Japan Day 3--Kyoto

A Shinto Shrine
Buddhist Zen Sand Garden

Mai gave Sam and I a beautiful tour of Kyoto (her hometown)
Bamboo forests







The Buddha statues were all covered up from the neck down as if they were cold.

Fall

When I was dropping Vanessa and Nina off at the airport bus terminal, I was running across the street with their bags and one of them caught and tripped me. Needless to say, I fell hard on my knees and really hurt them. I felt sorry to the girls because they really needed to catch their bus, but I wasn't hardly able to stand up on my own. Well, anyways, they got off on time, and I went back to my house. I didn't have ice (forgot to fill up the ice cube trays), so I went down to the kimbap restaurant for ice. I had just fallen, and was pretty banged up, so I was crying. My Korean mom wasn't there, but her husband was so nice and very helpful in getting me ice and helping me get back up to my floor.

I don't write this blog because of the fall, that was the trivial part. Clumsy on my part. But I wanted to write about how the kindness of others really was impressed on my mind today.

In the states, things are different. If I have a problem, I can go to the doctor myself or have my parents take me. I know how to go to the drugstore to get medicine. I am a pretty independent person. But here, I have no idea how to do any of that...so I need help. I'm so thankful for my friend, Jamie. She's been a huge help to me ever since we met. And her family has been so kind. Her dad is a pastor at a very large church, so he is extremely busy. Yet he and his wife always make time to meet me and apparently ask Jamie about me a lot.

I called Jamie, and she took me to the hospital this morning early. I didn't have to pay for the doctor or pharmacy since they know her family through the church. It was really nice of them to help me. Something I thought was strange though, was that the doctor grabbed my knee and started twisting it asking if it hurt!! Of course!!! When I fell, it felt like it popped out of place and then back again. Hmm...Must just be a different way of doctoring here :)

After the doctor visit, her mom invited me over for breakfast since she'd heard that I was sick (in Busan I got the flu/a cold). Haha. I felt like such a helpless person being catered to. But it was really nice. Her mom said that I probably missed my mom since I was sick. So she'd done some research and found out that Americans like "chicken soup" when they're sick and she wanted to make it for me. It was an interesting Korean twist on chicken noodle soup :) No noodles. She took a chicken, stuffed it with ginger, ginseng, garlic, onions, and other things. Then boiled it in a broth until it was really tender. Then we took the broth and mixed it with rice to make a porridge. It actually did taste very similar to chicken noodle soup only maybe chicken rice porridge.

I went to visit my Korean mom for dinner, and her husband had told her about my accident. So she wanted to see. In front of everyone in the restaurant, she got down on her knees in front of me and rubbed my knees with an IcyHot sort of medicine that she had with her. It's so rare for an older person to serve a younger person, and it was very touching. And her husband had tears in his eyes while eating dinner with me telling me with hand motions how his heart hurt seeing me cry this morning and that he would pray. He's not a Christian, yet when I came in this morning, one of the first things he told me was to pray. What a neat thing to hear. He usually makes fun of my Korean mom for being a Christian and for talking about church with me. Yet he was so kind in this situation. I will pray for him.

I felt so blessed today. It's interesting when something so painful turns into something used for good. God used the situation to bless and encourage me. Not all things we view as bad are meant to harm us if we take the time to see the good in them.

Well, I'm off to bed early. This medicine has made me feel and act really strange. Hopefully I didn't write anything too strange. I guess I'll have to read this over again tomorrow ^^

Thoughts

Nina and Vanessa were here for 2 weeks, and I really had fun enjoying their company. We did so many things together!! If you get time, check out their videos on youtube: www.youtube.com/neenandness . I'm in a few of the videos, and everything we did together, so it's a glimpse into what I've been doing these last few weeks as well. We went to Busan (down south) and went shopping lots here in Seoul, and just had a great time talking and enjoying each other.

Today they went home, and today my KBU students come back from their month long America trip. I have heard from 2 of them already, and I can't wait to see them and hear all about their trip! I was praying for them so much and hoping that they were enjoying themselves. Hmm...Maybe Monday one of them will pop by to visit...I hope so!

Last week I saw 3 of my students, and it reminded me how much I miss teaching. Don't get me wrong, this month long break has definitely been needed. But I really love these students, and I want to get back to teaching them. As you all (whoever that is...I know I haven't been writing a lot lately, so I'm not sure who's reading this anymore) know, I've been having issues with KBU about having to work on Sundays and not being able to find an English church. Well, this week, they "promised" me that if I sign on for a second year, they will not make me work Sundays next semester. Not this coming semester...I'll still have to work Sundays until the end of my contract...but the next year. Is it worth it?? I love these students, and it's tempting to want to stay. Who wouldn't want to stay? They are filled to the brim and overflowing with the love and joy of Christ in the midst of (for many of them) very difficult life circumstances. Yet they have peace and encourage everyone they meet. When I am around them, I feel that Christ is working in each of us to build up one another. Honestly, it feels like we are a little church. Not a normal church, but what the church was originally supposed to be like. Building up one another in fellowship and encouragement through the Bible and Christ in us.

I've been encouraged to know this last month during my time to think, that this is where God wants me. I don't know about next year, but for today, this is a good place. In the middle of hard times and situations that I sometimes don't understand, I know that God is here in this place. And that's where I want to be. I want to be where He is.

Friends

I feel like there's been a steady stream of friends coming and going these last few weeks. It's been so nice to have people to hang out with and talk to on a regular basis. So dad was here in October, Liz Charpie came in December to teach English for a year, Vanessa and Nina are here now to visit for 2 weeks, and Sam from All Nations was here for almost a month. Wow!!

I'm happy that everyone could come over my holiday time too. It gives me a little more flexibility in being able to meet with everyone. Oh, and my mom and I are going to Thailand together in February!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!! I'm really excited, but I know I need to focus on one thing at a time.

In between now and then, I'm going to Busan, Korea with Nina and Vanessa (tomorrow morning we're taking the train down there--5+ hours), meeting with different people, planning a curriculum and syllabus, and lesson planning...Lots to do.

One friend who I was REALLY excited to see yesterday was Juny. We went hiking together this last summer, and we've hung out at school a lot. Anyways, he was here for Freshmen orientation. He must be helping out with that or something...It reminded me of how much I miss teaching and miss my other students. I'm really excited for the new semester to start. Today on the walk home, right as I was walking out of the KBU parking lot, a student bowed to me :) Kind of nice. 80% of the time I have no idea who the students are. I just smile and dip my head back. It's been great though towards the end of last semester. I'd see students who I recognized from the lunch room or from walking around campus or from the other teachers' classes. Its nice to feel like you belong somewhere. And I feel like I belong with the students. Not as a student, but alongside them helping encourage them.

Ok, I also have to include a picture of my hamsters on this post. They've been so cute lately, and I can't help but take pictures of them. It's been really cold here, so I cut up a blanket and laid it in their cages. One of the hamsters took to it really quickly and loves snuggling under it at all times during the day and night. The other hamster has a favorite place tight in a ball in a part of the cage...Kiyopta! Cute :)

Look at her little paws all together :)

Day 2-Osaka

We met Mai (our Japanese friend who we met at All Nations) at the hostel in the morning, and showed us around the city. We were staying in Osaka, so it was a natural place to start the touring.
We walked up the road about 20 minutes and ended up at Osaka Castle. It had a moat around it, the walls were slanted for defensive purposes, and it was so beautiful!
We were in Japan at a great time. There were 2 big festivals. The first was a festival for the "Coming of Age" for all 20 year old, single people. It was so neat to see people dressed in beautiful, colorful kimonos everywhere!
The second festival (Toka Ebisu) was in honor of god Ebisu who is one of the seven Buddhist deities of good fortune. The shrine we visited was the Imamiya-Ebisu Shrine built in AD 592.
People would throw their old bamboo branches and charms into this bucket and then go to another area to pick up new ones for the new year. People who come here are typically business people, because they are coming for good fortune in their businesses.
So many people!!
Girls selling charms and bamboo.
There were girls who brought good fortune bamboo to different shops in the area. It was like a beautiful parade with people all dressed up.
Crowded shopping streets!!
Shinsekai area and tower. It's supposedly the most dangerous area in Osaka. However, when we asked what is considered "dangerous", Mai said that there were things like pickpocketing. So I'm sure not dangerous as we consider in the States. But still a really neat area of twisted roads and old shops everywhere!!
Downtown Osaka

Day 1-Japan

We got into Osaka, Japan, at around 7pm and decided to just walk around the area to get a feeling for where we were. It was actually a really good idea to lay low and see the area. It was a pretty nice, calm area. Although I must admit that in Japan there are casinos EVERYWHERE!! I was surprised to see that there were more of these than karaokes :) The weather was soo beautiful! It was pretty warm (still light coat/heavy sweatshirt weather), and the country was beautiful. I was so happy to see so many mountains and flowers. It must be nice to live in a place that has flowers and greet trees year-round.

We had ramyon for dinner, which was fun since it was invented in Japan. It was much different from Korean ramyon. I guess pretty close to what American ramyon is: kind of salty with a beef/chicken stock flavor. I don't know why, but there are many old, American diner-style restaurants with counter seating and such. It was neat, and definitely saves space, but that was something that was a little strange.

It was interesting to notice how different Japanese people look from Koreans. I think that Japanese people look very similar to Americans in terms of bone structure and face shape. Sooo many people have brown hair (that's been dyed I'm sure) that looks very natural. I wouldn't say that it looks bad. However, I have yet to see a Korean that looks natural in any other hair color other than black or very, very dark brown. Everyone was so kind. Lots of smiles and a few kids making comments in English as we walked around. Fun!!

I should mention that I was with Sam from All Nations back home. He's been visiting Heesung and I in Korea, so we decided to go to Japan since the country's so close. Our other friend who we met at All Nations is Japanese and living in the Osaka area, so we were able to meet her also. More about that on the next post...

Our hostel was pretty retro/hippie, but a really fun atmosphere. I can admit that I've never seen anything like it in my life. The people who stayed there were American/European/Australian, and a few Japanese people. We met a nice Australian, older guy who was really friendly and helpful in giving us tips on what to/not to see.

The hostel room
Different sleeping rooms and the hallway
Interesting shower area :)
Downstairs was an area to relax and eat/drink
Our first meal--ramyon
Sam
A really interesting shop: the mail level is actually filled to the top with water, and the second floor is open where divers would begin a descent and practice on the mail level. Pretty cool to see!
EVERYWHERE there were Pachinko and Casino areas!!

Snow Day Pictures

You can see the snow coming down in this picture :)
Dobong Mountain. My goal is to climb it before I leave Korea...
A really neat church turned restaurant...
By the river behind my apartment
Liz taking pictures
Me taking pics under the bridge
These pictures of the sky don't do it justice. It was amazing!My street
Who's in the mirror??