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?!?!?!!

IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, I'M THE FIRST IN LINE! HONEY, I'M STILL FREE; TAKE A CHANCE ON ME!

I love that song! And, Julie Walters is just about the funniest actress I have seen in a LONG time!

"If you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown, Honey I'm still free, take a chance on me!"

So, it's days like today that make me think this:

"I could do this for a long while. Longer than just another 6 months." This being the whole living in Seoul and teaching English thing.

The bulk of my day is spent at school and therefore, my feelings about Seoul and my life in Korea often come from how I feel about my life at school. Often times my life at school is not very pleasant. My school like often makes me think this:

"I WANT TO GO HOME NOW!"

But, not today. I really liked my lesson today. I was teaching prepositions and adjectives, which feels like really teaching English, so I really liked it. Also today, it was my after school activities that really made me like Korea. It's the little things sometimes.

After school on Mondays and Wednesdays, starting today, I'm teaching an adult class. The class starts at 7 and finishes at 9. So, after school today, I went to the little Kimbap place that I always go to and ordered Kimchi mandu to go (which is what I normally do) for my dinner. The lady who normally takes my order wasn't there, but her husband was there and her mother was there cooking as well. They all know me pretty well cause I go in there all the time, so it's no big deal, I just go in, order my mandu to go, get it, pay and then leave.

Well, today, I only had 1 dollar on me so I was going to pay with my card. But, when I went to pay, the guy said they didn't have a "card option" (of course all of these conversations are carried out in Korean). And, I was like... "Uhh.. I only have one dollar..."

So, just as I was about to leave my kimchi mandu and run out the door to find more cash, the guy was like "Don't worry about it. Just give me that dollar and then pay the rest tomorrow."

SERIOUSLY! I have a tab at this place now! How sweet is that!!!!

Then, I went to my adult class and it was great! I have some of my old students and they were so happy that I was back! I was thrilled to see them too! Old friends are so great!

Then, I came home and went on a run and found out that there's a new little grocery store right next to me! It's like a little tiny Kroger, right next to my house! They sell cereal and fruit! They sell fabric softener. They sell octopus and squid! It's so great! I'm so happy they're there! The people working there were so friendly too!

I got some cereal, fruit, crackers and fabric softener. Yay!

Then, I went back to my little kimbap place and paid off my tab. This time, the lady who normally talks to me was there and her husband was out. When I gave her the money, she was confused and thought I wanted more food; but with my stellar Korean speaking abilities, I was able to make her understand that I was just paying what I already owed!

"Kimchi mandu [I pointed to the money I had just given her] upsighyo."

If you were there and you spoke a little Korean you would understand this to mean:

"I already had some of your delicious Kimchi mandu, but could only pay a dollar for it. So here's the rest of your money. Thank you so much, you guys are so great!"

Or

"Kimchi mandu [point finger to indicate the money] I don't have."

At any rate, that was all solved and we all left happy. Or, I ran out before they could give me any money back. Yeah...

Anyways... now I'm home and full of fruit and good feelings!

Hope you are all full of good things too!


Love, prayers, good things,


Hil

Muuido

So, Muuido was fun.

Here are some pictures of our exploits. For more, check out my facebook!

Ruda thought we were falling.... but we weren't.

Nate found a good place to jump off into the water! TWISING JUMP!!

That's a flip... I think!

Waahhh!!!

Pretty cool...

Chusok and other Things

FINALLY, it's the weekend!

And, Happy Chusok (Korean Thanksgiving)!!!!!

I have a four day weekend coming up so some friends and I will be heading to Muuido, a small Island off the West coast of Korea. I think this will be the last opportunity for all of us to enjoy the sun and the water before hunkering down for the long Winter.

School has been going so well since my new co-teachers have joined my team. I love having Changok back. Almost nothing has changed. She's still the same, independent, intelligent, quirky, warm woman I knew before she left. I told her today that's she's a weird Korean, but that's why I like her so much.

Not sure how she felt about that, but it's really the truth. She's a weirdo!


Last year (wow, I can't believe I just said last year...) after Chusok, our school had a festival. A kind of fun, game day that we had at this big park. There was a talent show and this was when I participated in the "Tell Me" dance along with some of the other teachers.

This year, I have been asked to play the base guitar for two songs in this little band made up of some cool, cool teachers. Do I know how to play the base guitar..... no, but how hard can it be, right?? Right???

I mean, there's only 4 strings... and you just pluck them.... how hard could it be???


Now, I'd like to end this post with a question.... and I would really like some responses to this question to hear your thoughts.

Why is it when some people are so accomplished, so gorgeous, so likable and so eager to please, they are often so lonely?

In case you're wondering, I'm not referring to myself... I'm not many of those things... it's just a question.

I'd love your thoughts!

Love, Prayers and All Good Things,

Hil

Poetry; Brace Yourself

I've been tabled and flew

I've been wanted undone

I've been gathered in blue

And stripped by the sun

And the walk in the park

Made the blue lade okay

The fence in the dark

Turned night into day

But this:

This is the depth of blue

And the light in sun

This is the secret that makes a circle round

It is this (shh; in a whisper)

I am found

FRIDAY!

I had a pretty good day, so I'd like to share it with you!

School, school, blah, blah. All that usual stuff; class and such. I had sweet potato ice cream... interesting.

THEN, I went out to a movie, dinner and drinks with my new co-teacher, Jin. We saw Mamma Mia... FANTASTIC! I want to see it again RIGHT NOW!! I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. So good!

Dinner was a little weird; we went to the same restaurant that a group of other teachers were at as well. Changok, Inji, Semee, Misook, Kyeonghee... all teachers I know. They were having a department meeting. But it was good getting to know her and finally get some of the awkwardness out of the way.

She's pretty cool. The only person at work who is really someone I can be real with. Very real, very open. Very cool. So now, I'm excited for our work together. Maybe we'll hang out more and become good friends. That'd be cool. It's all cool.

In other news, I have semi-joined the praise team at church. I'll be playing guitar a couple of times and I'm pretty excited about it! I'm sure I'll make a fool out of myself, but it's ok. Fool for Jesus!

Alright, that's all the news for now... I like comments!

I like you!

Hil

Sometimes We Make Bad Choices for Good Reasons....

So... are you wondering what my bad choice was???

To make a long story very short, I had him and now I don't. He's being taken care of at a very fine place and perhaps, someday, when he's older and I'm more prepared, he'll be mine again.

I named him Dill. Isn't he cute????