Whenever I am asked "What is an interesting fact about you?", I never know what to say. I don't hesitate because I think I lead a boring life; I hesitate because I never know which route to take. Generally, this question is asked when you're initially meeting or getting to know someone - putting the pressure on even more. Do I share that I grew up in a small town and our family farms almonds? (but if they're from the country also they won't think that's interesting). Do I share that I studied abroad in Ireland for a semester? (hmm they may think I'm bragging - scratch that one) What about that I went to university in San Diego and have my BA in psychology? or how about that I worked at a summer camp the last two summers and love to horseback ride, white water raft, and sleep in a cabin that has rollable flaps as windows? (too rugged?) What always hits me when I think like this is "I am so lucky to even have these choices to share."
While I'm sooo grateful for all of my memories of the places/experiences, I feel even more blessed when I think of the friendships that have emerged from these experiences. It's mind boggling to me to think that this small town girl has people she cares about scattered throughout the world.
Sometimes I can be an introvert - I love to read, be by myself, and just relax - usually with a great cup of coffee. However, I love people. I love getting to know them, hear their story, laugh with them, do ridiculous things with them, grow as a person with them and just be with them. Experiences just aren't as fun or memorable if you don't have someone to say "remember when..." Each one of my friends have made a difference in my life and are special to me.
Last week, I was able to skype with some wonderful, old friends from Hughson that were together for the evening. It was random, and the timing was perfect. As I laughed until I almost cried and we traded stories about life, I was struck at how blessed I am for their friendship. Who would've thought that these girls that I became friends with in elementary school and junior high (one has been a close friend since kindergarten!), would still brighten my day when I'm 22 yrs old and living across the world? Crazy. Throughout the few months I've been here, I've been able to catch a few friends either on Skype or at least Facebook, and I'm always encouraged after chatting with them. I can only hope that they are encouraged by our friendship also.
I genuinely love and care about people I have gotten to know throughout my life.
We may have became close hanging out at Pizza Factory in Hughson, being ridiculous in Disneyland on a band trip, riding horses in shorts and boots, dying our hair black (accidentally!), or going to Taco Bell for 4th Meal.
Or maybe we endured freshmen year at Loma together, looked for pink flamingos in New Zealand, learned all of each other's quirks as roommates, hung out at the Beachcomber, or went on a spring break cruise to Cabo San Lucas.
Or maybe we got close in Europe where we listened to live music in King's Head, explored the streets of Rome, kissed the Blarney Stone, and had our own mini Thanksgiving.
Or maybe we made fruit salad at the river together, supported each other through difficult cabins, snuck away from camp for a much needed coffee in Etna, went delirious in Wal*Mart after lots of rafting, rocked the Hoedown Throwdown, bonded even though you knocked Francisco into my Nalgene, or had a deep conversation about God, life, or our story under the gorgeous star filled sky.
None of these stories would be memorable if it were not for the people they include. I cherish each one of you and you have made an impact on my life. Thank you for being wonderful and teaching me how to pour myself into others as you have poured yourself into me.
"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends whom we choose."
-- Tehyi Hsieh
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A day in the life of...
Rumor has it that some of you diligent followers would appreciate a more practical post about my job, school, typical day, etc. Your wish is my command.
Kyungwha Girls High School is a private school but is different than working at a private "academy" or "hagwon" because it's not supplementary education but a normal high school. It's like going to Central Catholic instead of Hughson High - get it? There are only 3 grades in high school here, and that's what they call them - grade 1, 2 & 3. None of that freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior nonsense. I only teach grade 1 students, so kinda like freshmen in high school. There are about 1,500 students total at Kyungwha and I see about a third of them. I teach a conversational English class in which I'm not supposed to be teaching them specific grammar points because they have regular English classes to do that. Instead, I'm there to get them practicing their speaking and different common phrases. Technically, I'm supposed to have a Korean English coteacher to assist with classes and/or jointly lead classes. However, my school gives me random economics or geography teachers who don't speak English and sit in the back and grade homework. That's a whole other topic I'll get into some other time.
My classes are about a 38 student average and are mixed level. This makes for some tough teaching. Picture me (who doesn't have a teaching degree, let me remind you), in front of almost 40 high school girls who don't really speak my language and trying to teach them in a fun way (since they don't get a grade for my class) about English. Let's be honest - they would much rather just speak in Korean to their friends about boys...which is what often happens. I've made progress in finding ways to control the class and keep them engaged, but it's not easy. The average of 5 wonderful students a class who actually desire to learn English make my day.
However, even thought it's difficult at times, I'm really enjoying my classes. I'm gaining confidence in leading the girls and planning the lessons for each week. I don't have to follow a textbook which is really helpful - I can make the lessons as fun/boring/difficult/easy as I think will fit with my classes.
side note: Education is VERY important to Koreans. Many people think that the more hours you spend at school, the smarter you'll be - no matter what. So students will easily be at school from 7am until 11pm studying. They are monitored by the teachers and legitimately study. Because of this, students are always falling asleep in class - and I don't blame them! I never realized how easy I had it in high school...these girls study as much as I did in college!
So here's a typical day in my life here:
6:45-7:15am - slowly roll out of bed, depending on how many times I press snooze.
7:00-7-50am - get ready for the day - I basically wear business casual and wear jeans on fridays
7:55-8:15am - walk to school. Depending on how late I'm leaving determines how long it takes to get there...I've made it in 12 minutes when I was running behind. I see the same people on my walk to and from school and some of them I say hello (in Korean) and bow :] friends!
8:15-8:30am - change into slippers (we don't wear our shoes at school, I wear things like addidas slipon sandals) and get set up for my classes.
8:30 -12:20pm - class periods 1-4. I'm lucky and only teach 12 classes a week (our contract max is 22 a week so I'm spoiled) and 5 teacher workshops where I meet with English teachers for 30 mins and just chat in English about topics/articles I find and prepare. In a typical day, I teach 1-3 classes and may have 1-2 teacher workshops.
12:20-1:10pm - Lunch. Everyone eats the cafeteria lunch - which I have mixed feelings about. If I didn't eat the cafeteria lunch I would never try half the Korean food I've already had. However, this often results in me being hungry later on because I didn't eat much at lunch. I never thought I was a picky eater...until I came to Korea. Apparently, I don't really like seafood other than salmon. whoops. I eat in a teachers cafeteria and the food is buffet style that I serve myself. The students actually eat in their homeroom classrooms so they haul the food in big pots to their classroom and eat at their desks. Like I said, such a different experience than my high school days. Right after lunch, everyone brushes their teeth. It's normal to walk around with a toothbrush hanging out of your mouth and talk mid-brush. I like to go out and brush with the students (they have big sink like things with lots of faucets in the quad) because it always surprises them that I'm out there and they get all happy. Most teachers just brush in the teacher's room sink, but that weirds me out.
1:10-3:00pm - Class periods 5-6. Either more classes or back to emailing/lesson planning/skyping/reading/facebooking I go.
3:00-3:20pm - Students clean the school. No, I'm not joking. They sweep, mop, empty trash, and generally clean the entire school. This was just happening as I was typing and I noticed that they even wash the dishes left in the teacher's room sink. Guess where my dirty coffee mug will be tomorrow...
3:20-4:30pm - Class 7 and clean up my stuff and wait for 4:30 for it to be time to walk home.
4:30 - whenever - So 4:30 I'm off work and head back to my apartment. While I try to keep busy during the evenings, I'm realizing that living alone can be pretty boring. Some evenings I'll meet friends for coffee or dinner and others I'll stay home and eat something in my apartment. I'm not a great cook and because the gas stove is expensive, I use it minimally. (plus there's no oven). Consequently, my meals are pretty basic. Scrambled eggs, pasta and zucchini, salad, and cereal are pretty normal meals. I don't mind - at least it's not rice and seaweed! I've been working out pretty regularly too - going for runs to Duryu Park and doing my p90x videos so that's been good. Starting next week I'll have a gym membership and can go to a gym near my house 3 times a week - I'm excited...they have a lap pool, treadmills, etc, free weights and machines, yoga classes and dance classes - and I definitely plan on making a fool of myself and trying a dance class. Nevermind that I can't dance OR that the classes will be in Korean! haha
I'm usually in bed by the wonderful hour of 11 and often it's even earlier! It's this weird thing....I get enough sleep at night - and I'm not exhausted during the day! What a phenomenon!
I hope that this gives you a better glimpse into my normal routine of life here in Daegu! :]
Kyungwha Girls High School is a private school but is different than working at a private "academy" or "hagwon" because it's not supplementary education but a normal high school. It's like going to Central Catholic instead of Hughson High - get it? There are only 3 grades in high school here, and that's what they call them - grade 1, 2 & 3. None of that freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior nonsense. I only teach grade 1 students, so kinda like freshmen in high school. There are about 1,500 students total at Kyungwha and I see about a third of them. I teach a conversational English class in which I'm not supposed to be teaching them specific grammar points because they have regular English classes to do that. Instead, I'm there to get them practicing their speaking and different common phrases. Technically, I'm supposed to have a Korean English coteacher to assist with classes and/or jointly lead classes. However, my school gives me random economics or geography teachers who don't speak English and sit in the back and grade homework. That's a whole other topic I'll get into some other time.
My classes are about a 38 student average and are mixed level. This makes for some tough teaching. Picture me (who doesn't have a teaching degree, let me remind you), in front of almost 40 high school girls who don't really speak my language and trying to teach them in a fun way (since they don't get a grade for my class) about English. Let's be honest - they would much rather just speak in Korean to their friends about boys...which is what often happens. I've made progress in finding ways to control the class and keep them engaged, but it's not easy. The average of 5 wonderful students a class who actually desire to learn English make my day.
However, even thought it's difficult at times, I'm really enjoying my classes. I'm gaining confidence in leading the girls and planning the lessons for each week. I don't have to follow a textbook which is really helpful - I can make the lessons as fun/boring/difficult/easy as I think will fit with my classes.
side note: Education is VERY important to Koreans. Many people think that the more hours you spend at school, the smarter you'll be - no matter what. So students will easily be at school from 7am until 11pm studying. They are monitored by the teachers and legitimately study. Because of this, students are always falling asleep in class - and I don't blame them! I never realized how easy I had it in high school...these girls study as much as I did in college!
So here's a typical day in my life here:
6:45-7:15am - slowly roll out of bed, depending on how many times I press snooze.
7:00-7-50am - get ready for the day - I basically wear business casual and wear jeans on fridays
7:55-8:15am - walk to school. Depending on how late I'm leaving determines how long it takes to get there...I've made it in 12 minutes when I was running behind. I see the same people on my walk to and from school and some of them I say hello (in Korean) and bow :] friends!
8:15-8:30am - change into slippers (we don't wear our shoes at school, I wear things like addidas slipon sandals) and get set up for my classes.
8:30 -12:20pm - class periods 1-4. I'm lucky and only teach 12 classes a week (our contract max is 22 a week so I'm spoiled) and 5 teacher workshops where I meet with English teachers for 30 mins and just chat in English about topics/articles I find and prepare. In a typical day, I teach 1-3 classes and may have 1-2 teacher workshops.
12:20-1:10pm - Lunch. Everyone eats the cafeteria lunch - which I have mixed feelings about. If I didn't eat the cafeteria lunch I would never try half the Korean food I've already had. However, this often results in me being hungry later on because I didn't eat much at lunch. I never thought I was a picky eater...until I came to Korea. Apparently, I don't really like seafood other than salmon. whoops. I eat in a teachers cafeteria and the food is buffet style that I serve myself. The students actually eat in their homeroom classrooms so they haul the food in big pots to their classroom and eat at their desks. Like I said, such a different experience than my high school days. Right after lunch, everyone brushes their teeth. It's normal to walk around with a toothbrush hanging out of your mouth and talk mid-brush. I like to go out and brush with the students (they have big sink like things with lots of faucets in the quad) because it always surprises them that I'm out there and they get all happy. Most teachers just brush in the teacher's room sink, but that weirds me out.
1:10-3:00pm - Class periods 5-6. Either more classes or back to emailing/lesson planning/skyping/reading/facebooking I go.
3:00-3:20pm - Students clean the school. No, I'm not joking. They sweep, mop, empty trash, and generally clean the entire school. This was just happening as I was typing and I noticed that they even wash the dishes left in the teacher's room sink. Guess where my dirty coffee mug will be tomorrow...
3:20-4:30pm - Class 7 and clean up my stuff and wait for 4:30 for it to be time to walk home.
4:30 - whenever - So 4:30 I'm off work and head back to my apartment. While I try to keep busy during the evenings, I'm realizing that living alone can be pretty boring. Some evenings I'll meet friends for coffee or dinner and others I'll stay home and eat something in my apartment. I'm not a great cook and because the gas stove is expensive, I use it minimally. (plus there's no oven). Consequently, my meals are pretty basic. Scrambled eggs, pasta and zucchini, salad, and cereal are pretty normal meals. I don't mind - at least it's not rice and seaweed! I've been working out pretty regularly too - going for runs to Duryu Park and doing my p90x videos so that's been good. Starting next week I'll have a gym membership and can go to a gym near my house 3 times a week - I'm excited...they have a lap pool, treadmills, etc, free weights and machines, yoga classes and dance classes - and I definitely plan on making a fool of myself and trying a dance class. Nevermind that I can't dance OR that the classes will be in Korean! haha
I'm usually in bed by the wonderful hour of 11 and often it's even earlier! It's this weird thing....I get enough sleep at night - and I'm not exhausted during the day! What a phenomenon!
I hope that this gives you a better glimpse into my normal routine of life here in Daegu! :]
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
fine arts, trees, and hardboiled eggs.
*warning - this is a fairly long post, bear with me!
What do fine arts, trees, and hardboiled eggs have in common?
Well normally, nothing. However, in this case, they were all a vital part of a rejuvenating weekend.
Friday.
Walking 15 minutes in the rain is not the way I envisioned my Friday morning, and yet, there I was, speed walking with my umbrella hoping I wouldn't fall. Luckily, my time in Ireland had prepared me for this and I have speed walking in rain down to a science. The day went quickly by - 2 of my Friday classes are great with a frustrating class sandwiched in between. Because it was Friday, I was in a wonderful mood and enjoyed the rainy walk home. This is a part of the walk I do every day it's through a mini traditional market called Duryu Market. I love the lights hanging in the stalls and reflection on the wet pavement.
The evening brought on the fine arts portion of my weekend. A friend had offered tickets to an "orchestra and dance" and as I love concert music, I said yes of course. However, it was actually a modern dance performance. Very different from an orchestra concert but interesting nonetheless.
Saturday.
Saturday morning brought slightly sunnier skies and an inner desire to be out in nature. I really desired to spend some time journaling and in Scripture and a combo of the two would be ideal. Holly had the same goals for the day so after a leisurely morning, we decided to meet and venture to the Daegu Arboretum.
I got a coffee on my way to meet her and saw this - cracked me up - they definitely meant "liquid"
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| attempting to smell the gorgeous flowers. |
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| such vivid colors! |
 |
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| In the desert greenhouse (oxymoron? I don't know the right terminology) |
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| central area of arboretum. |
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| Just another group of fans, no big deal. |
Sunday.
Easter was very quiet this year. While about 30% of Korea's population is Christian, the holiday isn't mainstream like in the US. In some ways that's great because the meaning is preserved for the real reason - the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, it seemed to pass quietly and I missed family. Holly, Amy, and I decided to meet for some comfort food before church - we went to a foreigner-owned restaurant called Holy Grill and I had the best bagel egg sandwich with hashbrowns.
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| attempting to teeter-totter |
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| they had swings!! I was sooo excited! |
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| Beautiful sky - fitting for Easter. |
Followed by a wonderful Monday morning of Skype with the family, I had such a great weekend full of variety.
A few funny stories real quick:
-My pride in one class took quite a hit. I arm wrestled one of my students (long story) and beat the first girl really easily. Never assume they are all the same. The next girl kicked my butt and severely wounded my ego. p90x failed me. (but it was oh so funny)
-I went for a nice run through Duryu Park yesterday and as I was running down the sidewalk on the way there, there was a group of older men taking up the sidewalk. As I got about a block away, they split and I knew I would have to run in between them talking. Dreading the stares, I just kept going towards them with no other option. To my utter surprise, they all got really excited and made a tunnel - yes, like the kind you do for sports teams when they run out to start a game - and proceeded to cheer me as I ran through while laughing sooo hard. One even said "Bravo!" and was so proud of himself. Made my run sooo joyful and much more enjoyable!
Needless to say, I'm a pretty happy girl. Great family, great job, experiences of a lifetime, and adventures everyday. What more can a girl ask for?
by the way, thanks for going on this journey with me.
Monday, April 25, 2011
not your typical Monday morning.
I think I can speak for most people when I say that Monday mornings are generally not anticipated with joy and excitement. However, last night (Sunday night) I had a wonderful night of sleep but felt like a child on the night before Christmas - I kept waking up and my first thought was "I'm so excited for the morning!" Simultaneously, it was that nervous waking up, like in college before a big exam when you're afraid you're going to sleep through your alarm. However, I was awake and moving in plenty of time for the excitement. I got dressed and ready in record time (why can't I get ready that fast on a normal morning?) and sat down for some fun.
What was the excitement you wonder? well, I was hoping to skype (video chat) with the Milhous side of the family - or at the very least, call my grandparents' house and have the phone be passed around.
You see, my family is very close. We've gotten together for every holiday since I can remember. Easter, Christmas, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Father's Day... you name it, we're together. Especially when we were younger and schedules weren't so varied, we'd get together for birthdays, helping work on houses, etc. There are 9 of us grandchildren all quite close in age and I can genuinely say that they're more than cousins to me, they're some of my greatest friends. I love family get togethers. There's the delicious food, the sarcasm, the varied personalities and quirks we all bring, our never ending list of traditions, and best of all, the love and support that fills the house (usually masked by jokes). I am so blessed to have them as my family.
All that to say, I am always bummed when missing a holiday at my grandparents' house and this Easter was no exception. We are all spread out these days and Easter demonstrated that - only 5 of the 9 grandchildren could make it. However, technology is a lifesaver.
I was able to Skype with the family at 7am Monday morning my time, which is 3pm Sunday in California. To say it was fun would be a horrible understatement. I was able to see each of their faces, talk to them a bit, and the best part was just laughing with them. We were able to group video chat with my cousin Justin who is based in Texas (my uncle Rusty was visiting him so he was with Justin too) and then we added Dan who was in Los Angeles at the time with his girlfriend, Katie. So Turlock, Los Angeles, Texas, and South Korea were all able to talk/see each other simultaneously on Easter via Skype. Amazing. It was hilarious (and yet so wonderful) to have the camera zoomed around to each of their faces - picture about 15 people standing around a laptop - and to hear/participate in their loving banter. I even impressed them (someone clapped!) that I have been rationing the Junior Mints my mom sent me. (only 3 a day - and you know how I am about those!!)
Basically, it was a fantastic way to end my weekend while simultaneously beginning my week. Seeing all of them (minus my sis and her family, but I talked to them on Saturday!) made me long for home and sad that I missed the Easter family celebration (including jello eggs, pretzel jello, and potato salad) but so genuinely joyful for them in general.
so family, if you're reading this, you're the best. :]
Here's what my screen looked like at one point...and this was before we added Dan! so fun.
Thank you computer nerds for inventing Skype.
What was the excitement you wonder? well, I was hoping to skype (video chat) with the Milhous side of the family - or at the very least, call my grandparents' house and have the phone be passed around.
You see, my family is very close. We've gotten together for every holiday since I can remember. Easter, Christmas, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Father's Day... you name it, we're together. Especially when we were younger and schedules weren't so varied, we'd get together for birthdays, helping work on houses, etc. There are 9 of us grandchildren all quite close in age and I can genuinely say that they're more than cousins to me, they're some of my greatest friends. I love family get togethers. There's the delicious food, the sarcasm, the varied personalities and quirks we all bring, our never ending list of traditions, and best of all, the love and support that fills the house (usually masked by jokes). I am so blessed to have them as my family.
All that to say, I am always bummed when missing a holiday at my grandparents' house and this Easter was no exception. We are all spread out these days and Easter demonstrated that - only 5 of the 9 grandchildren could make it. However, technology is a lifesaver.
I was able to Skype with the family at 7am Monday morning my time, which is 3pm Sunday in California. To say it was fun would be a horrible understatement. I was able to see each of their faces, talk to them a bit, and the best part was just laughing with them. We were able to group video chat with my cousin Justin who is based in Texas (my uncle Rusty was visiting him so he was with Justin too) and then we added Dan who was in Los Angeles at the time with his girlfriend, Katie. So Turlock, Los Angeles, Texas, and South Korea were all able to talk/see each other simultaneously on Easter via Skype. Amazing. It was hilarious (and yet so wonderful) to have the camera zoomed around to each of their faces - picture about 15 people standing around a laptop - and to hear/participate in their loving banter. I even impressed them (someone clapped!) that I have been rationing the Junior Mints my mom sent me. (only 3 a day - and you know how I am about those!!)
Basically, it was a fantastic way to end my weekend while simultaneously beginning my week. Seeing all of them (minus my sis and her family, but I talked to them on Saturday!) made me long for home and sad that I missed the Easter family celebration (including jello eggs, pretzel jello, and potato salad) but so genuinely joyful for them in general.
so family, if you're reading this, you're the best. :]
Here's what my screen looked like at one point...and this was before we added Dan! so fun.
Thank you computer nerds for inventing Skype.
you make being away from home bearable.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Bystander.
I'm sure you remember back to your high school days of the inevitable peer pressure. Pressure to be a certain person, look a certain way, and behave in a way that is "cool." Maybe you don't have to look back that far. Maybe you can relate the pressure to something that happened last year or even last week. In reality, we are always under pressure. We want to fit in, to be accepted and loved. Expectations are placed upon us every day. As a recent college graduate, I've felt the pressure to finally "grow up" - to get a job, start grad school, and basically to follow the social norm. While we don't like to admit it, this pressure influences our thoughts and actions. Sometimes we follow the expectations others or society has placed on us while in other situations we defy the pressure by choosing the unexpected.
Let's focus on those times that we cave and do what is expected of us, even if it is against our morals or beliefs. It generally is easier to follow the crowd - you lose the risk of embarrassment and social rejection of going against the grain. I see it all the time working in a high school full of girls. Girls this age can be brutal.
The other day I was sitting outside when a small group of girls came over to talk to me. They sat down on the bench across from me and I was truly enjoying their conversation (well attempts at it). Two other girls shyly came over and said hi to me - clearly wanting to join the conversation. The clear leader of the first group said something to them in Korean and jokingly used English "Go away!" I watched as one of the girls in the group visibly hesitated and then joined in "yea, go away!" It was easier to join with the leader and shun the other girls than to go against the grain and say something else. (Don't worry, I said, "no, no! you can stay! sit down if you would like!" and chatted with the shy girls too) But as this story exemplifies, it's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing.
Taking this one step further, today is Good Friday. It is the day that symbolizes the horrible, torturous death that Jesus Christ endured as a sacrifice for our sins. If you haven't read it recently, I encourage you to get out your Bible (even if it's dusty - or you can even read it online) and read Luke 23. In this passage, it charts his condemnation to death by Pilate and his crucifixion. At one point, it says that the crowd insistently demanded that he be crucified (part of verse 23).
Now, back to the expectations that are constantly placed on us. I would love to be able to say that I would have had the strength not to follow the crowd in this situation - but I cannot say it without a shadow of a doubt. Even Peter disowned him under the pressure - 3 times. crazy. While I don't like to admit it, I am influenced greatly by the society that surrounds me. I think we need to take a step back and look at our decisions and see what path they are following...whether they are following the "easy route" of always following others decisions or if our path allows us to take a step out of our comfort zones and truly live in Christ. I know I will continually need to do this to follow what He really wants me to do.
I truly believe that God frequently calls us out of our comfort zones (and the comfort zone of following society!) for Him. In case you forgot - I'm in South Korea. This is way out of my comfort zone and there have been many times where I want to hop on a plane and get back to where I can live a familiar life. But I know that He wants me here. He's made that clear.
Today I want to encourage you to be thankful for the amazing sacrifice that Jesus Christ made. I pray that you would not forget the others in the story but picture yourself in the crowd and your friends all shouting for Him to be crucified. What do you think you would do? What do you do in everyday life?
Where in your life have you been a bystander when you should have stepped out of the crowd?
More importantly - Where in your life are you being a bystander when you should currently step out of the crowd?
Let's focus on those times that we cave and do what is expected of us, even if it is against our morals or beliefs. It generally is easier to follow the crowd - you lose the risk of embarrassment and social rejection of going against the grain. I see it all the time working in a high school full of girls. Girls this age can be brutal.
The other day I was sitting outside when a small group of girls came over to talk to me. They sat down on the bench across from me and I was truly enjoying their conversation (well attempts at it). Two other girls shyly came over and said hi to me - clearly wanting to join the conversation. The clear leader of the first group said something to them in Korean and jokingly used English "Go away!" I watched as one of the girls in the group visibly hesitated and then joined in "yea, go away!" It was easier to join with the leader and shun the other girls than to go against the grain and say something else. (Don't worry, I said, "no, no! you can stay! sit down if you would like!" and chatted with the shy girls too) But as this story exemplifies, it's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing.
Taking this one step further, today is Good Friday. It is the day that symbolizes the horrible, torturous death that Jesus Christ endured as a sacrifice for our sins. If you haven't read it recently, I encourage you to get out your Bible (even if it's dusty - or you can even read it online) and read Luke 23. In this passage, it charts his condemnation to death by Pilate and his crucifixion. At one point, it says that the crowd insistently demanded that he be crucified (part of verse 23).
Now, back to the expectations that are constantly placed on us. I would love to be able to say that I would have had the strength not to follow the crowd in this situation - but I cannot say it without a shadow of a doubt. Even Peter disowned him under the pressure - 3 times. crazy. While I don't like to admit it, I am influenced greatly by the society that surrounds me. I think we need to take a step back and look at our decisions and see what path they are following...whether they are following the "easy route" of always following others decisions or if our path allows us to take a step out of our comfort zones and truly live in Christ. I know I will continually need to do this to follow what He really wants me to do.
I truly believe that God frequently calls us out of our comfort zones (and the comfort zone of following society!) for Him. In case you forgot - I'm in South Korea. This is way out of my comfort zone and there have been many times where I want to hop on a plane and get back to where I can live a familiar life. But I know that He wants me here. He's made that clear.
Today I want to encourage you to be thankful for the amazing sacrifice that Jesus Christ made. I pray that you would not forget the others in the story but picture yourself in the crowd and your friends all shouting for Him to be crucified. What do you think you would do? What do you do in everyday life?
Where in your life have you been a bystander when you should have stepped out of the crowd?
More importantly - Where in your life are you being a bystander when you should currently step out of the crowd?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
2 months&funny adventures.
As of yesterday, I have been in South Korea for 2 months.
I can't decide if I feel as if I've been here for forever or like I just left home. On one hand, so much has happened and I've experienced a ton and had so many adventures since February. However, 2 months seems like such a small amount in the entire length of my time here. Also, as of next week, I'll have taught 8 weeks of classes at my school which is more mind-boggling than me just being here. I, Rachel Milhous from small town Hughson, am teaching English at a high school in South Korea. Weird. It seems like yesterday that I was the talkative high school girl with my world revolving around friends, boys, and what I was going to be doing after school. Though it's only been 5 years since I really was that girl, I like to think that I've grown, matured, and see the world through a much wider scope.
When thinking about what to focus on in this blog, I had the nerve to think, "I don't have much to blog about - my life was boring this week." and then I remembered, "oh yea, I live in South Korea. I have adventures every single day!" So I'm going to share with you some random adventures/hilarious things that have happened to me recently - it'll give you a glimpse into everyday life here.
-My school shares a central area with a co-ed middle school and they often use our auditorium building which my classroom is located in. I was walking out of the building when a bunch of middle schoolers were leaving also. Because they were all staring at me (normal), I said hello and a boy said "hello! I am a boy!" me-"yes, you are..." him-"and you are a girl!!" me-"umm good job" him"you're beautiful!" and then he literally ran off. so funny.
-Today on the subway, an older man was hurrying to make it into our car before the doors closed. I seriously didn't think he was going to make it, but he did! and proceeded to do a fist pump. hahaha
-I see the janitor at the school about 10 times a day I'm sure. He doesn't speak a word of English but always smiles real big at me and laughs when I bow and say hello to him (in Korean). makes me laugh every time.
-A few weeks ago, I had to run to the bank during school hours and after the bank, stopped at a pay phone to quickly call my mom.. While I was talking on the phone, a random Korean man brought me a small cup of coffee from the lobby of the nearby hospital (all doctors offices are hospitals) and after I hung up, he tried to speak to me in Korean. We just laughed at the language barrier and I went off. As I came onto campus, a class of 3rd year students were finishing up a PE course and just hanging outside. Since I don't teach any of them, they were excited to see me and I ended up talking to the entire class of girls and when the bell rang, they were walking across campus chanting "Rachel! Rachel!" To top it all off, when I got back into the teachers' room, it was break time and the teacher across from me whipped out his harmonica and started playing away! such a great afternoon!
-When walking with a Korean English teacher back to our office after lunch, she looks me up and down and says quite emphatically, "you have what they call curves, don't you?" and then when I hesitated on what to say in response (uhhh thank you?) she turned and started talking to a different teacher in Korean. so funny.
-As I always take the same route to and from work, I see many of the same people every day. One that always makes me happy is this older (probably in his 60s) Korean man and his little dog. They are generally sitting outside or walking around sometimes with other people. First they (both the man and the dog) would just stare at me as I walked past and I would bow slightly and smile. Then about 3 weeks ago, the man finally smiled back. And just last week, the man smiled and said hello! (in korean) and I was stoked! making friends one older korean man and his dog at a time! :]
-Holly and I headed to Duryu Park one evening (which is the park that is close enough to run to from my apartment) to catch some of the blossoms there before they all floated away. With vanilla lattes in hand of course, we enjoyed the blossoms at dusk and spent some time in the park - it was beautiful and a great break from the week.
This week I'm pretty sick (losing my voice, sore throat, pretty nasty cold) and have been for the last week so I forced myself to relax at home this past weekend. However, my friends were going to a Daegu Lion's Baseball game who were playing some team from Seoul, and I couldn't pass that up. So that was my big outing for the weekend. It was a pretty typical game and the stadium was quite small but we had a great time! I even wore Dodger Blue before I knew Daegu's colors were blue and white! :] The only disappointment was a lack of hot dogs, sunflower seeds, and peanuts...
-You may wonder what I do once school is done and I'm off work. Many days, I wonder that myself. A whole evening will go by and I'll think, "what did I even do?" so lately I've been trying to get in a routine of exercising when I get home (still using p90x videos) and then making a healthy dinner of some sort and relaxing by reading or going to run any errands I might need to do. I'm currently looking for a gym to join, but they are pretty hidden and are known to be expensive. Hopefully I can find one soon so I don't have to spend my whole evening in my apartment! Here's a picture of a delicious dinner I made the other day...simple breakfast burrito (eggs, cheese, el tapatio sauce) and strawberries! perfect!
I know that was a mish-mash of info, but that's kinda how life is here! If you have things you really want to hear about or have questions, always feel free to email me! :] rmilhous788@pointloma.edu
I can't decide if I feel as if I've been here for forever or like I just left home. On one hand, so much has happened and I've experienced a ton and had so many adventures since February. However, 2 months seems like such a small amount in the entire length of my time here. Also, as of next week, I'll have taught 8 weeks of classes at my school which is more mind-boggling than me just being here. I, Rachel Milhous from small town Hughson, am teaching English at a high school in South Korea. Weird. It seems like yesterday that I was the talkative high school girl with my world revolving around friends, boys, and what I was going to be doing after school. Though it's only been 5 years since I really was that girl, I like to think that I've grown, matured, and see the world through a much wider scope.
When thinking about what to focus on in this blog, I had the nerve to think, "I don't have much to blog about - my life was boring this week." and then I remembered, "oh yea, I live in South Korea. I have adventures every single day!" So I'm going to share with you some random adventures/hilarious things that have happened to me recently - it'll give you a glimpse into everyday life here.
-My school shares a central area with a co-ed middle school and they often use our auditorium building which my classroom is located in. I was walking out of the building when a bunch of middle schoolers were leaving also. Because they were all staring at me (normal), I said hello and a boy said "hello! I am a boy!" me-"yes, you are..." him-"and you are a girl!!" me-"umm good job" him"you're beautiful!" and then he literally ran off. so funny.
-Today on the subway, an older man was hurrying to make it into our car before the doors closed. I seriously didn't think he was going to make it, but he did! and proceeded to do a fist pump. hahaha
-I see the janitor at the school about 10 times a day I'm sure. He doesn't speak a word of English but always smiles real big at me and laughs when I bow and say hello to him (in Korean). makes me laugh every time.
-A few weeks ago, I had to run to the bank during school hours and after the bank, stopped at a pay phone to quickly call my mom.. While I was talking on the phone, a random Korean man brought me a small cup of coffee from the lobby of the nearby hospital (all doctors offices are hospitals) and after I hung up, he tried to speak to me in Korean. We just laughed at the language barrier and I went off. As I came onto campus, a class of 3rd year students were finishing up a PE course and just hanging outside. Since I don't teach any of them, they were excited to see me and I ended up talking to the entire class of girls and when the bell rang, they were walking across campus chanting "Rachel! Rachel!" To top it all off, when I got back into the teachers' room, it was break time and the teacher across from me whipped out his harmonica and started playing away! such a great afternoon!
-When walking with a Korean English teacher back to our office after lunch, she looks me up and down and says quite emphatically, "you have what they call curves, don't you?" and then when I hesitated on what to say in response (uhhh thank you?) she turned and started talking to a different teacher in Korean. so funny.
-As I always take the same route to and from work, I see many of the same people every day. One that always makes me happy is this older (probably in his 60s) Korean man and his little dog. They are generally sitting outside or walking around sometimes with other people. First they (both the man and the dog) would just stare at me as I walked past and I would bow slightly and smile. Then about 3 weeks ago, the man finally smiled back. And just last week, the man smiled and said hello! (in korean) and I was stoked! making friends one older korean man and his dog at a time! :]
-Holly and I headed to Duryu Park one evening (which is the park that is close enough to run to from my apartment) to catch some of the blossoms there before they all floated away. With vanilla lattes in hand of course, we enjoyed the blossoms at dusk and spent some time in the park - it was beautiful and a great break from the week.
This week I'm pretty sick (losing my voice, sore throat, pretty nasty cold) and have been for the last week so I forced myself to relax at home this past weekend. However, my friends were going to a Daegu Lion's Baseball game who were playing some team from Seoul, and I couldn't pass that up. So that was my big outing for the weekend. It was a pretty typical game and the stadium was quite small but we had a great time! I even wore Dodger Blue before I knew Daegu's colors were blue and white! :] The only disappointment was a lack of hot dogs, sunflower seeds, and peanuts...
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| fried chicken with chopsticks...of course! |
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| holly and I post-game - Daegu won! |
 |
| most of the group :] |
I know that was a mish-mash of info, but that's kinda how life is here! If you have things you really want to hear about or have questions, always feel free to email me! :] rmilhous788@pointloma.edu
Monday, April 11, 2011
cherry blossoms everywhere!
Luckily, we are finally moving into warmer weather here and consequently, everything is beginning to bloom. Cherry trees are in full bloom and line streets as well as the countryside. It's beautiful. Korea has festivals for everything and cherry blossoms are no exception! A group of us, Holly, Amy, Orla and Amy's friends Loren, Ashley and James (we only saw them for a bit) decided to head to Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival this past weekend. Jinhae is a small town about 2 hours away on the coast. It's a very famous festival and we were planning on only going for Saturday. I had heard it was hard to get transportation home in the evening, but we still decided it couldn't be that hard. famous last words.
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| Bundaegi - Silkworm Larvae |
Next we wandered across this quite interesting performance...Korean men dressed in drag playing the drums. An obvious entertainment choice for a cherry blossom festival right? yea, we were confused too.
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| L-R: Amy, Holly, Orla, and Me |
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| Let's drive a big trailer down a narrow walkway packed with people. |
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| I was in the process of falling... |
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| such fun girls! |
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| Naval Port in Jinhae |
view from the top of the tower.
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| so beautiful! |
All in all this was a wonderful day of culture and beautiful blossoms. This is where the adventure part of the day began though. It was about 5:30pm when we finished climbing the tower and decided to head home. We began to look for a taxi and here's where things got tough. One struggle was that we had 5 girls. That amount does not fit comfortably in one cab so we were thinking we'd have to take two. Then we were having trouble even finding a cab. They were all full. Now, coming from Daegu, this is hard to believe. In Daegu there are mass amounts of cabs everywhere just waiting for you to hop in and whisk you away. We just kept walking and hoping and trying with no avail. Another thought was to take a bus to Masan, but the buses were ridiculously full where they wouldn't even stop at bus stops because there was literally no more room for extra people!
We tried for hours, had walked so far that we had to take a cab back into town (they would go that way, just not out of town) and decided to get some food. Mr. Pizza's manager wouldn't let all of us sit together (why, we don't know, we were exhausted and quiet so loudness couldn't have been a factor) so instead of waiting for another table, Holly and I headed to Mcdonald's across the street and I had my first MickeyD meal in Korea and it wasn't half bad.
Finally, at about 9:20pm, we got a cab that would take us to Masan. We begged him to let all 5 of us squish and promised to pay him well and off we went. We got tickets for the 11pm bus back to Daegu and even that was packed but we were lucky enough to get seats and not have to stand.
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| Because we were still there, we saw a beautiful sunset in Jinhae! |
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| going loopy attempting to get a taxi. |
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| dinner! |
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| This was the happiest bus station man I've ever seen. He laughed at us lots but was very helpful! |
Overall it was such a great day of laughs, cherry blossoms, culture, and adventure which is such a great combo. :]
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