Lately...

Some pictures over the last couple of days...

It's been rainy lately.

This is my new co-teacher, Jin. She's pretty neat.

We had the annual school festival again last Friday. It was rainy and cold.

Here, I'm trying to stay warm with Misook (on the left) and Changok (on the right).

And yes, once again, I performed in the festival.

This time I didn't make quite the fool out of my self as last time.

Just played the bass (poorly) for a couple of songs.

Moments

Yesterday I went to band practice with some of my co-workers (I'm playing the bass guitar in our school festival....shhh) and ended up being the only one who practiced.

I've never played the bass guitar before, but Songsook taught me how and has been a fabulous teacher. Normally, all the band members practice and I kind of blend in with all of the instruments, but yesterday, it was just me.

Songsook and Misook and a Pak Junsoon were all there, standing around me as I played, singing along. We went over the song about six or seven times and as I played, Songsook teacher (she's the band leader and a music teacher) tapped the beat out on my back.

The last practice run went really well; all of the teachers sang and I played with only minor mistakes. They were standing very near me, all of the teachers surrounding me in a small circle and after finishing, there was a moment when we all kind of looked at each other, smiling and felt warm and close.

Do you ever have those moments? Moments when you feel very warm and close? Moments where you almost can't look each other in the face cause you know you'll be blushing and they'll be beaming and you can feel the affection coming from everyone and no one's speaking and you don't want to leave because you don't want to leave the warmth. You don't want to leave being close...

But, then the spell breaks and you rush away, saying something silly, trying to hide the color on your cheeks.

I love those 'warm' moments. Moments where you share the same air as someone else; moments when there is silence and joy. Moments when the most natural thing is to hug and grab hands or just lean on each other; moments when you can't remember if you've ever felt more content than right then.

I've had a lot of those moments lately. I think some people here have discovered my how to break into my heart...

Four Months till Three Dimensions

Two of my hooks fell down off my wall and my scarves are all everywhere.

My rug is pink. Light pink...*sigh*

I have to keep my rice cooker on my trash can because I don't have enough room on my counter top for it.

I have about four shirts on each hanger.

I'm missing two pillow cases...

There are scuffs on my walls and dust bunnies under my bed. There are deep grooves cut in my chair (from previous owners, I believe) and my desk looks like a grenade went off on it.

My apartment is a messy, dilapidated, tiny, little box... but it's my messy box.

I'm beginning to wonder how I'm ever going to move all of my belongings from here to home. I have a feeling I'll be leaving a lot of stuff...

But, it's just stuff.

Not much new has been going on in my life here. The biggest and most interesting change has been my new co-teacher, Jin. Having her in my life makes everything different.

Also, I've resigned from the worship team. No biggie.

Now, I'm sitting in my apartment, thinking about how big my life has gotten since coming to Korea and wondering how big my life can be when I return to the U.S. My hope and prayer is that my life can be only more full and that I can be only more fulfilling to the people who's life I am in there. After all, my life here can be so one dimensional... and despite that, I've had a full life here. I hope I can be a real person again when I return to the states. A real person with real responsibilities and goals and hopes and loves.

I think I'm ready. Four months, baby and I'm ready!

Accomplishment

We have bad days sometimes. We all have frustrating 'moments' and unfortunate 'episodes'.

This weekend was one of those 'moments' for me.

First of all, I went on a hike of death with Nate, Ruda and Sharon on Friday along with about 8,000 other Koreans who decided to go hiking that day too. I would just like to ask... who thinks climbing about 38 million stairs up to the top of a mountain is a good way to spend the day??? Sign me up for the next opportunity to make my heart feel like it's going to explode every 4 seconds and then, make my legs feel like they're going to shake off my body!

It was terribly... challenging.

So, of course, my body hated me on Saturday. My legs were constantly reminding me that I had grossly abused them the day before and they were not about to do anything for me that concerned stairs.

NOTHING!

So, I was moving slowly, but it was Ruda's birthday party out in Ilsan and I was supposed to bring vegetables. I was also supposed to bring my guitar and meet a couple of girls who didn't know the way. I was having trouble connecting with one girl... we were on the same subway platform, but far away from each other. When the subway came, I texted her to get on, but then was having trouble making it on myself.

Just as the doors were closing, I managed to get my foot stuck in the subway door while the rest of my body was stuck in the glass doors that separate the rails from the platform. I managed to pull my foot out, but my sandal got stuck in the doors of the subway. And, because I was carrying my guitar on my back, because I was sore from the mountain of death, I was slow in bending down to retrieve my sandal.

Yes, my sandal fell down the crack onto the railings. MY SANDAL FELL DOWN ONTO THE SUBWAY RAILS!!!!!

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

All these ajuma's were trying to help me, but what could they do, really? I just lost my shoe. I JUST LOST MY SHOE!!!

I'm standing there with my guitar on my back, a bunch of vegetables and one shoe.

Fortunately, there was a little mall in that subway so I was able to go and buy some new shoes. Then, we made our way to Ilsan and had a nice little party (I spilled dip right on the front of my shirt). Then I went to worship practice (missed a motorcycle ride with Cory because of my impatience DARN IT!) and then took an hour taxi home with Michael, Angela and David (this taxi ride normally takes half an hour).

Rough. It was a rough.

Here are some photos of the hike of death!

Despite it all; accomplishment. Amen.

NERDOM

I didn't have any classes today.

It was kind of nice. Kind of boring, but kind of nice. I took in my external hard drive and watched a movie.

It was nice.

I had my adult class tonight. My students have decided that I am a nerd or, directly translated, an "ideal student".

I think "ideal student" gives the word "nerd" a much better connotation.... don't you? However, I don't know if I can agree with being an ideal student. I think the word "nerd" more capitulates who and what I am...

NERD!!!!

Who says that?!?!?!!