XXXIV. You say goodbye, I say hello.

Here are some pics of several of my classes during the last days of work. I still can't believe I've left them after a year and three months. I miss my kids.

T/TH:

Reading 3.2

Reading 4.1

M/W/F:

Junior 1

Science 2

XXXIII. Gimje Horizon Festival - 10.3.09

Gimje, the land of the horizon.

Around Seoul, it is pretty mountainous, with fairly challenging trails that are great to hit up around fall. However, Gimje, my mother's hometown, is completely flat- which is great for growing rice. To celebrate a good harvest and beautiful countryside, there is a festival held called "Gimje Horizon Festival." The following weekend after Chuseok, I revisited my relatives to attend the festival.

I didn't know much about my uncle as a photographer, but it was fun to follow him around while he captured moments and conversed with the locals. He had a little exhibition in one of buildings, so I was able to see his work and talk about art. It was seriously one of the coolest moments I've had in Korea. Talking about creative things with my Korean uncle.

I love things like this = such a nerd :]

Turkish ice cream. So random.

Basically, this is what happened:

-Ate a LOT of yummy food.

-Didn't sleep.

-Hung out with my uncle and aunt a ton

-Was interviewed by Arirang (oh the wonders of being part caucasian)

-Made a lot of crafts. Multiple times.

-Saw fireworks.

-Hung out with my mom's baby sister and her kids. I'm so in love with them!

-Free stuff.

-Met a great-aunt for the first time.

-Learned how to make silk.

-Had a heart to heart with my cousin, Jihae.

I'm incredibly thankful for my relatives.

The white and blue dragon keep the peace

by maintaining the balance between good and evil.

On the last night, I experienced "ganggangsullae," an awesome surprise after my students had been telling me so much about it in class. It's a traditionally female dance, now enjoyed by everyone, celebrating the brightest full moon of the year. Everyone holds hands in a circle and sings/chants "강강술래". As my aunt was telling me, not only does it symbolize the harvest moon but also unity and peace by joining as one heart.

Sadly, I wasn't brave enough at the time to jump in, but it was really heartwarming to see entire families holding hands and singing, promising each other to keep the bond of unity. No wonder families in Korea are so close. Who wouldn't be after such vulnerability ;}

Anyways, I keep missing weekends in Seoul and at Jubilee, but I don't mind. These moments with my relatives are few and far between. I count them as precious.

XXXII. They call it a revolution.

I'm on my last week of work. And I'm replaying all the Kpop songs that help me forget that life is serious. Just for now.

XXXI. K-Pop boys are really pretty...

and pretty cool until they start sprouting wings.

XXX. Real quick.

Today, after cracking down on my students for speaking Korean...

Student 1: "(insert Korean here)"

Student 2: *sniff sniff* "Teacher, I smell Korean."

I love my life.

XXIX. Chuseok: A Full Circle in More Ways than One.

My 친척: Second uncle, cousin JoonSuh, cousin JiHae,

third uncle's wife, cousin HyunSuh

Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving, is a harvest festival around the arrival of a full moon. There's even a traditional dance called "Ganggangsuwulae" where everyone holds hands, sings, and dances in a circle. It is befitting that a year ago, I was welcomed into Korea with this celebration and now I will say good-bye soon after celebrating it again. Full circle.

A year ago, I almost missed the bus to Kimjae, my mother's home town. I fled downstairs, grabbed whatever I could, and shoved everything into a small, brown travel-bag, all while scarfing down saltines. It's a surprise that I made it, but even more surprising that I didn't choke on those crackers. My mom met us at my uncle's and the rest you can read in my blog. That I wrote a year ago. I didn't think much could be any different this time around, but in fact it was the opposite.

First, the baby, HyunSuh, was not a baby at all. He had shot up so fast and actually had hair and could talk. It was fun to practice speaking with him- sad that I'm pretty sure we're on the same linguistic level .. Here he is holding a camera, imitating his photo-fantastic father. Ugh. Adorable.

Anyway, over the three days I was there, we fell in love with each other and were inseparable. I've never wanted to have kids until now. Unfortunately, I got an automatic wake-up call at 7:30am every morning. Gotta love kids!

In the car on the way to the family tombstones. During Chuseok, you pay respect to your ancestors by visiting their graves.

Second, I was able to revisit my grandparent's home that I saw when I was eight. How I got there is a story in itself.

Korea, you've come a long way.

My second uncle and family in

my grandparents' new home.

The roads in the countryside are lined with these

Cosmos flowers.

Third, instead of just devouring the food set before me, I learned how to make it. After HyunSuh woke me from a brief nap, I made yakbap.

I have been completely blessed to have such amazing relatives here in Korea. I constantly look forward to seeing them and I miss them before I even leave. I've always said that I have the most amazing mother in the world, but I can see that the goodness runs in the family.

Ps.

I want one!!!

XXVIII. Chuck Norris grates fresh parmesan cheese with his beard.

Four reasons why I love teaching:

With Sarah, Lisa (student), and Ann.

Tina was the photographer.

In Korean culture, a child's identity is primarily dominated by their academic success. After all, education counts as one of the building blocks of how fast Korean society has caught up with the rest of the world. But, it makes life so difficult for these students. They're in class from 8am to 10pm. They're rewarded mostly for good grades. They're severally punished for bad ones. Even in class, there is an obvious hierarchy of who's so called smart or not. Mentally disabled kids are treated like they have a contagious disease.

I can't offer much to these students, but on September 26, four young Korean girls walked into a surprised teacher's home, eagerly pushing a mountain of gifts into her arms. Did I know they were coming? Yes. Did I know they would shower me with presents? No. For over a year now I've seen these girl consistently and they've always shown thoughtfulness, authenticity, and kindness. I was so excited to spend a day with them outside of the classroom. I wanted to somehow communicate to them how their personalities and quirks are far more valuable than their marks. On top of that, they gave me these:

My students are awesome.

We ate a make-shift lunch of pesto pasta and chicken, fooled around with my guitar, played some hilarious card games, and then headed out to the subway to walk around Seohyun. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and the day could not get any better. But it did.

Ann and my owl friend compete for cuteness.

We walked around, took pictures, and stopped by the arcade. Korean kids don't have a lot of money, but they kept offering to pay for me. Needless to say, I never let them. The girls were so funny and silly. Lisa, shown in the picture, kept bumping me with her stomach. While walking past a shoe store, she said she wanted to try on one of my shoes...

Tina and I getting an arcade workout.

Overall, the day humble me. The girls were so grateful and wanted to hangout again, but I realize that these moments were so fleeting. My desire was to encourage these girls, not just for a single moment, but in a way that would stick to them for the rest of their lives. But, only God can do that!! As much as I want to hangout with them, and the other students, the best way for me to care for them is constant prayer. A lot of it.

Yes, maybe I can plan one awesome day for these girls, but I can't control what goes on the rest of the time. Not only that, but it's hard to communicate to them that there was purpose behind "just having fun" with them. I was reminded that God is in control and that's a wonderful thing. He loooves his children so much and knows them better than me. The best things I could do are to pray and do whatever I can to point them to Jesus. And maybe, eventually, God will let us hang again. :]

XXVII. Hold on to your pants.

For the next several posts I'm going to recall the events that have happen within the past few months. Let's just say I'm a bit behind...

Kay's Wedding

On September 5, a bright, clear Saturday morning, I hopped on the KTX headed to Busan. I was going to a wedding for a good friend, Kay. I fell asleep for a bit (on the 3 hour ride) and after waking, was offered a cold Lotteria bulgogi burger by the lady next to me.

She knew four languages, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and English, and was a teacher herself. It is a Korean custom to use Chinese characters on wedding paraphernalia, so she helped me sign the wedding card in Chinese! So cool. Can't believe I didn't take a picture of the card. Wompwomp.

I was curious about Korean weddings, because, shockingly, I heard nothing but negative comments about them from the natives. Korean weddings have the reputation of being overly extravagant, detached, and fast. The ceremonies were about 30 minutes long and it was common to see people walking around and/or casually talking on their cellphones. Yet, I carried the distinct feeling that Kay's would be different.

The service gently welcomed visitors through sweet songs of worship. After the ceremonial necessities, the surprises followed. A group of friends came up to share a special song. In the midst of missed falsetto notes and off-harmonies, I noticed the symphony of approving smiles and nods from the emotional audience. To top it off, the groom's youth group put together an especially adorable video wishing them love and blessings. Intimate. That's how it's done.

On returning, my co-worker, John, and I got acquainted with two of Kay's friends. Their English names were Joseph (요셒) and Sam (히삼) and to our surprise they spoke fluent English. Our bus decided to stop at a beach and treated us to some traditional-style seafood. It made our 8 hour journey so worth it.

XXVI. 2ne1, among other things...

Okay, okay, I admit it! I have a total girl-crush on the K-pop group, 2ne1. I love their style and how catchy their songs are- forgive me for liking music JUST BECAUSE IT'S FUN. Leave me alone. Actually, I only mentioned them because it's the 21st* blog. Baha.

In more important news, I've said good-bye to my old classes and will be embracing new ones soon (aka in a few hours). I am really sad to have said good-bye to them, but I can't hog the angels... can I?

As for the new classes: Am I nervous? Shya! I'd like these classes to be amazing, since I'll be leaving for the States after them, but it's possible that a few are gonna STANK. Is a perfect schedule too much to ask? Mmmk, grrreat.

With Angela: a devilish little minion, but oh so cuuute.

See what I mean?!

My girls. So precious. Catherine, the girl on the left, always slapped me on the butt (don't ask why...)!

Julie, from T/h. She gave me a colored marker every week so that I could do more art.

*At the time, the blog was labeled XXI. Turns out, I messed up on the Roman Numerals. Wompwomp.

XXV. Presents.

This week was my lucky week as I was blessed with surprises FOR NO REASON (be jealous),

BUT

I have a feeling they're to prepare me for later...

To add to my owl collection. *swoon*

From Janice.

From my student Grace. She knew my favorite color.

From lunch today. After talking with my friend Glorya about possibly volunteering with Future Island School in Ghana, West Africa. You should look into it too...

"For the Future"

I'm dreading Friday. That's when I lose all my amazing classes, including my RE5, and get new ones. My RE5 I've had for 6 months and they are like family to me. We're obsessed with each other. We're seriously a house full of nerds. We crack up about the most ridiculous things, and it's AMAZING. I'm so in love with them and I can't believe I have to say good-bye before I'm actually leaving Koreaaa :(

Could be worse.

Anyway, I can't imagine it getting any better than now, but there are room for surprises. I hope. Either way, who doesn't like being spoiled? ;]

Oh, and rock climbing anyone?

XXIV. Promise.

[I'm not writing this to update anybody but to remind myself of why the heck I came to Korea. So, apologies if it sounds like another rant. I do what I want. :) ]

I left the comforts of home, my family, my amazing friends, my church, grad school, my band, and my ex-boyfriend to come to Korea, yes, to teach and to learn Korean, but ultimately to draw closer to God. I gave up everything in hope that God would be my everything.

Then when I arrived, I began to experience things from people that tore me apart, piece by piece (the most dangerous of ways to be broken). Jealously. Pride. Bitterness. Lust. I was snubbed, rejected, ignored, misunderstood, back-stabbed. I began to pity myself and look for others to pity me. I never knew myself like this. It was disgusting.

But, it's not like these things had never happen before. Or that I was ignorant of this broken world. But the unexpected bombardment of it all at once caused me to lose my foothold (which is why we should always be firmly founded in Christ). Gah.

I feel like I've taken ten steps back. Korea was getting to me. This monster in me that I never knew existed began to come out. I became impatient, judgmental, rude, bitter, insecure, distrusting, and the list goes on. Though my hopes were to give God my everything, I couldn't even so much as hand over a fingernail- and that was to take the planks out of other eyes. Ouch. I was obsessed with myself and how I'd been wronged.

I need forgiveness. And love. Jesus, I need you to fill me to overflowing, but so much more than before. I am truly nothing without you and so weak. I need to love, and not just with any love, but with the love from God.

I wrote a praise song in Korea, being in the depths of my foolishness, but how quickly I forgot the words:

Stand by me, as I face my darkest fears,

But they will fight with a high cost,

In a war they've already lost.

God, this is my commitment to you: to give you every second of my life. But imma need yo help.

XXIII. Procrastinating.

Currently: in a PC 방 (internet cafe) in 강남 listening to Kpop on web radio and correcting a bazillion essays from my students. Fun times. UGH. If I go blind, I'm blaming Korea >.<
But. My feet are tapping so at least the Kpop tunes aren't half bad.

ANYWAYS.

Updates.. updates.. hmmm. Really, nothing really new. I've been involved with a North Korean church which has been cool. It's been challenging me to study Korean.. by how discouraging it has been to communicate. Not only am I a beginner, but North Koreans speak so differently, so even the easiest phrases can be misinterpreted. Regardless, I've managed to connect with some ladies and hopefully will be tutoring them (in English) soon. Woo!

As far as work, I dread it. Two words: oppressive negativity. I feel like I'm in a tangled web that I was thrown in. I'd rather be eaten by the hungry spider, than to keep up with the hot mess (and I HATE spiders). We need Truth. Thank goodness it's not my battle. God, it's yours. :} Just help me to love. And to forgive! I have a hard time trusting people now :/

On a positive note, it's helped me to see the hot mess that is MYSELF. I really need God to fill me up and help me love. I used to think it came so naturally. People would say, "Aw, Lisa, you're so loving blah blah blah"... BS! Only God gives us the ability to show real love.

I've also realized how much I appreciate true fellowship and people who aren't afraid to be themselves (or OF themselves) even if it's not a pretty sight. I miss authenticity in people. It's hard to find in Korea. Everyone's got a guard up (but for reasons I understand).

Anyway, that was my vent sesh. Don't worry, it's over.

Oh wait. One last moment of honesty: it's hard for me to keep in touch with everyone! I'm trying with my two blogs and facebook, but other things like mail, Skype or phonecalls are difficult. They were more possible before when I had lulls in work/life, but the lulls are no more. So again, I apologize a MILLION times. Please don't take it personally if you don't hear from me. I love each of you SO much and if I didn't have to work, I would spend all my time with you. Really.

Mkay. Back to work. Everyone around me is laughing at the games they're playing. I'm not laughing..

:]

Love,
Spin it like an LP

XXII. Oi.

You can only wish to be as happy

as these kids. I spoiled them too much.

Argh. What a life it is in Korea. If you're not careful, you'll find yourself drowning in the busy life, with all there is to do. Needless to say, I'm backed up and behind by a couple of months. I owe several of you letters, messages, and birthday greetings (Sorry, Whit :/). They'll slowly start to trickle in, once I get my life together again.

Basically, since the exchange rate is so terrible (as well as my saving skills), I've been working a lot more, now taking on a 6 day a week work schedule. And also, maybe important news, I'm staying in Korea longer to save up more mons. Despite her kicks and punches, little Lisa is growing up. Ugh. :}

SO, here are a few pictures and a video of one of my old classes. We got new ones this month, which has been a blessing for me, so I'll try to get pics of those kiddos soon. Omyword, I can't believe June's almost over! I've been here 10 MONTHS already. Phew.

Sophia. The perfect student.

She likes to tell people about Jesus.

Sweet Sally.

Everyday she said, "Teacher, I love you."

Her face says it all.

Other then that, Korea is still the same. I'm getting used to the walk home at 10pm every night, with drunken ajushies lurching on the sidewalks. They spit everywhere, and they have no concept of "closing the bathroom door." What is new is the intense humidity that gives us buckets of rain (only on the weekends). But, heyyy, gotta love Korea :]

Anyways, I can't get to everything because it's getting late, but hey peeps back home: I MISS YOU. Hey peeps in Korea: I LOVE YOU. Thanks for reading. Oh, and I just trimmed my bangs.

That pretty much sums it up for now.

XXI. Finally: Beijing, China video blog.

XX. It's like "Aloha" but you pronounce it "Nihao"

SO happy to be on vacation!!!

Well well well. It's been quite a while, apologies. The month of April was intense, ending with an awesome vacation that I'm still currently enjoying heh heh. We had three birthdays (including my own^^) and then, to top it off, a trip to Beijing, China!

Highlights:

-Getting whiteout as a birthday present from one of my students.

-Getting this as a birthday present from my co-workers:

I cried tears of joy. Not even kidding.

-Going to a spring orchestra concert and learning how to waltz.

-Bowling for my birthday and seeing so many beautiful faces that I love meeting together.

-The steady flow of awesome mail that keeps me going.

-My friend and co-worker Janice cooking me home-made meals. Yummm.

-Visiting one of the (many) wonders of the world: the Great Wall of China:

-Meeting with a friend from JMU in Hohai, China and making awesome new friends:

-Singing in a noraebang till 4am.

-Actually sleeping in. Till 2! (^.^)v

-Having time to clean and run errands.

-Being humbled and reminded that Love is stronger than jealously and pride.

-Still having another day to do whatever I want!!

I'm currently working on putting together some video footage that I collected while in China. I hope you guys check it out!

Love and miss you all,

Puckettface

XIV. Oh my...

1] I'm considering staying in Korea for another 3 months. I figured it's the best way to save up some more money and still be home in time for the holidays. Plus, I get to travel more. I'm just worried about how stressful work can get. But hey, I've lasted this long, right? 

2] Hung out with Hannah today. And then made a lil vid about it :] Hope you enjoy...

*I spelled Yosef wrong. It's Yousuf. Wompwomp. 

XVIII. The best Birthday present.

     We're getting a vacay!!! You have no idea how excited I am to finally travel and see other parts of Asia- it's about time! Some co-workers and I have decided to spend our 5 days in Beijing, China, with hopefully a day or two to spare to rest up.  Our vacation will be April 30-May 5, honoring Labor Day, as well as Buddha's birthday. If anybody wants to tag along, let me knowww.

    And randomly, I have this ridiculous song stuck in my head. Arg. 

     AND it's almost the weekend. Wowers. Time is flying faster than a speeding bullet. 

XVII. Overheard in Korea.

Have you ever checked out "Overheard"? It's been a while but they're pretty funny. Here's two:

Overheard in New York

Overheard in the Office

I think I need to start an Overheard in Korea:

Student: Teacher, you are beautiful.

Teacher: No, you can't go to the bathroom.

Student: Teacher you are still beautiful.

Teacher: You still can't go to the bathroom.

Student: Okay. 

Teacher: If you don't understand, I want you to ask me questions. Okay?

Student: Yes, teacher! To another student, in Korean: What did she just say?

XVI. For all you English teachers in Korea:

XV. KSTDT. Episode 2.

Lisa: If I like a boy, what should I do?
Student 1: Kill him. Then you won't like him anymore.
Student 2: No teacher, give him money.

*XIV. Kids say the darndest things. Episode 1.

*Just so you know, I've never studied Roman numerals. I just kinda guess. 

Hey hey everybody who's still alive out there :)

Update? 

-Well, my sinuses are going crazy nuts because of this "yellow dust" from China (that I'd like to call the Yellow Plague of Death). There's even an alarm that sounds throughout the city so that you'll know to wear a face mask. Ugh. 

-Classes are great, but I have to plan like crazy now. I've never been so busy with work since I've been here. I've got some smarties AND now I have to teach SCIENCE. Yeayyy. 

-I joined a hip-hop group as well as choir. Hootyhoo.

-I got a microwave.

The real reason for this post is to share some letters that my students wrote me. It was the last class and they were trying to convince me to have a party. Some students took the brown-nosing approach, while others tried to win me over with humor. Regardless, they're uber cute. I tried to keep them as honest as possible:

Student 1:

Dear Lisa teacher,

Your very complicated. Change tender. Today is many homework. Reduce. Friday last class! Our open the party, because we very tired and we very smart students. We want snack party, chocolate party, ice cream party, candy party, and gun party.

So so,

Michael

Student 2:

Dear tall Lisa teacher,

Teacher, I'm Jenny1. Your very tall...^^ And very beautiful, kind, and perfect!!! ^^

Teacher, vocabulary is 15, this is so many...

And I'm angry... ^^ (I'm so many angry)-.-;

...Friday is last class, so we want a party!! (snack)

Becous we are good students!!! And we are happy. And you too happy. I want party and game...^^ We don't have homework~ 

Ha x 8

me too. so so, 

Jenny1

Student 3:

Dear good Lisa Teacher,

Hi? Lisa teacher I Kevin. please my request comply? My request some many umm~

1. Friday open anything party but not study party!! okay? I want game party, snak party, pizza party anything okay?  please~~~

I love teacher, Lisa teacher

by by

Kevin

Student 4:

Dear. Lisa

Hello Lisa Teacher. I'm Jenny 2. 

You're very kind and pretty. and smard, very very tall! but my next class is my finish study in Young-do. I'm very sad. and I want snack party. And. teach me is very thank you!

Bye bye~ and Thank you!

I love you! and Thank you!

Jenny 2

I rearlly finish!*

Student 5: 

Dear Lisa teacher,

Hi~ I'm Justin. I want have snack party on Friday. Because, Friday is last class and everyone want a snack party, And everyone want celebrate the Last class. I hope snack party is on Friday~! Bye Bye~

hate or Love,

Justin

After reading these notes, how could I not give them a par-tay? ;)

*This part is for anybody who's ever called me Risa. 

 Btw, that's how my boss says it. 

XIII. Man Day

     In Korea, Valentine's Day is more so known as Man's Day. Contrary to US custom, it is the girl who actually gives things to the guy. If I was coming from Korea to the US, today would be great fun, but considering how the US does not have a Man Day at all, it's almost awkward for us foreigner females.

     I did, however, manage to put together cards for my guy co-workers. There's only two of them, so the ladies of our branch decided to do some special things for the guys. My gift was a bit cheesy, but I can't help it. Cheesy is my style. I also pulled together a mix CD for one of my students who wanted music from my former band, Dear Dear. 

Cards with "10 Reasons Why You're Awesome":

A mix CD for a student. Owls/trees = common theme throughout the things I do:

     As an aside, many friends ask me if I would ever date while in Korea. It is tempting considering how all of Korea is fixed around "the couple" and it seems like everyone is in matching outfits (a popular thing to do while dating). But, as much as I try to fit in with the young and happy dating scene, I think I'm too old of a soul. I'd much prefer cranking up the music and painting, or tea and a great book. And those things don't seem to fare well with another person. 

     I'm really glad that Korea recognizes that men enjoy gifts and being pampered, and deserve so, just as much as women. It's impressive how forward Korean can be as a result. I'm sure most American guys would brush it off and say, "Nah, we're cool". But it's only pride. And maybe a twinge of discomfort. But if they lived in a country where it's cool for guys to wear man bags and be just as fashionable as their female accomplice, they'd admit that it's nice to get cards and chocolates...

    Anyway, conclusion: Valentine's Day is sweet and it's a great excuse to do something nice for the opposite sex and, in my case, especially towards men. Ladies in the States, don't be shy. Try it sometime :)

XII. My first video blog...

Another tour of my apartment in Bundang, South Korea.
With my new camera :D

XI. You asked for it...

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!!!

At Aquana Resort with my cousins :)

      I have to admit, with this break coming up, I was a bit anxious, wondering how I was going to spend the Lunar New Year. Everyone was busy making plans and visiting family, and I had no idea what to do. Of course, this whole time, my Korean relatives were planning a surprise...
     I visited my relatives once and it was a semi-awkward experience. In no way did they make me feel as such, but I couldn't help it, considering that I couldn't speak the language. It was during Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving, so I was also overwhelmed with the people there. But this time it was different.          

     My trip started Sunday, when my uncle and his family drove 6 hours out of the way just to pick me up. We then spent a grueling 10 hours in a car, mostly because of bumper to bumper traffic. But you know, it wasn't bad at all. The first time I met my cousins, I hardly got to know them because of the chaos. But the trip forced us to get over the language barrier and get to know each other. I can honestly say I had an amazing time. I LOVE my uncle and his family. They are the coolest family ever. 

Hyun Soo, the eldest

Joon Suh, the most loving child

Hyun Suh, the happiest baby in the world

     We arrived at a waterpark called Aquana and essentially went straight to bed. The next day was the Lunar New Year. We celebrated by eating mandoo gook (dumpling soup) which is sooo delicious. Then we spend the day at the park. That night we drove back to my uncle's house.

     That night I was able to see my mother's sister (I'm in love with this woman) and her family. The next day I departed, showered with money and gifts. Oh, how I love Korean relatives ;)

With my Waesookmo (Uncle's wife)

With my aunt and her beautiful daughter

      Overall, I had an incredible time. I was nervous, but my relatives treated me beyond well. This has been the first time (in Korea) that I've experienced love and generosity way beyond what I expected. It literally brought tears to my eyes. I was so blessed. I hope I can see them again, soon, and repay them for their kindness. :)