show me st. louis

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

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

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

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!

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...

• 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

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!)