Seolnal

Well, I'm off to Seoul for the next few days. I have a four-day weekend because of Seolnal (Lunar New Year). I'm not sure what to expect, so we'll see how it goes.

Thoughts on Chemical Dependency

So the last two nights I've gotten a total of 4 hours of sleep (if you count the time while I was pressing 'snooze' on my alarm clock). At about 3 this morning I realized that I'd had tea each of the two nights. May I state just now for the record that I hate green tea, and I'm not sure I'll ever drink it again.

Because I've had plenty of time in the last couple of days to think, I wanted to do something productive, and have hatched several evil schemes which some of you may be enlisted to participate in. (Just a heads up.)

I got to talk to the SAT students today about essay writing. I'm not sure what they teach them at school. It's very funny. They had lots of questions. There is one student who reminds me of Jabez. He keeps bringing up outlandish examples; wanting to use Hitler as an example of good leadership. I told him he's welcome to do that, but he doesn't have time to defend himself in the 25 minutes the SAT gives you. He's also very literal and cuts things down to essentials. I remember being like that about essay writing a long time ago. But they beat it out of me over the years. Maybe that's why I hate formal writing - I feel like it has nothing substantial to it because I never felt free to put any of myself into anything I wrote for school. Hmm.

So my thoughts on chemical dependency are thus: I believe it may be possible to be too independent of chemicals. For example, were I accustomed to drinking soda or coffee, perhaps I would not have spent the last two nights staring at the inside of my eyelids (I actually did that, every little while I would look at the clock to see if I could possibly have been asleep, the results were not encouraging). The thing is, I don't like drugs. They make my head hurt and make me feel all crazy and jittery. I guess I'd get over it eventually, but it just seems like, if I'm happier without, why force myself into those kinds of habits? Sorry, I'm really just rambling at this point. If you have any thoughts though, please let me know.

Also, if you have any evil plans you would like to suggest, or just share, I would be most interested to hear them. Mine mostly include motorcycles and I'd be happy to tell you about them as well.

Movie in the Afternoon

I went to see a movie Sunday afternoon with a couple of the other teachers. It was okay, but I'm not sure I could figure out the movie theatre on my own. There are, I think, 13 stories in the building, and I'm not sure how to figure out which floor the movie I want to see is on. AND the elevators don't stop on all the floors.

I was blessed with wakefulness until 5:30 am yesterday morning, so I put together a list of books I'd like to read. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow

Today I received the dubious honor of going sledding at an amusement park here in Daegu. It was so funny! When we first walked up to the "ride" all I could see was a small hill so sad and pathetic that none of my family, even those from rainy Portland, would have considered it worth sliding down. There was, however, the promise of real sledding! People were lined up at the top of the hill and the students I was with were chattering excitedly. Oh, my friends and family! I shake my head even as I write. The forlorn answer to their hopes was a hill perhaps a third as steep as my own parent's backyard, and not longer. I couldn't help but reflect on my life as I waited with the rest, huddled, clutching my wet sled. But I should not have thought, when 'twas time for me to pass, that all objects for contemplation had been considered, for no sooner had I sat upon my sled than a nice Korean man began to instruct me on the proper sitting and steering of sleds. Yea, 'tis but too true! I just looked at him and said, "I'm from Alaska!" And apparently he knew some English, because he backed away. I recounted the story for a couple of people later, but they didn't seem to see the irony. Alas! I hope you got a smile out of it. (c:

Tuesday of this week was my worst teaching day so far. (This does not mean it was particularly bad.) The next day I was loathe to go to work, but there was a sweet surprise of light snowfall Wednesday morning. It didn't last any amount of time at all, but it cheered me up, and I'm pretty sure my excitement convinced my students that I'm completely out of my mind.

I feel as if I've been here forever. It was so funny the other day to look at my calendar and realize that it's only been two weeks. Oh well, life passes on. I started getting stressed out the other night about what I'll do when my contract is up, but I still have a ways to go before those bridges must be crossed. Hmm. I shake my head now at my silly self.

Oh, but this was not particularly encouraging today:

This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity . . . Jeremiah 29:10-14

In seventy years . . . nice! It's good to have something to look forward to, eh? I hope you all are well. God keep you. (Is. 26:3-4)

I don't have an English accent because this is what English sounds like when spoken properly.
- James Carr

The Hills are Alive

Today I was given the delightful task of directing not only a traditional Korean drama called Hungbu and Nolbu and The Princess Bride, but also The Sound of Music and The Emperor's New Clothes as well. Why am I so honored some may ask, the answer, "I just don't know."

So far I've pretty much given up on lesson planning. my schedule changes constantly (read, "on a daily basis"). And even when I try to prepare, the class is a different one from what they told me, or they're in a completely different spot in the book (or sometimes in a different book altogether). Some might find this stressful, but I just figure it alleviates the necessity for preparation. If I'm going to be flying by the seat of my pants all the time I figure I might as well be blown where the wind takes me.

I've met a few really nice people here. There are others who I'm sure are equally nice, they just haven't happened accross my path yet. I finally asked a student yesterday why she was studying English. She said she wasn't sure, but she was struggling with that very question. That and who she is and who she wants to be. (It was a good talk.)

That has to be all for now, because I need to go buy a brown purse. Apparently the only color they wear here with any sort of freedom is red. To clarify, they do not wear red accessories, they wear red coats. I've decided that my green coat and purple purse statement should maybe take it easy for a while.

God keep you all. (Isaiah 26:3-4)

Sunday in the Park

Today I scheduled a walk to the park. There were enigmatic wire and what looked like dark bamboo (I have no idea what kind of wood it was) structures which appeared to be supporting the trees, or perhaps organizing them. I stared for awhile, but I didn't want to look completely out of my mind so I had to let them be. What has most impressed me, contrary to anticipation, is not the number of people here, but the number of shops. They seem to exist at a ratio of approximately one per person (or at least one for every two or three people). I just wonder how they survive since they almost always seem to be empty, with a well-dressed and entirely bored shop-person staring at their fingernails or flattening their hair inside.

Other than this mystery the day was entirely uneventful. I made myself steak, sweet potato chips and zucchini for dinner and then worked on my calouses. The Lord blessed me by sending a guitar through one of the other teachers' granddaughters. Apparently she visited last year and left a guitar behind. Now all I need is to know how to make an Em7. Oh! And tortillas! Apparently the mexican food revolution has yet to hit Korea. I think it must be coming though. How can you have a Krispy Kreme and not have some lingering hispanic roots attached to a food stand cranking out tortillas for the good of the people? More reasearch has yet to be done. I haven't been to Costco yet (that's right, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are only a tag-along shopping trip away). Maybe they'll have tortilla chips and I'll make puffy taco meat nachos to my hearts content.

I was thinking today that I might be able to stick this out for two years. College minus responsibility plus payment doesn't sound too bad, you know. But then I thought of my oven at home and thought, "Eh, we'll see." (c:

Post 1

It's difficult to know what to say as I'm feeling extremely existential tonight. For those of you unfortunate enough to have missed the cockroach extravaganza, I am deeply sorry for you - you will have to either contact me personally for an account, or consult with someone who was fortunate enough to receive first-hand information on that subject.

As most of you (hopefully) are aware, I am now in Daegu, South Korea. Most of the other teachers have told me about their initial experiences and how different Korea is. To be honest, it just feels like a big city to me. The market near my house even has cheap yellow mustard. What more could a girl want?