One odd thing that I have discovered since being in Korea is that Korean women have very warm hands....
They've told me, if you have warm hands, then you have a warm heart. I like this way of thinking except for the fact that my hands are always FREEZING!!!
What does this say about my heart???
Last semester, my hands would always be cold and I would just hold them out to Changok, my co-teacher, and she would rub them and hold them until they warmed up. It was a nice way to connect with her without either of us feeling awkward. She not big on being touched....
This semester, she's gone and so my hands have been cold again...
However, one day, after teaching for three hours in my FREEZING cold classroom, I came back down to my desk and started talking to my neighbor (her name is Pak Kyungmi) and the music teacher in my row (her name is Jang Songsook).
I like these women very much. And, by now, we're pretty close... we talk quite a bit. And, my hands were freezing so I held them out for my neighbors to touch to see if they could warm them up like Changok used to. They each grabbed one and EXCLAIMED about how cold they were and Songsook, the music teacher, began to rub my right hand with hers and warm it up. Her hands were SO warm. They're like heaters! But, Kyungmi, after rubbing my hand for a minute, decided more extreme action needed to be taken.
She stuck my hand under her armpit.
I guess it did warm up. I felt awkward though... and a little ridiculous. Later on that day she wanted me to teach her something new in English... so I taught her the word armpit. I thought that was funny.
I have a funny life here. I love it when stuff like this happens. It makes me feel so... light. Like a child.
I'm gonna send more pictures soon. I have so many new people to show off to you!
Love you, miss you, praying for you!!!!
Hil
Mar 29, 2008
Mar 25, 2008
Food is a Funny Thing...
I thought about food today, which is weird, I know.
But, whatever. Just bear with me.
Normally, if I want something to eat, I'll just stuff whatever's available in my mouth until my stomach is full... and there I go. I'm done. It's filling, but never very satisfying. A proper meal is so much more satisfying, right? But, who wants to make a meal for ONE person???
Not me.
Thursdays are probably the days where I eat the best and I feel the most satisfied. Today is Tuesday, I know, but my Tuesday was was my Thursday today.
Today, after my late class, I stopped in this little Kimbap place to pick up some dengong chegae and mandu. I stop in this little shop frequently. The two ladies who work in there know me, and whenever I see them on the sidewalk or out and about, we always greet each other. They're so cute. I wish I knew how to ask them if they are mother and daughter. I think they are.
I was watching them work today as I waited for my meal. They didn't have to talk to each other in order to get their work done. Each knew what the other was going to do and when it was going to be done. They just quietly and quickly went about their work. I felt like I was in their kitchen and that they were my mom and grandma making me dinner.
There's just something about people who are familiar with you making you food. I'd hardly call these ladies friends or anything significant in my life. But, every Thursday (and occasionally on Tuesdays) they make me dinner and I feel like I'm home again.
H
But, whatever. Just bear with me.
Normally, if I want something to eat, I'll just stuff whatever's available in my mouth until my stomach is full... and there I go. I'm done. It's filling, but never very satisfying. A proper meal is so much more satisfying, right? But, who wants to make a meal for ONE person???
Not me.
Thursdays are probably the days where I eat the best and I feel the most satisfied. Today is Tuesday, I know, but my Tuesday was was my Thursday today.
Today, after my late class, I stopped in this little Kimbap place to pick up some dengong chegae and mandu. I stop in this little shop frequently. The two ladies who work in there know me, and whenever I see them on the sidewalk or out and about, we always greet each other. They're so cute. I wish I knew how to ask them if they are mother and daughter. I think they are.
I was watching them work today as I waited for my meal. They didn't have to talk to each other in order to get their work done. Each knew what the other was going to do and when it was going to be done. They just quietly and quickly went about their work. I felt like I was in their kitchen and that they were my mom and grandma making me dinner.
There's just something about people who are familiar with you making you food. I'd hardly call these ladies friends or anything significant in my life. But, every Thursday (and occasionally on Tuesdays) they make me dinner and I feel like I'm home again.
H
Mar 21, 2008
I Met a Giant Today
I went to a Good Friday service today after school. I'm really glad I did. It was a joint worship with all of the English ministries in the greater Seoul area. It was sitting with a bunch of people from IWE (my church) and I felt like I was with family. It was really nice.
After the service, there was a big fellowship meeting in the main hall and tons of people were milling around and talking... and, above everyone else, was this enormous man.
No one in my group of friends could resist talking about him, asking: "Hey, have you seen the giant??" We kept trying to guess how tall he was.
The funny thing was, I had seen this guy before. I was going somewhere one day and he was on the same subway as me. He was kind of hard to forget... being so tall and all....
Finally, Trevor dared me to go ask how tall he was... I really wanted to know, so I did.
He's 6'11... and his name's David. He seemed really nice. His hands are bigger than my whole face! I've never met anyone so large in my entire life! I wonder what the world looks like from way up there and why this man chose to come to, of all countries, Korea! People here are SHORT!
So, a big shout out to David, who is so tall and friendly. Thanks for being patient with me and my silly questions!
After the service, there was a big fellowship meeting in the main hall and tons of people were milling around and talking... and, above everyone else, was this enormous man.
No one in my group of friends could resist talking about him, asking: "Hey, have you seen the giant??" We kept trying to guess how tall he was.
The funny thing was, I had seen this guy before. I was going somewhere one day and he was on the same subway as me. He was kind of hard to forget... being so tall and all....
Finally, Trevor dared me to go ask how tall he was... I really wanted to know, so I did.
He's 6'11... and his name's David. He seemed really nice. His hands are bigger than my whole face! I've never met anyone so large in my entire life! I wonder what the world looks like from way up there and why this man chose to come to, of all countries, Korea! People here are SHORT!
So, a big shout out to David, who is so tall and friendly. Thanks for being patient with me and my silly questions!
Well, I would like to thank all of you for your good advice and encouragement. I'm feeling much better these days!
My new co-teachers are awesome! I'm getting so close to them. One is especially endearing. She's a Christian and talking with her is like talking with a friend I've had since I was young. She's wonderful!
I was riding home on the subway yesterday after my EEP (after school English classes in a middle school WAY across town!) classes! I was talking with one of the teachers that I teach with, but after a while, she had to get off. I was sitting down and, suddenly, I realized that I had no idea where my cell phone was!
I was searching everywhere! In my pockets, in my bag, on the seat, on the ground in front of me and pretty soon, I had an audience! There was a little ajuma in front of me and, after I searched for about a minute, she produces a pen and offeres it to me. I said, no and that I was looking for my phone. She misunderstood and took out her cell phone. That was nice. But, no, I had lost mine... understand? My phone!
Pretty soon, she sits down next to me and offeres her phone to me again....
OH! I dialed my own number with her phone and pretty soon, I heard my phone ringing....
It was in my bag. In a pocket I never use. After I pulled it out of my bag, one woman standing in front of me chuckled and clapped! Oh, Sometimes I really love Korea!
Hope you're all loving your country too!
Hil
My new co-teachers are awesome! I'm getting so close to them. One is especially endearing. She's a Christian and talking with her is like talking with a friend I've had since I was young. She's wonderful!
I was riding home on the subway yesterday after my EEP (after school English classes in a middle school WAY across town!) classes! I was talking with one of the teachers that I teach with, but after a while, she had to get off. I was sitting down and, suddenly, I realized that I had no idea where my cell phone was!
I was searching everywhere! In my pockets, in my bag, on the seat, on the ground in front of me and pretty soon, I had an audience! There was a little ajuma in front of me and, after I searched for about a minute, she produces a pen and offeres it to me. I said, no and that I was looking for my phone. She misunderstood and took out her cell phone. That was nice. But, no, I had lost mine... understand? My phone!
Pretty soon, she sits down next to me and offeres her phone to me again....
OH! I dialed my own number with her phone and pretty soon, I heard my phone ringing....
It was in my bag. In a pocket I never use. After I pulled it out of my bag, one woman standing in front of me chuckled and clapped! Oh, Sometimes I really love Korea!
Hope you're all loving your country too!
Hil
Mar 11, 2008
These are my thoughts today
These are my thoughts today...
Sometimes it makes me sad that things can't stay the same. That the people I gave my heart to in the very beginning aren't near me anymore. The people I gave my heart to didn't need to give theirs back... theirs was here, with their families and homes; with their sons. And, for some reason, my heart has closed it's doors to the wonderful new people in my life. I'm trying to find the key to unlock it, but I think I must have given it away to those people who are now gone. I don't want to ask for it back; just sometimes, I want things to stay the same.
But, then I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their will is just too strong for the arms that want to hold them. And, when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is all the more dull and empty without them.
I guess I just miss my friend.
H
Sometimes it makes me sad that things can't stay the same. That the people I gave my heart to in the very beginning aren't near me anymore. The people I gave my heart to didn't need to give theirs back... theirs was here, with their families and homes; with their sons. And, for some reason, my heart has closed it's doors to the wonderful new people in my life. I'm trying to find the key to unlock it, but I think I must have given it away to those people who are now gone. I don't want to ask for it back; just sometimes, I want things to stay the same.
But, then I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their will is just too strong for the arms that want to hold them. And, when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is all the more dull and empty without them.
I guess I just miss my friend.
H
Mar 4, 2008
If Your Keeping Track, I'm Pretty sure this is 103 Crazy Korean Man Magnet Encounters...
Chalk another one up to to me for being the best crazy Korean man magnet AGAIN! I never aspired to this. Why me? I just want to know WHY ME!!!!
Here's what happened...
I was meeting up with the Olsons, the Crews and JB (Jessica Becker) at a coffee shop today after school. And, as I was making my way down some stairs, I passed this older man who was preparing to sit on this random couch that was sitting near the escalator. When I walked by him, he said to me, in Korean... "Anjo!" This means sit down.
He was very insistent. I ignored him the first time but he repeated himself and said, in English this time, "Sit down."
I said, "Aniyo!" This means no.
He wouldn't leave me alone though. Here is how the rest of the conversation went:
"Sit down."
"No, thank you."
"Sit down, please."
"No. I'm leaving." This time I bowed to him and said some things in Korean trying to appease him.
"Five minutes. Only five minutes" He held up four fingers to signal his meaning... yeah, four fingers!
So, I stopped. He asked me if I was a student. I said no, I was a teacher. He asked me where I was from. I said America. He asked me how old I was. I said 25 (in Korea, I am considered 25). He asked me how old I thought he was... this is always a tricky question...
Now, in reality, I thought he was probably near 60 years old, his hair was completely white and he was a little stooped, but he still had broad shoulders and a solid frame... so I told him I thought he was probably 55 and hoped that he wasn't younger than that.
"Oh, thank you. Very good. I am 73! Very strong still!"
I really was surprised. Good lookin', sturdy, old 73 year old! Then he wanted me to give him my phone number in America... he whipped out a pad of paper and flipped to a blank page and then handed me the notepad and insisted that I write my phone number and name on it.
Now, at this point, I'm just trying to get away from him, so I think the quickest thing for me to do is to.... give him a number. So, I write my name down... (in hind sight, I think I should have given myself a false last name) and I write down a phone number... I don't really know if this phone number exists in America... but whatever.
So, he's happy! He asks if he goes to America if he can call me... I say sure... I mean... whatever... I'm beginning to thing he's drunk, I can smell soju on him even though it's only 6:30 in the evening... and, to the best of my knowledge, the number I gave him could be to a hotel in Rhode Island... who knows! I say yes so that I can just leave him... but then he wants to shake my hand.
Ok. He can shake my hand. That's fine.
So, he shakes my hand, then twists his hand around in mine so that we're holding hands as if we're going to arm wrestle... ok weird... but whatever, maybe he's seen westerners do this... we do sometimes....
And then he rubs my hand against his cheek....
Yes. He rubs MY hand agaisnt HIS cheek! That's my hand being wiped all over his face.....
WHAT AM I??? I am NOT a PLAY TOY!!! You CANNOT TREAT ME AS IF I am your DOLL!
WHO DOES THIS??? I am TIRED of people treating me as if I am a PUPPET for them to HANDLE!!!
It's getting to the point for me where... I don't care if I am a novelty anymore. I'm still a human being and human beings do not go up to other human beings that they have never seen before and do not have a relationship with and insist that they;
1. Sit down and talk to them
2. Ask for their phone number in ANOTHER COUNTRY
3. TOUCH THEM!
At first I thought it was funny when stuff like this would happen to me.... part of me can still find humor in the situations... but for the most part I'm just utterly sick of it.
I need to be around people who are aware of where they are in the midst of their surroundings... I'm tired of people being so unaware of anyone but themselves that I am constantly dodging people as I walk down the sidewalk. I'm tired of not being able to move because people are blocking my way and they could care less about getting out of my way so I have to SHOVE through them. I'm tired of people standing so close to where I'm sitting that I can't see anything but their crotch or butt in my face! I'm just tired.
And, I'd like to see grass.
And I'd like to drive again.
*Sigh* Pray for me. I need more patience and love!
Trying to live in Him who created and loves all people...
Hil
Here's what happened...
I was meeting up with the Olsons, the Crews and JB (Jessica Becker) at a coffee shop today after school. And, as I was making my way down some stairs, I passed this older man who was preparing to sit on this random couch that was sitting near the escalator. When I walked by him, he said to me, in Korean... "Anjo!" This means sit down.
He was very insistent. I ignored him the first time but he repeated himself and said, in English this time, "Sit down."
I said, "Aniyo!" This means no.
He wouldn't leave me alone though. Here is how the rest of the conversation went:
"Sit down."
"No, thank you."
"Sit down, please."
"No. I'm leaving." This time I bowed to him and said some things in Korean trying to appease him.
"Five minutes. Only five minutes" He held up four fingers to signal his meaning... yeah, four fingers!
So, I stopped. He asked me if I was a student. I said no, I was a teacher. He asked me where I was from. I said America. He asked me how old I was. I said 25 (in Korea, I am considered 25). He asked me how old I thought he was... this is always a tricky question...
Now, in reality, I thought he was probably near 60 years old, his hair was completely white and he was a little stooped, but he still had broad shoulders and a solid frame... so I told him I thought he was probably 55 and hoped that he wasn't younger than that.
"Oh, thank you. Very good. I am 73! Very strong still!"
I really was surprised. Good lookin', sturdy, old 73 year old! Then he wanted me to give him my phone number in America... he whipped out a pad of paper and flipped to a blank page and then handed me the notepad and insisted that I write my phone number and name on it.
Now, at this point, I'm just trying to get away from him, so I think the quickest thing for me to do is to.... give him a number. So, I write my name down... (in hind sight, I think I should have given myself a false last name) and I write down a phone number... I don't really know if this phone number exists in America... but whatever.
So, he's happy! He asks if he goes to America if he can call me... I say sure... I mean... whatever... I'm beginning to thing he's drunk, I can smell soju on him even though it's only 6:30 in the evening... and, to the best of my knowledge, the number I gave him could be to a hotel in Rhode Island... who knows! I say yes so that I can just leave him... but then he wants to shake my hand.
Ok. He can shake my hand. That's fine.
So, he shakes my hand, then twists his hand around in mine so that we're holding hands as if we're going to arm wrestle... ok weird... but whatever, maybe he's seen westerners do this... we do sometimes....
And then he rubs my hand against his cheek....
Yes. He rubs MY hand agaisnt HIS cheek! That's my hand being wiped all over his face.....
WHAT AM I??? I am NOT a PLAY TOY!!! You CANNOT TREAT ME AS IF I am your DOLL!
WHO DOES THIS??? I am TIRED of people treating me as if I am a PUPPET for them to HANDLE!!!
It's getting to the point for me where... I don't care if I am a novelty anymore. I'm still a human being and human beings do not go up to other human beings that they have never seen before and do not have a relationship with and insist that they;
1. Sit down and talk to them
2. Ask for their phone number in ANOTHER COUNTRY
3. TOUCH THEM!
At first I thought it was funny when stuff like this would happen to me.... part of me can still find humor in the situations... but for the most part I'm just utterly sick of it.
I need to be around people who are aware of where they are in the midst of their surroundings... I'm tired of people being so unaware of anyone but themselves that I am constantly dodging people as I walk down the sidewalk. I'm tired of not being able to move because people are blocking my way and they could care less about getting out of my way so I have to SHOVE through them. I'm tired of people standing so close to where I'm sitting that I can't see anything but their crotch or butt in my face! I'm just tired.
And, I'd like to see grass.
And I'd like to drive again.
*Sigh* Pray for me. I need more patience and love!
Trying to live in Him who created and loves all people...
Hil
Mar 1, 2008
If They Didn't Hide the Draino, None of this Would Have Happened!
Today was a good day. I met with my pastor, made a new friend and spent a lot of time with old ones.
We ate, we shopped, we ate some more, we took a lot of pictures and we stayed out in the cold for WAY too long. But it was all fun!
Then, on my way home, I stopped by a Buy The Way store (a little corner shop that sells snacks, drinks and other odds and ends) to buy some juice. And, while I was in there, I decided to pick up something that would help my sink drain to unclog... because my sink is... clogged.
So, I asked one of the clerks in the store for help, because I couldn't find anything that looked like it would unclog my sink. No Draino.. no nothing!
And, what do you know.... pretty soon, I have the whole store, every clerk AND every customer trying to understand what I'm saying... no one could understand. The entire shop came to a standstill as I tried with my feeble Korean to explain what I needed... I had no words.
And, how is one supposed to gesture that you have a clogged drain?? I decided not to try... it just seemed pointless.
I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed in my life! Now, granted this was a really tiny store, but there are 5 people, clerks and customers standing around trying to figure out what I want. Finally, I just called on of my Korean American friends who speaks both languages and had her explain on the phone to the clerk what I wanted.
*Sigh* That was the best adventure I've had in a long time. When I first got here, it seemed like I used to have those kind of "experiences" every other day!
You'll be happy to know that they did indeed have some sort of liquid draino stuff... it's called Pokulin and it's AMAZING. It unclogged my sink in like... 4 seconds FLAT!
Go Pokulin! And go all those amazing and patient clerks and customers at the Buy The Way for hanging in there with me. And, go Cathy who, in the end, did all of the translating! What a fun night!
What adventures have you all been having lately? I think, these days, I'm going to have to go more out of my way in order to continue having them... that's ok (quinchanayo), I'm up for it!
We ate, we shopped, we ate some more, we took a lot of pictures and we stayed out in the cold for WAY too long. But it was all fun!
Then, on my way home, I stopped by a Buy The Way store (a little corner shop that sells snacks, drinks and other odds and ends) to buy some juice. And, while I was in there, I decided to pick up something that would help my sink drain to unclog... because my sink is... clogged.
So, I asked one of the clerks in the store for help, because I couldn't find anything that looked like it would unclog my sink. No Draino.. no nothing!
And, what do you know.... pretty soon, I have the whole store, every clerk AND every customer trying to understand what I'm saying... no one could understand. The entire shop came to a standstill as I tried with my feeble Korean to explain what I needed... I had no words.
And, how is one supposed to gesture that you have a clogged drain?? I decided not to try... it just seemed pointless.
I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed in my life! Now, granted this was a really tiny store, but there are 5 people, clerks and customers standing around trying to figure out what I want. Finally, I just called on of my Korean American friends who speaks both languages and had her explain on the phone to the clerk what I wanted.
*Sigh* That was the best adventure I've had in a long time. When I first got here, it seemed like I used to have those kind of "experiences" every other day!
You'll be happy to know that they did indeed have some sort of liquid draino stuff... it's called Pokulin and it's AMAZING. It unclogged my sink in like... 4 seconds FLAT!
Go Pokulin! And go all those amazing and patient clerks and customers at the Buy The Way for hanging in there with me. And, go Cathy who, in the end, did all of the translating! What a fun night!
What adventures have you all been having lately? I think, these days, I'm going to have to go more out of my way in order to continue having them... that's ok (quinchanayo), I'm up for it!
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