Christmas Time is Here!

On Christmas Eve, I will leave Seoul, stop in Tokyo and Los Angeles for layovers, then arrive in the beautiful city of Atlanta where my family will pick me up for a week at home!!

I honestly cannot convey to you how excited I am without being with you in person.  The sound effects really make it.  But, I will let you know some of the things I'm super excited about.

I will get to see my family!  Obvious, but awesomest as well.

I will get to see my boyfriend! He'll be stopping in Christmas day and then we will visit his father's family for a short time in North Carolina.  If you  have any tips for "meeting the extended family" for the first time, let me know!

My sister and I are going to have a day all to ourselves!  I miss that kid so much, and I'm so pumped to get to spend a good amount of time with her.

I will get to see my best friends!  Near the end of the week, Millie and Sweeny will be coming down to hang out with us!  My 6 most favorite people in all the world are going to be in one place.  How wonderful is that?!

Also, I'll get to see my dog, I'll get to play my piano, I'll get to eat macaroni and cheese, and I'm pretty sure I'll get to hang out at some of my favorite place in Newnan (my beautiful hometown) and probably even sneak in a burger from Red Robin.

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I've finally begun decorating my room, by the way, circa high school and of college.  I've tacked up an old clock face I found by the trash piles, some Egyptian papyrus I bought from missionaries who spoke at my church, pictures, postcards, and a few scenes from an old calendar.  It's eclectic, and it's familiar.  I really like it.  I wouldn't mind adding some Christmas lights, though, and maybe some sheer fabric hanging from the ceiling in soft drapes.

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Because I'm going to be spending time with my family, I'll be taking a break from blogging for at least a week.  I hope your holidays are lovely!  I know mine will be.

This is my family and I last Christmas at a friend's party.  Washed out, red eyed, and wonderful.

Korean Experiences: Going to the doctor

I had a cold this past week.  I know that, if I don't take medicine to get the gunk out, it will settle into my lungs where it can aggravate my mild asthma condition, but, I really didn't want to go to the doctor.  Not only was I feeling ill, but add onto that a new, uncomfortable environment, a big language barrier, and the terrible unknown of the Korean medical world, and I was ready to stick it out for months.  Well, Rena convinced me I needed to go.

I made an appointment for after school and then spent the rest of the day worrying, talking about it with my kids, and generally freaking out.  I had an ominous feeling in my chest as I zipped up my outer coat and trudged outside into the night.  I was heading toward something awful.

Just kidding, it was great!

When I finally down in his office, the doctor greeted me in Korean.  I very, very shyly asked if he spoke English.

"You don't speak Korean?"

"Only a very little bit."

"Ah.  I only speak a little English.  So, please speak slowly."

"I will."

After that first bit of awkwardness and after getting used to the nurse that literally just stood there next to me (in case she were to be needed, I'm sure), I eased up so much.  I was able to tell him all he needed to know, and I felt like I could trust him and what he said.  I just felt so comfortable.  At the end, I told him so, and I told him about how I had been nervous but I was now so glad that I came.

The diagnosis:

I have a cold, but my asthma has not been aggravated.  My breathing is not wheezy, it's normal.  I do need to be careful about moving from the cold to the warm weather.  It is not good for my condition.  And, did you know that it's not the mucus draining into your throat that makes it sore?  It's when your nose is clogged and you have to breath through your mouth more, that dries out your throat and brings on the agitation and soreness.  I didn't know!  So, I'm drinking hot water (the steam helps, he said), I'm almost finished with the pills he gave me, and I've been pulling up my scarf over my nose and mouth outside.

I'm getting better!

And, I was going to try and find a picture of a Korean doctor to add some interest to this post, but none of the men in the picture look as kind and gentle as my doctor (who I've deemed the best in Korea).

Kim Jong-Il's death and how it's affected my community so far

As you can read here, Kim Jong-Il, the 17-year dictator of Communist North Korea died about 2 days ago.  The North Korean government television announced it today at noon, Korean time.  Just an hour after the news broke, I came down from lunch with my preschoolers and Corey asked, "Hey, Lindsay, have you seen the news?"

I was surprised and a little excited, but I had little connection with the earth shaking headlines.  It wasn't until I started looking into teaching here in Korea that I even learned which of the sides was the Communist one.  I was finally able to remember Kim Jong-Il's name probably 3 months ago.  I have talked about the unrest, the hope for reunification, and the regime of the Kims with my students a few times, but, not only is this not my country (not deeply, at least), but I have not been in the habit of being up to date in world affairs.

Still, there was energy in this news.  On my way back upstairs, I walked next to Elena, one of my Korean co-teachers, and I asked if she'd heard.  Kim Jong-Il is dead.  She gasped and looked at me in surprise.  

"Really?!"

I asked her how she felt.  After a few "wow's," she told me that she is a little scared.  She doesn't know what will happen with the war.  And Kim Jong-Il's third son, Kim Jong-Un will be rising as the new dictator (assuming Kim Jong-Il's wishes are carried out).  This new guy is very young, and could be just a plain idiot.  There is so much uncertainty, and it's a little frightening.

When I arrived back in my preschool classroom, I relayed the information to my co-teacher and one of my closest Korean friends, Jinny.  She lit up in an unbelieving smile, hit the wall a few times, and was all around excited.  She had to leave before I could talk with her at length about it, but she did share a few misgivings as well.

In the afternoon, I asked two of my classes (3rd and 4th grade) about it.  Their public school teachers had told them what had happened.  (I was vividly reminded of my own experience at 9/11.)  The more animated of my students were cheering and shouting about going into North Korea and killing Kim Jong-Il's son and then his son as well.  They continued to play with imaginary machine guns for the majority of the class.  One of the girls, though, talked about the same fears that Elena mentioned.

I was able to ask one more of my Korean co-teachers in the early evening about what was going on and how she felt about it.  She was also quite worried and a little frightened, I think.  She talked about the new dictator, about how young he is (a 20-something), and about how the Korean won is going down in the stock market because the world is also getting worried about what's going to happen.

And that's what she said: "I don't know what's going to happen."

That is a very scary place to be.

 Korea prays for reunification.  It is hard to know now if that dream has come closer or if it's been pushed farther away.

There is no celebrating in the streets.  There is no bringing down of statues.  Save in my classroom, there is no cheering.  There is waiting and there is watching.

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Me?  I am fine.  I've wondered if I should pack my computer and my camera with me when I leave for one week in America on Saturday, just in case I'm not able to return to Korea, but I'm not too worried.  South Korea has almost its entire male population ready and able to fill the army ranks if need be, and we have almost 30,000 US troops in Korea to help us out.  I'm not uneasy, not really, but I am poised to be uneasy if I need to be.  I won't worry until then.

This past weekend in Seoul...

Here's a brief recap of some of the last week's events!

• Thursday night, I went shopping with two of my Korean co-teachers, one of whom got me a discount for the boots I bought, and both of whom talked and chatted and gossiped with me as if I were just one of the girls.  I loved it!  I must confess, I even enjoyed the gossiping part because it made me feel included.
• I ordered ramen at a restaurant for the first time.  It's a popular dish here and comes in many varieties e.g. kimchi, potsticker, and cheese, and my food was pretty tasty, but, you know why this is monumental, right?
• I had my first preschool open class at my hagwon, and it was great!  My favorite comment from one of the mothers was that she could tell how much my co-teacher and I really loved the kids.  Even my supervisor was impressed.  I'm so pleased!
• I realized that I actually enjoy writing up syllabi now.  It's the task-oriented part of my brain, you see, and it thrives in that organization and compiling.  Oh it's so much fun.
• I finished up all my Christmas shopping at Insadong Saturday morning!  I'm so happy with my finds.  I was able to get a few small discounts, and I got it all completed within two hours before my Korean class!  Holla!
• For all the walking around outside in Insadong, I wore 9 pieces of winterwear.  NINE. 
  Now I know how the Koreans stay warm outside but then don't sweat in the subway.  Heat Tech!  It's a kind of innerwear sold by Uniqlo, and it is awesome.  Seriously, I wore this entire ensemble with the Heat Tech all day (outside, in the subway, in the shops, outside again, etc.) and only felt warm when I was in a heated area like the restaurants or small shops.  In the subway and outside, I was peachy!  Amazing!  Thank you, Uniqlo!



Thanks, Jason, for the picture!

• Earmuffs (My first real pair!  And, oh, how I love them!  Who knew they were so warm?!)
• Scarf (The warmest I have)
• Coat (With thinsulate which I'm starting to think isn't as awesome as Delia's says it is)
• Jacket
• Heat Tech shirt from Uniqlo
• Heat Tech leggings from Uniqlo
• Winter/rain boots
• Leg warmers (On my thighs above the boots)
• Gloves (They're fingerless ones, but they're great.)

• I totally comprehended the new concepts introduced in my Korean class!  I'm so pumped!  We hit a lot on grammar this time.  I love rules and formulas (I was really good at math), and these Korean rules were clicking pretty well once I had a great time figuring them out for the first time.  Now all I gotta do is get the vocabulary to sink in.  There's no use in getting the formulas if I don't have any words to plug into them.
• I attended Santacon in Hongdae Saturday night because I had no other plans when Matthew, my Korean class classmate, asked what I was doing.  Dude, there was a really strange vibe there.  I arrived at the Canadian bar with my friend and acquaintances and was ushered into the red and white pack of 30-something-year-old foreigners.  I almost instantly got a strange sense from the atmosphere.  We were all foreigners, we all had a good many things in common, and, therefore, there was this certain kind of camaraderie in the air.  This aura, though, I didn't trust it.  This group, I didn't know any of them.  The reason for coming, you gotta admit it was odd.  In fact, my whole feel for the place was odd, so I left soon after finishing my dinner.
• I missed the lunar eclipse because of the clouds.  Bummer.  Really.
• I drew my scarf up over my mouth and nose to try and hide my Caucasian features.  Weird, huh?  I've just been having a hard time lately with sticking out like a sore thumb just because of the shape of my face.
• Oy, enough of that low stuff.  Some other good things happened this weekend, I promise!
  
• I did the best nail painting job I've ever done!  This was my inspiration, and THIS is my reality!



Made possible with Korean nail polish! Heyeah!

• I finished reading Wuthering Heights!  I really enjoyed it, and it feels really good to be able to check off another classic.  I'm heading back to Oliver Twist, and I'm starting War of the Worlds and hopefully Shantaram soon.
• I performed in a Talent Show at church and sang some traditional Christmas songs and... yes, Justin Bieber.  Have you heard "Mistletoe," by the way?  It's pretty darn cute.  We jumped it up a good bit to make it more fun and upbeat.  Gah, I love making music!  It was such a blast.  This was by far some of the most fun I've had in my time in Korea.  Brethren, music, performing, spectating... Everything was excellent!  There was a riveting monologue by my friend Za'chary and lovely music by many new friends.  I loved it all.  Thank you, Jubilee Church for the awesome opportunity, and thank You, God, for, ah! just everything!

Gracias to Felicia for taking pictures of the Talent Show for me!

Bucket List V

It's been a while since I've visited this topic, but I've found a few more adventures to add to my Bucket List.  (The new additions are at the bottom under the line.)

• Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square
• Scuba dive
• Stargaze under the biggest sky on the darkest night
• Attend ComicCon
• Roadtrip to Maine and/or Canada
• Have a restaurant give me food for singing
• Be on the radio, sometime, somehow 
• Be in a choreographed performance of "Beat It"
• Get myself a motorcycle license
• Host a huge blanket fort slumber party a la Troy and Abed in Community (Season 2, Episode 9)
• Audition and be cast in a community theatre show
• Be a camp counselor
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• Go skinny dipping - Well, yeah.  Haven't done it yet, but I'm pretty sure it needs to happen.
• Observe a flash mob - As with the above activity, it just seems like being near a flash mob would make my personality more rounded.  I don't have to be in it, but, gosh aren't there tons now?  Doesn't it just make sense to see one before I die?
•  Attend a Harry Potter party/marathon - I missed out when I was younger because I didn't start reading the series till college.  This party/marathon must include homemade butterbeer, by the way.

From the movie Yes Man

• Go to Harry Potter World with Millie - Self explanatory BFF excursion
• Be in a food fight - Isn't this on everyone's list?
• Find a signature scent and wear it as a signature scent - This just seems like a very feminine/lady thing to do, and I think it sounds like a thing of sophistication with a dash of sexiness -  as long as it's not Bonne Belle's "Cotton Candy Splash" or something like that.

What the kiddos write - 3rd graders and the Giant Panda

For another test over Giant Pandas, I asked the kids a few questions about whether the Giant Panda would make a good pet (why or why not?) and what other animal would the like to learn about.  Here are the awesome things they said.

I wish I could learn about birds because it is beautiful and... I like the birds and birds sound is pretty.  When I listen the birds sound, my heart it... I can't explain because it is very wonderful and beautiful I think.  When I walk and I heard a birds sound, I think I am in the nature.  So I'm very happy because I like nature.

- Agnes

Considering she's a girl raised in Seoul, the second most densely populated city in the world, I completely understand why the bird's song would mean so much to her.

Tiger.  Because it is going gone, and it is cool, and it is brave.

- Peter

A young man of efficiency, I love how Peter says all that's needed here.

I wish I could learn about an eagle.  Because I like eagle and eagle is strong.

- June

 Like Peter, June usually plays the cool kid and sometimes does just enough to get by in class.  I'm not sure why I feel this way, but I find this very small window into his mind a treasure.  It reminds me that he's just a boy with interests and dreams just like I had when I was his age.  I love it.

(In response to "why or why not") I want to write a 'not.' Because Giant panda is so big.  And Giant panda eating everything, and he punch everything, so we are so angry of Giant panda.

- Edward

The last part of his answer was completely different than the others' answers.  It makes me excited to see all the different angles he's analyzing here!

I don't think it is good to have a giant panda as a pet, because the giant panda will bigger and we [can't] keep it in the house so we need to give it to the zoo, and it's home is bamboo forest in China so it will be not happy for become a pet and go away to another place.

- Julie

This girl Julie was the first student to ever ask me how I feel.  I always begin class by asking each of the students how they are today.  I was stunned and honored when she decided to return the question last week.  Here, it makes me smile to see her tenderness show itself as she considers the panda's feelings in her test answer.  She was the only student to do this.

No, [it should not be a pet] because Giant Panda is very big, and the Giant Panda is protecting animal.  Also, my mother hate all of animal.

- Lilly

Sentences like that last one remind me that I'm teaching kids.  Awesome kids.  Awesome kids that I would have loved to have been friends with when I was younger.  It's totally cool that I get to be friends with them now.

No, because the giant panda is big and fat.  And the newborn panda is learn from the mother and They need drink milk from the mother.

-Yuna

Sensitivity strikes again.  It's beautiful.

I think not.  Because Panda is so big and heavy.  If was run, floor is nearly broken.  But we can make a pet to baby panda.  It's get bigger, bring it to the zoo!

- Fire

Brilliant, my friend.  Brilliant.

The girls!
...sans Lilly whose first day was today
This is Agnes, Sally, Yuna, and Julie's above with the peace signs.  These chicas are the bomb.

And here's Edward representing the boys of the class.  (June's in the background.)  Peter suddenly got super shy when I took out the camera, the crazy kid!  And Fire was absent on this day.

"So now you got a taste of what I do!"
-Nacho Libre
(funniest movie ever)

Garosugil

There's a street in Sinsa, which is near Apgujeong, the ritziest part of the city, that draws a significant amount of attention.  A lot of the architecture is made to look European, there are many small and expensive boutiques, and there are tons of coffee shops, all on this one long street.  (Now I'm curious: I have got to count these coffee shops!  I wouldn't be surprised if there were more than 60!)  The nature of the street and its cozy, modern atmosphere makes it a couples hotspot.  The guys take their girls shopping here, then to dinner, then for coffee, then for waffles... There's a couple clubs here, too, and, for those who want it, live squid tanks around the corner.

Olivia had a birthday recently, and we were all in Sinsa anyway for a church function, so we headed out for a night on the town stopping first for curry at Namaste then scouring the area for a coffee shop that had enough room for 5 people to sit at one table.  Let me tell you, it took us probably 15 minutes and 5 coffee shops to find one that wasn't completely full of lovey dovey couples who'd already occupied every table.  Oy.

The first picture was an attempt to capture some of the vibrant color the autumnal ginko trees added to the scene.  They really were stunning.

And that five story building ahead is my beloved Forever21.  It has Western sizes, fitting rooms, and everything!  This is where I do most of my shopping; the H&M's too far away.

The decor at Namaste is spectacular.  Here's Felicia being too distracted by the ornate fabric on the walls and the intricate wood carving partition to decide on what to share with me for dinner.

This is our curry and our nan.  Would you believe it?  I've had Indian food more since being here in Korean than in all my life before now?  And I've only had it twice here!
The verdict: I love it.  All of it.  All the time.
Also, on a somewhat related note: I've finally had Vietnamese pho and it is amazing.  Thank you, Seoul, for letting me have so many amazing cuisines!

Everyone enjoyed.

Joe and Karlan.
And another amazing partition.  Seriously, the atmosphere at this place is totally awesome.

Here's more of the lovely street.

And from the other side!

Finally, we made it to a coffee shop.  Amid all the legit couples, Karlan and I decided to do what we could to fit in.

Olivia, Felicia, and Kara were having a blast on the other side of the table.

Here my companions yelled at me for the second time of the night about taking the picture before we eat the food.  Ah well.  Here's what remained of our gelato dessert.

This was a total paparazzi shot.  Without turning around and looking at these love birds, I steadied my camera over my shoulder toward them and had Olivia guide my aim.  Too bad I didn't catch them smooching all over each other.  I'm afraid this is all you get.

The gelato was heavenly.  Here (clockwise from the top left) we have strawberry, cheese, vanilla with chocolate pieces, yogurt, cheesecake, green tea, chocolate something, and coffee.  We got the cheese, the vanilla, the chocolate, and the coffee.  All of them were fantastic (the coffee really tasted like coffee), but the cheese was my favorite.  Call me crazy, but it was delicious!  Sweet and mild, not cheddar-y.  If you come and visit, I'll totally take you out for some!

I know I risk sounding like a compete nerd, but it made me inexplicably happy to find this magazine in the coffee shop.
Those bold yellow words over the meerkat's left arm?  They say "Meeawket."  Aha!

And that's my story.

What the kiddos write - 5th graders and Free writing

In my 5th grade New Hi Kids class, we have picture diary assignments.  The students write a paragraph about what's going on during the day, something they're interested in, or anything else they care to write about.  I get a lot of entries about computer games,  but sometimes I come across something that catches my eye.

This one is from Mick.  He told me this story in class one day, about how the bus had left him at school earlier that week.  I sounded like a situation from a TV show, and I had to smile when I read his picture diary.

Today finish SLP I take a bus but today is not bus!!  I be confused.  My house far away.  I don't had money so I just walk to house.  I so sad.  My leg is so painful.  I hate bus!  Why bus is not here!?

- Mick  (spelling and punctuation corrected)

I recently told the girls in this class that I'm learning Korean on Saturdays.  The four of us were loitering out in the hall afterward passing Korean phrases back and forth.  The girls looked really excited and happy, and I was really pleased to have made them smile so much.

I love~ Korean.  Today, I look your speaking Korean.  Oh~ ^^  Your very well Korean real ability.  You're very~ very~ great!  Um... Every Saturday (??) you go Korean class?  Oh it's so fun?  Of be bored?  I think you so good girl!  *Thumbs up drawing*

- Lomi (spelling corrected)

That's Mick on the right.
I love their smiles.

Halloween at my hagwon

They're late, but here are a few photos of my adorable kids from Halloween... taken with my own camera!  I'll write about the purchasing experience eventually (it's a story for sure), but I will quickly announce that I am a happy owner of a Canon 1100D!  Now to figure out how to use it well!

Halloween is not traditionally a Korean holiday.  Many of the students got to see a Jack-o-lantern for the first time.  The wonder in these kids' voices and eyes was a beautiful thing.
"There's fire inside!"

Actually, it was Jinny's and my first time making a Jack-o-lantern, too!

Jinny, that brilliant girl, brought in face paint for the kids.  This is Ruby with a dragonfly.

Eva and hearts and Jinny with paint

Here's my whole beautiful class.  All the girls were princesses (we had two Cinderellas), one Power Ranger, and one wizard.  Aren't they adorable?  I'm trying to convince at least one of them to come home with me to America.

Go figure, I'm human!

After 3.5 months of being in love with Seoul, Korea's gave me my first dose of culture shock!  And!  It's reminded me that I'm human and susceptible to human things.  (Hooray for humbling experiences!)  Honestly, I thought I was untouchable in this area.  I've traveled abroad a lot, I love cultures, I love people, and I love Seoul.  How could I possibly get negative vibes from this place?  Well, surprise, I still go through certain emotions just like everyone else.  Lindsay, you're loved, but you're not the best thing ever.

("Thanks, God.  I needed that.")

God beating down my pride is always a good thing, but the culture shock can be a little upsetting. All of a sudden I realized that people see me as a foreigner here.  Back home, I used to enjoy being a certain kind of different.  Here, though, it's just because of the shape of my nose and eyes.   It's just automatic when the people here make when they just see my face.  There's no need to look into my personality or my heart, they know that I am "other."  I've stopped looking people in the eyes on the street and the subway because I don't want to catch them looking at me. 

I'm doing fine, don't worry.  I've talked to many good friends who care about me about it, and they've been able to offer excellent insight and compassion, both of which have been necessary and extremely helpful for moving on.  With counsel, I've been able to identify this as culture shock and, this is so cool, now that it's been labeled, it's not an enemy anymore.  It's normal, I'm not freaking out, and I'm not going to stay in this phase.  Awesome!

The coolest part: I'm not alone.

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For more thoughts on living in a foreign country, check out my Open Letter to Expats.

Stay away from evil... right?

Warning: This is a conceptual post in which I essentially think out loud.  This is something I'd talk about with my close friends, and, most of them are back in the States right now, but I still want to talk about these things.  I would love for you guys to add to the discussion in the comments.

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Stay away from evil.

...Right?

Well, okay, okay.

Stay away from evil, yes, but away from evil people?  No.

Is that better?

Not good enough?

How about we just stay away from the appearance of evil then.

We can hang out with whomever we want (or whomever we think needs Jesus), but we can't look like we're actually doing what they're doing.   How's that?

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Here I tell you about the first principle of mine that's been challenged while living here in Korea.

When I came to Korea, I was prepared for the culture shock that was sure to come.  I have never lived in Asia before, I have never even lived in a city before, and I have never been a teacher before.  But I was ready.  Strangely enough, I've had hardly any adjustment, it's as if I've slipped right into a location I was made for.  Yeah, I wish I knew the language so I could communicate well, but there's hand motions and dictionaries for that.  (And I've started Korean lessons!)

I would boldly say that Korea hasn't given me any culture shock.  No, it's actually come from the foreigners at work.

I grew up in a very sheltered, nurturing Christian environment.  I've been enrolled in a Christian school for all but three years of my sixteen years of education.  I've worked with some unbelievers at a pizza shop and at an office supplies store, but that was only up to eight hours a day, and most of my time was spent with customers or pizza dough, anywhere.

Then I moved here.

The 16 of us foreign teachers live in the same neighborhood.  We hang out with each other all the time.  We live together, two by two.  Daniel and I will have been in the same apartment for two months this weekend.  We eat together, we drink together, we go to norebong together, and we have out-of-town adventures together.  I'm with these people almost as much as I was with my college friends back in the dorm days.

These people are different than the folks I've been around before.  They do, say, believe, and laugh at very different things.

I love them.  In fact, I like them.  I enjoy their company.  They enjoy mine (from what I gather).  We hang out at the bars.  We talk about whatever.  We discuss where life comes from.

This is the opposite of what I used think I was supposed to do.

I knew we were supposed to evangelize to unbelievers, and I later found out we were supposed to develop relationships with them, but am I supposed to go to the bars with them?

In her conventionality shattering post "Grace Runs," Alece Ronzino details Jesus' experiences with the appearances of evil.

(Since that post was the inspiration for my own, I suggest/ask/implore you to read it.  It's excellent.)

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What do you think?

What the kiddos say

My second graders had a test on changes in states of matter.  Here's Danny's answer for the question "How can you change the size and shape of a solid?"

We can change solid. We can cut.

We can change solid.  We can fold.

We can change solid.  We can rip.

We can change solid.  We can throw into the volcano.

This kid is going places, just hopefully not to the ward for pyromania.

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Another one of my classes, my fourth grade National Geographic class, had a test on the Indonesian Rainforest. This was our second test over the material and, instead of the standard matching, multiple choice, or what have you, I decided to make this an essay test.  I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.  What I get back on their test papers is blog post gold!

Question #4 asked them to describe a global problem and a solution.  A couple wrote about global warming, but most of them wrote about the conflict between North and South Korea.  I love talking with the students about this issue.  Everyone has an opinion, and everyone is passionate about it.  Here's what some of them said.

The problem was a 38° line.  The North Korea want to get a South Korea too.  And a North Korea person didn't have enough food for eat.  So South Korea and North Korea will be a friend, and we give a food for them.  Then we can will be a reunification.

-Sally

The North Korea and South Korea is in DMZ is problem, because the North Korea and South Korea were one country, if the family lived another country in North Korea and South Korea they can't meet every day so it is very sad thing.  We need to do not hate each other, have think about we are one country and talk with North Korea.  And we can reunification.

-Julie

Problem is North and South is cut two countrys.  We can kick out Kim-Jung-Il and made one country.  And we can destroyed a DMZ and reunification.

-Fire

I really love getting to know people's minds.  I never stopped to think how much I would get to do that as a teacher.  I have my own kind of adventure exploring the uncharted territory of my students' ideas,  passions, and interests.  I honestly find it quite fascinating, and I always jump on any opportunity to get away from the curriculum and into something they genuinely care about.

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Here's the last story for the day.

My science class has started learning about force e.g. pushing and pulling.  This picture was an example of one of those, and the students correctly answered "Pulling."  Then I said, "And who can me tell which flag this is?"

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Kelly boldly shouted, "New York!"

"No, honey, no.  But good try.  Very good try."

Pepero Day 2011

November 11 was Pepero Day in Korea.  The four "1's" in the date resemble the Pepero sticks, and this encouraged either brilliant marketers or a group of wishful girls in Busan to start the trend of buying these delicious cookie sticks by the hundreds and passing them out to people you like.   (One tradition goes that the Busan girls prized the cookies for their thinness.  I'm glad my role model isn't a food product.)

My first class of the day gave me a couple boxed of these tasty treats which I turned into gifts for the next class who also gave me boxes that I gave to the next class and so on.  I didn't have to buy any Pepero but had plenty for all of my students throughout the day and I had some left over for myself.

The best part of the day was realizing that this had actually been my best teaching day since starting.  I completely held the students' attention when I was using Pepero sticks as an incentive for class participation, the kids were already hyped up on sugar, and we all have a blast.

Even the coffee shop chain Paris Baguette got in on the party with their "peperoll" pastry."

Yep, this stash is going to last us a long time.

Peter was so pumped to get to eat Pepero in class.  Best day ever!

"Okay, kids!  Let's show kids in America what Pepero Day is like!"

"Teacher, how quickly can I finish my test without you suspecting me of rushing so I can eat cookies?"

It's probably not proper teacher etiquette to photograph the class while they're taking a test, but, we didn't cover that in my training, so I had at it.

Back in the teacher's room:
Behold the haul.

Here is my lovely Korean co-teacher and pseudo sister Jinny with peanut Pepero.

Happy Pepero Day!

Korea and me

As I write to you, I am sitting out on my balcony finishing off a small bowl of blueberry yogurt oatmeal mush.  I got the idea from this recipe, and just went to Costco this morning to find the proper ingredients, but the final product didn't turn out exactly like the inspiration.  Even still, it's quite delicious, and it's definitely going on my frequent dish list.

Being in Korea has significantly limited me in what I can cook.  That's been the biggest drawback.  Certain foods are rarer or just harder to find, and the labels are mostly in Korean which I still can't fully understand.  I'm relying heavily on pictures and familiar brand names right now.  Also, as I figured out last weekend at the Gangnam station shopping area, being surrounded by a foreign language and a foreign people can be overwhelming.  (Who knew?)  After a few minutes of filing in with the bustle of the Koreans hunting for what they want, if I can't find what I'm looking for, I'll give up, quickly make my way out of the store, and step outside for some fresh air and no communication requirements.

While it's more difficult to find the groceries I want, I'm surely not starving.  I learned quickly how to order the delicious foods on the menus here.  The words dolsot bibimbap*, chamchi bonjuk*, and jap chae* are second nature to me now.  

Finding good food has been a small and conquerable challenge.  I'd forgotten that I would need to by contact solution, makeup, and other hygiene products, though.  I'd brought enough toothpaste and floss to last me the whole year, but I didn't even think of these other things.  Thankfully, there was never a need to worry.  There are many, many different cosmetic/skin shops.  I'm quite surprised at how plentiful they are.  There's usually a couple in the large subway stations, and they are on every corner in the nicer areas where we usually go for dinner or for shopping.  These shops have names like Inisfree, Face Shop, and Skin Food.  (That's not even half of them!)  And, is it just me, or do you just want to buy something from Inisfree?  Doesn't that just sound healthy and beautiful?

So, yes, I am quite taken care of in the beauty realm.  (I've even found a fantastic shampoo that makes me feel fabulous.)  I never need to go far for stationary, either.  Nor coffee.  Nor fruit, dry cleaning, baked goods, homegrown vegetables, money, and street food.  My small neighborhood has all these things in abundance, and it's really nice to not have to walk more than 5 minutes to get what I need.

Like slippers.

Yes, these are my slippers.  They are very Korean, and they make me laugh.

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Dolsot bibimbap - A Korea dish consisting of rice and vegetables like fern stems, dried seaweed, and bean sprouts.  A semi-raw egg is set on top, and the whole dish is served in a sizzling stone pot.  When mixed all together, the egg cooks and covers the rice with its delicious butteriness.  This is my favorite Korean food by far.

Chamchi bonjuk - Korean porridge with tuna mixed in (The porridge here is super healthy, and the Koreans eat it when they are sick.  I tried it for the first time when I had food poisoning last weekend.)

Jap chae - A Korean sweet potato noodle and vegetable dish that moms make when they're tired (like the American equivalent of spaghetti)