My experience at a Korean club

I went to a club in Hongdae, Seoul last weekend called DD.  Foreigners get in free!  But you can't leave till midnight.  I'd never heard of that.  In fact, frankly, I have no idea what clubs are supposed to be like.  I'd never been to one before, neither had any of my close friends.  I didn't know what to expect, but I'll tell you this.

I loved it!

But I need to tell you why I loved it, of course.  Because people go there to dance!  Ugh, I wish you could see my face, 'cause it's so expressive right now.  There was no sleaziness, no dirty dancing.  This was awesome dancing.  And everyone was doing it!  Plenty of people were doing it in synchronization!  It looked so stinking cool!

Now, when I tell you that they were all doing this variation of the Running Man, don't think just of Dancin' Kim and her moves.  I have since learned that this style is called the Shuffle, and, no, bro, this is what you need to think of.  (And imagine this in a small-ish dark room with loud music and people having fun with their active confidence.)

Is that not super cool?  I was in childlike awe!  People dancing?!  Gliding on the floor?!  It looks so cool!  It looks so fun!  Please, can I learn that?!

After watching and trying to go through the moves in my head (and failing), I decided that I would be very upset with myself if I didn't learn this step.  So, I went to the back of the club where I saw a young guy working on his moves.  I leaned got his attention and leaned in so he could hear me over the noise.  I yelled, "Can you teach me?" as I pointed to his feet and then to my feet.  I'm pretty sure he spoke some English, but it made no sense to talk at all because it was so loud there. Without words, my teacher patiently went through the steps.  He corrected my form and showed me the proper technique.  He told me to go slowly and to not get ahead of myself.  He praised me when I did a good job then encouraged me to learn an additional step.  Pretty awesome, if you ask me.  I came back to him later for a brush up lesson before leaving with my crew.

I really do want to learn this, and my experience at the club has inspired me even further to find the swing dancing culture in Seoul; I know there has to be one.

Coming Soon

As I mentioned before, it's been a busy two weeks.  I haven't been able to take the time to write, but here's a preview of what's coming soon.  (You're allowed to get excited.)  (That's sarcasm.  I'm not completely ego-centric.)

Last week's expedition to a Korean night club

Everyone was doing these awesome, super intense, well thought out running man/Cotton Eye Joe/ step dance variation moves.

This was me:

A look into one of my classrooms (the devil children)

This is the class that caused me to say "You can't shoot the teacher" more times than I ever thought was possible.

An account of this coming week's chill out adventure with my Buddhist friend Ashli

We're planning a two-hour meditation at an old temple and biking around the mountainous city of Seoul.

Earning Grace

For the third installment of POTSC's Never Beyond poster series, we have

Darth Vader.

I asked a friend of mine what he thought of the famous villain.  "He sort of redeemed himself at the end."

He did give his life for Luke.  That's a pretty big deal and, I think for many fans, it makes Darth Vader even more of an epic character (if not the best villain ever).

It's true, when someone who's a pretty bad person sacrifices and does an act of kindness, we look on them much more favorably.  We think maybe they'll do more good things in the future.  Maybe their hearts are melting.  Maybe they'll come around.

But what if they don't.  In fact, what if they never did that first act of kindness.  What if they stay in their evil actions and harmful decisions.  What if they don't earn that second chance.

Do they still deserve it?

More importantly, would you still give it to them?

"For all of us have become like one who is unclean, 

And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; 

And all of us wither like a leaf, 

And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." 

Isaiah 64:4 tells us that none of our good deeds earn us a thing.  Yet God still gives us second chances?  He still gives grace?  Hold up, He gives it abundantly?  Yes, friend.  Yes, He does.

Let us continue to press on to become more like the Forgiver.  He knows we don't deserve anything but condemnation even if we've given up our lives for another.  Without pure, unadulterated, righteousness, there is no  holiness.  Praise to the Lord for offering His Son as the sacrifice we need!  His perfection covers our ugliness and our evil.

Darth Vader redeemed himself in almost everyone's opinion, right?  With God, none of us can earn our redemption, but He steps in and gives it to us freely.

What a gift, this grace.

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Check out People of the Second Chance.

Join the movement to overthrow judgment and liberate love.

The risk of vulnerability - A challenge from Mike Tyson

Casey Anthony.  Justice.  Grace.  Forgiveness.  Or, lack thereof.  Do you know someone beyond grace?

These word have been written many times during the launch week of People of the Second Chance's new "Never Beyond" poster series.

This week our image is Mike Tyson.

As I join alongside POTSC and their poster project, one of the challenges will be familiarizing myself with the people being analyzed and the stories being told.  My family never watched much of the news, and I didn't mind being away from the horror and the destruction that seemed to dominate that scene anyway.  Just so you know, I am no expert on these people and their shocking stories.

As I read this summary of Mike Tyson's most memorable actions, though, I wasn't struck by the awful things he's done.  (Haven't I done plenty of sinful things myself?)  I am no stranger to judgment toward others, but judgment and I are not super close friends.  What caught me off guard was this:

He’s been candid about his addictions and financial mistakes...

Mike Tyson has opened himself to grace.  And also to the possibility of receiving no grace.

Just because you make yourself vulnerable does not mean that vulnerability will be respected and protected, and all of us have personal stories to prove it.  So why would this man who has already garnered a fair share of judgment and hatred open himself up to potentially more scrutiny and condemnation?

Could it be the mark of a sincere step in a better direction?  I think so.

Tonight I was challenged by the actions of a convicted rapist to open myself to grace.  I have been forgiven.  Jesus has taken my shame, and I need not bear it any more.  He already has the victory, and He has blessed me with experiences that testify to that truth already!  The best way for me to make Him and His grace famous is to tell the stories of what He's done, no?  But how can I tell of His mercy and grace if I don't tell what I've been rescued from?

I am afraid.  I am afraid that telling my story will open myself to more shame.  But, I want the glory of Jesus to win out in my life.  I want it to show.

I am going to tell my story one day.  I need not fear the condemnation of others, because they are not the ones who condemn.

If the One who condemns has already set you free, you are free indeed.

May we live like it!

Parting thoughts:

What would it look like if we were candid with our addictions, our struggles, our sins?

As Dr. Andrew Randle has said, "We all struggle.  Let's struggle together."

How should you and I treat those who boldly claim their forgiveness in Christ and open themselves up to the chance for grace?

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Want to read more and join the discussion? Check out People of the Second Chance.

The subway

I don't remember if I blogged about it, but, guys, when I was trying to get a job in Atlanta, one of the things I was most excited about was getting to use public transit to get to work!  I'm serious, I was way pumped, and I was already making a list of books I could read during the 45 minute ride.  Well guess what.  I live in a city with a subway system!  Holla!

I just know this is a poster for a music festival I'm missing!  I gotta learn Korean quickly!

These last two pictures, I'm so sorry they're so small, but I love them.  The only camera I have right now is on my phone, and I haven't found a good way to transport the images to my computer.  Even still, check this out!!

You see that?  Korean Harry Potter posters!  In the subway!  Awesome!!

Korean Culture: Determining Your Age

Considering that tomorrow is my birthday, it seems very appropriate that I do a short essay on the Korean way of telling one's age.

My birth date is August 17, 1988.

In America...

Today I am 22, and tomorrow I will be 23.

In Korea...

Today I am 24, and tomorrow I will still be 24.

Here's how they do it.

When you are born in Korea, you are automatically one year old.  They count the time in the womb as one year (yes, even though the gestation period is only 9 months).  Then, you don't officially change your age until the changing of the new lunar year.  In 2012, the new lunar begins on February 3rd.  It is on this day that everyone levels up and changes their age.

I'll use myself as an example here.

When I was born on August 17, 1988, I was already one year old (Korean style).  Then, on the turn of the new year in 1989 (which was February 6th), I gained another year.  In essence, I was two years old in Korean age before I'd reached 6 months of American age!

To further illustrate, here's a little video to help with the visual learning.

(See?  I'm learning how to be a better teacher already!)

Korea 5_Everyone’s age advances at New Year. from 43 Films on Vimeo.

The children

I don't know why I didn't think of this before.  I must have been blinded to the fact that I'm going to be a teacher here.  For preschool.  For preschool children.

What to you think of when you think of Asian children and education ?  A match made in heaven?  Let me set something straight.  The pressure that makes the kids study and do well in school comes from their parents.  In fact, that pressure is so severe, students committing suicide isn't as rare as you'd think.  Keeping away from that pressure, though (like in the relaxed English school where I teach), these kids just want to be kids.  It's true: Asian kids are just kids.  This is evidenced by their loud yells, their desire to do anything but sit quietly, and their disdain for anything that isn't fun.  Like regular kids, they want to run the classroom.

I need to clarify.  There are many children who are well behaved and who are diligent, but the extremely crazy ones greatly eclipse them.  I felt a magnificent sense of accomplishment when I captured an entire class' attention with Quest for Camelot one day.  They were intrigued by the setting of the story and by the story itself.  (They also said the characters were ugly.)  Boy, were they focused!  And quiet!  And interested!  Log that one away in awesome Korean occurrences!

Outside of the classroom, they're completely enjoyable.  Inside the classroom, their chaos grates against my mission of order.  I'll have some  a lot of adjusting to do, but I can't wait till I'm confident and comfortable in my role as their teacher.  I look forward to getting to have fun with them, to building relationships with them, and to getting them to learn something.  I remember during my internship with the Dayton City School's ESL program when I was addicted to that light in the kids' eyes when they finally got something and when they enjoyed learning.  My favorite phrase was, "Will you read it to me?!"  I love that.

Here's to learning.  And here's to teachers everywhere.

(And, First Grade Teacher whose name I can't remember, I'm so sorry for being a brat!)