Day Excursion

Today was a really good day.  If you take out anything and everything negative, what is left is something amazing.  Janelle and I went to my massage person for Swedish massages.  When it was my turn, she asked if there was anything I wanted worked on specifically.  I told her about grading and finishing up paperwork and how my neck was all out of sorts.  Then I remembered all those foot pains I have been having whenever I try to walk long distance.  She fixed me.  I walked a long ways today without limping or pain in either of my feet!

Afterwards a serious of unhappy events occurred but that isn't important.

Finally I got on the bus to head back home... (more thoughts on that later)...

Stopped at Coffee Tree, a quaint little cafe with a corral in the back.  The horse is a Jeju horse so it is rather small.  I can't ride it since I am not 75 kg or less.  However I did get to enjoy some horse love.  Ordered an ice peach tea to go and then started walking.  Walked to Jain and cut across on one of the front roads so I could stop at a store.  Passed a wooded area that brought back good memories and feelings of Broken Arrow Ranch the youth camp I worked at.  Passed a machine shop for tractors that had strong smells which took me back to my grandparents' farm.  Walking down that street reminded me of my hometown.  Walking into the small grocery store was oddly familiar, like I was back stateside.

I'm oddly more comfortable here.  Though I was comfortable getting around to where I needed to for shopping and whatever other reasons arose, there was always a sense of not belonging.  Now I am even more comfortable, to the point where my apartment feels a little bit like home, my coworkers a little bit like family, my school a little bit like my school, and this large area like my city.

It doesn't change that I am moving back to the states in 2014 during the month of August.

However it does show that though you think you are used to a place and comfortable there, you can eventually settle in more.  I've started calling my apartment home, something I used to not do.  I would try, then discard the notion.  Now it is not so bad.  Heck, I'm finding more and more food I can eat.  That right there makes things good.

Plums

Yesterday when I first arrived in town, I stopped by the guy at Sawol that sells vegetables and fruits.  I had bought some potatoes from him when he gave me a gift.  Two small, slightly redish yellow fruits.  I figured they were some form of peach since the peaches here are impeccably small.  Took a bite and a long familiar flavor burst upon my tastebuds.  My eyes opened wide in amazement and pleasure.  It was a plum!  I haven't had one of these sweet and juicy treats in a long time.  When I lived in Colville, Washington there were two plum trees in our backyard that we enjoyed immensely.  So I was thrilled that he had such wonderful fruit to buy.   I pulled my wallet back out and bought more from my laughing host.

Town and Homeplus

I was paid Friday the 28th and excitedly went into town to spend some of my money.  There were several facebook groups that were made for people living in South Korea or Daegu.  On their main page, you can post questions, advice, or advertise what you are selling before you move back home.  I had talked to several people who were moving away and decided to go ahead and buy a few things, with the main purchase being a TV.  I had never imagined actually buying myself one as I had grown up viewing them as an expensive luxury.  To have bought and now own one left me praising God for giving me such an opportunity.

Before meeting up with the lady who was selling it, my friend Janelle and I went to Homeplus.  It if very much like E Mart, full of wonderful things you need to live your life.  Only Homeplus has a larger selection.  By a great degree more.  Their selection is so large that they do not have an international aisle.  Instead you simply go to where the pasta is and there is what you are looking for.  You go to the tea section and there is that much beloved Arizona Raspberry Tea.  You go to the sauces section and there is the much beloved Prego sauce in more than one flavor!  In the canned goods, I found with excitement cream corn (have yet to try it), Cambell's Chicken Noodle Soup (tried and loved it, so familiar), and various other things.

In Korea, it is normal to buy what you need for that day and the next.  Rarely do you buy more than you need for more than a few days.  Janelle and I bought what we needed for at least two weeks, if not more.  The cart was definitely full and then some.  The Koreans kept turning and staring at our cart in amazement.  It is a normal sight in the states, but definitely not a normal sight here.  We finally got checked out, bagged and boxed everything, and went outside to the taxis.  It became a joke of what kind of expressions we would get if we attempted to drag it to a bus.

The lady who was selling me the TV was waiting outside and together we got all our stuff into the taxi.  Then with worn out bodies, Janelle and I returned to the school.  Pleasantly happy that we were back by sundown, we paid the taxi driver and dragged our stuff inside.  We had pasta last night.  It was yummy.  I have leftover pasta for lunch today.  Overall super happy.

With the discovery of Chicken Noodle Soup, I relayed the information immediately to Geoffrey.  He heard what brand it was, yelped in shock, and vowed to get over to Homeplus that very day.  So I bet you anything he bought more than the Koreans are used to seeing too.  *Giggle*  Us foreigners are entertaining to Koreans... as well as baffling :)

Hello everyone!  Just sending out an update.  Been chilling the last few days.  Giving the kids all self study time during class with the upcoming finals they have in their Korean classes.  I have gotten all the grades done and all the comments for my main classes finished.  Just have comments for the conversation classes left to go.  Not sure who will have time to translate those.

Got a package today.  Well, technically yesterday.  I found out about it after supper.  By the time I walked down to the gate, the guard had locked up and left.  So I got it after breakfast today.  On the bright side, I enjoyed the walk.  Was actually raining outside and pleasant to experience.  Some things I had ordered on Amazon I had shipped to a  friend.  She kindly then sent them on to me.  Not everything online ships straight to Korea :(  Was nice of her family to help with that.

Been spending time in the evenings just drawing.  Most is just worthless doodles but every now and then inspiration hits and I spend extra time with something that I have in mind.  Turns out decent.

Mornings...

So it has been awhile since I have sent a morning picture of myself.  Can't say I'm wide awake at the moment.  Despite trying to get to bed earlier last night, it didn't happen.  Had a conversation class until 9:30pm.  Had worship with the girls before then making my way back to my apartment.  So the picture is not as bright and cheery as I wish it would be.

It is finally raining.  Yesterday it started in the afternoon and is still here.  The beautiful gray clouds are calming and help cool the otherwise hot air.  I ended up after school running back and forth with my umbrella helping students get from point A to point B.  Particularly those who had to carry packages from the front gate to wherever they were headed.  It was good exercise.

Tyler and Eggs

Grandma, this photo is for you.  In fact, Teacher Geoffrey took the picture when I asked for it because I wanted to show off just how many eggs I had had to deal with while preparing this meal.  For the record, 3.5 dozen.  Two dozen for egg salad and 1.5 dozen for devil eggs.

Then the next day, another dozen for french toast and scrambled eggs.  We had a lot of protein.

This weekend, Janelle's friend Tyler came to visit.  He is the only SDA teacher in the English department at his SDA school and so wanted more SDA friends.  At least that was my understanding of the situation.  He stayed the weekend in the English Boys' Dorm.  Spent the day with Janelle and I.  We invited students to hang out.

New Flower

I had recently acquired a new flower.  The person who sold it to me told me it was called a woo-goo-she-a but I can't find anything on it online.  It is beautiful though and I thought I would share it.

Edit:  Have since learned it is called a Fuchsia.

Pictures from Spring Photoshoot

I had a lot of pictures taken of me last month.  Out of the several hundred pictures, my photographer managed to narrow them down for me to choose from.  I had difficulty but finally picked out a few favorites. Here are some that didn't make the final 3 but are still enjoyable.  You can click the picture to see them in a slideshow and bigger.

Kimchi

So the menu for the cafe hasn't been posted online for this month yet.  A shame as this is week two of June.  

I went to breakfast and saw the food was rice, mushrooms, seaweed soup, and spicy patties.  *sigh*  So I took some kimchi, just the smallest amount of soup, and rice.  It would have been rude to the cafe workers to leave once I was there.  It would have worried them if I had only taken rice.  Sitting down, I washed off the red spicy sauce from the kimchi in my soup.  Then with rice as a buffer, started eating the kimchi.  Found it manageable with the rice.  It wasn't terribly spicy.

Yesterday at supper, I got some more kimchi and repeated what I had done at breakfast.  Found that surprisingly the taste didn't bother me and I liked the crunch of the thicker cabbage.

Today at breakfast, I curiously took more kimchi.  After almost two years, I can say I kind of enjoyed it.  The fun part was admitting it.  Told Teacher Geoffrey and he said dramatically (think of the Mushu from the movie Mulan), "My little girl is all grown up!"

Yeah, will keep eating it.  Heard the more you eat it, the more you adjust to it and start to like it.  However, I don't want to eat enough to miss it.  I heard expats miss kimchi and rice when they leave Korea if they had gotten used to eating it.

"Going to America?"

I have the cutest and funniest story for you.  First though, I will provide context so you understand how the situation developed.

My sophomores in middle school meet every Monday and Wednesday in the afternoon for 45 minutes.  Next Monday is their final test in my class.  Last Monday, I told them that their final was in a week so we needed to review for the final on Wednesday.  They told me we couldn't, because they were all going to be gone to a science festival.  Realizing I only had that day to review the content, I sat them all down in a large circle and began going over what would be on the test, clarifying last minute any concepts they didn't understand, and explaining why Upper Egypt was in the south.

This still left me with a problem.  I needed to give them a written study guide to use for studying for the final.  So today (Tuesday morning) I sat down and began typing.  I created a three page study guide with all the information on it.  Then I wrote notes on that explaining which questions were matching, multiple choice, short answer and essay.  Then I added a fourth page of hand-written notes explaining how to study and how to take care of one's body, mind, and emotions so that studying is productive.  I made sure my email address was on there so that if they needed to talk for whatever reason, they could.  Then I copied the notes on the copier and stapled them together.

Now I had a new problem.  How to make sure every student gets a copy?  They are from different homerooms.  Some live in the dorms on campus, but some live off campus.  How then could I get the study guide to them?  I talked with their other foreign teacher, Keith, and asked if in their literature class he would be willing to give them the studyguide after explaining why.  He agreed.  I went to my literature class.

When I came back, this is what he told me happened.

Keith was explaining that this was their social studies study guide that Teacher Mindy had prepared for them.  He then began handing it out.

Celestyn, "Wait!  Why is Teacher Mindy leaving?"

Keith, "She isn't leaving, you are."

Celestyn, "We are going to America?"

Keith, "No."  (pause)  "Where are you going tomorrow?"

Celestyn, "To a science fair."

Keither, "You are going to a science fair, but Teacher Mindy is not.  You are leaving, she is staying."

Celestyn, "Oh!"

Then Keith explained to me that something similar had happened when he taught down in Busan.  Only it wasn't caught in class and so the rumors spread among the students until the principal heard.  He called Mr. Han and asked why Keith was leaving and why no one told him.  Han said he thought the principal knew, not realizing that the principal thought Keith was going to American instead of to a local meeting.  The mix up was straightened out and all the teachers had to explain to each class before they went home so that the parents wouldn't start calling.

I'm glad that the rumor didn't start here as that would have caused a lot of trouble.  Still though, the whole experience sounds amusing and I am still chuckling over my students' reactions to getting a study guide for my class from another teacher.

Korean Wedding

Going to a Korean wedding in like 5 minutes.  The school is providing a bus to it.  The daughter of someone at the school or the daughter of someone who used to be at the school is getting married.  So 5 hour drive to Seoul, stay at the wedding for an hour or two, then a 5 hour ride back.  Gonna be a lot of sitting I think.  Totally packing some music and a book to read.  Hoping to just sleep ;)

Grilled Pizza

After the failed attempt to make pizza on the grill at the BBQ two weeks ago, I decided to try my luck again.  This time at the apartment.  Invited everyone over, pulled the dough out of the freezer, and got the grills started up.  Michael brought another over to use with the one he loaned me.  Then we set up stations and soon had pizzas being made.  They were so amazingly familiar in taste.  In Korea, the pizzas are very sweet in regards to the sauce.  The American sauce that came with the pizza kits my brother sent me is American in taste - salty.  Missed that so much.  We had an amazing time and in the process, Michael figured out what was wrong with my transformer and fixed it.  Also had an intense discussion about the power of prayer as well as some other things.  Can't get across enough how important prayer is.  Thank you Heavenly Father for taking care of us and guarding us as much as You have from evil.  Continue to be a barrier between us and harmful influences and actions.  Amen.

Death - Updated

You know there is one thing that no one ever gets used to.  Someone dying.  A high school freshman that I have in one of my classes has died.  I don't know the circumstances, just that she won't be in class.  This happened once before.  Last year I had a student who was on vacation and drowned while trying to save someone.  I honestly have no idea what to do when I walk into that class tomorrow.  Just that it won't be easy.

*****

Since then I have learned more of what happened.  On Sunday, she jumped from an apartment building near Teacher Geoffrey's place.  One of Geoffrey's middle school students found her and his mom called it in.  The teachers are trying to tell everyone it was an accident (why fan death is actually believed here) to save face for the family.  Only the family, close friends, and police know the true.  Them and students who are friends of those who know the truth.  Reporters have been coming to our school to try to get a story about Jenny being a bully or being bullied, neither of which is true.  The school has locked the gates and personally checks each vehicle to ensure no reporters get in.

A teacher asked me if I had seen anything in class the Thursday before.  If I had noticed something wrong.  I thought back to that class.  The class where I told my students that those who had not turned anything in for the last two assignments were failing my class.  That my class was not optional.  I remember seeing the four girls sitting there, eyes turned down and quiet.  I figured that they were tired like I was.  That the message had hit home and we all just needed the weekend at this point.  Now there are only three girls there, and the responsibilities of a teacher growing more heavy.  The price of failure as a teacher is too high.  If anyone knows of another job with fewer people in it, let me know.

Brushing Teeth

Americans grow up knowing that brushing teeth is a natural part of life.  However we have a tendency to do so in the bathroom where no one can watch us.  Call it the private side of Western civilization.  It is just the way we do things.

In Korea, brushing one's teeth is a social experience and not to be done alone.  My students are a prime example of how to accomplish this.  Brushing in the classroom, holding hands or linking arms as a pair brushes their teeth down the hall, a group gathered outside the bathroom brushing as their eyes talk to each other.  They definitely get their two minutes worth of brushing in, if not five.

The teachers are very similar, though they tend to stay in the bathroom instead of wondering all over the school building.  I tend to keep my toothbrush at home.  I prefer it out of site.  I'm American.  I live on campus and can easily access it since my apartment is beside the cafe.

Walked into the school this morning and found a toothbrush case with a toothbrush and toothpaste sitting on my desk.  Evidently my absence at the teacher teeth brushing function was missed.  However it does make life easier to not have to go to my apartment.  Gave it a try to see how it compared (by myself when no one else was around).  The toothbrush is a lot softer than our American toothbrushes.  The paste is the same to me, and not the horrible stuff that I have heard foreigners complain about.

Daegu Institute

Went to the SDA church in Daegu today.  It was nice to be able to understand the sermon and sing along.  Sabbath School was a wonderful discussion instead of a lecture where words or put into your mouth.  Was able to talk and share, even if not everyone agreed.  Found out that there are a lot of culture differences in just how one perceives stuff.  But a part of me, after listening to the Koreans' view, wonders if maybe the SDA Church couldn't learn something from Buddhists... maybe keep people from leaving the church if they did.

After Sabbath School was the sermon.  Enjoyed the closing song immensely, as it was the same one my home church sings.  "We Have This Hope."  Almost made me cry.  Almost.  Then we had potluck before the Pathfinder meeting.  Stayed to teach how to tie knots.  Stuff I take for granted was taught to not just the kids but the adults too.  It was a good day.