Happy Halloween

Last Friday we put on a carnival for our kids to "treat" them to a little trick-or-treat action. This was accomplished through the teachers dressing up ridiculously. No worries...pictures below! There seems to be a big difference between Halloween here and in other places in the world. The kids essentially wear a cap with glitter and that is their costume. Here are the fan favorites from the day. (ps, we aren't really sure what Amanda's costume was, but we liked it anyway!)

Some of the kids...

A little bat

Amanda and I
(I spoke to my mom before leaving to go to school...her comment..."YOU look like the guy that hides in the basement in Silence of the lambs!!! Photo reference below)

Sally...beautiful!






The happy little Korean math teacher and Mandr. Stealth getting a photo of them.

Encouragement

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

WOW! So, I have really been loved on this week...encouragement to love Jesus more and give over frustration is sinking in. I was able to speak to a lot of people who showered me in lot's of love. So, thanks!

I spoke to a fellow Athenian/Georgian/Wesleyan, SEAN, who is teaching in China and was soooo encouraged! We found out that we are both going to the "same" church - his being led by missionaries! He has also seen snow already, of which I am completely jealous! Young called this morning and played me a song from the ONCE soundtrack! Music is always a gift of encouragement! Amanda has served to really encourage me this week, as well! LOVE HER! And endless emails from the "7" have really lifted me up. I spoke to mom and dad and the dogs, too.

I can't begin to describe the work that God is doing in my heart! I feel super encouraged this week from Bible study, from friends in Korea, China, and all over the world, and from what I am reading in THE TRUTH!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRITTY, BROOKSEY, CHRISTY!!

Side benefits...

The greatest benefit of living with a girl who is dating a Korean math teacher is that you get to eat ice cream for breakfast.Drop a little bug in an ear and you get not one flavor, but three flavors to bask over while getting ready for school. While Mander is out on dates, I get to relax and enjoy the "me-time" that I have been craving.

Doing well on being more positive this week. It is telling in my classroom management. I mapped the route that I have been running the past few weeks, turns out I am getting 2 miles each time I go out. REALLY loving the physical exertion, although I still can't sleep at night. It might be the box spring that I sleep on disguised as a bed, but I wait on the morning tossing and turning.

Here is something to brighten your day... check out the EV Boys, available on itunes for your enjoyment. They can articulate life in Korea better than I can...

Da weekend...

This weekend...Friday night I came home and washed the pirate makeup from my face, (it was Halloween at school on the 23rd of October...more details about that later in the week,) and cleaned the apartment. This was good. At home, my roommates know that I am slightly stressed or need a "me-moment" when I start to vacuum. Things haven't changed very much here. I vacuumed the entire apartment, which doesn't seem to be big enough to relieve all of the need for me-time. So, I cleaned some more and re-arranged the food in our cabinets. We had a really good Bible study Friday night to make up for the missed one earlier in the week. I felt encouraged by the study and am really digging how honest everyone is. One word describes it...saaaaaweet! I practiced guitar for a while and can see some improvement. REALLY ENCOURAGING. Jam session with the roomies next year will be much improved!

Saturday, Amanda and I met up with Gideon to walk the Cheonggyecheon stream. It was less exciting than the guide book said it would be, so now I am going to toss out my guide book planning and be more spontaneous and "end-up" somewhere. After strolling around and hearing Lil Bow Wow in a deli, we went to hear two friends of ours playing at a music room. IT WAS AMAZING! I think it's even better when you know the people playing. It just seems more personal. There was this Korean man (owner of the place) who grabbed the guitar and started playing Korean blues. WOW. It did not matter that I had no idea what he was saying. It was beautiful and soulful. He had Derek and Chris join him...what is so amazing is that the language of music triumphs over the language of words. They were able to just make music without understanding each other's language.

Sunday I woke up wanting to have more me-time. A bit frustrated, I joined the group for brunch in Apgugeong, another area of Seoul. Frustration faded away as the conversation and food radically improved my mood. I have been craving nature and the need to see a more tangible view of fall. I can feel it in the air, but I want to walk through the trees. I walk through apartment buildings in Guemjeong. We dined on white wine, Gorgonzola pizza, crusty bread and butter, shrimp pink pasta, (which only had one head in it.) I really enjoyed sitting over the meal for a few hours and talking. I am still in the mindset of you sit down, order right away, pay and leave. But, it was really nice to just sit and talk and relax. Moving on...we went for dessert and coffee at a quaint little coffee shop appropriately called The Queen. Exposed concrete walls, unfinished and unstained tables, chipped paint and antique light fixtures, wonderful music spanning Mayer and Jones, great lattes and brownies alongside tiramisu...could not have been better. Walking the streets of Apgugeong was just as good. I had an incredible conversation with Sayon (not sure how to really spell his name). He is Korean, but I consider him Spanish as he lived in Spain for a time and speaks English with an Spanish accent. He is literally the MOST BEAUTIFUL man I have ever seen. His hair is much longer than mine and has a natural wave to it that most women envy. I can't fully describe him. Our conversation centered around the need for nature and the overwhelming desire to be in nature that doesn't overlook the city. I was really surprised at the depth of the street conversation. We talked about God, fear, peace, and finding the more intimate side of Korea. This conversation only helped to improve my mood. On to the "street where you can smell New York." We walked the length of the street and settled in a vintage appliance pub. I FINALLY had that Guinness that I have been craving. So tasty and comfortable. Conversation continued to be uplifting. Made the way home after a few hours in the pub to find myself wide-awake. I once boasted that coffee does not keep me up, but that is now a lie! It keeps me up until the next morning! That was the weekend. Full of more adventures, full of good conversation, and full of good music.

Side note: I am feeling a bit distracted and obligated to know what's going on everywhere in the world, so I am off facebook for the next week and I am not saying "I don't like...." I will let you know if I can manage it. LOVE!

Dinner & Drugs

This blog is mostly for the benefit of Amanda's mom; (I love that you read my blog...I promise to make it as interesting as I can!).

Amanda rushed into the apt last night to shower and begin the ever present female condition of "deciding what to wear." I wasn't very helpful as I was in a music mood and spent most of my time on Itunes. MOM -- She looked AMAZING!!! Very pretty! Amanda of the small face wore a very nice green jumper with khaki top, tights and cuffed boots. Striking! HE, however, was a bit late...he could not find where we live so he phoned to say he was on his way. Amanda left the apt with a BIG smile on her face!

I waited patiently for the sounds of boots treading in the hallway until around midnight, when I finally nodded off to sleep...

NEXT MORNING: Amanda updated me on all the details of her wonderful evening! Here's the skinny...

He made reservations at a nice restaurant where he requested a window table where they could view the river together. They dined over a meal and 4 hours worth of conversation...by the way, Amanda is sick right now and losing her voice. After paying for her dinner, the math teacher assisted Amanda down the stairs and held her arm awkwardly for a nice stroll outside. Stopping for tea and more conversation, she sent me a text message stating the date was "going good"! The math teacher flattered her with chocolates and candy, walked her up the stairs and bid her goodnight.

Today, Amanda has been fighting a sore throat, of which the teacher thinks he gave her by keeping her out late. So, feeling guilty and the gentleman, the teacher went to the doctor on Amanda's behalf, gave the doctor her symptoms, (without Amanda being there) and was prescribed medicine FOR HER! (Hummm...doctor's who give medicine without seeing their patients...not good.) So, Amanda and the lovely teacher have traded health updates all day until the teacher dropped by with Amanda's meds and a nice, warm pair of fluffy socks. This is what the great romances of our day are made of! bahahahahaha!

Benefits to this possible relationship: Korean lessons, costco trips (he has a car), curtains for our apt, a person to order food, a dog (he has a Maltese!), drug dealer ... the list continues to grow...updates to come MOM!

The Great Divorce

I just finished reading The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. I am reading it over again right now. It's a really great book. My thoughts are limited on it as I can work it out in my head, but not in words. (And I want to be a writer someday...?) So, the story is about a man who dreams about his journey through hell/purgatory (depending on how you view it) on to Heaven and salvation. Lewis provides great illustrations of those "things" that prevent us from fully dying to Christ and living in Him. In summary, Lewis doesn't even "try" really to describe the indescribable...he just offers an allegory of the reality of Heaven and Hell and the choices that all too often hinder us from unceaseless joy. The book alludes to two of my favorites; Pilgrim's Progress and Dante's Divine Comedy. Lewis is a great author and man of faith. I greatly recommend this book to everyone!

Mandur got hit on by the Korean math teacher upstairs...

Okay, explanation on the title of this blog post...Amanda and I decided to go to Itaewon after work today to continue our crusade to find Amanda a down, warm up to the negative degrees mark, well-fitting coat and to get me a turkey sandwich. (Really miss Jimmy Johns.) We didn't find the coat, but we found a wealth of frustration in our inability to find suitable clothing here in Korea. We enjoyed Quiznos for dinner and made the trip worth the hour long ride on the train by running into What the Book, (the English bookstore.) I picked up Dante's Purgatorio and Paradiso, and C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves and The Great Divorce, which I managed to plow through half of on the train in the wrong direction.

It was bound to happen eventually...Amanda and I took the train in the wrong direction. We made it to the end of line 4 on the Northern side of Seoul. Woops. My fault entirely! What is 45 minutes farther North of where we live...it's an hour and a half in the wrong direction - that's what it is! So, we laughed this off and chalked it up to another good hour to read our newly purchased books.Here is a picture of the subway map here in Korea. Today we decided to go out without our handy dandy pocket guides...I guess that wasn't a good idea.

On to the juicy stuff...Amanda turns her head into my shoulder while I am completely engrossed in my book, starts laughing and turning more red than the tomato I had for dinner last night. (Precious look on her face!) She has just received a text message from a mysterious man asking how her day has been...She responds by inquiring who the sender is...He responds with an introduction...HE is the attractive Korean math teacher who conveniently works at our school!!!!!! Amanda of the small face has just been hit on in a highly romantic way...via text message!! This moment was a great one to share with my roommate. There aren't too many opportunities to be completely girly here, but as we discussed what an adequate response would be to his unique style introduction, we bonded even more. Now I have the opportunity to enjoy the perks of Amanda's possible date (or getting to know better) Korean friend! That means ordering meals that I will enjoy! Hopefully there will be more to this story of which I will update you later.

Other points to this week:

I decapitated Herman, our cactus...purely accidental. He is a forgiving cactus, so I feel that he will survive the damage caused by my clothes falling on him. He only lost one appendage.

I started eating kimchi again and feeling good about it. Amanda did the research and found that it is actually high in nutrients.

Spoke to some of my dear friends in Scotland. Angela's voice was very welcoming to my ears! It's been too long since I have last seen them.

I bought two articles of clothing that actually fit me this week..(I'm not Asian-sized so it's rather difficult.) They were both sweatshirts.

I had two nights this week of just staying home, being quiet, worshipping, reading, and playing the guitar. I thoroughly enjoyed this time of reflecting and peace. I think I could learn to prize those type moments.

I had some really encouraging emails from friends this week, so thank you guys for sending your love. You are greatly loved and appreciated!

Off to Jeju in a few hours. Will update you when I get back!

Film Festival turned Beach Holiday

This past weekend, me and three friends went down to Busan on the KTX rail, the train that goes upwards of 180mph. We converged together in Gunpo, took a taxi to the train station, which cost about $8.00 for 4 people and waited on the platform. We departed the station in style and comfort and began an endless round of 20 questions that lasted the weekend long. The questions were great, the conversation intriguing and the laughs plentiful. In good ole' traveling fashion, we brought along a few snacks; Kettle chips provided by Derek, caramel corn, apples, granola made by Amanda, high energy bars, and PB&J! You could say we were all satisfied individuals. (Side note: If you are traveling throughout Asia, there are great discounts to be had if you book in groups of 4.) We arrived in Busan around 1:30am and took another taxi to our hotel. The city itself is shorter than the areas of Korea that I am already use to. The mountains, however, are still there lording over the apartments and sky scrapers. Sticking to my decision to only take the stairs here in Korea, we climbed the 10 flights up with our traveling packs to find out that what we thought were rooms with twin beds were in fact rooms with one queen bed each. The guys worked out there own arrangements and Amanda and I dove into sleep. Had an early start Saturday; we split up in twos to make the most of our interests and see some good films. Derek and I saw a film, "The Time that Remains," about Palestinian struggles starting during the Israeli occupation of Nazareth and continuing on into present day. Amanda and Gij went on to see a sci-FY film, but unfortunately missed their seating time. We met back up at the Guinness Book of World Records Largest Department Store, Lotte World. Time now for the beach. We went to visit a film festival, but ended up visiting the beach and spending the majority of our time eating and returning back to the beach. Hauandaue beach is beautiful, crowded with people or just with the restless few who rise with the sun, watching it climb into it's resting place for day. Our group became a part of the latter. We rose early Sunday morning, smuggled a sheet from the hotel to serve as a blanket, took yet another taxi, (this one put on a Western mixed tape of Beyonce, DMX and eminem while Christmas lights painted us a royal blue color,) grabbed some caffeine and waited on the sun. It was beautiful and reminded me of Nora Jones' Sunrise, Love Song (Jason Morant) and this great songwriter here in Korea (Derek Fekkes). We walked along the coastline to a lighthouse, crossing a rope bridge in the process. The lighthouse made me miss Diddy (dad). I can see Diddy sailing out in the Korean Strait (or Sea of Japan, dependent upon which country you are from.) We enjoyed/sat through two films on Sunday: Beautiful Islands (enjoyed) and The Forest (sat through). Back on the beach, we each had some time to have a quiet moment. It was great to see my traveling companions personalities come out in what we each chose to do. I journaled. It was a moment to sit and write out everything that bounces around in my mind. It wouldn't be a good trip without some pain, so while attempting to do some cart wheels and round offs on the beach, I re-injured my wrist. It seems to be perpetually hurting and healing. Dinner on Sunday was my favorite thus far...COLDSTONE CREAMERY! Can't beat ice cream. The return journey found us all a bit quiet, reflecting, I think, on the weekend. The ride smooth, the conversations personal and refreshing, we said our goodbyes to each other and made our way home. If you were out walking the streets at 1:00am Monday morning, then you might have witnessed Amanda and I running across the overpass to our apartment. Tired and anticipating sleep, I laid awake for a while thinking I am so blessed to be here and to have supportive and encouraging friends, the opportunity to travel and the grace of God's love. I slept peacefully. Great weekend! I hope this weekend proves to be the same. Here is a video of our time in Busan. Hope you enjoy.

Thanks to all the family and friends that have been wondering if we made it back safely from Busan...we did! I am working on a video and blog now to share with you on our adventure.

This weekend, Amanda and I are traveling yet again to the South of Korea. This time, however, we are taking a plane to Jeju Island, aka "Honeymoon Island," or the "Hawaii of Asia." We are really excited about our trip. Our traveling companions are our Korean co-teacher Lucy and her boyfriend Troy (who we aptly named after High School Musical's Zac Efron.)

We have rented rooms at the Kal Jeju Hotel, where we can see beautiful views of the coast.

Amanda and I are sharing a suite with a view of the ocean. Here are some pictures of what we have to look forward to...


Will update you along the way... LOVE YOU ALL!

Books I'm reading...

If you know me then you know that I LOVE to read. Here, the selection of books is few and far between, but I have been able to find a great bookstore, What the Book that offers a great English selection.

Right now I am reading Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler. It's a great story about the journey a man who was looking introspectively at himself and the validity of the Bible, so he decides to take a year reading and researching the Bible. He begins walking the Bible in the sense that he reads the passages through the first five books in where we think that actually occurred. What is great about this book is it gives personal accounts of other believers relative to the places while also being an historical account of the area. GREAT READ!!

As always, I am paging through my copy of Pride and Prejudice that mom sent from home via care package.
And to satisfy my travel bug desire, I am reading Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? Interesting mix of scandalous behavior on part of tourist agencies intertwined with beautiful descriptions of wonderful places!

Pusan International Film Festival

This weekend Amanda, Gideon, Derek and I are traveling south to Busan,the port city on the edge of Korea and the second largest city in Korea to attend the Pusan International Film Festival. (www.piff.org) We plan to see several films in several different genres. I have never experienced a film festival before, so I am excited to attend.

We are taking the Korail train to Busan. The train travels upward of 180mph. This will allow us to travel what would normally take 4 hours in only 2. I am excited about the train ride. I slept on the Chunnel for the most part last year, so hopefully I will be able to remember this experience.


We are planning to play around in the city and site-see as much as we can. I am looking forward to seeing Haeundae Beach, hopefully without the vast sea of umbrellas.

Will keep you posted on our adventure!

Today my kids made paper guns that they used to mortally wound each other...next came the ninja knives used to strike down their least favorite classmate. Finally, we found miscellaneous objects in the classroom to elicit intense pain on each other such as plastic crates, paper cuts, chairs being stomped on little feet and Indian rug burn... not sure what to make of the day today. I have started bringing my journal to work; it helps center me on days like today. I'm sure when I go back to read the entry from today I will think that I am in maximum security prison rather than an English Hagwon.

On a positive note, today is Tuesday, which means Bible study and french toast... it also means that there are only 3 more working days this week, so much room for improvement and fun.

Word for the day at school: "Birthday."
Lesson for the day at school: "Turn around, be quiet, TIME OUT!!"

It's possible that I am not really an English teacher, or just a babysitter, but that I am a covert CIA agent working to uncover the hostiles here in Korea, aka, the children!

Wolmido

Today, Amanda and I were able to SLEEP IN!

In lieu of deciding to venture out of Gunpo, I went on a short run through the Woodland park this morning instead of hiking. We decided to jump on a train and "just see" where we ended up. We found ourselves in Wolmido, the "Conney Island" of Korea. As we walked up we stumbled upon a Carnival along the boardwalk. The rides did not look too safe...but I decided to pay my 4,000w and ride the viking ship. This turned out to be a BAD decision. Scary! The view from the ride was great!! Amanda and I gladly paid 15,000w for an hour and a half ferry ride around the bay. Being on the water was amazing! We finished off the evening with cotton candy and a long train ride back to Gunpo. Dinner, however, was SICK NASTY! Pictures of our day are below!

Chuseok Holiday...

Today officially begins Chuseok Holiday, or Korean Thanksgiving. The holiday is a time when Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food...kimchi. It's also a time of gift giving. My students were very generous as were my co-teachers. I have received 6 tubes of toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, hand lotion, kimbop, chocolates (my favorite) and vitamins. Very sweet and for the most part hygienic.

The week was a short week. Tomorrow is Friday and we have the day off so I plan to spend my day hiking and talking to God. My Ipod officially died so I have been running without music. I'm not sure how long it's been since I have taken the time to just run without earphones in my head... it turns out, I am able to run much longer, at a faster pace and have a far more enjoyable time running without the music. I also found it's a great time to pray. Your legs go through the same motions while your heart has time to connect to your mind and chit chit with the Big Guy.

We started up a Bible study here, which I have to say I am beyond excited about! I miss the days of "Jesus loves the ladies," but this group is very encouraging. It's great to sit around and put it out there. I am starting to realize, however, that no matter what I do God will do with my growth what he will...I want to speed it up and gain knowledge...somewhere along the line I decided to believe that I could only be passionate about Christ if I knew everything about Him... it brings me back to the song "I don't want to sing of a passion I've never known." But here is the good news...Jesus is alive and working furiously here.

I am a bit sad this week...more than anything I want to be in Scotland for Deejay and Maryanne's wedding. I miss the family in Scotland, I miss the relationships with the kids and the town. I miss the land! Ashley, (my little sister) posted a video of our time there and it brought back every sweet moment from our time in Barvas. Here's the link... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQdSF4Yjhzs

I have a lot of "big" things swirling around in my head...I hope get them sorted soon...I have been journaling non-stop this week. It seems like I can't stop writing this week. Exciting, but my hand is cramping! I guess that's it for now...Love to everyone! And I promise to post more exciting adventures soon!