forty-eight hours later

I am pleased to announce that I have now lived in my homestay for two days. It has been a great time so far. On Friday, I hung out at the apartment with my host-sister, Ho Jin. We watched TV, relaxed, and I spent some much-needed time lesson planning and getting ready to teach in a couple of days. When my host parents came home from work, the house got a little crazy. A friend of my host-mom came over and we had fruit and this rice dessert. I had another opportunity to smile and nod and catch one word out of twenty. I think I am picking up more of the language. Then, a swarm of people came to figure out the internet at the flat. I got my computer hooked up to the network (YAY!!!) as well as my ipod touch. In addition to my computer, my host family moved their computers around and installed an internet phone. I have yet to figure all of that out, but I did watch BBC in English today.

This morning, I woke up and had breakfast with my host mom and Ho Jin. Then Ho Jin left to go to a music competition. She plays the violin. My host mom, her friend (that I had met yesterday) and I attended the competition and went out to lunch afterward. I got several stares for my white skin by random people. My host mom was very happy to explain that I was staying with her for the year while I taught English. Later this evening, after my host father got home, we drove to where I will catch the bus to school and the drove out to Galsan Elementary School. There was construction going on, but is was great to see the campus and imagine teaching there. We then drove to the middle school where my host father works. He likes to help with the gardening at the school as well as teaching. Then we drove about half an hour to Hemi Castle, a historical landmark. When we got to the castle, I handed my camera to my host father, to take a picture. I took over taking pictures for the whole visit, which I thought was really funny. It was interesting to look at the buildings, but it was hard to casually read at various locations that this was where they tortured Catholics in the late 1800s. At Hemi Castle, we met up with the English teacher from my host father's school. He wandered around the castle and then went out to dinner with us. We had a meal where we fried pork (it looked like thick pieces of bacon) and then put the meat, this really yummy red sauce, and vegetables in a piece of lettuce ate it in one bite. It is now another one of my favourite meals. On the way home from dinner, we went to the Yellow Sea coast-about half an hour from my apartment. The water was beautiful at night.

It was wonderful to spend time with my host family, and to see them out of the apartment. I especially liked talking with Ho Jin and having her more comfortable with translating, when necessary. This should be a great year.

Here I am with my host family!

This is Ho Jin and the English teacher I met.

I am attempting a traditional Korean game, complete 

with purse and high heels.

 Ho Jin and me!!

홍성 and my homestay!

Today has been a particularly crazy day! I woke up bright and early for my 7.45am dorm room check out. After that was accomplished by my roommate and I, I headed downstairs to my final breakfast of rice and these sausage-ish things at Jungwon's Grand Cafeteria. Then began the slow process of departure day. For the first hour, we hung out in the Fishbowl (a meeting room with lots of windows) snapping photos and exchanging goodbyes. We then had a series of info meetings, addresses by the president of the university and the director of Fulbright, and random breaks ending with the departure ceremony. All 107 ETAs lined up in the Auditorium and waited for our name to be called. I was probably in the last third of the group. When my name and school were announced, I stepped forward, located my school principle who was waving at me, accepted the flowers offered by a sixth grade teacher from Galsan Elementary School, bowed, and then stepped back into line. Fortunately, I did not trip, miss my name, or blurt out anything ridiculous. Next came the most awkward part of the day. I had lunch with my principal and fellow teacher, neither of whom knew very much English. We slowly exchanged a few pleasantries and mostly nodded at each other. I then had one final meeting and round of goodbyes before grabbing my luggage and heading out with my new boss.

The ride to Hongseong was nice. We talked a little and stopped at a rest stop for ice cream halfway to town. My family pictures on my ipod touch were great to communicate through a language barrier. I loved the mountains and the view as we drove. We arrived at my new home around dinner time and were greeted by my host dad. He and another teacher helped me move my belongings up to my new room. In the apartment, I met two of my host sisters: 지수 (Jisoo) who is 18 and spent a year in Nebraska for an exchange program and 호진 (Ho Jin) who is 13 and speaks English very well. I took a picture of the three of us, but unfortunately I had forgotten to put my SD card back into my camera after uploading the last batch of pictures. More pictures later. We ate dinner and the principal was surprised that I like kimchee (I am really starting to love this spicy dish). Conversation was a lot easier with the two girls to help translate. I was able to use a few of the Korean phrases that I have learned and occasionally pick up on the gist of the conversation.

After the principal and teachers left, I took some time to establish my new room. I have a bed, wardrobe, desk, computer, and small porch-ish area that is kind of like a mudroom on the eleventh floor. All of my belongings fit comfortably, so that is a relief :). I really like my host parents and hope that I get to know them better in the next couple of months.

On the whole, it was a great, if slightly emotionally taxing day. It was difficult to say goodbye, especially over a stretched out period of time (I have the rip the bandaid off all at once philosophy). It is crazy that there will be no more nights in the dorms at Jungwon, or group meetings with the Orientation Coordinators. Pretty soon, I will have my teaching schedule and be fully into the swing of this year. I can't wait!

new adventures

Tomorrow, once again everything changes. I will be leaving my orientation site and heading off to my placement for the year. There are so many emotions coursing through my mind. I am excited to start teaching, but sad to leave the friends I have made. I cannot wait for more independence and freedom, but also a little nervous as to how that will look. For the most part, I have been avoiding processing my emotions, saving that for when I get to my new home. I think it is the homestay that is most pressing on my mind. I found out that I will live twenty minutes from my school by car and will have three younger sisters (why does that sound familiar?). Both of my host parents work at school, but not the school at which I will be teaching. I keep pondering what the people will be like and if I will quickly connect to them. Orientation ended so quickly. One minute I was stressing out over the next Korean exam and now the whole thing is over. Within a week, I am going to be a teacher.

The Bible Study I am a part of had a final prayer service before we all head out. It was a good time to turn the control back over to God and remember that the next days are in his hands.

Well, I had better get some sleep for the big day...

pomp and circumstance

I graduated from my Korean language course!! On Monday, we celebrated the completion of the course at Korea University (where our teachers are from). The ceremony began with the presentation of certificates of completion and concluded with presentations by each class. My group created a video, "The Amazing Race: Goesan" that was entertaining and will soon be posted on youtube. It was surprising how bittersweet the occasion was. From all the stress and studying of this class, I have bonded with and grown to appreciate my eleven other classmates. I tallied up the class time, and we spent eighty hours learning Korean. That is the class time equivalent of two college semesters, jammed into six weeks. In addition to becoming friends with my classmates, I got to know my two teachers and will miss spending four hours every weekday with them. I learned a lot of Korean and hope that I will be able to use it in the coming months.

church and climbing

Sunday was a free day in Seoul!!! In the morning, my friend Sam (short for Samantha) and I went to Seoul Union Church, located on the campus of Yonsei University. It was a beautiful experience. The pastor at Seoul Union Church is from Ghana, the other hundred congregation members from all over the rest of the world including America, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. We discussed being peacemakers, actively working to restore man's relationship with God and with each other. After the service, there was a young adult prayer service that I also attended. It was great to be in the presence of other believers and worship together. If I am in Seoul on a Sunday morning, this is definitely the church that I will visit.

After church, I headed out on my own to find a rock climbing gym I had discovered on the internet. For once I did not make any wrong turns, negotiated the subway system successfully and got to climb for the first time since April. The gym that I found was a small bouldering room in the basement of another building. There three other guys there who did not speak English, but it was great to just climb. The bouldering routes were different than I am accustomed to in that they have the route marked for the hands, but it does not matter where the feet are placed. I will have to see if this is a Korean custom or only unique to this gym.

I planned on shopping on Sunday night, but my one hour nap turned into three hours and I ended up hanging out at the hotel. On the whole, it was a great day.

dmz debrief

Saturday last, my fellow ETAs and I went to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea (a 2.5 mile-wide stretch of land separating the two countries). We began our tour by driving to the Joint Security Area (JSA), a place along the demarcation line (the actual border between the two countries) where North and South Korea can hold conferences and negotiations. During the tour at the JSA, I stood looking at North Korean warriors across the border and they gazed back through binoculars. Following the JSA, we went to the third tunnel of aggression. Four underground tunnels have been discovered for North Koreans to move soldiers into South Korea. This tunnel was discovered in the 1980s. When it was discovered, North Koreans claimed that was built from the south (the dynamite blasts prove otherwise) and then said that they were digging for coal (after coloring the inside of the tunnel black). Some think that there could be twenty other tunnels from the north. The final stop that we made on our tour was at a train station built to head into North Korea in the hopes of reunification of the two countries. Throughout the day I gained a new sense of reality of the war between these two countries. I saw armed soldiers standing face to face. I start to wonder: Where is the possibility of peace? Are there any solutions? I think that is the most difficult aspect of this situation. There do not appear to be any concrete solutions, only an interminable stalemate.

look at the man on the steps with the binoculars

 this was our tour guide/military escort

about face

During the past month, I have attended multiple workshops and meetings in which the "face" has been explored. Koreans refer to the face in several ways. First, Koreans are generally concerned with saving face. Shame should not be brought on an individual or a group. Also, in Korea, it is expected to have your "game face" or to "turn one's face on" when in public and many other circumstances. Finally, women are essentially required to "put their face on" (referring to make-up) before entering the gaze of the public. In America, we understand these connections, but do not put the same emphasis on always appearing "fine". Korea seems to be a society heavily focused on appearances. In one sense, I understand. It is often good to put forth one's best, or look professional in certain circumstances. But I sometimes wonder what the consequences are of continually displaying a false front. Where is personality? Where is individuality? Why is there intense pressure for girls to have plastic surgery so they can fit the Korean stereotype?

This question is two sided for me. On the one hand, I have to be careful not to fall into the trap of comparing myself to others-especially in relations to look-during my time in South Korea. On the other hand, I am going to be teaching and influencing girls for whom this is a serious reality. How can I speak truth and love without insulting an entire culture? How can I make a difference in the lives of my students? How can impart acceptance and self value regardless of physical appearances? I clearly understand that I cannot (and should not) change an entire culture in one year. But that does not release me from attempting to help the girls that I will teach.

cheongju and a real cup of coffee

The Korean language final exams are this week and I am about to go crazy from all the studying. So, to relieve some stress and study in a new environment, on Saturday I boarded a bus headed to Cheongju with four of my friends. Our first stop was The New Yorker, a coffee shop that looked enticing. This was one of the best coffee shops I have seen. The atmosphere was relaxed, with classical music playing in the background and a rooftop garden. I casually sipped my cafe americano on the second floor, studying from my table that overlooked the streets below. In the small town of Goesan, it is difficult to find strong coffee and I have succumbed to drinking instant coffee in the morning for my caffeine fix. This was my first taste of a true cafe americano in Korea. After some intense productivity (at least that was the intent...), my friends and I headed into the town for lunch and shopping. We found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that served bibinbap, one of my favourite Korean dishes. Bibinbap consists of vegetables served over rice in a hot stone bowl. The stone bowl crisps the rice a little and there is a spicy sauce that can be added. Satisfied with our meal, we headed out onto to the streets, mostly to window shop. I did purchase a very stylish green and brown plaid umbrella to fend against the rain. The crowning event of the day was the trek through Lotte Mart, a store similar to Target. I found a coffee dripper (I have used them before when camping, all they require is hot water) and ground coffee at a reasonable price. Finally, I can say no to instant! On the whole, the day was a grand success.

my placement!!

It felt like graduation all over again, except there was no audience. On Wednesday the seventy-two other ETAs and I participated in the placement ceremony. Right after two hours of language classes, we lined up (already dressed in our departure outfits) outside the auditorium on the eleventh floor of Jungwon University. We then filed into the auditorium and stood (slightly awkwardly) as we were called up to the stage based on where we were placed. After all this waiting I finally know that I will be spending the next year teaching at an elementary school in Galsan South Korea!!

Of course, right after the ceremony there was a mad rush to our computers to skype friends and family and google our locations. After talking to Mom and Jordan (Dad, Jaclyn, and Jaime were at Kid's Camp) I found out some of the nitty gritty statistics about where I will be teaching.

Galsan Elementary School has one hundred thirty students and I will most likely be teaching kindergarten through sixth grade as well as a couple hours of classes for the teachers. That averages down to less than twenty students per class-a fact about which I am ridiculously excited. The population of Galsan is a little over four thousand, but it is located in Hongseong county with almost one hundred thousand residents. I am in the province of Chungcheongnam-do, which is on the western coast of South Korea. I am about an hour's train ride from the larger city of Cheonan, which is another hour from Seoul. The Korean students at Jungwon University say that where I am living is very pretty. My town is close to Yongbong Mountain, a peak I plan on exploring.

I am excited to know where I am going and can't wait to get there in a couple of weeks! As I learn more about my home town, I will be sure to share!!

so about tomorrow...

Last night a group of nine ETAs met for Bible study. This week has been emotionally up and down for me and God provided the perfect discussion:

¹³Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ¹⁶As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

                                                   ~James 4.13-17

I might be able to win a gold medal for professional planning. I like to have my to-do list for the day, week, and month, all corresponding with a five-year plan. (So maybe I am not that far ahead all the time-but I want to be!) In having a plan, I gain a sense of control of what is going on around me. Coming to Korea, my desire to plan has only intensified. I want to know who is doing what at all times. But where does God fit into all this? James does not call us to live our lives this way. The phrase that stands out the most to me is verse fifteen. "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" (emphasis mine). When everything else is boiled away, it is only by God's grace and design that I am even breathing. Talk about perspective. I can create as many plans as I wish, but it is only through God that anything will happen.

Verse seventeen presents an intriguing twist to the passage. All along, James appears to discourage making plans for actions. This could lead to a very passive lifestyle. "I will just sit back and wait until God opens up a door I could drive a semi through". We are not given that luxury. I think that we are to pursue what is right and good and act on that knowledge. In the discussion, someone stated, "The Lord's will is sovereign; he always reveals his will when the timing is right".

A final nugget of truth that I gleaned from this passage ties back to trust in the Lord. We do not know what will happen tomorrow, but the God does.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will keep your path straight

                                      ~Proverbs 3.5,6

Once again, Christian truth comes from understanding the tension between not over-planning but trusting God and being proactive in seeking his will and direction for daily living.