The English Zone

Here's a look at my classroom for those who are curious about what my working environment looks like! This will just be a quick post with some pictures. Hopefully I can add some captions or explanations to it later this week.

 Okay, I have to give a caption here... haha.
I just found these audiobooks on the shelf with all the other English reading materials in my classroom and had to take a photo... they just seem sooo out of place on that shelf. I asked my co-teacher where they came from and she didn't even know. She assumed they must have been the property of the previous NET (Native English Teacher) --- but she was from New Zealand! Anything is possible, but this still was very weird.

And this is where we trade in our real shoes every morning for slippers... I can't stand this part of the job because my feet get so cold in the slippers and there is no central heating. But, it keeps the floors semi-clean so, what are you gonna do?

My third and fourth grade sticker chart for the month of November... I have to make a new one in the morning!

Gyeongju - a memory within a memory

When I posted about my very special iron last time, I was really just choosing a simple topic to blog about because I wanted to give a quick update. Now, I still want to give a quick update because my days are getting shorter and shorter it seems... but I have nothing short of a million things to share!

I will start with what I didn't share in my previous blog.

Our AWESOME 3-day field trip to Gyeongju!

Above is Sangsu Elementary, grades 3-6, at Bulguksa Temple, the first stop on our voyage through the old capital of Korea--Gyeongju--when it was ruled by the Silla dynasty more than a thousand years ago. Hence my title for this post: for me, Gyeongju holds a grand memory of Korea's past in which I formed some of my own wonderful memories as well!

The above and following pics were taken at the site of what used to be a large palace complex during the Silla period... the pictures were taken in succession as you might notice. I was not expecting this to happen...

 Or this...

 Or this!

 Above and right, the kids are listening intently to our tour guide who stayed with us throughout the 3-day trip giving us tours and explanations of all the sites we visited. She worked for the youth hostel that we stayed at, so it was very convenient. Apparently there are many youth hostels in Gyeongju with similar programs because all elementary students--and I think even middle school students--get to take at least one trip to the city to see their country's heritage. You can see Mr. 우 (pronounced kind of like the "oo" in "food"), the 6th grade teacher, who I got to know pretty well during this trip.

OH! And, guess what? I was on TV!
There happened to be a talk show from the Busan area filming at one of the monuments that we visited and since I was the most out-of-place-looking person among their onlookers, they came up to me and immediately started asking me how I liked Korea. They asked me how old I was and when I told them, the two women asked if I would marry them LOL.

It was a comedy show of course for a local audience, but still... I was on TV in Korea! hahaha
I haven't received any calls for further interviews... yet.

Left is Bulguksa once again.

This is Miss. 김 (Kim--the Smith of Korean last names, only even more common). She is the 5th grade teacher and also the person who has helped me in adjusting to life in this country more than any other individual over the past month and a half! She also just graduated college and we are the same age--so we can be friends! If you're not the same age as someone in Korea, it is significantly more difficult to become close friends with him or her because of the way their social hierarchy works... but I find this to be different for foreigners like myself thankfully!

Above: The youth hostel where we stayed in Gyeongju. Some 3rd and 4th grade girls are still trying to wake up at 8 in the morning... 

Above and below are all from the Gyeongju National Museum (국립경주박물관)

There were about 3 million of these tombs just laying about all across the Gyeongju landscape and we probably visited 20 of them!  They are, at least on the outside, somewhat similar to some of the Indian mounds you can see in Ohio and other places in the States.




Here is one of the most famous ones below...

And this is the largest bell I have ever laid eyes on... sadly it has not been "ringable" since about 2005 if I remember correctly.... at the Gyeongju National Museum.

These two little girls, Seo Yoon and Min Kyeong, are best friends as you can see... they almost never let go of each other! No joke.
They are also two of my best students!

Mr. 우 taught me an interesting expression (while we were visiting this beautiful park full of burial mounds) that lots of Korean men like to quote when autumn comes around:

"Autumn is the season for men" ("가을은 남자의 계절")

It means that men are at their peak for finding a relationship during autumn or something to that effect... I quoted it to Miss. Kim and she got a kick out of it.

There is a really cool story that goes along with this little artificial stone stream, but it was lost in translation... for me at least.

We also visited the Pacific Ocean! (in Korean: 태평양 "tae pyeong yang") 
It was chilly and the waves were huge... therefore, a lot of fun!

Made in France.

Now, this may look like an ordinary iron to the unobservant...

 But, look more closely, and you will see something really cool...

It was made in France! HA! Who would have guessed that the first iron I get in Korea would be made in France?? I don't know about you, but I am stoked.

Unfortunately it doesn't speak French, so I will have to look elsewhere in order to keep my language in shape. And, guess what. I met an girl from the States last weekend on the subway who majored in French and is now teaching English in Korea just like me! Needless to say, our short train ride was not long enough to discuss all of the things we shared in common. It was, on the other hand, long enough to exchange names and Facebook friendship requests.

I truly do miss France and speaking French with others, be it on AU's campus or in Normandy where I studied for 6 months. On the other hand, the experience of learning Korean is entirely new and entirely interesting to me. In between Korean lessons, however, I have managed to watch French news just about every day for the past few weeks. It is really nice, because they always give an update on the election in the US and normally they have another 4-5 minute story about something in the US. So, I get to stay up-to-date with American and French news, while at the same time keeping my French in shape :)

My interest in French probably doesn't interest a lot of my readers, but it is a big part of my life here so I wanted to share. French is a beautiful language. I can only hope that my interest in it will inspire others to study it or continue where they left off in high school. If you need a good reason... there are over 140 million French speakers in the world and most of them do not know Jesus Christ. Alors, allons-y!

On a different note--for those who are still wondering whether I managed to decipher my thermostat, I can happily report that I did indeed! There were a few fairly cold mornings last week that I had to endure, but now it is up and running... literally, hot water is running underneath the floor-boards.
I had to have my co-worker call the office manager here at my building a few (or maybe 5 or 6) times, but we got it figured out and I am warm. It's good to be warm. 

Blessings of Translation...

I must say, life gets busy. Hence the reason for my absence on this blog. For everyone who has checked for an update from me over the past couple of weeks without any luck, I'm sorry about that. I was blessed in the beginning of my stay here in Korea with a rather light workload which really allowed me the time to process my new environment and make plenty of blog posts in the process. Now that my 16-20 classes per week (depending on how you count) are underway, time is seeming to speed up. Not to mention, I have a lot fewer of those 24 hours in the day to use for social networking!

In any case, I wanted to give an update on things here in my neck of the woods. Currently, the biggest challenge that lies before me is pictured below.

Now, if that sight doesn't scare the living daylights out of you... well, then you're probably Korean. You see, it's not as simple as just flipping on the heat when one is cold. In Korea, they use what is called a floor heater. That's not a space heater I'm talking about. There is actually a system of pipes that runs underneath the floor in most houses and apartments (as far as I know) carrying hot water. This hot water heats the floor (almost always a wooden floor) thereby heating the room above. It makes for some very happy feet in the morning... when it is working properly. I have yet to get it to work in my apartment, in spite of having had the office manager of my building come and check it out with me along with a co-worker from my school. Thankfully it is not very cold outside yet and the only time I might need some extra heat is in the morning. But, all the same, I think this is a battle worth fighting now rather than later.

I am not worried about it though--okay maybe just a tad--BUT, that is my humanity talking. I know God is going to take care of me. He has provided everything I have needed every step of the way these past 22 years and much, much more.

"Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Tim 6:6-8)

My best friend recently shared this verse with me and it rings absolutely true in my current situation. 

That friend (David, whom many of my readers know already!) happens to be Korean and also happens to really enjoy translation! SO, I am going to take the liberty now to share with you all another of the blessing God has given me...

So, there you have it! (I hope David doesn't mind my showing off of his beautiful work...)

I hope to make another update this coming weekend. Until then, blessings everyone--count them, because they are all around you! 

Teaching is not a cake walk!

What is the hardest thing about my life in Korea? That's a question I was recently posed by my friend David. I had to think about it for a minute. It's not the language, although that is an obstacle to communication, I find so much joy in listening to it and learning it on a daily basis. (Not to mention, in the USA one will very rarely come across an advertisement as entertaining as the one in the picture below--all thanks to the fact that English is not the native language of Korea!)

It's not the food, although that is certainly a challenge at night when I have to come up with something to cook or buy that will fill my stomach and not completely burn my mouth off (Korean food is very hot at times!). But right there is even more motivation to learn the language, so again, I can't complain!

Neither has the hardest part been finding encouraging friends--God has placed so many people in my life already who have been a blessing and whom I have had the opportunity to bless. Just the other day, I had to take the bus home from school because the teacher who normally gives me a ride home had to go somewhere else that day. At first, I was very upset at the thought of spending 45 minutes on a slow-moving bus over about 200 speed bumps all the way home (in Korea, all the roads that are not freeways are littered with speed bumps, or so it seems,--hence: lots of slowing down and speeding up providing a good workout for your breaks and your shocks). But, I knew God had put me in that place for a reason and that He would provide me an opportunity to be a blessing. And He did! I can't really explain it, but I had a couple short interactions with some of the other passengers on the bus which turned out to be a blessing for both them and for me. It's funny how so many times we try to be a blessing in the life of another and it turns out they are the blessing in our life. The key is to have one's mind on Christ and His perfect love for us. Only then can we come close to seeing the world as God does.

Galatians 2:20:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

No, none of the above things have been terribly difficult. I think the most difficult thing I have had to do is simply teaching the children at my school. Not just teaching them, but finding a balance between motivation, entertainment, and educational-benefit. Again, the Lord is the only One who knows the best way to teach these children and I am trusting Him to guide me in my decisions regarding their learning. Be that as it may, I need your prayers. All of my teacher friends out there will most certainly understand the plea of a first-year teacher---but most of you majored in education! It is a challenge. But it is a welcome challenge and a healthy challenge for which I am thankful. You might think I have a good attitude about it and I guess I do most of the time. But I also (usually) know when I need prayer in a certain area of my life. And this is one of them.

Cooking is not easy without your mom and no college meal plan!

Psalm 40:5 (ESV)

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.

Since I began my time in Korea and long before that, I could see God working his "wondrous deeds" in and around my life. It really is a matter of perspective and when our perspective is the same as His (or as close as we can get) then life is much more beautiful. Maybe beautiful is not the perfect word for it, but it's the best I can think of at the moment.

One way He has been working in my life is through the friends He has placed around me. I am not that great in the kitchen. I'm a guy. Go figure. But, God knows that much better than I do. Two weeks ago I visited an English service in Uijeongbu (that I mentioned in an earlier post) and had a wonderful experience. Granted, it is a different style of worship than I am used to--they are Pentecostal and I have normally attended a Baptist church--but the people are incredibly welcoming there. So, in spite of the differences I certainly felt God's love and presence. One of the "wondrous deeds" that I noticed from that experience was in a friend who I met there, Matt. Matt is a Korean who has studied English for a long time now (Matt is just the name he uses to make pronunciation easier for westerners). He also spent 4 years studying marketing in China, so he speaks Chinese as well. Aside from the fact that we both are students of language (which in itself is awesome in my opinion!), he also graduated from culinary school so he knows his way around the kitchen much better than I do. When I told him yesterday that I'd been eating quite a bit of ramen lately, he was a bit worried about my health. He's going to give me a few Korean recipes to make my life a bit healthier. In short, God has shown Himself to be strong in my weakness once more. I can't cook, but Matt can!

Although, I still really love ramen. And if you're interested in trying out a good ramen recipe... just watch this video!

The Seoul Experience

Did you know that in Korea buses have their own private lane of traffic on the freeway? It’s true. And that’s why I’m going to get home at 10pm tonight instead of midnight. Right now I’m on a bus back to my home in Dongducheon after having spent 2 very eventful days in Seoul and today in Songtan, a smaller town south of Seoul.

I am so thankful to have a friend here from Anderson University—Josh—who I spent the last three days with. Last week, I was trying to decide what to do with myself over the rather long 6 day vacation for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and I remembered—or rather God brought to my mind—that Josh had come to Korea to teach at Pyeongtaek Christian International School. He didn’t know that I was here yet. Ha! So, I found him on facebook one night while drinking coffee in one of the wonderfully abundant cafes below my apartment and he suggested we get together over the break. We decided to go to Seoul and he invited another friend of his, Laura, who teaches in Busan (on the southern coast). So, we all met up at Seoul station on Saturday afternoon and began our adventure!

King Sejong the Great

The prospect of going to explore a new city with one other guy who I didn’t know very well and a girl who I’d never met was a little ominous, but there is something about being in a foreign place that can really bring you together with others from your own culture. The food for conversation is endless because we are all experiencing a brand new culture for the first time. Not only that, but we all three happened to be Christians, so God was always welcome in that conversation as well. The Lord was watching out for all of us because I think the encouragement we gained from each other is what we really needed more than anything.

We started from here...

Oh and this was at the palace, earlier in the day... it was beautiful

The first night was a blast. It had its ups and downs, but all in all we had a great time exploring together. After filling our tummies at a Korean McDonalds (You betcha!) we headed to the big royal palace at the heart of the city, Gyeongbokgung, but that wasn’t the best part. After exploring the palace and taking some pretty sweet “jumping pictures,” we decided it would be a good idea to go to the top of N Seoul Tower. We didn’t know how we would do it, but we were determined to make it there…

Now, you should be aware, most people take a bus or ride the cable-car to get to the top of the mountain that this tower stands on the top of.  Us? We took the scenic route. To give you the short version, we basically got off the subway in Itaewon and headed toward the tower until we got to the top! I’m not sure how many stairs we climbed to get there, but it was by far the best workout I’ve had since arriving in Korea.

The staircase to the tower....

 After taking "the fastest elevator in the world" to the top of the tower.... this is the view towards the USA:

On Sunday morning, we visited Yoido Full Gospel Church, the biggest church in the world where they seated us in the balcony with other foreigners and provided us with headsets connected to a live interpretation of the service into 10 different languages--it was a real treat for my ears :)... this is a clip from the worship service:

Later that day we visited Insadong... a big shopping district near the city-center

Well, that's it for now. All in all, I had a wonderful and encouraging experience with some new friends. Now I am back in Dongducheon and starting to plan for the upcoming week of classes! Please pray for me as I continue to seek the Lord's guidance in this position of incredible responsibility teaching His little children. My first lesson will be on Thursday afternoon, October 4th! 

Psalm 39:7 -- "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you."