Emilia's España Aventura

Après-ski

2011-03-17T03:02:00.000-07:00

I don't really like to ski, but I LOVE après-ski! What a great activity! :)

Here are some pics of my trip to Chamonix with eight other coworkers from Spain. I am AWFUL at skiing. Seriously, I snowplow on a BUNNY HILL. It's that bad. That's goodness my friend Amy is from the Midwest and just as bad as I am! Despite my lack of skiing abilities, it was totally worth it for the scenery. I"m would do a ski vacation again in the lovely Alps, but next I'll either be snowshoeing, cross country skiing, or sitting at Chambre Neuf.

Hello 2011!

2011-02-18T00:16:00.000-08:00

I"m going to try writing shorter posts. I feel too much pressure to write long posts! (Mostly from myself, but I can't stare at my empty blog anymore!)

I know it's a little late to introduce the new year, but better late than never!
The start of 2011 has been great thus far!! Some highlights...

1. Going to Manila to visit Alan for Christmas break.

2. Bre and Leah came to visit at the beginning of February. It was so great to some Korea folks!

3. Signing up for the Madrid half marathon! This is my first race in almost eight years!

I can 't wait to see what the rest of 2011 brings!

October 12th- Spanish National Day

2010-10-15T00:22:00.000-07:00

I love getting random holidays off as an overseas teacher. It's usually an excuse to sleep, but it's also important to partake in the culture of the host country. October 12 was Spain's National Day. I got up early to attend a military parade with a few friends. Spain definitely flexed their military muscle. I've never seen so many tanks and soldiers marching on the street! They even had a ski patrol! It was also interesting being in the crowd and hearing Spaniards cry out for the love of their country and the hatred for the current president, Rodrigoi Zapatero.
Here's a video of the military parade from 2007. Wrong year, but you get the idea.
Vive le Espana! (I think that's the right phrase.....)

Alicante!

2010-10-15T00:10:00.001-07:00

Here are some overdue pics from my trip to Alicante. What a wonderful beach town and an excuse to go on a Spanish road trip with my new friends!

Hemingway!

2010-10-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am currently teaching the novel The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway to my IB juniors. During a presentation, one of students said her grandfather used to fraternize with Hemingway. I almost dropped my papers mid-presentation. I squealed with delight and asked her to tell more stories. She brought in a few photos to show to the class. Yesterday, she told me her grandfather used to date Ava Gardner. What??? What kind of kids am I teaching?

Espana principios....sort of.....

2010-09-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

That's right. I'm back. It's been too long, but I'm back. Here's the skinny on my new life in Spain: I like my roommates, my new job, and the crazy city of Madrid. I'm still adjusting to the differences between Eastern and Western culture and not being the minority for once, and I still miss Korea quite a bit, but time is always the best medicine.

Here's a quick peek at my new life.

In front of the palace...

Plaza Mayor at sunset....

Roman aquaducts in Segovia....

See the rest of my photos on my Facebook page!!

노란색 별표! Estrella Amarillo!

2010-05-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

I can get a little obnoxious when I start learning a new language. Once I muster up the energy and motivation to actually learn the language, I'll flaunt my new skills to a-n-y-o-n-e. I learned how to say Spanish shapes and colors last week, and I've constantly spouting out the colors of t-shirts and leaves in Spanish. My friends smile and laugh, but the occasional eye roll comes out when they've heard me saying "la blusa rosa" for the umpteenth time. My favorite phrase is "estrella amarillo" or "yellow star". I like the way it looks and rolls off the tongue.

Amidst learning Spanish, I realized that I have no idea how to say yellow star in Korean. This thought makes me panic, momentarily, that I didn't spend my time wisely in Korea simply because I don't know this phrase, or that learning Spanish right now means I'm "leaving" Korea too quickly. Luckily, the moment passes, and I silently laugh at my melodramatic logic. I think it's ok to be excited and sad in the same moment. Last week, I went on a retreat with my seniors and learned about a transition concept called R.A.F.T. It stands for Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Think. The concept encourages people to properly say goodbye to their home and gives positive strategies how to transition to the next one. I've definitely done my share of transitions, but I don't know if I've ever properly said goodbye to a place. I think my exit from Korea will my first proper goodbye.

I will definitely learn how to say yellow star by next Tuesday.

The Shipping Man

2010-05-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

I'm really going to miss the Korean post office. Seriously! Yesterday, Sarah and I brought ninety percent of our personal belongings to respectively ship to Spain, American, and Uganda. The whole scene was quite a circus with the myriad of suitcases and Costco bags hauled in! Then we met him: the infamous Korean shipping man. The man that makes his own cardboard boxes and packs an entire box of shoes, clothes, and ceramic figurines in under 10 minutes. (That includes bubble wrapping the breakables!) He packed 10 boxes in under 80 minutes. 10 boxes! I'm still mystified by his packing powers.....

Louis Vuitton in Saigon

2010-03-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. It's not called Saigon anymore, but it has a better ring to it than Ho Chi Minh City. And Louis Vuitton is everywhere in this so-called communist country! For Lunar break, I traveled to Vietnam with my friends Jennifer and Breanna. I was beyond excited to delve into the historical and cultural vastness of this country. We spent the first half of our vacation exploring the Cu Chi tunnels, the Mekong Delta, touring HCMC on scooter taxis, visiting the home of a Vietnamese family, drinking tons of Vietnamese iced coffee, and desperately trying to find an open shopping market. If you ever travel to Vietnam over the Lunar holiday, none of the shops are open! You have been officially warned!

My favorite Saigon moment was encountering Tae. We met, er, hired him (and his other family members) outside of the Vietnam War Memorial to drive us back to our hostel on scooter taxis. I was scared that my other two travel companions would chicken out, but to my delight, they immediately hopped on! He dropped us off, write down his phone number, and encouraged us to call him the next for a personal tour of HCMC. I'm certainly glad we took! The scooter gurus drove us to museums, pagodas, shops, and finally to the family home. I was little nervous about the last part, but curiosity won us over. Tae and his family were extremely charming and hospitable. They live in a boisterous alleyway with a multitude of Vietnamese families near the river. We scuttled onto the floor with ten other people, and glasses of beer and soda were immediately shoved into our hands. Tae introduced us to everyone and told us stories about the neighborhood, his family, and his involvement in the Vietnam War. He fought with the American soldiers and proudly displayed the eagle tattoo on his inner forearm to prove it. He didn't (or couldn't?) elaborate too much on the war, but the brevity of his stories didn't matter. I was just thankful he was open to sharing! Since Tae was the only one that could English, our visit was finished once Tae's translating energy had exhausted itself. He drove us back to the hostel, shook our hands, and scooted away. I was sad to see him go. The remainder of our visit was spent curled up in bed. HCMC proved to be excruciatingly hot and knocked us all with heat exhaustion the following day. This is one reason why I like four season climates and will avoid living in a tropical climate if I can help it!

Midweek, we traveled to the capital city of Hanoi. It wasn't quite the beautiful North that I had expected; in fact, it was gray, dirty, and gloomy. I felt disappointed, but knew we would see interesting things despite the melancholy atmosphere. The first two days we spent on an overnight cruise in Halong Bay. The advertisement didn't lead us to believe that is would a "romantic getaway", but the trip consisted a couples and one single guy. Great place to socialize for three single gals! Nonetheless, we had a great time hiking, kayaking, socializing, taking pictures, talking, and enjoying some great food. We returned to Hanoi exhausted and happy.

We visited Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum on our last day. It was so strange and surreal! We waited in line for a half hour, then were ushered into a huge, gray monument. I got scolded for having my hands in my jacket pocket, so I hurriedly took them to avoid causing any trouble with the fierce looking guards. The whole experience was over in 30 seconds. We came, we saw Ho Chi Minh, we left. That's it. Ho Chi Minh himself looked old, waxy, and relaxed. A friend told me that his body is shipped off to Russia a few times a year to be "worked on". (Translate- new nose and ears. Eww!) I'm still baffled by the reverence the Vietnamese people hold for this man. Perhaps it's my limited viewpoint as a foreigner, but I just don't get it. It makes me curious how hysterical the North Koreans must get when Kim Il Sung is on display.

This is my fourth attempt going down into the tunnels. I eventually suceeded!

I might be fake smiling in this picture after encountering complete darkness and bats. Yikes!

Tunnel survivors!

Ho Chi Minh mausoleum:

Halong Bay:

Indochina junkboat- the romantic getaway!

Mekong Delta:

Buddhist shrine:

Remnants (and reminders) of the Vietnam War:

View from the scooter taxi:

Espana! And London!

2010-03-04T03:45:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, its official. I"m moving to Spain in August!!!!!!!! I received a position from the American School of Madrid about two days and will be teaching writing classes and some possible A1 IB. I can't wait to start learning Spanish!!

Here are some highlights from my London trip:

Tube Artwork:

Outside the Globe Theater. Every English teacher's dream to see!

Kir and I having an Austin Powers moment. London, baby!

Otherwise you will be hit by a double decker bus.....

London at twilight...

LONDON, BABY!

2010-01-25T03:50:00.000-08:00

I sometimes wonder if Austin Powers couldn't be the International Man of Mystery anymore, what else would he do for a profession? I know it's a random and stupid thought, but it's consuming my thoughts as I prepare to head to London on Thursday for a job fair. I'm excited to finally know what continent I'll be living in next year. Stay tuned for details!

Squid Island

2009-12-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I took a bus/boat/van trip with my Bible study group to a Korean island called Ulleungdo. The group wanted to get away for some much needed down time, so we decided to head to an island that harvests eighty percent of Korea's squid. It's a random place to go for rest and relaxation, but it turned out to be the perfect spot.

After enduring the most nauseating boat ride of my life, all seven of us hopped into a rented van and cruised around the island. I have never seen so much squid in my life! There were racks and racks and racks of squid around every bend and corner. After exploring the island, our final destination for the evening was a little cottage on a hill. It was absolutely adorable and absolutely freezing! Everyone was so cold that we all fell asleep by eight o'clock. EIGHT O'CLOCK ON A SATURDAY NIGHT! Who said teachers weren't exciting??? The next morning we drove around the island a bit more, then timidly headed back to the port. None of us wanted to get sick from the boat again, so anti-nausea pills were quickly purchased and consumed. As I napped on the way back, I kept dreaming of long tentacles trying to grab my legs. I think I've seen enough squid for awhile.

The car rental sign. How appropriate.

Ferry port at Ulleungdo

Squid, lots of squid......

Dinner!

The group

Our home for the night. What a great island!

Days of Scooter...

2009-11-05T05:26:00.001-08:00

I think I look a little bit like Lloyd when I drive my scooter.

That's right; I am now the proud owner of a scooter! I've been contemplating buying one for months, but impulsively purchased one three weeks ago. It's been exhilarating (carefully!) whipping through the streets and alleyways of my dong (neighborhood). And yes, I wear a helmet every time I ride. She's not fast, but she's my 250,000 won bundle of joy. Any suggestions for names??

Yanji, China

2009-10-13T22:50:00.001-07:00

Chinese sign:

Escape to Russia!

Back in Minnesota, fall break usually involved sleeping in, visiting an orchard, watching tons of movies, or shopping for new winter clothes. This year my fall break included celebrating the birth of Communism, walking halfway across a bridge to North Korea, and escaping to Russia through a wire fence. Every trip truly has its own charm.

Every 3-4 years, TCIS sponsors a trip to Yanji, China. It's a random place to visit, but many of our OCK's (out-of-country kids) come from this city. Their parents work as professors at Yanbian University of Science and Technology, otherwise known as YUST. It was fascinating to see the home of my beloved students! Apart from visiting Yanji, our troup visited other local Chinese sites: Baekdoosan, a beautiful mountain lake that is rumored to be the birthplace of Korea; Tumen, a Chinese sister city to North Korea; and the triangular intersection where Russia, China, and North Korea meet. The scenery of northern China is stunning. It reminds of the stillness and serenity of Minnesota.

Russia pics:

Every trip seems to contain an educational aspect. I learned so much about North Korea on this trip. The "hermit kingdom" is such a sad, horrific, and fascinating country. I was under the impression that North Koreans were not allowed to leave the country, but I ended up meeting several North Koreans on the trip. One night our group ate at a North Korean restaurant in Yanji. The food and service were incredible! The waitresses beautifully sang a number of North Korean karaoke songs while serving HUGE portions of food. One of our tour guides said the wait staff comes over to China for several months to work at the restaurant, but head back into North Korea to do who knows what. We tried to pry personal information out of the waitresses, but they remain extremely tight-lipped. I found a few online articles that slightly mirror our dining experience. Luckily, we were able to get photos!!!

http://globespotters.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/a-taste-of-pyongyang/
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JB08Ad03.html

I've never been truly thankful for freedom until this trip. It's scary not being able to openly discuss faith and politics in public. I'm glad 70% of my salary doesn't go to the government. I'm glad that I have food on a daily basis. I have no idea what will happen to communist North Korea and China over the next fifty years, but the people were extremely wonderful. Perhaps Yanji will be your next vacation spot!

North Korean bridge, restaurant, house, and singing waitresses:

Baekdoosan pics:

Florence Nightingale

2009-10-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

The month of September at TCIS is always hectic. Cross country, teaching duties, and weekend trips to Seoul fill every waking minute. I didn't realize I would be adding nursing duties to my schedule. Just for the record, I'm no Florence Nightingale. I'm a horrible nurse. My reaction time is incredibly slow. Good luck to anyone that starts bleeding out if I'm nearby. Seriously.

Luckily, people can change. The proof is in the pudding below. You be the judge.

CASE #1:
My good friend Sarah was mysteriously sick with stomach issues in early September and had trouble eating. After multiple trips to the Korean doctor, she seemed to be on the mend. We celebrated her good health with a trip to an Indian restaurant, but by the time dinner was over, she was violently sick. My friend Jen and I ended up taking her to the hospital overnight. The diagnosis? An inflamed gall bladder and colonitis. What???? Korean hospitals are very interesting. Visiting hours are nonexistent. The nurses don't use gloves to inject IV tubes. Patients move around the hospital with their IV's attached and head down for a smoke in the parking. It's a bit of a freak show. Sarah ended up needing surgery the following Monday. I volunteered to be her "person" and sign all the necessary forms. I waited for two hours while they removed her gall bladder and gall stones. After the surgery, the surgeon brought out Sarah's innards on a silver metal tray as proof of surgical success. I don't what posssessed me to look at her gutted organs let alone take a picture, but it was fascinating! I'm please to report that Sarah is happily back to a normal routine sans gall bladder.

Pre-surgey pics. And no, I didn't squeeze her IV bag.

CASE #2:
Later that week I went biking with my friend Brenna. She ended up wiping out on her bike in the middle of a busy intersection. She managed to pull her bike onto the sidewalk, but almost started to pass out when she looked at her nasty road burns. I froze for a minute while a million questions raced through my mind. How was I going to get her to a hospital? Where should I put the bikes? Do you pour water on a road burn? Do you keep on a bike helmet if someone passes out? What is the Korean version of 911?????
Luckily,she ended up not passing out. I quickly took apart both of our bikes, poured water on her burns, flagged down a taxi, and bribed a taxi driver to take us back to her apartment. I immediately called my friends Heather and John to come over and help out. Heather brought over a "Mom Kit" full of nifty bandages and iodine. I was more than grateful! I ended up bringing Brenna to the orthopedic clinic. I'm always fascinated how resilient human skin is. An hour later, the doctor sent Brenna with a sprained elbow and seven stitches. We celebrated her lack of a broken bone with pizza and a trip to the movies to see "The Ugly Truth".

I'm still no Florence Nightingale, but I think I could be a nurse. I will take pictures at your organs, help you pee after surgery, and call the right people to help put iodine on your wounds.

You be the judge.

Asian Snow Day-=H1N1

2009-08-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

I remember my first snow day as a teacher back in Minnesota. I cranked up the heat. I actually shoveled the driveway by myself for the first time in my life. I watched MANY episodes of Scrubs and Friends over a 48-hour period.

Life the last three days has been similar to a snow day, but snow hasn't been the reason to stay home.

H1N1 has been the culprit.

This past Tuesday our school shut down for a week because of swine flu. Eight students and two staffs members contracted the virus and the Korean Health Department advised us to shut down for a week. What???

School re-opens next Wednesday. I've been busy eating, running, and watching plenty of movies indoors to avoid catching the pesky infection. Life never ceases to get boring living overseas!

The 1000 Kilometer Summer

2009-08-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

This summer was a complete whirlwind for me. Every day was planned out. No lie! I felt like I was going a 1000 kilometers an hour! I vacationed in Manila, toured around Korea with my family, attended two classes for graduate school, zoomed around a motorcycle across the Ontario, relaxed at my cabin, and reunited with college friends at a wedding. I think I traveled close to 1000 kilometers each trip this summer! Regardless of time and distance, here are some highlights from my hectic summer.

DESTINATION: Korea
DISTANCE: ?????????????????????????????????????????????

It takes 15 hours and 50 minutes via Tokyo to fly from Minneapolis to Seoul. Math is not my strong suit and I’m not even going to attempt to figure how the kilometric distance. (Is kilometric a word?!)
I have been anticipating my family coming to Korea for two years and was absolutely tickled pink when they arrived in June. I took them all over Daejeon, Seoraksan, and Seoul. We hiked mountains, ate bulgogi with a random family, shopped, scrubbed down at the jimjilbong, and marched all over Seoul. I can’t believe I managed to get my family around Korea with my limited Hangul. This adventure is definitely one of my favorite Nelson family vacations.

Korea photos:

DESTINATION: Canada
DISTANCE: 1286 kilometers
I finally made to Canada. I suppose dating a Canadian gives one incentive to visit!
I toured the Ontario province with Alan on his motorcycle in early July. Let me clearly state I have NOT converted to motorcycle riding, but I enjoyed the brevity of being a “motorcycle mama” for a week. (If anyone else ever takes me a on ride, I usually have a breakdown after five hours on the bike. I wish I was kidding!)

We went to a cabin for 4th of July, dinner cruise, Niagara Falls, and his hometown. Alan and I met up with three of my coworkers from TCIS from dinner in Toronto. Such a cool city! After visiting the Toronto area, Alan drove us to North Bay and Sault St. Marie to meet some of his relatives. We eventually drove back to Minnesota (a.k.a. the Canadian Riveria) in his aunt’s Mustang so I could get back for grad school. I could definitely convert to becoming a “Mustang Mama”. :)

Canada photos:

DESTINATION: Chicago
DISTANCE: 622 kilometers

This weekend was a preview for NPU Girlfriend Getaway 2010!! My good friend Rebekah got married in late July, but it was a mini-college reunion of sorts. I got to enjoy some sister bonding with Mals in the car on the way to wedding, then smashed into a suite with Mallory, Davia, Stephanie, and Aubrey for two nights. It was such a fun weekend of reminiscing and girl bonding. I can’t wait for next summer!

North Park Girls:

Ten years??????

2009-05-31T22:48:00.000-07:00

During the graduation ceremony last week it dawned on me that it's been TEN YEARS since I graduated from high school. Has it really been that long since I donned my own maroon cap and gown?

It has.

My over-analytical nature went into overdrive as a I pondered about the things I have done and/or accomplished over the last ten years: graduated college, tatooed my body, dyed my hair more times than I can count, lived in a foreign country, lived with folks, learned a new language, became a teacher, and traveled the globe to my heart's content.

Life has been pretty good thus far.

As the graduation speaker talked about the challenges the seniors would face, I daydreamed about what my own future would be like in the next ten years. Where will I be? What will I be doing? I get scared thinking about the future. Deep down I still feel like the starry-eyed 18-year-old that was nervous about moving to Chicago and living on her own for the first time. Regardless of whatever fear I feel, God has taken me down a path. And he has always been consistent and faithful. He really hasn't left me, just gently guided me down other paths or taken me places I would never normally go. This has helped me shape my goals and dreams more realistically. I've learned to work harder for them, but be more relaxed if they don't work out the way I want them to. This has been good progress for me.

I'm excited to see what happens over the next ten years. Maybe I'll eventually learn to cook during the next decade. :)

In the month of May

2009-05-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Things are busy. Really busy. Extremely busy. But also really fun. Here are some highlights from the month of May!

Girls (plus Johnny!) weekend way to a beautiful cabin in the Korean mountains! We ate, slept, and talked for three days straight. Awesome!

80's party!!!

Spring bike trips in my stretchy pants. (And showing off my muscles from lifting so much this semester!)

Alan comes to visit for a weekend to visit me and attend some great festivals in Seoul!

Manila Part Deux

2009-04-28T23:13:00.001-07:00

New beau and friends in Manila!

Pics from our hike in Baguio.

Malaysia

2009-04-28T22:51:00.001-07:00

Fun in the sun! (And the local mall!)

The view from our hotel!

My co-workers and I found some fun at the airport. We got the chance to dress up in hanboks, a traditional Korean dress, and practice bowing. Bring on the Joseon dynasty!!

Canadian Encounters of the Third Kind

2009-04-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Canadians are everywhere. I have met or been reunited with several Canadians over the past six weeks. I probably know more abut Rick Mercer, Ontario, the war of 1812, the tooney, and the order of the Canadian provinces than most Americans do.

Welcome to my encounters with Canadians of the Third Kind.

Encounter #1- Canadian in Korea
I first met Alan at 6:30 a.m. on a very chilly Seoul morning back in early March.

That is a lie.

Alan and I first met online and began communicating back in October. We swapped emails a few times a month, but started communicating more regularly in early February. He proposed the idea of meeting in person and offered to fly up to Korea for a week so we could meet and hang out. I happily agreed at the genius of his idea. :)
I first “encountered” Alan at the Seoul airport. He is originally from frozen tundra like myself, but currently lives and works in Manila. His poor body could not stand the shock of the cold after becoming acclimated to tropical weather. I immediately steered us to the Korean sauna for the afternoon. Luckily, he is a BIG fan of spas and saunas. He came back to Daejeon to see my place, meet friends, and try out yoga. I give him props for bending and twisting in unnatural ways for the first time!
After a week together, we agreed I would fly down to Manila two weeks later and continue our “getting-to-know-you” process. See Canadian encounter #4 for more details!

Encounter #2- Canadians in Malaysia
Two days after Alan left, I hopped on a plane to Malaysia with several of my co-workers to attend the EARCOS 2009 conference. (Check it out at www.earcos.org)
If overseas teaching occasionally gives me the chance me to attend to professional development sessions about film and vocabulary, then spend my afternoons lounging by the pool and drinking pina coladas, I might never return to the States!

I met several Canadian teachers at the conference and got a chance to reunite with my Canadian friend, Mary. I met her at writing conference back in Seoul in October 2007, then again during my Japan trip in February 2008. We enjoyed catching up over dinner and dancing at the conference. One of my favorite parts about teaching overseas is meeting so many interesting teachers!

Encounter #3- 1/16th of a Canadian
The morning I got back from Malaysia, I hopped on a bus headed for Seoul. After ten long months, I was going to reunite with Davia!
Davia is only 1/16th Canadian. I am sure my math is incorrect, but her mom is Canadian, so that technically makes her 1/16th Canadian. Right? Maybe not, but she is a bit of a Canadian at heart.

We had a whirlwind week of fun! Davia works for the U.S. Navy in Japan, and her military credentials allowed us to stay at the Yongsan Army Base in Seoul. I instantly feel odd being around American culture, but after I saw Taco Bell, things somehow felt right again. :) We spent time in Seoul and Daejeon going to palaces, museums, performance art shows, shopping, doing yoga, and just talking about life. I was very sad to see her go. Davia is moving back to the States, and will not be “next door” anymore. I look forward to our reunion at Rebekah’s wedding this summer!

Encounter #4- My Shy Canadian
I headed to Manila at the beginning of April to hang out with Alan a bit more. He met me at the airport with roses in tow. I knew it was going to be a good week! We spent the first few days in Manila attending church groups, playing floor hockey (or ball hockey as the Canadians say), eating fondue, and meeting his friends. Last year I went to Manila on a mission trip, so it was interesting seeing a ritzier side of the city.

Alan, his friend Phil, Phil’s girlfriend Grace, and I left Manila mid-week and traveled up to a mountain area called Baguio. The four of us spent time hiking, visiting Stations of the Cross, visiting an old U.S. Army retreat center, eating, and chatting about life. It was a welcome escape from the heat of Manila. I will not lie, but being back in the mountains made me yearn to visit Switzerland again! After returning to Manila, Alan and I decided to take the plunge and start a long-distance romance. I think Phil said it best: "thus starts the romance between the extroverted American and the Shy Canadian.”

I cannot wait to learn more about Canada's national igloo!

A-Squad!!!

2009-03-08T01:25:00.001-08:00

The A-Squad comes to Korea

2009-03-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

“Nelson, I’m sitting in first class right now on my way to Seoul. I”ll see you soon.”

Click.

Rick’s words almost made me drop the phone. First class seats? How in the world did he score those tickets? Oh, wait. His friend David works for United Airlines. It really does pay to know someone in the aviation industry. I hung up the phone with giddiness. Rick was on his way to Korea!

Rick is one of my dear friends I made after moving back to Minnesota in 2003. We met at Starbucks, worked together for about a year, and have been friends ever since. He and I like to joke that we are from the same zygote because of our similar interests in books, philosophy, TV shows, and being spotlight stealing dancers at weddings. I was definitely excited to see him!

Rick and David arrived in Seoul on a Thursday and I joined them Friday evening to begin a week of fun. My friend and co-worker, Jen, and her Canadian friend, Joss, became part of our A-squad fun. The five of nestled into the bottom floor of a hostel and explored the city together. We went temples, the DMZ, palaces, the noraebong, a folk village, restaurants where old Korean ladies defended us drunk Korean men, and the jimjilbong for the infamous scrubdown. The boys fell in LOVE with the noraebong. I think we went almost every night; the boys even sang their hearts out on a train!

Last Saturday, I sadly brought my guests to the train station. I hugged them both numerous times and begrudgingly stepped off the bus. Seeing Rick and David makes me wonderfully anxious for my summer reunion with family and friends. I am trying hard not to mentally “check out”, but I think the fire has been lit. There are plenty of fun things to do in Korea- two more friends coming to visit in March, professional development to Malaysia, spring break- but I cannot wait for summer. Let the countdown begin!

Japan

2009-02-09T05:09:00.001-08:00

Regret

2009-01-18T03:23:00.000-08:00

"I do not regret the things I've done, but those I did not do."
-Rory Cochrane

I did not kiss Bret or Jemaine.

I did not drink a Foster beer.

I did not jump off a bridge.

I did not hold a koala.

I did not see a sumo wrestling match.

I did not catch a flying fish in the air.

When traveling, some opportunities are missed. A person cannot see everything that Lonely Planet or Frommer's has to recommend; however, that is the beauty of traveling. Some things are meant to be missed. Others are meant to be seen.

Over the last two months, I have been very fortunate to travel to three amazing countries. Over Christmas break, I went with three friends--Chris, Jen, and Scottie--to New Zealand and Australia. Two weeks after returning from the land down under, I went to the Japanese cities of Fukoka and Hiroshima. I traveled via ferry boat from Korea with seven of my good girlfriends from school. Each trip was vastly different. I went from testosterone to estrogen, Anglo to Asian culture, sweltering tropics to cold cities, shepherd's pie to sushi, art museums to atomic bomb museums, and skydiving to saunas.

I didn't see or do everything that the guidebooks suggested, but it doesn't matter. Some things aren't meant to happen when others are. I have no regrets with my trips, except for not taking enough pictures. These trips have taught me to practice mindfulness when interacting with others and my surroundings in the moment. Things feel more engaging, sweeter, and more connected. This blog entry has no room for regret.

I was supposed to kiss the stars goodnight.

I was supposed to drink Strongbow instead of Foster beer.

I was supposed to jump out of a plane.

I was supposed to lick an ant that tasted like lime instead of holding a koala.

I was supposed to see a poker match between four people instead of a sumo match.

I was supposed to catch an Elmo doll in a bus of twenty random strangers.

Australia and New Zealand

2009-01-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

Hiking and Biking

2008-12-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

You look....^.^

2008-11-29T23:30:00.001-08:00

“Ms. Nelson, you look Asian.”

One of my IB kids, Brian Kim, whips out this statement as if I had three heads filled with green horns protruding from my neck. I had straightened my unruly, brownish-black, maroon, slightly purplish hair the night before, and I tend to look a wee bit different going from crazy curl to sleeker do. A year ago this comment would have thrown me for a loop, but I smile and chuckle instead at the blunt nature of my Korean students.

My relationship with this peculiar Asian country is continually changing and evolving each day. The novelty and excitement of Korea has worn off, but I am getting to know more intimate parts of the country. My weekends in October and November have been spent hiking, biking, and learning more about Korean’s torrid past. Some highlights include going on a 40-kilometer bike ride through the mountains and a midnight hike. I kid you not when I say midnight. My friend Mike is an avid “posh hiker”, and preceded to take my friend Sarah and I on a hike to a southern mountain range in Korea. We promptly left the school at 12:15 a.m. boarded a train for three hours, loaded onto a bus for another hour up a very winding mountain road (luckily I slept through all of the this) then began a very arduous but very beautiful 18 kilometer hike! Another highlight was visiting Independence Hall with my Minnesota friend, Taryn. The exhibit explores Korean’s history during the time of Japanese occupation. I was shocked and horrified at atrocious suffering this country has been through.

As my relationship with Korea deepens, so do the life lessons my overseas adventure continues to teach me. My weekend trips are teaching me about hard work, pride, and persistence. Whether it’s pushing myself through the last three kilometers of a strenuous bike ride, or learning about the perseverance of the Korean people, all three attributes pay off. I can push, pull, and challenge myself more than I ever thought I could. But I can’t take all the credit; God has been the leader in all of these “weekend lessons”. It reminds me of my favorite verse, Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He has given me strength to try, try again, try some more, win a little, lose a little, and have the strength to pick myself again, dust off my shoulders, and try some more. Just like I am continually getting to know Korea a little more intimately this fall, I needed to learn those life lessons a little more as well. I’m not sure why, but I am deciding to learn more and go with the flow. Even if it means someone thinks I look a little more Asian than Swedish.

Waeguk for a little while longer....

2008-11-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Korea, yes, Korea.

Korea is full of weird, awful, indescribable smells everyday. Cheese costs way too much to buy. Old ladies knock me over all the time. I still can't count to ten in Korean.

I guess those are a few of the reason why I have decided to stay a bit longer.

On Friday, I finally made the move. I signed the dotted line to add another year to my contract. I can honestly say about two months I really didn't know what I was going to do. I guess in my gut I felt it wasn't quite time to leave. Every time I made the mental decision to pack up and leave, something felt off about leaving so early. My time isn't done quite yet in Korea. There is no rhyme or reason to back up this logic, but it's just a gut feeling I am deciding to follow. It feels scary, but good scary.

I plead the fifth.....

2008-10-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of ten interesting/sad/embarrasing events that have been part of my life over the last two months. I plead the fifth for several of them.

10. Watching "Hellboy 2" in my classroom on a Monday night with a bunch of sophomore couples
9. Leggy Don leaving Korea :(
8. www.pandora.tv
7. Riding 30 miles on my new bike in my new stretchy pants with a padded butt
6. Eating Taco Bell three times in the past two weeks
5. My very white bra accidently falling out of my bag in front of my headmaster
4. Singapore Slings- those are very tasty!
3. A new Indian restaurant in my little po-dunk town
2. Being part of a riot in Seoul
1. Falling asleep on the wrong train and almost ending up in North Korea

Mountains, stretchy pants, and a Singapore Sling

2008-09-22T04:48:00.001-07:00

Halfway there! Livin' on a prayer!

2008-08-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

With my air guitar in full motion, Bon Jovi's song escaped from my lips as I rocked out at the noraebong a few weeks ago. His lyrics could not have capped off a better night, or more appropriately summarized my life over the last few weeks.

I am back in Korea. I am halfway through my contract, and beginning part two of my overseas adventure. I had a hard time being back here the first few days. Chalk it up to jetlag, culture shock, or plain laziness at the thought of working again; I didn't want to be here. Yet this peculiar little country has a way of drawing me back into its eccentric arms. I arrived back here at the latest possible second, but jumped right back into school. This transition to Asia was much smoother. I had my classes already set up, my apartment furnished and ready to live in again. I am enjoying life here a bit more in that regard. I still have chances for adventures!!!

Pause for a moment. Read my previous post. Once you have done that, keep reading this post.

What started with a candlelight vigil turned into a riot. I was in that riot. I was running down the alley with a sea of Koreans trying to escape the police. I feel sheepish admitting this, but it was kind of exhilarating! Not the being-potentially-trampled part, but being surrounded by people who care enough about something to protest it, no matter the consequence. There was an energy, a fervor, an excitement that just electrified the air. I had naively gone up to Seoul for the weekend to hang out with friends, do some shopping, sleep in a love motel, and eat good food. A riot was not part of my weekend plans, but does anything ever go according to plan?

The rest of my time here has been tamer than that weekend, but constantly busy and enriching. I am teaching IB English this year, and I definitely have to be more on my game. I am starting to care more about the craft of teaching. I still don't know if I want to do this forever, but it's teaching me so much right now. My students are wonderful and I love the challenge of it. I am trying lately not to worry about the next few months. I have to decide if I want to stay or go in October. I want to do fifty things at once: travel, go to grad school, find a nice boy to marry, live in Europe, etc. What's the next step? I literally change my mind every day, so I sure don't trust my instincts. In true Emily fashion, I will hem and haw until I have to make a decision, then I will go with what feels right at the moment. It's what I do, but God has always guided me. Why would he stop now? He may have to douse me with blue liquid to quiet the ongoing riot in my mind, but I am ok with that. I think I would prefer a candlelight vigil inside my heart any day.

An article from the Korean Herald

2008-08-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Korea arrests 157 in protest against US ..

Korean police hosed protesters with water laced with blue dye and mobilized specially-trained plainclothes officers to break up an anti-government demonstration late Friday and early Saturday, witnesses were quoted as saying by AFP.

The Seoul Police Agency said it had arrested 157 people on charges of
staging illegal demonstrations in central Seoul. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Some 5,500 people showed up for the 100th candle-lit rally to protest
against South Koreas resumption of US beef imports and against policies of
President Lee Myung-Bak of the conservative Grand National Party, police said.

They chanted Lee Myung-Bak Out! and Renegotiate the beef deal, witnesses said.

Police sprayed water mixed with blue dye at demonstrators and arrested
offenders whose clothes were tainted by the pigment after the crowd dispersed into neighbouring streets and alleys, witnesses said.

Police also brought in plainclothes officers, who are specialized in
chasing and overpowering offenders during street protests.

Such personnel, although used widely by past authoritarian governments,
have been seldom seen in the street during the past 10 years of liberal rule.

Koreas April decision to resume US beef imports sparked months of
street protests. Because of fears over mad cow disease, Seoul suspended US beef imports in 2003.

The rallies largely subsided after Seoul secured extra health safeguards
for US beef imports.

Stateside Pics Take #2

2008-07-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

Stateside Pics Take #1

2008-07-12T23:15:00.000-07:00

OOPS! I FARKLED AGAIN! ^.^

2008-07-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

That's right. I farkled. Again and again and again that late summer night in early June. I didn't plan to farkle. I was just spending some quality R & R time up at my family cabin. Instead, I had to farkle. I was embarrassed beyond belief. How could I farkle SO MANY TIMES in front of my mother and my grandparents?
Sigh. My ashamed family handed me the dice and I rolled again.

This is a just a little glimpse into my summer vacation. Farkling is not the only thing I have done since my stateside visit. I have enjoyed eating too much, shopping too much, sleeping too much, and people. It's never too much to visit with my family and friends! It has been wonderful to be back in America. On some levels, Korea feels like a world away. I can only compare it to Narnia and the "spare oom" I am self-diagnosing it "the Narnia effect".

Here are some highlights from the summer thus far: Taco Bell, shopping for shoes and pants that fit, new babies, engagements, Cubs games, my family, new kitchesn new friends from Bhutan, tennis, Chicago, dogwalking with my sister, lunch at Swedish restaurants with cute old ladies, reading, findings old pictures in my closest, Central Time Zone, cabin retreats, girlfriend dinners, and Flight of the Conchords.

My countdown to return to Korea has begun. I am savoring each momnet of my time at home. I look forward to going back, but I will desperately miss home. Today my family sat around and talk about next summer's round-the-world adventure. I sat backed, watched them argue about what countries to visit, and just smiled. I am truly blessed, even if I occasionally farkle once in awhile in front of my family and friends.

Schweizland?

2008-06-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

All I can think right now is Switzerland. I am leaving ASIA in twenty hours and all I can think about is fondue, cows, and the Alps. I have been experiencing these "Swiss" moments at the oddest moments over the last two weeks. Someone or something will trigger a memory from my days at SIS, and my mind becomes hazy with "Swiss" thoughts.
Weird, huh?

I'm not sure why my mind is tripping out like this. Maybe it's my nerves and excitement about flying back to the States and encountering America again. Repatriating myself for a brief time. I remember my first time coming back from Mexico and feeling reverse culture shock for the first time. I remember coming back from Swizterland and in shock how flat everything looked. I have been I wonder what I feel like when I step back onto American soil after spending time in Asia.

I'm excited to go back. I get to see my mom and dad immediately. I hope to head to Taco Bell and Target with the first few hours. I am excited to go to karaoke with my midwest TCIS friends until we have to say goodbye. I want to take a walk with my parents, Wrigely, and take a big long rest on their leather couch until jetlag gets the better of me. I am excited to be home.

Busan

2008-05-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

Airport World

2008-05-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

"In transit. If two sweeter words exist in the English language, I have yet to hear them. Suspended between coming and going, neither here nor there, my mind slows, and amid the duty- free shops and PA announcements, I achieve something approaching calm. I've often fantasized about living in Airport World. Not one airport, mind you, but a series of airports. I would just keep flying around the world, in a state of suspended aviation. Always coming, never arriving. But here in this airport lounge, my fantasy is less appealing. Humans, even nomadic ones, need a sense of home. Home need not be one place or any place at all, but every home has two essential elements: a sense of community and even more important, a history."
- "The Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner

I love Airport World. I love everything about it. The duty-free shops, makeup counters, Starbucks around every corner, and the eerie clam that envelops me as I sit and people watch. I will be back in Airport World exactly one month from today. The anticipation feels different than other trips I have taken before. I am in between homes right now for an extended time. This is a first for me. South Korea is technically my home base right. It feels exhilarating and foreign to visit America for a holiday.

Reflection about the past year has begun to take shape as the countdown to America unfurls itself. I love reminiscing about the sights, conversations, people, animals, books, ideas, discussions, desires, frustrations, and realizations that have come across me this year. I love that I have survived the first whirlwind year of overseas living. I ponder about the future. Questions and thoughts pervade my thoughts during my off moments. Will I like America when I go back? Seasoned expats continually warn me about the hardships of reaccelerating myself to the materialistic, myopic, and individualistic aura of America. Others claim I will slide right back into my old routine. Will this be my only stint overseas? Will I became a lifer?

My answer to the first question is a resounding yes. I am reunited with family and friends. Old haunts will beckon me back for visits. The sparkling lakes will coolme from the hot summer sun. The rest of the questions remained unanswered in my mind. For those that know me well, I’m actually ok with that. I have absolutely no idea where Korea will lead me next. I fantasize often about the myriad of directions my life could go in the next few years, but I have learned to stop and breathe. Take the moment in. Stop and inhale the yellow dust. :)

Just your typical spring day in Korea.....

2008-04-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Manila Madness!!!

2008-04-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

North Parker and North Korea shots

2008-04-09T22:31:00.001-07:00

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Rebekah and Carl come to visit!
We spent time on the DMZ tour and in Daejeon. Above are shot of our feet on North Korean soil and the infamous "Bridge of No Return".

A Russian cosmonaut

2008-04-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

“Do know what the Russians call astronauts? Cosmonauts!
Do you know what the capital of Syria is? Damascus?
Do you know what the longest word is? asd;fjasodfjwoirjalknva;lkjfoweijrkjra!!”

Random tidbits of trivia floated in the air and attempted to sink into the ears of our distracted students. Our tour guide, Hedrick, was attempting to engage our group of students. Trying to avoid feeling nauseous, I strapped on my Ipod, turned Kt Tunstall on low, and listened to Hedrick tell more about the largest university in the world.
The last week of March I spent nine days down in the Philippines with a group of students from TCIS. The school sends kids on LASA ("Love All, Serve All") mission trips. I had friends and students travel to Malaysia, Borneo, Thailand, India, and various parts of the Philippines volunteering their time building houses or visiting orphanages.

I did not start out well with the trip. I was recovering from the stomach flu and felt distracted, irritated, and weak. The last thing I wanted to do was build houses in the hot sun for eight hours a day. Fortunately we didn't have to start work until Monday. We played on the beach, went on a zoo safari, and walked by local festivals celebrating the Easter holiday. The festivals were one of my favorite moments during the trips. Our group watched a parade of Filipinos carry floats of Jesus and other saints around in droves. Multicolored shirts splashing the words "Holy Week 2008" made it feel like Mardi Gras carnival Jesus style. The Filipinos sure know how to celebrate Easter!

By the time Monday rolled around, I was ready to work. I spent the first day directing a group of five kids to dig volcanic terrain to build a foundation for the houses and carry bricks from point A to point B. We were pretty exhausted by the end of the first day.
The rest of the week was challenging for a variety of reasons. Our hotel was located in the red light district of Manila. It was hot. Frighteningly hot. One kid broke his thumb. One of our leaders got sick and was out for two days. Did I mention it was scorching hot?

The biggest challenge was the amount of champion complainers on our trip. I learned much about the art of complaining. People love to do it, it’s easy, doesn’t cost anything and sometimes it can seem even fun! It can get you out of work and bring attention to your pitiful misery. Problem solved, right? Wrong. It doesn't solve problems. It does bring an individual attention, but not in a positive sense.

The Filipinos sure taught our group a lesson about complaining. They are some of the most humble, hospitable, and grateful people I have ever met. Many of the Filipinos we worked with during the week come from extreme poverty. The Philippines is considered to be the Mexico of Asia. Their biggest export is their own people. Many individuals are shipped off the Middle East, Thailand, Korea, and Japan to work as cheap labor. The workers send money home to their families, but no one chooses to work in the Philippines because money is shipped for an outside source. Sadly, the Filipino economy suffers from a stagnant. Many young people are forced into human trafficking as a result. I saw this first hand at our hotel. An older gentleman from Saipan (tall, silver haired and extroverted) attempted to strike up conversations several times with me and another female leader. We smiled politely, engaged in conversation briefly, and then jetted up to our room. The creepy vibe was oozing out of him. Our suspicions were confirmed one night when he casually waltzed up to the elevator with two young Filipino girls. They didn't look older than 17. He looks 55. Forty minutes later he casually waltzed out of the elevator, put them both in a taxi, and walked back to the elevator. I can only speculate what happened, but I fear human trafficking had snuck its way in our hotel. It made my stomach sink at the blazing reality that I had just witnessed.

Aside from poverty and human rights violations, the Philippines proved to a beautiful place with amazing people. Our group held a party at the end of the week to celebrate the completion of the new homes. The children are warm, tender, and want to hold your hand every second. I played a game with them on the third day and got the nickname "Teacher Emily" for the two remaining days. My heart leapt with joy every time I saw them. It's heartbreaking to leave and know the desolation some will face, but assuring that our new friends will have a home. That’s nothing to complain about!

Visitors from the Windy City

2008-04-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

The middle of March was extremely chaotic. Spring break was coming, poetry portfolios were due for my writing classes, laundry needed to washed and folded, and I needed to prepare my apartment for my first overseas guests. My college friend Rebekah and her boyfriend Carl came to visit Korea!!!! Here is a quick detour about my connection with those two.....

I went to college with Rebekah. She starts dating Carl. I go with Carl and Rebekah to his family's house for the fourth of July for a bbq. I meet Carl's sister Kirstin. She and I attend a job fair together, get teaching job in Korea, and become roommates.
Carl and Rebekah decide to come visit us both. Hence my excitement!

They arrived on a late Thursday night, and it was so nice to see them both. My heart just leapt for joy seeing someone from back home. I won't lie, but a HUGE rush of warm fuzzies erupted in my stomach. A touch of home had arrived. Rebekah is a dear friend to me. Our favorite pastimes include shopping, sushi, movies, books, music, exploring Chicago, and talking about life. We slipped right back into the flow of conversation after being gone for eight months. I felt as if we had never separated!

The four of us traipsed around Seoul all weekend. On Saturday we went to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) and spent the afternoon learning about the history of Korea and looking at the government buildings that separate the North and the South. I was a little nervous the entire trip. The ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers guard a small blue room where negotiations take place. Each ROK soldier is trained in tae-kwon-do and could break a man in half. Yikes! Our tour guide mentioned that one of the tables was in South Korea and the other half was in North Korea. I actually stepped foot on the North Korean soil! It was very weird! We looked at the desolate N. Korean landscape, “Propaganda Village”, and the tunnels dug by the N. Koreans in hopes of secretly attacking the North. Korea truly is a divided nation.

We spent the rest of the time viewing a performance arts show called Nanta, visiting the Korean War memorial and shopping in Insadong for traditional gifts. It was so wonderful to share my favorite haunts with my friends. We came back exhausted to Daejeon after a whirlwind in Seoul.
Kirstin and I sent Carl and Rebekah on day trips while she taught and I spent time recovering from the stomach flu. We had time to just TALK. Rebekah and I went to one of my favorite restaurants and talked for over three hours about life. It was wonderful to pick where we left off. I was extremely sad to see them go, but it was amazing sharing my overseas adventure with friends back home. They took back a piece of Korea with them. Especially the shrimp fries and kimchi. :)

A Solo Journey

2008-03-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

I had my first solo journey since coming to Korea. From the moment I stepped foot into this country, I am constantly around people. As an extrovert, I don't mind this one bit.
I definitely take moments to myself, and they are often necessary to recoup, but I always love being around people.
Over the last several months, I have felt extremely grateful to be able to travel with people. Before coming to Korea, I usually traveled by myself. There is nothing better than wandering around an airport by myself completely lost in my own thoughts.
Travelling has been sweetened by the constant companionship of my school friends.

On Sunday, I had to take the bullet train up to Seoul to meet a friend from North Park. BY MYSELF.

This was a mental test for me. Could I survive the train by myself? Would my extremly poor Korean skills suffice in the monstrous city of 20 million? Did I remember where everything was? Could I tackle the subway by myself?
I had to reassure myself numerous times that morning. I knew where to meet my friend. If I could take random busses all over Ecuador and Europe by myself, I could do this. For pete's sake I HAVE A CELL PHONE!

I failed numerous times. I got lost on the subway four times and wasted at least ten dollars in subway fare. My confidence was deeply stirred. I am great with directions! How could I get lost? I wanted to start crying because I felt so inadequate.

I stopped myself, took a deep breath, and studied the subway map for the fiftieth time. No big deal, just study a little closer. Don't be afraid to waste five more dollars if necessary. Trust that you will get to your destination and look a little silly to your friend. This too shall pass. Smile and continue.

Why is all of this a big deal? This small failure depicts a foreigner's constant struggle to survive culturally, socially, linguistically, emotionally, and mentally in a foreign country. On a grander scale, it is humanity boldly saying we are not afraid to make mistakes. It is trusting that God will lead me where he wants.

The solo journey was a hidden delight. I forgot how much I liked traveling by myself. I forgot how much fun it is to people watch. I forgot how much fun is to be lost in my thoughts. Ironically, I missed my friends on the ride home. I missed having a companion to excitedly debrief about the adventures of the day. I missed doing yoga stretches with friends to provide some relief to our aching legs.

My solo journey won't be my last. I won't always have a traveling companion, but I won't always be myself. I am just learning to appreciate each adventure as they come and be confident in every situation.

One of the perils of living in Korea.......

2008-03-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

I received this email from our school nurse today. Aside from the kimchi and horrendous scooter laws, this is another peril I face while living in Korea. Here is some extra information from the Korea Times.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/03/113_19940.html
I guess I'll finally have to get a face mask. :)

"Dear Staff.
It’s time to stay alert for the Yellow Dust/Sand Storm. The weather agency issued the year’s first Yellow Dust/sand storm warning yesterday (Mar 2, 2008). The yellow dust/Sand is expected to arrive on the Korea Peninsula periodically from March through April. The dust can cause eye infections, dry skin, and respiratory-and rhinitis-related diseases. The TCIS will implement policies to limit outdoor activities when the dust level at school is less than safe. Here are some safety tips to prevent disease from yellow sand.

What can I do during the Yellow Dust/Sand Storm:
- Avoid outdoor activities, especially for the elderly, young children, and those with lung disease(such as asthma), heart disease or diabetes
- Keep windows and doors closed
- Remove contact lenses and wear glasses
- Brush your teeth and wash your hands, face and eyes with warm water upon returning indoors
- Drink plenty of water to keep your tears flowing well
- Use air filters to keep air clear, and humidifier to increase indoor humidity level
- Wash fruits and vegetables exposed to Yellow Sand before consumption
- Wash hands carefully before handling food
- Wear goggles, masks, and long-sleeved shirts when going out
-Don’t burn candles and don’t smoke indoors
-If you have itchy eyes after outing, don’t rub the eyes. Irrigate it with a sterile normal saline or report to nurse
What can I do after the Yellow Sand/dust storm?
- Air out room/house
- Wash objects exposed to dust before using them, do this carefully to keep from stirring up the dust."

The sun still rises for the old man and the sea.....

2008-02-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hemingway was a genius. Perhaps a bit of a drunk, but an absolute genius. Heck, there is even a six-fingered cat named after him. He managed to write one of his great literary works in six words. That's right, six words. Here is the story.

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn".

I think you can appreciate his literary prowess. To help my students understand the power of words, I taught them to write their own six word stories. It was a great day to class to see their young, ingenious minds concoting some ridiculous stories. Here are some of my favorites!!

"Yes, you look fat," Relationship over."
"Took SAT. Failed. Mom planning funeral."

Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I decide to write a few stories of my own to further describe my life here.
Enjoy!

Six weeks. No traveling. Money still disappears.
No Valentine's date. Impulse haircut instead!
German friends leave. Find new friends.
Tall woman. Miniature sled. Broken ego.
Yellow dust comes. * Cough!* Automatically dead.

Snapshots of Japan

2008-02-11T06:27:00.000-08:00

Napkin Lessons

2008-02-10T21:30:00.001-08:00

RANDOM NAVY GUY TEACHING ME JAPANESE ON A NAPKIN:
"If you swoop the line this direction, it means "ni" or sun. If you sweep the line the other way it means pon, or "to rise". Hence the name Nippon, or Japan. It means the land of the "rising sun". Isn't that great?! Japanese sure is easy to learn!"

ME IN RESPONSE:
"Oh yeah, I get how the Japanese language is divided into three different kinds-kangi, hiragana, and katakana. It definitely makes more sense than Korean. Thanks for highlighting that for me and showing me 40,000 different characters. I think I"ll have Japanese down by the weekend."

MUTTERING TO MYSELF FIVE SECONDS LATER:
"Cha, right! I can barely remember what a gerund is in my own language."

Since my arrival in Asia, I have received many "napkin lessons" about Korean language and culture. The setting for these impromptu lessons usually takes place at an eating establishment. I'll want to learn something on the spot, but lack paper. I somehow always have a pen, but never paper. Napkins work surprising well for these helterskelter language lessons.
I received a "napkin lesson" two weeks ago when I first arrived in Japan. I spent forty-five minutes talking with a naval officer about the structure of the Japanese language. It's a haunting and beautiful language and requires great diligence and commitment to achieve mastery. I think I'll have to stick to Korea, especially since it's easier to learn and I actually live in the country. Korean wins for now.

Thankfully I didn't spend all my time with napkin lessons. My roommate Kirstin and I were blessed to visit my good friend Davia. She served as our host for the week and mock Lonely Planet guide extradonnaire. This girl knows how to plan an itinerary. Some highlights include a five hour road trip to visit snow monkeys in Nagano, train-hopping in Kamakura to go visit a giant Buddha, exploring a scary Goth exhibit that highlighted the underground costume play of Japanese youth, leisurely relaxing at the hot springs while looking at the snowy Japanese alps, gaping at GIANT beheaded tuna at the fish market, and subway hopping to diverse and eclectic neighborhoods in Tokyo. Another highlight of Tokyo was having another "collision" (see entry below) with all my new and old friends. I came with Meredith and Kirstin, met up with Davia and Meredith's high school friend Derek, my hagwon friends Tim and Don, and my friend Mary I met at a writing conference earlier this year. We had a blast traipsing around Tokyo and comparing the differences between Korea and Japan.

The best highlight of the trip was Davia. I am used to seeing her every other month since we graduated college, but an entire year has passed between us. But like lifelong friends, we picked up right where left off- eating Trader Joe snacks, oogling at Gap and Uniqlo, Davia checking my suitcase to make sure I didn't steal any of her clothes, more shopping, discussing the navy, education, and how much we miss the sushi restaurant Tank in Chicago. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I think I hugged her ten times before I hopped on the bus back to the airport.

I found the Japanese napkin at the bottom of my suitcase when I was unpacking. I couldn't help but smile at the smudged characters. I hope to go back to the land of the rising sun sometimes soon. The next napkin lesson will figuring out the Japanese train system.

Collision evidence.....

2008-01-28T05:58:00.000-08:00

a brief physics lesson about collision...

2008-01-27T03:06:00.000-08:00

collision

noun
1. (physics) a brief event in which two or more bodies come together; "the collision of the particles resulted in an exchange of energy and a change of direction"

Collision #1: Vikingitis
My friend Aaron from North Park came to impromptly visit this past weekend. He lives and works as a hagwon teacher in the small town of "sparkling" Gumi, otherwise known as the industrial capital of South Korea. It was great to see someone from the past and catch up on college stories. I haven't seen him for almost four years!

Collision #2: CAJ Smash
Aaron knew my cousins. In JAPAN. Aaron spent time working at CAJ (Christian Academy of Japan) and knew them in high school. It was fun to see his shock and delight to witness them as full grown adults. I gathered everyone together and huddled in my friend Meredith's apartment for a fun reunion. My TCIS, North Park, and family worlds came crashing together like a cosmic collision. We spent the night catching up and singing our hearts out at the noraebong.

Collision #3:The German-Cali-Korean-Chicago-Sconnie-Utah-Mudduck Crash
I headed up to Suwon on Saturday with Aaron, Sarah, Meredith, Don, Will, and my German friends to go visit the Korean folk village and the walled fortress that surrounds the city of Suwon. We spent the looking at ancient Korean buildings, watching a horse show, catching five different cabs to go see the wall, hiking up a mountain to go see the wall, looking at the breathtaking scenery of apartments buildings and taxis, and enjoying good conversation.

Collision #4: A Dead King and His Mountain
I had a great moment to myself to stop and reflect when I was on top of the mountain. I felt like I was in the presence of ancient greatness. Kings and queens used to use rule the land that stretched for miles in front of my eyes. It caught my breath for a moment to realize how OLD Korea is. The small peninsula has grown through so much turmoil I couldn't help but feels it confusion and sadness atop the mountain. I fell in love with my new home a bit more. I shivered inside my jacket, said a quick prayer of thanks for living overseas and my wonderful friends, took a deep breath, and rejoined my group. I like collisions. :)

An island in the sun according to Weezer.....

2008-01-14T07:15:00.001-08:00

Surfing is my religion.......

2008-01-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

I heard those words uttered a myriad of times over the last few weeks. I also learned that half of the island has the first name of name of Wayan, due mostly to a rigid and intricate caste system. Hinduism, Buddhism, and surfing are the dominant religious options. Every morning many Balinese eat mangoes for breakfast, brush palm-laden sidewalks with a banana leaf chopped down with a twenty-year old machete, go fishing, surf in the afternoon, and play the guitar into the sunset.

Welcome to life in Bali.

I just returned from my Christmas/New Year's vacation in Bali with four of my girlfriends from Korea. There are so many intense, delicate, and humorous moments to highlight, but I'm not sure where to start. I guess I"ll have to start with Buri.

Buri was our driver for the first leg of our journey and our introduction into small town Balinese life. He attempted to make small jokes with us on the initial drive to our first hostel, but verbally slunked away over our lack of communication. (In our defense, we had been traveling since 5 am that morning!) He even tried to convince us that his tattoes were temporaray, even though his left was definitely inked. We perked up when we got to our hostel, er, bunglaow for the night. If you can imagine Swiss Family Robinson meets the Jungle Book, you can imagine our bungalow paradise called Lambung Damah.

Over the next few days, Buri introduced to Balinese society. We hung out the local surfers, fisherman, and a crazy lady named Rosemary. The five of us quickly became immersed into the small community in a short span of four days. Our new Balinese friends were very gracious with their time and motorbikes. I saw a natural waterfall, went snorkeling and defeated my fear of seeing things underwater, got massages, slept in, went for motorbike rides on shopping trips (including a scary nighttime one dodging over twenty cars-not recommended!), and danced the night away in the rain on New Year's Eve. Vacation was definitely off to a good start.

The next leg of our journey was to a town called Ubud. Sadly, we had to part with our surfers friends and Buri. We waved sadly as he dropped us off in Ubud. I have to admit, I strongly wanted to visit this artistic enclave of shops and cafes. It has captured my attention ever since I finished the book "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.I spent time with the girls shopping, bartering at the local market, visiting Hindu temples and rice paddies, and enjoying the local Balinese cuisine. If you have read Gilbert's book, I took a side trip to visit Wayan and Tutti at the Balinese Traditional Healing Center. It was an odd experience involving chants, incense, carrot juice, and a seaweed and ginseng lunch. Call me and I'll describe the experience via phone!!

The final part of the trip was definitely my favorite. It involved plenty of sun, sandy beaches, air conditioning, and a private villa! It was definitely worth all those extra hours coaching cross country and English camp! The girls and I rented a villa with a private pool and staff of FIVE. We had a cook, driver, butler, and two houseboys. Our staff outnumbered us when Sarah had to leave our group a day early. I loved the few days of luxury and sun. It was the epitome of relaxation.

I was sad to leave Bali, but eager to experience a few days in Singapore. Our group of five nestled down into two due to sickness and working obligations. Sarah and I went shopping, gazed at the city on a nighttime river boat cruise, made up a self-defined walking tour, and enjoyed wonderful meals of Indian food and Chinese hotpot. I definitely gained a few pounds in Singapore in two days. :)

I am now back in Korea getting back into the swing of school. I don't have any lesson plans or a great tan, but I am glad to be back in Korea. Over the last two days, I often wonder what Buri and his friends are doing in Bali. I can only envision he is trying to chat like crazy with the next set of visitors that come to the bungalow paradise and lie about his "temporary tattoes".

Christmas time reflections.......

2007-12-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

I bought a Christmas tree. It was my first one ever! The lovely little fake fir is only two feet high and I bought it for twelve thousand won (the equivalent of 12 U.S. dollars). I think I am officially a grownup.

Christmas shows itself in tiny bits around Korea. It's not a huge holiday to be celebrated. One Korean friend told it was more like a "date" day, or a day to spend with one's sweetheart. The Koreans like to celebrate Chusok and Lunar New Year a bit more than Christmas. I am going to spend Christmas with my extended family in Seoul for four days. I greatly anticipate getting to spend time with my second cousins I haven't seen much in the last ten years. I have vague memories of seeing my cousins during the summers in high school for random visits to SSP basketball camps and dentists checkups. I am excited to actually share a meal with them all at once. On December 28th, I head down to Bali with three of my co-workers for two weeks. I"m still not sure what possessed me to go, or what monetary funds truly exist to fund this trip; nonetheless, I am going. I am excited for sun, relaxation, Bali dances, and the monkey forest. Don't worry, I intend to take PLENTY of pictures while I am down there! (Or steal plenty from Meredith!)

Christmas and New Year's causes one to stop and pause where life has taken them. Since ruminating is one of my favorite pastimes, I think about the past year quite a bit. So much has happened since last December. I got my first teaching job, traveled to the equator and the Galapagos Islands, made a french silk pie for the first time, rode on a Segway with my dad, traveld to Europe, got my ears pierced, and moved to South Korea. Not too shabby for a year, eh? I am now five months into my overseas journey. When I first moved to South Korea, it didn't feel real. I felt like I was on a travel abroad program for college. Over the last few weeks, my life doesn't feel like a vacation anymore. I have a life overseas now. I don't know how long this season of my life will last, but my address doesn't just include the United States anymore. I share an address with one hundred other teachers.

This past year has taught me to be thankful and quiet. I learned to be thankful for what is right in front of my eyes and not to CONSTANTLY be looking elsewhere for contentment. I learned to be quiet in the sense I actually stop once in awhile to be still and reflective. Both lessons have proven themselves over and over, even thought I continually fail to master them :)
I eagerly await the challenges 2008 will bring. I anticipate seeing family and friends in the States. I look forward to writing another entry next year around Christmas time.
Maybe next year I will actually like kimchi.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a dash of birthday cake and kickboxing

2007-12-10T00:28:00.000-08:00

The legs of an octopus and a dog's hip

2007-12-09T15:45:00.001-08:00

I joined a gym. It's full of Korean men that don't speak any English. But they claim I could be the next kickboxing champion in 2008. Apparently I am so tall and big and blond I would knock over any Korean woman that came in my way. Thank goodness that I am "beefed up" enough to receive this honor.

Over the past two weeks I have gotten to know many Koreans outside of my school bubble. It's common for foreigners to stick together when moving abroad, and often miss out interacting with actual people of the culture. I don't want that to be my experience in Korea. To prove I wasn't a typical foreigner, I got invited to a party two weeks at the kickboxing gym to celebrate someone being discharged from the army. A little party of cake and pop was spread out on the mat when I walked in the door and everyone was laughing heartily. I sat down, introduced myself, and allowed my friend Lloyd to translate for me. Over the next two hours, smiles and laughter erupted over the comical dialogue of broken English and ridiculous hand gestures. I grow to love the Koreans more and more.

As I was leaving that night, I honestly didn't think I would interact with these people much more. I was completely wrong! The next night my friend Meredith and I went back to the gym to try kickboxing. We ended up taking a jiu-jitsu class. It's a martial arts class that involves different wrestling moves and chokeholds. To quote Meredith, she can "choke me three different ways, wrap her legs around my head like an octopus and slam me to the ground". I opted for the kickboxing class after the night.

Was I finished with my social interaction? Noooooooooooo. I ended up going to a kickboxing tournament last Saturday. I saw more people getting kicked, punched, and flipped then I have in my entire life. I even saw the champions of Japan and Korea duel one another. I don't think these type of cultural experiences are advertised in Lonely Planet. I finished up the night with a lovely dinner filled with broken English and ridiculous hand gestures.

I decided two days later to join the gym. I am learning to kick and punch with intensity and form. I got the nickname "doghip" because my butt alledgedly sticks out like a dog's hip after I deliver a low kick. That is something I definitely need to work on, even if my sole motivation is to receive a better nickname than "doghip". I continue to share meals, smiles, and kickboxing instruction with my new friends. They even came out to celebrate my 27th birthday on Saturday! We all went for cake at a local coffee shop and had three worlds merge together. I looked across the table to see my new social network. It felt completely surreal for a moment, but I couldn't help but smile to myself what has transpired over the last four months in Korea.

Snapshots of Seoul Adventure #9

2007-11-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

Snapshots of Seoul Adventure #9

2007-11-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

I stole some of these pictures from a friend. Ok, I stole all of these pictures. My camera is on the fritz right now, but my friend graciously allowed me to put them on my blog. Enjoy!

Seoul-the city that never sleeps- including its wagukin visitors

2007-11-27T07:21:00.001-08:00

Seoul adventure #9 transpired over Thanksgiving weekend, and this one has topped them all thus far. I eagerly traipsed up to Seoul for a random night of who-knows- what with my good friends Meredith, DJ, and the infamous Hagwon Don. We were going to stay with a friend of Hagwon Don, but ended up staying at a local jimjilbong. I am not sure how EXACTLY to describe these places, but its a 24 hotel/bathhouse/sauna/random escapist paradise for Koreans. I enjoy going to use the sauna, but I have never slept in one before. I was not too keen on the idea, but peer pressure got the the better of me. Most "jims" don't allow its patrons to leave their belongings and come back, but our lucky stars were aligned. The four of us headed to a local jazz bar that was VERY COOL. I haven't attended many jazz clubs, but this was quaint, intimate, smoky, and just downright hip. We hung out till around 2 am, then went on a search for hotteuk. (A pancake filled with brown sugar and nuts-very delicious!) I got the brilliant idea to head to the night market and fulfill my "purse envy" of Meredith's trendy flowered bag. The purse store was closed, but pictures of brilliant Christmas lights were taken and hotteuk was found. Game over, we win the search for nutty pankcakes.

Much to my surprise (and slight dismay),the night was NOT over. It was time to find a place to sleep at the "jim". The establishment provides a pair of pajamas and towels to use for sleep or sauna. Meredith and I got ready to find a place to sleep, but it was PACKED. People were sleeping ON THE FLOOR with tiny cushions to support their heads. Except there weren't any cushions left. I charged back into the locker room, got some jackets and my ipod, and wriggled my way onto the floor. I managed to swipe two cushions from some unsuspecting Koreans. I was doing ok, but then DJ found us and summoned us over into the computer room. Sweet! The four of us snuggled into a darkened room with two other Korean men for a night of "sleep". The precious hour of REM lasted 52 minutes. Believe me, I counted! I managed to find a spot between someone's hairy foot and oddly muscular calf, but suprisingly drifted off to sleep right away.

The rest of the day was spent shopping for books, journals, and having tea with birds uttering Korean hellos in the background. Every corner I turn there is always something new to see. The city of 10 million never ceases to amaze. I anticipate and drool over any chance I can go into the city. I even look forward to "sleeping" at a jimjilbong again. Preferably one with beds, but I guess another set of hairy feet aren't that bad. :)

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving...minus the Peanuts gang...

2007-11-27T06:59:00.000-08:00

The past three weeks I have been teaching at an English camp held at my school. Local sixth graders come from nearby public schools to learn about how Westerners spend seasons and holidays. Imagine trying to explain the journey of the Pilgrims to a bunch of kids that can barely say the correct colors. I am definitely getting a crash course in ESL. The interesting thing is the similiarities between Eastern and Western cultures. One of my students spent six months in the States and knew about the horrendous violence that occurred between the settlers and Native Americans. I asked what happened in Korean history to see if I could draw any ties together. The kids immediately divulged about Korea's history of violence and oppression. I had no idea how much Korea has been tormented by China and Japan over the last few centuries. It makes our history seems so YOUNG at times.

The last half hour of camp was spent watching "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". It officially marked the kick-off for my Thanksgiving holiday. The rest of the "true" Thanksgiving day in Korea was spent chaperoning a Sadie Hawkins dance. Yes, I dressed up and danced my heart out. I celebrated with a sushi feast afterward.
In spite of seaweed and rice, I did get to enjoy some authentic Thanksgiving food. TCIS has a sister school up in Suwon (a suburb of Seoul) that volunteered to host a joint Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday for the two schools. I spent the morning frantically shopping for gifts for my family, then hopping a train and two taxis to arrive at the school. I played an hour of intense basketball with my headmaster, pastor, and several other teachers, showered quickly, then headed off to eat a HUGE meal with my extended family. I couldn't help but walk into the crowded cafeteria with a sense of vagueness. The scene wasn't quite right. The magohony buffet at my parents' house wasn't there; filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, and the random dish of cottage cheese in the Japanese bowl my mother secretly likes to sneak into every meal. My grandfather wasn't there to banter with me and constantly telling me I need to "beef up". Wrigley wasn't there giving the irrestible look of manipulative pity that forces me to give him endless amounts of turkey.

Instead, I saw my second cousin feeding her three children and allowing everyone to hold them so she could sneak a bite of turkey. I overhead conversations about my other cousin Phil coming to visit for three months and coach basketball. I talked with my pastor about a new bible he picked up for me. I heard my friends talk about homesickness and feeling out of sorts. I chatted with my friend Meredith about the going out for jazz and dancing that evening. As Charlie Brown would say, good grief!
I still have to catch myself sometimes at the radical difference life has taken since August.

On another note, happy belated Thanksgiving! To my mom and sister- Happy Chusokae! (minus the obscenity Mals!) I am grateful to have you all in my life, despite the six thousand mile distance.

2007-11-12T04:10:00.000-08:00

Oh the places you'll go!

2007-11-12T03:46:00.000-08:00

It's cold in Korea. Finally. I cannot believe I am admitting this, but I hunger for the seasons to change. The slow ebb of fall crept into Korea quietly, then exploded into a wonderful palette of crimson reds, appleish yellows, and fiery burnt oranges. I could not WAIT for a free weekend to get out of my sleepy little city and into the arms of nature. (Yes, Mom, I did see some "tree maidens" on the way. I am finally starting to look at the window when I ride in a car/bus!)

Two weekends ago I hosted a French toast breakfast for a few of my new island friends that came into town to visit. Keep in mind I didn't actually COOK anything, but provided the food, eating space, and scintillating conversation. I dread the day when I will actually have to add cooking food to my repertoire as a hostess.
After breakfast, I headed with twelve other teachers to Songnisan National Park. It boasts of a giant golden Buddha, a hermitage where female monks used to dwell, and amazing fall colors. I was salivating at the chance to see nature at her finest.

Upon our arrival, a half hour walk into the forest led us to the golden Buddha, including every resident within an hour of the park. It was PACKED! Someone muttered once to me I should avoid any Korean national parks on a Saturday. Numerous Koreans were decked out in the latest hiking outfit and boots. I felt shabby in my purple fleece jacket! I am beginning to see why I should wait to travel to a park on a random Tuesday. My friends and I were desperate for some quiet. We traveled up to a hermitage where female monks used to live. We finally found a quiet path, soaked in the silence by walking quietly up the hill, then began throwing leaves at one another. So much for the solitude. :) Upon our arrival at the hermitage, I heard some female monks chanting. It was a peculiar sound coming from a human being. The guttural echoes of their prayers sounded vastly different from my own. I couldn't help but listen in utter curiosity.

On the way back we stopped to see the golden Buddha. I don't understand the draw to Buddhism. He just looks like a big, fat guy to me. Doesn't the Eightfold Path teach about balance and temperance? Buddha sure didn't worry about his waistline.

I continue on my own search with Christianity. I am learning about discipline, prayer, and seeing God/Jesus/Holy Spirit as something more than a myth. It's a slow progression, but I am enjoying taking an intellectual approach to my faith. Some aspects finally make sense for the first time; others still baffle me. I guess it really is a life-long journey. I think it is cool that Jesus was a carpenter! :)

A moment of silence

2007-10-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit of joy and tragedy has transpired since my departure from the States. Tonight I feel absolutely useless in Korea. I desperately want to be home for five hours to give everyone I know and love a big hug. Even my "sandpaper lady" of a professor from my graduate studies. Thanks for the term, Dad!
Through God's mysterious hand, I learned of a horrific tragedy surrouding the family member of one of my old co-workers. I did not know the person well, but the news really struck me. I knew her mom well. I wanted to help out SOMEHOW. Do SOMETHING. Distance of volcanoes, seaweed, and rocks does not allow me to do anything except call, email, think, cry, and pray. That's it. Sometimes the thought of distance feels pretty daunting.

Once again, as Miss Richfield 1981 so eloquently says, "Jesus always wins." He brought comfort and connection today. After discovering some horrible news, my heart just ached for my old school. I talked to my department head about the writing conference we had attended together in Seoul, when the tears started flowing. She held my hand, prayed with me, and told me a story about losing her two sisters in a car accident when she was twelve. On the day of her sister's wedding! I was astounded how much tragedy her family had experienced. Yet, she talked of the hope God brings. I looked at her in disbelief over her calm demeanour, but her sincerity was intoxicating. I couldn't help but hang onto her every word about hope.

I took a moment of silence to think about what she said. It followed me the rest of the day. I felt like the wailing, sensitive sister from the novel, "The Secret Life of Bees". Tonight, I wanted to set up my own wailing wall on my 9th floor apartment, put all of the grievances and burdens of everyone I know on little scrolls of paper, firmly shove them into the cracks, and just wail for all the pain in the world. A little ambitious and ridiculous, but the thought made me feel better. Especially at the thought that someone has already taken on all that. Miss Richfield 1981 was right once again.

Anything you can do Korean, I can do better.....

2007-10-25T02:50:00.000-07:00

I eat for rice for breakfast (rarely), lunch, and dinner. I now bow to greet people good morning. I LOVE Korean hip-hop I prefer chopsticks to forks. I know the Korean alphabet. I can even handle kimchi once in awhile.

Welcome to my Korean life after three months. I feel like I haven't given a great snapshot about my true life over here. I am going to blog a little bit about my life and my school.
I work at Taejoen Christian International School. It was founded soley in the late 1950's by Presbyterian missionaries, but has since but supported by many different denominations. Our school is sandwiched in a little university area called Hanam De. It's packed with bars, restaurants, and cheap and wonderful coffee shops. I frequent the eating estasblishments and coffee shops quite avidly. I was sad to learn our school may move to another part of town in two years. It would be more spacious campus, but lack the social energy Hanam University brings. What will I do without ten coffee shops? Eat leaves?

I teach two different freshmen preps: Writing 1 and English 9. That's right. I have freshmen boys and girls ALL DAY LONG. I miss upper classmen at times, but I couldn't be happier with my sea of growing teenagers. Every Monday morning we start off the day with a "high/low" exercise talking about the joys and trials of the weekend. They are allowed to say "Switzerland" if they are feeling "neutral" and we move onto the next person. The exercise is cliche, perhaps a bit of a time waster, but it builds community and identity for the kids. They LOVE it! For the teacher fans of my blog, you should give overseas teaching a try. I only have to grade SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS. THAT'S IT. AND MY BIGGEST CLASS SIZE IS 17. Did my pitch work?

My professional, social, and spiritual life all revolve around school. I live four blocks from school. I work at school. I meet people to go out at school. I attend church at school. I take a yoga class at school. The thought overwhelms me at times how much I am at school. Ironically, I LOVE the community. I like being part of a small environment.

I also love leaving the small environment when my restlessness takes hold. Good thing Seoul, a city of 17 million, is about a one hour train ride away. The last four weekend I have hopped on the bullet train to partake in random adventures around the city. I have gone to the all night markets, eaten squid from random street vendors, witnessed the mystical tombs of past kings and queens, and shopped on the Rodeo Drive of Korea. I love the energy of Seoul, but I am always a little grateful to return to the slower paced speed of Daejeon

Three months ago, I was saying goodbye to my mom, sister, and friend Stephanie is Switzerland over wine and fondue. Now I talk to people over the Internet while eating kimbap and drinking aloe water. Life certainly changes dramatically in such a short time. I miss my family and my friends back in the States. I miss buying clothes because I'm too "big" for Korean standards. I wish I could buy shoes that fit my gargantuan feet. I miss Banana Republic. I really miss cottage cheese. Who am I becoming? Korean or American?

Thus begins the identity crisis. Or maybe better termed an identity FUSION. :)

I'm proud to be a classy broad!

2007-10-13T02:37:00.000-07:00

My principal invited me and three other single, female teachers over for dinner this past week. This was a complete first for me! Administrators intimidate me and I usually hide in my classroom. (It's a stupid childhood fear of getting in trouble from adults!) Nonetheless, he is warm, humorous, and an extremely gracious man. He would replace Micheal Scott any day!

After a stressful day of coaching and teaching, I strapped on my ipod and proceeded to "dance" my troubles away to Earth, Wind, and Fire. I had to be at my principal's house in one hour and I wanted to be relaxed and de-stressed. Lo and behold, as I turned to cross the street, my principal was simultaneously crossing the street and laughing at me. Actually, he was GUFFAWING!!! I turned CRIMSON and sheepishly took the earpiece out of my ear. We chatted briefly about the day, when he smugly asked me what music enraptured me to the point of idiotic carelessness with Korean traffic. I said Earth, Wind, and Fire and then, stupidly, asked him to join me in my street dancing.

Much to my chagrin, he strapped on an earpiece. Two set of arms and legs started dancing, rather jiving, to the beat of my music. For two full, exuberant minutes we were completely in sync to "September". Suddenly, my earpiece fell out.

The moment was over.

For a brief second, silence hit us both. Did we really just dance the street to Earth, Wind, and Fire? Like complete dorks?
Yes, yes we did. Luckily, smiles suddenly erupted on both of our faces. This was our little secret. Earth, Wind, and Fire would never be the same.

The secret didn't last long. The cat was let out of the bag at dinner that night. My sheepish smile came back at the thought of my ridiculous antics, but my principal made me feel sane again. He called me a classy broad and affirmed that any man should consider himself lucky to dance down the street with me.

Maybe he is a little bit like Micheal Scott. :)

m-flo and all its brilliance

2007-10-07T02:16:00.000-07:00

I continually get introduced to Korean culture when I step out of the English speaking bubble. Perhaps sideswiped would be a more appropriate adjective. This past weekend I attended a Korean/Japanese hip-hop fusion concert at the Walker Hill Hotel in Seoul. I was one of two Caucausian people in a sea of Asians. I hate admitting this, but I felt overwhelmed at moments being the minority, and getting stared at incessantly. I have traveled before and been ogled at, but this felt different. I LIVE here now. I am part of the society. Where do I really fit as a waugukin? (Foreigner in Korean) What's the big deal about being a tall, blonde girl with a mass of curly hair?

I got the answers to some of my questions later in the evening. I attended the concert with my good friend Jon, but he is a Chinese-Canadian and blends right into the Asian mix of people. He and I had excellent conversations that night about foreigners. I asked him,"Why are white people such a big deal in Asia?" He said it's because of the scarcity of foreigners that make us (in reference to white people) such an anomoly. Some Asians view whites with extreme curiousity, while other times view whites as an annoyance and simply don't exist.

Sadly, racism evolves at times as a result of the curiousity and/or annoyance. We got a bigger dose of this divide when entering into the casino part of the hotel in search of food. Jon was stopped for his passport while I just got to mosy on into the casino. We joked about it a little, but decided it needed further investigation. After breaking it down to DJ Clazzi till 2:30 in the morning, we decided to try and make our way into the casino. We even pretended to be a married couple the second time to test. They only stopped him! The blatant treatment of him vs. me was jaw-dropping.

Further conversations that weekend with my other new Asian friends, led to further evidence of this ethnic divide. My friend Christine told me she clung to Asian groups in college. Her friends back in Boston tease about having more white friends in Korea than she did in the States! I couldn't help but analyze my own friendships back in the States. Some are diverse, other homogenous. Is this something I need to worry about? Is there a competition to have more diverse friends?

The answer I concluded was yes and no. People will naturally gravitate to what is familiar, whether it revolves around race, culture, or gender. This is not always a bad thing. But what turns ugly is blatant racism, predjudice, and close-minded thinking. One way I noticed to overcome that is breaking down these barriers with intentional effort. Have a meal. Ask about each other's culture. Make an effort to visit homes or participate in celebrations.

I realize this is all easier said than done. It sounds too much like holding hands and singing kum-by-ya around the campfire. But it can work. I have witnessed it repeatedly over the last few months. Just one of the few lessons I have continued to learn during my time in Korea. Who knew that a hip-hop concert could open up door to such amazing conversations? Thank goodness for m-flo and all their brilliance! (Check out the group on youtube!)

2007-10-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

A day on Jeju Island....priceless

2007-09-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

The cost of an airline ticket to Jejudo Island- 164,317 won
Price of each taxi ride around the island- 10,000 won
Each shower at the local jimjilbang- 7,000 won
Parasailing- 40,000 won
Watching the sun rise with fourteen amazing people on a tropical island in the southeastern end of Korea- PRICELESS!

Welcome to Chusok vacation! Chusok is Korea's harvest celebration aka Korea's Thanksgiving. Each family travels to their father's hometown for dinner and presents. If you are not a member of a Korean family, or of Korean descent, where do you go?
That's right. You travel to Jejudo Island with fourteen other teachers from school. Here is a brief snapshot of my first vacation in Korea.......

DAY 1: Arrive at the bus terminal in anticipation our group will miss the bus because of the hype that there will BE NO TICKETS because everyone is traveling over Chusok. Bus trip goes by with smooth sailing and we arrive at the airport FIVE HOURS EARLY. Oops! That might be MY FAULT...I suggested the early arrival....don't say a WORD if you traveled with me to Denmark...a few of my co-workers won't let me forget it!
Arrive on the island, eat a lovely dinner, see a cool waterfall at night, go to sleep!

DAY 2: BEACH DAY!!!! Football and frisbee on the beach, evening cookout, parasail over the bay, sleep on the beach and watch the moonbeams dance across the water......

DAY 3: Travel day to Udo Island...go out for another fabulous dinner and sleep in a pension on the beach...watch the moonbeams dance across the water AGAIN!! :)

DAY 4: Watch the sunrise at 6:00 a.m., go running around the island, go scootering all over the place, look eagerly for wrinkly old female drivers in wetsuits (called haneyos) catching their breakfast, pose next to haneyo statues instead, travel back to Seogwipo, go out for an amazing Italian dinner, cap the evening off with some norebang till 2:30 in the morning

DAY 5: Go visit an amazing Buddhist temple, travel back to Daejeon via taxi, bus, airplane,bus, then taxi again; watch Grey's Anatomy for three hours to distract myself from post-vacation depression....

DAY 6,7,8,9, 10......Continue to watch Grey's Anatomy to nurse the post-vacation depression, buy food at Costco and realize I only have 150,000 won for the rest of the month (did I really spend that much money on FOOD during vacation?!), upload pictures onto facebook
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23723&l=19527&id=531045618
begrudgingly get back into the teaching routine but then happiliy spend the night learning about the twenty one rules concerning comma usage to teach my students the next day, smile and happily begin planning my vacation to Japan and Bali (hopefully!) over Christmas

To reiterate.....

A day on Jejudo Island......priceless

Fast times at TCIS High- full of Napoleon Dynamite nerd posers....

2007-09-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

The fish market run

2007-09-08T03:36:00.000-07:00

It's 5:30 on a Monday morning. I groggily punch the snooze button on my gigantic, blue, plastic alarm clock and attempt to find my way through my apartment for my keys and running shoes. I stumble out the door half-asleep but excited to meet my cross country team for our early morning practice. We start our with a 3-mile route called the "fish market run". I run with slower runners in the back to make sure they know the route. I circle back to catch three runners when suddenly my nose meets the smell of the fish market and stale garbage . I wrinkle my nose, hold my breath, avoid stepping on any stray fish heads, and wildly run through the mass of withered old Korean men attempting to make a few won before breakfast.

Moments like this make me stop and think, WHAT?! Is this really my new life?

A routine has started to take shape here. As odd at this sounds, I was scared of this point. I knew it was coming, but that meant the newness of something was over. The anticipation of moving overseas has climaxed and the daily grind has settled. For a high-stimulation seeker such as myself I always hate when this point hits. I go through a temporary disdain of my new surroundings and crave anything that reminds me of my former environment. I missed my family, my old house, my students and old co-workers horribly. I didn't want to to get to know a new batch of students. I wanted my sophomores from last year back. Is this really what I wanted?

To answer the questions, yes. I did want all of this, even the daily grind and teacher routine. My grandfather once told me "you have to want where the wants lead you". This is where it lead me. The greatest part of this whole experience is the surprises, delights, and challenges that God has thrown my way in such a short time. He has given me amazing single friends to bond throught this experience with, animated and curious Korean students that giggle at my antics in class, and an opportunity to reunite with extended family. He has also challenged me to take an honest look at Christian faith, see where I was going, and being OPEN to who I can become. All of this has become part of my new "daily routine". :)

Apart from this adjustment, I have still manage to encounter a new cultural experience everyday. I find new restaurants around my neighborhoods every week with my new friends. (For those that come visit I will take you to Jin and Kino's- best sushi and banana pancakes EVER!) I continue to try new foods, including the crunchy Korean delight known as fried silkworm larvae. The cleaning lady at school attempts to teach me new Korean words every time I see her. She giggles as I struggle to say the days of the weeks, but gives me an "A-plus" for my efforts. I am secretly God allows a little newness to creep in a few times a week.

Koreans have a harvest celebration called Chuseok that falls the last week of September. In school terms this means fall break and the opportunity to travel! I will be traveling with eleven other teachers to Jejudo Island off the southern coast of South Korea. I am excited for a small interruption of newness in the middle of my daily routine. I have a sneaking suspicion I will be attempting to run through fish markets down on the island. Sometimes it's comforting to know you will have your "fish marekts runs" no matter where life takes you.

finding your inner nougat

2007-08-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

I hate getting observed by administration when I teach. As a people-pleaser, I get nervous, start to sweat, and have the irrational fear that I will be fired the minute they leave the door. Silly, but my face turns red and my body temperature DRAMATICALLY increases. Especially during DROP-INS!!!!

Today was that glorious day when my new boss walked in the door unannounced.

Great! Stop sweating, focus, keep teaching something.

My class was right in the midst of a discussion about showing compassion. I was attemtping to teach my students about the complexities of the human race when I started talking about the onion model and like its crinkly layers, human beings are the same way. The sea of blank faces made me switch over the next natural food item with layers: Snickers. They eagerly starting listing all the layers, but seemed stumped when they got to the chewy part. After 15 seconds of silence, my principal yelled out from the back, "NOUGAT!"

I smiled and proceeded to talk the "inner nougat" we all have and to be sensitive to the "inner nougat" of others. Compassion in a nutshell. Or candy bar for that matter.
Luckily, he only stayed for two more minutes and walked out the door. I walked to lunch not sure if he thought I was a genius teacher or absolute moron.

When I arrived at lunch, my boss was there. AGAIN. I smiled bravely at him. He smiled back at me, gave me a pat on the back, and thanked me for the "engaging" lesson. I held my head up a little higher, enjoyed lunch with my co-workers, and said a million silent thanks to God for inventing the Snickers bar and helping me find a little piece of my "inner nougat". :)

ebb and flow

2007-08-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

People tell me this is about the time it hits. It pangs, like a sharp dagger, at weird, odd, inconsistent times throughout the day.
Homesickness in unusual forms. Tonight I went grocery shopping and it felt weird to not have the Saturn nearby. I don't mind having to shell out money for a cab, but I miss driving. I can call people from the States, but it already feels odd, like a distance has set in. I have no idea where and what my family and friends are doing right now! I think life as I knew it starting to feel far away and the control is starting to slip further and further away. It's unsettling and hits as the oddest times. People tell me it hits about this time. I didn't realize but I have been gone for a month already. The "vacation" mentality is starting to ebb away. I am just trying to stay afloat and enjoy it. I live in Korea and better get used shelling out won for a taxi.

2007-08-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

still getting my feet wet

2007-08-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

Week two is almost over. I am still getting my feet wet in this strange and new country, but everyday something makes it feel a little bit more like home. I am used to seeing everything written in Korean (still cannot understand it), smellling kimchee, fish, and other strange smells on my quick walk to work, and crossing the street in hopes of making it alive to the other side. I like that I am starting to casually toss Korean phrases into my everyday vernacular. (Including Canadian and South African phrases-eh!) I look forward to slinking into my hard bed at the end of an arduous day of teaching, running with my cross country team, and trying a new restaurant somewhere near the school. Life is good thus far in Korea.

During the last two weeks I have encountered many unique cultural experiences in Korea. I have savored many new dishes at the local restaurants near school. My favorite food here for some reason is pickled radish. I absolutely LOVE pickled radish. My new friends think I am crazy, but luckily they serve it at every meal and no one touches it. I guess it just means more for me. I still cannot handle spice, but put on a brave face and swallow it fast. Mul (water) is gulped down very quickly after eating! I went to my first Korean baseball, but ending up talking and not paying attention throughout the entire game. Not much changes with me and pro sports. My cousin took to me to the Korean bath house for some chat time in the sauna and hot tubs. You'll have to call me to get more details on my experience there. :)
I went to Seoul with four other girls from school for shopping and dancing last weekend. We visited the neighborhoods of Itaweon (the foreigner's district), Insadong (great market!), and the Coex Mall. I definitely ran out of Korean won, but a trip to an English speaking bookstore was worth the entire trip. Well, maybe the pastrami sandwich in Itaewon was worth it as well....

My favorite thing I have experienced so far is the people. I walked into TCIS with ten other new teachers and an instant bond was formed. We share meals, lesson plans, and participate in a bible study together. I could not have come at a better time. I also love getting to know my extended family. My cousin Kirsten and her parents work at the school. It has been such a delight to play basketball with her and go out for endless mocha shakes. I have also managed to make a new Korean friend named Hyun Ju. She took me downtown for dinner and some shopping on Monday. She is shaky with her English but so excited to speak with a foreigner!

Week three is coming up fast. I look forward to a "family fun day" with the staff on Saturday morning, an afternoon of pottery making ,and norebang in the evening. Somewhere in all this excitement I will attempt to lesson plan. :)

2007-08-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

il, e, sam......

2007-08-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been joyous, spontaneous, aggravating, frustrating, and completely awe-inspiring. Everything here feels so new and exciting I can hardly contain myself sometimes. Other times I feel absolutely overwhelmed, burst into tears, and want to take the next flight home. People that have traveled and lived abroad say this is completely normal. Who knew a rollercoaster of emotions would be universally felt by so many?!

In an effort to detour this blog from becoming my pensive journal, I intend to share some cultural experiences and lessons with the infamous top ten list since I have arrived in Daejeon almost two weeks.

1. eating octopus during the shabu-shabu dinner (a bit chewy and tasted like chicken)
2. singing Korean style of karaoke- called naribong- so glad to know I can sing to Britney Spears and do my dance moves in another country
3. cars win. pedesterians don't. kamikaze corner is a block from our school. great.
4. separating garbage to a point of insanity, yet there is garbage all over the streets. haven't figure out that one.
5. it's rude to blow or even touch your nose in public, but spitting in widely accepted, even encouraged. i truly love korea for the reason alone.
6. everyone points and stares, but it is ok. i can't help but feel famous when all the little children in my apartment complex yell out "HI" in english and i respond back with hello in korean. they giggle ridiculously
7. eating kimchee and fish soup for breakfast. i think i will stick with oatmeal and save the rest for dinner.
8. bowling in korea- the shoes still smell!!!!
9. people- i now have friends that are korean, korean-american, korean-canadian, south african, australian, indian, canadian, chinese-canadian, and american (even a few from minnesota!) the cultural diversity is refreshing and amazing
10. chusok vacation coming up at the end of september....the struggle of choosing between Thailand or the Korean island of Jeju for my week long vacation.....

School starts on Monday and I look forward to finally meeting my students. I am somewhat prepared, but I only teach two classes on Monday. I love this schedule! Pictures to follow soon!

2007-08-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

2007-08-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Leaving, holiday, and lights in my new city

2007-08-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well gang, I have arrived in Korea and just woke up to my third full day here. It’s funny but every morning I wake up and think I am in a Latin American country. My ninth floor window faces into a courtyard with a myriad of windows looking into mine (no curtains yet) and the morning disorientation makes me think I hear Spanish in the morning!!!

The days leading up to my departure were somber, tense, and tearful. I didn’t want to leave the comforts of my home and give up simple luxuries like going to the local Starbucks where they know my high maintenance order of a cold soy white mocha with no ice but put in a hot cup, finding the products I like at Target, being able to find shoes to feet my gargantuan and sweaty feet, and having the luxury of a cell phone to call my galpals to talk about my latest romantic escapade.

After a tearful goodbye with my father I sullenly walked into the airport with a heavy heart. The weight of my decision started to come crashing down as a major reality check. Two years?! Who moves away out of the country for that amount of time? I still in my heart of hearts feel like I am only moving away for three months and I will get to travel the whole time. But it dawned on me I am moving across the world to teach students five days a week, grade endless amounts of papers, and struggle right alongside with the students over present progressive participles. Ironically that thought brought great comfort. Not everything was going to be THAT drastically different. Kids will be kids, and I will be their teacher.

In spite of the anxiety of leaving the States the anticipation had started to wear thin. I was ready to get going and plant my feet up on the footrest of the airplane. After flying through Chicago and Dublin (I MUST go visit that country someday!!) and I was more than elated to arrive in Europe. I told a dear friend once I was “sick” of Europe, but I have spent enough time away and it felt so good to be back.

I spent my time in Switzerland having endless girl talks with my mom, sister, and one of my best friends from college, traveling to the Swiss cities Bern and Thun, having fondue with some old coworkers and my old boss, spending nights drinking litchi beer up at my favorite bar called the Top Pub (one particular night drinking A LOT of wine, grapefruit beer, and flaming sambuca shots), and going on sunny bike rides through the mountains. Most of all I spent time NOT thinking about my big move and just enjoying my family and friends.

Well, that's not exactly true. OF COURSE I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE BIG MOVE. Have you ever heard of the iceberg theory? I saw a poster at the dentist office once that explained the analogy that many people only see the tip of the iceberg, but so much more lies beneath. Eventually the time came to actually discuss and ruminate on my reasons for going. In a tearful discussion with my friend Stephanie I told her my iceberg theory of going overseas. One-tenth of the reasons revolved around the cliché answer of wanting to go on an adventure. Many other reasons lie beneath the tip of the iceberg: getting to see Christianity alive and thriving somewhere other than stoic Lutheran waves of Minnesota, experience the opportunity to teach at an elite academic school outside of America, meet expats of Western descent that want to live outside of their countries, seeing other neighboring countries and get stamps on my passport, craft my writing skills about adventures, continue the personal focus that started this past year of getting to know myself more, and finally, the chance to meet as many interesting people as possible.

All of these reasons lie beneath the tip of the iceberg.

Those reasons stuck with me on the way to the airport. After a tearful goodbye with my mom and my sister, I was off on a 22-hour flight journey. I flew from Geneva to Qatar and spent a four hour layover in Doha. I have to admit I was a bit nervous flying in that region of the world, but I was astounded to see so many nationalities in one setting! The Doha airport is very transient and I had a wonderful time sipping on iced coffee and people watching. I hopped on another place to Shanghai, then FINALLY to Korea. I felt a bit jetlagged when the representatives from my school came to pick me up. I fell in and out of sleep until we arrived in Daejeon. I had not prepared myself for culture shock at all. As I entered upon a city I immediately felt it was cross between a mini-L.A and Vegas, except everything was in Korean. Lights flickered everywhere at a frenzied pace that would whisk anyone back to Times Square. Korea has raging humidity in the summer and I was dripping with sweat as I took the elevator up to my ninth floor apartment that reeked of kimchee and who knows else.
Welcome home?!?

The first day was awful, or at least the morning was awful. I hated Korea. It was hot, sticky, and NO ONE SPOKE ENGLISH. It took us over an over to find a bank. How silly we must have looked walking around aimlessly with our guidebooks asking everyone on the street for directions. All those poor Koreans looked at us in confusion, smiled politely and bowed, but just went on their way. Kirstin, my roommate, and I looked wide-eyed in disbelief at each other. What had we done? Did we really want to do this to ourselves? Nevertheless, we made it to the bank! Somehow as the day progressed it got much better. A nap, dinner with a lovely couple from the school, two more fans put in our apartment, and a trip to the Homeplus store to buy household goods somehow made me feel much better.

We even managed to make a friend our first night! Some girl walked up to me and said in broken English “YOU ARE TALL!” For the next ten minutes Kirstin and I went back and forth with this girl named Hyun Je (not sure how to pronounce the name) and eventually exchanged email addresses with her. Our first Korean friend! She agreed to teach us Korean in exchange for some English lessons. It has put a permagrin on my face over the last few days. Slowly but surely we have managed to work our way around the city and communicate with people. We made friends with the neighbor kids that practice a kendo stick dance routine on the roof opposite our apartment. We even chatted with the pizza guy down the street and took our first taxi ride around the city!

Today is our last “free day” before school orientation starts. It has been nice to get the place in order by spending ten hours ironing clothes, watching whatever English channels we can get, and walking more around our neighborhood. I hope my pictures download properly. If not check out my facebook account. An-yangee-keseyo!!! (Goodbye in Korean!)

wrapping up

2007-07-19T20:38:00.001-07:00

The time has come!! On Sunday I fly out the country for an unspecified amount of time. Whenever there is a big change about to occur in people's lives a question always seems to loom. What are you doing after graduation? What are you majoring? Who are you living with? My question- how do you feel? The last two weeks it fluctuates every hour. One moment I am elated about finally following my dream to live overseas, the other I get a knot in my stomach that makes me want to run and hide in a closet. A monstrous closet with plenty of cookie dough and Scrubs episodes to escape the unavoidable change. The rapid shifting of my emotions makes me feel a little crazy! Nevertheless, underneath it all I am excited about the unknown and what changes like will bring. Not only for myself, but friends and family back home. During my absence this year two weddings will be celebrated, four babies will be born, and several friends will start graduate school. Who knows what else will happens?
In the upcoming blog entries I promise to actually have stories about KOREA and not my pensive anticipation. Seriously, I promise.

It was bound to happen.....

2007-04-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Finally, a decision that didn't come with insecurity! I am firm and settled in my decision to move to Korea! Two dear friends once got me a card that stated how a girl made it in life after crying on the phone, second guessing her decision and almost taking back her words. I thought I had overcome that mountain, molehill, stump, whatever the uphill battle resembles: for once maturity had finally kicked in. I could handle SOMETHING without worrying, obsessing, crying, or denying it. I am an official grown-up! I speak too soon. Humility sure comes back with a vengeance. Tears streamed down my face last night as I admitted my fears about moving to Korea to my roommate while washing dishes. I hate fear; Its power grips me.

I am scared about moving to Korea. There, I said it. I scared myself this week because I didn't WANT to go. I bonded with my students and I wanted to stay and make a difference in Minnesota. Running away to another country wasn't going to allow me to do that. I almost walked into my principal's office to take back my decision, but I stopped myself halfway. I don't want to let fear of the unknown dictate me. I WANT to go overseas, have adventures, struggle with a new language, and learn more about myself in a different environment. I like being challenged stretched in different ways; I just dislike the work and effort it takes!
I turned around. I decided to be a grown-up and not let fear take hold of me. I know what I want and will continue to search for it, even if I do cry and struggle a bit with it. Perhaps THAT is the mature thing to do.

I am still going to Korea. I am still scared and will miss my students, my family, my friends, and the life I have started in Minnesota. But I long for adventure and fear not taking this opportunity even more. That thought makes me want to bang my head against the wall! Perhaps that is the life lesson is to just keep moving and know that God has a plan and all the chips will beautiflly and gracefully fall where he decides. I hope someday it might be in New Zealand. :)

Late Night Ruminations

2007-04-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

I love staying up late at night. It's my time to settle down for the day and allow my thoughts jump into reflective overdrive about the day's events or what is to come. Tonight is no exception. It's the night before Easter and I watch the movie Babel with my dad. Many scenes from the movie depict the frenzied and high octane city of Tokyo. A myriad of lights glitter across the skyline of the city; the pulse of the city was beats until dawn. I sit here silently stunned as I envision myself walking into a similar scene when I arrive in Seoul. What will my life be like over there? Why do I feel driven to go somewhere so foreign and obscure from the safety net of home? These questions plague me, consume me, frighten me, delight me, entice me.
I do not understand or even want to understand this magnetic pull to the unknown. The only rationale that brings me any sort of comfort is the gift of connection that come from these types of decisions. I learn and connect with another someone or something in a small yet amazing way. It makes the world feel smaller and less divided in my mind. I take solace and enjoyment in this connection, especially during these dark moments where everything can feel disjointed. I learn to view to this pull as a gift rather than a nomadic curse. As the Tokyo skyline fades into the credits, I looked at the clock. Midnight. Another day closer to the actual start of this adventure. The pull continues to ebb and flow, but my decision is intact. I will movoe to Korea and face the unknown with trepidation and eager anticipation. I wonder what their skyline will look like.