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.