Ok, The Retreat...

This is me chasing Rachel down. Jess felt the need to take a picture of my shirt. She thought it was terribly appropriate considering my personality and habits... I don't have any idea what she was thinking! Just because I like to read...

This is a humungous Buddah. Notice his enormous earlobes. I was trying to make my earlobes that big.... no luck so far.

This is me and a bunch of other group members climbing down from the peak of the mountain. The guy in the bandanna is Eddie, the guy in the black vest and hat is Erik and the guy right behind me is Ruda. They're all real cool.

This is the most amazing picture of the cable cars going to and from the top of the mountain. The fog was settling in on the top of the mountain and it... well you can see, it was just breath-taking!

Me reenacting my climb up to the top of the mountain!

Tim, Erik and I trying to make a bridge across this rather large gap between stones...

Ruda and I walking after the spa and the beach.

The East Sea or the Sea of Japan... depending on who you ask.

The sea and a fishing boat. They should really just think about keeping the fish in the sea. They like it there... I like them there!

For more pictures you can check out my facebook account or go to the IWE website, which I believe is myiwe.com and then click on the gallery and you'll see more photo's of the Chuseok retreat. More to come later!

Love you, miss you, praying for you!

Hil

I Have Approximately 20 minutes...

Right now it's 2:07 in the morning and I have approximately 20 minutes until my laundry will be done... so I'm going to blog!

Ahh... I just had an incredible 2 and a half days! I went with a church I've joined here in Korea on a retreat. The church is called IWE (International Worship in English) and I've been going to the contemporary services there for about 3 weeks now. I signed up to go on a retreat over Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving which was today but the holiday lasts from like Monday through Thursday) not really knowing what to expect, but trusting that Christ gives us a firm foundation to build on and hoping that I would enjoy the promised beach and mountain climbing. And, if no one else was interesting or interested in getting to know me, Jessica was going along as well, my handy safety net!

So, we took off after church on Sunday and drove and drove and drove until we got the East coast and our retreat destination. It was clear after the first rest stop that this was going to be an amazing trip and that all of the people (especially the people my age) were going to be really fun to get to know and hang out with.

And they were. To quote Jessica: "I HAVE FRIENDS NOW!!!" The trip was amazing. On Monday we went to the sea, played sand volleyball (the score and who won is not important!), swam in the ocean, and experienced a Korean spa.. the spa is a WHOLE different story that I will NOT be blogging about, but, ladies, if you really want to know I'll email you! It was great to play in the ocean. I think the last time I played in salt water was at least 4 years ago.. I had so much fun, but I forgot a few things about the sea, for example... 1. It's salty. 2. It's aggressive and the waves seem to like for you to become aquainted with the ocean floor. 3. Did I mention that it's salty?!

Tuesday we went to Sorakson which is a mountian on the East coast. We were able to take a cable car up to the top of one of the peaks and then hike and climb from there. It was awesome. The view was breathtaking and the climb was... just... well, scary at moments, but so much fun to accomplish. The group kept saying that we were sitting on top of Korea and it sure felt like we were! However, I think the highlight for me was on the way back down in the cable car. Imagine 50 people smashed into a small room that is suspended over an ENORMOUS canon. Now picture about 10 Westerners among the 50 people busting out with Stevie Wonder in an amazing rendition of, "I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU!!!" right in the middle of the ride down! It was amazing!

While the swimming and hiking and spaaing (yes that's a word!) was great fun, the best part about the trip was being able to get to know and fellowship with everyone else. I met so many neat people and I feel like I have a community and network of friends that I can call up to hang out with now! I'm so excited to have a group of people with common interests and a common love for Christ to share my experience in Korea with now. God is good! We've even have a rough plan for Christmas hashed out (it involves stockings!)!

Well.. my laundry is done and so am I! Blessings to all of you and thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. I love recieveing your emails and posts! Keep them coming! Oh, and, Aunt Jenny, I heard someone laugh the other day and it sounded just like you! I kept trying to remember who laughed like that and it came to me! It made me miss you!

Love you, MISS you, praying for you!

Hil

Pictures of me in my apartment!

So, here are some pictures of me in my apartment!


This is me at my desk, typing on my NEW computer!



This is me on the toilet...



This is me enjoying the spectacular view from my window. That brick building is fascinating, let me tell you!


I'm hiding in my closet!

In my kitchen, making rice! I'm getting really good at chopsticks!

In my bathroom, I can touch both walls at once!

This is my shower. It's just a hose connected to the sink with a shower head on the end. I basically stand just like I am in the picture and hose myself off when I shower! It's... well it's different!

My bed/couch/chair/dining room/only piece of furniture worth mentioning!

Next time, I'll have pictures of my students and the school!

Enjoying my square home! From my house to yours... Happy Chusoek!

Hil

Ahh... I have my own computer.. at last!

Hello everyone! I know it's been a while since I've last posted, but now finally, I have my own computer and am no longer dependant on the dinosaur of a computer that my school has generously provided.

It's been an exciting couple of weeks! First and foremost is that on Friday I was paid! I'm not telling how much I make, but I will say that I've made more in one month here than I ever have at one time in my life! I was sitting at my desk at school after receiving my pay stub and I was almost giddy with excitement. Of course, the natural thing to do is go off and blow half of the money on a computer mere hours after receiving the money... right?? Right!

Well now, let me catch you up on a few things! In the past few weeks I have settled more and more comfortably into teaching my 7th graders. I'm learning that 7th grade boys do not like to bath regularly... and they do like to run. They also have this tendency to sweat quite a lot and then come into my classroom and ask question of me where I have to stand quite near the sweating, unbathed boy. THEY STINK!!! But, I am having so much fun with my classes, especially the upper levels who can interact with me and find that I can, sometimes, be fooled into giving them candy.

I was also called by the Nambu district office to see whether I would be interested in teaching an adult class. I was, so on the 20th, I made my way to an elementary school where there is an English lab and proceeded to "teach" 9 adults English. It was VERY intimidating seeing as Korea is very much based on a hierarchical system, the older the person, the more respect they deserve, and I was the youngest person in the room. But, I think teaching adults will be fun and will help me with my lesson planning at school. Not to mention the extra money that I'll be making as well!

I'm reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis and he talks about right and wrong in his first few chapters. He says "You would not call a man humane for ceasing to set mousetraps if he did so because he believed there were no mice in the house." In the same way, I think the people who drive in Korea do not run me over when I'm walking across the street, not because they don't want to maim or kill me, but because it would slow them down more if they had to deal with a dead body rather than if they just stopped and let me pass. Korea is every person for themself... it's interesting that I'm reading this book because Lewis talks about how everyone eventually benefits when you do the greater good for society... Korean's don't seem to do that... at least not with driving!

I'm also having a problem with Korean stairs. I've shared with some people already how two days in a row, I couldn't seem to manage the stairs at my school without falling flat on my face. I was walking up some stairs with one of my co-teachers and almost fell FLAT on my FACE! Thankfully my father passed on his genes for agility and non-dorkiness because otherwise I would have looked like a total fool! I assure you, tripping up the stairs and almost falling three times in a row has never looked more calm, in control, and intentional than when I do it. Thank you, Dad!

I'm NOT a dork! I swear!

Ok, that's all for now! As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers. I couldn't make it one day without them!

Love you, miss you, praying for you!

Hil

Octopus and Squattie Potties

Korea is an Peninsula. That means that much of the country is surrounded by water. I knew this, you know this. It's Korea.

But, some interesting things happen to a culture when they are mostly surrounded by water... namely they eat a lot of sea food. Now, I like sea food if it's shrimp, crab, or lobster. I've even been known to eat a scallop or two. You might even push me to like some sorts of fish... maybe....

But, I would just like to know how many people have ever eaten octopus. How about squid? And, how would you like to be offered octopus or squid on a REGULAR BASIS???? I keep seeing this comercial for a restaurant and their main draw is that they have fresh octopus. Yes, fresh. Meaning it's still alive. I was served octopus at lunch 2 days ago. I tried a little tentacle and ... well, I didn't like it. Yesterday I was offered squid. I don't like squid. I'm pretty sure today will be eel and then I might just have a heart attack!

I'M A LAND DWELLER! I LIKE CHICKEN! WHERE ARE ALL THE CHICKENS???

Yesterday I also had my first encounter with a squattie pottie. I needed to use the restroom and found that the only "western style" toilet was occupied. I needed to go, you understand, and the only toilets left were basically just glorified holes in the ground.

I was baffled. I honestly didn't know where to begin. How does one... what does one.... where...

I held it until the western style toilet was unoccupied. I want to experience Korean culture... but not that much.

Until next time!

Hil

Let Me Run You Through My Days...

Let me just give you a quick run down of what it seems my days are going to look like.....

-5:30 Wake up.
-5:31 Go back to sleep.

-7:00 Wake up for real, hose myself down (a.ka. showering in Korea), dress, leave, go back to my apartment because I forgot my umbrella, leave, go back to my apartment because I forgot to brush my teeth, brush teeth, leave.

-8:00 Catch bus to school (now this is an interesting experience because I almost literally have to catch the bus in order for the driver to stop and pick me up. Once on the bus, there are no seats avaliable so I stand and hang on for dear life the whole way to school... and trust me, it's quite a ride!)

-8:15 Get off at my stop and walk to school.

-Once at school, it's a new adventure each day. Yesterday, I felt like a freak from planet Mars! Almost everywhere I went, students stopped and gasped, or stopped and stared at me. Most of the students don't have any idea what to make of me yet. Many come up and say hello and then stand there and stare at me for a while. After I say hello I ask how they are and they say "Good." .... more staring "What's your name?"...."쟘일" ..."What???".... normally I just say.. "Oh, ok." ... then more staring until I finally say "Ok, bye..." ..."Bye, I love you, you are pretty." These are all pretty typical responses. I guess it could be a confidence booster... I mean they say I'm pretty quite a bit.... but then, they also say I love you and I'm pretty sure they have no idea what they're saying so they might be trying to say "You're ugly!" for all I know!

-I will be teaching 24 hours a week but I'll be at the school for about 42 hours or so a week. Classes end at 2:30, but the teachers are not to leave until 4:30. I guess it's manditory prep time or something.

Today has gone much better than yesterday. Mom, Dad, and Haley.... your pictures are being plastered all over Korea. I'm teaching them Mother, Father and Sister. I'm also showing pictures of Clancy and Teddy so they can practice Dog and Cat. They seem to really enjoy the pictures..... impressed that Dad is a cop, confused about what a librarian is and Haley, well, Haley you've got about 50 Korean boys who want to marry you (you're so pretty too!)!

More to come later. I'm sure every day will bring a new adventure!

Until next time!

Hil

Oh What a Weekend!

I don't know if I'll be able to give a quick run-down of what 's all happened in the past 3 days, but I'm sure going to try, so hang on.

Friday afternoon we (the other Native English Teachers) left the Hyundai Learning Center to go meet our co-teachers, visit our school, and move into our apartments. I was so excited to FINALLY get out of the dang learning center and do something productive that I completely forgot to make arrangements with Jessica in case we didn't live in the same place or near each other.

So, after I meet my co-teacher, I wave a feeble "bye" to Jess and I take off with Lee (my co-teacher). She speakes very good English so I have no problem communicating with her and letting her know what I want and so on. She takes me to the school, introduces me to some teachers, shows me my classroom, introduces me to the Vice-principal and the Principal, and then takes me to my apartment.

I live in what they call an Offistle. I think they call it that because it's a cross between an office and a hostle. It's basically one big room. I have a desk, a stove top, a refrigerator, a tv, a little tiny table, a bed that's a little bigger than a twin, a washing machine, and a closet. There are drawers and shelves all over the place and, overall, the place is just enough for what I need, no more!

Then, my co-teacher takes me shopping so that I can buy some necessities. I bought toothpaste, milk, water (they don't drink their tap water here), toilet paper, cereal, and some soap. After this, my co-teacher took me out to dinner and we were able to talk a little more about what I was expected to do (right now I am at school on a down period and it's still pretty unclear about what I am supposed to be doing and how to do it... but I'll get there). Then, my co-teacher took me back to my apartment so that I could start unpacking.

Meanwhile, I'm panicing in my head. I live quite a ways away from my school and I don't know how to get to my school and then back home. I'm not sure if I know how to negotiate the bus system or the subway system here. I have no idea where Jessica is and I have no way of finding out, and I don't speak Korean.... at all!

So now what do I do? I figured out how to call home and was able to talk to my mom. I was so happy to hear her. And, brilliantly I told her my phone number and asked her to email it to Jessica through my email address. When my mom logged into my email address... Jessica had already sent me and email with her address, phone number and directions to her apartment on them. God is SO good! What is even better, her apartment is right across the street from my school. So, with the directions Lee gave me, I was able to meet Jessica at her apartment. It was so easy, it was if I were walking to my own home.

All this weekend Jessica and I explored our area of Seoul. We were able to buy T-money cards (cards that hold money for bus tickets and subway tickets) we bought groceries, we found out that you have to PUSH and SHOVE to get onto the subway and busses and you have to have an almost heroic attitude when you go to catch a bus... the bus drivers will just keep going unless you're serious about getting on that bus! I learned how to say a few phrases in Korean and have had so much fun trying to get people at the grocery store to understand that I want "Dish soap.... Soap? Wash..." act out washing dishes... "Soap... dishes..." act out squirting soap on dishes and scrubbing... the woman takes me to the towels... "No no no... .soap!"...point to liquids... We finally got there!

Today there are and will be all new adventures to encounter. I'm learning just a few of the politics at the school. And, I'm learning that not all of the teachers like each other and want to do the same things.... we'll see how things go!

Until next time!

Hil