Well, the day started at 2pm where I arrived at the taekwondo center filled to the max with kids and parents. I'm surprised we had enough room to make in the middle for the groups of students who went one at a time. 3:30 rolled around and I still hadn't gotten up to do the test. 3:45, the black belt boys from high school stood up and said, "Fighting!!" to me and motioning to get ready.
The first move was simple...put your foot back and get in the ready stance. I was so nervous from waiting so long that I did it wrong and the instructor had to give me a "look" to change my position. Ahh!! What a way to start off. The boy next to me whispered, "I'm nervous" and it made me calm down. How could I be nervous? I had to be strong for this guy! So I took a deep breath, told him "Fighting" and off we went into our poomse il jang. There were 20 moves we had to do in a row without stopping and without flaw. At the end, I held my breath and waited for the words to turn around. I did it!! I finished without a problem!! The hours of study and practice paid off.
I'm now a yellow belt in taekwondo!!!
March 20, 2010
March 19, 2010
Students
I was a bit discouraged after the first week of teaching. I hadn't really connected with any of my students, and felt very awkward teaching some of them. HOWEVER, after a fun day yesterday of games and introductions, it feels much better.
One class shared very openly about their life stories about how they became Christians. One girl had a father who was told by a doctor that he had an incurable disease, and after praying, he was healed. Their family became Christians. I know that believing because of healing isn't maybe the "best" way to become a Christian, but it is a start to trust and belief. And I believe that God works to bring people to Himself in a variety of ways.
There are 3 students this semester in my classes from other countries: Cambodia and China. One girl is from Cambodia and was Buddhist. She had an arranged marriage, and the man was a Christian. She came to believe in God too and now wants to be a missionary to Cambodia! It's amazing to hear the different stories of their lives and feel a little more connected to them. I'm blessed again to have great students. They were just a little harder to get to know.
Last night I found juice on sale really cheap, so I got a few big bottles, and shared them with the students in class today. It was fun, and made them feel more comfortable. I told them that they could only have juice if they promised to talk :) They did. Well, most of them...
I started teaching an after-school class for a group of older students and students who are not able to do KBU full-time. I was a little nervous because I heard that there were a lot of them, and that they had very little, if any, English at all. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find out that they spoke pretty good English, and they were eager to learn. It'll be fun to just enjoy being together and having time for "free-talking".
One class shared very openly about their life stories about how they became Christians. One girl had a father who was told by a doctor that he had an incurable disease, and after praying, he was healed. Their family became Christians. I know that believing because of healing isn't maybe the "best" way to become a Christian, but it is a start to trust and belief. And I believe that God works to bring people to Himself in a variety of ways.
There are 3 students this semester in my classes from other countries: Cambodia and China. One girl is from Cambodia and was Buddhist. She had an arranged marriage, and the man was a Christian. She came to believe in God too and now wants to be a missionary to Cambodia! It's amazing to hear the different stories of their lives and feel a little more connected to them. I'm blessed again to have great students. They were just a little harder to get to know.
Last night I found juice on sale really cheap, so I got a few big bottles, and shared them with the students in class today. It was fun, and made them feel more comfortable. I told them that they could only have juice if they promised to talk :) They did. Well, most of them...
I started teaching an after-school class for a group of older students and students who are not able to do KBU full-time. I was a little nervous because I heard that there were a lot of them, and that they had very little, if any, English at all. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find out that they spoke pretty good English, and they were eager to learn. It'll be fun to just enjoy being together and having time for "free-talking".
1 Month
I can hardly believe that it's been about a month since I joined taekwondo! It's been really great getting to know the instructors and other students. I've learned a ton, and am ready to "level-up" as my Korean students would say...
So, Saturday's the big day! The taekwondo class has a big test day with taekwondo performances set to music, belt tests, and "get-to-know-you" time with the parents. I'm really excited to take the test and hopefully earn a yellow belt. I can do all the moves with demonstration by the teacher, but I haven't picked up quite yet on which words go with which moves. And...the test on Saturday is testing the words with the moves. No demonstrations allowed!!
Last night in class, I asked the instructor to please write down all the words I'd need to recognize, and he gave them to me. I was/am sooo thankful!! There are 2 kicks, one punch, and 3 blocks that I need to know along with one "taeguk jang" which is a specific order of moves, kicks, punches, and blocks.
Pray for me!! I'm sure that no matter what, it'll be a fun time, but I'm also really hoping for a yellow belt after a month of intense practice. Practicing every night for 1-2 hours will pay off I hope...
So, Saturday's the big day! The taekwondo class has a big test day with taekwondo performances set to music, belt tests, and "get-to-know-you" time with the parents. I'm really excited to take the test and hopefully earn a yellow belt. I can do all the moves with demonstration by the teacher, but I haven't picked up quite yet on which words go with which moves. And...the test on Saturday is testing the words with the moves. No demonstrations allowed!!
Last night in class, I asked the instructor to please write down all the words I'd need to recognize, and he gave them to me. I was/am sooo thankful!! There are 2 kicks, one punch, and 3 blocks that I need to know along with one "taeguk jang" which is a specific order of moves, kicks, punches, and blocks.
Pray for me!! I'm sure that no matter what, it'll be a fun time, but I'm also really hoping for a yellow belt after a month of intense practice. Practicing every night for 1-2 hours will pay off I hope...
March 17, 2010
5 Day Weekend
The students at KBU had a 3 day retreat from Monday-Wednesday, and I decided to go up for at least a day. It turned out to be quite the trip!
I rode up with the staff and students and got there early Monday morning, then we headed to put our stuff away in some dorm-like rooms. They were pretty big, about as big as my apartment room! And it was just for 2 people!! So I shared the room with Sujin, my supervisor/friend from KBU. She's really nice, and speaks perfect English from living overseas since she was little. We sat in on a worship service, and then headed to check out the area. We drove half an hour north to see a really pretty lake, folk village, and movie set. We had a delicious tofu soup for dinner, and then headed back to the retreat center. The night was beautiful being able to see the stars and dark mountains around us.
The next morning, we drove north-east about an hour and a half. Going in and out, over and under the mountains was so breathtaking! At one point, we went in a fall-like, long, under-mountain tunnel and came out in the snow! We got to our destination and were at a Sheep Farm. I'll bet it's really beautiful in the spring and summer, but during the snowy winter, it was freezing!! The wind was blowing, and there was a good 3 feet of snow on the ground, so the sheep were all inside. But that was ok for us. We had lots of fun playing with the sheep and talking to the baby lambs.
Then we drove another 2 hours to the east coast to see the Sea of Japan (East Sea as it's referred to in Korea). On the way, we stopped at different places. One was a 425 year old house that was original (it looked the same as the ones in the folk villages here), and people still lived there!! We stopped to take pictures, and the woman asked if we wanted to come inside! It was such a neat opportunity we had to see how they use this really old house in modern times. The floors are still heated by hot fire smoke under the house. She showed us her kimchi pots and let me see the insides of them!! Wow!!! I was so excited to see what was inside. It looked kind of gross, but Sujin said that if you stir it up, then it's normal. The woman had dwenjang (bean curd paste) and kwanjang (soy sauce) and gochujang (pepper paste) all fermenting. I didn't get to see any kimchi, but it was neat to see how they make that stuff and then serve it in the restaurant connected to their house.
Next place was a park dedicated to a woman who is Korea's "exemplary mother". Her son did great things for Korea, and she is honored in Korea. She's even on the 50 dollar bill which is a big deal since they only have 3 other bills. 1, 5, 10, and now 50 which was just added 7 months ago.
At the beach it was soo cold!! But the beach was fun to walk around. The water looked really deep and dark. Near there was another folk village that we stopped at on our way back home. We were gone from 9am to 7pm!! It was a long, but really exciting trip.
I rode up with the staff and students and got there early Monday morning, then we headed to put our stuff away in some dorm-like rooms. They were pretty big, about as big as my apartment room! And it was just for 2 people!! So I shared the room with Sujin, my supervisor/friend from KBU. She's really nice, and speaks perfect English from living overseas since she was little. We sat in on a worship service, and then headed to check out the area. We drove half an hour north to see a really pretty lake, folk village, and movie set. We had a delicious tofu soup for dinner, and then headed back to the retreat center. The night was beautiful being able to see the stars and dark mountains around us.
The next morning, we drove north-east about an hour and a half. Going in and out, over and under the mountains was so breathtaking! At one point, we went in a fall-like, long, under-mountain tunnel and came out in the snow! We got to our destination and were at a Sheep Farm. I'll bet it's really beautiful in the spring and summer, but during the snowy winter, it was freezing!! The wind was blowing, and there was a good 3 feet of snow on the ground, so the sheep were all inside. But that was ok for us. We had lots of fun playing with the sheep and talking to the baby lambs.
Then we drove another 2 hours to the east coast to see the Sea of Japan (East Sea as it's referred to in Korea). On the way, we stopped at different places. One was a 425 year old house that was original (it looked the same as the ones in the folk villages here), and people still lived there!! We stopped to take pictures, and the woman asked if we wanted to come inside! It was such a neat opportunity we had to see how they use this really old house in modern times. The floors are still heated by hot fire smoke under the house. She showed us her kimchi pots and let me see the insides of them!! Wow!!! I was so excited to see what was inside. It looked kind of gross, but Sujin said that if you stir it up, then it's normal. The woman had dwenjang (bean curd paste) and kwanjang (soy sauce) and gochujang (pepper paste) all fermenting. I didn't get to see any kimchi, but it was neat to see how they make that stuff and then serve it in the restaurant connected to their house.
Next place was a park dedicated to a woman who is Korea's "exemplary mother". Her son did great things for Korea, and she is honored in Korea. She's even on the 50 dollar bill which is a big deal since they only have 3 other bills. 1, 5, 10, and now 50 which was just added 7 months ago.
At the beach it was soo cold!! But the beach was fun to walk around. The water looked really deep and dark. Near there was another folk village that we stopped at on our way back home. We were gone from 9am to 7pm!! It was a long, but really exciting trip.
March 12, 2010
Boards
In taekwondo class tonight, the instructor said something to the class (there were only 6 of us tonight, of which I was by far the oldest), and everyone cheered loudly! I knew it must be a day of no exercises!! Yay!! I was up for that...since this last week I think I've used every muscle in my body I didn't realize that I had. Not bad, just really painful. I was seriously considering not going tonight, but figured I'd push myself one last time for the week. And it was worth it!
The instructor sat down on the floor, and the kids all joined around him. He started putting thick plastic boards together that were curved slightly like a "u". Then he stacked them and had us each go one at a time cracking one board. Then 2, then 3, and so on. When someone couldn't break through all the boards, they were out. We got to 4 boards, and it was me and 3 kids. Then at 5 boards, it was me and one other boy. At 6, it was just me. I did it!! So the instructor made it more difficult by jumping all the way to 10. I cracked 8 through, and the bottom 2 wouldn't give. Ahh!! It hurt so bad!! But it was worth it. The kids all cheered me on calling me "Queen Amy" for the rest of the night. It was so cute.
One boy in particular stands out to me. He's pretty rough and has a ton of energy trying to be the center of attention. He's maybe 11 or 12 years old, and I think the instructor knows more than I do. Because when the other kids act out, they get scolded pretty harshly, and this boy gets an arm around his shoulders and a hug...He doesn't seem to be friends with anyone in the class, and he speaks no English, but the last 2 days I've stayed after playing soccer with him. Just him and I after everyone goes home. It's so fun, and he tries to teach me Korean words for different games with the ball he makes up. I taught him how to jump rope with two people and one rope, and he thought that was pretty cool. I don't know, I think everyone needs a friend, and in taekwondo, I definitely need one, so I'm thankful for this kid! There's something special about him, but I'm not sure quite what...
The instructor sat down on the floor, and the kids all joined around him. He started putting thick plastic boards together that were curved slightly like a "u". Then he stacked them and had us each go one at a time cracking one board. Then 2, then 3, and so on. When someone couldn't break through all the boards, they were out. We got to 4 boards, and it was me and 3 kids. Then at 5 boards, it was me and one other boy. At 6, it was just me. I did it!! So the instructor made it more difficult by jumping all the way to 10. I cracked 8 through, and the bottom 2 wouldn't give. Ahh!! It hurt so bad!! But it was worth it. The kids all cheered me on calling me "Queen Amy" for the rest of the night. It was so cute.
One boy in particular stands out to me. He's pretty rough and has a ton of energy trying to be the center of attention. He's maybe 11 or 12 years old, and I think the instructor knows more than I do. Because when the other kids act out, they get scolded pretty harshly, and this boy gets an arm around his shoulders and a hug...He doesn't seem to be friends with anyone in the class, and he speaks no English, but the last 2 days I've stayed after playing soccer with him. Just him and I after everyone goes home. It's so fun, and he tries to teach me Korean words for different games with the ball he makes up. I taught him how to jump rope with two people and one rope, and he thought that was pretty cool. I don't know, I think everyone needs a friend, and in taekwondo, I definitely need one, so I'm thankful for this kid! There's something special about him, but I'm not sure quite what...
March 8, 2010
1st Day of School
Well, the first day was pretty good. I had 4 classes, and my 2 "breaks" were full of students...nothing unlike last semester :) But that makes for happy students, and happy talk times for me. It was so nice to see the campus full of life again with new freshmen getting oriented to their surroundings, and older students catching up on the last 2 months of break.
Junie got a job working full time as the ESWP go-to man, so it'll be great to have him around lots. I saw quite a few old students, and got lots and lots of hugs which was a first for me here in Korea. And it was wonderful!!
During my first break, a group of 3 guys speaking almost no English popped in to say hello and ended up staying with a bunch of their other buddies coming to join them for a full hour and a half. It was nice meeting new students, especially freshmen. I want to make them feel comfortable and welcome at KBU. They said they wanted to stop by each day, so we'll see how that goes. I need to be careful not to misuse my break time, but how can I pass up opportunities to help students who want to speak English??!! Funny thing is that none of them are in the English program. They just heard about an "Amy" around campus and wanted to check it out. They came into my room asking, "Do you know what is 'Amy'??" Haha :) It was so cute!
After my classes end, I have a 1 hour break before the other teachers finish. So that's nice. It'll be great to use that time (hopefully) to grade tests and make homework sheets. Then it's off to taekwondo to exercise.
But today I got to meet Jamie's boyfriend!!! It was the first time I've met him, and it was such a pleasure. He's so nice and kind to Jamie. Plus, by the conversations we had, he wants to serve God with all his being, even if that means doing things he doesn't necessarily want to do. Wow! I was so encouraged to live my life in that sort of a way.
Yesterday I was in the kimbap shop when I was approached by a Canadian girl about my age named Alice. After we got to talking, she asked if I knew anywhere to take taekwondo lessons. So we went together today to sign her up, and she starts with me tomorrow. It'll be nice to have another English speaking person there, and it's nice she's a girl too. I hope she doesn't show me up on the exercises though. I hope it's a Western thing about not being able to do half the warm-up things they do and not a "me" thing... :)
After taking the bus home, I stopped by the kimbap restaurant to hello to my Korean mom. She said, "I've been waiting for Amy all day!" It was so sweet. She made me a tuna kimbap with kimchi (yum, yum...) and I helped her husband caulk a broom pan back together. We talked for a while about school, and I walked out without paying...oops!! I've done that twice now without thinking about it. I caught myself a little late yesterday, but went back and paid. And then today I did it, went back, and she laughed and refused to take my money. Ah!! I'd better remember to pay...It seems so simple, but in Korea they don't usually give a bill or wait at the counter. It's up to you to remember. I'll bet I could have walked out of any restaurant without paying up to $20 and no one would say anything. 1, because I speak English. 2, they wouldn't even see me. That doesn't make it right, and I'd never do that on purpose, but just saying...
Junie got a job working full time as the ESWP go-to man, so it'll be great to have him around lots. I saw quite a few old students, and got lots and lots of hugs which was a first for me here in Korea. And it was wonderful!!
During my first break, a group of 3 guys speaking almost no English popped in to say hello and ended up staying with a bunch of their other buddies coming to join them for a full hour and a half. It was nice meeting new students, especially freshmen. I want to make them feel comfortable and welcome at KBU. They said they wanted to stop by each day, so we'll see how that goes. I need to be careful not to misuse my break time, but how can I pass up opportunities to help students who want to speak English??!! Funny thing is that none of them are in the English program. They just heard about an "Amy" around campus and wanted to check it out. They came into my room asking, "Do you know what is 'Amy'??" Haha :) It was so cute!
After my classes end, I have a 1 hour break before the other teachers finish. So that's nice. It'll be great to use that time (hopefully) to grade tests and make homework sheets. Then it's off to taekwondo to exercise.
But today I got to meet Jamie's boyfriend!!! It was the first time I've met him, and it was such a pleasure. He's so nice and kind to Jamie. Plus, by the conversations we had, he wants to serve God with all his being, even if that means doing things he doesn't necessarily want to do. Wow! I was so encouraged to live my life in that sort of a way.
Yesterday I was in the kimbap shop when I was approached by a Canadian girl about my age named Alice. After we got to talking, she asked if I knew anywhere to take taekwondo lessons. So we went together today to sign her up, and she starts with me tomorrow. It'll be nice to have another English speaking person there, and it's nice she's a girl too. I hope she doesn't show me up on the exercises though. I hope it's a Western thing about not being able to do half the warm-up things they do and not a "me" thing... :)
After taking the bus home, I stopped by the kimbap restaurant to hello to my Korean mom. She said, "I've been waiting for Amy all day!" It was so sweet. She made me a tuna kimbap with kimchi (yum, yum...) and I helped her husband caulk a broom pan back together. We talked for a while about school, and I walked out without paying...oops!! I've done that twice now without thinking about it. I caught myself a little late yesterday, but went back and paid. And then today I did it, went back, and she laughed and refused to take my money. Ah!! I'd better remember to pay...It seems so simple, but in Korea they don't usually give a bill or wait at the counter. It's up to you to remember. I'll bet I could have walked out of any restaurant without paying up to $20 and no one would say anything. 1, because I speak English. 2, they wouldn't even see me. That doesn't make it right, and I'd never do that on purpose, but just saying...
March 7, 2010
Friends in Korea
From the past:
Elizabeth Charpie: We've known each other since high school when I dated her brother :) She teaches English here in Korea about an hour from me. We're definitely weekend buddies!! I love hanging out with her and seeing Korea together as photo/food/culture explorers. She's one of the biggest blessings to my life here in Korea!
WanSeok: Korean guy who I met in Korea 2 years ago. He was a friend of a friend of a friend. Coming back this year, we're really good friends now and hang out once/twice a month. I met his girlfriend for the first time last week! He works in a glasses store.
Heesung: Korean guy who was at the UofM when I was in Korea 2 years ago. My church hooked us up as friends, and when we were actually in the same country, we met up, hung out, and dated (not anymore though). Great guy, lives about 2 hours south of here. We still hang out some.
Korean Bible University Staff:
Ian: Office Worker. We hang out a lot hiking/eating/talking. I've met his parents who are really sweet. His mom is a really strong, vibrant Christian woman. They've given me lots of kimchi, clothes, and other miscellaneous stuff. Wonderful family who make me feel a part of their family whenever we're together.
Little Tiger: Office Worker. We have a ton of the same likes/dislikes. He's really cool, and I wish he spoke more English so we could communicate more often. He's getting married in April to a really beautiful woman!
Olive: Woman who works in the office. She's invited to me to her house a few times when her husband cooked us food. She's really sweet, and very helpful. She's picked up my dad from the airport and has helped me with difficult work situations.
Robert: Older man who I work with in the English department. He's so caring, and has a gentle spirit. Yet he's not one to be pushed over. He helps me stay strong and stand up for what's right. An encouraging spiritual person in my life.
Za'chary: English co-worker. He's into writing novels, and his life reflects that :) He's usually good at whatever he sets his mind to. He's very eccentric, but caring. We like to eat McDonalds together sometimes :)
Connie: English co-worker. She's Korean-American, and is a bit new to KBU. She's really nice, and a good teacher.
KBU Students:
Daniel: My student from last semester. He stayed after during one of my breaks to practice his English each day. Not only is he a student, but because we talked so much, we became good friends. He went to America in January and has a dream to return there for community college some day. His ultimate goal is to be an ambassador!
Junie: Not my student, but has perfect English. He lived in England for a long time. His family's originally from Jeju Island, Korea, so his accent is very different from anyone who I've ever met here. We've gone hiking together/eaten/done stuff with other students. He's so spiritually minded and God-fearing!!
Jamie: Not my student, but also has good English. She's so great and a wonderful influence in my life here. She's an encouragement and has always been there to listen and offer advice. Her family works at a church in the area, and are also like a family to me. They've taken me out (an hour away in one instance) for dinner and made things for me. I love Jamie like a sister.
Neighborhood:
Korean mom, dad, sister, and brother: They're awesome! I met them one of the first days I was in Korea. They are the shop owners, and work there every day. The mom and dad both call me "ddal" (Korean for daughter) when they see me.
Richard: Guy my age who I meet often in the kimbap shop by coincidence. He thinks I'm his American girlfriend. According to him, not me...Speaks almost no English yet still has a million thoughts he tries to communicate each time we meet.
Uncle Kim: The security guard in my apartment. Really nice :)
Meat Shop Guys: One is Mr. Ri, the other is ?? I don't know his name, but he speaks fluent Japanese. And Korean... :) Not much English from them, but I get smiles and bows each time I pass their shop. They've introduced their families to me, and they're all really great!
Taekwando:
Chris: KBU student who introduced me to a taekwando studio where I can take lessons. His English is perfect because he lived in the states for a long time.
Jay: Taekwando student who's a few years older than me. He speaks almost perfect English, and I hope will become a good friend. He goes to a Christian University and seems like a really nice guy.
Master Yu: 30 year old group taekwando teacher. He tries hard to speak English, but has very little vocabulary. Really fun guy though.
Grand Master: Really cool older guy who's the taekwando place owner. He gives me special lessons in taekwando when the little kids who I'm taking the class with are doing game time.
Elizabeth Charpie: We've known each other since high school when I dated her brother :) She teaches English here in Korea about an hour from me. We're definitely weekend buddies!! I love hanging out with her and seeing Korea together as photo/food/culture explorers. She's one of the biggest blessings to my life here in Korea!
WanSeok: Korean guy who I met in Korea 2 years ago. He was a friend of a friend of a friend. Coming back this year, we're really good friends now and hang out once/twice a month. I met his girlfriend for the first time last week! He works in a glasses store.
Heesung: Korean guy who was at the UofM when I was in Korea 2 years ago. My church hooked us up as friends, and when we were actually in the same country, we met up, hung out, and dated (not anymore though). Great guy, lives about 2 hours south of here. We still hang out some.
Korean Bible University Staff:
Ian: Office Worker. We hang out a lot hiking/eating/talking. I've met his parents who are really sweet. His mom is a really strong, vibrant Christian woman. They've given me lots of kimchi, clothes, and other miscellaneous stuff. Wonderful family who make me feel a part of their family whenever we're together.
Little Tiger: Office Worker. We have a ton of the same likes/dislikes. He's really cool, and I wish he spoke more English so we could communicate more often. He's getting married in April to a really beautiful woman!
Olive: Woman who works in the office. She's invited to me to her house a few times when her husband cooked us food. She's really sweet, and very helpful. She's picked up my dad from the airport and has helped me with difficult work situations.
Robert: Older man who I work with in the English department. He's so caring, and has a gentle spirit. Yet he's not one to be pushed over. He helps me stay strong and stand up for what's right. An encouraging spiritual person in my life.
Za'chary: English co-worker. He's into writing novels, and his life reflects that :) He's usually good at whatever he sets his mind to. He's very eccentric, but caring. We like to eat McDonalds together sometimes :)
Connie: English co-worker. She's Korean-American, and is a bit new to KBU. She's really nice, and a good teacher.
KBU Students:
Daniel: My student from last semester. He stayed after during one of my breaks to practice his English each day. Not only is he a student, but because we talked so much, we became good friends. He went to America in January and has a dream to return there for community college some day. His ultimate goal is to be an ambassador!
Junie: Not my student, but has perfect English. He lived in England for a long time. His family's originally from Jeju Island, Korea, so his accent is very different from anyone who I've ever met here. We've gone hiking together/eaten/done stuff with other students. He's so spiritually minded and God-fearing!!
Jamie: Not my student, but also has good English. She's so great and a wonderful influence in my life here. She's an encouragement and has always been there to listen and offer advice. Her family works at a church in the area, and are also like a family to me. They've taken me out (an hour away in one instance) for dinner and made things for me. I love Jamie like a sister.
Neighborhood:
Korean mom, dad, sister, and brother: They're awesome! I met them one of the first days I was in Korea. They are the shop owners, and work there every day. The mom and dad both call me "ddal" (Korean for daughter) when they see me.
Richard: Guy my age who I meet often in the kimbap shop by coincidence. He thinks I'm his American girlfriend. According to him, not me...Speaks almost no English yet still has a million thoughts he tries to communicate each time we meet.
Uncle Kim: The security guard in my apartment. Really nice :)
Meat Shop Guys: One is Mr. Ri, the other is ?? I don't know his name, but he speaks fluent Japanese. And Korean... :) Not much English from them, but I get smiles and bows each time I pass their shop. They've introduced their families to me, and they're all really great!
Taekwando:
Chris: KBU student who introduced me to a taekwando studio where I can take lessons. His English is perfect because he lived in the states for a long time.
Jay: Taekwando student who's a few years older than me. He speaks almost perfect English, and I hope will become a good friend. He goes to a Christian University and seems like a really nice guy.
Master Yu: 30 year old group taekwando teacher. He tries hard to speak English, but has very little vocabulary. Really fun guy though.
Grand Master: Really cool older guy who's the taekwando place owner. He gives me special lessons in taekwando when the little kids who I'm taking the class with are doing game time.
Nowon
Well, as the saying goes, "no one" wants to live in "Nowon". HOWEVER, last night, Liz and I discovered a pretty amazing part of Nowon...
She came over, we talked for a while at my place, and then I wanted to take her to one of my favorite restaurant here in Korea. If you like kimchi and cold noodles, then this is the epitome of good food: kimchimariguksu!! Yay!!! Ok, so Liz isn't a huge fan of kimchi yet, so she got veggies and rice...but she tried a little of mine. It blew me away once again to taste the delicious flavors of sesame, cucumber, kimchi, chili sauce, seaweed, and vinegar all in an ice broth with noodles. I could eat it every day and be very content...
After lunch/dinner, we wanted to check out the Doctor Fish Cafe which is also in Nowon (actually, right above the kimchimariguksu restaurant). Once we got inside, we realized after asking that they don't have Doctor Fish anymore! I was so bummed out!! But, we decided to make the most of the time we had together, and went to walk around Nowon Culture Street. I've been there many times, but it's nothing special. Just lots of little shops and restaurants. Our mission was to find ice cream...
Our mission was deterred by a group of people standing around, so we went to check it out. It was an outside noraebang (karaoke)! Haha! It was so funny watching people sing, some good and some pretty bad...
As we walked along a little farther, there was a man wearing white from head to toe. Clothes, make-up, and everything. He was a mime, but one of those mimes who could be a statue if you don't watch closely. Fun to watch the kids walk up to him.
More singing came down the road, and following the sound, we first saw a magic show (which was really, really lame and very politically incorrect) and decided to keep walking. When we finished walking and came back to that same place, there were 6-7 guys who were lock and popping (a style of break-dancing)! It must have been some sort of talent show or something. There were tv crews around, and lots of Nowon City information people. The guys were actually really good, and then afterward were 3 women who were doing an electric violin/cello concert with dancing. I'm pretty sure it wasn't them really playing, but if it was, they were pretty amazing!!
When we got back to the main road, we decided to stop by a cafe called "Can More" that had swinging chairs. So inside, we ordered drinks (which came with a basket of free bread) and sat down by the window watching everyone walk by. It was fun to just relax and sit on a porch swing inside. It was obviously a couple place, but it was fun to be with Liz for the afternoon and night.
Haha :) Prappaccino...
She came over, we talked for a while at my place, and then I wanted to take her to one of my favorite restaurant here in Korea. If you like kimchi and cold noodles, then this is the epitome of good food: kimchimariguksu!! Yay!!! Ok, so Liz isn't a huge fan of kimchi yet, so she got veggies and rice...but she tried a little of mine. It blew me away once again to taste the delicious flavors of sesame, cucumber, kimchi, chili sauce, seaweed, and vinegar all in an ice broth with noodles. I could eat it every day and be very content...
After lunch/dinner, we wanted to check out the Doctor Fish Cafe which is also in Nowon (actually, right above the kimchimariguksu restaurant). Once we got inside, we realized after asking that they don't have Doctor Fish anymore! I was so bummed out!! But, we decided to make the most of the time we had together, and went to walk around Nowon Culture Street. I've been there many times, but it's nothing special. Just lots of little shops and restaurants. Our mission was to find ice cream...Our mission was deterred by a group of people standing around, so we went to check it out. It was an outside noraebang (karaoke)! Haha! It was so funny watching people sing, some good and some pretty bad...
As we walked along a little farther, there was a man wearing white from head to toe. Clothes, make-up, and everything. He was a mime, but one of those mimes who could be a statue if you don't watch closely. Fun to watch the kids walk up to him.
More singing came down the road, and following the sound, we first saw a magic show (which was really, really lame and very politically incorrect) and decided to keep walking. When we finished walking and came back to that same place, there were 6-7 guys who were lock and popping (a style of break-dancing)! It must have been some sort of talent show or something. There were tv crews around, and lots of Nowon City information people. The guys were actually really good, and then afterward were 3 women who were doing an electric violin/cello concert with dancing. I'm pretty sure it wasn't them really playing, but if it was, they were pretty amazing!!When we got back to the main road, we decided to stop by a cafe called "Can More" that had swinging chairs. So inside, we ordered drinks (which came with a basket of free bread) and sat down by the window watching everyone walk by. It was fun to just relax and sit on a porch swing inside. It was obviously a couple place, but it was fun to be with Liz for the afternoon and night.
Haha :) Prappaccino...
March 6, 2010
Chocolate Bae
So, I found out an interesting few things recently about Korean language...
1) When you are talking about the "Top 5" things, you say, "5 Fingers" if translating literally from the Korean. Supposedly...That's what a student told me today anyways...
2) This one is real. When Koreans touch your stomach (which they often do if you're a guy, so no one does that to me, thankfully) and say "Chocolate Bae ("stomach" in Korean)", they do not mean that your stomach is full of chocolate. They do not mean that your stomach feels flabby because you've eaten lots of chocolate. Chocolate Bae means your stomach looks like a Hershey's chocolate bar because of the lines. So, in essence, it means that you have a 6-pack and are rock solid. Where else in the world would calling someone a "chocolate stomach" be a compliment??!! I love Korea...
1) When you are talking about the "Top 5" things, you say, "5 Fingers" if translating literally from the Korean. Supposedly...That's what a student told me today anyways...
2) This one is real. When Koreans touch your stomach (which they often do if you're a guy, so no one does that to me, thankfully) and say "Chocolate Bae ("stomach" in Korean)", they do not mean that your stomach is full of chocolate. They do not mean that your stomach feels flabby because you've eaten lots of chocolate. Chocolate Bae means your stomach looks like a Hershey's chocolate bar because of the lines. So, in essence, it means that you have a 6-pack and are rock solid. Where else in the world would calling someone a "chocolate stomach" be a compliment??!! I love Korea...
March 2, 2010
Grace
Even though Shadow died today, God gave me grace throughout the day. He gave me great/interesting things to keep my mind occupied, and I am so thankful for that. I don't think I've ever had this full of a schedule without feeling stressed out. Instead, I'm loving ever moment of it.
So this morning I brought in chocolate covered strawberries and potato chips (the chips I stuck in the fridge beforehand, so they weren't that good...but the strawberries were delicious!!), and everyone loved them. Because I had given something to them, they obliged me by standing around and talking with me for a long time. It was so nice to catch up with the office people. I really enjoy getting to know them more.
There were SBS (a Korean tv station) vans and busses everywhere on campus today, so I figured I'd check that out too, and turns out that SBS is shooting a new tv drama (similar to American soap operas without the romance overkill) taking place partly at our school!! How cool is that??!! Well, at least one episode takes place at KBU :) It's a graduation scene, and there were tons of cameras and high tech stuff laying around unattended, so I didn't feel guilty looking at it up close. Pretty neat! I'd never seen such equipment in person before. I've seen it on tv, but not like this.
Because of the olympics, my online tv viewing has been pretty much shut down, so it's been pretty boring around school for all of us with nothing to do. Lots of card games and online music listening. But today we got a few of those shows back. So that was nice.
I did taekwando for an hour and a half as usual, and figured out how to correct what I've been doing wrong. I knew something in my kicks didn't feel right, and I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what it was that was wrong. But when the grand master held my legs and Chris my shoulders and the master moved my legs physically through the positions they should be in, it was amazing what the difference was! I finally got how it's supposed to be. I guess if you don't feel it, you'd never know it was wrong. He was so surprised that I said my legs or muscles didn't hurt, so that's when he figured out I must be doing something wrong :) Haha :)
After taekwando, I went to the famous kimbap restaurant to see my Korean mom, and she called me in saying she was making a wedding soup for us. Aww...it was so sweet! So we had the soup: basically thin spaghetti noodles in a dumpling-flavored water soup. Bland, but with homemade kimchi!! Yumm!!! I love kimchi :) I'm definitely not a Minnesota girl anymore...
At the restaurant, I was eating with the worker women, and a guy came in who I've met there before a few times. He's nice, but talks a lot with little/broken English. It's cute because he tries so hard, and he's one of the few Korean guys who I've met over 21 who don't drink/smoke, and he's a Christian. I'm not attracted to him at all, but he's just one of those guys who stand out because of those things. Anyways...so we were talking, and he was telling me about how he has a kidney/liver/something problem and he's really sick and lost a lot of weight. Then he proceeded to tell me that he has no girlfriend, and that I am going to be his new American girlfriend. Clearly meaning girlfriend not in the seperate "girl" and "friend" sense of the word. I laughed really awkwardly and told me I was really busy (which I am...), but it was nice to hang out with him at the kimbap place every so often when we happen to meet there. Then another guy in the restaurant started talking to us, and he spoke perfect English. He introduced his name as Danny, and helped a lot in translating between this other guy and my Korean mom. It was great! He said he had a family of wife and children, but that he'd like to buy me a coffee if I'd sit with him for a bit so he could practice his English. I had nothing better to do, and after saying "ok" my Korean mom scolded me!! At first I was embarrassed, but then it was kind of cute and funny. She's started hounding him in Korean, and he was really nice about it saying that he didn't mean anything, just that he wanted to practice his English--because he had a family it was nothing. After laughing a bit, she said "ok", smiled at me, and scooted us out the door telling me to come back afterward.
So Danny and I went to a coffee and bun place around the corner from the shop and talked about lots of fun things. Mostly Korean and American differences. That's how most conversations usually go the first time you meet Korean people. It's good though because it gives each of you a sense for how much the other knows about your own culture. We talked for maybe an hour and then he went to go home (he showed me pictures of his kids and wife, and I know it was absolutely nothing personal meeting with me...0% and I'm good at reading people...plus my Korean mom approved after she questioned him for a good 10 minutes or so!!).
Back at the kimbap restaurant after meeting Danny, I sat down and laughed a lot with my Korean mom. Mostly about the guy who told me that I was his "American girlfriend". Her husband had a friend in the restaurant, so it was just the 4 of us--really comfortable. I like that. He spoke great English, so I talked a ton more with my Korean mom and dad, and he translated. I take every advantage of people who speak English in the store to translate, because I love my Korean parents so much but have to have such simple conversations with them because of the language barrier. It's frustrating, but it makes me appreciate nights like tonight when I can have full, deep conversations with someone translating. What a precious opportunity. As we were finishing up, the man introduced himself (funny it was at the end) as Philip. I was pleased to meet him and asked if either the Korean mom or dad had an English name. They didn't, and it was so sweet that my Korean mom asked for a name in English!! She'd never asked before, so I was excited to give her the name Grace. She's a gift to me from God. A gift that I could never have thought of asking for and probably don't deserve. I've had 2 people who have been real gifts to me here who are women, and both of them I got to name. Guess what I named the other girl? :) Grace also. It's the first name that pops in my head for people I'm thankful for. Even though it's kind of an older American name.
At the end of the night, I swept the floor for her as a thank you for the noodles earlier and for talking. That was my day...
So this morning I brought in chocolate covered strawberries and potato chips (the chips I stuck in the fridge beforehand, so they weren't that good...but the strawberries were delicious!!), and everyone loved them. Because I had given something to them, they obliged me by standing around and talking with me for a long time. It was so nice to catch up with the office people. I really enjoy getting to know them more.
There were SBS (a Korean tv station) vans and busses everywhere on campus today, so I figured I'd check that out too, and turns out that SBS is shooting a new tv drama (similar to American soap operas without the romance overkill) taking place partly at our school!! How cool is that??!! Well, at least one episode takes place at KBU :) It's a graduation scene, and there were tons of cameras and high tech stuff laying around unattended, so I didn't feel guilty looking at it up close. Pretty neat! I'd never seen such equipment in person before. I've seen it on tv, but not like this.
Because of the olympics, my online tv viewing has been pretty much shut down, so it's been pretty boring around school for all of us with nothing to do. Lots of card games and online music listening. But today we got a few of those shows back. So that was nice.
I did taekwando for an hour and a half as usual, and figured out how to correct what I've been doing wrong. I knew something in my kicks didn't feel right, and I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what it was that was wrong. But when the grand master held my legs and Chris my shoulders and the master moved my legs physically through the positions they should be in, it was amazing what the difference was! I finally got how it's supposed to be. I guess if you don't feel it, you'd never know it was wrong. He was so surprised that I said my legs or muscles didn't hurt, so that's when he figured out I must be doing something wrong :) Haha :)
After taekwando, I went to the famous kimbap restaurant to see my Korean mom, and she called me in saying she was making a wedding soup for us. Aww...it was so sweet! So we had the soup: basically thin spaghetti noodles in a dumpling-flavored water soup. Bland, but with homemade kimchi!! Yumm!!! I love kimchi :) I'm definitely not a Minnesota girl anymore...
At the restaurant, I was eating with the worker women, and a guy came in who I've met there before a few times. He's nice, but talks a lot with little/broken English. It's cute because he tries so hard, and he's one of the few Korean guys who I've met over 21 who don't drink/smoke, and he's a Christian. I'm not attracted to him at all, but he's just one of those guys who stand out because of those things. Anyways...so we were talking, and he was telling me about how he has a kidney/liver/something problem and he's really sick and lost a lot of weight. Then he proceeded to tell me that he has no girlfriend, and that I am going to be his new American girlfriend. Clearly meaning girlfriend not in the seperate "girl" and "friend" sense of the word. I laughed really awkwardly and told me I was really busy (which I am...), but it was nice to hang out with him at the kimbap place every so often when we happen to meet there. Then another guy in the restaurant started talking to us, and he spoke perfect English. He introduced his name as Danny, and helped a lot in translating between this other guy and my Korean mom. It was great! He said he had a family of wife and children, but that he'd like to buy me a coffee if I'd sit with him for a bit so he could practice his English. I had nothing better to do, and after saying "ok" my Korean mom scolded me!! At first I was embarrassed, but then it was kind of cute and funny. She's started hounding him in Korean, and he was really nice about it saying that he didn't mean anything, just that he wanted to practice his English--because he had a family it was nothing. After laughing a bit, she said "ok", smiled at me, and scooted us out the door telling me to come back afterward.
So Danny and I went to a coffee and bun place around the corner from the shop and talked about lots of fun things. Mostly Korean and American differences. That's how most conversations usually go the first time you meet Korean people. It's good though because it gives each of you a sense for how much the other knows about your own culture. We talked for maybe an hour and then he went to go home (he showed me pictures of his kids and wife, and I know it was absolutely nothing personal meeting with me...0% and I'm good at reading people...plus my Korean mom approved after she questioned him for a good 10 minutes or so!!).
Back at the kimbap restaurant after meeting Danny, I sat down and laughed a lot with my Korean mom. Mostly about the guy who told me that I was his "American girlfriend". Her husband had a friend in the restaurant, so it was just the 4 of us--really comfortable. I like that. He spoke great English, so I talked a ton more with my Korean mom and dad, and he translated. I take every advantage of people who speak English in the store to translate, because I love my Korean parents so much but have to have such simple conversations with them because of the language barrier. It's frustrating, but it makes me appreciate nights like tonight when I can have full, deep conversations with someone translating. What a precious opportunity. As we were finishing up, the man introduced himself (funny it was at the end) as Philip. I was pleased to meet him and asked if either the Korean mom or dad had an English name. They didn't, and it was so sweet that my Korean mom asked for a name in English!! She'd never asked before, so I was excited to give her the name Grace. She's a gift to me from God. A gift that I could never have thought of asking for and probably don't deserve. I've had 2 people who have been real gifts to me here who are women, and both of them I got to name. Guess what I named the other girl? :) Grace also. It's the first name that pops in my head for people I'm thankful for. Even though it's kind of an older American name.
At the end of the night, I swept the floor for her as a thank you for the noodles earlier and for talking. That was my day...
Shadow
Shadow is our dog and has been my sister for the past 15 or so years. I remember one night when I was 7 waking up to noises downstairs, so Holly and I ran down and found a little puppy in a box waiting for us. She slept in a box on our bed until she was old enough to snuggle under the covers with us. She used to love sleeping in the spot where your knees came up to your chest and there was a little nook. I think she liked feeling your stomach move from breathing through the night. Shadow slept with me until I was in about 9th grade and then moved on to Holly's room where she stayed until Holly went to college. We used to dress her up in doll clothes and make her stand up on her hind feet. Poor dog :) During the winter she would get little booties on her feet because if she walked in the snow too long, she would lift her little legs up one at a time and hold them suspended like she was too good for the snow. Really, her feet were just cold. She loved to be blown at and lick the air. But her favorite thing to do was with Holly. I would hold Shadow and pet her really nice, then Holly would come up to Shadow with her hands by her face and say, "Come here, Shadow..." and Shadow would start a little growl that would turn into vicious playing once Holly grabbed her. Haha...Shadow and Holly were buddies. Shadow and I were buddies too, but in a different way. I remember being in grade school and putting Shadow and Smokey on the bed with all my other stuffed animals and telling them about Jesus and how they could go to heaven someday. I remember being so disappointed that Smokey could care less, but happy that Shadow seemed to look into my soul when I talked to her. She was always like that when we talked to her. She was a good dog, and I will miss her. I love you Shadow. Goodbye.
Long Weekend
This weekend was busy but fun :) Saturday I got to meet some of my old students and the new freshmens' parents. All the teachers were introduced up front, and then afterwards got to have dinner together. I had to leave a bit early, but during the time together, I had one student give a speech in English about his trip to Washington DC this last month and another student sing a duet with her sister in English. I was so proud of them both!! They were the only two who spoke in English the whole night!
After that, I had dinner with a friend and their parents, so that was a fun experience. We went to a Korean buffet, and it was soooo delicious! I love Korean food!!
Sunday was church and then Liz and I went out for lunch. It's so nice having someone to talk to and hang out with. God's blessed me with a great friend. Sunday night I met WanSeok, my Korean friend from 2 years ago, and a couple of his buddies. We went to a restaurant called Brazilia. It had nothing to do with Brazil, but they serve all you can eat steak and salad! And the price wasn't bad! We each had 5+ steaks...so it was well worth it. And the best steak I've had in my entire life!!
Monday was a holiday, so I met Liz downtown, and we spent the day together. We figured out that it's Liz's 1/2 birthday today, so we decided to go big and celebrate by going to Bennigans. I had this sandwich (with turkey in it!!!!! 1st time ever in Korea) that was deep fried and then had powdered sugar on top and jelly to dip it in. It sounds disgusting, but it was pretty good! Liz can vouch for me :) Even though it was raining, we had a fun time shopping and then going back to her place to make chocolate covered strawberries and potato chips. When we went out later that night for pizza, it was snowing! This weekend couldn't have been better ^^ Lots and lots and lots of American food though. I'm ready for Korean this week!!
After that, I had dinner with a friend and their parents, so that was a fun experience. We went to a Korean buffet, and it was soooo delicious! I love Korean food!!
Sunday was church and then Liz and I went out for lunch. It's so nice having someone to talk to and hang out with. God's blessed me with a great friend. Sunday night I met WanSeok, my Korean friend from 2 years ago, and a couple of his buddies. We went to a restaurant called Brazilia. It had nothing to do with Brazil, but they serve all you can eat steak and salad! And the price wasn't bad! We each had 5+ steaks...so it was well worth it. And the best steak I've had in my entire life!!
Monday was a holiday, so I met Liz downtown, and we spent the day together. We figured out that it's Liz's 1/2 birthday today, so we decided to go big and celebrate by going to Bennigans. I had this sandwich (with turkey in it!!!!! 1st time ever in Korea) that was deep fried and then had powdered sugar on top and jelly to dip it in. It sounds disgusting, but it was pretty good! Liz can vouch for me :) Even though it was raining, we had a fun time shopping and then going back to her place to make chocolate covered strawberries and potato chips. When we went out later that night for pizza, it was snowing! This weekend couldn't have been better ^^ Lots and lots and lots of American food though. I'm ready for Korean this week!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)