Entry 34: Rockin' Around No Christmas Tree

It was strange waking up in Korea, let alone it was strange waking up in Korea on Christmas day in Korea. It was a different feeling to be away from my nuclear family on my favorite holiday of the year. Even last year, which was most likely the most miserable Christmas of all time because I had caught the flu and was bed ridden the entire day, still felt like Christmas. Don't misunderstand me though, it was a great weekend, but it just failed to feel like Christmas.

I did get to spend Christmas with a family, just not my own. It was a blessing to say the least to be able to meet Eunice's Grandmother, Aunt, Uncle, other Uncle, and cousin in one weekend full of food, laughter, and GoStop. To the best that I can tell, the weekend was an overall sucess and I definitely enjoyed the company. I must have gained 5 kilos, just due to the constant eating of AMAZING food. Her family showed me great hosipitality, and I think that I can explain it by emphasizing one aspect of the trip: the FOOD. Christmas Eve, they took us out to her Uncle's restaurant where we ate some pretty awesome, high-quality, 상겹살. Christmas morning we had bread (Korea has the best bread, it is heavenly), coffee, roll cake, and milk. It was good stuff, but it was just getting us ready for lunch. We went out to eat sushi at one of those restaurants where you pick your food from a conveyor belt. It was impressive. I was able to be witness and experience the glory of eunice's grandma's 비삔밥, it was the most majestic combination of taste that I can remember. Lol. It was pretty awesome. The motto "in order for the whole to be good, each ingredient has to taste good on its own" seemed to rock my world. Their hospitality was wonderful and made my weekend that much more fun.

But it was bitersweet. I tried calling my family the day after Christmas here in Korea which is Christmas day back in the states, but due to bad cell phone connection, my lack of an internet connection, failure for me to check my email to get the phone number to my grandmother's house back in LA, I was unable to contact my family... on my most cherished holiday. I tried calling early this morning, but still no answer. I have work, so I am not sure when the next time will be for me to be able to contact my family. Being thousands of miles away is a drag during the holidays.

But I had Eunice. The sweetest part of the entire weekend was being able to do the things that we've been wanting to do for a long time, the boring things. There was a lot of down time being at her grandmother's house, and so we spent a lot of that time watching "Dexter", a pretty ingenious TV show, and going to watch movies together like Sherlock Holmes. We spent lots of times just walking around random shopping malls, sitting in coffee shops, eating good food, and just being ourselves. We played some GoStop which was pretty fun, even though I wasn't being a very good student (but in my defence I was tired and just wanted to start playing and learn from the playing, but I was being a bad student). It was fun riding the subway for literally HOURS together, laughing at the silly faces that we both make unintentionally and the most RANDOM people on the subway. The games of scrabble (Eunice LOVES scrabble) we played in random places on our iPods is going to be a part of the long list of memories that I have of my time here in Korea. It was nice having at least one loved one during the holidays.

No Christmas tree this year, but that's okay. It's about being with the one's you love.

Entry 33: Abroad

4 of my closest friends went out of the US this fall and embarked on their own "abroad" experience.

Sue went to Prague
Julie went to Spain
Tae went to Switzerland
Grace went to Korea

It is amazing that our time is coming to a close. I may not be able to speak for the others, but I know that during my time away from the US, there were times where I was excruciatingly homesick, times where I was pumped to be living a new life, times where I would just sit and think of what next semester holds now that I have a semester abroad under my belt.


During the start of my journey I made a list. Let's take a look.

Things that I am assuming will be missed once I am in Korea (not in any significant order):

• family- I got to see my dad a few times in Korea. Skyped with them more frequently in Korea than I did back in Texas. I miss them, but just as much as I do when I'm in college. The holidays do suck when you don't have any family around.
  
• friends- This one is a big yes. There were times when, I would just sit alone in my room and it would be completely silent. That was not last year. Last year I lived with 3 close friends, and I don't think that our house was ever really "quiet". Our class just had a crazy webcam reunion, where we all got on and saw each other. Although I wasn't able to join the festivities for long (they talked to each other for over 2 hours. They love each other very much). I can't wait to go back and see these crazy people. They are my favorite.
  
• steak (since I hear that red meat is rare and expensive)- I each just as much meat in Korea. I've had a steak, and in general, food is decently priced in Korea. You don't pay tip or tax on meals. So if the menu says something is 5,000 won, then you just pull out a 5,000 bill. Done, no change, no jingling metal, just that bill passed on. It's quick, clean, and cheap. I can get full off of 3 dollars in Korea, in a restaurant. That's unlikely to ever happen in the states, unless you go to Taco Bell.
  
• my guitars (I'm not sure if I will be able to bring it on the plane)- I miss my electric. I miss my acoustic since it left me a month ago. :( This was quite true. but I was able to write a song. So its not all a failure.
  
• being in a reasonable similar time zone- eh, the time zone issue wasn't THAT big of a deal. I am a morning person, so when I wake up, I am able to talk to all the people back home at a reasonable time.
  
• mexican food- :(, I do miss good mexican food.....
  
• my car- When I go home, I'm going to just drive. Anywhere. I miss driving SO MUCH. I'm scared I have forgotten how to drive.
  
• TEXAS FOOTBALL (it gets caps, just deal)- Thank God for Justin Tv.
  
• IM football- I miss playing football on Saturdays. I'll be calling people to play. People better come out.
  

While I'm at it, here is a list of things that I am looking forward too about Korea:

• Authentic Korean food- My favorite kind of food in the world.
  
• Cheap Korean food- The same dish in Korea is usually 50% cheaper than in the states, depending on what you get, because of tip, tax, and just the fact that Korean food is common.
  
• Buying a pair of glasses- done. Ray Bans. I love em.
  
• Buying a nice coat- Bought a jacket... my dad brought a coat from back home.
  
• Taking pictures- Pictures have slowed down since I started to teach, but I've taken a few... hundred.
  
• Making new friends- Done. I love em. (mostly girls... but its all good)
  
• Getting a clean slate- Done. It helped me realize who I am to a greater extent.
  
• Teaching little kids- Done. I came, I saw, I conquered! I'm sure these kids learned something.
  
• Improving my Korean- Done. It was bound to happen since I'm living here and interacting with mostly native Korean speakers (and having to meet family friends, who speak primarily korean)
• Running- FAIL. I went out running a half dozen times. It's WAYYYY too cold now. But I could have run much more
  
• Hiking- Done. Teachers took me out and we climbed a mountain.
  
• Learning more about myself, in the context of a new country- Done. I learned a lot about myself. Unlike the common belief, I was able to live alone and thrive. I weaned myself off of the need for other people and really refined my self identity. I'm still marred with issues and problems, but this trip was necessary for me to learn a whole new side of myself.

I pretty much completed my list. Now its time to enjoy the rest of the month and do all the things I would have never dreamed of doing. The beginning of my journey was intense, the end is going to be just as intense.

Entry 32: December

I know that it has been quite some time since my last post, and I probably have lost a considerable amount of readers because of the lack of consistency (according to J Lee, only three people read my blog, so I guess that means that there are 2 of you left).

Update: This Thanksgiving was most random Thanksgiving that I have ever had in my life, and hopefully ever will. I had a great dinner with Grace, Ahyoung, and Michelle at some buffet. It was nice just to sit down and just enjoy myself at a table full of food and company.

Last Friday I had dinner with my teachers where we ate loads of pork and just had a good time laughing and talking to each other (I've built up some decent relationships with the teachers so these times are awkward). They are all great people. It is funny though, how when I see them outside of school or outside of class, its like I am interacting with completely different people. I would say especially the 1st grade teacher. During class she rarely speaks to me and sometimes I feel like I'm getting the cold shoulder, but as soon as we are out of class she is all smiles and even gives me the occasional high five.

Today we had another dinner, but this time the school invited some other people (they were teachers who taught the electives for the after school program, but they didn't come every day like I did, so I never rarely would see them). It was a good dinner and it was nice not having to be in the spot light. It was also interesting how I had become a "regular" in the teachers circle. I knew this was the case as the vice principal went to the after school teachers and said "see you on _____" the certain day, and he turned to me and said something along the lines of "I'm going to beat you in ping pong tomorrow".

Today is December 1. This date doesn't really mean much on its own, except for the fact that it marks the beginning of December which in my minds marks Christmas season, BUT what it does do is give me a reference point as to when Eunice is coming to Korea. 16 more days. 16 more days. 16 more days...

There really hasn't been anything to update on (except maybe the fact that I can touch my toes, almost do the splits, and I've gotten pretty good at ping pong), so I'll just leave the fun stories till after Eunice comes. I plan on making this one of those trips that I will always look back on. I've already gone through the "Korea is AWESOME" phase. I've gone through the "Korea sucks" phase. I've gone through the "Eh, Korea isn't that bad" phase. And I think I'm somewhere in the "Korea is cool, but I just want to go home now" phase. I hope that when Eunice gets here, we can both enjoy the "I don't want to leave Korea" phase so that it would just be that much more fun.

Ok, thats it for now, My blog is boring.... crap....  so much for making a blog showing how exciting my trip to Korea is. (its not that exciting...)

Entry 31: My Guitar and Me

Uh oh,

My Dad is here in Korea (for the second time), but this time, he's going to China for a week and then going back to the states, so not much time to spend with him (it is going to be one lonely Thanksgiving). The uh-oh, is, he is taking back my lover (no, he isn't taking back eunice...), MY GUITAR!

So, this next week is dedicated to my guitar. I will miss it (my acoustic guitar has no gender, and has no name. I've tried naming it, but it always fails. BUT! my electric guitar's name is Lani. just fyi) very very much.

It's time for some guitar lovin', finger burnin', and just some good ole' fashioned fun. My neighbors are going to hate me.

One week to show my guitar that I love it. awesomenessssss

Entry 30: Ping Pong

I stood up from my desk and gathered my things. I was going to miss the bus if I didn't hurry. As I said goodbye to the vice-principal of the school, he asked me if I wanted to stay for a bit and play ping-pong. I was in a pretty bad mood and I just wanted to go home and get some rest, so I tried to politely decline, but he insisted, and so I stayed at the school. It would be the first time I would play ping-pong in Korea.

4 years earlier:
My family moved from the wonderful state of California to the last place on earth I saw myself living: TEXAS. The place where there were more cattle than people, the place where people still wore cowboy hats and cowboy boots, where the mode of transportation to work was either by truck or by horse. I had some pretty bad misconceptions of Texas, but with that in mind, my Korean family spent most of our first HOT summer in Texas indoors.
We set up a ping-pong table in our family room, and would play for hours at a time. My sisters don't play ping-pong, I mean, they might tell you they play ping-pong... but they don't play ping-pong (table tennis for those people who find me saying ping-pong to be too childish, but I say who cares, its like adding the word "ultimate" to frisbee, just makes a recreation sport a bit more competitive). This time during my first summer in Texas is where I learned how to really play ping-pong. Being able to slice my forehand and backhand, learning how to lob and do a drop shot, I learned how to play offensively and defensively, and I learned the little tricks that make ping-pong so interesting (different spins and whatnot). Stereotypical Asian thing to do? Heck yeah.

The teachers set up the table in the auditorium, gave me the only two sided paddle that was available (Korean's like to play with the one sided ping pong paddle. Its the Asian style. I play with the English style.) We start to just rally for fun and they are all above average. Even the vice-principal who is about 45 and a smoker seems to be really into it, and I can tell that they are measuring my up as a ping-pong player, the same way that the measured me up as a kickball player.

1 month earlier:
We took the day off of work to go hike up a mountain. The head teacher (the teacher who covers for any sick teachers, deals with the administrative side of things, and basically is the third in command. Principal, vice principal, head teacher) brought shots of soju up the mountain and although I dislike soju, being on top of the mountain with all the teachers, I just took the shot and shouted with them, whatever it was they were shouting. When we got back to the bottom, the restaurant told us that our food would not be ready for another hour or so. Subsequently, we went to an open field and played kickball with a soccer ball. Just imagine in your head for a moment a group of adults playing kick ball. For me, it evokes memories of church picnics where adults become children. I laughed as the principal demanded that the pitcher (the bus driver) roll the ball slower and as the 2nd grade teacher yelled "POUL!!!" (foul) as the vice-principal looked him dead in the eyes and said "PAIR!" (fair). It was like I was watching the kids from my summer job. It's always fun seeing adults get into sports and just lose the "adult" facade. They all just wanted to have some fun. It was nice to see the lighter side of the teachers.

After two hours of a pretty enjoyable time of playing ping-pong, they asked me to play with them everyday, or at least that's what I thought they said (my korean still isn't that great, but I'm pretty sure my mentor teacher said something about 매일의 핑퐁 (탁구) 하자). We had a fun time laughing and it was funny receiving high fives from my head teacher when we played doubles, and my vice-principal gave me this weird kind of fist bump every time we scored ("NICE SHAAHT!" [double fist bump!]). I must admit, it made me a bit homesick, and made me miss my mom and my dad. They were the best ping-pong buddies that anyone could ask for. My mom with her cute side step shuffle, and she hops around with her game face on. When she makes a nice shot or a slam, she usually jumps in the air like a little girl and shouts and laughs. My dad with his "you and your mother play, and I'll play the winner. Don't expect to beat me, either of you." Of course he learned to say this jokingly because me and my mom would have some pretty intense games as he watched TV while we played. When he would play the winner, he would always add in the remark "oh son, you've gotten better! BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH." or something like "Your mother has always been good at ping-pong. AHA!" as he slams the ball while lifting one of his feet in the air behind him. It was always funny seeing my dad slam the ball. My little sister coming in, laughing her head off as she tries to learn how to play and our dog freaking out because the whole family (minus Jennifer who was in California when most of our ping-pong playing occured) was shouting and laughing.




To say the least, I miss my family. They are pretty amazing. You should get to know them. I know that I miss them a lot. And although like every family we have our problems, my family is pretty close and healthy.


I'm excited to bring my girlfriend to meet them once I get back to the States.
But did I tell you? I have to am going to meet her side of the family (not her nuclear family, but her extended family) here in Korea, and spend Christmas with them. I need to really work on my Korean... dangit.

Entry 29: Halfway there

It has been 86 days since I've been in Korea and 76 more days till my departure.

I ask myself the question, "is the second half of the trip going to be better than the first half?", and the answer that I come up with is an interesting one. "Unlikely, but just wait and see, that's the fun of it."

The first half of my trip consisted mostly of orientation. Although it has already passed the point where I have been teaching little kids longer than I have been learning how to teach kids, I still can feel the dread in my body when I saw the ridiculous schedule of the oh-so-infamous Kyung Hee Orientation.

With that being said, I will never forget the people and the interesting adventures that were so easy to embark on such as my trip to 동대문 or even the sheer novelty of my first weekend in Korea.

Even the actual orientation wasn't as bad as I made it sound to be in my previous posts, because it actually did make teaching a bit easier, knowing that what I am doing is pretty much what everyone else is doing. I will remember what it was like, the air a mix of the clean breeze and of cigarette smoke, as we all sat watching the college soccer games as we wait in-between our classes.

I remember what it was like teaching my very first class and the butterflies in my stomach helped me to conjure up a lesson plan on the spot.

I wont soon forget what it was like to be plunged into isolation and eventually becoming comfortable with long periods of time to myself.

But with all this being said, I'm excited for the second half of my trip.

I have 6 weeks of teaching left during the normal school days. and Seven days of winter camp. It should be easy enough to accomplish, and I am content to know that I have taught these kids a lot about the English language.

I also look forward to being reunited with friends from back home, starting sometime in mid-December. It will be nice to be able to hang out with friends that I usually see SUPER STRESSED OUT during finals time, in a very relaxed state of being (LOL, I think I'm talking about June not being at PCL but instead at Red Mango. I swear its going to be like seeing two completely different people).  It will be nice since I have the entire month of January as vacation to just hang out with friends.

I also look forward to spending some quality time with my girlfriend! Eunice is coming to Korea to visit her family (who wants me to join them for the holidays, talk about pressure....) and hopefully the two of us will be able to do all the fun couply things that people do when in Korea. I was talking to a friend and she basically said "everything in Korea is much more fun when you are in a couple. Subway rides no longer are tiresome, bus stops are cozy, coffee shops are little getaways, walking isn't a chore, etc.etc.". That was slightly paraphrased, but you get her point.

Connecting with the point above, Eunice and I booked the same flight back home. January 12th. Which actually worked out really well, since that was the earliest day that my school was going to let me go home, and since it was the day that Eunice decided to book home anyways. Thankfully we called the airlines and made sure to get seats next to each other. Cross your fingers guys, I think the second half of the trip might be even BETTER than the first half.

I'm also looking forward to this friday, Jubilee's Men's Retreat. It should be good. I'll be sure to write a post about it later.




So here I go!

Entry 28: 4th Graders

As I walk into the classroom, their face light up. Little did I know the reasons as to why they seemed so happy. I think as the months have passed, I understand why they like it when I come. The first reason is an obvious one, I bring the candy (not all the time, but often enough for them to pay attention and not enough to make them think it is a daily thing), but the second one somewhat backfired on me, I'm their friend.

I guess the reason why I say that this backfired on me because I started to lose respect with a few of the students, usually the male students. I play soccer the the kids before class and we have a grand Ole time. I joke and just mess around with the kids. My 1st graders find this as the most amusing thing ever, as they scream "Jeremy TEACHER 우리 팀!!! (our team!!!)" and even the 2nd graders laugh and giggle as I play keep away with the undersized soccer ball. With the older kids, they play much more competitively and they also like to play, but with a bit more seriousness. I become a teammate to them.

These kids come into class and they start to get away with the little things; not repeating what I say, not learning the new vocabulary, not participating in games, trying to play jokes on my during class, etc. (side note, these are 3 boys in the entire school, the rest of the kids are angels, seriously I am confused as to why they are so well behaved). 1 boy is my 4th grade class and 2 of them are in the 6th grade class.

I was trying to teach the class how to speak when talking on the telephone. The 1 boy, Sky, came up behind me as I was writing something on the board, and gave me a 똥찜 (literally translated poop needle). I turned around, laughed it off and just told him to sit down. I continued with my lecture. He did it again. The class roared with laughter. I turned on my "scary face" and told him to sit in the back off the room facing the wall. I felt bad after about 5 minutes, asked him a vocabulary question, and when he got it correct I let him rejoin the class. In 2 min, he gets up out of his seat and starts talking to one of the kids in the back of the room who saw me starring them both down and told Sky "SHUT UP!". I was getting pretty annoyed. I put him again in time out, and after about 5 min, I let him join the class. I prepared to play a game with the class based on the vocabulary, and Sky decided that it would be much more beneficial if he took out his comic books to read. The whole class was like "Teacher? are you going to hit him?", I just gave him the scariest look that I could muster up, and no one in the class dared to laugh. You could have heard a pin drop. I told everyone that we were no longer going to play. That we were no longer going to be receiving candy. Thankfully, the class understood my frustration. I gave them a little speech (in Korean btw) how I wanted to have fun in this class, but there was going to be no way that we could have fun if people were not going to participate. I wasn't angry at them, but they knew that I was frustrated.

The following school day, their teacher came to me and formally apologized for their behavior. She heard about the 똥찜's and was pretty embarrassed that it happened in her class. I told her that it wasn't that big of a deal, and that they are just kids. Thankfully, after that little lecture I gave to those kids, things went back to normal. The next time I saw the class, they did amazingly. We played games, had fun, laughed a bunch, and I had a huge smile on my face as I left the room.

When I become a dad, I know that I am going to hate getting mad at my kids, but I know for sure that I'm not going to be afraid to discipline them. I know for a fact, that I hate getting frustrated with my students for misbehavior (frustration over their English is a whole different story), but I discipline them when its necessary because I know that they will take it to heart and improve.

I like my 4th grade class. They are a lot of fun. They are really good students and they have lots of spunk.

Entry 27: Oasis

As fair warning, this post is about my faith and relationship with God, so if you if you have no interest in reading, no hard feelings, I'm just trying to save you some time. I will post an entry about my "wonderful" 4th graders soon enough, but this is what is on my mind and my heart.

Oasis: something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.

By this definition, Korea is an oasis for me regarding my spiritual walk.

I had conversations with multiple people about Korea before I even planned on coming to live here for half a year, and most of those conversations spoke of the spiritual decay of the country, how it is falling into a materialistic and selfish country. People spoke of the liberal ideologies of the next generation and the suppressed sexual frustration of pretty much the entire country. I have heard the stories of moral decay even while I spend my time living in this country. I saw Korea as my desert spiritually for a variety of reasons, but the one reason why Korea feels like my desert is simply because I am alone.

I am not in the bustling city of Seoul and I sometimes go days without seeing someone I recognize. This is a stark contrast to the way that I lived my life in Austin, where I was constantly surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters who constantly had been looking out for me, and to my home in Dallas where my parents and sisters would make sure that my walk with God was not stagnant. This isolation and harsh transition socially, has created a (what I feel is drastic) change in my personality. If you read before, this was partially the anguish that I was experiencing, the harsh realities of being alone and isolated.

But I have found an oasis. I have found clarity in my faith and a deeper understanding of my relationship with God.

When I wrote that post on the anguish that I was feeling, I was grieving over my sin, over my idolization of fellowship, over my pride, over my lust, over all the things that makes me human, over all the things that make me imperfect. During the following weeks, God was teaching me the lesson of grace. The lesson of His forgiveness when I deserve nothing but death. I understood to a deeper extent how my sin was leading me towards a life unfulfilled. He gave me His grace, and I was no longer suffocating beneath my burden. It was the anguish that led me to Christ. It was the blood of Christ and the power of the Spirit that gave me freedom from the burden of my failure. I was a failure, but I can honestly tell you know that I am moving forward.

The next phase of my spiritual journey in Korea was the realization that the Spirit of God, aka the Holy Spirit, wants to have a relationship with me. The Bible talks about the Spirit as being the Helper, the Comforter, as God. We know that the Holy Spirit is a part of the Trinity, but honestly, as most of the church still thinks, the Holy Spirit wasn't as important to me as God the Father or Jesus. The Holy Spirit was one of those cool things that just made things better, but He wasn't necessary, to be honest, sometimes I even forgot that He was God or even a part of the Trinity.

The best way for me to illustrate what I have learned during this time of building a relationship with the Holy Spirit is this, He is my significant other.

Let me try to explain. You see, I have a girlfriend, her name is Eunice. The first time we met, we didn't exactly see eye to eye (she pretty much shut me up and put me in my place), but over time, the two of us started to talk. It didn't just happen overnight (no matter what anyone says), but our relationship grew more and more each day. What I am trying to explain, we weren't intimate with each other from the get go, but instead our relationship was based on the conversations and time that we spent with each other. We both agree that the conversations that we have had with each other were of more importance than that of any kiss we have shared. This isn't to say that the intimate moments we have had together are not important, because they are.

I've always known that God wanted a relationship with me. I just thought it had to always be miraculously intimate or earth shatteringly amazing. I thought that in order to meet Him, I would have to see visions or dream a crazy dream. But in the same way that some of the most intimate moments I have had with my girlfriend happen during the common moments (hearing her laugh, the way she says "hi" on the telephone, the way she looks with absolutely no makeup on) I have found that I am more amazed at the conversations I have had with the Spirit of God. Instead of trying to jump right in an intimate relationship with Him, I've really tried to get to know Him. He's a person, He has a personality, He has emotion, He loves me. It is the moments that it is just Him and me, that really remind me of the strength of our relationship and how good He is to me. Those times at retreats and mission trips where I was completely filled were AMAZING, don't get me wrong, because those were some of the most amazing moments with the Spirit, but it's the day-to-day things that really make our relationship special. Sometimes opening up the Bible and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit is more powerful than the ground shaking. It's the little things about relationships that makes them so special.

I'm still getting to know the Holy Spirit. I'm still learning His mannerisms, what his dislikes are, what his likes are, what makes Him happy, what makes Him sad, what makes Him angry. Something that I am sure of is this, the more time I spend with the Spirit, the more I want Jesus. The more I want to see the Son glorified.

As I am in this oasis, this honeymoon stage of my relationship with the Spirit, I have one HUGE goal when I go back to school. Start spreading and telling people the benefits of a life completely surrendered to Christ.

I have a desire to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. I don't want to be obnoxious, but when you are in an intimate, long term relationship with someone, you end up sharing the same interests. The Holy Spirit loves Jesus. He loves to glorify Jesus. I think His interests are starting to rub off on me.

I'm still learning. I'm still growing. I am far from perfect (just ask Eunice, she'll probably be able to give you a long list of all my faults [hopefully she also has a long list of my redeeming qualities]), but I just know that this trip in Korea has really ruined me for Christ.

Jesus is alive and He wants to give you the best life you could ever have.


I'm so pumped up about this that, here, email me.

jeremyroh@gmail.com

It doesn't matter who you are, where you are from, even if you don't know me (even if you know me), send me an email. Let's talk about God. Let's talk about what you believe even if it isn't in Jesus. If you want someone to talk to, if you want someone to just hear you out, I don't know. Here is my email. Just as fair warning, I believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but we are all entitled to our beliefs right?

Yo, church, yeah, that's right, I'm talking to you. We have an amazingly powerful God, who is on our side, why are we so quiet about it? Why is it that people are more interested in who is dating who, rather than what God is doing in our lives? I'm not condemning or judging. I'm just saying, let's live lives abandoned.

We are the bride of Christ. We have a fiancé in Christ so much better than Jim Halpert. Let's start acting like it.

I love you guys. Let's get excited about what God is doing.

Entry 26: 3rd Grade

I walk into my favorite class with a smile on my face as Sam yells at me in Korean "HURRY!!! LET'S START CLASS!!!". He grabs my hand and we run down the hallway. Thank God, that I have these kids every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. If it was up to me, I would teach these munchkins every single day.

Reasons why I love my 3rd grade class the most (I love all my classes, this class just is extra special):

1. It is one of my smaller classes. There are only seven students.
2. They are extremely motivated to learn English. In comparison to my other classes, this class really enjoys simply saying (yelling) vocabulary words. With my other classes, they become bored of repeating vocabulary words (even though the repetition really helps their pronunciation) which is fine, because I end up just playing games that accomplish the same goal. My third grade class has fun with the vocabulary repetition and they actually learn the words, THE FIRST TIME.
3. They are incredibly smart. You see, I made lesson plans for each grade level for the entire semester, and most classes I wish there was more time to teach each topic, but I must move on because I want to cover as many topics as possible. My third grade class is so quick that sometimes I teach two topics in one day. For example, the other day we were learning furniture (bed, desk, chair, dresser, sink, toilet, etc) and we spent the first 20 min going over the vocab (I drew a bedroom and bathroom on the white board and I pointed to each piece of furniture and said what it was). They memorized around 16 vocab words in about 20 minutes. After making sure that they really had memorized the words, I taught them how to read time in English (six fifty, seven oh five, twelve thirty). They got it down in about 3 min. So we proceeded to play the most difficult game that I have played with ANY of my grades. I wrote down about 20 times on the board from 8:00 to 12:00 (8:15, 10:23, 12:36, etc) and then had my Korean coteacher write down the furniture vocabulary in Korean next to each time. For example 8:03-침대. SO, they broke up into teams and I would save 8:03 and they would have to say "BED!" within 5 seconds. Remember, there were 20 different times and 20 different words written in Korean on the board. Each team missed 1 question. The game was too easy. So I switched it around. I would say the English vocab word (BED!) they would have to say the corresponding time (EIGHT OH THREE!). They missed about 2 each. This was a hard game for most of the 5th graders. 
4. They are freaking cute. Just take a loot at the pictures on facebook. They are adorable. Oh heck, I'll upload one.
   
   
5. Nicest classroom in the school. There is a flat screen TV and all the furnishings are brand new 

 I love this class.

John: Smart kid, but he cries if he loses. He loves when we play games.
Tony: So LOUD, but also really good at English.
Ginny: Super cute because she tries so hard! She always makes a really cute face and twirls her finger in the air when she doesn't know the answer to a question.
Rachel: Reminds me a of a mini Ahjumah. :D
Andrew: He's not in the picture because he was sick today, but he is by far the best at English in the class, but he is very humble about it. Very well behaved (the boys at the school are kind of wild, but that is to be expected).
Sam: Not very good at English, but definitely my second favorite student in the entire school. He is just a fun kid.
Julie: My favorite student. She is the one that is afraid of getting a question wrong so she always asks me to give her an easy question. I'm not sure if she realizes, but I've been giving her harder and harder questions and she's been getting them all right. She's super cute. If you have been keeping up, she is Paul's older sister. Straight up, this girl and her siblings are so smart, but they live in such a rural area that it is hard for them to really get a decent education. I'm doing this job for students like her.

I know for a fact that when I'm done with this job, I will miss this class the most. Thank God for pictures.

Entry 25: Sports at School

"Jelly teacher!!! 우리 팀!!!" The mass of kids screamed and shouted as I put my shoes on to go play with them in the school's grass-less field.
Dressed in my button-up shirt and my slacks, I ran across the field as I could hear the 5th grade girls screaming "OOOOOO!!!" the same way that Korean girls scream across the world. My shirt was about to be soaked in sweat in a few minutes but the look on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, grade boys faces made it all worth it.

The kids are brutal, they tackle me when I bend down to tie my shoe laces, then pinch the excess fat on my belly, they stick their fingers between my butt cheeks and giggle, and they say things like "Jelly teacher" because they can't pronounce my name correctly. "Jeremy" translates to "재래미" which translates to "Jelly" at least to the 1st graders. Usually when the kids get extra physical with me, I usually play a bit rough back but am always cognizant to be careful with them. Josh hit his head on the floor when I put him down after picking him up and putting him on my shoulder. I felt horrible. It was an honest accident, and thankfully Josh had no hard feelings, but he cried for a while. I gave him a candy and all was good between the two of us.

So after playing soccer with the kids for a good 20 minutes, I went inside, taught my 6th grade class, and then was led back outside to teach "baskteball" to the kids. The head teacher had a different idea in mind since the kids are too small to play basketball. We ended up playing a game that was a mix of basketball, soccer, football, ultimate frisbee, and rugby. Basketball because they shoot a volleyball like a basketball towards the goal. Soccer because the court we used was freaking huge. Football because there was definitely tackling and ball strips/fumbles. Ultimate because the goal was someone standing on a chair at the backcourt line, and if they caught the ball then their team got one point. And like rugby because they bounced the ball on the floor like a rugby ball and they were freaking brutal to each other, tackling and shoving each other (I don't know much about rugby, I just know that whatever it is that we played was the craziest I have seen my kids, EVER).

Before we started this monstrosity of a game, I spent some time with the kids just playing outside. They really really really wanted to size me up. They wanted to see how strong I was. They wanted to see how fast I could run. They wanted to see how far I could jump. They wanted to see it all. It was like I went through the combine. I ran the 400 meter dash, while the kids raced me doing the 400 meter relay. They made me do pull ups. They had a long jump pit. I would have been glad to do it if I had shorts and a t-shirt on. Let's just say, that I was disgusting after this hour outside.

We went back inside, and I had to teach my 4th grade class. I ended up not teaching them anything because we were all sweaty and gross from outside. I reviewed what we learned last class and we played "heads up seven up".

I asked the class if they wanted me to end early, since we were all visibly tired and sweaty, but surprisingly they unanimously shouted "NO!". I repeated myself in Korean, just so that they knew exactly what I was saying.
"NO! END LATER!" They shouted back at me as if ending early was the worst thing ever.
"THIS IS THE FUN CLASS!"
"Jeremy Teacher! I LOVE YOU!" One of the boys said while laughing.
"You kids are crazy" I said to them quite flattered and yet at the same time sad because my voice was dry and I needed water.

I saw how Korean teachers get respect. They use fear. The eye. That eye that is basically saying "what the hell do you think you are doing right now you little punk?" Its a freaking scary eye. But surprisingly, the kids aren't that scared of it. I think if I was a kid in Korea, I would cry a lot, the teachers scare me.

If you were wondering, the way that I discipline my kids when they go out of line, is simply withholding candy and games. I usually bring candy to class and give it to the winning team, but I make sure that I bring candy randomly, where some days I go to school with nothing, just so the kids don't expect to have candy. If I don't have candy, I keep the kids in line by giving them homework if they were being too rowdy. If homework doesn't work, then I end up just making the class really boring, and when they start getting better we play games. Teaching is fun. The more creative you are, the more interesting the job is.

Entry 24: 1st Grade

"I am happy!", I say exuberantly as my hands shoot to the air and my face contorts to the most excited smile imaginable.
Were they going to respond? Where they going to look at me and just laugh like the other classes had? Was I going to be the clown in this class? The questions flooded my mind almost in similar fashion that went through Ted's mind in the first episode of How I Met Your Mother (great show by the way).
"I AM HAPPY!" They all roared in unison, as their little hands and arms shot to the sky. Laughter broke out in the classroom, as my hands went down to my side, my smile disappearing and surprisingly tears welled up in my eyes, as I said, "I am sad." Hold your applause, but it was an Oscar winning performance, as I was able to conjure up the tears on command.
As soon as the children copied and quietly said "I am sad." My face then turned blank. As I stared Josh straight in the eyes, and slowly walked towards him, as I moved my mouth as if I was cursing under my breath. I lifted my hand and clenched a fist. "I am angry!!!" I think I let out a growl, as the kids all burst into laughter as they started swinging their fists at the air with the meanest faces they could conjure. Before, they were able to express the anger so welled up inside, I shot my hands in the air and screamed "I AM HAPPY!"
They gladly obliged, and laugher and smiles filled the room.
Mix, shake, and repeat.

These are my first graders. They are wonderful. They are not as blank faced as my kindergarteners, and they are not as self conscious as my 2nd graders. Although they speak very little English, and most of the communication between us is in Korean, these students are the most enthused to sing, dance, move around, and play games. They aren't good with worksheets like the other kids are. These kids love to move around. They are a joy, and honestly, they make me want to have children of my own.

Their teacher really is concerned with their education and you can tell that she loves these kids. She always has something to say about if I am going too fast, or if what I am teaching is too difficult. She is always in the class with me, and she is the best at helping me teach. Ironically, these teachers want me to teach less. That might not make sense, but you have to understand, that they have their own ideas on how English is to be taught, and I am always glad to take their advice. She explained how she didn't think that the kids were really grasping English (there had been another foreigner teacher that was at the school before me) and that I should focus on one sentence per class. I am happy, for the entire class. I am constantly being told to go at this pace. "Teach the kids 5 new vocab words per class at maximum". I always try to oblige, in the same way that when they told me to not plan so thoroughly for my classes (which was surprising that they told me to take it easy...), and in the same way, I'm going to start reinforcing these kid's English as well as I can. Their teacher's goal is for them to not have an accent, which is a great goal.

Josh: When he smiles his eyes disappear. Great smile.
Hetti: Really cute and energetic girl. I would guess that she will be the popular girl in the future. She gets mad when she loses games. I think she likes Josh (she always gets so mad at him, but she continues to sit next to him)
Ralph: OMG, this kid is freaking hysterical. Pudgy kid who says "My name is Ral-Puh" and he smiles at me and says "Game?! Game?!"
Bobby (the teacher sadly printed his name Bobbg on his laminated name card): Knows the most English out of all the kids, I think he is the oldest out of the bunch because of his English and size.
Hannah: Always has her hair in pigtails, and she is missing her two front teeth. Smart girl, but is very humble about it, never tries to outshine her friends.
Sara: Not very good at English, but she tries. She has the most fun when we stand up and act out the vocabulary.
Young: Maybe the youngest in the group, I assume from his size, but he's really smart and he is really smiley.
Minna: She doesn't speak English or Korean. She is my favorite just to do the motions with. She has a great time playing the games that involve acting. It is really sad when the kids tell me "말 안해" but at the same time, I think that she is learning English. Hopefully.
Dianna: Also missing her two front teeth. She is really quiet, and sometimes dozes off in class.
Paul: Great at English. He has two older sister at the school. All of them are super cute and very attractive, and I remember that it was really fun talking to the three of them while I was waiting for my bus. He is really funny in class as he says "I don't knooooooowww!" in what he calls his 귀신 voice. It is amazing that he and his sisters all hop in a tiny car and live on some farm. His older sister Julie (who is in my third grade class) is probably my favorite student in the entire school. Sam comes next, and funny thing is Sam and Julie are both in my 3rd grade class.

That is my 1st grade class. They are freaking awesome. So well behaved, and full of energy. They squeal "영어선생님!!!!" when they see me. I smile knowing that our class is going to be full of laughter.

Entry 23: Kindergarten

Their faces still show the purity of infants and their minds are supple for the receiving of English, BUT WHY CAN'T THEY LEARN THAT RED IS RED AND BLUE IS BLUE!

They are so precious, so innocent, so dang cute, BUT NO, THAT IS YOUR MOUTH NOT YOUR EYE.

These are some of the trains of thoughts that go through my mind when I teach Kindergarten once a week. They incredibly cute kids that are still learning how to read and write Korean, so expecting them to learn English is a bit much, but please understand my frustration when we spend 20 minutes of playing games, singing songs, repetition, repetition, repetition, and they are still unable to tell me that a red block is red. Thankfully that is an exaggeration, my kindergarteners know blue, red, green, elllo (they don't really say the Y), and orange. They know their body parts as well, at least they know head, shoulders, knees, and toes (maybe eyes and ears but that is pushing it). This is the class that I use the least amount of words, either English or Korean. I am over exaggerated in my movement and motions. I am the clown (minus the freaky makeup) that makes the kids laugh so that they will correlate English and fun. I play the most games in this class, simple ones like follow the leader. I sing lots of songs in this class, unlike my other classes where I pretty much refuse to sing songs that are utterly ridiculous (but we play really fun games instead).

Chris: He can't pronounce his name correctly. He says "Cliss"
Julia: She just repeats what I say, every word that she can hear. Me: Good job Julia! Julia: GOOD JOB JULIA! She has a husky voice for a little kid, and is super cute. Especially when she concentrates really hard.
Katie: The smartest kid in the class, but the quietest kid. She never smiles. She is darker then most of the other kids. She definitely remembers what I teach. The teacher says that she is the same way with Korean.
Kyle: The oldest of the bunch. He loves to lead the classroom, but he sort of gets sidetracked with something (I have no idea what) and kind of wanders off and I have to continually remind him what we are doing.
Sarah: This girl has attitude. She makes it seem like she doesn't like English, but I can tell that she really wants to learn. She keeps quiet when she doesn't know the answer, but when she knows the answer she says it with such flair as if the other kids are foolish for not knowing.
Sunny: Well behaved girl who just sits and listens. She rarely speaks during class, but she smiles a lot.

These are my kindergarteners. They are a precious bunch, but I because I only see them once a week, they forget what I teach pretty easily. My goal with them is to make them like English. I'm going to be singing, dancing, and just being a crazy man in this class so they will have fun. Little kids love just being little kids. Thankfully I'm the biggest little kid I know.

Entry 22: Dad and Me

As I sat in service, half falling asleep because of the poor sleep that I got the night before from sleeping at a 찜질방, the pastor made the announcement that there would be a guest speaker coming Wednesday to talk about North Korea. I wondered if this was the same guest speaker that I had heard speak on the topic of North Korean missions in the past, my father. After the service ended I headed over to meet the man that gave life to me (sounds awfully dramatic) at 강남구청 and then we had dinner. He told me that he was going to be speaking at Jubilee on Wednesday night, so the announcement that was made about a guest speaker was in fact my dad. Sadly, I would not be able to make it down to 서울 in time to hear him speak, but made sure that I was with him the following Friday when he would speak at another English speaking congregation, New Philadelphia church.
The week passed methodically, but when Friday came, it was a whirlwind.
1. Eunice and I had been talking about it for a while, but we finally decided to let the world know (aka facebook) that we are in fact going out. Everyone knew we had liked each other for a while, so I'm sure this was no surprise.
2. I had school, then to catch a ride straight to Seoul.
3. I had to meet my dad
4. Go to a prayer meeting.
Friday was busy to say the least. Thankfully the church was a pleasant surprise.
The church was alive and on fire for God. It was refreshing for me to be in that environment, surrounded by people praying in Korean style prayer. My dad did a good job speaking and I knew that a lot of people were touched by the holy spirit.

I spent Saturday eating with my dad's friends, because that is all we do, especially when I am out with adults. We eat. My dad's friends like to take us out to fancy restaurants since my Dad rarely sees them. We went to an American styled all you can eat brunch, where there was bacon, sausages, and other great American classics (sausages are German, but still, I consider eggs, bacon, and sausage American breakfast). It was tasty. Then for dinner we went to the Ritz Carlton, where every dish was over 30 dollars. We also had a desert that was about 15 bucks. Freaking ridiculous, and definitely not worth the price, but still was a nice gesture from his friends.

The most interesting thing that I saw from my dad, was the fact that he really is a foreigner to Korea. So if you don't know my dad, you will know that he moved to the States when he was 13, meaning that his korean is good but his English, is better. I think this time it really hit me, that my dad had only lived in Korea until he was 13, meaning that he didn't go to high school or college in korea, meaning that his korean, would be the equivalent of a 13 year old and whatever Korean he picked up as an adult living in America. This was a shock for me, since my father in my mind, had always been the most fluent speaker in Korean I knew. He was like the epitome of a Korean person in my mind, even though we rarely spoke Korean at home. Finding out that my dad had more learning to do, was definitely a shock.

I think I went back and forth in my dad's mind as to how my korean had improved. There were multiple times that his friends would comment on how much my korean had improved, and my dad would quickly interject with "No, his korean is still bad." and "His older sister on the other hand can speak korean much better". I would also laugh it off and just smile, with a hint of indignation. "But Dad, I did pass the SAT Korean test"
"yeah, I have no idea how you pulled that one off"
But on the other hand, there would be times that he would tell me how my Korean had improved, but those were far more uncommon than the previous conversation.

I was fine with it, since I am now able to hold conversations in Korean with Korean adults who know a bit of english. it works out well for me to get around and I can even muster up a joke or too. But yeah, my korean isn't that good, but I think I've improved a lot... at least I hope so.

Anyways, good weekend. It felt super long and drawn out, but it was nice to see family.

Entry 21: Cooking for One

I only possess a handful of skills when it comes to cooking. Thankfully, during my sophomore year of college I found the joys and the pains of the kitchen. The joys being something tasty being produced at a much lower cost than something that would have been bought at a restaurant. The pains? Some days our kitchen could produce life that was not meant to be birthed, just ask Harrison (I think he experienced this to the fullest) about the rice cooker story (part 1 and part 2). Let's just say that we all found out that rice turns different colors when you don't do anything about it for MONTHS. But to continue on the current train of thought, I thoroughly enjoyed breakfast foods, especially eggs. Eunice calls my fried eggs amazing and I'm pretty sure that she craves them every know and again, but I don't think there is anything special with my eggs, I think she was just very hungry.

When I first went grocery shopping at the local market, which is located about 2 minutes walking from my apartment, I went straight to find the eggs. Eggs are the least expensive form of protein here in Korea (excluding tofu, but they are both a lot less expensive than red meat). For those of you who don't know, meat from a cow is about twice as expensive, meat from a pig and chicken is 1.5 times as expensive as back in the states (all are approximates). This is where stuff doesn't make sense to be one bit. When I first went to go buy the eggs, I looked at the price tag for 10 eggs, 3000 won. I was shocked, because back in the states at HEB you could buy a dozen eggs for $1. I bought the eggs that day, and made sure that each egg was used and loved three times more than the eggs back home.

But there is a strange loophole, that made me question what Korean people are thinking.

10 eggs = 3000 won
30 eggs = 4500 won

You get a fifty percent discount when you buy in bulk?!

With this being the truth, Once my measly ten eggs were devoured, I went back to the store and bought the 30 egg carton. Now its time for some crackin',scramblin', fryin' and boilin'.

So with my 20kilogram back of rice (approx. 44lbs) that my school provided me when I first moved in, my 30 eggs, 8 whole onion, 10 mushrooms, 2 cans of 고추tuna, 3 packs of shin ramen, and all the different oils and sauces that I have at my disposal I embark on the journey to cook for one.

It is almost a habit of mine, to come home from school and wash and cook one cup of rice for dinner. Fry two eggs, and eat with some kimchee and other side dishes. But thank God for Korean frozen foods. I was able to fry up some 만두, added some soy sauce, and BAM, gourmet meal (it wasn't gourmet, but variety is always welcomed).

BUT, because I cook for myself, it automatically leads to a decrease in my caloric intake.

1 cup of rice = 204 calories
2 fried eggs= 180 calories
3 servings of kimchi = 45 calories.

This is my meal twice a day. Once at around 10am and then again at 6pm.
For snacks, I drink a cup of milk and eat some bread.

Basically, my caloric intake is about half of what it was back in the states. I miss bar-b-que.


I think I fixed the problem that people were having with leaving comments on my blog.

entry 20: Anguish

It was not an unusual morning. The sun had risen, the light shone in through the window, the sound of cars entered through my window. Although the morning had started the same way as it always has, soon after I woke I noticed something peculiar. There was a hole in my chest. I was not sure how long the hole had been there, but this morning there was something more defined about it. I went to the mirror and started to closely look at myself but there was nothing unusual about my reflection. This hole was my heart.

I know that this blog has been used to record my experience in Korea and for me to talk about something serious seems somewhat out of place, so for those of you who are simply looking for a light hearted read, I am sorry to disappoint but this is not one of those posts. Let me try to entice your reading appetite by telling you that this post will tell you the truth about my experience in Korea, especially the truth about areas that I have left out. Please remember that I woke up this morning with a hole in my chest, that still has yet to be filled.

For those of you who already know me and have seen me outside of the context of Korea, you know that I thoroughly enjoy being in company of people. I don't mind being the center of attention and I am not afraid to speak my mind and I am not afraid to be outgoing. I am an extrovert who loves to have people around. I found so much joy in having people coming over to my apartment and having people just relax and slowly peel off the stress that had accumulated from the late nights of studying. I love people, I love making people laugh, I love fellowship. I think this love for fellowship has fueled my heart for ministry and really has fueled my desire to follow God. Fellowship had defined a large part of why I have been going to church, maybe even more than for the love of God. This is where the hole in my chest started to grow the most rapidly.

I knew beforehand that it was going to be lonely here in Korea. People had asked me if I was going to be alright being by myself in a foreign country, and I had unknowingly just responded with the answer that had sounded right "I'll have lots of time to be alone with God". The magnitude of those words never really meant anything as they left my lips. I had not understood what it really meant to be alone, and I had completely no idea what it meant to be completely alone with God. I always had the ability to be a phone call away from someone to physically be with if I had the urge to pray or just to talk about spiritual matters. There had not been such a thing as alone in my life, until now. It is the solitude that has made me see the emptiness in my heart.

I was talking to a friend this morning and she told me that I sounded as if something was wrong. I explained to her that there was something wrong, but that I didn't know the word that could describe what I was feeling. I instead rearranged the furniture in my room, cleaned, and found other ways to waste time to avoid my mind from dealing with what was wrong with me. I didn't realize how much being in solitude had been affecting me. It had been noticeable, it was seeping through the walls of normalcy that I had put up as a facade. I told my friend that it must be simply the fact that I am homesick, I am desiring the presence of other people and I just don't really understand what is going on with me, but something definitely was not going the way it was supposed to. I told her that I was going to deactivate facebook for a week, to maybe see if that was the reason why I was feeling so utterly miserable, seeing the pictures of people doing fun stuff with each other. experiencing the fellowship at football games and church lock ins. Although it was a good idea, it didn't work out for too long. As most of you can see, facebook has been reactivated.

Before I go any further (and this part may be a bit confusing), but the solitude that I am speaking of is a much more internal solitude. I have been able to meet with friends and I even had the opportunity to see my dad here in Korea, but the loneliness that I am experiencing is similar to that of being homesick. I miss my comfort zone. I miss being with the people that I am most comfortable with, but I am starting to see why God has uprooted me and placed me in Korea. He had to deal with the decay in my chest that has been growing for years now. I would not have noticed this decay, this lack of love for my Father, unless I was here, alone.

I came home from school, opened up my (recently reactivated) facebook, and noticed a video posted by my friend Jason, who is also here in Korea. The title "a Call to Anguish". I started to watch the video, and throughout the entire video I felt a pressure in my chest as if to exemplify the hole within. Please watch this video, and then I will continue. I hope that it impacts you as it has impacted me.





The point that I got out of this message, and I'm sure that you might have gotten a different point out of it is.

"All true passion is born out of anguish." "True joy comes out of anguish"

That is how I feel. I feel anguish in my heart. It sounds like a very dramatic and drawn out word, but that is the emptiness that I feel in my heart. For years now, the devil has been trying to suck the life out of me, trying to take the passion away from me, by focusing me on fellowship with people (which sounds great) rather than fellowship with God (which is obviously much more important). He has tried to make me timid about things that God has made me to be bold about. I have been taking things of this world and mixing it with my passion for God therefore tainting my faith. I knew that something was wrong with my quote-unquote faith, so I desired for God to break me, for God to restore me, and make me stronger. I know that He is faithful, and I know that if I follow him that He will change this decrepit heart. I am resolved that I will no longer try to dampen the anguish within my heart with the things of this world, with social gatherings, with facebook, with movies, with whatever the world has to offer. I am resolved that I will take this anguish to the cross and pray. Pray that God will revive me and produce in me a passion that no force can falter.

I have been too comfortable, I have been living too easy of a life that I have forgotten what it means to be truly saved. I have forgotten what it means to follow God. I have forgotten what it means to be bold about a faith that is a part of who I am.

I am in anguish over the sin that has become so prevalent in my life. An idolatry of fellowship and of comfort. The sin of feeding the desires of my body, rather than following the wisdom of God. Please pray that through the blood of Jesus and the guidance of the holy spirit, that this anguish would soon be turned into passion and joy.

This is the reason why I am in Korea. I am here how to learn how to love God in an uncomfortable environment that Satan is trying to use to lead me to destruction.

The more I think about it, the more thankful I am that I am feeling this anguish, because is it possible to find repentance from Christ if you do not feel anguish over your sin? I have been lukewarm and have only expressed a highly diluted faith, and with that I go to the cross.

This is so strange, to be alone and feel this. Not at a church retreat, not at some revival, but in the quiet of my apartment. Wish me luck.

Entry 19: Pronunciation

"Lee-po-ter" He annunciated with an air of confidence.
"No" I said in a harsh tone to him, "Re-por-ter"
"Lee-po-ter" He said this time with a bit less confidence.
"No" I said as I was getting agitated "Re-por-ter".
"Lee-po-ter" He said, with a confused look on his face.
"No..." I said in a defeated voice.

I wrote a large "R" and a large "L" on the board. I did not write these on the board for my student's sake, but for the sake of my Korean volunteer teacher, who was correcting students. I think the easiest way to explain what he was doing in my class is like this.

Me: Reporter!
Students: Reforter!
Me: Reporter!
Students: Repoter!
Korean Volunteer Teacher: No! Lee-po-ter.
Students: LEE-PO-TER!

리포타. I had to regain control over my classroom and the unshaped tongues of my students. I was getting quite frustrated by the simple fact, that what I was teaching the kids was simply being negated by the teaching of someone who was supposed to help me during my classes. Thank God for the 1st grade teacher who told the kids "Look at his mouth when he speaks and copy the teacher as best as you can because we want you to speak correctly!" as I taught those wonderful 1st graders how to count to 10. I was glad that she recognized that the importance of a native speaker in the classroom is for the simple fact that these kids wont have an atrocious accent.

My volunteer teacher does not understand this, as he stands right next to my students in all of my classes, and corrects their pronunciation.

Student: Carmputer!
Me: Carpenter!
Student: Carmputer....
Korean Volunteer Teacher: [whispers] calpenta
Student: Calpenta!
Me: caRRRpenteRRR

To make matters even more morose, a girl cried in my 4th grade class. She was unable to say "construction worker", a word that I would say takes some finesse and practice. I broke the word down into syllables, and the entire class learned how to pronounce it with little to no accent, but those kids are vicious to those who do not catch on as quickly. As the girl mumbled "constulucsio worder", the other students laughed and roared, and tears streamed down her face. I quickly hushed the class and started to piece by piece break down the word, and after about 3 minutes, she ceased to cry, and was able to confidently say the word. It broke my heart to see someone cry, especially for a word that had commanded them to say. I hoped that this would be the last time that someone would cry in my class.

Later that day, in my 1st grade class, a girl started to cry, but it was because of the boy sitting next to her, who said something mean. As she wiped her nose, she stuck her tongue out at him, and I let out a little chuckle.

These kids are precious. They are amazing. I'm going to take pictures of them, and hopefully write posts on each grade that I teach. They are extremely intelligent kids. Brace yourself as we meet them in the next few months.

But as a little taste, let me tell you, I love my 3rd graders. My favorite class.

Entry 18: I Miss American Football

난 너를 사랑해 박용택!!! 이 세상은 너 뿐이야 박용택!!!
소리쳐 부르지만 저 대답 없는 노을만 붉게 타는데  박용택!!!

These were the words that echoed in my head for the hour long subway back to 죽정, where the Suh family had a home. The sound of thunder-sticks, of drunken Americans trying to start the wave, and personalized songs and chants for each player replayed in my head as I dozed off. I had experienced a Korean Baseball game, the LG Twins vs 한화 Eagles. The baseball game was like the numerous other baseball games that I had been to in the past, but the most blatant and obvious difference was the way that crowd had behaved. For those of you who have never been to an American baseball game (I will exclude playoff baseball, I am referring more to summer baseball games) you will realize how the crowd usually is somewhat reserved, only cheering for base hits, strike-outs, and home-runs. Koreans do the same, but in a very different fashion. They have thundersticks and cheerleaders. Yes, thats right, they have cheerleaders for baseball games, who dance K-Pop dances during the time between the innings. The American's who were sitting next to us said to us "Korean's know how to watch baseball. I'm a die hard Giants fan, but even I get bored during some games. This is insane." 
Korean people even have perfected the wave. That's right, you just read that correctly, Koreans have perfected the wave, or at least have inovated it in a way that I personally have never seen before. The typhoon wave.
I think it is going to be a bit hard for me to explain to you what exactly a typhoon wave looks like, but image a really slow wave, but is the size of a baseball stadium. It was amazing and the dude who was coordinating it was going nuts. One of the American guys from our section tried to do the same, but due to the fact that he was both drunk and spoke no Korean only allowed him to create a small ripple in the huge crowd.


When the game ended, with the final score being 3-1, the winning or losing team not really mattering (LG twins, the side we were rooting for lost -_-), I left the stadium slightly wanting to go back to the 찜질방 that we had gone to the night before. There was something about going to a Korean sauna that just made me feel good. The sauna really lifted my spirits. This past weekend was no normal weekend, it was a vacation weekend, and amazingly all expenses paid vacation. It was nice to be taken care of, not having to worry about a single thing.


The one down side, I had no internet connection for most of my weekend, but I was glad to find that UT is looking ready to take the National Championship and Oklahoma lost (I was actually hoping the the Red River Shootout would be with two undefeated teams so that UT would look that much more amazing when WE would go on to win that game easily) . 


Another down side to this weekend, I didn't have my camera to take pictures of all the food (Suwon Galbi, Sushi and Sashimi, Shabu Shabu, and KFC at the baseball stadium) and the amazing people that I was with. Interestingly, the family that I spent the weekend with is friends with Sara Kim and her family. Crazy small world. 


I think it would be interesting to teach Korean people about football (which I would say has one of the most enthusiastic crowds for all of American sports, just go to a UT football game and you will see what I mean) and see how they cheer. They cheered for strikes, for hits, for cheerleaders at the baseball game. They were a very educated crowd in the sense that they knew when to cheer and when to keep quiet. It was a great experience, and next up is going to a Korean soccer game.


Anyways, I had fun this weekend. It was great being able to eat and eat and eat and eat, without having to worry about bills or the cost of food. Also, my dad is coming to Korea next Sunday, which will further decrease my stress. NICE.


난 너를 사랑해 COLT McCOY!!! 이 세상은 너 뿐이야 COLT McCOY!!!
소리쳐 부르지만 저 대답 없는 노을만 붉게 타는데  COLY McCOY!!!

Entry 17: Dancing

Kindergarten
Chris,Julia, Sara, Sunny

3rd Grade
Andrew, Sam, Tony, John, Julie, Ginny, Rachael

4th Grade:
Julia, Eugene, Brian, Jenny, Junior King, Olleh, Kelly, Shine, Judith, Steven


6th Grade:
Ken, Luke, Amy, Julia, Max, Kevin, Ryan, Kai, Belle, Emily

These are the names that I remember from the classes that I have taught so far. I am meeting the 5th graders today and the 1st and 2nd graders tomorrow. I will post pictures because these kids are way to cute and funny. The kindergarteners are pretty much babies that can walk and talk. They are a bit taller than my knee and I'm afraid they will trip over their unsure legs as they run around the school.

Although the training at Kyung Hee and at Freya was long and tedious, I still feel that it was a shock as to how hard it is teaching English to kids that have no idea what English is. For my K-4th graders, even the simple command of "repeat after me" leaves a dumb founded look on their face. Of course, I expected them to not be proficient in their English abilities, but to teach this class without using Korean? I think it will be nearly impossible, especially since the teachers at 광판 elementary school don't speak English. Teaching is extremely fun and rewarding, but this comes at the cost of being exhausted when I get home. Doing lesson plans, trying to teach English with minimal Korean knowledge, having teachers watch me every time I teach (most English teachers get their own class room, but I don't so I have to move from class to class, and interestingly, the teacher just sits there and watches me teach), and the fact that I'm in Korea really take a toll on me.

It is interesting how some days I feel as if my Korean is improving by leaps and bounds and then the exact opposite at other times. I feel like my Korean is as good as my dancing. For those of you who know me and have seen me dance, you will understand how uneducated my Korean is. In the same way that I can watch someone dance and appreciate the beauty in it, I find beauty in the Korean language. Sadly, I do not know what it feels like to "pop" or "lock" or do one of those fancy "pirouettes", I would not know where to begin. Similarly, my Korean lacks the fluency and flair that natives possess. But I'm here, learning how to speak, learning how to crawl and stand on my own two feet slowly watching others spin around flawlessly, as I learn how to touch my toes. I fall down a considerable amount these days, especially when talking with adults. They expect a certain degree of proficiency when speaking in Korean, something to do with my blood, my very Korean blood. It is almost as if, because my parents are able to dance a waltz, I should also be proficient.

I am trying and learning, day by day. Interestingly, I know a dance that these people only know slightly, English. I get to start from scratch with these kids. Teaching them how to pronounce the letter "f" correctly, making sure that they do not confuse "v" for "b" and correcting them when they mistake "Judith" and say "Judas". In English, I can roam freely. I am no Shakespeare or Whitman, but there is a certain comfort in moving in your own language, and I want these kids to realize that it is ok to trip and fall, that it is perfectly acceptable for them to stumble and scrape their knees. Look at me, I'm a 20 year old student who stumbles in Korean every day.

I can't dance and I can barely speak Korean, but I know someone who does both pretty well.

So go see Eunice perform with Texas' Best Dance Crew, Redefined Dance Company, this Friday September 4th at 7:00pm. I know that a lot of people have church that Friday, but consider going to watch Eunice dance. I know that she would dance that much harder if you were there. Get there early to get good seats. Hogg Auditorium. Do ittttttt. Free Admission.

(I've seen their routine, and its legit)

Host:	RUSH OMEGA PHI GAMMA Fall 2009
Type:	Music/Arts - Performance
Price:	FREE ADMISSION

Date:	Friday, September 4, 2009
Time:	7:00pm - 11:00pm
Location:	Hogg Memorial Auditorium (behind FAC)

Entry: 16: My Sassy Girl

Let me stop your train of thought, before it even leaves the station. This post is not about any particular girl. This post is about one of the most horribly and poorly made films that I have seen to date.

On your left you will see a very unique Korean film that was adapted from this Korean guys blog entries, about his girlfriend who pretty much changed his life. I have had people tell me that the blogs are hysterical and heartfelt. You see, it was a movie made from a blog. The movie is very entertaining. Now lets move to figure 2, the piece of work those foolish American's decided to produce.

To give a little background, the reason why I even watched this straight-to-DVD piece of 똥 is because I thought I was downloading the Korean version, and watch it in only Korean without the subtitles just to gauge my Korean. I opened the file, and to my horror, this started to play. I had already made my 라면 and I was so glad to have finally gotten my desk and bed, that I said "what the heck, why not watch this". Just as a disclaimer, I fast forwarded a good 1/2 of the movie, so this review is based on the beginning and end of the film. Let's just say I know why it was a straight-to-DVD kind of movie.

I think the only way that I will be able to explain to you why the American version is bad, is for me to explain how the Korean version did it first, and then to elaborate how the Americans went and threw up all over it. List format.

1. Korean- The main character was shy, somewhat soft spoken, easily flustered, polite, and had great facial expressions, especially in regards to what his love interest was doing. When he gave that rose to her during her piano recital, you were embarrassed for him, and at the same time, you were glad that he did it. American- He was a complete nerd. Raised by Midwestern farmers whose ONLY goal for their son was to become a mid level manager for some tractor company (no joke). He has a friend who is only interested in getting him some "action", and his innocence was pretty much out the window when his friend reveals that the main character has ONLY had sex with 3 women in the past 4 months. Oh, how terrible his life must be for only having 3 in the last 4 months. Near the end of the movie, he tells his parents "I got the job at the tractor company, but I'm not going to take it." "Why the crap not?" "Because I'm going to LIVE." implying that his time with this girl has made him want to live? I wasn't too sure what he was thinking either... Idiot.
2. Korean- She was rough around the edges, but characteristic of a mean Korean girl. Sassy. She was sassy. American- She was a rich, spoiled, self centered, you know. How can you love someone who acts like a spoiled rich kid who gets wasted all the time? The Korean version was much more lovable, and her drinking problem paralleled closely to the loss of her fiance. The American version quickly portrays the beautiful Elisha Cuthbert as some blonde bimbo who just likes to get wasted.
3. Korean- The write each other letters and vow to meet in one year. The guy comes one year later, finds her letter, but no girl. Years pass, the girl and guy are reunited by chance. But in fact, in real life, the guy who wrote the blog never met his sassy girl again, the whole "years later they met again" was a simply way to end the story on a happy ending. American- They write each other letters and vow to meet in one year. He comes, finds her letter, but no girl. NEXT DAY, she comes she finds the letter, says that because she was not ready to see him A DAY AGO, it was not destiny that they should be together, some old man tells her she is an idiot but she leaves it to destiny. They reunite soon there after, and tada! End of crappy movie.

America royally screwed with this one. They copied all the major scenes, but placed it in New York rather than in Korea, which really detracted from a lot of the meaning of the whole thing. For example, instead of shouting her love for him while he was on the adjacent mountain, the American movie chose to have the same scene in some city park, where they were both surrounded by people but separated by a few hundred yards.

This might sound like a biased review, and in that case, go rent the movie. Just remember. I warned you.

The movie did make me want to write someone a letter and not give it to them for a year or so... I always thought that was a fun idea. Just because so many things change in a year, but sadly this movie will still be 똥 in one year.

Sorry this post was a bit off topic of the whole "Jeremy is in Korea, lets read his blog to find out what he is doing" theme. I really am just sitting in my room watching movies and talking to people on AIM and skype. Things are super chill on my side of the Pacific.

Entry 15: Home Sweet Home?

The five teachers stood waiting for the me to enter. Once the I entered the meeting, all found a seat in a plush leather recliner. The meeting was commencing, as the principal looked toward me and introduced himself in English. That was the last word of English spoken in that room. The meeting consisted mainly of my working schedule, which turns out to be quite agreeable in which I arrive at school at 1 and leave by 4 Monday through Friday. After the business of talking about work hours, what was expected from my teaching, and some things that the principal wanted me to teach to the students, the topic of my living arrangements came into topic. They passed him a list of necessarily items that was compiled to give me a comfortable day-to-day lifestyle here in Korea. It was a strange situation, being in a room where the sole purpose of the other's attendance was me. Having a group of adults discuss with one another what I am to do, where I am to be, and the focus of their attention all on me, was quite uncomfortable. After the necessities were taken care of, most of the teachers looked satisfied that they provided me with what I needed and everything else could be taken under my own responsibility and money. I was in agreement. I was ready to pay for my own comforts. Surprisingly, the person I least expected to speak-up spoke.
"We are going to get him a TV." The principal said in a calm and direct voice.
I could see the other teachers look at one another in a kind of amazement.
So later that day, the administrator took me shopping at EMart, a ridiculously overpriced department store. We spent close to 600,000 won. Take into consideration, this grand total is excluding the bed, the desk, the refrigerator, the TV, the dresser. I am guessing that my overly generous elementary school is going to spend close to 1,300,000 won, simply to move me in. Not that I want to make my focus seem to be all about money, but this is not including the 300,000 won settlement fee that they wired to my bank account. I will take this as a kind gesture from my school, and gladly accept their hospitality.
For those of you who would like to know, I was placed in the city of 춘천 and thankfully I was not placed in the country side, but the school that I am to be teaching at is placed in the country side. Adjacent to the elementary school there is a beautiful mountain, straight up legit mountain, not one of those fake Texas mountains also known as hills. A legitimate mountain, that one of my teachers said that we would one day hike up. This is a great contrast, the fact that my home is in an urban setting and my work place is in rural Korea.
It was a strange feeling unpacking my belongings in this place. This will be my new home. This is my residence. My apartment.
In the morning, the internet was installed connecting me to the world and further making this place feel like a home. Soon after the technician left my home, I strolled down the street to a restaurant that I have decided to become a "regular".
Last night, I met up with Grace to figure out how to travel in between our apartments and figure out the approximate time it would take to travel.My home is located 20 minutes walking distance from Grace.  Grace's apartment is about the same size, the same style, the same kind of apartment, but thankfully her place has flair. The wallpaper is colorful, the room is not a simple square like mine, but rather there are interesting angles and nooks in her place. I stayed at her apartment for a few hours, I took a nap on her bed, then trekked my way back to my unfurnished apartment.
On my walk back to my apartment, I thought back to the fond memories of orientation, the trips we took, the food we ate together, the people that I had met. It was all a distant memory now. Reality had sunken in, and although we were all on the same peninsula, we were definitely separated.

I also hear stories of back home. I hear how school is starting up, how people are buying their textbooks, how they are finding out what their professors are like, they see who is in their classes. Lunch groups are formed, ACF starts up, routine kicks in. Late night basketball, going to lift weights, late night movies. These seem even more vague and distant in my memory. I can almost not distinguish what was my Sophomore year, and my Freshman year. Strange how our memories work.

Things are going well. Korea is wonderful. After doing my first set of laundry, I understand better why Korean people do not normally use dryers. Although it may not be the same for all Koreans, the heat from my air conditioning unit drys the room in which my damp clothes are placed. I do not understand on the other hand, why Korean toilets are not made to take toilet paper. It is something that boggles my mind. I am a rebellious one and still flush it down. I also prefer to sit in chairs rather than sitting on the floor, but sometimes it is nice just to lay down and relax on the floor.

Things have been incredibly hectic, but hopefully Grace and I will be able to go to Seoul at least just for Sunday, so that we might be able to go to church. I'm sure that now things have settled I will be able to further elaborate on the various things that I have gone through my time here in Korea. I would expect lots of posts, but most likely much shorter then the one you just read. I miss you. I really do miss you. I miss playing basketball with you. I miss watching movies with you. I miss eating dinner with you. I miss just chilling with you. I miss walking by you at school and stopping to say hi. (btw, you, in this case is a very general you. You means YOU!)

Entry 14: 1박 2일

The ball soared through the air. The wind propelled it farther than I had expected. It had been a while since I had played catch. It had been a while since I had played catch at the beach. The sound of the wind and the feel of the sand between my toes as I dug my feet into the sand reminded me so much of California. The ball suddenly flew back my direction.
"Feels like home" I shouted.
"Yeah. We really should get a game going."

The football had become a magnet to the people from the US. In a matter of moments, we were able to start a 7 on 7 game. Beach football. We played until it was too dark to see the ball zip across the sky. The sweat dripped from my forehead and the sand stuck to my legs and found its way in all the nooks and crannies on my person. It made me homesick, playing football with friends, having a laugh after the game. Just the general atmosphere made me want to hop on the next flight for Austin. Then it hit me that I am in Korea, and I am a man on a mission. Learn Korean. The homesickness still lingers.

After the intense game, we stopped by one of the convenient stores, bought some ice cream, and headed inside once the storm rolled in.

What a relief after a tedious day of classes that we had ALREADY ENDURED THROUGH FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS. Our group even got a lecture from the coordinator for the numerous people falling asleep and skipping lectures. No one really blamed people for being bored out of their minds, we had already done all of this. We even received a certificate for it. It is somewhat frustrating when we are the only province that has to go through this second training session with Epik, the other English teaching program. Thankfully our accommodations and the food they serve us make up for this slight annoyance, and also the fact that there is wireless internet in all the lecture halls.

I took a shower and headed over to Grace and Aileens room, where we watched 1박 2일. Aileen was craving 라면, so we boiled the water, put in the dehydrated noodles, and feasted as we watched Korean television.

Tomorrow, sadly, there are more classes. Its fine, they still are taking us to fun places, like a fish market and Seoraksan. So all is well. I just need to find something to do while I'm those lectures.

Entry 13: The Horror! The Horror!

They make us do things. Terrible things. Horrible things. It's torture I tell you! Its a travesty. The things that they make us do. No matter how much we protest. They force us. We are punished if we disobey. The horror. The horror!

With all seriousness, the Korean government is making certain things mandatory. They made us go to Lotte World. They made us go to visit a North Korean village in Sokcho. They made us go watch musical shows such as Nanta. They force us to make friends with random strangers. They made me take 847 pictures in the past 3 weeks. They made me do it, I promise.

They put us in our cells. It's called Freya. Freya Resortel (resort + hotel). They put me in solitude. A room three times as big as the dorm room, with a bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room. Terrible. A travesty.

We pass the unlimited time by learning things like how to play traditional Korean drums, similar to the Taekwondo classes and K-pop classes they made us endure in the previous weeks. We huddle together and play poker, perhaps finding better luck in the cards than in our current situation, but fail to find the luck we need to endure.

They feed us, no, rather they put us to a point of starvation where we do not feed but we devour meals that make gruel and the slop that swines dine on look appeasing. Smoked salmon, spaghetti, buttered dinner rolls, pineapple, watermelon, and traditional korean food! I feel nauseous as type the very words. How do they expect us to eat such things? Bulgogi? Kimchi? RICE?! What do they take me for? Apparently, nothing more than a piece of cattle that they are herding to further the exploits of the government.

As I sit in my cell, I play the guitar, lamenting over the memories of days where I was in the sweltering Texas sun, where my world was small, safe, and limited. They have changed my mind! Brainwashing. My world is enlarged, exciting, limitless. They have changed me for the worst.

I have not yet met the little gremlins that are about to be forced upon me, but just imagine, and I'm sure that you will be able to forsee what one of these gremlins will look and act like. Sitting quietly, perhaps giving out a giggle, dressed in their uniforms or perhaps the clothes that their parents had bought for them. Ready, to learn. Disgusting.

What good is there in Korea? Am I blind?

[ by some insane chance that you misread this post as a cry out for help, please read it again. did you catch the sarcasm? no? read again. Yeah? You got it? No? seriously? In that case, you are right, I hate Korea. :D ]

Entry 12: Last Day of Class

A strange feeling came over me after the last group presented their demonstration lesson. I felt free from the constant stress of having to sit mindlessly in the chairs that are attached to the desk, free from listening to lecturers sing songs to me, free from the thirty minute breaks in between classes that was too short to actually do something significant and too long to wait inside for the next class to start, free from training. Also, I felt as if I had been in this place, Kyung Hee University, for months. The routine had started to take a toll on my sanity. If it wasn't for our trips to Seoul, our late night ddukbokgi raids, and Red Mango, I might have blown a fuse.

As for Korea, I cannot even believe that it has been two and half weeks. Paradoxically, it feels like I've been at Kyung Hee for far too long, but a mere days in Korea. Tomorrow, we have a field trip to a temple and lotte world (most likely, this is the second time they have changed the trip). It also marks our relative freedom from TaLK, as we embark on our journey in Korea, teaching English in the most rural areas of the motherland. Expect my posts to become more vivid, expect my adventures to be more exciting, expect something. My time here in Suwon was good to offset the honeymoon stage of going to a new place. I'm ready to taste Korea.

Not to make it sound as if training has been utterly useless, I must admit that I have found a comfort zone with people. I might not experience the loneliness that I was bracing myself for thanks to the fact that we had to brace together as the training become more and more unbearable. I feel as if, they have equipped us with relationships, with material, with confidence through this training.

Thankfully, they have kept us thoroughly entertained in all matters other than lectures. For example, today we were apart of a radio show broadcast. It was professionally done and mildly entertaining. Tomorrow we get to take cooking classes, someone said we are learning how to make authentic bulgogi, and then we go to lotte world.

Korea has been fun. I have so many stories to tell. It's only been two and a half weeks.

Entry 11: Whirlwind Weekend

The wind came out of the tunnel at a refreshing pace. The sound of the subway crescendoing through the entire station. It was the first subway of the day. Five forty one in the morning. As we stepped onto the subway train, Cici looked at me and said "Did that really just happen?"
"I think so. It is really all a blur." I said, as I lazily held on the handle to keep my balance as the train started to gain momentum.
Cici, Grace, and I started to chuckle a bit, but were far too tired to give out a boisterous laugh similar to the ones that we bellowed during the previous hours. The train bulleted away, but even the journey home is simply, a blur.

The previous night had been a chain of accidental events, with nothing going according to plan, but not with the connotation of misfortune and disaster, but simply things did not go how we thought they were going to go, but they we still had an unforgettable night. A night full of one thing, shopping.

On the ride back to Kyung Hee University, I reminiced and tried to somewhat coherently place together the jumbled pieces of memories that made our trip to 동대문 unforgettable. It started with the boosting of my pride.

Our trip to Seoul was a bit different simply due to the increase in the size of our group. "This group is too big." Cici whispered to me as the bus jerked forward, "and I don't even like all of these people."
"I'm sure everything will work out. I'm really hungry. Let's just go eat instead." I said, while rubbing my stomach, as if it would subside the hunger. We all got off of the bus, and headed to the subway station.
"So, let's take line 2 to line 3 then go to line 4" I said.
"No. That is not the right way. It's line 2 to line 4." an unfamiliar voice belted my way.
"I'm pretty sure that this way is faster." I replied.
"No. That is not better. That is not faster. We are going my way." She said with a stony face.
"I think you should listen to her, she is from Korea.", a third party had interjected to decrease the amount of rising tension between us.

The subway arrived, we all got on. "Let's get off at this next stop. Alright?" I said quickly to Cici and Grace. As we got off at the next station, I shouted to Tiffany "Hey! We are going to Line 3, we will meet you there!" as I was being pushed out of the car. We made our transfers, and arrived at our destination. We were 10 min ahead of the other group. Victory. My heart threw a fist in the air, as if I got first place in the 100 meter dash. My pride inflamed.

The other group reached us and we started to go up the stairs to reach the ground level. My stomach was eating itself and I'm pretty sure that I could hear the stomachs of the others.
"Hey, I think we are going to go eat...." I said with a bit of reluctance to show that I was sad that I was changing the plan. The others became aware of their hunger. So we parted ways. Interestingly enough, no one else joined our small group of three. Which was fine, but it was a bit sad leaving Tiffany, but I was sure that she was going to be just fine in the bigger group.

We were the victorious ones. We had food in our stomachs (ddukbokgi, fried octopus, and korean style fried chicken) and we were ready to shop. So we hopped on the subway to dongdaemun. The now infamous dongdaemun, where the shop vendors had called me overweight, but this time I was going to come out victorious. It was a goal. I would conquer dongdaemun; it was not going to conquer me. How foolish I had been to let my hubris get in the way.

After having the feeling of victory of getting to our destination more efficiently than the "native" and having eaten quality food instead of trekking up a large hill, I was ready to tackle anything. In the first 30 minutes of shopping, I had been able to buy two quality t-shirts for 5,000 won. I was on a roll. Then time started to move in a very peculiar way. Hours passed seemingly slowly. One hour had felt like two. Ironically, this change in the time continuum, had effected my differently than it had the girls. The girls had forgotten about time itself. They were entranced by the clothes, the bags, the earrings, oh goodness the earrings had killed me on this night. I kept my mouth closed about the fact that we had been shopping for 4 hours straight. I wanted to conquer dongdaemun. I waited until the girls said "We should start heading back" at 11:40.

This is where things start to get blurry.

We started to walk towards the subway station. I would begin walking, the girls would get distracted by a random shopping stall. I heard them call my name, so I had to continuously walk back and forth for close to a mile. I think at this point I had walked close to 10 miles. We were stopped from proceeding forward by: shoes, shirts, skirts, bags, watches, sunglasses, PUPPIES, necklaces, and EARRINGS. We were feet from the subway station when the girls stop again, at a store that sold accessories.

"Look at these earrings! They are so cute! And only 1,000 won!" Grace exclaimed.
"Are you going to buy any of these?" I said, extremely patiently.
"No. They aren't my style, but look how cute they are. :D" She said while in her trance.

By the time we reached, I was walking closer to a jog than a walk. Once I was in that station, I walked a few meters ahead of the girls, not worrying about how much distance was between us. I was then stopped by an older man, who regretfully told me "the last train has left".

"NO TRAIN?" I said using disrespectful sentence structure. I turned around and started to mumble to myself the different ways that we could have gotten back to our dorms. Sadly, there was no viable option. Taxis would cost double at night, there were no more buses.

It was 12:45. How the. What the. Huh?!?!?

We left the shopping center at 11:45. How did it take us an hour to walk less than a mile? What the heck happened? I was left utterly confused.

We went to a Coffee Bean, got a few coffees, and laughed. We literally laughed for a whole hour. We were drugged on the fact that we missed the subway/train/any way to the dorms. We laughed till our sides burned. It was a laughter of exhaustion and utter surprise from the fact that we shopped close to 5 hours, and took an hour to get to the subway station that should have taken closer to 10 minutes.

The events that unfolded after coffee bean are incoherent. I think we shopped some more. I think. I really was on zombie mode.

As the sun was rising, we walked for a second time to the subway station. We conquered dongdaemun, but dongdaemun had definitely put up a much larger fight that I could have ever imagined.

Once it was time for me to hit the sack, I literally collapsed and was instantly knocked out.

I woke up from my slumber, went out to eat with my roommate and his group for the first time, and had a good time. I just realize why I hadn't done it in the past. It was a bit awkward for me to split the check differently since I didn't order any alcohol. They were a fun bunch and I wouldn't mind to eat with them more, but I think the whole drinking scene is not for me.

I met up with Clara on Sunday after church. She helped me get a phone, we got coffee and talked about the good ole days when we were like 10 and then we went to the mall where we played Korean arcade games and took sticker pictures. (BTW, the Korean English sermons I have heard so far are of such high quality. My notes are actually substantial. I feel convicted and victorious after each service. Refreshing.)

This weekend did not disappoint. Sadly, I have very few pictures to prove it. Nevertheless, Korea and I are doing well, we wish that you would enjoy yourself too.