HawsSeoul

A Look Ahead

2011-05-16T18:00:00.011+09:00

Lauren and I have been quite busy. Not so much trying new adventures busy, but more of working and planning for our next step busy. Most of you surely are aware of our next step, but here it is anyway (The long history-laden edition).

I told my high school guidance counselor when I was a junior that attending law school sounded pretty good to me. The adept counselor then stated matter-of-factly that I must be one of those people who loves to read. At the time I did not, and explained to her that it wasn’t the case. Her expression changed and instilled some fear that this wasn’t the path for me. That idea stayed on the backburner for the next 8 years.

Last summer after our return from vacation in the states, I started to really consider our future and what it was I wanted to do, and what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I loved and still love teaching. The kids bring me so much joy and I would treasure doing it for the duration of my career. However, I wasn’t sure if it was what the Lord wanted me to be doing. I knew I wanted to be a servant, but didn’t know in what capacity that would be. A couple of things began unfolding encouraging me down a specific path.

My nephew Ethan experienced a very poor educational environment. Few of his needs were being met while those in charge ignored Ethan and their own shortcomings simultaneously. Things changed dramatically with the help of attorney. How one person, with the appropriate knowledge and a heart of servitude, could make such a huge impact on another’s life stirs me in a deep way.

Another continually evolving circumstance was my growing adoration for reading. Lauren has shown me the way to really love reading. I was a perfectly proficient reader before I met Lauren, but hardly enjoyed delving into a novel recreationally. Slowly through the years she has encouraged me to read and offered endless recommendations. In Korea, I’ve probably read 3 times the number of books I had read my entire life before I came here (no bs). A service oriented spirit, the thoughts of my nephew, joined with all this reading and the thoughts of what the high school guidance counselor had said, had me considering taking the LSAT.

The Craigslist search for LSAT prep books and the subsequent result of “Free unused LSAT books and 12 practice tests” enticed me quite a bit. I picked up the books and began a nightly ritual of studying various strategies and solving endless practice questions.

After much thought, I decided to take the Fall LSAT. The fall date was my preferred time to take the test, but it happened to fall on October 10, a date near and dear to my heart. My loving and supportive wife encouraged me to take the test that day and that we could celebrate that afternoon and evening.

The test was long, very long. I left the test confident, but a little upset about a slight curveball.

A month later my test scores came in and were better than I had anticipated. I sent out applications to schools all around the country, not knowing where would accept me.

Lauren and I began to pray hard about where we should be going in our next stage of life. God blessed us so immensely when we came to Korea. We felt the Lord had called us out here, and we followed. It wasn’t an easy thing, but when God is your guiding light, it is hard to get lost. He showered us with blessings and reassured us that following his path was the best way to live.

As a few admissions were granted, our direction seemed fuzzy. We began slowly weighing the pros and cons of schools, eliminating some, then returning back to them the next day.We knew we had to be patient and listen for an answer, so that is what we did.

Late in March we started to really understand what the next step might be. We began to put the pieces together, they fit perfectly like a puzzle culminating on April(4) 2, another date near and dear to my heart involving making life altering decisions. Proverbs 4:2 "For I am giving you good guidance. Don't turn away from my instructions". Pretty awesome.

We don’t know what he has in mind, or what his plans are for us are but we know if we follow his direction, he will never do us wrong.

Lauren and I are moving to New Orleans, Louisiana in August, and I will be attending Tulane University Law School.

The next 3 years are sure to be an adventure, but hey, what’s new? We welcome in any and all to come and visit us in our new future city near the mouth of the mighty Mississippi.

Journey Together

2011-05-14T21:17:00.001+09:00

I'm a big fan of numbers. They're universal and understood. They may be a little misleading at times, but they more often than not are concrete and something to hang your hat on.

We have 5 weeks left in South Korea. We have been here for 115 weeks. Our time here is almost 96% in the past.

It is a little bit sobering and astonishing as well. To say our time here has been great would be an understatement. Everything we have done and experienced here has been such a blessing. The best blessing of all was being able to do it together.

Lauren and I have been married for 947 days, 805 of those days with our home in Korea. In other words, we've spent 85% of our married life abroad.

Not a huge percentage of people choose to move to another country shortly after being married. Not many people get the opportunity to work side by side with their spouse. Maybe it isn't for everybody. But for us, it has been perfect.

God has blessed the us tremendously by granting us the opportunity to live and work together in a foreign land. Our marriage bas benefited from this in countless ways. We were better able to focus our attention to the needs of each other, rely on one another deeply, and develop a strong foundation for our lives ahead. Only God knows what the future will bring, but with 100% confidence in him, we have no need to worry.

24 Months In the Making

2011-03-27T21:53:00.001+09:00

It finally happened. When we left for Korea, I doubted my parents would be able to visit. Nevertheless, I harassed them about getting passports and challenged them to a trip.

Welcome to South Korea!

Well I shouldn't have doubted them. Mom and Dad Haws made it all the way to Seoul for a visit, arriving on Mom's birthday.

Happy Birthday!

What a blessing! Unfortunately Lauren and I had to work during the week, but the evenings and weekends were filled with great times out and about and stuffing ourselves with delicious food. We'll let the pictures do the talking though.

First meal in Seoul

Catchin' a baseball game

"She is gonna what?!"

Open wide!

Alright, not bad


North Korean creeper at the JSA


Drinks with Christina and Daniel

St Patrick's Day - Nice green/orange Mom and Dad...

Visiting BIS kindergarten


Seungmin and Eddie near Insadong


Cheers!

KTX to Busan - 300km/hr


Music lessons at the instrument museum


Water show at Lotte in Busan


Shot from Busan Tower

Mandu restaurant from the film Old Boy

Mandu

Having Mom and Dad Haws here for the week was truly a blessing. Sharing our small space with them was an honor and reinforced how wonderful time with family is.

Thanks for the visit :)

A trip to Hapcheon

2011-03-24T21:30:00.000+09:00

Before we know it has been almost a month from our last post, yikes!

We recently made a trip with some friends down to the small county of Hapcheon. It is a mountainous community and vastly different from Seoul (10,000,000 people vs. 60,000).

Our good friends Younghwa and Seungmin rented a van and transported us along with 4 other friends from Seoul. Hapcheon is home to Younghwa's parents (along with our good friend Sanghyun who is working on his masters degree at UNLV right now). When we arrived in Hapcheon, we met Younghwa's mom and dad and visited the Hanam_Movie Theme Park.

This location has been the set for numerous films and television shows including Fighter in the Wind and East of Eden.

After touring the set, we picked up some food and headed to our rental house, known as a pension house. We stayed the evening here cooking out and playing some card games.

It was a quick trip, but a great time had by all.

Two Years

2011-02-27T00:01:00.001+09:00

Today marks the two year anniversary of our arrival in Seoul. The incredibly anxious feelings we had when we landed at Incheon International Airport died down long ago. The adjustments to the new culture weren't as shocking or surprising as we thought they might be. That doesn't mean, however, that the past two years didn't challenge us greatly and help us to grow in new ways. This experience has forever impacted our values, ideals, and habits.

If we had to choose a feeling that has described the past two years, it would be thankful. This experience has been second to none. God has truly blessed us here, and we are forever grateful.

Today, more than ever, we appreciate this verse from our first post:

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Seolnal 설날 2011 (Part II)

2011-02-24T21:30:00.001+09:00

Oh wow, I guess it's time to finish this post...three weeks later.

Our second day in Gwangju mostly consisted of the consumption of exquisite Korean dishes. Seriously, we feasted every three hours. These traditional meals were like Michelin Star quality - absolutely incredible.

We began the morning by enjoying a traditional breakfast with Jonghan's immediate family. His mother prepared rice cake soup (tteokguk). This soup is a mandatory meal for every Lunar New Year. It is believed that if you eat a bowl of this soup you will grow a year older. The oval shaped rice cakes in the soup symbolize coins, or wealth, for the new year.

Shortly after breakfast we headed to a relative's home for a Seolnal traditional ceremony and lunch. Minutes after we arrived, the ceremony began. Jonghan's 88-year-old grandmother was to be honored by all of the attendees with a bow and a New Year's greeting. As a token of appreciation, the elder blesses those who bow with a gift, usually money. Her children bowed deeply and their children followed. And we were included in that group! Chris and I felt so honored to take part in this tradition.

The youngest children wore their hanboks and endlessly entertained the crowd.

After lunch we all gathered around for a yutnori tournament. Yutnori is a simple traditional game played every New Year. The game is easy to learn, as the board is very comparable to Sorry!. We'd love to explain the game but let's be honest, no one does it better than Wiki :) See here if you're interested in the rules.

The foreigners won the tournament!! 6,000 won richer! (Looks like that soup is already paying off ;)

Later that afternoon we visited the traditional houses of the Confucian School (Hyanggyo). The school was built in the 14th century and has since become a national attraction. We love the rich history that is found in every corner of Korea.

Life long friends

The next morning Jonghan's family took us on a scenic drive through the mountains of Naejangsan National Park. We didn't have any hiking gear but we were able to stop and follow a paved road up to one of the two temples located in the park. The views were beautiful and I can only imagine how gorgeous the area is come fall.

Jonghan's gracious family

It was a three day long double date! We loved it :)

The contrast between the white snow and the brightly painted temples is stunning.

Look at those tall lovers.

We then stopped to fill up on a huge lunch before the long drive home. The traffic was going to be horrific with so many out of towners returning to Seoul so we wanted to get an early start. It was another delicious meal shared with our host family, but we have to be honest, it probably wasn't the best idea to feast right after the a long and winding drive through the mountain roads. I was already feeling a little car sick and with my belly stuffed, the stop and go drive home was too much to bear. I tossed my cookies in the car and Chris lost it the second we got home. Motion sickness is the worst.

Too bad I lost it all, this Korean style meatloaf (tteokgalbi) is one our absolute favorite meals here!

Rice served in a bamboo branch from the bamboo forest in Gwangju.

Despite the long drives, the trip was unforgettable! We are so thankful for the opportunity to spend time with Jonghan and his loving family. We feel so fortunate to have been a part of the special celebration and the memories made will forever be some of our favorite times in Korea.

We hope to see as much of Korea as possible in the coming months before our departure. Last weekend we took another road trip to the southern area of this great peninsula. Maybe in three weeks we'll post about it :)

Seolnal 설날 2011

2011-02-10T23:37:00.001+09:00

This past weekend, our dear friend Jonghan (aka Peter) was kind enough to invite us to spend the Lunar New Year with his family. We were so thankful for the opportunity to celebrate Seolnal in a traditional Korean setting. According to the GPS system in Jonghan's car, it would only take us about 3 hours to arrive in his hometown of Gwangju.

For the two main holidays of the year, Chuseok and Seolnal, everyone returns to their hometown. Apparently (due to the traffic conditions), people take the drive very seriously.

Jonghan and his girlfriend, MinHee, picked us up around 5:30am and we were off, hoping to beat the holiday traffic. Lauren and I quickly fell asleep (heated seats, yeah buddy). When we woke up a few hours later, I thought there must have been some terrible accident or huge flood that had damaged the road. There had to be a major disaster to explain the horrendous traffic conditions. No, it was nothing dangerous, just holiday gridlock. We quickly discovered that this normally 3 and 1/2 hour drive would eventually take us 9 hours and 20 minutes. This gives you a pretty good idea of just how many people live in Seoul.

After the drive, our trip was incredible and a true blessing. We went straight to Jonghan's parents' apartment and were greeted by this little fella on the way up to the 13th floor - we knew it was going to be a great trip.

Even he can see we are Waygookin (Foreign)

The rest of the first day was spent playing traditional Korean games and enjoying the culture at a nearby park. The city of Gwangju hosts the event each Seollal. It was quite a success, bringing in dozens of kite flyers, hacky-sack players, top spinners, arrow throwers, and hoop pushers.

Hoop pushing

Paengichiki - Players try to knock over one another's spinning top. Last top spinning wins!

We were really bad but it was a lot of fun, and quite the workout.

Final two weeks of 2010

2011-01-05T19:36:00.002+09:00

The last two weeks of 2010 were some of the best weeks of the entire year. Mom and Dad Gilmore made their way to Korea to visit with us for a week, have a wonderful Christmas in Seoul, fly to Vietnam for a week, and ring in the new year in Phan Thiet.

Here are some highlights from the trip :)

First dinner in Seoul

The Kindy Christmas Performance

Dinner with Ms. Grace and Christina

The Noraebong crew

Fish Market

The main course at the fish market followed by the live course

Some were more excited about the fish than others...

Christmas Morning

Warm Derek

Gingerbread house

New sweatshirts, thanks Chris

An abundance of gifts

Christmas Dinner at Big Rock Brewery

Vietnam

Derek with an excellent photobomb

First drink in Vietnam - 333 local brew

Quick note on Saigon traffic...WOW! There were more motorbikes in one place than I've ever seen before. You cross at will, or whenever...

To say these are popular in Saigon is a severe understatement

These incredible skinny buildings were the norm

Reunification Palace - Saigon

Find this man, get our money back. We got ripped off only once during the whole trip, and this man is the reason. We wanted to take a taxi from point A to point B (wish we would've known it was within walking distance) but he told us the museum was closed for 3 hours and drove us around to pointless other sites (not entirely pointless - we saw a couple temples and a market - see the following 3 pictures) and lunch. $125 later...

Religious temple in Saigon

Local Vietnamese market

At the Vietnam War Memorial

Thanks Pam, the restaurant was great!

Our unofficial Vietnamese tour guide and Rick's friend/previous co-worker, Tracy

Vietnamese style coffee

View from 10°57.282' N, 108°14.005' E

Visiting the local sand dunes, which was quite a blast!

These adorable kids were peddling their plastic sleds from .50 to a dollar

The ride down the dunes

Cheers!

Vietnamese Facial

The passed on genetic traits are just leaping off the page

SPF30 sparsely applied once during 9 hours = ineffective

Preparing for New Years

Happy New Year!

Leaving Phan Thiet

We had an amazing time to say the least!

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-24T23:59:00.003+09:00

1 - True meaning of Christmas! John 8:36 - So, if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-23T23:59:00.002+09:00

2 - Special graduations attended

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-22T23:59:00.001+09:00

3 - Korean camping trips enjoyed

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-21T23:59:00.003+09:00

4 - Traveled countries in 2010

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-20T23:59:00.004+09:00

5 - Favorite Korean dishes: Dalkgalbi, Tteokgalbi, Samgyeopsal, Cheese Donkkas, and Mandu. Yeah, we love meat.

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-19T23:59:00.002+09:00

6 - Months in Korea with our little bro, Derek

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-18T23:59:00.000+09:00

7 - Press pots of delicious Kirkland coffee brewed each week

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-17T23:59:00.003+09:00

8 - Gifted students we spend extra time with each week

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-16T23:59:00.001+09:00

9 - Minutes it takes us to walk to work (we've learned it can be done in under 3 minutes if necessary :)

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-15T23:59:00.004+09:00

10 - Very lovely nights in 2010 spent with our cherished pup, Daphne

12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-14T23:59:00.003+09:00

11 - Special little kindy students we teach everyday

(Edit: Pretty funny that we show up on this same morning to find 6 new kindy students, haha!)

The 12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-14T08:43:00.002+09:00

We know the 12 days of Christmas actually begin on Christmas Day and count up, but this is our own spin and we are going to count down and begin now. We would like to share some emotional gifts and special events present in our lives this past year.

12 - Months in 2010 spent in Korea

김장 (Kimjang)!!

2010-12-13T00:22:00.001+09:00

Kimchi!!

If you were to ask someone to choose only a few words that describe Korean culture, you would undoubtedly hear kimchi 99% of the time. This healthy food is a staple in this country and has been eaten for thousands of years. You can hardly eat in any restaurant without having it as a side dish.

Making kimchi (김치) is no walk in the park. Families typically set aside 2-4 days in autumn for a kimchi making party, known as kimjang (김장), to prepare enough kimchi to last them through the winter and probably through the next year.

Since we've been in Seoul we have been interested in making kimchi and the process involved. This year, we were blessed enough to be invited to kimjang and be part of the process. Christina (friend and former co-worker) and Daniel invited us to join their family's kimjang at Christina's sister's home an hour outside of the city.

We were told that Halmeoni doesn't wear gloves
because she says her hands are good for the kimchi :)

The grandmother, or halmeoni 할머니 (aka the toughest woman we've ever met), was absolutely running the show. In the days before we arrived they had collected all the Napa cabbage to be used and Halmeoni made the sok (the sauce typically made of chili peppers, salt, garlic, and fermented brined anchovy or shrimp). As soon as we walked in we were to follow Halmeoni's orders and tear the cabbage into quarters or sixths and insert the sok between the leaves. She was so patient to teach us foreigners the correct application process. However, we were definitely informed when we used too little or too much sok, as it was not subtly pointed out to us, rather strongly commanded, all in Korean - it was awesome.

Sauce is kept in these kimchi pots

Gotta have GARLIC!

Halmeoni being AMAZING

The process took a little more than three hours, and in true Korean style we did it all on the floor. We could not believe the strength this woman had to sit on the floor for 3+ hours in the same position She didn't even adjust! It was incredible. The five of us who were helping took some breaks and ended early, not Halmeoni. She started before us and worked for about 30 minutes after us. She then popped up easily to go outside (without a coat in 32 degrees!) and bury the kimchi deep in the ground for storage and fermentation throughout the winter. Not all of it would fit in the terra cotta kimchi pots in the ground so the rest was stored in the two specifically designated kimchi refrigerators in the house (pee-yoo! kimchi smells bad and can really stink up your regular fridge).

Completed Kimchi

난히 Nanhee (Christina) and her sister

After all the jobs were completed, we enjoyed a delicious meal of fresh kimchi, boiled pork belly, and makgeolli.

It was quite the feast, lasting nearly four hours. We are so blessed to have been part of such a unique, cultural experience. Joining such welcoming and amazing people was truly a gift. The kimjang will forever go down as one our favorite experiences in Korea.

건배! Gun Bae!

It's supposed to snow!!

2010-12-07T21:46:00.000+09:00

We both are going to repeat this all day.

It's a great day for a movie...

2010-11-27T13:32:00.002+09:00

Winter is here! It's quite a chilly day here in Seoul. There was even some snow on the ground when we woke up! We just finished a delicious breakfast (yes, it's after noon and it's awesome) of apple pie with melted cheddar and gingerbread coffee - it doesn't get much better than that. We are now going to watch the first holiday movie of the season!! Love Actually!! To be honest, I will probably watch it more than once between now and Christmas - it's too great :) Here's our official movie list for the next couple of weeks:

Love Actually
Elf (Swirly twirly gum drops)
White Christmas (Snow, snow, snow!!)
The Santa Clause
Miracle on 34th Street
It's a Wonderful Life
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Home Alone (We slept in!!)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Scrooged
A Christmas Carol (Jim Carrey Style)
Christmas Vacation
The Family Stone

What's on your list? Any suggestions??

Thankful Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T17:25:00.000+09:00

We are tremendously thankful this Thanksgiving for...

the blessings that flow in many different ways
the good and the bad and for what it teaches us and how it encourages us to grow
our snug little home and the calm it provides
sharing this special American holiday with friends (and family this year!!)
and of course PIE!

Wishing you all the happiest Thanksgiving full of yummy food, good friends, loving family, and rest!

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-18T23:02:00.001+09:00

Hokay, so this week we are thankful for...

connecting with loved ones
new books
soup season!
one month countdown to the rents' arrival!
all of the international opportunities for friends and family recently - got peeps all over!

Wow, that song is annoying.

2010-11-16T18:55:00.000+09:00

She might argue otherwise, but I actually enjoy shopping with my wife. However, there are times when all of the circumstances add together to result in a dreadful shopping experience.

Forever21 opened a while back in Seoul. There is only one Forever21 in the city/country and it's in Myeongdong (about 40 minutes away). We decided to make the trip and check out the goods. It was February at the time...a dreadfully chilly February. We bundled up coats on top of sweatshirts on top of long-sleeves wrapped in scarves and covered with gloves and hats. We were quite comfortable in the sub-freezing temperature. Too bad the store didn't keep their temp that low as well.

Upon entering the heat box of Forever 21 (thermostat must have been set at 30 degrees Celsius aka freaking hot), I immediately began to remove my outer layers. This was no easy task as I had to move in an extremely agile manner due to the lack of personal space. So there I was shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip with dozens of people, sweating from the abusive heat, picking through racks of clothes we had circled at least 4 times (sounds great??) when this gem starts blasting on the speakers...

The last thing I wanted at this time of extreme patience is an annoying song repeatedly teaching me to count to forty by fives.

Haha, it took me forever to post this only because that is how long it has taken me to find the song. In actuality I do find the song quite catchy and am often caught singing it whenever anything must be counted by five.

Thankful Thursday

2010-10-21T23:37:00.000+09:00

Oh Thankful Thursday, where have we been?! Even though we've had frustrating and upsetting moments over the last few weeks, we've also had countless reasons to be thankful...

- celebrating two years of marriage
- completed goals
- down time at work
- The Fruits (in more ways than one)
- sleep!

Dak Galbi 닭갈비

2010-09-29T22:37:00.000+09:00

This meal has been a favorite of ours since we arrived in Korea over a year and a half ago (what?!?). Dak Galbi is a stir-fried chicken and rice dish that is traditionally cooked in a large pan right at your table. Ingredients commonly include cabbage, tteok, potatoes, and lots and lots of spice - we like it hot. Our world got turned upside down when, out to dinner with some friends to one of our favorite Dak Galbi restaurants, they ordered cheese and ramen to be added to the dish. It was delicious. I think I even said, "this is the best thing I've eaten in Korea". I may have just been giddy from the incredible flavors, but it really was amazing. So amazing, if fact, that I didn't even think to snap a photo until it was nearly gone. This is undoubtedly a super easy dish to create at home but I just don't think I would be able to capture the taste in my own kitchen.

Another Point of View

2010-09-17T13:01:00.000+09:00

We have started reading, and are really enjoying, a new blog recently...

Derek of the Orient

Check it out if you haven't already :)

BIS Kids!

2010-08-29T21:24:00.001+09:00

Thankful Thursday

2010-08-27T22:31:00.001+09:00

We are very thankful for...

an extra day off for Chuseok!! We will have a six day vacation in September!!
sleeping in
The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists - a must have for any teacher
hard work and dedication
they yummy new sandwich shop in our building - they deliver but we refuse to be that lazy :)

A Fishy Taste

2010-08-26T14:43:00.001+09:00

A few weeks back we joined some friends of ours for another fish market visit to dabble in the tastes of raw Olive Flounder (광어), amazing King Crab, and of course some slippery, slimy, sucking, slithering octopus!

And nothing goes better with some fresh fish than a night of singing at the Noraebong!

Lauren's 26th

2010-08-24T21:55:00.000+09:00

August 19th is certainly a special day for me. I wanted to post this letter on Lauren's birthday, but figured I would wait until I had some birthday pictures to go with it.

An open letter to Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore,

Thank you. God trusted you two to raise Lauren up to be an amazing woman. You guys took on that task and gave her the opportunity to become the woman she is today. I couldn't be more thankful! I look forward to celebrating her birthday every year for the rest of my life.

Love, Christopher

On August 18th the kindergarteners piled into my room asking what Lauren's favorite fruit was...ashamed I wasn't sure. I guessed and told them strawberries, peaches, and kiwis were the fruits she really loved. Then they rushed off. I figured they were off to make a list of fruit gifts their mommy's needed to purchase.

Even better, this favorite fruit was supposed to be the topping on the cake they were making for her. When we arrived at school on August 19th I found the kindergarteners like this...

When Lauren tried to come have a peak, there was quite a disturbance and she was promptly rushed back to her room and locked in it.

They didn't want her to ruin her surprise...

That afternoon we enjoyed this beautiful cake (well the children enjoyed it...the staff purchased a sanitary cake from the bakery for the adults) and had a little party.

제주도! Jeju-do!!

2010-08-17T01:28:00.041+09:00

During our week off in the first part of August, Lauren, Derek, and I subwayed, trained, taxied, and ferried our way down to Jeju Island off the southern coast of mainland Korea. This is a popular destination for many Korean citizens as well as foreign visitors.

The island, known locally as the "Korean Hawaii", was formed entirely from volcanic eruptions. It is now host to beaches and beautiful island scenery.

It was a bit of a journey to get there because we waited so long to make our summer plans. Flights were all booked so we went the ferry route. Sidenote, we are so thankful for our frined Allen (Younghwa) for all his help and assistance during our multiple cancelled legs of the trip.

Our ever changing Itenerary

We left our apartment early Tuesday morning to hop on the subway in order to make it to the KTX (high speed train) station to catch our train for Mokpo (Southern coastal city) where the Ferry leaves from.

We arrived in Mokpo approximately 90 minutes before the ferry left and figured we could walk to the ferry terminal (an easy 20 minute jaunt). This would have been no problem had it not been 85 degrees, 90% humidity, and pouring rain.

Never the less, we boarded the ferry not sure what to expect. We purchased the "general seating" tickets for this trip. These tickets are great for the budget conscious traveler who is familiar and comfortable with sitting on the floor...not so much for our chair adapted American bodies :( It was a long 5 hour ferry.

We arrived in Jeju around 9:00PM without accommodation, hoping for the best. We happened upon a shabby motel with vacancy and accepted it as such, Korean floor style and all.

The journey to the island and the first night was no doubt a task, but the next 2 and 1/2 days were quite wonderful as we saw beaches, checked out the largest lava tube cave in the world, tried our luck at the casino, and visited the loudest club on the planet... with 12 patrons including us...

Overall the trip was quite a success.

Some locations:
N 33°14.718 E126°30.524 - World Cup Stadium
N 33°14.669 E126°33.716- -Seogwipo Hotel
N 33°31.758 E126°46.273 - Entrance to Lava cave
N 33°31.758 E126°46.273 - Beach

And the exhausting trek home...

** Editor's Note **

I wanted to add that Christopher didn't really feel comfortable with Derek and my "get on a bus and see where it takes us" mentality for this trip. So after about half an hour of that adventure, Chris got us in a taxi headed for well-known beach. He, being the incredible "plan man" that he is, was then promptly on the phone with the free foreigner service (an awesome service here in Korea - just dial the area code you are in followed by 1330 and you can get free English help with practically anything) and had booked us a two-night stay in a very clean, inexpensive hotel in the much more agreeable part of the island. I love my husband's go get 'em attitude! I'm so thankful for his dedication to keeping us coordinated :)

A Friendly Gesture

2010-08-14T12:17:00.001+09:00

A number of weeks ago, we were watching the World Cup at the chicken joint on the bottom floor of our building. There were only two tables of people there watching the game: Our table, and some inebriated businessman. The men saw our enthusiasm for our team so they cheered right along with us. They enjoyed cheering with us so much they demanded I do a traditional Korean cheers with them...

And then offered us this as a gift....yikes.

Thankful Thursday

2010-08-13T14:53:00.002+09:00

We are thankful this 2nd week of August for...

A reliable mail system
Our creative and talented family members
Seoul's public transportation
Apps

Mandu 만두

2010-08-09T23:28:00.000+09:00

Korean Dumplings - I finally made them. I'm not sure why it took me so long to attempt one of my favorite meals (seriously, ask me what I feel like for dinner and 9 times out of 10 I'll say "Mandu!!"). Maybe it's because it is such an inexpensive meal at any kimbap shop (only about $3), or I thought it would be too complicated and time consuming. Well, not the case at all! It only took about an hour to prepare and it was super easy. Now we have ten expedient meals in the freezer ready to eat (let's be honest, they'll probably be gone within a few days). We got all of the ingredients for 50 mando-sized, pork and beef-filled, mandu for about 20,000 won - good deal for us! I followed Maangchi's recipe almost to a T, although her mandu is much prettier - I guess I need more practice. If you're interested in cooking Korean food, this is a really good site. She has tons of recipes and videos to help out.

After cooking them with some oil and water in a pan for about four minutes, we enjoyed our very first homemade mandu!!

Thankful Thursday

2010-08-05T15:00:00.001+09:00

This week we are very thankful for

Our good friend Young-Hwa Lee for help setting up...
Our trip to Jeju Island!

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-29T15:57:00.001+09:00

We find ourselves thankful for...

Upcoming time off from work!
막걸리
Motivation to learn
Assigned seating at the movies

26th Celebrations!!

2010-07-27T22:09:00.000+09:00

Christopher's 26th Birthday weekend began with a little b-day party at BIS.

We then headed up to the hills with Christina and her family for a bit of camping. Again, the camping wasn't the "get out into nature" camping we're used to back in the rockies, but it was nice to sleep in a tent and spend the days relaxing.

After some breakfast cake and a few rounds of Phase 10 we headed back to Seoul on Sunday afternoon (Chris' actual birthday). He wanted to have dinner at one of his favorite restaurants here in Seoul - Everest. We made the forty minute commute and enjoyed a wonderful summer evening filled with incredible food and tasty cream cheese ice-cream.

Happy Birthday Hubby XOXO

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-22T18:04:00.002+09:00

This week we have been thankful for...

Familial Co-workers
Speedy Repairmen
Craigslist Seoul
Umbrellas
Breaking Bad Dinners

Pack Together Again

2010-07-18T12:24:00.002+09:00

No disrespect to any of the people we visited when we were back home in the states, but one thing we really looked forward to on our trip back was reuniting with our 4-legged k9 baby, Daphne.

When we first left for Korea back in March of last year we were very fearful that our dog, who would be (and still is) staying with Grandma and Grandpa Gilmore, would forget who we were in the comforts of her new home. It was difficult to say good-bye and we hoped that our reunion would be full of bliss.

We honestly did believe Daphne couldn't possibly forget us, we've had her since she was 5 weeks old...

We knew she would recognize our scents once we got close enough, but we weren't sure what her reaction would be like. Anybody who knows Daphne, knows that she is a total lover and will greet any stranger with warmth, compassion and kisses.

The second day in Denver we excitedly got in the car, phoned Grandma Gilmore and told her we were on our way. She prepared the situation by sitting at the window with Daphne. When we pulled up we saw the two of them staring longingly out the window.

It was a beautiful scene, Dee released Daphne through the front door and Lauren bolted from the car. Daphne darted to the "stranger", but once she got one solid sniff it was quite a reunion. The next 45 minutes were a conglomerate of panting, kissing, and wagging tails. Anyone with a pet knows how sweet a pet reunion can be, even if the absence was only for 15 minutes.

Throughout the trip we were able to spend some quality time as a pack.

Our own experience is mirrored in this video, along with the belief that animals don't forget.

Korean Arboretum

2010-07-06T12:24:00.001+09:00

In early June we had the pleasure of visiting the Korean Arboretum. Located just a few minutes outside of Seoul, closed on the weekends, and requiring reservations it was unlikely we would have ever been able to visit this natural sanctuary.

Thankfully, we've become good friends with our Korean co-worker Christina. She invited us to join her and her family (husband and two middle school-aged sons) on a trip to the Arboretum on June 2nd, which we had off of school because of the voting day holiday.

The Arboretum is situated in the Gwangneung forest, which surrounds a mausoleum for a king from the Joseon Dynasty. The forest has been strictly managed to minimize human disturbance over the past 500 years. The Arboretum has 15 specilaized plant gardens, a forest museum, a forest zoo, a herbarium and a seed bank.

After taking in all the beauty of this natural sight we headed down the road for a very traditional meal.

We feel so blessed for the opportunity to embrace so much culture and have others share with us like they do.

Tomato Picking Festival

2010-06-28T08:48:00.001+09:00

It seems every weekend or even every few days there is a festival of some sort happening in or around Seoul. There is a desire to celebrate every possible event, person, or even plant.

A few weekends ago we got together with our friends Christina and Daniel and headed to Gwangju (there are two Gwangju's, one located right outside of Seoul, and another located quite a ways down the peninsula of Korea. The Gwangju in this case is the local one) for the 퇴촌 토마토 축제 (Toechon Tomato Festival).

Daniel and Christina had asked us if we wanted to take part in this festival with them a few weeks before. Daniel attempted to make reservations for us online, but they were sold out. He told us he gave a call to the manager of the festival and told them he was going to be escorting some foreigners to the festival and thought it would be a great chance for them to see it and the manager agreed; granting us access to a sold out event.

When we first arrived, we headed to the tomato green houses for some fresh picking.

We were handed our clippers and headed in to snip off 5kg worth of tomatoes.

These tomatoes were easily the juiciest, most delicious tomatoes we've ever encountered.

We stopped along the way for a quick snack.

After picking our tomatoes we headed to the main festival area where they had a large pool set up full of tomatoes for kids to jump in, a stage with live music, and tent after tent of tomato variations, samples, and recipes.

We grabbed lunch at the festival

then headed down to 세미원 (Saymeeweon Garden) to see take in some natural beauty.

We were hoping the lotus plants had started to bloom, but we think we were just a few weeks too early.

Nonetheless, the garden was beautiful.

New Teacher

2010-06-23T02:08:00.030+09:00

A few Thankful Thursdays ago we mentioned that we have exciting news about August. Well, that exciting news has moved up to June 28th!! My little brother, Derek, is coming to Korea! to teach! at BIS!! That's right, we couldn't be more excited. We'll all be living in the same apartment building and working at the same academy!

As you read, Derek just graduated from Hillsdale College with a degree in Marketing and teaching will be a perfect "first" job for him. We've been telling the students all about Derek and they can't wait to meet him - they are also convinced he's a giant. We are simply thrilled for him to begin this new chapter in his life. It's going to be great.

The Graduate

Sibs

Graduation Party!! Classy.

Christopher, Chris, Derek

Han Kang Korean Restaurant
1910 S. Havana Street
Aurora, CO

Totally worth the little drive - delicious, authentic food!!

Here's to a great last week in the US for Derek and safe travels!
~ Cheers ~

10 Commandments

2010-06-21T06:00:00.005+09:00

The fourth grade social studies book we are using had a little tidbit about the 10 commandments. I gave the students an assignment to rewrite the 10 commandments in a way that would be easier to understand. It was a good practice for them to look up some synonyms. Here is a list of some of the answers I received. The numbered sentences are verbatim from the book, the following lines are some of the interpretations.

1. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
-?
2. You shall have no other gods besides me.
-You shall have only God.
-You can't respect other Gods.
3. You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God.
-Do not say anything about God.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
-A Sabbath Day is a holiday.
-On Sunday do holy.
5. Honor your Father and Mother
-Be dutiful to your parents.
-Respect your parents.
-You have to think mom and dad is genius and smart and nice and kind. (I'm not joking, this is what she wrote)
6. You shall not murder.
-Do not kill or harm people.
-You should not kill.
-You can't kill people.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
-Don't be an unfaithful husband.
-You shall not charge adultery.
-You can't marry with another people without wife.
8. You shall not steal.
-Do not steal something.
-You shall not steal.
-You can't have another people's thing.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
-Do not lie other people.
-You can't lie to neighbor.
10. You shall not covet anything that is your neighbors.
-Discard your desires.
-You shall not want anything neighbors.

All in all, I'd say they did a fantastic job ~~^^

Friday Food

2010-06-18T10:26:00.004+09:00

Dolsot Bibimbap 돌솥 비빔밥

Dolsot bibimbap is easily one of my favorite, if not favorite, Korean meals. This delicious rice and veggie dish is served beautifully in a hot clay pot, or dolsot, and enjoyed anytime of the year. The dolsot bowl is amazing; it cooks the rice to perfection - a little crispy, and a little chewy. Carrots, bean sprouts, kimchi, spinach, seaweed, zucchini, potato, mushrooms, and I'm sure a ton of other vegetables, depending on the restaurant, are piled on top of the rice along with a raw egg (although the egg is slightly cooked in this pic). It is also served with a sweet/spicy chili sauce, called kochujang. As soon as you get the dish, you stir it all up into a big mess, the egg cooks, and you're ready to enjoy a nutritious and very filling meal.

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-17T16:57:00.000+09:00

This Thursday we find ourselves thankful for...

World Cup Fever
Report cards being finished
"Aircon"
Movie, TV, and book recommendations
Jalapeños!

Urban Camping

2010-06-14T00:38:00.002+09:00

A couple weekends ago we were able to get out into the "wilderness" for some camping. We didn't have to travel too far, it was only a few subway stops away at the Seoul Grand Park. I guess you can't call it "urban" camping, but it wasn't exactly out of the city either.

Entrance to the park

The park is in the middle of the city but covers a large area with wilderness abound. Our friend, Sanghyun (aka Paul), setup all the reservations for a group of 7 of us. The camping wasn't quite what we were used to, but it was still a great time sleeping outdoors and sharing stories with friends.

Dinner- Samgyeopsal

Breakfast - Rice & Ramen

Approximate (GPS battery died) location: 37.420170N, 127.024301E

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-10T14:14:00.000+09:00

It has been a few weeks since a TT post, but that doesn't mean we were any less grateful. This week we find ourselves thankful for...

Opportunities for our Korean friends to go to school and work in America
God's supervision over the health of family members
Urban camping
Good employers
NPR

We're Back Home, from Being Home (?!?)

2010-05-29T11:27:00.008+09:00

Well, we're back in Seoul after our much needed vacation/reunion. Our entire time in The States was wonderful down to the last second. Christopher and I were so blessed to spend so much quality time with our families, friends, and of course, our pack.

The trip was planned beautifully with the two main events (graduations) sandwiching lots of laughs, food, drinks, games, memories, and good times. Here are some pictures from both graduations.

Graduation #1 - Hillsdale, Michigan

Graduation #2 - Denver, Colorado

Not much has changed in Seoul, other than our sleeping habits - we've both been out cold by 10pm and up bright eyed at 6:30am; our schedule is still so out of whack. It was so great to see the kids this week - they were just as excited as we were. It has been rough getting back in the swing of things here. We were both welcomed with a mile high stack of term tests to grade and about a million progress reports to write. The weather is beautiful right now, a little overcast but a perfect 70 degrees :) We sure are missing the beautiful Colorado sun that we were blessed with for the majority of our trip.

Thankful Thursday

2010-05-06T08:00:00.001+09:00

Thank you for...

Vacation
Online Check-ins
Jets
Exciting news about August
Family reunions

Recent Videos

2010-05-05T21:24:00.003+09:00

Our 2010 kindergarten class gets the opportunity for gym class, unlike last year. We get to accompany them and view all the greatness...

A coule of our kindy girls with their version of patty cake?

This last video comes courtesy of one of our new first graders. He has warned both of us before about traveling through the Bermuda Triangle because it is too dangerous. He talks about sharks every possible moment. Sorry the video is a bit blurry.

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-30T00:03:00.003+09:00

Today we couldn't be more thankful for...

BIS laptops
next Thursday we'll be in the USA!
Birthdays
movie days
kimchi

Drop the Hate

2010-04-25T14:46:00.006+09:00

Unfortunately hate exists. Undeniable, it is probably right around the corner from you. Untimely acts will result from its cause. Undermining you is its goal. Under your skin, it will crawl.

Unbridled hate was uncovered late last night while on the underground train. It can be described as uncomfortable, almost unbearable.

We boarded a train headed home from a work meeting at 10:00pm with a few friends, some foreign some not. We sat on the subway chatting about the meeting as we traveled along. We came to a stop when the door opened and a man began to exit. Before leaving, he turned, screamed something at Lauren and I, gathered his phlegm and then performed a very unsightly act. He spit on us. I wish it were untrue.

He then sprinted off the the subway as the everyone on the train sat and stared with open mouths at the unbelievable act.

Fortunately his aim was not great and he missed for the most part.

The rest of the train ride was ridden with unanswered questions riddling us.

I do want to say, I am surprised. Our entire time in Korea we've experienced only unbounded love and acceptance. I was thankful for it before, and even more thankful for it now. This man was not a representation of anybody but himself.

This event wasn't earth shattering or ground shaking and was, in-fact, an extremely mild act if compared to anything similar. I don't want to claim injustice, beg for sympathy, or even say I know what it feels like to feel hated for no reason.

To the man on the subway: I sincerely hope the unrest you feel towards unsuspecting individuals will unravel. While the act can't be undone, it is not unforgivable.

"For if you forgive other their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive other their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Matthew 6:14-15

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-22T21:31:00.002+09:00

This week we are thankful for...

Frequent flyer miles!
Opening windows in spring
A plethora of restaurant options in our neighborhood
Daily readings
2 week countdown

What a Happy Day!!

2010-04-20T23:44:00.004+09:00

This is one of our new kindergarten students. She doesn't normally have a smile on her face but we caught her actually enjoying herself and having fun. It's amazing what being outside can do to you. Too cute :)

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-15T23:59:00.001+09:00

This week we are thankful for...

the "have to give you something for free every time you come in" 7-11 lady
live streaming of NBA playoffs
Spring cleaning
Elementary School Middle tests --> it means kids are absent to study so we get smaller classes :)
an impromptu trip to Incheon

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-09T22:20:00.003+09:00

A little late on this but we're thankful for...

The park renovation near our school
Jigsaw puzzles
A weekend out of town
Our eager-to-practice-English security guard
The newly discovered English speaking hair stylist

찜질방, Jimjilbang!

2010-04-06T19:35:00.000+09:00

This past Saturday Lauren and I made our first visit to a 찜질방 (Jimjilbang) which is a traditional Korean sauna. After visiting we are now disappointed we hadn't gone earlier.

We went to a Sauna at 용산 (Yongsan) Station called Dragon Hill Spa. Our friend 종한(Jonghan), aka Peter, said he had been to this Spa before and he really liked it.

The first thing you do when you arrive is head to the front desk to pay the entrance fee. Since it was the weekend, the cost was 12,000 KRW (10 dollars ish) per person. After paying, the employee hands you some loose fitting cotton lounge clothes, and an elastic bracelet with a key and an electronic tracker attached.

After entering the turnstiles you must remove your shoes and deposit them into the appropriate shoe locker (your key #). The floors throughout the giant facility are the ondol (heated) equipped style. After dropping off your shoes you head into the main common area. At this point you need to take the women's elevator (to the 2nd floor) or the men's elevator (to the 5th floor) to get changed into your 찜질방 attire.

These areas are basically like a VERY glorified locker room. They are (obviously) segregated by sex and people are extremely open about nudity. The men's area had all the lockers to place your day clothes in, showers, steam rooms, a variety of sauna's ranging in temperature and water type, bathrooms, a barber shop, and I'm sure other goodies I didn't even find. After changing though, Peter and I headed back down to level 1 to meet back up with Lauren.

From there we entered into the large common co-ed area.

There was one large spacious room with televisions, a couple snack/juice bars, a manicure/pedicure station, and many doors leading to various rooms. There were ice rooms, steam rooms, saunas, charcoal rooms, "green air" rooms, salt rooms, and more. They all had their own unique benefits. We experienced the majority of the rooms.

The facility in all covered 6 floors. About 50% was sex-sparated and 50% co-ed. There were a couple restaurants, numerous heated pools, some outdoor patios, and treatment spa, as well as arcade games, a movie room, a PC room, and singing rooms! Any food, beverages, extra treatments, or other were simply charged to your bracelet to be paid upon check out.

We brought some card games along to play in the common area.

We also were treated to a magic show which was pretty awesome.

Lauren was a little distraught after the magician brought out some birds and memories from The Prestige came flooding back. It was a good show though and fun to watch the kids all around get so excited.

All in all this was an incredible experience. It is amazing that even after being here for more than a year there are still so many things to check out and experience. Many thanks to our native friends here who are always up for bringing a little more culture into our world :)

Animation Museum

2010-04-03T21:05:00.000+09:00

Working with Maristory on the weekends has provided us with free admission to many museums throughout Seoul. The most recent museum we went to was the animation museum. It was incredibly entertaining and a really fun museum overall. There was one thing that stood out as incredible though...

This is a photo of the urinals inside the mens bathroom. As you can see, they are screens...but not just any screen, they are touch screens activated by your "aiming". I scored a 110 on my first try when I arrived to the museum. After chugging copious amounts of water I bested my score at the end of the day with a 150.

They need to install these in every single bathroom EVERYWHERE.

Worst.Morning.EVER!

2010-04-02T14:15:00.000+09:00

Ok, far from the worst morning ever, but nothing ruins your morning quite like this...

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-01T09:46:00.000+09:00

This Thursday of Holy week we are overwhelmed with gratitude for Jesus Christ's gift to the world: Himself, for us.

Thank you!!!

Phantom of the Opera

2010-03-28T21:31:00.005+09:00

It has been a few weeks since Valentine's Day, but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy it to the fullest.

Lauren convinced me that Phantom of the Opera was a can't miss. We asked our boss, Ms. Grace, to do a little digging for us to see if the show was in English and if tickets were available. Good news/bad news, tickets were available, the show was entirely Korean...including the songs, haha!

We purchased them anyway and ended up being the only people in our section...for a Valentine's Day show.

The show, even in a foreign language, was absolutely fascinating. The music and theatrics were stunning. The opening scene is jaw-dropping. It was a great way to spend Valentine's Day in Seoul.

황사! Hwangsa!

2010-03-27T00:22:00.005+09:00

We've been a bit lagging on the blog as of late, but with good reason...

Hwangsa, or yellow dust, is the pollution devil that comes from China. Feel free to read about it here. Well, we have been affected this year (we were last year as well...in retrospect we realize this) and have succumb to this...

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-25T23:43:00.001+09:00

Today we are thankful for...

quiet neighbors
leftovers
10am starts
buds! Spring is in the air :)
Kleenex

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-18T22:48:00.003+09:00

Ugh, we're feeling lame this Thursday :( but still Thankful none the less...

our baby "adult" 18 year old sister!!!
Gym PPT with kindergarten
hugs
the "ahhh, I know it" moment (from us and kids)
tteok

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-12T14:19:00.003+09:00

This week we have been thankful for...

overcast weather
being able to work at the same school
planning our trip home!
Mexican food
kindergarten science experiments

Buldak 불닭

2010-03-08T23:26:00.006+09:00

Fire Chicken!

Bul = Fire

Dak = Chicken

This is a delicious, quick, spicy meal. We actually haven't yet had this meal out in Seoul (well, that's to our knowledge - we've eaten many spicy chicken dishes without knowing exactly what they were, so who knows really). It seemed as if it would be an easy enough Korean dish to experiment with and I knew we would like it since our tolerance for spice has immensely expanded since moving here. I followed this simple recipe with a few alterations. We had no Sake or Cheong ju (Korean rice wine) for the marinade so I used our favorite - Soju! (That was a highly sarcastic statement, although we did have some with dinner.) Not sure how much of a difference it made; the chicken was amazing! I also didn't have any kochujan (red chili pepper paste) or red chillies for the fire sauce so I settled for jalapenos and kochukaru (red pepper flakes). We included some of my favorite banchan (traditional Korean side dishes), pickled radish (danmuji), to kill some of the spice but it ended up being not spicy enough for us - Christopher even added some Tabasco. Overall, it was really good and we will be making it again. If you want to try it and like spice - use the red chillies!

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-04T14:26:00.007+09:00

This Thursday we find ourselves thankful for...

Smaller kindergarten classes
Seeing the old kindys all grown up in first grade :)
Surprise Valentine's day packages
Having jobs and being blessed by God with a roof and a plate full of food
constant effort

1 Year!

2010-02-28T00:50:00.000+09:00

It is truly hard to capture all that has gone on during one full year, 365 days, or eight thousand seven hundred and sixty hours approximately (leap year...whatever).

That is the amount of time we have now spent on this little peninsula. Once before known as a small country with little relevance to our lives, has now become a home to us so rich with culture and memories we can't imagine leaving it after such a short period of time. We had our plane tickets set to venture into the unknown unaware of what was waiting for us on the other side.

What we discovered has been, so far, too complex for my meager writing ability. A few things we have discovered though...

Korean food is extremely underrated. I was worried we weren't going to like very many dishes and we would be stuck eating them out of necessity. Well, thankfully, this was not the case. We absolutely LOVE the food. Donkas, dolsot-bibimbap, kimchi, dalkabli, dukgalbi, sam gyeopsal, bulgolgi, kimbap...I could go on and on really. Anyway, the food, like I said, does not get enough credit.

Kids are too easy to love. We knew coming out here we would grow to love the children in the school. We, however, had no idea how much they would truly impact our lives. I guess you could say we were slightly unprepared as to how heavily the kids would hang on our hearts. We just had the kindergarten graduation at a banquet hall in Seoul with the other two BIS campuses. It was quite a production to say the least. During the ceremony and shortly after we both felt such joy from seeing the kids so proud of themselves for working so hard and accomplishing so much during the short year.

I may have at times expected too much of them, been too quick to correct, or just been too impatient. Have they not stopped learning, stopped playing, stopped loving? The spirit of a child does not have an equal. It has no comparison. I don't have a defense to the unconditional love and unwavering persistence of these children. I cannot hold a candle to their positive outlook. To say that I was the teacher during this experience would be a very subjective skewed point of view.

Family is SUPER important. Whether it be father, mother, grandparent, brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, or friend. These individuals and groups serve as pillars in our lives. We count on you for support, and can't thank you enough for the extended comfort and strength you have provided. We don't want the many miles between us to separate us - we are always here for you, despite being far away.

We're excited to see what 2010/2011 has in store for us. The Lord has been our rock this year and we trust that He has a plan for us here in The Land of the Morning Calm.

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-26T14:25:00.002+09:00

We have one very large thing to be thankful for this Thursday.

Simply put, we are so very thankful for all of our experiences this past full year has brought us.

There will be more to come on that very soon.

똥침 Dong-chim

2010-02-21T18:57:00.007+09:00

**This post is rated MA - Mature Audience only for a bit of graphic content and severely bizarre behavior. If you are easily offended do yourself a favor and skip the following**

Something perplexing has recently come to light for me. When working with the kindergarten kids from early on I've had to constantly spin 180's quick and swipe a hand behind me quick as a blink. My actions were in response to the befuddling behavior of the kids who would poke me in the bum using their index fingers and shouting a Korean phrase.

At first I thought something was disturbingly wrong with the first child who did this. Then after a few more did it, I just passed it off as extremely unusual behavior for a select group of children. The behavior continued sporadically, as did my lightening quick reactions.

Somehow the topic came up in conversation (fortunately) with our friend Emma, who is a Seoul native. She laughed and laughed at us and then explained...

When we get poked, the phrase we've been hearing is "똥침", or "Dong-chim".

똥, or dong (long O), means poo, crap, fecal matter, etc.

침, or Chim (cheem), means needle.

So, poo-needle.

Anyway, Korean children (and apparently some people beyond that age... : / ) clasp their hands together with interlocked fingers then "poke" with their extended index fingers at the victim and yell "Dong-chim!".

It doesn't make sense, and I'm not sure I want to figure it out. Most recently I was teaching a weekend class at the educational museum and one little boy (English name Charlie) was the first person to engage the activity since I've learned exactly what it is. I brushed it off and at least understood.

And then he dongchim'd me about 153 times over the next two hours. Even more astonishing was his mom sitting idly by. Want to talk about the ultimate exercise in patience? Hey lady, I'm about to push your kid to the ground right in front of you!

All that being said, I'm sure there are some cultures that would find a "wedgie" as the most offensive possible thing. So with all due respect, please go on Dongchiming each other, but leave me be.

If you would like references (why would you honestly?) here you go.

An actual game you can play online, ridiculous.

Friday Food

2010-02-19T11:57:00.002+09:00

Samgyetang 삼계탕

This very popular South Korean soup is made with a whole young chicken stuffed with rice. Ginseng, ginger, jujube fruit, and garlic are also in the broth, making it a very flavorful guk (soup). The soup arrives at your table literally boiling in the clay pot, which keeps it very warm for the rest of the meal. It's traditionally eaten during the summer months and thought to restore nutrients lost through sweating, however we last had it on a VERY cold day which made it more enjoyable. I still can't get too psyched about this meal because it's more work than I like just to eat soup - eating Samgyetang requires a lot of picking and poking with chopsticks.

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-18T22:24:00.003+09:00

Feeling thankful this week for...

Food exchange
new paint in our classrooms!
Extended work visas
Solnal gifts
Confirmed booking for trip back to the motherland :)

Friday Food

2010-02-12T11:11:00.003+09:00

Yeongeun 연근

Lotus root is our latest and greatest find here in Korea. I now know that it's commonly used in Asian dishes but I can honestly say that I had never had it until coming to Korea. I noticed and tried the beautiful and delicious root vegetable in banchan when we first arrived and ever since, have been so intrigued by it's curious shape and taste. Well, we finally purchased one kilogram to experiment with on our last visit to Garak and - we love it!

Lotus root chips were our first snack. After slicing and soaking the root in vinegar water we lightly coated them with olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes and baked them to make a delightfully crunchy chip.

Next, we threw them in a stir fry - a modified version of one of Momma Haws' stir fry recipes. They provided the perfect crunch and sweetness needed in place of water chestnuts; we even liked them a little more.

They're so fun to look at and eat. If you haven't used them before, I recommend heading out to your nearest Asian grocery and trying them for yourself. If you have used them, any other suggestions?

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-11T00:39:00.005+09:00

Today we are thankful for...

our Thankful Thursdays
nearly completed laundry (folding is the worst)
Seollal 설날 (Lunar New Year) - we get Monday off!
Valentine's Day
reading time

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-05T09:29:00.004+09:00

This week we feel grateful for...

Costco
Apples to apples
Completed taxes
God is in charge

Pa-jeon 파전

2010-02-03T15:18:00.004+09:00

It only took eleven months, but I'm proud to say that I finally braved a Korean recipe on my own. After sampling a delicious fried mushroom-cake at Emart, I was determined to recreate the tasty treat in our own kitchen. I tried to ask questions about whatever it was that we had eaten, but the sweet ajuma (a middle-aged Korean woman) preparing and serving the dish spoke lightning-speed Korean and zero English. The only thing I gained from the conversation was "use water" and "stir". I did some googling and decided that the closest food to what we had had was Pa-jeon, a Korean scallion pancake. I chose to follow this recipe and just add sauteed shiitake mushrooms. Luckily we already had most of the ingredients, aside from a few needed for the spicy dipping sauce. The friendly employee at our normal grocery store helped me find the needed items despite my atrocious accent. After some short prep and cook time, Christopher and I enjoyed the appetizer but it wasn't nearly as good as the sample. I think my downfall was making them too thick. I'm glad to have started with probably the simplest Korean dish possible but I hope to try two Korean dishes a month...we'll see how difficult it gets.

Fond Memories

2010-01-31T22:20:00.000+09:00

Both Lauren and I were saddened that we were unable to attend the memorial service for Grandpa Haws recently. The sharing of stories and great memories is such a wonderful practice. In the spirit of that…

I believe everyone at one point or another wonders about their ancestry. What kind of people were they, what does the family tree look like, what citizenship have my ancestors held? Around the age of twelve I became keenly interested.

In a quest to discover my racial, national, and ethnic background, I began to ask family members. I received some pretty clear answers from the maternal side but my dad was fairly clueless. He suggested I shoot Grandpa an email and ask him.

Easy enough…being fairly certain of the vocabulary I wanted to use and how to phrase the questions, I sent an email anxiously awaiting reply (my true identity couldn’t wait!).

The next day my dad beckoned to me for a chat. My Grandpa, the loving man he was, wasn’t sure how to respond to my email, so he contacted my dad instead.

The following is a loosely interpreted message from my Grandpa to my Dad:

“Christopher sent me an email yesterday, saying you told him to contact me. I’m not really sure how to answer him. He said he was doing some research regarding whom he was and where he came from. I think you should have a chat with him. He asked what gender I was in order to determine his.”

I may not ever escape the teasing because of a simple word mix-up (Gender vs. Genealogy), but I will never forget the joy it brings to everybody else. Thanks for the laughs Grandpa, your reaction was priceless.

Thankful Thursday

2010-01-28T22:51:00.001+09:00

Today we are thankful for...

eating in
Tide Shout Wipes
a Saturday to do what we want
the last day of intensives!
sunshine (even if it's still cold)

Thankful Thursday

2010-01-21T23:20:00.004+09:00

We are thankful for...

endless hours of child impersonations
dreams
flexible schedules (for the most part)
international relief
Grandpa Haws' Memorial Slideshow

Official Extension

2010-01-18T17:48:00.001+09:00

South Korea is an amazing place. We have recently officially decided to extend our stay and renew our contract with BIS. Being here has taught us so much and showed us so many things, but we still have so much to do, learn, teach, and see.

We moved out here with a one year contract starting March 1st, 2009, and so we will renew our one year contract on the same day for another full year. We prayed heavily on the decision and God graciously spoke to us the same day and told us what we needed to do.

It was a challenging decision because of how much we miss everyone back home in the States. It is hard (especially during the holidays) to be away from so many people we love so much.

The GOOD news is that for those of you didn't get a chance to experience South Korea first hand, you will have personal tour guides available to you for another full year!! So we fully expect to see many of you in the Eastern Hemisphere in 2010 :)

Thankful Thursday

2010-01-15T10:33:00.002+09:00

We are thankful for new friends.
We are thankful for old friends.
We are thankful for the weekends.
We are thankful for new students.
We are thankful for old students.

Fish!

2010-01-12T15:03:00.010+09:00

Sorry about the lack of activity on the blog recently. With the holidays, guests, friends, excessive teachering (teaching/planning), and a plethora of new reading material we have unfortunately not updated as often.

Our friend 종한 (Jonghan, English name Peter) took Lauren, Kasey, Laurel, and I to the 노량진수산시장 (Noryangjin Fish Market). There we picked out a few fish for our meal that night.

Peter spotted a red snapper (적도미) and a flounder(가자미) that would do the trick. The man and woman who were running the shop were extremely friendly and threw in two octopus for "service"!! We had heard about eating live octopus before and were a bit fearful after watching this intense scene in the incredible Korean film, Old Boy.

The octopus was about that same size...
...however we didn't consume it like Dae-su. The owner of the station nicely prepared the flounder and red snapper into a nice spread for us.

We took the 2 octopus (still live, in a plastic bag) and the plate of fish to a nearby restaurant. The restaurant staff promptly chopped up the octopus into small bites for us. The chopping of the octopus did not make the octopus cease to move. They continued to wiggle, wriggle, and suction to the plate and anything else they touched...including the inside of Lauren's cheek, haha!

The food was delicious and we look forward to returning.

Thankful Thursday

2010-01-08T10:08:00.003+09:00

This past week Chris and I have had so much to be thankful for...

We have friends in town visiting from home!
We find peace knowing that our family is together in Arizona, remembering the life of GP Haws.
We have eaten a ton of delicious Korean food, including "live" octopus!
We had a snow day! The heaviest snowfall in Seoul in 70 years.
The first week of intensives is nearly over!

Thailand NY

2010-01-03T17:03:00.032+09:00

Lauren and I spent the past week in Thailand (Bangkok & Koh Chang) with some good friends of ours, Kasey & Laurel. It was a pretty fantastic trip, to say the least.

We arrived in Bangkok on Monday afternoon to meet up with Kasey and Laurel who arrived very early that morning. We went out that night to Khaosan Road in the Banglamphu area.

The next morning we left Bangkok and headed toward Koh Chang Island. It took a bit of transportation to get there. 1)taxi to the bus station 2)bus from the Bangkok bus station to the bus station near the port 3)taxi from the bus station to the port 4)Ferry from the mainland to the island 5)taxi from the port to the resort.

These coordinates were during our bus ride: N 12° 22.311' E 102° 23.256'

Waiting for the Ferry: N 12° 11.236' E 102° 18.070'

The taxi rides around the island and near the port on the mainland were pretty wild. They were basically small trucks with benches in the bed and open on the back.

Arriving at the island: 12° 8'28.59"N 102°16'51.36"E

The resort we stayed at was very nice and the scenery was breathtaking.

These shots are taken from the patio where we ate our meals: 12° 3'19.45"N 102°17'38.71"E

From our resort we could take a small motorized gondola to the nearby beach: N 12° 03.517' E 102° 17.402'

We also ventured our way down the west coast to check out a local herbal spa and another beach. During part of our walk an enormous grasshopper was battling Lauren for my attention:

The other beautiful beach we visited: N 11° 59.272' E 102° 17.879'

After too many UV rays the herbal spa provided quite a treatment...

For New Years our resort hosted a Gala dinner which turned out to be fantastic.
The fire spinners:

A couple of other creatures we captured along with the clam:
A stick bug roaming around The Swiss Family Robinson style resort

We also spotted this spider outside our deck. From leg tip to leg tip it spanned about 6 inches.

All in all we had a fantastic, relaxing vacation in beautiful Thailand. We would definitely recommend it as a travel destination.

Thankful Thursday

2009-12-23T16:27:00.005+09:00

This week we have been so incredibly thankful. There is so much to be thankful for and we are constantly in awe of the gifts and blessings we receive.

This week we are most thankful for the life of my grandfather.

My grandpa was a truly incredible person. It's so hard to consider him mortal - maybe it is a combination of never losing a family member before, coupled with the strength and great perseverance that was on display daily in his life. Every trial was faced head on with the confidence of a leader. As head of the tree he provided shade and protection to all the branches below. His reach was wide to provide shelter for others. He will be greatly missed on this humble Earth.

What speaks louder to me than anything else is what is happening now. He is face to face with his maker. Pain-free and burden-less he can run into the open arms of our heavenly father. Even just the thought is beyond my feeble comprehension.

Thank you for the great wisdom you passed on. Thank you for all the laughs and joy. Thank you for all the memories, they are timeless.

Thankful Thursday

2009-12-18T00:35:00.001+09:00

This Thursday we are (were) thankful for...

layers
productive mornings
new prayers
Christmas movies
coworker bonding!!
communication breakthroughs

Thankful Thursday

2009-12-10T18:38:00.007+09:00

A VERY THANKFUL Thursday indeed!!

After 90 days the Dr. recommends no more immobilization. He says it is not healed (x-rays still show a fracture line) but it is time to start movement in my wrist. I will head back for more x-rays in two weeks. In honor of this, here are some things to be thankful for:

Long-Sleeve shirts!
Showers without bags!
Legible hand writing!
Using two hands to wash your hair!
No more relying on the woman of the home to handle hard to open jars! Hooray!!

Test answers

2009-12-05T18:19:00.004+09:00

We've been giving tests this past week to all of our kids. We received a few answers from our 1st graders that made us chuckle quite a bit. Click to enlarge.

Thankful Thursday

2009-12-03T22:00:00.002+09:00

Today we are thankful for...

hot lunches
test days
Christmas music
smaller classes this month
Thailand countdown

Healthcare

2009-11-30T23:11:00.004+09:00

**Long read, you've been warned**

Well my wrist is still broken. The fracture occurred approximately 80 days ago. My wrist has been immobilized for about 78 days. For those interested in how I've dealt with healthcare in a country where English is not primary...

Saturday September 12 11:30pm - fracture occurs

Monday September 14 - Convinced of a fracture, I reluctantly ask the assistant principal to escort me to the nearest x-ray facility/doctor to confirm my suspicions. Graciously he meets my request with a same day appointment. He accompanies me to a local clinic/standard Doctor's office and tells the receptionist/nurse of the condition. After collecting my government issued ID and confirming my national healthcare membership I wait a few minutes before meeting the doctor. This doctor (don't know his name : / ) speaks decent English and the second question he asks me (after what happened?) is what medical allergies I have and what medication I'm currently on. This may seem very routine, but when you are in a foreign country this sort of question gives you more comfort than you can imagine. Anyway, the x-ray shows a hairline fracture (note: no lead vest...hmmm) which the doctor is very pleased with because he insists a scaphoid fracture is typically awful to heal and a pain to say the least. He applies a splint and gives me a prescription for ????? (he says medicine for minor pain and to reduce the swelling). A couple of minutes later I am on my way to the pharmacy with my assistant principal (pharmacies literally line the streets, quite convenient). The pharmacist takes a quick look at the paper, disappears, then reappears with 12 individual plastic packets with three pills in each. Through translation with the assistant principal: Take these 3 pills (again, who knows?) thrice daily for three days. Easy enough. Mildly pleased with my first experience with foreign medicine. Paid in Korean won, but will give approximate USD. Out of pocket: $18.00 (xray, dr. visit, splint, drugs).

Thursday September 17th: Return to original doctor. Splint removed, hard cast applied. Told to return in 3 weeks for x-rays (went alone this trip, fortunately front desk recognized me right away...American with a broken wrist, probably not all that common). Out of pocket: $4.00 hard cast.

Monday October 5th: Return to original Dr./clinic for x-ray check-up (accompanied by assistant principal). X-rays (lead vest? of course not) show fracture much worse than original x-ray showed. I actually assumed this as I had experience before with getting x-rays while still being swollen. It appears from my experience that when the injured area is initially swollen, the bone appears via xray to be perfectly aligned/having only a hairline fracture/no problem at all. I asked the doctor to remove the full hard cast out of comfort and give me a half cast splint for the remaining three weeks (his initial diagnosis of 6 weeks to heal). He obliges. Out of pocket: $9.00 (xray/splint).

Monday October 26th: Return to original Dr. by myself excited to see my wrist, begin writing legibly, wearing shirts/sweaters with sleeves, etc. X-ray (again, no lead vest) shows no improvement from week 3 x-rays (and obviously still decline from original x-rays from 9/14). Dr. is pretty disappointed as am I. He recommends 4 more weeks of immobilization. Out of pocket: $4.00 (x-ray).

Monday November 23rd: Return to original Dr. by myself excited to AGAIN see my wrist, begin writing legibly, wear shirts/sweaters with sleeves, etc. Hooray! X-rays (sans lead apron of course) show improvement! Not enough. Dr. tells me he is encouraged but not convinced that it is time to remove the cast and begin rehabilitation. He offers me two options: 4 more weeks immobilization, or run down to the clinic down the street for a CT scan. Vexed, I opted for the CT scan as long as it was reasonable cost wise. He tells me $50 with insurance (me), $160 no insurance (...not me). Ok, 50 is reasonable. He writes up the recommendation letter and draws a modest map. Seems simple, walk 10 meters north, take a right, head 100 meters East. Well, 100 meters was a conservative number. 15 minutes and wild pointing/broken Konglish later I spot the sign (thankfully I've studied my 한글). I hand the "recommendation" (who knows what it says?) to the front desk and they point to a chair. A few minutes later I'm ushered into a room and asked a couple of broken English questions like "what hurts?" and "how?". Then escorted back to the waiting room. A few minutes later I'm shown into the CT scan room. This nurse/Dr. speaks zero English. This was probably a hilarious scene. Picture the patient trying to lay awkwardly on the table taking directions from the doctor in an unfamiliar language (with one or two English words thrown in such as "prone"...really prone?) to position themselves appropriately for the scan. CT scan complete, I'm escorted to the elevators and up to floor 5 to meet with a doctor. This Dr. knows a wee bit of English (less than my original Dr. but more than any other medical staff I've met). Through mostly pointing, nods, and a few English words I discover the news that the scaphoid hasn't healed (X-ray fail, don't tease me with your blurry pictures). This doctor says verbatim "Elevator down 1 give CT picture". Alright will do. Headed down 1 floor.

I probably should have read the signs to the entrance of the offices on this floor to see if they resembled anything medical. This created a fun situation of me saying "CT scan pictures" to the receptionist while handing her my recommendation paper from the Dr. Would have been great if she wasn't a receptionist for "Rabbit Advertising". Whoops, what that dr. had intended to say was go TO FLOOR ONE, not ELEVATOR DOWN 1.

Anyway, my red face arrives back at the front desk to retrieve my pictures/cd of pictures. They hand me the calculator with 165,000 typed out (calculators are incredibly handy tools for merchants who serve a community who doesn't speak the native tongue). I give them an awkward look, say "ah-nee-oh" (no). "ah-nee-oh, insurance" then I gave them the ol' X crossed forearms with fists in the air. The three people standing at the front look awkwardly at each other then back at me. I hand them my alien resident I.D. card and repeat insurance a few more times. I'm directed to a seat. 15 minutes later I'm summoned to the front. Summoned of course the Korean palm down way. This comes directly from the Official site of Korea tourism:

When you beckon to a person, do so with your palm down, and then flutter your hand up and down with your fingers touching together. It is not polite to beckon with your palm up ― especially using only one finger, because Koreans do that only to dogs.

The nice people at the front smile at me and show me a calculator now with 44,000. I smile, hand them my money and bow as low as I can to show them respect/thankfulness. I walk back to my original Dr. and give him the CD with the CT pictures. He views them and says "ah, you see CT scan is a good plan! X-ray was not a good picture and this is better to say your wrist is not healed". Bittersweet...very bitter. At this point the Dr. recommends I head to the big hospital to see a specialist regarding surgery. He writes me a recommendation letter that has to be used within one week if I want to see the Dr. at the hospital. I thank him and head back to school and ask my assistant principal to call and schedule me an appointment. He is great. Out of pocket: $45.00

Tuesday November 24th: The assistant principal (Mr. Kim btw) and I take at taxi ride to Gangnam Sebarentz<-- Korean pronunciation of severance. I thought hospitals were a tad confusing when you spoke the native language...oh my word I would have been here for 4 days without Mr. Kim's help. Shortened version: Find main front desk hospital, directed to the Orthopedic front desk, directed to the cashiers desk, back to the Orthopedic desk, directed to the area/desks that takes the CT scan images from the CD and loads them into the system, then back to the orthopedic desk where we wait to see the specialist. This is where the frustration begins. This specialist speaks no English. He looks at the CT scans, talks with Mr. Kim for about 6 minutes. Then we leave the office and Mr. Kim tells me that the Dr. says the bone is still broken but they need X-rays. I'm thinking why would they need an x-ray when you just looked at a CT scan from YESTERDAY. Ugh, I take the x-rays (oh a big hospital, definitely lead apron...nope) and schedule to meet the next "specialist" in two days. Out of pocket $19.00 (x-ray, initial visit)

Thursday November 26th: Arrive with Mr. Kim back at the hospital. See the next specialist. He speaks a bit of English...less than the original Dr. from the beginning, but more than all the other people so far. He looks at the X-rays and says (paraphrase): These appear inconclusive, I think we need a CT scan. I tell him, no, we have those in the computer. Then Mr. Kim (I'm assuming) explains in more detail. He pulls up the CT scan and then says "well, the bone is lined up, but hasn't healed, I'll be right back". He goes and speaks with what he calls "the head professor" and says "lets do 2 more weeks immobilization and then reevaluate. In two weeks you will meet with head of the orthopedic department". Really? 10 and 1/2 weeks have gone by and you want just 2 more weeks? I'm then walked into the room where a hard cast is applied. Out of pocket $40.00 (hard cast, etc).

Present.

I'm hoping the head orthopedic Dr. has got some great news/great ideas/speaks great English. I just hope he/she is great.

Couple of overall thoughts. I am pleased with the cost of healthcare and the care itself. I can't say I'm frustrated with the barriers because they are expected. I cannot presume that somebody in another country will speak the language I speak. I find that thought, to me, to be close-minded and naive. On the contrary, I'm extremely thankful for the Dr.'s who can use English (even if just a little), and abundantly thankful to Mr. Kim who may not speak perfect English but is doing all this work for me. I mean what does he have to gain by putting in all this time and effort? It is a blessing.

Scaphoid fracture

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-26T23:57:00.000+09:00

Well, THE Thankful Thursday is upon us and we find ourselves more thankful than ever. Although we are thousands of miles from family and friends from home for the holiday, we still experience the countless blessings and gifts on this special day. We have truly been blessed with an amazing support system found in our true and dear friendships, and our loving and devoted family.

Not only do we see Thanksgiving as a time to give thanks to God for what we have been given, but also a time to say thank you to those who have helped us along our journey. As a presence in our lives, we thank you.

We hope you enjoy the feasts and togetherness today brings. We pray that we all may keep the spirit of thanksgiving not just today, but throughout the year.

Psalm 30:12

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-19T00:03:00.003+09:00

We are thankful for...

instant hot water
heated floors
family gatherings
lots of laughs
gifts from our students

Language Fail

2009-11-15T14:11:00.001+09:00

Ugh, we all know that problems in the workplace are no fun. Well, add a language barrier to the mix and these problems can be a million times worse. BIS is an amazing school and we’ve been very fortunate to get the opportunity to work with some incredible people. There are, however, frustrations just like any other professional environment.

One of the more prominent frustrations is the communication problem. Christopher and I are often frustrated with the communication between the only English speaking staff, the English/Korean speaking staff, the semi-English/Korean speaking staff, and the only Korean speaking staff (does that make sense?). We have co-workers from every degree of the spectrum and it gets frustrating and exhausting communicating policy, ideas, and concerns in this manner. We feel that important words are often lost in translation, resulting in an entirely different scenario than we had anticipated. There have been times when a Korean staff member tells each of us foreign teachers something individually and then when we convene to discuss, we all have gotten something different from the conversation, leaving us very confused.

We wish there wasn't such a barrier between the foreign staff and the Korean staff. All of the staff here are so kind and gracious yet we don't really know them or their true personalities. We often hear them laughing and are disappointed because we want to be in on the joke; we want to know what funny thing happened on the way to work or what child they are making fun of. Unfortunately, our Korean skills are sub par and we probably won't be at the level to understand them more clearly any time soon. We don't even know their real Korean names - they only tell us their English names and all of the children use their English names. If you know me, you know that I like to talk and I hate that I can't always converse with the other staff members on a productive level. When riding in an elevator with them, I simply have no words and it's frustrating.

Chris and I have decided that we need to make more of a conscious effort to become better citizens of the Republic of Korea which includes learning more of the language. Reading Hangul is clearly not enough to effectively communicate with the many interesting people whom we encounter and wish to know. We are going to be having a very basic Korean class, facilitated by our Korean friends, in exchange for writing help and "accent improvement" (that's what they want). We will keep you posted on our progress, although it may be slow.

In the meantime, these daily Korean words and phrases on the Korea Times website have been helpful...

Friday Food

2009-11-13T16:00:00.019+09:00

Tteokbokki tteok 떡볶이떡

Tteok is a common snack food here in Korea. Essentially, it is a steamed rice cake made with sticky rice flour. Most often it is served as street food in a spicy chili sauce. These plain tteokbokki are my new favorite snack. We purchase about twenty of these cylinder-shaped cakes for about $2 and then pop them in the trusty toaster oven to make a delicious treat. Well, I guess not so much delicious seeing as they don’t have much of a taste but they are very enjoyable to eat – they are warm with a slightly crunchy outside and a gooey inside. Mmm, I want some now :)

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-12T12:45:00.000+09:00

We are thankful for....

빼빼로 (pepero) Day!
online banking
our digital cameras
back scratches
Mac OSX Snow Leopard

Fall, don't go...

2009-11-09T12:53:00.011+09:00

Fall is by far my favorite season and I have always thought it to be too short. It seems as if the trees change colors right before our eyes and a switch is flipped that makes the air instantly crisper, and then, before you know it, the trees are barren and the air is biting. There are countless reasons I adore autumn, a few being the color orange, scarves, afternoon coffee runs, the sound of crunching leaves, boots, crisp morning walks, decievingly warm sun, the color red, cider, open windows, morning coffee with cinnamon, anything pumpkin, fresh air, light breezes, did I mention harvest blend?

Because we're from the wonderful state of Colorado, you think we'd be used to cold winters. Not the case at all, cold springs, yes, but not cold winters. We are not happily awaiting the winter solstice in Seoul, however we won't mind it as much seeing as we will not have to drive to and from work in snow traffic and the floors in our apartment are heated!

I know our fallish days are numbered so here are some autumn pictures that keep my spirits up...

Adventuresome

2009-11-05T16:52:00.011+09:00

From time to time we get comments regarding how adventuresome we both are. These are wonderful compliments but we don’t completely see ourselves as these wild adventure seekers. Yes we did move to a foreign environment and began working unfamiliar jobs, but it never could've happened without the fearless spirit of my wife.

From early childhood I never felt the desire to travel if the destination I was going to didn’t have familiar faces to see. Putting myself into a foreign place with unfamiliar sights and sounds seemed truly preposterous. Why leave the comforts I have come to know when all they do is keep me happy? Up through high school I strayed from undertaking new endeavors, traveling to new places, and trying things that would challenge me. Funny how one person can really flip your world around.

It was a step by step process Lauren took, easing me into the venturesome type. The first thing she did was convince me to apply to an out of state school. This was perfect, one small step to put me out of my comfort zone a bit by moving me away from all that I have known growing up. Thankfully, it was to a place I was quite familiar with, Arizona.

Secondly, it was time to get out of the comforts of a house and a city and into the wild of nature. Hard to believe now, but my first camping trip was with Lauren after high school was over. Once there it was clear this was going to be a wonderful habit to get into.

The next step was by far the most difficult. Take me out of the country.The desire to travel abroad for me was fairly non-existent to this point. I was offered a trip to Europe after high school by my generous grandparents, but a combination of mild interest and bad timing prevented it from happening (not all was lost, a glorious cruise took its place). Lauren, on the other hand, had the courage to move to Europe for an entire semester. Sophomore year of college Lauren set sail (figuratively) for Paris. Before she left she was pushing and pushing me to get a ticket to visit her. I kept telling her I would try, all the while trying to find excuses. It basically came down to a couple of things. I was pretty nervous about going to the other side of the world, and I couldn’t justify the cost of going. Every time Lauren and I would talk, she would push me about getting my passport. She would tell me “Well at least get your passport just in case you DO have the money to come, that way you can do it. If you get the money and don’t have your passport, then what are you going to do?” I understood her point, but continued to delay.

Finally came the middle of March and I gave in. Her point was too good to deny, and I also figured the passport wouldn't come in time, therefore I most likely wouldn’t have to face my fear. Photo taken and application submitted. I told Lauren that I had submitted the application and “we’ll see how long it will take”. She remained very hopeful, in turn making me a little nervous. Mind you, I did NOT choose the expedited process…Divine intervention? Perhaps. Less than 2 weeks later my passport arrived. I took it as a sign and booked by ticket to Paris. I would go in April in the middle of the semester. The layovers and long plane rides would be plenty of time to do any extra writing/reading for my classes I was missing. This experience continues to serve as the most eye opening experience of my life. The trip was inexplicably incredible. It widened my perspective and gave me so much to think about and consider. This is what officially whet my appetite for uncovering the unknown.

I owe it all to you my wife, just one of the many reasons I love you :)

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain