.  We paid 17,000 won for this (you are paying for the size of the room) and then he led us back through some dark hallways to our room.  It has a huge screen with a leather couch.  Maybe this place would be shady if it was in the states, but I choose to think it’s okay here!  You just don’t let your skin touch the couch and definitely wash your clothes when you leave!  It’s all good!  It was so much fun though!  For a moment I forgot I was in Korea!  The couches are like recliners and you lay back with your feet propped out!  I’ll definitely do this again!

Saturday was busy, but relaxing all at the same time!  So many NEW and CRAZY adventures… but I LOVED it!!

Sunday was church!  I’m enjoying this.  It’s a great place to meet Koreans who speak English!  It’s also a great place to meet people!  The pastor is such a nice guy!  I was reminded on Sunday of a great lesson though!  It’s easy to get caught up in how different our cultures are but God is consistent no matter where you are!  Yes, church is different, but God is the same!  We had a baby dedication and it was really moving!  First off b/c the baby was adorable!!  But, his parents are Korean missionaries to Turkey.  They are supported by our church and other Korean Nazarene Churches.  They are the only Nazarene Missionaries in Turkey right now.  There are 3,000 Christians in Turkey, but the population is over 77 million people!  That statement blew my mind!  I never knew that!  It makes me realize how ignorant I am about certain things!  But I was gently reminded that b/c of God, we really aren’t that different.  We are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ no matter what Ethnicity we are or what continent we live on!  It was very eye opening and encouraging all at the same time!  God is good!

I went to lunch with 2 Korean High School girls and 2 other Native Teachers.  We went to a ‘Chinese’ Restaurant… ha!  It was like Korean food in my opinion, nothing like ‘American Chinese’ or ‘China Chinese.’  It had soy sauce, so I guess that made it Chinese.  Korea doesn’t really use soy sauce.  It was fun to talk with them… they have great English!  One of the girls got baptized last week!  She has only been a Christian for a couple of months, so she’s still a pretty new Christian,  but she’s passionate and it’s so contagious!  I loved it!!  It was so great to spend time with them!

For dinner, I was talked into going out for sushi!  I had mild sushi!  I settled for Shrimp Sushi, which was on a pile of rice!  I was pleasantly surprised!  This was a Japanese Restaurant.  So, on Sunday I didn’t have any Korean food!  My friends told me, “We’ll make a sushi lover out of you yet!” 

I feel like I go out to eat a lot here… probably b/c I do, but it’s a great way to fellowship!  I mean you’re sharing food, you’re eating off each other’s plates, you’re reaching across each other… great way to bond!  But, you are also able to have some great intentional conversations! 

My weekend was a great one!  I’m really starting to love this place!  I do have a few things you can help me pray about though:

1.     I am starting to get sick, which is rough!  Pray for my health and for the health of the other teachers as well.

2.     I want to embrace the culture.  I want to really love these people and experience their way of life!  I don’t want to live American here, I want to live the Korean lifestyle.  I want to try new things that are their things!  I’m not there yet… I’m still learning.  For example, this country definitely had a distinct smell to it.  I don’t want to be so caught up on the smell as I’m walking down the street that I miss out on a moment of appreciating something that God has put in front of me!  (Just one example!) 

3.     I want to cherish this experience!  I don’t want to take things for granted!  Each day is a new day and I don’t want to get caught up in routine! 

Thanks for all of your support!!  It’s been so comforting to know I have people at home who have been thinking about me and praying for me!  There have been quite a few moments that I can honestly say if I wasn’t being prayed for, I wouldn’t have made it!  I’d love to hear how you all are doing as well!  Send me an email and update me on your life: beckybrents@gmail.com!  

Girls Day Out Bowling:

This is Dr. Fish:

Hello Becky Teacher!

I spent my day with 6^th graders… hormones that their best right there!  They are definitely at an ornery stage in life… but I LOVE it!  They can be a handful, but they can also be a blast!  There were a few students who knew English pretty well.  They introduced themselves and told me about their hobbies.  Then one by stood up and said, “Hello, my name is (I have no idea what he said!) and I love you, I love you, I love you!”  Of course, the class goes crazy and the teacher said, he can’t really speak English!  Ha… it was so great!  One boy told me he was going to be a fashion designer when he grew up and a girl told me she was going to be a dentist.  I was very impressed!  The Korean Teacher just kept telling me that 6^th grade is crazy!  I kind of liked them! J

She got ticked at one of the classes and called up the teacher.  He had to come down to the English room.  It was so funny b/c all the kids got right in check when they saw him!  (He’s young and kind of cute so I didn’t mind him having to come down for a bit! J)  They all started answering questions and stayed in line the whole time!

I’ve had most of the grades by now, so every time they see me, it’s “Hello Becky Teacher,” or just “hi!”  I can’t go down the hall without having to say hello about 20 or 30 times.  Like I said before, there’s only 1 American toilet, but it’s on the first floor.  I have to walk down and up 4 flight of stairs every time I have to go… but so worth it!!  So, every time I have to use the restroom I have to say hello about 50 times!  Gotta love it!  It’s the same way in the cafeteria!  Students will just come and stand by you until you acknowledge them or they’ll yell at you from the across the lunchroom!  It’s so great… an experience, but great!

The vice principal is so cute!  He’s always worrying about me!  He’ll check in with my teacher to make sure I’m doing okay or I’m enjoying my day or the school or whatever.  Well today, he told my teacher that he was worried I might be missing my family and that I was homesick.  It’s so sweet of him to worry about me!  Everyone has been so nice to me so far!

This afternoon I taught a class for the teachers.  I think I’m really going to enjoy this!  I taught them basic ‘hello’ statements and ‘goodbye’ statements.  They keep telling me to slow down… I don’t think I’m going that fast!  I was giving an explanation about something and at the end I asked, “Do you understand?”  The room was silent!  I’ll take that as a no!  I’m looking forward to getting to know the teachers better through this class!  On Wednesdays I can connect with the male teachers through volleyball and on Thursdays I can connect with the female teachers during English class.  (There were 3 guys who came today though.  The Vice Principal was one of them… talk about feeling like you have to bring your ‘A’ game!)  I’m loving this experience!

My teachers have asked me to go to a movie with them tomorrow night after school!  This is very exciting, b/c usually it takes awhile for them to warm up to you and invite you places.  I’ve heard that once you’ve been invited, that means you’re in!  We shall see!  I’m looking forward to it!  My teacher told me, “We’ll have some snakes to eat.”  I was like excuse me?!?  I’m deathly afraid of snakes and I thought this was some crazy Korean thing!  I asked her again and she said snakes again.  “You know, we’ll have some drink and popcorn.”  Oh, she means SNACKS… ha!  It takes a few tries sometimes, but usually we’ll figure it out!

I had to kill some time tonight while I was waiting for my pictures to get developed.  I decided to check out a few of the cute shops they have on the main road.  I found this store  with way cute clothes, for pretty cheap!  I bought my first Korean article of clothing!  It’s like a little button up sweater.  (Side note: Females can’t wear tank tops or sleeveless shirts here.  Their shoulders must be covered.  If  they’re not, you are considered ‘slutty.’  That’s not good!)  It’s always a fun experience trying to find clothes to fit you here… God did not create us all the same!! J

I went to dinner at one of the professors’ houses tonight.  We had hamburgers and chips with cheese and salsa!!  It was fabulous!  They don’t eat much meat here and hamburgers are pretty hard to find!  I haven’t had meat for quite awhile like that, so I allowed myself to eat 2 of them… and it was great!  No guilt here! 

They had invited some of their students over for dinner as well so that they could practice their English with young, native speakers.  It was so refreshing to meet young people who could speak English clearly!  They explained a lot of the Korean culture to us!  Most of them are hoping to come to the states to finish college or go to Grad School.  2 of the guys will be going to Southern Nazarene University (SNU) in Oklahoma City, in August.  They are hoping to eventually make it to Seminary!  How crazy is that?!?  It was fun to get to talk them and experience the culture through their eyes! 

I feel like I’ve had a busy past couple of days!  I can feel it catching up to me!  I’m a little tired, but that’s okay!  Jet Lag is pretty much gone, I think!  No more severe headaches at 2.30pm everyday!  Thank you Jesus!!  That was rough for a bit!  I’ve almost completed my first week!

Please don't judge my grammar!

I tried to type this last night before I went to bed but for some reason I could not form complete sentences.  I went back and read the first paragraph and I would just randomly leave words out or put them in the wrong order!  The Koreans are starting to wear off on me!!

I woke up this morning to a bright and sunny day.  This all changed very quickly when it suddenly turned black and then began to rain!  I’m glad I remembered my umbrella from home, but now I’m wishing I had some rain boots!  That’s an investment that I will be making very soon!  Thankfully though the times I had to walk outside it was down pouring!  Many other teachers did not have this same luxury! 

Today was my long day!  I had 5 classes so my only break was at lunch!  Today I got to meet my 3^rd graders.  They are a cute group!  Here’s a sample of some highlights: They can’t say the ‘th’ sound, it comes out more like a ‘sh’ or ‘s’ sound.  So, instead of ‘mouth,’ it’s ‘mouse.’  Quite funny.  I will also hold up a card and ask them what is on the picture.  Sometimes I get a little stage fright b/c they are studying my sounds and the way I look when I say it.  Sometimes I forget momentarily how to say a word!  This is sometimes difficult since my main job is pronunciation!!  Today I was holding up a picture of different school supplies.  I came to a picture of ‘crayons’.  I’ve never been able to say this word correctly.  I always pronounce it ‘crowns.’  Needless to say, we didn’t spend much time on that word.  We said it a couple of times and moved on quickly!  We will also point to parts of the body and ask, “what’s this?”  There answer is always “it’s a (insert word here).”  So I’d point to my ears and they’d say, “it’s a ears.”  The funniest one I’ve come across though is a picture of scissors.  They’ll say, “it’s a scissors.”  They’re too young to correct for that stuff, so I just laugh in my head!

We were role playing today it was straight comedy.  We watch it on the big screen first and then act it out.  They all say together, “Ready, Action!”  (Actually they yell it more then say it!)  They were going to see the dentist and the girl wouldn’t open her mouth, so this little creature (cartoon character) pinches her and she yells and opens her mouth.  So, they acted that out.  But when they got to the pinching part, they actually pinch each other hard and then twist it!  The whole class, INCLUDING the teacher just laughs!  I gave a sympathy laugh for the student getting pinched!

Cell phones are another big thing here!  My 3^rd graders all have them!  I had a girl yesterday is class pull hers out and make a phone call.  She wasn’t talking, she more like listening to a message.  But, the teacher didn’t say anything!  They are also texting and taking pictures all through class too!  It’s so crazy!  Surprisingly, it’s not a distraction for the students!  It’s just different!

We had soup (angel hair pasta in a broth with vegetables) for lunch and I ate it with chopsticks!  Who eats soup with chopsticks… Koreans!  I also ate my little chicken wings with them earlier in the week!  It’s interesting… but it’s making me get a lot better!

I had a blast this afternoon!  I told you I was invited on Tuesday by the PE teacher to play volleyball.  I didn’t realize how big of a deal this was!  All the staff comes to the gym on Wednesday afternoons at 3pm.  Even the principal and vice principal comes!  Then we split up and play a game.  They have a few different rules though, that I was not aware of!  They don’t rotate… you start in  a position and stay there the whole time.  On my team there were 3 girls and 4 guys.  On the other side there were 3 girls and like 5 or 6 guys.  Only a girl can hit it over the net and only the girls serve.  I wish I would have had a video camera!  It was so funny the first time I hit it.  It wasn’t even a good hit and I hear oohs and ahhs!  Then this guys who is about in 50s probably came up and gave me a double high five… like high 10!  (He was the setter!)  I felt bad b/c they wouldn’t set the other 2 girls!  They didn’t seem to mind though… ha!  I felt horrible for the guys b/c they were pretty much just standing there.  It didn’t look like they were having much fun!  But, we played the first game and then took a break. 

They had all of this food sat out!  Oh, the principal and vice principal played too!  (Remember earlier I told you that the Principal is all business and he doesn’t smile!  I was very intimidated when I saw him there! The principal is great though!  He was laughing and enjoying himself!)  The principal said, “Come Becky, eat!”  So, of course I had to!  I was so nervous b/c I don’t like a lot of Korean food yet.  They said here, try this and then would watch me eat and wait for my reaction!  Thankfully it was okay!!  I had one of the older guys tell me, “I’ll teach you how to eat Korean style.”  I got a piece of lettuce and added this pork to it.  Then I went to grab something to put in it and the principal starting laughing at me.  I wasn’t sure what was going on.  He said, “too spicy!”  I tried a little bit anyway.  Then the guy told me to wad it up and stick it in my mouth.  So, I stuck this huge lettuce ball in my mouth while everyone was watching me!  Then the principal said, “Try this.”  It was like a dumpling sort of thing but had some type of rice cake in it.  Not exactly sure, but it’s one of his favorites so I just ate it and smiled!  Thankfully they had watermelon so I ate a few pieces.  Then the principal said, “Eat more.”  I said I was full.  Then he said, “Eat,” and pointed to the watermelon!  So, I decided to eat another piece and just smile!  It was so cool b/c I got to talk to some of the teachers.  They actually knew some English.  They asked a few questions about volleyball.  The vice principal said, “You are very good, I’m glad!”  We then finished our game!

I thought we were done, but then one of the guys came up to me and said that now it was the males turn!  Ah, that makes sense now!  So I sat down to watch them and then they were like, no you play with us.  So, I played with the guys (a few ladies played too) and I loved it!  They were pretty good, but I held my own!  I even put a few hits down!  It was great… the vice principal was our setter and they would yell my name “Becky” and then I would get the set and hit it!  The principal was behind me!  It was so much fun!  They finally started accepting me to.  Before they would be to scared to talk to me!  I fell like it tore down a lot of walls!  Pretty sure I was the only person really sweating though (Koreans don’t really sweat that much and we all know I’m a sweater!!)  We played for 2 hours!  I walked back to my classroom with the other teacher and the principal.  He said, “Very Good Job, Becky!”  That just made my night!  It’s really good if your principal likes you!

It was time to do laundry tonight!  That is a chore!  1.48 hours for washing and 42 minutes for drying... in the same machine… makes for some long nights!  I got most of it finished!  Exciting times! 

Overall, great day!  One of the best so far I think!  It’s the best feeling when you get to do stuff you love!  It definitely reenergizes you!  Hope you get to do the stuff you love… life’s too short not to!

Pure Hospitality

My FREE Gift!

In Korea, smoking is a big thing for guys!  A good number of them are chain smokers.  Today, I sat at the bus station for a few minutes and watched my bus drive across the street smoke a cigarette before he came and picked us up!  (We are the last stop in one direction and the first stop the other direction.  They let off a load and then pull a U-Turn to come and pick us up!)  I thought to myself—only in Korea! 

It was great though, b/c I was the second person on the bus.  I picked a seat by the window, on the left side, next to a buzzer!  It was the perfect seat!!  I looked out the window and counted my stops and double checked my landmarks before I hit the button today!  I got off on the right stop… I was so proud of myself!  (I must celebrate even the little accomplishments right now!)

Today I had the other half of the fifth graders!  I felt like I was having déjà vu, but then remembered nope, just teaching the exact same lesson over again: “’v’ violin.”  Gotta love the phonics!  I went through my basic introduction again today.  I said my name and then showed the pictures of my family.  Yesterday, they looked and said small comments.  But, today they instantly started yelling, cheering, and clapping!  It was so great!  They were yelling ‘handsome’ and ‘beautiful’ with every picture!  It was so cute… I couldn’t help but laugh!

I finished my classes and then it was lunchtime!  I was so nervous after yesterday!   Last night I walked down to Lotte Mart (my version of Wal-Mart) and stocked up on snacks to take to school!  I was starving before lunch so I had a quick snack just to be on the safe side!  We walked into the cafeteria and I instantly scanned the room and looked at the kid’s plates… spaghetti… score!!  Yes, it was spaghetti, but Korean spaghetti… not quite the same, but I’ll take it!  I ate it with my rice and we also had a beef stew with potatoes!  I was actually full today when I left lunch!  So much better than yesterday!

After lunch, I had a class of 3^rd graders.  These guys were so cute!  They all went around the room and introduced themselves, “Hello, my name is ___________.  Nice to meet you.”  The first 2 names I tried to repeat and I totally butchered it!  The kids got a great laugh out of it though!!  After that, I decided I would just respond, “Nice to meet you, too!”  That was so much easier! 

I also had a classroom full of 6^th graders run into my room and attack me during my planning period!  I felt like we were playing 20 questions: “What’s your name?  How old are you?  Where are you from?  Are you married?  Do you have a boyfriend?  How are you?”  Most of them couldn’t really understand my responses, but they tried!  I had one boy grab my bicep and squeeze it.  I really have no idea what he was trying to do!  I gave him a funny look and he gave me a funny look back!  He asked how much my watch was and then said, “Show me the money!”  Oh 6^th graders!  All of the girls wanted to shake my hand for some reason?!?  I shook like 10 or 15 hands.  I really felt important! J

They don’t have janitors at the school.  The students are responsible for cleaning the school.  They have a one hour break for lunch.  During this time they clean, go to lunch, and then have free time to play outside!  It’s so cute seeing little Korean children sweeping the floor with little hand held brooms and dustpans!  They are very hard workers though!

After school today, the PE teacher came into my room to introduce himself to me.  He said he would like to talk to me to learn English.  I said he can come and we can talk.  He asked if I liked sports and I said yes.  He asked if I like volleyball and I said yes.  He said, “You play on Wednesdays with us.  We meet at 3.  Do you have sport shoes and sport clothes?”  I asked if shorts and a t-shirt were okay. (They are really weird about what’s appropriate here and what’s not!)  He told me they were so I guess I’m playing volleyball tomorrow after school with the male teachers!  This should be fun!  I was hoping to be able to watch one week so I knew what to expect, but I guess I better go big or go home, right?!?  I’ll let you know how it goes!  Hope I don’t come home with a broken nose or anything… I have no idea how good they are! 

This afternoon, my English teacher came into my room about 3 o’clock.  She said, “You come to the store with me.  Usually you can’t leave, but since you’re coming with me, it’s okay.”  I got to leave 2 hours early… I’m not going to complain about that!  We went to Hi Mart (which is like Best Buy) to get a few things.  She bought a mini fridge, 2 electronic dictionaries (they translate like 13 different languages.  They also speak the word so you can hear the pronunciation!  They’re sweet… expensive, but sweet!!), 2 fans and a sweeper thing.  I wasn’t sure what this was all for, so I asked, “What’s all of this for?”  She told me it was for the English room… that’s MY room!  Oh my word… I was worried she was buying this with her money (that’s what they do here) but then I saw the credit card with the school’s name on it!  They also gave us a free gift b/c it took so long to check out! (They give away the most random things here.  On cereal boxes, they tape DVD’s on them, or a pack of sticky notes on batteries… RANDOM?!?)  I got a 16 piece package of Tupperware and 2 bars of ‘mud’ soap—no idea what that means!  My teacher got a gift pack of laundry soap, stain remover, and fabric softener!  Good times in Korea!

We then went to E-Mart (I would say this is more like a Target!) to get something else!  They have a Baskin Robin’s IN this place!!  So great… of course we had to get some ice cream and it was delicious!  We then walked around for a bit and she told me to pick out some fruit.  I got a package of grapes.  She made me find a fresh pack… which I do appreciate!  Then we went to buy drinks.  (From what I gathered, I think this is for a lesson?)  We then went to the cookie aisle and she told me to find a pack I liked!  It’s pretty much looking at the pictures and then finding one that looks okay.  (I think she saw me tear the pack of cookies up the day before and figured I really liked cookies… actually I was just starving and anything would have done!)  She bought me the grapes and cookies with her own money to take back to my apartment!  How sweet is that?!?  She then drove me home and I arrived at 4.50pm… which is 40 minutes earlier then I would have usually gotten home! 

I ran into a few of the other native teachers (that’s what we are called) when I got home!  It was so good to talk with them!  She was asking me how my day was and I was able to process a lot with her!  They were things that other people wouldn’t understand so it was comforting to have her feedback!  We stood in the hall for about 45 minutes talking.  By the time were done, there were about 7 or 8 of us there talking!  I’m beginning to realize that b/c I don’t speak a lot during the day, I have all of these words built up inside of me and I have to talk someone or I’ll just explode!  I’m not much of talker, but tonight I couldn’t shut-up!  I’m usually a bystander in conversations, but tonight I think I dominated!  I feel kind of bad, but I just had to get it out!!  It’s such a strange feeling! 

I met a couple at dinner tonight who were about my parents age.  They have 2 sons who are about my age and they are professors over here.  They’ve been here for 7 years.  It was so comforting to talk with them.  I kind of felt like I was having dinner with my parents in a way!  It was nice.  I totally needed that tonight!  Again, God is revealing things to me that I didn’t even know I needed!  I know He’s here with me through this process and that is so comforting!  It’s been so neat to see the way He will lay certain people on my heart and different times throughout the day!  I’ve really been trying to learn to be in constant conversation with Him throughout the entire day.  It’s so amazing how much more I am aware of Him and what He’s doing when I do this!  It helps me to be more outwardly focused instead of inwardly focused (which is very easy to do with where I’m at right now)!  I feel like a sponge right now… soaking it all up!

Oh and GOOD NEWS:  I found an American Toilet today!!  I finally just broke down and asked my teacher if they had one!  It’s a pretty sweet set up!  They have books and pictures and mirrors in this one stall!  It’s of course only the teachers bathroom but it’s great!  She told me that over Summer Break, they are supposed to replace all the ‘squatty potties’ with American Toilets!  She made my heart happy!!  It’s the little things in life… remember that! J

One Day Down, 364 More To Go

My 1st Day of School!!

Today was my first day of class!!  I was a little nervous b/c I didn’t really know what to expect.  I tried to do lesson plans for the day but it’s kind of hard where you don’t know where they are or what they’re doing!  I figured I’d just go with it!

I made sure I gave myself plenty of time to get to school!  (Side note: One of the guys in charge of our program showed me my trail to get to school on Friday, but he also showed 2 other teachers in the same trip.  I had a good idea where the general vicinity was, but I needed to practice!  Yesterday, one of the other new teachers and I rode the bus and practiced our route so we wouldn’t get lost!)  I made sure I sat on the right side of the bus so I could see all of my landmarks that I wrote down and took notes about!  I was feeling good.  I was about to hit the button on the bus but someone else did, so I just got up.  I stepped off the bus and realized I got off one stop to early!  (At this time I hit my head with my hand and thought ‘aiye!’  [that’s my new word right now for some reason… I think it’s b/c it sounds foreign… ha!])  I realized I could just walk down to the next stop b/c it wasn’t that far!  I have to go down stairs and under the road to get to the other side.  I found my school very easy after that!  I walked in and found my class and slipped on my slippers for the day. (You wear slippers in the class, not shoes.  Students and teachers both do this and all visitors do as well!)

It was great all the students just kept saying hello to me!  I introduced myself to each class and then showed them pictures of my family… they ate that up!  Some of them said, ‘Oh your parents are so young!’  (Thought you’d like to know that mom and dad!!)  My teacher is great!  Her English isn’t the best, but she has GREAT classroom management and I feel like she really knows how to use me!  I did a lot of pronunciation today.  I would say ‘bank’ and they would repeat it, like 3 times.  Then I would say it phonically b-a-n-k and they’d repeat!  4 classes and I was done by 12.10pm!  Classes are 40 minutes long and then they have a 10 minute break where the kids pretty much run wild!  During the break, I had multiple students come in and talk to me and ask me questions!  I had 2 boys take pictures with me on their cell phone!  It was so cute!!  (One of the other new teachers told me that like 5 students asked for his autograph… isn’t that hilarious?!?)  

It is so amazing to me that even though they’re from different cultures, kids will be kids!  They really don’t like to volunteer here, so I decided to give out stickers to the kids who do volunteer and give it a try!  It’s amazing how many more hands went up after I started passing them out!  When they were trying to figure out who would go first for a game, they did ‘rock, paper, scissors.’  Oh how I love that game… it solves all issues!  Oh and my name is ‘Becky Teacher.’  Even the teacher calls me that!  I love it!

I had to use my first ‘squatty potty’ today!  It’s pretty much a drain in the ground and you squat over it and relieve yourself!  I was a little nervous b/c I am the WORST squatter!  I can’t not get it on me… I know… super gross, but honest!  Thankfully I passed the test today!  I used 2 different bathrooms and both only had those.  Tomorrow I’m going to ask and see if they have regular toilets!  It’s going to be a LONG year if I have to use those everyday!  I usually use the restroom about 10-15 times per day… today I used it 2 times!  It’s all about the experience… right?!?

Lunch… now that was interesting!  Man it’s going to be a long year in that aspect!  I didn’t want to be rude, so I ate as much as I could stomach and then said I was full.  I was not full.  I did learn to bring snacks though!  I went to the store tonight and got plenty of stuff I can take to school and put in my closet!  That way I can eat what I can stomach and then go back to my room and find something else if I need to!!

I had to go to the staff meeting today.  I stood up in front of all of the teachers and told a little about myself.  The other teacher translated for me!  She had to tell me a couple of times to slow down… I really wasn’t talking that fast!  But I did say ‘Anyonghaseyo, Becky immeda!’  They were impressed and applauded for me right away! 

On Mondays, I’m finished teaching by 12.10pm, but I can’t leave until 5pm.  Today, I went to lunch and then hung out for a bit.  We went to the staff meeting and then I came back and played on facebook and caught up on emails! J  This is the perfect time to skype, so you late night owls let me know and we can set something up! 

My English teachers came in about 4.15pm and brought some snacks and drinks to share.  They are so cute!!  She brought me a bottle of something and I took a big swig of it.  Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was some type of corn water!  Oh my, it’s not the best, but totally the thought that counts!  She also brought these cookies and I ate quite a few!  I was starving!!  I’m sure they were like what is wrong with this girl?!?  I was so thankful that she brought snacks!

So, my first day was a success!  It’s so interesting how things are so different, but so the same as well!  It was comforting on the way home, I met up on the bus with my friend who had his first day too!  It was good 1. To talk to someone in English and 2. To process the day with!  It is now officially 12 months until I return!  My contract began today!  Doesn’t that sound so crazy?!?  I’m sure I’ll read over this in about 11 months and think this seemed just like yesterday!!  

Field Trips Aren't Just For Kids!

I know, I know... I've been such a slacker the past couple of days!  I'll break this up so it's not so overwhelming!  The other day I was looking at my blog and realizing how long each entry was... sorry about that!  i guess i don't speak a lot of English throughout the day, so that I just spew it all out here... hope you don't mind! :)  And, Koreans don't really like stories!  They just like you to get to the point, so I'm definitely having to adjust to that!!

 

On Saturday, we (all of the teachers in my program) went on a field trip!  It was great b/c I got to meet all of the teachers!  We drove for about 2 or 3 hours to Jeonju City.  I noticed that South Korea is green, once you get out of the city!  It was refreshing to see trees and water!!  We went to the paper museum.  I got to make my own sheet of paper!  They had some really cool things all made out of paper!  (Check out the pictures below!)  It was quite comical b/c we were on a tight time schedule!  They didn't really let us take our time to look.  They kept saying, okay, let's go to the next room!  Which I think is very interesting, b/c they are a very patient culture! 

This city is known for 2 things: fans and bimimbop (a type of food).  We had lunch at a well-known bimimbop restaurant.  I was disappointed b/c I was having one of those days when I just wasn’t feeling Korean Food.  There was tons of stuff in front of me, but I just didn’t feel like trying anything new!  I was talking to one of the teachers about that and was asking if that was normal.  She said it totally was and some of the best advice she got was from another teacher who told her she needs to listen when her body is telling her that.  It’s okay that you just want American food!  I ate some of the stuff, I just didn’t have a big appetite for that!

Then, we went on a guided tour of the city.  It was neat to see the different parts.  I’m not exactly sure what it was all about… I was a little confused!!  They had pictures of old Kings, I think?!?  I know, that’s not too good of me, but oh well!  I think I got some good pictures!!

On the way home, we stopped at this gas station for a break and I found a DR. PEPPER!!  You don’t understand… they don’t have that here regularly!  It was such a treat!  I also treated myself to a Snickers Bar since I didn’t eat much at lunch… it was fantastic!!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that all day, the whole group had on matching shirts!!  Not only do we stand out b/c we are Weguks (foreigners) but we all match!  Gotta love Korea!  The funny thing is, here boyfriends and girlfriends where the matching shirts… it’s like telling everyone that they’re taken.  We call it ‘same, same.’  It’s too great!

 

That night some teachers asked if I wanted to go to dinner and I told them no thank you b/c I wasn’t feeling Korean food that day!  They told me they were going to Pizza Hut… I totally went!!  It was fun.  We went downtown again and walked around for a bit.  One of the teachers lives down there, so we went to his apartment to hang out.  He lives on the 19^th floor and overlooks the entire city… it was amazing!!  We set out on the balcony and had quite an enjoyable evening!

The next day (Sunday) I went to church for the first week!  It was really cool.  It was the day of Pentecost, so we read through Acts 2.  But, the pastor had it read in 9 different languages!  Almost all of the people who read, read in their native languages!  I truly am going to an International Church!  It was so neat to hear that!  We had a potluck after church… gotta love those things, you never know what you’re eating!  I met a few people and had an enjoyable time!

The rest of the afternoon I cleaned (Side note: My room used to be a guys room.  I’m learning that even clean boys aren’t technically clean!) and got my lesson plans ready for my first day of school!  The weekend was good… just not long enough!!  It’s definitely an adjustment living in a real city!

I'm making my own paper:

These are all made out of the paper I made:

This is for Brooke & Brylie:

Jeonju City:







I thought this was too funny!  This is a bar of soap hanging in the bathroom!