peter & sora in korea

HAPPY 2012!!!

2012-02-02T06:16:00.001-08:00

a new year. some new changes. and it's already february....eek! i will post soon with some info about what's going on in our lives and where we'll be headed next! stay tuned!

happy birthday!

2011-11-01T04:14:00.000-07:00

happy birthday, dad!

each year i think i am more and more impressed with all you have done for us kids. being here in korea as a 20something in a country that is foreign to me (you know, in a figurative sense), i don't know how you did it! you have become a successful business owner, a hard worker who doesn't complain at all---i really have no recollection of you complaining at all about work, and a loving dad. thank you for everything you have done and i hope this year is especially rich with blessing.
i love you!

also, happy birthday, suzanne!
she is turning 39 and looks great! :D suzanne, you are a blessing to us in so many ways. we cherish your love, generosity, energy and sweet spirit. i can close my eyes and think of you and your home and feel all warm and cozy and it makes me miss you all the more. love you so much and pray God does great things in your life this year. love you!

UPDATES!

2011-11-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

i'm very ashamed to see that my last post was in... (gasp) July! and it is now November. tssk tssk on me. i'm sorry, friends.

i will try to be better about my posting. things here just seem to be busier and crazier than ever.

here are a couple quick news updates:
-pete and i went to hong kong for labor day weekend. it was a food fest. we walked all around the island, took the metro and snacked on all kinds of delicious and strange goodies. we had a total blast. hong kong pretty much rocked our faces off.
-school has started! i have 19 little darlings and they're just as funny and cute as can be. i'm praying for a smooth, calm school year. let's hope my six-year old friends take it easy on me. : )
-pete is almost finished with his online Masters' degree! Soon he will be separating from the military and applying for a job as a teacher. we are excited about this new chapter ahead of us and look forward to the possibilities!
-i've been hosting a womens' bible study and co-leading it with some good friends. we have about 15-20 women who are involved and we seem to have a strong showing each week. God has really blessed this group and our studies together. We just finished the book of Hosea--it was really good and challenging. i'm also leading a bible study with my co-workers once a week. it's a place where we can all meet together to talk about the gospel (mark, mainly) and share our perspective. i've loved it. anytime i get to talk about the gospel is a blessing.
-lastly, i MISS you. every. single. one. of. you. (whoever you are)

i have some funny posts and will try to keep you updated. if not, please bombard my facebook or email with threats or something... :D

a VERY overdue post. i'm so sorry. : (

2011-11-01T03:58:00.000-07:00

here is a post i wrote this summer on my way to maui to meet my sister for a little vacation. it was glorious. the trip there and back was an adventure. read all about it...

airport musings. august 2011.

The only thing separating me from paradise is a “minor maintenance issue on the aircraft” that seems to be more major than minor. I’m sitting at Incheon airport and the jovial captain gets on the intercom to announce the problem with a shiny grin. He passes off the walky-talky to his Korean counterpart for a translation. The guy announces pretty much the same thing, but in Korean, but the biggest difference between the two different announcements was the response. When the shiny grinned captain finished his less than pleasant announcement there were a few heads that drew back, some gentle sighs, but an overall sense of, “well, guess we’ll just have to wait. Nothing much we can do” kind of mood. When the less jovial Korean man made his announcement the passengers started to swarm the counter with looks of disgust and major frustration. If I didn’t know the little Korean I do, I would have thought he announced something more along the lines of, “I am the cause of your delayed flight. I thought it would be cute to push all the shiny buttons in the cock pit and now I am enjoying watching you all suffer”.

But man. I’ve never been in a riot before and I thought I was about to witness one. It was a series of unfortunate events: it was late (probably way past many of the angries’ bedtimes), everyone was hungry and anticipating a meal, the flight was delayed and it just kept getting pushed back later and later. Recipe for disaster. I think if the counter were not there to separate the airline staff from the passengers someone might have swung for a punch. I didn’t really enjoy any of this rioting since I was tired and had acquired a learned helplessness. It didn’t seem fair to yell at the staff who had little to do with the aircraft itself and hey, it’s life. Things like this happen. Of course, I didn’t have a tight schedule or big event I was flying in for. Perhaps if I did I might have been among the angries and had some indignation to yell into the air while beating my chest.

Now, I love Korea and I love Koreans. For goodness sakes, I am Korean! But man oh man. Koreans are not patient people. They aren’t the ideal traveling partners. They like to rush, push people out of the way, cut lines---things my first graders have to change their light to yellow for… I have grown quite accustomed to this “me first” attitude I have observed over the time I have spent in korea. In fact, I have had a few pushes through a crowd or jumped a line (something I would have NEVER done before, but in korea it’s fair game). And flying with Koreans is maybe the worst. When boarding a plane you’ll hear the flight attendants say, “first class passengers, then those sitting in seats 1-15 please board” inevitably you’ll see a swarm of Koreans walk up to the counter pushing their boarding pass, totally disregarding the staggered process. Or my new favorite is when the plane has landed and is pulling up to the terminal. Flight attendants always make the generic announcement, “ladies and gentlemen, we have just arrived in whatevercity and need you to stay seated until the captain turns off the fasten seatbelts sign.” That’s the Koreans cue to unhook their seatbelt, stand up and start to get their baggage out of the overhead compartments with much urgency and frequently, knocking their bulky suitcase into the unfortunate passengers' shoulders sitting below the compartment. Then when you watch the flight attendants they start yelling out and motioning, “please sit. Please wait! Please sit! Wait! Sit! Wait!” Meanwhile, her hands are pushing down in the air like she’s playing an invisible game of whack the beaver. Don’t get me wrong, Koreans are some of the smartest I know. I am sure some of this rushy-rushy behavior is in part to the language barrier, BUT I think it’s also a mixture of impatience, and Koreans’ uncanny ability to flex the rules to do what works for them.

Needless to say and nearly six hours later, we boarded our repaired plane and were on our way to paradise. Things seemed to calm down as soon as everyone got on the plane. It was quiet and peaceful. It’s amazing what a box of juice and some sleep can do for a case of grumpies. : )

After all, we were on our way to HAWAII...can't complain.

Among some of the really fun things Susan and I were able to do:

I arrived one day earlier than she because of the considerably cheaper fare for a Wednesday rather than a Thursday. I got a rental car and drove to our condo. I pretty much crashed shortly after I got there. I bought dinner, went to a grocery store, then watched a little American tube (which was glorious, by the way) and hit the sack. The next day I picked Susan up from the airport and greeted her with a tuberose lei. It was pretty fun!

Here are some things we were able to do together:

* Lay out and swim at Kamaole II beach.

* Snorkeled at several locations and saw beautiful coral reef and colorful tropical fish

* We swam with a sea turtle!

* Ate LOTS of good food. Some highlights include: excellent sushi, sweet & juicy mango, banana macadamia nut pancakes (need I say more?), mushroom ravioli, and the list goes on.

* We made an early morning drive to haleakala volcano to see the sunrise. It was 3am, freezing cold, and breathtakingly beautiful.

* Shop! Nothing better than shopping with your sister.

* Got tossed around in the waves at Big Beach. the waves were so powerful they snapped my sunglasses in two. and i'm sure my wipeouts looked awesome to the tourists who happened to be walking by.

It was really amazing. The whole trip was so relaxing. The only stress we had was narrowing down our dinner options. It’s also great to spend time with my sister and have lots of time to talk about life, memories and tell funny stories. can't wait to have another sister vacay! : )

boracay in july (part III)

2011-07-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

one thing we didn't expect when going to boracay was all of the vendors asking for your business. if i got a quarter every time i heard, "sir, mom, eyeland hope-ing?" (i loved their accents)... one of the first guys we met on the beach was a young guy named Jay-R. He was a young, lively guy who sprung out on us like a cheetah looking for something to eat....literally. i think he came out of the bushes. ha. anyway, he gave us the whole speech, something like: "sir, mom, eyeland hope-ing? I give good price. discount. i give very good discount. 3000 pesos. ok? no? ok. 2000 pesos. good discount. ok?" we smiled and said, "we're not sure...we haven't really planned anything yet." Jay-R came up to us again and said, "Alright, I give more discount. 1800 pesos for a two hour sail. and helmet diving." pete and i looked at each other. we were weak, sleepy and way too tired to try to resist Jay-R the cheetah. we shrugged our shoulders and said, "ok. we'll think about it." Jay-R kept insisting we give him a time to meet. "meet me here at 12:00 tomorrow. promise? ok? make me promise?" we agreed.

the next day we met Jay-R at the agreed upon location. he introduced us to the captain and owner of the sailboat we would take out. when we walked up to the boat there was another young guy jumping in and out of the water getting the boat to the dock for us. he was soaking wet and wearing whitey-tighties. i diverted my attention to taking pictures of the boat....must...avoid...eye....contact...

and we were off. the sail was dreamy. the water was a gorgeous shade of aqua, clean and glistening in the sun. the sailboat was lovely with lots of character, a cool shade of orange, white sails, named after the owner's son, and it even had a flag with michael jackson's picture. it was great.

while on the boat, jay-r was hoping to have some bonding time with pete.

JR: So, sir, do you like cock-fighting?

P: Uh, no. I haven't seen a cock fight before.

JR: (disappointed) Do you want to go to a cock fight? (getting a little excited)

P: No, sorry. I don't think it's my thing.

JR: (disappointed) Do you like to drink? Go to bars? Do you drink a lot?

P: No, I don't drink a lot. I just have a drink once in a while.

JR: (triply disappointed) (*crickets*)

haha. it was funny.

we got to a dock in the middle of the ocean where they have helmet and scuba dives. we were briefed on how to helmet dive and went 4 meters down. they put a gigantic white helmet on your head that weighs over 15 pounds. then you walk around the ocean floor. it was pretty cool because you can breathe normally and don't need a mask. we were underwater for 25-30 minutes. it was fun, but after about 10 minutes i was ready to go back to the top. the reef looked a little bare. it was strange being underwater and breathing through my nose. i couldn't help but sing "under the sea".

boracay in july (part II)

2011-07-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

we got to our resort to be greeted by warm, smiling young women. an equally warm and kind woman approached us with some freshly squeezed pineapple and mango juice. yum. i liked the place already. our room was beautiful (and cheap, might i add!). we were hungry so we decided we would go look for something to eat. we stumbled across a breakfast buffet on the beach, took a look at it and weren't too impressed, so we decided we would just sit and order from the menu. it was a yummy breakfast and we ate while listening to the crashing of waves. it was all very surreal. after our meal i realized i didn't bring enough pesos with me. i was short 200 pesos (about $5). pete spoke to our waiter and asked if we could bring the rest of the money to him later. he was very gracious about it and said it was no problem.

we were really tired; we didn't have our swimsuits or sunblock, so we took the time to just crash in our beds, hoping we would have our luggage by the time we woke up. the baggage attendant said we should expect our bags by 12:00 noon. by the time we got up from our nap it was 4pm. we thought it would be good to call the airline. the ladies at the front desk called several times only to hear the busy signal or no answer. by 5:00 i was thinking our bags were taken by pirates. soon after we called the airline for the 9th time, i heard a loud buzzing noise. i looked up and saw a young man carrying my bag on his shoulder and rolling our suitcase (very loud wheels) toward us. the noise from our loud suitcase never sounded so good. i started running toward the man. i could have kissed him!

we wasted little time. we got our suits on and went for a swim.

Boracay in July

2011-07-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

pete taking a break from the top chef masters marathon we had going in manila airport

Peter and I had the amazing opportunity to go to Boracay for our Fourth of July weekend. The water was clear, blue, warm and absolutely beautiful.

here are some things that happened during our trip:

Boracay is accessible only by boat, so it takes some energy to get there. First, we flew from Korea to Manila. To save some money we bought plane tickets that had a long layover, so we ended up staying in the Manila airport from 12 midnight until 5:30am! it was kind of crazy, but we had fun chilling on the airport floor watching Top Chef Masters. Once we boarded our flight in Manila we landed in Caticlan Airport. Shortly after landing one of the baggage attendants told the passengers that none of our bags were loaded on the plane. what!? they said we all needed to fill out a form indicating what our bags look like, what's inside the bag and what hotel we were staying at so they could deliver our bags to us. i was so sleep deprived at this point, someone could have leaned over to tell me my bags were stolen by pirates and i would have replied, "cool. good for them." anyway, i start to fill out this pretty sketchy form while imagining some random strangers loafing through my luggage to find the dvds and snorkel gear i listed on my form. haha. so nuts.

we completed the form and handed it off to the baggage attendant (who looked like he was still in the 8th grade). it didn't seem to promising, but we walked away with faith & hope that we would be reunited with our swimming suits and snorkel gear.

from caticlan airport, we took a van to the jetty port where we got on a boat to boracay island. from there we hopped on a golf cart type van to our hotel. no cars are allowed on the island, only small buggies or motorized vehicles, so most people get around by bicycle, walking or tricycles. it was really interesting seeing the island and the people hanging out, walking in the streets. i enjoyed looking at the little markets and huts selling bunches of bananas and mangoes. we were going on hour 24 of little sleep and traveling so the ride to our hotel was blurry for more than one reason, but a lovely, colorful blur. : )

(our boat, the smaller one in front is what we rode to boracay island)

FREEEEDOM!

2011-06-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

(this was a blog i meant to post a few weeks ago....)

why, hello, summer vacation. i thought i'd never see you.

school is officially out for summer and i am loving it! I am on day 3 of my vacation and it feels super! poor pete is still working hard..but soon we are going on a trip too! we found out that pete can go out of country for his four day weekends, so we are going to (drumroll) BORACAY, Philippines! woooooo! if you want to know more, google image "boracay" and be prepared to fall in love with what you see. we are hoping it will be rain free as it is their monsoon season, but even if it does rain we will still be on vacation! : )

here are a few little updates/stories i've been meaning to write down:

my students participated in an art gala showing off all of the artwork we have done this school year and famous artists we studied. my students were the "art curators" and were responsible for walking around the "art gallery" and offer insight about the work that was hung. they were dressed up and looked adorable. it was really cool to overhear my kiddos say, "this is a pichoo of a famous ahtist named georges seurat. his famous painting technique was pointillism." another favorite line my kiddos said was, "this is vincent van gogh. he only had one ear and he was a little bit crazy." love it.

peter placed first in the local golf tournament for Area IV of Korea! He won first place last year also, so the fact that he won two years in a row is pretty awesome. He was actually tied with another player and had to play some extra holes for a sudden death. Pete made an amazing chip and put and claimed victory. i'm very proud of him.

pete took me to a concert in seoul to see sara bareilles! it was awesome. we went to hongdae, which is a trendy college town. it was kind of crazy because we just went to seoul for the night of the concert and took a bus back to osan where we had been staying. javier dunn opened for her and was wonderful as well.

and here are some pics of us from the last few months.

i want to get better about posting...

2011-05-02T05:16:00.000-07:00

hi friends!

i'm very sorry i've been such a slacker poster. well...a lot has happened since our last post.

1. Dash is here! Dash is pete's dad. He's in search of an English teaching position. We are enjoying our time together very much and it's been great to have family here.

2. Peter is no longer a lieutenant, but a captain! He is carrying on the Watt tradition of having a Captain in the family (his grandfather, uncle and now him!). I am very proud of him. Pete's dad was there at his promotion ceremony and I was able to pin on his new rank of Captain. I know he is doing a really awesome job and I am so thankful to God for how He has blessed us.

3. I went to Seattle for a week in April for my spring break! I was able to see my lovely sister, explore one of my favorite cities, eat, shop, eat, and eat some more. I will hopefully post some pics soon.... I am not one of those people who upload the photos from the trip they just returned from the day before. I'm more like one of those people who post some wedding photos online five years later....wha? (yep. i did that) anyway, the trip was amazing and was just a perfect little shot of americana that this homesick girl needed. i went to target, trader joes and hit all of my favorite little stores. my suitcase was packed full of good food and some cute tops. a successful trip.

we are still having a good time here in korea. spring has sprung. the azaleas are in full bloom and the trees are growing their new green. i feel as though this is one of the most challenging times i have had in my teaching career so seeing the beautiful changes around me is refreshing and reminding me of how God makes things new. He doesn't leave us in a place of darkness or emptiness. Sometimes it takes a little while, but eventually he leads us out where the ash around our feet turns into something lush and beautiful.

heeey!

2011-03-12T04:02:00.001-08:00

hi friends.

it's been a long time. i feel like i am often commenting on how busy and crazy we've been and, well, busy and crazy we have been. : )

work has been challenging for both of us and it is also teaching us a great deal about ourselves. i'm learning a lot about how to be a good teacher and love my kids well. it's been somewhat of a draining process, but i have learned a lot! there have been a few teary-eyed drives home from work as i am trying to slowly peel away the heaviness of the day. i'm thankful that pete is such an excellent listener. he's been a big comfort and encouragement to me.

we're still really enjoying our time here. just so you all know, korea was not at all affected by the tsunami and earthquake in japan. let us not forget to lift that country up in prayers--for the people who have lost loved ones and the people who are working to rescue and find those who are still lost.

when watching the news of the earthquake and tsunami you are very quickly reminded of how small we all are. in an instant, we could be swept away, crushed, gone. it makes you feel a bit powerless. weather is one of those things we can't just wish away or pay money to avoid. it comes and goes as it pleases, disregarding your wishes for it to stay away for your outdoor party you've been planning for months. it's a reminder to us that sometimes we just have to surrender. in a world of control, this is hard to digest. we can gain control by buying just about anything we want: sex, we can change our gender, buy a new nose, flatten our stomach.... but even a billionaire can't pay to have a snowstorm delayed so he can fly out for his vacation. maybe God uses weather as a reminder to us that we cannot control everything, that there is a bigger picture outside of our agenda. i am not supposing the tsunami came because God was trying to teach someone a lesson, but i simply mean it is one of the remaining things in life that can't be avoided or turned off...it forces us to slow down, to take a look around and think about more important things in life. we see the bigger picture a bit better and it helps us to relax our clenched fists a bit.

we're still alive!

2011-02-25T03:39:00.000-08:00

sorry i've been absent for so long....we are still here and alive!

i'll be posting more soon....

xoxo p&s

more classroom funnies

2011-01-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

one of my students spent a good 30 minutes on his journal entry to draw a very detailed picture and wrote at the bottom, " I am awesome." He proudly read his journal aloud to his classmates. Very shortly after journal time Mr. Awesome tripped on his shoelace and hit his head on a chair leg landing him a bruise shaped like a long, red line on his forehead.
funny journal entries from my little guy Simon: "last summer i went to the most amazigst country in the whole universe." (when i asked him what country this was he said, "florida.") another entry from simon: "i went to taco bell and aeted a taco. it was the bestest thing i ever tasted in my whole life!" (can you tell he's an enthusiastic boy? i told his mom that if she took him to florida and fed him taco bell he may just keel over from an overload of euphoria)
another one of my charming students has come to school the past 4 days wearing one glove. i asked him why and he just shrugs and says, "i dunno. i just got one glove." i guess one warm hand is better than none.

happy new year!

2011-01-06T23:24:00.000-08:00

things i'm thankful for in 2010...

my sweet husband has moved back to daegu! it's so great being able to say goodnight and good morning to each other without having to say goodbye for a while.
we were able to pay off all of our debt this christmas. we are officially debt free!
our trip to hawaii was pretty amazing. i will never forget it and i still dream of those beautiful waves and mountains. *sigh* hope to get back there again one day...
all of the dear friends i've made or the friendships that have grown stronger this year
my adorably cute students who kept me laughing every day and helped give me a good night's worth sleep during the week... : )
skype! it's been such a great tool for staying connected with our dear family. it is almost as good as seeing you in person. : )

what blessings have you had this past year?

don't cry over spilled milk...

2010-12-16T01:16:00.000-08:00

today was crazy. we had a jam packed day in first grade. santa was visiting us in the morning, we had our book exchange party, cake and ice cream, and on top of that, it was pajama day. here's a brief little look into what my day was like:

8:00am. kids roll in, exciting about showing off their jammies to each other. rolling on the ground, high fiving, giggling and laughing. kids are running up to me to hand me homebaked cookies to bring to santa, milk, their books for the gift exchange, and excitedly tell me stories about how they chose their outfits.

pretty soon i have one boy ask if he can go to the bathroom. he wants to go with his bookbag (never a good sign), but all of the high-fiving, giggling and somersaults distracts me from saying no to his weird request. we have to leave to go meet santa. we leave and i try to tote about 8 bags of groceries to meet santa. (it takes a lot to feed 18 first graders) : )

the kids line up to sit on santa's lap while i snap pictures of them. hyperactivity ensues.

i forget to grab plates and napkins and send my intern and a student to go back to get them and also realize my bookbag bathroom friend never returned so i send my intern to look for him. he's escaped to the bathroom (a bathroom in the high school wing), locked himself inside and was crying because he thought someone was making fun of his jammie slippers. my intern tries to coax him out, but to no avail. i have to leave my 17 hyperactive first graders to go out to find my runaway student (the parable of leaving the 99 sheep behind is so much more meaningful to me now). after about 8-9 minutes of coaxing, i get my runaway to follow me back to meet santa. when i return my kids are hyper, jumping around, milk is spilled on the ground (cue for me to start screaming or just cry). my teaching style then closely resembles a traffic directors, waving my arms here and there, guiding kids to grab napkins, etc. i'm saying things like, "Don't eat food off the floor!" , "Quiet!", "Stop running! Stop jumping! No tackling!"

when we returned to class i looked at the clock and said, "we've only been in school for 45 minutes?" :/ one of my students overhears my mumbling and replies, "woah! it feels like we just got here!" me: "honey, you have no idea."

You would think being so near Santa, their conscience, or rather their desire to receive gifts from the man himself, would have created more self-control. nope.

they did calm down eventually post-santa, post-cookiesugarhigh. *sigh* it's a good thing they are so cute.

first grade love

2010-11-10T01:29:00.000-08:00

an update on "simon" and "anna":

anna has proclaimed she has moved on to another six-year old man. simon is crushed and feels completely blindsided by her sudden "falling out of love with him". Here's a bit of the conversation they had with me this morning:

anna: i'm just not in love with simon anymore. i'm in love with tyler. i think i've been in love with tyler for a very long time!

simon: *insert deep sigh of despair* oh gosh. hannah felled in love with me, but now she says she loves tyler. i'm feeling so crazy now.

me: what do you mean? do you feel sad?

simon: well, not really.

me: what do you mean when you say you feel crazy?

simon: my mind is just spinning. first she says she loves me, then she says she does not. it's so confusing!

poor simon, this is just a taste of some of the puppy love heartache he may feel as he grows. perhaps he should write anna a letter disapproving of her love for tyler. apparently it worked for tyler!

thankful

2010-11-10T01:17:00.001-08:00

so today in class we learned more about the thanksgiving holiday and i encouraged my kiddos to reflect on what they are thankful for. of course, their answers were very dear and charming. here is a little sampling of what six and seven-year olds deem worthy of thanksgiving:

I'm thankful for...

"living!"

"Hannah Montana, Justin Bieber....and donuts"

"peppero sticks and planet earth"

"chocolate!"

"my mom"

"my family and the whole earth"

"my baby sister" (note: this baby sister is actually a twin sister that is a whopping 2 minutes younger than her older twin brother)

"everything in the whole world and everything in it!" (imagine a little boy saying this while jumping up and down ecstatically--from "simon" my most enthusiastic lover of life)

"makeup, donuts and Hannah Montana"

"my mom, dad and teachers, life, and the earth"

so, i hope this little list helps pump a little gratitude into your heart as you reflect on the good things in life, from the big, beautiful planet to the smallest donut hole.

more funny first graders

2010-11-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

a journal entry one of my little girls "anna" wrote:

"today my writing partner is Simon and I am so happy becoz I am in love with him!"

a note i found in my classroom from a jealous little boy to anna:

"dear anna,

i no that you are in love with simon but i think it is time for you to stop.

love,

tyler"

a couple funny quotes:

"mrs. watt, i know a lot about girls even though i'm a tomboy."

"mrs. watt, i think you are going to have lots of kids. maybe 2 hannah montanas and 2 justin biebers." (my reaction: "well, i kind of hope not...")

a little girl who notices some hair on a boy's face in the "unibrow" area of his forehead:

"hey, you have hair right there!"

unibrow boy: "yeah. that's where MEN have hair."

funny how you learn things from trees

2010-11-08T22:57:00.001-08:00

so fall is here. man, is it here. the trees are just bursting with color and the falling leaves dance along the streets and sidewalks. it's like a dream. the gingko trees are what have really taken me this season. have you seen a gingko tree in autumn? if you haven't, well, then...you're really missing out. i can't explain to you how gorgeous they are. the beautiful fan shaped leaves turn from a bright crisp green to a bright, fearless, golden yellow. i was driving home today after work with gingkos lining the streets and i felt as if i were approaching Glory. their delicate leaves blow in circles and kiss the ground, like small dancing butterflies searching a place to rest their delicate wings.

I believe that the beauty of these trees is a gift from God. who else could create such a striking spectacle, as these heavenly trees?

now, to backtrack a little: yesterday was one of those rough days. i had a not-so-pleasant human encounter that left me feeling discouraged, angry and hurt. i got in my car determined to go home, vent and soak in a tub of suds to mend my damaged ego. my plan was derailed. i got in my car to drive home and there they were... those beautiful trees. glistening in the autumn daylight, embracing me with all of their glory. my healing began. it was as if i felt the mercy of God pull me out of my darkened state and place a crown upon my head. i knew this sight, this glimpse of God's love for me was a gift and I felt the heaviness of my heart lighten.

now, don't get me wrong. there was still my fair share of venting and frustration later that evening. i mean, i am human after all. : ) but when i got in my car again this afternoon to come home, i saw the trees again. again, a beautiful reminder of God's love for me and oh how completely delightful it will be to see Him in glory!

first grade shenanigans...

2010-10-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

it is fire safety and prevention week at our school. the kiddos have had visits from the local fire department, were able to walk through their trucks and even go through a simulation smoke room to practice crawling. today i taught a lesson on how to safely escape a fire from your home. my kiddos talked about how they could escape from their home if a fire ever started. i asked them to draw fire escape plans to detail their escape. as i walked around the room, it quickly dawned on me this activity may have been a little much for their whimsical imaginations. here are some of the explanations i heard when i asked students to explain their emergency escape (mind you, in all seriousness):

kiddo: "here is where i plan to dig a hole in the ground. then i will crawl through the hole to dodge the fire." (his picture showed about a 5 ft deep hole in the ground that extended about 10 ft from the house). me: will you have time to dig this hole in order to escape? kiddo: "yeah. that's why i'm digging the hole. to get away from the fire!"

me: how are you planning to get out of your home? student pointing: "right here. i drew a magical door." (floating door in the middle of his living room)

another kid responding to my same question: "i have an imaginary pathway."

geez i love them.

and a funny story to close with: one of my students ate a packet of ketchup for snack. true story.

happy chuseok and start of school

2010-09-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

happy chuseok! and school has started and i must say the beginning of the school year has been glorious. i'm already in total love with my kiddos. they keep me smiling and laughing. i'm sure there will be many funny stories to come!

we miss you all and hope to chat soon!

fall is in the air

2010-09-24T01:35:00.000-07:00

i love fall. it's my favorite season and it has officially arrived in korea. we have finally found some relief from these sweltering summer days. i'm not sure why fall makes me so happy...maybe because i find it a homey and romantic season. pumpkin patches, apple pie, hoodies, cuddling up in a blanket at home, rosy cheeks from the brisk air, football games, thanksgiving, pot roast, ahhh...the list goes on and on.

the shift in seasons also reminds me of how things are always changing and evolving around us. it's a comfort to see the trees follow their natural cycles of being green, turning to orange, and becoming bare, only to start all over again. it's a time of refreshment to build us up, relieve us from the summer sun, but to encourage us as we enter the winter season. i'm very thankful for it.

the fall air is phenomenal. i drive with the windows down and soak in the glorious smells of leaves and mountain breezes. each breath revives me and lifts my spirit. i hope our fall season lasts a long time! : )

scratch

2010-09-17T01:21:00.001-07:00

quick funny story: pete woke up with a scratch on his nose...had no idea how it got there and asked me if i remembered. i said, "no". then he replied, "i have a faint memory of going, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" in the middle of the night and then you saying, "oh. sorry."

we laughed for about 10 minutes after that.

tv

2010-09-14T03:22:00.000-07:00

i was watching tv earlier this evening. a korean movie about a young adolescent girl was on. i watched for a little while and was soon sucked into the story line. this young girl was drifting away from her parents as she dealt with some typical teenage angst. her parents tried to reach out to her but seemed to keep bumping into walls. when picking her up, the mother notices her daughter's sullen face and says, "hey, why don't we go to a dukbokki shop for a snack?" in an effort to cheer her up (translation: hey, how about mcdonald's?) the girl shakes her mom off. when they are home the girl's mother encourages her husband to cheer her up. the dad goes into her room, knocks and asks if she'd like to go out for dinner. the daughter replies, "i have to study" and dad nods and leaves only to find mom in the hallway pushing him back into his daughter's room. then, he leans down and whispers something in her ear and she smiles and nods yes. the movie cuts to the next scene and father and daughter are standing looking at each other smiling. music is cued and they grab hands and begin ballroom dancing. they danced and danced, giggling as they looked at each other.

this whole scene really resonated within me because it made me think of my own dad and how i miss him. it made me think of how hard it must have been for him to try to relate to me as i was a growing girl becoming a young woman. not only did we have the gender barrier, but we had to cross this ocean of cultural difference. what if i had lived in korea my whole life? what if my parents never stepped foot on american soil? how would we be different? would i be loud and crazy, a soccer player with a thirst for learning chinese and japanese? instead of being an introverted, analytical person with a love of song, studying spanish and korean?

growing up i wished my mom baked chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes for dessert. i wished my dad didn't own a delivery truck, but a cool, sporty car. i wished my parents only spoke english because having this strange, foreign language around me all the time made me feel more alien than i wanted. now looking back on these wishes i feel sorry for my parents. they had a moody adolescent to deal with with hormones they didn't understand plus this feeling of distance from our lack of understanding of where we were both coming from.

well, while my friends' moms were baking cookies and cupcakes, my mom was making some rockin' bibimbop and chopchae noodles. my dad drove a van to deliver his dry cleaning...that dry cleaning helped pay for my car, wedding, and my college education, and gave me the opportunity to be what I am now. the korean language my parents taught me has not only become lovely to hear but essential to know and i wish i knew more!

i guess all this is to say, as i get older i recognize more and more how hard it must be to be a parent....to have been my parent. i had a lot of druthers growing up, but i can't be more proud and pleased with my heritage and my parents' sacrifices they made for me. our childhoods were vastly different, my parents grew up in a time of poverty and war. i grew up during the time of m.c. hammer, aqua net, and tight-rolled jeans. huge diff. but it's neat to see how God takes our very different stories and experiences and weaves them into one piece. He brought us all together to bring different colors, patterns, textures and design.

besides, i'd take chopchae over chocolate chip cookies any day now.

more hawaii and the food we ate : )

2010-09-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

we went to a luau. it was pretty fun. the food made me sick later, but it was worth going!
steamed local fish at duke's. yum!

our anniversary dinner. love him.
opakapaka with risotto
our bike down the mountain!

chocolate mousse cake. more like a lava cake. decadent and so good.

hawaii photos

2010-09-14T02:52:00.000-07:00

view outside our cabin at bellows air station. gorgeous, eh?
after our snorkel at shark's cove.
the view from the golf course!
cute kid at the mexican restaurant.
matsumoto's shave ice. seriously amazing stuff. i'm not often a fan of desserts that resemble the colors of clown costumes, but this was a revelation.
buddy, the sailing dog who's afraid of water, annoying the fellow sailors...mates(?) with his chasing of water splashes.
waiting for our amazing mexican grub at a small taco stand. it was delicious!
the beach where "from here to eternity" scene was filmed and "pirates" too. we swam here. this is where i took my spill and got 5 lbs of sand in my suit.
and we golfed! (forgot to mention that in my last post...sorry, pete!) it was beautiful. the views were among some of the best we saw during our trip.
right after snorkeling at hanuma bay. excuse the wet cover-up.... : )

hawaii continued

2010-09-12T03:51:00.001-07:00

my apologies for the delay, but i thought i needed to record the events of our hawaiian vacation before i forgot. we ended up staying at the hale koa hotel (in waikiki) for 10 nights and loved every night of it. we were right by the beach and were within walking distance of a lot of cool restaurants and shopping. we spent a few nights just being lazy beach bums. we woke up, walked to the beach, swam, took naps in the sand, ate lunch at the local beach hut snack shop, walked back to the hotel, swam at a pool, showered and went to dinner. it was great.

other days we weren't so lazy we...

went hiking, biking, snorkeling, and sailing. on the hike we were able to see rainforest that is off-limits unless you have a permit. our guide, christian, was great and let us explore, pick fruits, and answered lots of our questions. our feet were covered in mud by the end of the hike!

we followed our hike by a bike down the mountain, which was awesome! we circled down the mountain for a few miles and enjoyed spectacular views of the island. lastly we took a sail out near waikiki to do a snorkel as well. the captain's dog was on board the boat and he, ironically, was afraid of the water. he would bark and bite at any splashes that landed on board to show his disapproval. it was pretty cute. once we got out pretty far, the captain let us jump out for a snorkel and swim. we saw many types of fish and several sea turtles....huge ones that swam right underneath us!

on other days we drove around the island to find good places to snorkel. we ended up purchasing our own snorkels and fins so we wouldn't have to rent them everywhere we went. we snorkeled at waikiki, shark's cove, the famous hanauma bay, and on the north shore. we saw so many kinds of fish...it's really remarkable to see so many colors and varieties of one animal. we maybe want to get scuba certified so we can have even better views for our next vacation! the snorkel at shark's cove was perhaps our favorite. the rock is lava-like and very sharp, so it's a bit dangerous, especially since the tides change and can be quite strong. peter, the daredevil he is like to go swimming inside the little caves to compete with the speed of the tides.

we also drove around and stopped at interesting places. one of our favorite towns we visited was hale'iwa, which was this quaint town with little art boutiques, great restaurants, and a nice quiet little beach. we stopped a couple times for a shave ice....the BEST shave ice i've ever tasted! it has three layers of vanilla ice cream, azuki beans, then shave ice on top with the different syrup flavors on top. it doesn't sound too tasty, but it was so delicious! we went back twice to have it again (and it was quite the drive to get there!). we also enjoyed coffee shops, a great burger joint, and they had several food trucks that served very yummy foods. one truck we visited was called "opal's thai food" which was owned by a guy named opal. he was extremely personable and would ask you what kind of food you like and if you have any allergies. then he would proceed to say.."ok. i got it. i'll take care of you." and he would start cooking and bring out some homey, tasty, love filled dishes. he made us a fresh green papaya peanut salad with chicken curry and sticky rice. yum! we felt like we were invited into someone's home it was so hospitable. if we ever go back, we definitely want to see opal. opal also has a little boy, probably around 6 years old, who was at the truck. i overheard him ask one of the patrons if he had ever had an out of body experience before..."where your body is sleeping but the inside of you wakes up and goes outside?" pretty deep stuff for a six-year old to ask you about.. : ) shortly after he hopped over to my table and leaned toward me a little bored and asked, "do you have any kids?" Sympathetically, I responded, "sorry, bud. nope. i don't have kids. do you have any kids?" i teased. he responded with a great amount of seriousness and confusion, "no. i'm too young." then he hopped and skipped away.

another place we stopped was on the northern part of the island. it's a famous spot where pirates of the carribbean is being shot as well as a famous scene from the movie "from here to eternity". we climbed down on these giant rocks to get to this beach and took a swim. the current was crazy strong. the water was foamy and turbulent, crashing against the rocks. the current was so strong that when i was standing on the beach, only knee deep in the water, a strong tide came in and totally wiped me off my feet, drew me in to the water and spit me back out, putting about 5 lbs of sand in my bikini! : ) ha. anyway, it was a very romantic spot and just gorgeous.

after our 10 nights at hale koa, we spent our last few nights at bellows air station in a cabin right on the beach. it was gorgeous. we could hear the crashing of the waves when we slept...heavenly. we swam in the water or just enjoyed the view. we had a great evening where we bbq'ed some steaks and cooked our dinner on the grill. it was fun and nice to cook since we had been eating out for almost 2 weeks at that point! we also were able to see some good friends we hadn't seen in years....mara and quinn tate. they are stationed on base in hawaii and we got to see their super cute babies, eat dinner, and just catch up on life in general. it was a perfect way to end our trip since we hadn't had a chance to see any of our beloved family/friends the whole trip.

so...leaving hawaii was the hardest part. not only because we didn't want to leave, but because we couldn't seem to get out! we tried to get on a flight going straight from hawaii to osan, korea, but were warned the plane had some maintenance issues. the flight was delayed and we spent the night at the air terminal. the next day we were told the plane was good to go. we got on a bus that took us to the plane and were told we couldn't board the plane because the maintenance issue wasn't yet resolved. so we waited until the next day. again, we checked in, loaded our luggage and even boarded the plane. once we were on the plane, the crew told us shortly after that we needed to deplane because the maintenance issue was still a problem. we got off the plane and checked into the hotel on base. the third time we learned the plane was ready so we checked in and boarded the plane. the plane even took off and we felt home free. except 45 minutes into the flight the pilot said, "sorry folks. wish i was joking, but we need to turn around. the maintenance issue is still a problem. we are returning to hawaii." so we returned to hawaii and tried to wait patiently until the the plane was fixed. we had about 2 days until they thought the plane would leave....so we got a rental (that was a whole trial in and of itself! they were sold out of cars and with a little pleading and begging, we were able to get a car for a day!). getting a rental was a lifesaver because we were so tired of being stuck in a terminal for hours upon hours and enjoy hawaii. we drove all around the island...ate an amazing meal in chinatown, drove to the ocean, and just enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. then we got on the plane for the last time and it finally took off and we landed in korea! we made some very good friends along the way since we all had grown to know each other quite well through the entire process of trying to get to korea. we're even planning to visit a family that we met next weekend.

so....i know this may be a bit crazy, but here are some of the details of the trip. i hope it didn't cause too much of a headache for you to read it! wish i had the time or energy to make it a bit more poetic, but i had to get something going before it all was forgotten! love you all!

5 years!!!!

2010-08-16T08:31:00.001-07:00

we've grown from being middle school pals to best friends to husband and wife. i love you more today than i did the day we were married. i never really understood when people said marriage gets better with time, but i can say it certainly has over the past 5 years of our marriage. apart from my redemption in Christ, being your wife, peter, has been the greatest gift. you are a wonderful reflection of God's love and mercy. i love you dearly. cheers to another 50 years!

vacation of a lifetime

2010-08-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

we had an aaammmaaaazing vacation to hawaii. it was filled with beauty, adventure, craziness, amazing food, and lots of laughter. i'm going to do my best by recapping all that we did...starting from the top.

we planned to fly space a, which is basically a free flight to various cities around the world where military planes are flying. it's a fickle system, so you have to be flexible and willing to abandon any travel plans you might have. the schedule for outgoing flights changes by the minute, flights are constantly delayed or even cancelled, and they may make unexpected layovers in random cities. we decided we wanted to be adventurous and give it a shot. it was a crazy ride, but it was all worth it.

we started out driving from busan to daegu, daegu to osan to catch a flight somewhere to the u.s. we were hoping to first fly to california, do some traveling in the mainland and then hop on a flight to hawaii from california. it took us a few days to even find an available flight out of korea, so we decided we would just take a chance and fly to tokyo and hope they would have something going to CA or HI. luckily, we made a flight to tokyo and on the way met a man named james. he was an older gentleman, been retired from the military for many years and he was also trying to fly back to the states. it was a miracle we met him because, being space-a newbies, he gave us a huge wealth of information on how the evasive system works. seriously, i think they keep things super complicated just to make people confused. i even leaned over to peter and asked, "is james an angel?" anyway, our casual conversation continued through our flight all the way until we landed in japan. he was a fascinating man. he spoke korean fluently (his wife is korean), he lived in korea for many years and was kind, interesting and funny. in fact, we even shared a hotel room with him our first night in tokyo. we phoned the terminal together to check on outgoing flights, ate some food, and even watched oprah together.

aside from becoming friends with james, we had other adventures in tokyo. we ate some amazing meals: sushi and soba. we roamed the streets just looking to taste some of the culture. it was great to have an outsider's view into the country and culture. my experience in korea has always been so intertwined with my personal experience and identity that it's been hard to separate myself from what i saw and learned while there. in japan, i felt like i could just be a good ole' foreigner, soaking in all the unfamiliar and enjoy. i could finally empathize with peter on what it must be like for him when he tries to navigate around korea. the writing on the menu and billboards looks no more legible than scribbles and doodles, the language sounds no more understandable than tolkien's elvish. it was neat to be in a state of ignorance for a little bit...to kind of zone out all the external and just breathe in everything new.

we stayed in tokyo for two nights and three days. we couldn't really see any flights that were going to the u.s., so we decided we take another hop on a flight to kadena, which is in okinawa, japan. had some issues with my passport and we actually had to run to the u.s. embassy to resolve the issue and then run back to the terminal just in time to catch our flight. the aircraft we flew was the same kind that peter had actually flown on when he went to airborne school (he jumped out of these planes!). it was neat to see what the plane looked like in the interior. we had seats made of nets and we could see the skeleton of the plane with all its wires and pipes sticking out. the roar of the engine is so loud they give everyone a set of ear plugs. we had a family of four sit across from us. we noticed their younger son, who was about 7, not look too well. he actually spent a good chunk of our 2 hour flight vomiting in a grocery sack. good thing we had ear plugs. : )

when we landed in kadena, we got off the plane (just like you see the president does!) and we boarded a school bus which took us to the terminal so we could go through immigration. our friend james also took this flight to kadena, and being the experienced space-a bulldog he was, he immediately started questioning the airman who drove us to the terminal if there were any outgoing flights to hawaii or california. to our dismay, the airman said there was a flight going out, but check in was already in session and it would probably take us another 30 minutes before we could get there. : / well, peter the ambitious thought we still might be able to catch the flight if we ran...so we did. we ran to the terminal, grabbed our bags and approached the check-in desk sweaty and out of breath, hoping we weren't too late and we weren't! they checked us in and we waited patiently for them to call our names telling us we made the flight to hawaii. we found out we had indeed made it and got two seats on the flight. it was a total miracle!

when we landed in hawaii it was a rush of total joy and exhilaration. we couldn't wait to jump into the water. we were hot and feeling kind of sweaty in our long pants and tennis shoes (you have to fly with closed toe shoes and warm clothes on a space a flight because it gets really cold), but until we could feel the cool ocean water, we needed to find a place to stay.

we had been calling hotels from korea for the past couple weeks, but found their hotels were always booked. it was difficult calling them too, because they seem to let the phone ring for about 10 minutes before they even pick up. we called again from the hawaii terminal and they again told us, "we're sold out." they told us we could come by in person in a few hours and maybe they would have a cancellation. so we jumped on two different shuttles that dropped us off at the hale koa hotel and we just prayed there would be a room. we spoke with a lady named dolly first. she told us they were totally sold out. we could stop by later to see if anything opened up, but she couldn't guarantee anything. so we dropped off our bags with the bell hop and we walked to the beach in our jeans and tennis shoes. the water was beautiful and we were itching to jump in the water. we checked in again and, miraculously, a room had opened up and we were able to stay for 2 nights. not only that, but we were able to extend our stay for 10 nights at the hale koa.

the hale koa hotel is open only to military and their dependents. it's on waikiki beach and it's on a beautiful property. there are huge gardens and banyon trees, two pools and a short walk to the beach. the water was really calm at waikiki--perfect for swimming or just laying by the water. we had an excellent view of the ocean from our room as well as the lush gardens around the hotel.

world's naughtiest puppy...

2010-07-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

this picture was taken by my friend, jen, of her puppy who just happens to look almost identically to my childhood pup, goliath "goli" kim.

he was, perhaps, on the top 10 list of world's naughtiest dogs. any bad thing a dog could do, goli did. he chewed up shoes, chewed on the walls, pooped in the house, ate my school supplies (he chewed up my favorite green eraser which i thought i lost until i took goli out to go to the bathroom and saw what he had done with it), knocked over trash cans, attacked the vacuum cleaner, got up on the table to eat food at Thanksgiving, begged for food like no other dog i've seen. he would crawl under the table and rest his head on your lap and make cute whimpering noises, but if you ignored his gentle whimpers for a couple minutes, they became loud moans that sounded like "come on, man. come on! give something up, puhhlease?" he was like a harry houdini in dog form. he could get out of any cage, fence that you put him in. when he was a puppy, only a few months old he chewed through a thick plastic crate in a few hours. when he was only a couple months old, he got out of a fenced area and followed me on my school bus.goli also was notorious for running away. when the door opened he would try to squeeze out of that door like a criminal from prison. once he caught the scent of fresh air, he was gone, especially if there were small animals around. he loved to bark at squirrels and rabbits. if we were outside and squirrels were visible i would always do my best to distract him so he wouldn't try to chase them. heck, i would have thrown down a $50 steak in front of him to avoid an attempted runaway squirrel chase. he was super fast and, to add to the list of all of his "naughtiness", he had terrible obedience skills. when he'd escape we would chase and call him to come to us and he would turn and begin running toward us, giving us a sense of relief, but then at the last second he would dodge us and start running another direction just to "sike" us out. he was kind of a punk. it often took the whole family to catch him. i'm sure we were quite the spectacle running around our neighborhood with treats in hand trying to lure him back into his collar and leash. sometimes my mom or dad would drive the car around with the doors open to try to get him to jump in because he loved car rides.

he loved to snuggle and sleep with you. even though he was a pit bull he was really just a big cuddlebug. he would nose his way under the blankets and wanted every inch of his body covered. i sometimes slept with an electric blanket and he loved it. he would cuddle underneath and stay there for hours. he liked to be comfortable when he slept. he didn't like to walk in the grass after it rained because he didn't like to get his feet wet. he wasn't allowed to get on the couches at home, but he would always sleep on them while we were gone. as soon as we walked in the door i would hear the rattle of his collar and i'd see his ear pressed against his face where he had be laying against the throw pillow. he would have this look of "i didn't do anything wrong. i'm just hangin' out...", but then we'd walk over to the couch to see his body print embedded in the cushion, still warm.

he had other endearing qualities. he was super smart and knew dozens of tricks. he knew how to give kisses where he would press his lips against your face. he could jump in the air and twist (i called it the triple axle), he could play dead and pass out, he high fived, could give hugs and dozens more tricks, he enjoyed music and would lay at my feet when i played piano. he would try to sing along when my mom played guitar. he loved to be scratched. he would sulk when he got in trouble. his sulking hiding spot was under my parents' bed and if you tried to pull him out he would nip at your fingers.

goli eventually got sick and we had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life. we had to put him down. we loved him so much and i still miss him and think of him all the time, especially every fourth of july. whenever he heard fireworks he would hide in the bushes because it scared him so much. it always made us laugh. in between the booms and pops he would muster up the courage to come out and bark at the sky to show his indignation, but eventually he would end up back in the bushes and there was no coaxing him out.

i don't know if dogs really do go to heaven, but i hope i'll be able to see him again. when he died, i was so sad and i prayed God would let me see him in my dreams and i do. every once in a while i have dreams of playing with goli, running around and laughing at his quirkiness. he was perhaps the world's naughtiest dog, but i sure do love and miss him.

busan sand festival and the army ball

2010-06-22T07:28:00.001-07:00

happy father's day!

2010-06-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

to go along with my earlier post, i have been wanting to make a point of thanking my parents for all they have done for us kids. they have overcome many difficult obstacles and have sacrificed a great deal for my siblings and me.

when i hear the national anthem of Korea or the U.S. I think a lot of my parents. as i listen to the melodies and words, i reflect on what it means to love a country or to feel patriotic.

my dad, is one of the most patriotic people i know. he still affectionately refers to korea as "my country" when he references it. he loves the land; he loves the people. i know he must miss his home country terribly. i can only imagine how difficult it must have been for my parents to leave all of their family and friends behind to move to the u.s. having moved to a "foreign" country, i can finally empathize with him. i understand the frustration he must have felt with the language barrier, the cultural differences and misunderstandings, missing what he could have "back home" or giving up a comfortable life so he could provide a better life for his family.

my dad is the hardest worker i know. he worked so hard to be sure all of us could have a beautiful home, an excellent education and the opportunity to go to college. we've all gone to college and even graduate school. we are all healthy and have never been in need. I owe both my dad and my mom a lot of gratitude for those gifts.

dad, happy father's day! you came to the u.s. as a 20-something newly wed, probably not sure what you were getting yourself into and you've been so bountifully blessed by God. thank you for being so brave and all you have sacrificed. you are a great example of the american dream.

tearing up at the movies

2010-06-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

have you ever gone to a movie on a military base? well, if you have you know that they play the national anthem before any movie they show. the lights dim a little and a loud crackling recording booms through the speaker system and immediately everyone in the theater jumps up and stands at attention. i learned this this the hard way...i was already in my movie lounging position when the lights dimmed and i saw people standing and i scrambled to stand up from my folding seat without spilling popcorn all over my lap. i wasn't sure what was happening and my date didn't offer any explanation. afterward peter looked over at me and said, "sorry...i forgot to tell you they do that here." well, what i once thought was a strange formality has become something i really enjoy and even look forward to.

since we are in korea our movie theater plays the korean national anthem first then the u.s. anthem. the theater plays an old video featuring different landscapes of korea with an old recording of a large korean choir singing and orchestra playing this beautiful song. every time i hear the korean anthem i tear up. the melody is so rich and lovely. the anthem moves me. i think of the tragedy this nation has experienced, how families were broken apart, so many lives lost from war and how, even still, this nation remains in a state of division.

if you want to hear the anthem, here's a video.

and these are the lyrics in english:

Until the East Sea's waves are dry, (and) Mt. Baekdusan worn away, God watch o'er our land forever! Our country forever!

Rose of Sharon, thousand miles of range and river land! Guarded by her people, ever may Korea stand!

Like that Mt. Namsan armored pine, standing on duty still, wind or frost, unchanging ever, be our resolute will.

In autumn's, arching evening sky,crystal, and cloudless blue, Be the radiant moon our spirit, steadfast, single, and true.

With such a will, (and) such a spirit, loyalty, heart and hand, Let us love, come grief, come gladness, this, our beloved land!

things you see in korea (some of my fav!)

2010-05-26T02:56:00.000-07:00

gardens and farmland are all throughout this beautiful country...whether it's in a big open field or in the nooks and crannies of the city, koreans know how to maximize their space.
mountains, mountains, mountains everywhere. this photo is from the winter, but now the mountains are bright green and smile at me every day on my way to work.
this is "chungdo" a city that is considered much more rural. people who live in the country are very hospitable. they are known to invite strangers in their home to allow them to stay with them or feed them meals even though they live quite humbly themselves. while we were there a few elderly people were giving us presents of free peaches and plums. the people are so very kind and the land is very beautiful.

kids run around the streets freely. they have no fear of strangers or crime because korea is so safe. i even see 7 and 8 year olds ride the bus or subway alone. these kiddos ran past peter and i on a walk and yelled out their english they've been learning at their hagwons: hello! how are you! thank you! (this happens all the time and pete loves it!)

we have an amazing market that comes right outside our apartment door selling all kinds of goodies from freshly made donuts to fish. i usually stop here to buy fruit, veggies and eggs. they even sell kitchenware, books, freshly made korean popcorn style snacks. it's rockin' good. nothing beats stepping outside your apartment door to be greeted by an amazing farmer's market!
here's a view of a seat on the KTX train--korea's speed train. i'm sitting in first class because a lady wanted to sit in my coach seat. pretty sweet. they have a rule that you can't talk in first class which makes it an excellent napping opportunity.

nope. it's not the lighting. that car is pink. pepto pink.
my favorite car in korea. i just want to scoop down and pick it up and put it in my pocket. a little grandma walked in front of it and practically blocked the entire view of the car. seriously, it's tiny.
the rose bushes in korea are amazing! either the koreans really know how to prune these bushes to get the most buds for their branches or they are just amazing roses because every bush i see is just bursting with these brilliant beauties.

election day

2010-05-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

korea is having a rather large government election this coming wednesday. posters are plastered everywhere with headshots of all of the candidates. the hype of the election is extremely entertaining to me. campaigners line the roads with cards, pamphlets and posters indicating their candidate of choice. the candidates themselves wear sashes (think male beauty pageant) and stand on busy street corners and humbly bow to the lanes of cars hoping to score some votes from the drivers whizzing by.

printing in korea is rather cheap so there are dozens of HUGE color banners hanging from tall buildings advertising the promises of each of the candidates. i must admit i am completely ignorant about this election. i am trying to learn a little, but as of now i'm merely judging the candidates on "how good of a smiler" they are.

my favorite part of this election are the party trucks that buzz by with a bunch of people standing in the back waving to the fast-beat of a Korean tune. They all wear white gloves have permanent smiles and they sway back in forth of a bongo truck saying things like "vote for soandso!" the trucks zoom around on these big and small side streets parading the flag of each candidate. all the candidates have their "truck". I've seen at least 20 of them driving around and they all have their party team in the back waving or rather swaying with jazz fingers spread and big smiles. i'm not sure how a crowded truck with people jammed in the back giving me jazz fingers with white gloves on makes me want to vote for someone, but i guess the koreans dig it or i wouldn't see 20 trucks whiz by.

here are some pics of the festivities. i wanted to take a pic of one of the party trucks, but they were too fast for me!

goodness! a month gone by!

2010-05-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all.

wow. how time goes so quickly, eh? well, we have some more changes in the air. peter has moved to busan to start his new job and i am staying in daegu to finish mine. after looong conversations peter and i have decided that i should keep my job for the next school year and we're praying and hoping that he will be restationed here in daegu this coming winter. the idea of living apart is quite daunting to me. it's hard to live with someone and then suddenly be alone, but i'm hoping it allows me the time to reflect more and feast on God's word. i got a brand new amazing bible (ESV study bible---i highly recommend it!) to keep me company.

i've also been to long beach and come back for my third task force meeting for work. i've made some great friends with people which has made these long trips so much more exciting. i have really enjoyed the work we've done together and I'm hoping we'll be able to offer some really helpful recommendations for the department of defense school system.

i'm missing all of you so very much. i'll post some more soon!

change is in the air

2010-04-06T02:12:00.000-07:00

spring has finally come. it's so lovely. there's nothing like breathing in the first spring air. one of my favorite smells. it's appropriate for the weather to be changing right around now because we've been having many changes in our lives too. peter's job has changed and he will be working in busan. in fact, he's already moved into an apartment there and has officially "changed his duty station". we decided that i should remain in daegu until the end of the school year. i would love to join him, but considering i teach first grade, leaving 3/4 til the end of the year is not ideal. it's best for the kiddos if i stay, plus i get to enjoy them for another couple months and we can have the extra income for a little while longer. the school's headquarters has graciously granted me a housing allowance so i can keep our daegu apartment. so, for probably the only time in our life, peter and i will have two homes : ) i like to think of our busan apartment as my vacation or summer home. : )

so....this is the reason i've been away for so long from my blog. hopefully things will settle down a bit and i'll be blogging more regularly. here are a few more updates....(i'll just do them in bullets cause, well, i've had to make lots of lists lately with all of the craziness of our move, paperwork, etc, & my brain seems to be thinking bullet in bullet form : / )

peter's been a rockstar lieutenant. he's doing a great job with his soldiers and work. i'm very proud. you probably already knew that though.
i'm coming to the states for another task force meeting. our destination is long beach, california! sunny beaches, here i come! (apr 17-24)
my spring break is next week.....hey, what's that? i think i hear the hallelujah chorus in the background...
we miss everyone.
please come visit us in busan!
i realize these are no longer updates but i'm still writing in bullet form.
: /
spring break, please come soon!
we loooove you!

another peek into my classroom

2010-03-12T05:27:00.001-08:00

on "wacky hair day" one of my students came to school with bright red hair dyed with kool-aid. he approached me with a discouraged look on his face, shoulders down and slightly annoyed and said, "mrs. watt, people keep trying to taste my head." as i looked up i see several girls shrugging their shoulders, huge grins, giggling, their fingers wiggling in the air to show their dyed red tips.

a very common conversation i hear in room 125:

max: "bobby, you're tattling."

bobby: "no i am not. i'm just telling."

max: "that's tattling."

bobby: "NO, i am NOT. (some huffing and puffing, hand shoots up in the air) i'm telling on you for calling me a tattletaler."

little boy with a smirk on his face: "Mrs. Watt, i just almost threw up in my mouth."

another little boy to a teacher who gave a somewhat boring lesson in our room, interrupting the lesson and asking in all innocent earnestness: "is it time for you to go yet?"

another little boy interrupting journal share time by loudly whispering to me, "mrs. watt, i went poop in the bathroom and washed my bottom all by myself!"

an apple?

2010-03-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

south korea is a country that has overcome huge obstacles to be the nation it is. it was devastated by war and was left poor and bare and out of these difficult times certain expressions have grown and remain common. one of them being, "have you eaten today?" the question is about as common as "how are you?" my family asks me all the time. my dad frequently asks me--even if we'll be talking for the first time in a few weeks. "have you eaten today?" then, there's always the follow-up question, "what did you eat?" (i learned the hard way that the answer "cereal" or "crackers" is not acceptable). my aunt in korea asks the same questions except i feel a little more nervous when those questions come up with her. it's almost like a pop quiz each time she asks...and my answers are usually wrong : )

but really, they ask in love. they care, so in a way, it's kinda nice.

even strangers express their concern or care for one another with food. it's not uncommon to see random strangers sharing food with each other. in fact, it is polite to offer food to someone who is near you. a few times i've been the recipient of this love---a slice of apple, a tangerine, cookie, a chunk of radish, or peach. i think it's a pretty neat way to love people.

today one of my first graders brought me some of his "homemade banana milk"--his choice beverage in a reused bottle in a ziplock bag. yes, very sketchy. he told me i had to taste it to let him know if it was good. i unscrewed the cap and took a swig--i couldn't say no... he stood beside me with a wide grin studying my face carefully as if he was waiting for me to swallow. it was a really dear thing for him to do. he was so happy to bring me a little "treat" from home. i told him thank you and he bragged to his classmates he gave me special homemade gift.

i hope this doesn't spark a trend of various milk-based treats being delivered to me each morning... there are only so many mysterious dairy mixes i can take!

florida

2010-03-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

so a couple weeks ago I went to Florida for a DoDEA meeting. it was a lot of fun to catch up with friends i had made from the last meeting in massachusetts. a group of us went to busch gardens on sunday before all of our work began, fed some lorikeets, rode on some crazy roller coasters, got SOAKED on some water rides, and even heard a concert from huey lewis. aside from the fun, we did have our share of good work to do. we spent most of the day in discussions, collaborating, presenting, and then more discussing. it was a lot of fun, but tiring work. i'm just very grateful to have made friends with all those in the task force. it makes "work" seem a lot less like work.

it was nice to be in some warm sunlight and be around some familiar settings too. i've now fully recovered from the jetlag. my apologies to anyone who had conversations with me between the days of february 20-march 4th. i've been half zombie up until now.

it's pretty surreal to travel from one end of the world to another in just a few days. it does feel good to be back...i missed pete, my best bud. it's always nice to reunite after being apart, even if only for a few days.

random side note: koreans really like their romantic dramas. as i'm sitting here typing this blog, i'm watching a korean music video of a couple in love who not only get in a horrific car accident--their bodies lay twisted and bloody from the wreck, but they survive. their car is hanging off the edge of a bridge smashed to smithereens. then for the kicker, the two lovers lay staring at one another relieved neither has died, but the car teeters off the edge and WHAM, flattens the guy. the koreans like their depressing love stories!

some more snippets of my day...

2010-02-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

One of my little boy's journal entries from ("What do you want to be when you grow up?" day)

Today is what you want to be when you gore up. I am gana be a calben (chaplain) and my mom is gana go to school wef me and I think it will be fun and why I want be a clan (chaplain) is because I love Good (God) and I want to see what he look like’s and I like he’s soges (songs). I am gna sogne (gonna sing) my Good is a osm (awesome) Good He Yas (reigns) Form Efn (forever) and Mide (mighty) and Asa Ma Ose My God is a Osom Good. At School I yar (wear) datar calos (doctor clothes) but what I want to be is a caleen ween I grow up and yesn (reason) why I dnit whr chaplain clothes wes because I dnit have it. I dinit have it.

Here's a quote from another little boy in class of what he said to one of the subs at my school (who is in her 40's). The same little guy who says, "Mrs. Watt, you so handsome!"

little boy to sub: "wow, your hands looks so old. But your face is ok!"

kids, kids, kids... : )

what is love? according to 7-year olds

2010-02-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

Love is daken your grolfrind on a date and kissing. Her name is maggie I have a cash on her. I love you maggie! So so so so so so so much! I love you maggie. Happy vilintine’s day!

Love is playing with your little brother and oh he made a big mess. i help clean up the mess for him because cleaning is fun. believe me, it is.

love is peas. and love is respeckt. love is caring and love is hugs and kisses.

love is hugging and kissing your mom.

Happy Valentine's Day!

headed to florida

2010-02-10T05:14:00.000-08:00

i am headed to tampa, florida for my next task force meeting (for DoDea).

tough work, but someone's got to do it. i'll be there from feb 20-27. :)

learning from children

2010-02-10T04:49:00.001-08:00

i had a really sweet moment with one of my kiddos today. during journal time, one of my little girls approached me to read me her story. (side note: she has been a student who has really blossomed as a reader and writer. at the beginning of the year she really struggled and lacked confidence, but she's really caught up and she just glows with excitement about her journal entries. pretty cool)

her journal entry was like this:

I was feelg reely sad becus my frend tol me her dad died in the arme. i was so shokd to here that and i felt so sad for her. i cried and cried and cried. i told her, "i am so so so so sorry that happnd".

by the time she finished reading her journal aloud to me giant tears had welled up in my eyes. i was so very moved by her overwhelming amount of sincerity and compassion all within this little body. i looked at her and just said, "that's so beautiful." she, being her little girl self, smiled gently and skipped back to her seat completely unaware of how profound her story was to me.

often times, adults do not know how to console people in the midst of tragedy. we have all these cliche statements to band-aid people's pain without really considering the depth of their loss. we push people into being hopeful and deny them their right to hurt and grieve.

then, here is this little girl who has only lived for seven years and has very little experience with death, tragedy, or loss, but she seemed to have the wisdom to handle her friend's pain in such a delicate and Christ-like manner. she embraced it and wept with her.

Thank you, Father for giving us moments as these to remind us of how to love and how you love us. Give us hearts like children --that we would care about others in a deeply moving way.

classroom visitors

2010-01-22T03:39:00.000-08:00

my classroom had a couple visitors this week. my kids are always anxious to meet any of my friends or family. first, peter came to observe and the kids became smitten with him almost immediately. one of my students wrote me a note a couple months ago as well as a note for peter. peter's note said:

dear misr watt,

i didt see you a lot. but tell mis watt to tayck you to school.

love from jane

and to jane's delight, i brought peter to school or as my first graders would say, i "taked" him to school with me. my kids were anxious to talk to him and show-off for him. i've never seen them act so hammy before. they're funny. i wasn't sure how they would react to him since they still make crinkled cringing "ew" faces when i tell them i'm married and love my husband. at the end of the day one of my kids lost a marker but had the cap in her hand. we searched all over the classroom for it, turning over rugs, looking under tables, but no luck. peter then pushed one of my bookshelves out with his impressive strength and found the runaway marker. he held the marker up in his hand and upon notice of his clutch find i exclaimed, "mr. watt, you're my hero!" my kids all turned to me and responded in unison, "eeeeeewww!!!"

a couple days later my dear friend, karin, also came to school to do an art activity with my kids. she brought in copies of paintings by matisse and demonstrated how to use pattern, collage, and shapes in art. my kids looved it. they could have done it for hours and a few were quite disappointed school ended at 2:30. i think some would have stayed til 5:00 to finish their project if i let them. : ) they also loved karin. several of my students came to me quietly to tell me very approvingly, "your friend is very nice."

it's so great how my little guys learn to cling and love someone---strangers so quickly. both peter and karin were strangers when they entered our classroom, but within only 20 minutes they were receiving hugs and cuddles from these little people. too bad we lose that as we get older.

one of my dear little boys in class speaks english as a second language. he's this adorably stout little boy with chubbiness in all the right places to give him a look of being a baby and a 75 year old man at the same time. he's quite notorious in the elementary wing for his chris farley-ish appearance (& behavior) and super cute outfits---sweater vests galore and dockers. he looks like a little korean yuppy. he just needs a country club membership. anyway, he's my most frequent little cuddler--always coming up to me for some hugs (sometimes he tries to slip in a kiss here and there). he wraps his little chubby arms around me and nuzzles his face into my stomach and then looks up at me with his cute little round, rosy face. his latest phrase he likes to proclaim is, "awww. i love mrs. watt! mrs. watt so handsome! mrs. watt so handsome!"

banchan

2010-01-19T02:22:00.000-08:00

koreans eat well. man, do they eat well. a traditional korean meal is comprised of banchan, which are various side dishes that accompany the main meal. some restaurants may have as many as 20 different banchan dishes provided with your meal. the super amazing part of it all is all of the banchan dishes are refillable and free (unlimited amounts too!)! examples of banchan dishes are kimchi (there are hundreds of varieties of kimchi), sauteed vegetables, noodles, fish, roasted laver, steamed dishes, casseroles, squash, onions, tofu, sauces, salads, etc. they are yummy. it makes eating so much more exciting because you could easily eat an entire meal with no two bites alike. amazing.

another hugely amazing thing about korean food is that it is cheap! if you want to eat at a "western restaurant" for mediocre steak or spaghetti you'll pay a pretty big bill, but if you want a traditional korean meal with those glorious banchan dishes i mentioned, dinner is often around only 8,000 won, which translates to about US $6!

we still have 2 years left here and i'm already feeling the pain of korean food withdrawal for when we leave....

belated wishes...

2010-01-10T22:52:00.001-08:00

A belated but very happy anniversary to Rodney & Suzanne for 15 years!! Sorry we missed it, we thought it was the 13th... : / (shame on us..)

anyway, a wonderful milestone to pass. big hugs to you both. we miss you so very much. please come see us in korea....if you do, we'll even bake you a cake.

love you guys : )

bawston

2009-12-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

hi all!

two weeks ago we spent about 8 days in the states for my work--in good ole' boston, massachusetts. peter joined me for a little vacation time to spend with his pops, brother phil, and took a side trip to boulder to visit his sister lizi and brand new niece (& the little olive neph). we were also greeted by rodney and suzanne and spent a lovely two days with them. we were glad to catch them on the tail end of their northeast excursion. it was really refreshing to be around so much family. i think being so far away helps you realize just how imperative it is to have family visits. so refreshing and warming.

boston was a much needed slice of america. i was hungry to see the christmas decorations, lights, and SNOW! it was as if i had walked into a christmas movie. we had a few inches of snow, and the city was decorated with all of the wonderfully cheesy decorations i love! we stayed in a small town 1 hour south of boston, which was perfect! it was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city.

we ate some great food while we were there (of course, this was a priority), i made some lovely new friends at the conference i attended, peter got some good skiing in, work was interesting, but the best part was being with family. wish we could have seen all of you!

merry christmas

2009-12-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

approximately one year ago from this week, we arrived and moved into our apartment, brand spankin' new to korea. it's been quite the relationship with many ups and downs for sure.

at the beginning of our time here i was really quite unsure of this place, but a true fondness has grown in my heart for this country, my country : ) peter is growing more and more korean by the day and prides himself on "his country".

so, this christmas, i am so very thankful to have this past year of growing pains, the fun, the difficult, this not-so-easy process of getting to know this country of my heritage has produced so many more beautiful blessings than i had anticipated. thank you, Lord.

merry Christmas, everyone! hugs from Korea!

thanksgiving

2009-11-29T03:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Peter and I had a lovely time with a small gathering of friends in our home. It was nice to have the smell of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pumpkin pie fill our apartment. it was heavenly.

but...we missed you all. very much!

bossy and helpful

2009-11-21T06:16:00.000-08:00

one of the complaints some americans have about koreans is their manner of "helping people". koreans tend to be a bit aggressive when offering help. a great example of their pushy helpfulness is with food. when you go to someone's home for dinner, be prepared to eat until you need to unbutton your pants and lay down for a while. the host or hostess will say (repeatedly), "eat more please!" or "you hardly ate anything, you need to eat more!" you can't just say, "i'm full", because to koreans that just translates into.. "sure! i'll have some more!"

i learned to pace my eating when with koreans because almost always they eat their meals in courses....and you must eat each course otherwise you'll be bombarded with all kinds of awkward questions like "are you dieting?", "do you not like the food? It doesn't taste good?", "do you want something different?" (and you don't want to go there, cause that opens a whole new can of worms)

i realize how this type of behavior can be interpreted as overbearing, which at times it is, but most of the time it is done with good intentions. koreans have a very common trust with one another and often help one another, stranger, friend or family. strangers frequently ask mothers if they can hold their baby or play with them. strangers offer one another food when in public places, like sharing fruit with someone they notice is sitting alone or offer candy to a child. americans don't do this...we don't touch other people's kids, we don't share food with strangers (unless you work the samples aisle), and we definitely don't take candy from strangers.

the other day i saw a blind man on the subway. he was transferring from one line to another. at the transfer station there were huge crowds of people, which makes it all the more difficult to go up and down stairs and walk down narrow ramps. i noticed how the people around him would quietly and gently take his elbow and guide him to the ramps or direct him to the subway sliding doors. there was no exchange of words, people would just jump right in and offer their help when they saw when help may be needed. it did not seem pushy and the help was all well accepted. the exchange of help and gratitude was just like watching a smooth dance. it was beautiful to see people taking care of each other well and people accepting help well.

i'm finding this balance of taking in some of the refreshing qualities I see among Koreans and fitting it into my "american" perspective. I've grown up with the idea that I need to be independent and not rely on other people to bail me out when I'm in trouble. I've learned to be cautious of strangers and be "smart" about who/what I trust, but while i've been in korea i'm seeing there are different and lovely ways of being that may be very different from the cultural ideals i've known for so long.

getting close

2009-11-18T06:28:00.001-08:00

in the united states people are much more cautious about "intruding" the space of other people or respecting their "bubbles". well, in korea, there is no such thing as a bubble. you learn that quickly when you ride on the bus, subway, or escalator. people are constantly rubbing shoulders with you, bumping you, standing inches from your face. i think most americans would be completely shocked by this intrusion of personal space. i was at first. there were times buses or subways would be so crowded i think i could have lifted my legs off the ground and still be left standing the space was so tight. crazy.

it's interesting how korean people don't mind this closeness. for example, in america if a person is waiting for the elevator, and, when it opens it is full of people they will wait, smile, hold up their hand to say, "i pass. thanks anyway, you all can just close the doors cause i don't want you all up in my space and i don't want to be all up in your space." but in Korea....a crowded elevator opens and the Korean is thinking..."i'm just going to try to squeeze on in there....I'm sure I can find a little spot". Peter and I have been on an elevator where so many people were inside that the elevator wouldn't move. all of the poeple kept trying to push the buttons to make the elevator doors close, and the "emergency-there-are-too-many-kilos-in-this-tiny-elevator-dinging was squealing. no matter now fervently they pushed the "close door button" the elevator was not moving. eventually someone had to give up and just get off and take the stairs....it was a stand-off....and i lost.

also, even when we're packed like sardines, face to face with strangers, there is no sense of awkwardness among the people. in the u.s. if we're in a crowded space, someone will always try to cut the tension with a cheesy joke...."i hope no one ate egg salad for lunch.." or "i hope everyone put on their deodorant today..." but koreans just stand there, silent, avoiding eye contact (cause then it really becomes awkward) and wait for the bus/subway to become less crowded. i've become very used to it. in fact, when i return to the u.s. i think i may be popping some personal bubbles, standing closer to you than necessary. korea is rubbing off on me...

prodigal blogger returns

2009-11-14T06:31:00.000-08:00

hi everyone.

it's been a long time. how are you? things in korea have been busy, fun, and full of good things. peter's dad, dash, was here for a two week visit which was really wonderful. it is always nice to have family around...it makes you realize how much you miss being only a short drive away.

we traveled to various cities in korea, had lots of good food, and many lovely conversations.

here are some quick updates about us:

-school and work are going fine. we're getting to know our co-workers better which has been great. making new friends is always nice.

-we are headed to BOSTON in december! my school is sending me there to participate in a conference. i'll post more details later.

-we miss you all very much. please shoot us an email or comment on a blog to say hello.

i will do my best to be a better blogger..thanks for still reading despite my negligence : )

i'm still here!

2009-10-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

hi everyone. i haven't forgotten about you or the blog. sorry to leave you in the dark these past couple weeks. i will blog soon with many little narratives... but for now, i must head to bed. love you all!

funny moments

2009-09-25T01:47:00.000-07:00

scenario: while in a whole group activity, a boy whispers into his friend's ear that he's in love with one of the girls in our class. the friend impulsively yells out while pointing his finger, "He's in love with you!" The girl reacts saying, "Disgusting." The boy in love buries his head in his hands in embarrassment and rejection. Then the girl feeling a little guilty for her strong reaction, places her hand on her chest and says very earnestly, "I mean...it's just that I'm so young."
I mentioned my mom in class one day and nearly all of my students' heads cocked to the side with bewilderment. Then four or five of them yelled out, "silly mrs. watt, we know you don't have a mom!" my students believe i live in my classroom, orphaned, and do math worksheets in my free time for fun. love it.
each morning the kids have a "mystery number" to guess. I give them lots of hints, such as "this number has 5 tens, it is greater than 56 but less than 58". the other day i gave a hint for a mystery number (the first hint): "this is how old my sister is..." immediately, hands shot up in the air to guess (with much enthusiasm and certainty might I add) "65!" I responded, "not that old..." another kid guessed "61!" now, my students have never seen a photo of susan, but only have me as a reference. my last class guessed i was still a teenager...i guess i've aged 40 years since... ha!

mr. announcer guy

2009-09-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

Each apartment complex has a management office where they dilligently help any/all residents with their various needs. once we had a clogged drain and within 10 minutes 2 repairmen were at our door ready to unclog. great, speedy, and helpful service.

another interesting thing about korean apartments is they have a built in PA system. every few days we hear an anouncement bell go off (do-so-do, for you musicians out there) with a voice following. the announcer is an older gentlement, usually the same guy each time. he has this same pattern of words and tone every time. in fact, i usually say it along with him when the announcement begins: (all in korean, of course) "excuse me & hello. this is the management office..." his sounds like a tired, college professor trying to explain something to his thick-headed students for the fourth time. when we first arrived in korea i hoped they weren't making any critically important announcements since i couldn't really understand them...like "don't take the elevator. it's broken and you may plunge to your death" or "be sure to avoid the front door because of snakes". i know, my imagination runs wild sometimes...

it turns out the announcements are often reminders or gentle admonishments to the residents. something like "don't forget to drain your food trash before you pour it in the compost" or "please don't smoke in the public restrooms." or "did anyone leave a crying 4-year old child on the fourth floor? please come claim him"

as my korean improves, the more i understand. the more i understand, the more i realize these announcements/interactions with people are usually not so serious. i have yet to translate an announcement about plunging elevators or snakes (knock on wood). i'm improving day by day and i feel really proud of myself when i understand something that i didn't understand last week. i'm becoming more independent and trying to handle some of my "business" on my own without relying on others. it feels good.

first graders are...

2009-09-14T05:24:00.000-07:00

happy, excited, and eager to embrace all the world has to offer
messy. snot and boogers don't seem to bother them. in fact, some of them seem to really enjoy having that stuff on their fingers.
cuddly. i couldn't count the number of hugs i get each day. 1st graders are not at all passive aggressive about their need for affection, they just get up, walk toward me and give me a big, massive bear hug. even in the middle of a math lesson : )
not always interested in sharing. i've heard my share of arguments about "my crayon!" "no, my crayon"... it's not like they're made of gold, kids. arguing about not sharing has been outlawed in our classroom
not shy to revel in their glory. one of my favorite things to tell my kids after they've done something great: "wow. i'm so proud of you. you must be so proud of yourself, eh?" and always always my kids give me a grin as bright as the sun and nod their head with pure delight. love it.
eager to be first. first in line, first to go to the bathroom, first to get their paper, first to eat lunch. first, first, first.
peacemakers. when there is conflict in the classroom, i encourage kids to "talk through their problems". they are quick to forgive, hug, and be friends again grudge-free. if only adults emulated first graders in the way they forgave..
funny. man, oh man, the things first graders say. i think i crack up at least once a day.
"improv-ers". they like to raise their hand without having any clue what the question is or what their answer will be. I could ask my kids to explain why 'e=mc squared' and i'm 99% sure at least 7 kids would raise their hand and fumble their way through a contrived explanation.
sweet hearted, innocent, and brave little people. they are sensitive to the world around them and are vastly aware of the injustice of the world. they desire to see good around them and are not afraid to point out wrongdoings. their big hearts are constantly churning and changing by their daily experiences.
my teachers. they teach me something every day.

rough day + beatles = not so bad

2009-09-09T03:14:00.000-07:00

today was one of those days. you know, the kind where so many things are going on your head is spinning... one of those days when you put your shirt on backwards and don't realize it until after lunch kind of day. i won't (and shouldn't) go into the details of my day, but i'll say that i felt stressed, upset, and exhausted.

the day was coming to a close and i was getting ready to hide my head in a pillow...or rather a pile of construction paper and crayons (i work in a first grade classroom, you know) when a repairman in the office started blowing into the intercom system. it seems the intercom in our building stops working every other day so i'm always in for a treat when the intercom starts acting up. Usually I hear one person try to make an announcement, someone in the background chiming in, "It didn't go through! Try again!", so the announcer tries again, then I hear someone say, "Why isn't this working?", "Then I hear a crowd of Korean men gather around the microphone, speaking in korean saying, "what's wrong here? Did someone push a button?, etc. etc" It's quite entertaining.

but today was a little bit different. the intercom started having some problems and the secretary got on the mic and said, "excuse the interruption. we are working on repairing the school intercom system." Then I heard the usual muffled "the intercom isn't working. Why isn't this working, etc. etc." But then, the secretary made an announcement that he would relieve us of the all too familiar chatter and play a CD instead.

suddenly i heard john, paul, george, and ringo singing in my classroom. the mood in the whole building was lightened as you could hear people giggling in the hallway, doing little jigs here and there, or singing along. it was a burst of sunshine on a gloomy day. i was a little bummed when the intercom was fixed and the music was turned off. maybe tomorrow...?

first week of school & family retreat

2009-09-06T02:53:00.001-07:00

hi there. i've been quite the "slacker blogger" lately. my apologies. I hope to be blogging more regularly once my schedule is settled.

i wanted to give a quick update for all of you dear readers about our jobs. i started my first week of school teaching 1st graders. i have some really super kids and i feel rejuvenated to be around little ones again. they still wear me out, but i love them. they're so much more independent than kindergartners, it's great! i was so pleased to not be tying shoes, soothing crying spells, or helping little ones with their "wet pants" all week long : ) and 1st graders are really stinking cute. they keep me laughing all day.

peter's been fortunate to have two four day weekends in a row and has had some quality time with the golf course. these mini vacations are well deserved since he's worked so many long hour days.

this weekend, we went to busan with peter's unit for a family retreat. i'll blog about it more later. it was wooonderful. a well needed break that brought a lot of peace and relaxation to two tired minds & bodies. i'll fill you in soon..

goodbye summer

2009-08-26T03:07:00.001-07:00

summer is coming to a close and a new chapter is beginning. august has been a very busy month for us. peter has been working a lot lately during the night shift which is keeping him very busy and tired! we are looking forward for things to settle down and to resume normal sleeping schedules. here are a few updates:

shaun & liz, peter's sister, delivered a healthy baby girl last week, inez catherine. she's a beauty and we're thrilled to have a niece! if only we didn't have an ocean separating us : (
i began work as a full-time 1st grade teacher at the DOD school (military school on post). I've been decorating, preparing curriculum, and making a little "home" for my kiddos. i'm looking forward to the start of the school!
i can legally rent a car now. thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes. i had a nice, relaxing day. i missed you all, but was thankful to have so many dear friends and family from far away (and here too!) i'm a lucky girl.

aside from the hectic schedules, we've been doing really well. i am very thankful for a job and am excited to be with little guys again--they help me see the world in a better way. i'll try to be better about blogging more regularly!

four years

2009-08-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

four years ago today, peter and i made a covenant to one another to love each other until death do us part. i can't believe how quickly time flies! these past four years have been filled with learning, challenges, rich with love, joy, and the goodness of God.

"I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high." Psalm 7:17

Peter jokes we now graduated with a "bachelors in Marriage" : )

Let's continue our learning of how to love one another better and better each day. I'm so very thankful for you, am continually inspired by your heart, and find you a beautiful reflection of our Heavenly Father.

Let's aim for a dozen ph.d's! i'm game if you are...

the DMZ

2009-08-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

susan and i took a day trip with the USO to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) right on the border between North and South Korea. it was fascinating, tense, and sad. our grandparents' hometown is actually located in North Korea (pre-war time). During the war, my grandparents (on both sides) fled to the south. my dad's mother was actually pregnant with my father when she tried to cross the border. fortunately, all of my grandparents successfully crossed the border to safety.

While on our drive, we passed through a village called "Reunification Village" where all families must be in their homes with doors and windows sealed at dark since this village would be most vulnerable to a North Korean attack being so near the DMZ. The village area is not under the jurisdiction of South Korea (?) so the citizens there have no obligation to pay taxes or serve the army (All South Korean men have a military requirement of 22 months.)

Korea is the only nation to remain divided. The tension between both nations is palpitable. We were warned very strongly by both our Korean tour guide (who spoke english) and our U.S. soldier tour guide that we were not permitted to take photos unless given permission to do so. During the tour we saw the JSA, the area where North Korean and South Korean leaders meet for negotiations. We actually saw North Korean soldiers standing on the steps of their building with binoculars in their hands. Apparently, the North Korean building, which faces the South Korean building, has many cameras that take photos of the DMZ tourists to use as negative propaganda against the rest of the world. Our U.S. tour guide told us very sternly that we "do NOT make any gesture of ANY kind toward the North Korean soldiers. We will NOT communicate with them in ANY way as they will react if they EVER feel any sort of threat." One of the North Korean guards actually waved toward us, perhaps to get a rise out of us tourists? We were told North Korean men have a military obligation of 8-10 years! Also, the North Korean soldiers that are visible to South Korea are said to be well-fed to give a good impression of their country, though much of the country is impoverished and hungry.

We were able to take photos inside the JSA where South Korean soldiers stand guard. All Korean soldiers that work at the DMZ must possess at least a black belt in TaeKwonDo. One soldier I took a picture of had a black belt in TaeKwonDo, Jiujitsu, and Hapkido. U.S. Soldiers also are also placed there based on their excellent records and abilities.

It was a chilling sight to see such tension, even in their stance. I suppose witnessing such intensity made me realize how hostile the relationship between North Korea and much of the world remains.

this photo is of the North Korean building. You can see a soldier standing at the top of the steps. He must have found all of us very interesting as he continued to look at us through his binoculars.

North Korean money I got from the DMZ shop. The photo is of Kim Il Sung, the father of the current dictator, Kim Jong Il.

Susan is standing at the Dora Observatory, which is a lookout point that juts out, very near the border of North Korea. It is said that on a clear day you can see where Kim Jong Il has erected his own gigantic bronze statue of himself very easily with binoculars. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day, so we couldn't seen a lot, but we were able to see the Wildlife Sanctuary between North and South Korea where various plants and animals of endangered species have thrived since no human contact has been made in the forest for over 56 years.

it was a sobering experience. i imagine we have family that still exist in North Korea and may not see them or ever know them. Not just our family, but hundreds of thousands of families were separated and long to see one another. I pray for a peaceful reunion and evil to be defeated.

daegu

2009-08-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

in daegu, susan and i went on various larks. since peter has to work during the day, we did many things on our own. we went to various markets to buy gifts for when she returned home, went to the spa for some pampering, got our hair cut and permed (not such a good idea after all...), visited the downtown area for people watching and shopping, went to a daegu baseball game, rode the city buses for the first time (trying to figure out their routes was like trying to solve a rubix cube), and climbed Mount Apsan.

the mountain climb was fun and tough. i read somewhere it is a 20% grade mountain; the hike was at an incline the whole way up. i learned from our tour book that Mt. Apsan is where avid hikers go as it is quite beautiful. the entire hike took us 4-5 hours. while going up the mountain there would be several little "rest stops" which were actually outdoor gyms with free weights and elliptical machines. maybe i'm just lazy, but i don't think i'd hike for 2 hours to use the outdoor machines to exercise some more, but i'd really like to high-five the people who do. : )

another interesting observation were the lack of people climbing up the mountain alongside us, but we'd see several "ajummas" = middle aged ladies, sitting on blankets with picnics or playing cards with their friends on the edge of a jagged cliff. it was an odd sight since the mountain is on an incline the whole way up so they'd be perched in crevices or jutting rocks in the mountain like little birds in a nest. less than half the way up the mountain, the trails were not clearly marked and several boulders lined the paths so much of the "hike" was actually rock climbing. i wondered how all the ajummas got up here... the hike wore us out! nearing the top there were tons of stairs leading to the peak of the mountain. i hummed the rocky song while shaking my fist in the air....our victory to the top!

the view at the top of mountain was beautiful. unfortunately i didn't bring my camera since it's so bulky. but susan had hers with her. i'll have to steal a photo or two and will post later.

this is a little shop in downtown daegu that serves drinks in ziplock baggies. it has a cool vintage art feel to it. i'd like to go back again.

ulsan and gyeongju

2009-08-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

our uncle, weh sahmchoon, my mother's oldest brother lives in ulsan, just 1.5 hours away from daegu. on occasion he and his wife make the drive out to daegu to take peter and i out to lunch. since susan was here, they came and took us to a yummy lunch and invited us to come to ulsan where he could show us around. peter, susan, and i drove down to ulsan and stayed one evening at their home.

ulsan was breathtakingly beautiful. it is situated right on the eastern coastline (on the southern end). the beaches are rocky and the water is a rich greenish purplish blue. i could have perched myself on a rock for hours just listening to the crash of the waves.

the second day of our trip we visited gyeongju. since it is only a 30 minute drive from ulsan, my uncle and aunt frequent the area for golf or the spa and know a great deal about the history.

the city of gyeongju is quite famous for its history. It was the home of the Silla dynasty and so possesses numerous ancient tourist spots. within the city are several famous temples, buddhist pagodas, and burial mounds.

my uncle, who is in his mid 70's has the energy of a 12 year-old and, in true korean fashion, wanted to show us as much as possible. we probably hit a dozen or so famous spots within ulsan and gyeongju in less than two days. it was fun, gorgeous, busy, and at the end of the day, we were beat. there were dozens and dozens of postcard perfect views of the ocean and the huge jutting boulders in the water. i'd like to go back again, but maybe for a relaxing lunch and nap instead. : )

here you'll see some female divers dressed in wet suits. in a few areas of Korea there are famous female divers located in Jeju Island, at times known as "mermaids" who are known for the ability to hold their breath for 2 or 3 minutes at at time. They use no special breathing apparatus, only a floater to help them locate where they need to surface. they dive many feet to dig up clams, abalone, and other seafood. as you can imagine, this sport is extremely dangerous, nevertheless, many of the divers are middle aged. i once saw a lady on television in her 80's still diving! you can read more here:

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=309618

susan's visit

2009-08-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

for those of you who didn't know already, my sister came to visit from seattle. we had a lot of fun together and traveled throughout the country. she left only today after a four-week visit. it was nice to have her here with us to show her our city and also have a traveling partner. we did so much i think i'll have to post several blogs to describe our experiences.

coming soon

2009-08-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

dear friends.

i haven't forgotten about you. I have lots of stories and photos to share and will post soon!

scrub a dub dub

2009-07-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

one of the musts when visiting korea is going to a spa. they are incredibly popular among the natives and very affordable. one of my friends, who is a native, invited me and two other ladies to go to a spa in chungdo. it's a well-known facility and i understand why. it was beautiful, nestled among the mountains, in the middle of the gorgeous korean countryside. the facility itself is sleek, clean, and luxurious. the spa has tons of saunas, natural spring water pools infused with precious rocks that are said to give your body all kinds of strength to fend off any diseases and give your skin a glow. there are pools of hot water, cold water, warm water, waterfalls, etc. it's amazing.

i was very excited about going to the spa, but i was nervous about one thing: what you wear or rather what you don't wear. in order to go into the spa you don't wear anything. just the birthday suit. (!) this is quite difficult for a westerner, but koreans are quite used to it. once you get over the initial shock of being naked in front of strangers, the experience is exhilarating. the water feels phenomenal. some of the pools were on the rooftop so you could rest with a view of the mountains, orchards, and farm land. my girlfriends and i got a facial and body massage and scrub. ladies work hard to scrub you of any possible dead skin so you leave with an amazing glow and feel baby soft. i'd have to say the amazing relaxation and benefits far outweighed the awkwardness.

afterward we had a delicious lunch of bbq and lettuce wraps, and took a short tour of a wine tunnel. mingki, our tour guide, was wonderful. she laid on her charm and got the four of us great deals, free extra stuff, and she even talked someone into giving us a ride to the train station. (don't worry, hitchhiking in the country is pretty common and very safe : )

all in all, this is definitely a day I wouldn't mind repeating.

step up to the microphone

2009-07-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

we finally did it. we went to a "noraebang"...the ubiquitous karaoke room. i had been holding off on going since we've arrived. the cheesy synthesizer accompaniments, disco balls, and microphones with way too much reverb....it's a bit too much for me. however, our new friends made it all worthwhile and pretty fun.

we were kindly invited by peter's coworker, a korean national. he took us to a tasty dinner of korean bbq and lettuce wraps. he was a generous host, encouraging us to eat to our heart's content. he also invited a couple other korean nationals who work on the U.S. army post. the dinner conversation was light, playful, and interesting. it was good practice for learning about korean hospitality and dining etiquette. we toasted one another about every 5 minutes celebrating and wishing each other all of life's happiness, health, and in the words of our gracious host, "to have a good time." a good time was had by all. we were asked if we wanted to go to the noraebang. one of the other guests, ms. k, quickly responded to the idea with a "i'd rather not. i hate karaoke!" I replied we hadn't been yet. our host quickly fired back, "“You haven’t gone to a noraebang? Then you have to go!!” We were cornered : )

it was an experience to be had. that's for sure. we just walked a couple blocks away to a nearby karaoke room (these things are literally on every street corner in korea). We entered this empty basement to find a middle-aged man to greet us. He looked like he was bored and had been doing sudokus for the past seven hours and was, as a result, very happy to see other human beings in this dark, quiet basement. We chose our room and after the traditional tug of war game of who’s paying, we entered our disco ball lit room with vinyl booths. Inside the room is a massive remote control and two binders, each weighing about 10 pounds of lists and lists of Korean and other international songs. This was serious stuff. We made a few selections. our friends take karaoking quite seriously, but in a good way. You simply pick a song and sing…there is not question of do I know all of the song? Do I really know the melody? Instead, it’s a simple..”I think I’ve heard this song before…I’ll sing it.” The binders had “American” sections, but it appeared the book hadn’t been truly updated since 1976 with a few eminem and Justin timberlake numbers thrown in. of course, within the first few minutes of being in the room, we were encouraged, rather pulled toward the front of the room, mic shoved under our chins and urged to pick a song quickly. I seemed to have a niche for picking songs that seemed to have endless choruses..you know the song that never really ends, but just fades out? Well, with karaoke, you just keep repeating and repeating until your voice gives out from fatigue…a natural form of fading. I naively chose “happy day” as it was the only song from the book that I seemed to recognize before mr. p, our host, chided me for taking so long. I ended up singing or rather mumbling along. It was some “choral” version of the piece that was clearly not intended to be a solo. Nonetheless, our friends waved their arms with huge smiles on their faces as supportive fans/listeners to my terrible rendition of karaoke. Snacks and drinks were brought in and I sat back, clapped, danced and watched as my friends and myself sang various oldies and tried to sing along to some of the Korean songs as best as I could..considering it was the first time I had heard them.

Peter had his turn at the mic also. our friends grabbed peter’s shoulder and sang along to “hey jude” and “what a wonderful world”. During slow songs mr. p would grab my and peter’s hands and pull them together, his way of asking us to slow dance. And to top the night off, as tribute to the late Michael Jackson, we sang “we are the world”. Clearly, none of us knew the song, but that didn’t stop us from still closing our eyes, raising a fist in the air and mumbling our self-created words and melodies with intense passion. We did know the chorus and would enter it with huge enthusiasm. After all, the chorus of that song is only a couple lines, so we had to make it count.

All in all, it was a really fun evening. a few days later, mr. p invited us again to have dinner & karaoke but this time with a couple other korean nationals who work on post, peter's new commander and his wife. the evening was quite similar and also very enjoyable. in fact, we ended up going to the same noraebang. we concluded the evening with "we are the world" again by request of mr. s, a fun, easygoing fellow who was adamant that i call him 'uncle' (an example of korean hospitality).

we all stood together side by side, arms locked around one another's shoulders. koreans and americans singing together under the disco lights. cheesy? yes. memorable and worthwhile? absolutely.

food at home.

2009-06-28T03:12:00.000-07:00

homemade sticky buns and pedro enjoying them in his BCGs (birth control glasses)--that's what the army calls them. surprisingly, they are very much in style here in korea...very high fashion. : )

homemade pizza. delicious and easy to make!

ode to the high heel wearer

2009-06-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

i salute you korean high heel wearers.

your strength and endurance amaze me. you don't wear high heels only on special occasions. your high heels are what nikes are to americans. you wear your heels to go on walks, on buses, on subways, up the stairs, to the park, while hiking, all while carrying babies in your arms. you never seem to show fatigue or pain...do you have toes made of steel? i strive to have the high pain tolerance and perseverance you show daily.

sincerely,

the amateur high heel wearer

p.s. sorry for the lame photo. this pic doesn't even capture some of the crazy heels i see on a daily basis!

grandmother's memorial dinner pictures

2009-06-28T02:59:00.001-07:00

stairs we ran up and down as kids when we visited korea long ago.
grandmother's bed.
my dad's youngest sister and her husband
my dad's older brother and older sister
the fam
the delicious food.
so good.

kyung jin & kyung pyo

2009-06-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

i've spent a lot of time with these two. they are funny, entertaining, and just lovely people. they enjoy annoying each other, as true brothers and sisters do. i like hanging out with them.

getting to know family...

2009-06-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

june 22nd was the anniversary of my grandmother's passing (my father's mother). my family gets together to have a short "yehbeh" consisting of singing some hymns, reading scripture, prayer, and of course, eating. my aunt (my father's older brother's wife) is an amazing cook and she puts together a huge spread. prior to the evening gathering, my cousins kyung pyo and kyung jin picked me up from the seoul train station and we had lunch. i picked their brains for memories they had of grandmother and how they remembered her. all of my memories of her are from when i was just a little girl so i often wonder what it would have been like to know her as an adult. both my cousins confirmed my memory of her as being a kind-hearted, generous person. she loved her family very much. i soaked in all of the memories and funny stories they shared. it was great.

she was my only grandparent. the only grandparent i had the opportunity to meet. it's a strange thing to miss someone you didn't know too well, but i'm so glad i had the time i did with her.

it's a real joy to spend so much time with my family here. they are no longer "family in Korea", people who i've known through pictures more than in real life. they are family.

photo highlights from the trip (or moments i remembered my camera)

2009-06-17T22:52:00.001-07:00

cuban sandwich from paseos. one word: yum.
theo's chocolate factory. i bought a gift pack for pete. flavors include: coffee, nib brittle (ground cacao bean), coconut curry, bread & chocolate, vanilla chocolate, hazelnut crunch, fig fennel & almond, chai tea. they are all really tasty. i think i ate about 500 chocolate samples at the factory. our spunky tour guide was raving about all of the health benefits of chocolate which just fed our (the tourists) fire for eating chocolate. near the end of the tour she remarked she'd "give in" and taste a sample with us, but that she'd need to be careful or she might eat a whole chocolate bar (!). i thought, "seriously!?" she made this comment after she had dished out dozens of samples and i had already consumed about 5 pounds of chocolate : ) ha!

flowers from pike's place market. such a great place. i think people who work with these flowers must be in a good mood all the time. who wouldn't when surrounded by such beauty!

oliver, the master chopstick eater. so cute. so smart. i love his mama too.

ovi loves his grandpa dash.

besties.
japan. tokyo. sushi. awesome.
green tea kit kats

after writing my summary of the trip I realized I left out some pretty important activities. so, i was able to have lunch with peter's grandparents: ted & gladys, and Caleb Smith (a cousin) after church. it was so great to visit with them. everyone looked great. i was thankful to spend the afternoon with them. i just love and admire them so much.

i had lunch/dinner dates with so many great, dear friends who i miss so much. friends from gulf drive (our old neighborhood) rock hill and grace & peace. i was able to rub bellies and babies that i hadn't seen before we left! so wonderful.

in seattle, susan & I had lunch with some family friends. we always called them "howard's family" (it's a korean thing). they were gracious, kind, and generous. they took us to a really good thai restaurant, which i was excited about since good thai food is kind of hard to find in daegu. i'm glad to know susan has a "family" in seattle to fall back on.

and a note about the japanese grandpa. i called him to see if he wanted to show us his garden, but he never answered his phone. he did call back, literally as we were walking out the door to the airport for my flight back to seoul. he was dear and sweet, lamenting our ironic timing. i've since looked him up and have discovered he's a well published author in the field of environmental science. he's a pretty fascinating fella. matsuo tsukada. you should look him up.

back in Korea!

2009-06-16T00:37:00.000-07:00

The last leg of my trip was wonderful. My friend's wedding was beautiful and wonderful. Getting to see my girlfriends from college was an added bonus. we try to have our "reunions" every year so i'm glad i was able to be part of this annual tradition. they are a group of fantastic women who i adore very much. we always have such a good time with one another laughing hysterically, goofing around, reminiscing, and encouraging each other through the different storms of life. i hope we will always maintain our friendships until we're old and wrinkled.

aside from the wedding, i spent a lot of time with different friends and family. a few of my friends are pregnant or recently had a baby so it was fun to see their new little creatures squirming around. i was able to see lizi, peter's sister, her baby belly, and dear little oliver (our nephew). he's quickly approaching three years old and he's a total riot! he's talking up a storm and is totally adorable. we played hide & seek together and practiced using chopsticks. he's so smart...he's becoming quite a little man.

i left for seattle shortly after the wedding and had some nice, low-key days enjoying the beautiful weather and outdoors. susan and i went to different parks for walks and ate at some really good restaurants...i had my first cuban sandwich which was amazing. we also went on a chocolate factory tour of theo's chocolates. they are the only organic, fair trade chocolate company in the U.S. it was really interesting and tasty!

my last few days in the states zoomed by and i arrived in seoul just a couple days ago. my flight went very smoothly. i was pretty tired from the jet lag, but was overjoyed to see peter and my family waiting for me at the airport. reunions are my favorite.

i will post some pics from my trip soon!

full heart

2009-06-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

i've spent the past week visiting with as many people as possible. i've crammed almost every moment that i wasn't already spending doing various errands with visiting people i love. i wish i had another week to spend more time with family and friends, but all good things must come to an end. (i'm sorry if i didn't get to see you during this visit!!! i just ran out of time!)

this weekend i'll be hanging with my college friends to witness a dear friend get married. i'm looking forward to it.

i missing peter tons and thinking of him often. i wish he was here with me. it's fun to compare things here to korea now that we've lived there for over 6 months. now i'm just taking in each new day slowly and enjoying all that happens. let the wedding festivities begin!

show me st. louis

2009-05-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

i had a fantastic reunion with rodney, suzanne, and dash all outside the gate to greet me once i stepped off the plane. it was so nice to be able to squeeze them in person. i love reunions.
we all went over to the leeks' house to visit. it was nice to step inside their house for the first time...it was as if i had never left st. louis. it felt comfortable and cozy.

we munched on cookies and told various tales of our lives. we spent a lot of time laughing with each other and trading updates on our jobs, families, and general plans. we also had some gift swapping. i tried to find some fun little trinkets to bring back for all of them from korea. i brought back korean chocolate sticks, socks, handmade bookmarks, handmade pouches, and funny stickers. for those of you who know suzanne, one of her love names for people is "lamb face". the stickers i gave her actually look like little "lamb faces". you just have to see the stickers to get what i mean. if i explain it they would just sound uber creepy.

we chatted and chatted together. mick and donna also stopped by which was nice to visit with them for at least a little bit. it was really great spending time together...it makes me realize how much i miss everyone.

the next day i spent with my mom doing some more shopping.. : ) and we got lunch with my cousin, Sonya at an italian restaurant. she cracks me up. it was a fun afternoon. i had dinner with my parents and we made phone calls back to korea to update them all on what i've been doing and also for my parents to hear how they are doing. i really like spending time with my parents..it's something that i enjoy and appreciate more and more as i get older.

my next few days i have a mission to pick up some things for the wedding and spend some quality time with other family and friends. i'm renting a car tomorrow, which should help me get around the city easier. so, if you're in st. louis and you're reading this, give me a call and let's hang out!

seattle, part I

2009-05-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

i spent a wonderful 2.5 days in seattle. the spring air was clean, crisp and had a faint scent of coffee beans (honestly!). i stepped off the plane, took a deep breath of the airport's espresso flavored air and felt a sense of relief my long flight was over. i just needed to grab my luggage and go through customs. i didn't have anything in my suitcase that would warrant any alarm from customs, but i wasn't sure how the whole "check" would go through. according to their website it seems they are quite rigid and harsh. i had no live plants or animals in my bag, which is the biggest no-no when coming from a foreign country, but the rigidity of the customs regulations had me thinking i'd be thrown in jail and slapped with a $1000 fine if they found a leaf stuck on the bottom of my shoe. fortunately, no such thing happened. in fact, i breezed through customs with no problems.

susan arrived the minute after i stepped foot in the "arrivals" area of the airport and we hugged and quickly hurried off to get home. i was anxious to smell that beautiful seattle air, but also hoped to say goodbye to my new friend, but couldn't seem to find him.

the next few days were filled with leisurely walks, food, and fun shopping: we went to several different places downtown, including anthropologie, a favorite shop of mine, and i bought some clothes. some of you may be wondering why i don't just buy clothes in korea. my main reason is that i have yet to learn the art of shopping in korea. i'm still learning what shops are best and also how to get used to the lack of "trying on/fitting rooms" in stores. sometimes a fitting room in korea is make-shift towel thrown over a bar the length of my arm. i'm somewhat modest, or shall i say, 'don't want strangers to see me undressing in public', so i usually just "eye shop". needless to say, my 6 months of no shopping has made these past couple days quite enjoyable. i don't always like to shop, but i had a lot of fun shopping with susan.
aside from shopping, we did a lot of good eating, including some of susan's yummy homemade lasagna, some vietnamese pho, korean bbq chicken, and visits to a lovely bakery where i had a tasty chocolate croissant. mmm. getting hungry just thinking about all that good food.

susan and i also had time to catch up with each other. we always enjoy telling stories about funny things that happen to us or just sharing what's on our minds with one another. it's nice to have a sister to share the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful with one another. i'm really fortunate to have her as a sister. she's really great. really.

my time in seattle whizzed by and i went to the airport to head toward st. louis. susan was working, so ed her pastor, drove me to the airport. ed is also a counselor so it's always interesting talking to him cause he seems to ask good questions that encourage me to reflect on my life. my flight from seattle to st. louis was super fast. i saw some stunning landscapes from the plane of washington and utah. the clouds were so plump and fluffy i wanted to just dive unto them (minus gravity of course).

in America

2009-05-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm in the states! i left Daegu on Monday morning at 11:00 and arrived in seattle on monday morning at 9:00 (you do the math). I had a pleasant flight that had a 3.5 hour layover in Tokyo, Japan. While I was there I enjoyed some lovely sushi from a restaurant in the airport. I figured I needed to have the full Japanese experience, raw fish and all. While I was munching on my lunch, an elderly Japanese man approached me and asked me in Japanese if I had a watch. My initial response was, "sorry, I don't speak any Japanese." (sounds too familiar, eh?) He chuckled to himself and asked again in English. I didn't have a watch, but saw a clock hanging in the airport that read 2:30pm. He thanked me and then sat near me. I turned to ask him where he was heading and he sat up, cocked his head and leaned his ear closer to my mouth and said, "what?" I spoke louder and clearer and asked him again where he was headed and he replied, "to seattle. where are you going?" this prompted a whole conversation of why we were going to seattle, where we were coming from and what brought us overseas. I learned he was a former Harvard professor of environmental studies and ecology. He was at the ripe age of 80 and only retired for 4 years. We had a nice chat with each other exchanging little tidbits we knew about our home countries. I tried to learn some things about ecology and environmental studies, but he seemed more interested in talking about korean superstars and asking how much money peter makes per year. after 30 minutes of chatting, he got up to use the restroom and I also got up to peruse some of the shops since we still had 2 hours to spare before our plane boarded. when i returned he was sitting on the other side of the airport lounge. we made eye contact and he cheerfully waved with a smirk. I was glad to have met him.

Once we boarded the plane, I found my seat (an unfortunate middle seat for a 8+ hour flight), but was pleasantly surprised to find my 80 year old Japanese friend assigned the seat right next to me! He dozed in and out of sleep for the next 8.5 hours, as did I, but we had little moments of conversation when we had the energy. He sweetly asked if we could exchange phone numbers and asked if I would visit him at his home to see his garden. I hope I can.

why hello, mr. taxi driver

2009-05-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

when i first arrived in korea i was a ball of nerves. i worried about how we'd transport all of our 10 pieces of luggage (we were crazy), if we had forgotten anything from the states, how we would get around korea without a car, how we'd live without furniture for two months...worry, worry, worry...blah blah. i hated it. but the one thing that took me over the top was...taxis. the first couple months we were here i detested taxis for several reasons: 1. the taxi driver rarely knew where our apartment building was and i had no way to tell them how to get there because i didn't know myself. 2. i hate being lost. 3. if you're on a schedule, you never know for sure if a taxi will be available. 4. taxis cost money 5. communicating with the drivers was quite hard and made the situations more confusing at times; and lastly 6. have you seen the way these guys drive? needless to say, i avoided taking taxis at all costs.

well, i've changed. don't get me wrong, taxis are not my choice form of transportation, but i've actually enjoyed many taxi rides i've had these past couple months, especially today.

it was raining all day long. i enjoy the rain, but this was 'pants get soaked, cars drive by and splash you' kind of rain. i had to run a couple errands after school, so i opted to take a taxi home after i finished my errands.

i flagged down a taxi and was greeted warmly by an older gentleman, probably in his late 60's. he had a "best driver" sign on his car and was dressed in a freshly pressed uniform. i noticed he smelled familiar, like my dad's aftershave. he immediately asked me if i was from daegu. i quickly replied "no, i'm actually from the U.S." we had an exchange of my family history and why i was here in korea. (this conversation happens almost every time i'm in a taxi. drivers can usually detect my korean accent and ask where i'm from). he then began to tell jokes of some experiences he's had with westerners and how he hosted a westerner in his home for a short time. he began to suggest various, beautiful places i ought to visit to observe its beauty, where i could find good hiking spots, cable cars, buses i could take to see lovely landscapes, and where to find some delicious korean pears. the whole ride was delightful. i understood nearly everything he said because he courteously spoke slowly and occasionally checked my understanding. i wished our apartment was farther away cause i wanted to continue our conversation.

he dropped me off in front of our apartment building and i let him keep the change for a tip. he refused, but i insisted and he gave a grateful, humble bow of thanks. it was a great human experience. two strangers stuck in a car, sharing part of our lives together, laughing together, and enjoying the company of one another for a mere 8 minutes.

all this to say, taxis are growing on me and i'm even beginning to like them. i admit, sometimes when i take taxis late at night or early in the morning, it can be a bit of an adrenaline rush watching the taxi drivers skillfully weave in and out of cars to get to his destination as fast as possible. it's like a real life game of 'frogger'. also, catching a taxi is kind of like an egg hunt. i stand on the side of the street, looking for an empty taxi to wave down and finding one quickly is gratifying. it's a good challenge. the taxi fare is also quite reasonable, especially compared to the states. most of my taxi fares (granted if we don't get lost on the way) are usually around 4,000 won, which is about $3.00. not bad, eh?

so, thank you mr. taxi driver, for your kindness. my prejudice against you and your vehicle has greatly subsided.

st. louis, here i come!

2009-05-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

the school year is winding down, well, for me. i only have a couple days left of subbing and then peter and i are off to seoul to visit my family, who we haven't seen since january, and then i'm off to the incheon airport to head toward the states! i'm going back to see one of my lovely friends get married and be one of her bridesmaids. she is one of my former college roommates--5 ladies all lived together on fifth street, so i lovingly call them the fifth street girls.

i'm excited to be a part of the big day and also breathe in some north american air. the trip back home seems well timed. we've been in Korea for a little over 6 months now. i'm looking forward to being on big, wide, un-hectic roads and eating some tasty western food or should i say a hamburger without soy sauce : ) i'm also hoping to see some big open fields and GRASS! hopefully I'll also catch a glimpse of a cowboy/girl or two. my friends laugh when i say i miss cowboys, but i do. i now know what in the world paula cole was singing about in "where have all the cowboys gone". but what i'm REALLY looking forward to is seeing family and friends! i miss you all and can't wait to catch up with you...cause sometimes phone calls/skype/emails just aren't enough.

an update on what we've been up to: peter starts a golf tournament today. it's part of an all-army golf tournament and if he plays well enough, he'll be able to continue competing over the next few weeks! so, if you think of him, send all thoughts of birdies, perfect chips, and hole-in-ones his way!

I have "informally" interviewed for a job next year at the school on-post. They are fairly certain there will be one position available for me next year, but won't be able to officially offer it until mid-june.

the women's bible study is going really well! we're still meeting at 11pm and sometimes don't finish until almost 2am! i really like all of the women. it's fun to host people in our home and it gives me an excuse to bake lots of cookies and cakes : ) while we meet, peter goes over to andy's house, the interim pastor and husband of one of the ladies from the study, and they watch cardinal games and hang out.

peter cannot go to the states with me because of work. while i'm gone, i'll miss peter's 25th birthday! june 7th. that's right, peter, i'm broadcasting your birthday all over the net! we'll celebrate when i get back, june 13th, but i'm sad i won't be here : ( so, if you're near him, wish a happy birthday for me, will you?

i'll try to keep blogging while i'm in the states too. can't WAIT to see you!

korea is fun(ny) because...

2009-05-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

there is a group of senior women (in their 70's and older) that meet in one of the subway stations to do aerobic dancing. last time I walked by them they were cha cha-ing along to some salsa music. so great.
fresh, fresh, fresh. fruit, vegetables, seafood, is incredibly fresh and cheap! koreans pride themselves on providing the freshest of produce/meat. I can buy a whole bag of korean pears (which would normally cost $30 in the U.S.) for 6,000 won, which is about $4.50!
korea is known as the land of morning calm, but that's probably partly due to the fact that things come alive at night! you could walk around the city streets past midnight and it doesn't look any different than 7:00 at night. koreans like to stay out late!
you only have to drive a couple hours to experience a completely different terrain. daegu is hugged by green mountains, but two hours south of here is greenish blue ocean water.
koreans use a lot of "konglish" a combination of korean and english. it often gives me a little chuckle because the english is usually written incorrectly. for example, a notepad said "i'll remember to love you taught me how i like you, just you are." what? yeah, i didn't get it either.
korea is somewhat fashion obsessed. people take more "risks" with their fashion here. it's always fun to see what people are wearing, especially on a saturday night!

late night friday night

2009-05-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

the hardest part about moving to korea was leaving behind such wonderful people. it was such a blessing to live so close to some family and we had such a wonderful group of friends we so dearly love and miss! but as I have seen God do all throughout my life, he's always bringing new blessings into my life. each time i've moved away from sweet friends, He brings along someone new and the cycle continues with a lovely, deep, & rich friendship.

since arriving in korea, i've had my eyes peeled for new friendships. as i've mentioned in many other posts, we've met some really great people and we're so thankful for them. peter has made good friends with people from and outside of work. i've met several wonderful military wives and ladies from outside of the military as well. lots of quality people.

a new development is a womens' bible study which will meet in our apartment every friday night. because most of the women who come are english teachers at private schools, they work really strange schedules where they teach until after 10 pm! for that reason, our bible study doesn't begin until 11:00 pm. We go for about 2 and a half hours. we had our first meeting last night to get to know one another. it was great fun. about 15 women attend, so it's a pretty large group. i'm really excited about studying with these women and getting to know each of them. i'm sure i'll post more about our study as it continues.. (if you live in the daegu area and want to come, let me know!)

No. 1 fan

2009-04-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

i must say my husband is quite the popular fella these days. he's probably one of the most coveted golf partners in daegu right now and he's making new buddies left and right.

in fact right now, i can hear peter speaking to a friend on the phone right now and he's offering so much encouragement, love, kindness, and hope. he's really a great friend to have.

i'm a big fan of him.

these past few months have been a mixture of pain, joy, excitement, anxiety, and about a dozen other emotions. each day has held its challenges, it's celebrations, its stress, its hope.

peter, you encourage me to pursue hope and your strength and gentleness inspire me. i'm so glad we're in this together. i thank God for you.

she must be from around daegu...

2009-04-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

just a brief little story to celebrate my improved korean conversation skills:

this week while walking in the subway terminal I was approached by not one, not two, not three, but FOUR strangers and was asked questions about directions, if i wanted to join a church, and the subway system. i'm astounded by how often i am approached by strangers. seriously, there will be crowds of people passing by and strangers will single me out and ask me for directions. i must have a sign stamped on my forehead that says, "hey, you! got a question? ask me so I can stutter in korean that I have no clue." : ) not only is my korean bad but my directional skills are worse!

but this week...this week was different. I had four successful mini conversations with strangers like a real daegu local! granted, i didn't know the answers to all of their questions, but i was able to carry a conversation without using lots of "uhs" and "ahs" and long pauses.

four months ago i would have turned every stranger who approached me away with a polite, "i'm sorry. i have no idea." but now, four months later, i can converse with people and they don't even seem to notice my broken korean. i'm glad. it feels good to be seen as a local.

so, to all you strangers out there, keep the questions coming! but, i wouldn't follow any of my directions if i were you...

subways and elderly on bikes

2009-04-17T04:27:00.000-07:00

so, i'm riding the subway just about everyday. it's clean, cheap, environmentally friendly. it's super. i'm a huge fan. the subway runs just about every 5 minutes. we have a subway station about 5 minutes from our apartment--which is great! parking downtown can be quite congested and expensive, so it's nice to just hop on the underground train to get around. daegu only has 2 lines, but it's plenty for me. here's a pic of what they look like here.

this is a picture of a subway station in daegu.

a subway car in daegu. (they are usually NEVER this empty)

i almost always stand while on it usually because there are no seats and also because handicapped, women with children, pregnant women, and elderly (generally people 65+) are given priority for seats. It's common to see younger people offer their seats to elderly when they get on the train.

speaking of elderly, i've realized one of my favorite things is seeing grandpas on bicycles. it just brightens my day. lucky for me, there are lots of grandpas that ride bicycles in daegu. i'm always amazed by them, because many of them look 75 or older!

easter

2009-04-17T04:11:00.001-07:00

easter sunday we attended a service at Dongshin Church. It was an english service with several members from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. We have met a lot of cool people. The interim pastor, Andy, is actually a St. Louis native! small world. he shares a lot of the same interests as pete (both big cardinal fans). we've already hung out with him and his wife (and their adorable baby) a couple times. we're looking forward to getting to know other people better too.

our first easter in korea was nice, but we were missing all of you friends and family. i made leg of lamb for dinner on good friday. wish we could have feasted with all of you. i always have loved easter. it's one holiday that always feels very peaceful, joyful, and celebratory.

It's always freeing to recall the freedom that God has given us and how dearly we are loved.

my baseball playing hubby

2009-04-17T03:49:00.000-07:00

so, many of you know peter has been playing on a local baseball team. Two of his teammates are korean players who are on the professional roster. here are some pics from the game.

the name of their opposing team was "papas". I'm not sure if their team name meant 'papas' like "big daddies/don't mess with us" or 'papas' as in 'we are all fathers'..? i'm not sure. i imagined their name was meant to mean potatoes since 'papas' means potatoes in spanish.

pete is on the far right playing 1st base.

this field is at a local middle school, just 10 minutes from our house. lots of locals come to watch for fun. i've even seen some people crawl up on their roof to watch a game.

during the game, there were tons of little seedlings blowing around in the air. i was sitting under a cherry blossom tree and literally, thousands would blow and land in your hair and on your clothes. you'd frequently see people stand up and shake their heads, shirts, and pants.

these little guys will just blow in the wind and sweep across the ground. here's a pic of them gathered in the cracks on the tile ground. below you'll see one of the little guys in my hand. one day it might become a beautiful cherry blossom tree...

pete's team, the aces, beat the potatoes. i realize i didn't write a whole lot about the actual game. peter played wonderful defense and made some excellent throws and catches at first. i guess i was distracted by nature around me. it was a beautiful day. a great day for a ballgame.

goodbye, mr. cherry blossom

2009-04-11T01:09:00.000-07:00

korea has amazing cherry blossom trees that are just lovely. the flowers are pale pink and its petals just float off the trees into the sky. i love driving or walking around so i can feel the petals land on my face and hair. there is even a cherry blossom festival that takes places in jinhae to celebrate the blooming of these gorgeous buds.

but, as with many good things, the flower petals soon blow away and the trees are replaced with bright, vibrant green leaves. so, goodbye mr. cherry blossom. i'll miss you.

(photo found online)

our weekend getaway to busan

2009-04-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

last weekend we went to busan. peter had friday off, so we decided to leave friday morning and stay through saturday. we met several people who were from busan or visited there often. They gave us tips of where we ought to stay and places we should go. we were also itching to do some more "traveling" around the country. Busan is only about 1 hr and 40 minutes south of daegu and it's located right on the southeastern coast. the water is a lovely shade of blueish green and the city of busan is 2nd largest in korea. being only april, the water was too cold for swimming, but we enjoyed looking at it and listening to it in our room. our hotel, the westin chosun, sits right on hyaeundae beach, overlooking the ocean.

our room was lovely. it had a spectacular view and the ocean waves lulled us to sleep.

when we first arrived in our room, we were immediately drawn to the window for our first look at the water. to our surprise we had a little "show" beneath us. there were over a dozen school girls, still wearing their uniforms, on the beach trying to pull one another into the water. they were relentless! often times they would gang up on one girl and grab each foot and arm and throw her into the ice cold ocean. one school girl, we not so creatively named "green girl" (she was wearing a green hoodie), was a big bully, pushing nearly every girl into the water, yet somehow maintained dry clothes all the while. finally, some of the other girls caught on and started to pull her into the water and she was finally dunked. we were cheering the girls on as it all happened : ) they kept at it for over 40 minutes. we were amazed by their tenacity and aggression. lesson: don't cross a korean school girl-- they can get nasty. we saw some school boys come on to the beach and try to dunk one another also, but their attempts were much lamer and not so dramatic. they lost interest after only a couple tries. the girls were much more intense. it was all very entertaining and way better than tv.

shortly after, we rested from our drive down and then decided to go walking on the beach ourselves. we felt how cold the water was and tipped our hats to those girls who got soaked, cause that water was cooold.

we had dinner at a place called, "hello sushi" which is a nice seafood buffet with really nice rolls and sashimi. it was delicious. afterward, we took a stroll around the town and went back to the water. we found out about a place where we could get a 2 and half hour massage and decided we'd give it a go. i'm not really big on massages, but i thought i'd try it. peter was excited. it was a thai massage place and they didn't have an appointment opening until 10:45 at night! so we hung out at the beach and walked around downtown until our appointment.

this was my first massage ever, so i had no idea what to expect. we came in to a dimly lit building with classical music playing and hot tea waiting for us. they gave us clothes to change into and encourage you to shower before and after the massage if you'd like and then they gave us a nice hot foot bath/massage. afterward we laid down on a nice heated pad on the floor with a blanket. this massage starts with feet and works toward the head. the massage therapists were both ladies, very small, but alarmingly strong. a few times i had to let my lady know her fingers were hurting me. peter, having little korean skills, couldn't communicate that to his masseuer so i tried to translate as often as i could. there were moments i was in real pain, but didn't know if i should say something or if i was just being a wuss, so i stuck it out. my mistake, because later on i was in pain. i actually felt more sore after the massage than i did before.

the lady who massaged peter seemed to be really experienced. she did all kinds of crazy things using her arms, feet, elbows, and legs. she pulled, twisted, and even lifted peter (on her back). sometimes i looked over at him and the two of them looked like they were in a WWF match (and i think the lady won).

overall, it was a good experience. both ladies were extremely gracious and professional. we left our massages feeling tired, in some pain, yet also relaxed. we didn't get home until almost 2 am! it was definitely an experience i will remember! in fact, i'm still laughing about it now.

the next day we had a nice breakfast at the hotel and laid out on the beach for a little while. peter, being part dolphin, did take a very brief swim. just short enough before any hypothermia could set in. afterward, we went to a restaurant called, "O'Kims", an Irish pub and had burgers.

the drive home was beautiful. the cherry blossoms are in full bloom and just gorgeous. the petals from the blossoms covered the streets and danced across as cars passed.

i can't wait to go back.

busan!

2009-04-08T01:54:00.000-07:00

my halmonee, my grandma

2009-04-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

dear halmonee,

It's been a long time since I last saw you. I wish you were here. Living here makes me wonder what life would have been like if I lived near you...if I would know your face better. your voice better. i miss you.

sometimes i think i see you in crowded streets. other grandmas walking along with the same glasses you wore, same hairstyle and the same gait. the thought of you crosses my mind each time i smell ginseng tea, tiger balm, or sesame --I still have vivid memories of after school snacks of kim chi bogumbop, hot and ready to serve when i came home. you'd spoon feed me even though i was 8. i let you, cause i secretly liked it and could feel the depth of your love for me in each nourishing bite.

you taught me how to tell time. you'd point out where the big and short hands needed to be so i could catch the bus. you'd explain in your korean, but i only understood so much.

grandma, do you remember when i was little and sang really loudly in our basement? i sang along with all of the tv jingles and commercials and when I sang along to a commercial that said "love and harmony" you would always answer sweetly from the top of the basement steps because you thought i was calling your name. i would always giggle and you would just look at me gently, lovingly.

halmonee, i think you'd be proud of me. sometimes it's hard finding my place here but i'm learning a lot. i'm learning korean, cooking korean meals, and surviving here in this unfamiliar place--this country of my heritage and i'm slowly getting to know it better.

and one day, i hope, i will feel like korea is mine, just as much as it was yours.

love,

your granddaughter, sora

...and we're back!

2009-03-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

we've been hard to get a hold of these last couple weeks. peter finished up with a nation wide exercise that involved some long hours, sometimes up to 15! the exercise finished and pete had just as busy a week last week, perhaps busier. he's had night shift as a guard, while also working a 12 hour day...which makes a whopping total of an 18 hour work day! we'll be glad when his hours go back to normal and we can spend the waking hours together : )

substitute teaching has been an adventure. i didn't think i would enjoy teaching middle or high school very much, but i've actually had a great time getting to know the kids and teaching the material. the other day i taught an algebra II class and was pleasantly surprised to find my knowledge of exponents and radical numbers didn't fall too deeply into the crevices of my brain (as I had predicted it would in high school).

the school here is rather small, only about 40-50 students per grade level, so i've had about every student in the school from my 4 weeks of subbing. it's nice to hear a "hi mrs. watt!" in the hallway every once in a while. of course, most kids are actually saying "hi, mrs. wut!" or "watts" or "what". i never knew 'watt' would be so hard to pronounce. : )

i'm feeling a break through this last week or so with my transition here in Korea. I think I am still quite far from feeling like Korea is "home", but I'm feeling more comfortable here. The last month or so I felt like I was overwhelmed by all of the culture differences (which is not a fun way to be). Little things would stress me out like taking a taxi, exchanging money, or the driving. (we realize we are driving more and more like the locals-- we've learned most traffic laws are only "suggestions" and U-turns are fun!)

Anyhow, it's been a difficult transition, but it's getting better and better. My language skills are improving day by day. We order delivery food every once in a while (which is awesome) and I am engaging in conversations with strangers more-- sometimes I'll have an entire conversation with someone and they won't even notice I'm not a local!

I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers for peter and I as we adjust here. The culture shock was a big concern of mine and i feel the shock wearing off day by day. korea is a really beautiful country with lots to offer and i'm feeling like i'm ready to dive in.

smiling moments

2009-03-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

a few happy moments in my day:

(in no particular order)

seeing a break in the sky. it's been gray & raining all day, but while i was driving home i saw a small blue patch of sky with cheery white puffy clouds peeking out, as if they were saying hello.
at the grocery store i saw a korean grandpa stocking the shelves with sprinkles.
sitting on the couch in our living room, looking out the window and seeing a newspaper dance in the sky (20 floors up!) synchronized with the music playing.
enjoying a happy friday afternoon at home with some great music & a good book (perfect for a rainy day!)

some sights we've seen

2009-03-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

at the joseon dynasty
a view at a rest stop on the way to pyongtek.
one of the first korean meals i made at home : ) (we didn't have many dishes yet) note: our table is made of plastic drawers.
one typical market stand outside. it was freezing cold outside. peter took this picture and the lady wasn't too thrilled...can you tell?
right by seomun market (right outside our house). there are tons of stands just like these lined along the streets. sometimes vendors will place all of their produce in nice, shapely towers to proudly display their produce in the back of their pick-up truck.

all of this fresh produce makes for some whimsical sights. it always makes me smile when i see a truck drive by with a load of fresh strawberries or clementines. i feel like i'm in a dr. seuss book.
a bakery/cracker stand just a few minutes from our apartment. the owner is a really jovial young fellow who lets you sample any cracker/cookie you'd like...much to the appreciation of little ones.

fishies

brother and sister (maybe arguing about who would eat the bundeghee first?)

on the love rooftop (next to the locks)

eat your heart out, andrew zimmern

2009-03-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

our first experience with bun-deh-gee

pics from a while back...

2009-03-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

lover's bench
at the top of a mountain in seoul. the name of the mountain escapes me.... we took a gondola ride up to the top. when we got to the top, we saw an incredible number of locks covering the fence around the railing of the lookout. it's tradition that couples come and put a lock on the fence to illustrate the strength of their love and devotion.

some cool sculpture/body shapes that hung dozens of feet in the air.

a weekend away

2009-03-01T18:01:00.001-08:00

after reading about our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, i must say our weekend following this week full of stressful days was just lovely.

peter's unit does an annual couple's retreat with a marriage conference led by the chaplain. we went to gyeongju, which is about an hour east of daegu. it has beautiful palaces and temples scattered across its mountainous terrain. the bus ride there was beautiful, seeing all of the green, rolling hills and ornate temples resting on the tops of the hills.

we arrived at our hotel, which was extremely nice, and ate dinner once we unloaded our bag from the bus. the food during the weekend was beautiful, yummy, and, well, if you want to make these watts happy, just feed us tasty food. there was korean food, italian, sushi, other japanese dishes, american, chinese, and many others.

besides the food and hotel, the actual marriage conference was very helpful and enjoyable. the schedule was arranged so that couples had plenty of free time so they could reflect on the material covered during the conference and just enjoy one another. peter and i had a lot of rich conversation and we rejoiced in the joy, pain, sweetness, and suffering God has given us in our three years of marriage and how He will continue to grow us.

I praise God for Peter. His heart is so wonderfully beautiful. there isn't another being i'd rather walk alongside. Thank you, Father!

our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day..

2009-02-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

hi all,

this has been a week of craziness with a side of craziness. both pete and i both had really insane days yesterday filled with (big inhale): feeling sick, crazy subbing adventures, dealing with an office who lost our money order, trying for several hours to get a new money order, encountering mr. and mrs. attitude, getting a last minute assignment and having to present on it, a really bad presentation, having no time to eat breakfast or lunch (and barely dinner), staying really, really late at work, picking up the responsibility of other people's mistakes, and running on too little sleep.

now, i know this might sound kind of whiny, but i'm not asking for your pity. maybe just a hug? can hugs be mailed?

speaking of mail....on a very HAPPY note: we learned recently that our address, which is called an APO address, is considered a California address. This means we can both send and receive mail at the U.S. domestic mailing/shipping rates.

anyhow, we are, later today, headed out of town for a marriage weekend with pete's unit which should be fun and a much needed break. we love you all and miss you!

recycling

2009-02-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

korea has a great recycling system. as i was sorting through all of our recyclables i thought i'd tell you a little about it. as compared to missouri (and perhaps other US states) the recycling system is broken down a bit more.

outside of our apartment and other korean apartment/residence areas are large recycle receptacles for: hard plastics, soft plastics, cans, glass, paper products, used oil, food waste, and used clothing/fabrics.

since we are not throwing any of the things listed above in our trash can, we rarely have "trash". korea does not tax for trash/recycling services, instead, it requires you put any non recyclable trash in a specific trash bag issued through your district. you have to purchase them at a local convenience store for about 4,000 won a piece. we have only put out one trash bag (and these are still relatively small bags) since we've moved here in december. we're still on our second trash bag and it is only 1/2 full.

another interesting note about the recycle and waste services in korea is that it is collected once a day, rather than once a week.

now, enough blogging, i need to go take out the recycling...

random observations

2009-02-20T19:14:00.000-08:00

a couple things that have stuck out to us while being in korea:

-women in korea are not afraid of the 5 inch heel. i have seen them wear them on subways, malls, walking on the street, and even farmers markets! even better, are these moms with babies in their arms still sporting a tall heel.

-while driving on the streets here, i have noticed that many people drive with a very casual, laid back attitude despite how crazy people drive. for example, the other day when i was at at red light i saw a motorcyclist waiting at an intersection also at a red light on a four lane road. traffic was backed up by 6 or 7 cars in each lane. suddenly, a motorcyclist came weaving in and out of the cars, trucks, and motorbikes so he could speed through the red light. i was startled of course to hear this loud roar from his bike, but even more surprising--the expression of the law abiding motorcyclist waiting patiently for the light to turn green. i saw his face as he was sleepily waiting for the light to change and as the traffic violating cyclist zoomed through, the motorcyclist didn't even flinch and he even managed to yawn. i couldn't help but laugh.

-i am finally beginning to understand korean comedy. at first i thought it was just cheesy, but it's actually pretty funny. many tv shows feature various competitive challenges with consequences that involve some kind of mild torture.

one show i watched had a group of 6-7 korean celebrities all in a very hot sauna. the challenge they had was to sing karaoke in the sauna without making any errors (the song was really difficult because it contained all of these phone numbers). if you made any errors, you had to stay in the sauna and wait for your turn again, but if you made it through the entire song perfectly, you could leave the sauna, dip yourself in the cool pool, drink smoothies, eat fruit, and drink as many cold beverages as you wanted. of course, the walls of the sauna were glass, so all of the sweaty, defeated, people could watch jealously as their successors ate and drank excitedly. people would mess with one another by pulling down shorts, tickling, or hitting them while they sang karaoke to ensure their failure. i know it all sounds kind of weird (and it is), but once you get used to it and watch it it's pretty funny.

-glasses here (particularly thick framed) are very popular. in fact, many people wear them here without lenses or with no prescriptive lense.

-people are not as shy to sing or dance.

-the "oooooh, ahhhhhh, wowwwwww" crowd response recording is used quite freely, and perhaps excessively, on korean television.

-koreans are hopelessly romantic. there are lots of "couples" products, such as matching t-shirts, cell phone chains, rings, and there's even "couples coffee shops". there are tons of buildings called "wedding building" or bridal shops. many bakeries offer heart shaped confections or boxes of chocolates for a romantic gift. lots of tv shows are devoted to setting people up on dates and matchmaking, but ironically, pda is not common. a kiss on the cheek can arouse many "oooh, ahhhhh, wowwww's" on tv.

-people only drink one cup of coffee a day here and usually the cup of coffee is measured less than half of a dixie cup. they believe excessive amounts of coffee is bad for one's health.

-eating out can be super cheap. pete and i went out to eat at a kim bop restaurant (like california rolls with cooked meat instead of fish). our meal consisted of two side dishes, two bowls of soup, and two rolls of kim bop. our bill: 2,000 won = $1.40 (and koreans don't tip--i don't know why, they just don't)

-customer relations/service workers are extremely helpful and efficient here. whether at a restaurant, in a store, or at our apartment building, people are always very courteous and take their jobs quite seriously.

i'm sure we'll add some more to the list later...