Counting the Days

There are just 18 days till Christmas. And yes I’m counting. But actually, I’ve been counting down the days since September. Really. Shortly after purchasing my plane ticket for Spain, I installed a desktop widget/gadget thing on my computer that is ticking down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Christmas. Well, not Christmas exactly, but rather the approximate time of day that I will get to see my family and Jonathan again. Never before have I so eagerly and earnestly looked forward to a time of seeing loved ones.

Strangely enough, as the time remaining is quickly dwindling, I’m finding it even harder to patiently pass the time I’ve left to wait. Why am I so impatient? Why do I yearn for something so badly it almost feels like my heart is breaking? Where is my tough girl persona, the Miss Independent spirit who can stick out all things, weather all storms? Again, I can’t remember ever before craving so badly the company of loved ones. And yet as eager and excited as I am, I’m also feeling a twinge of dread, knowing that after a short and sweet jet lagged week I’ll have to pack myself off again for another two months back in Korea. It is really difficult to be alone in the world.

I understand that people move and lives change and things are never the same. I know that we often must make do with new circumstances and settle down in new environments. But why do so unless absolutely necessary? Why give up even a moment of time that can be spent with family and dear ones to do anything else? I’ve had to come to terms with some deep emotional feelings I’ve experienced since being here. In spite of living in a bustling city, I’ve been struggling with extreme feelings of loneliness. And while certain individuals from my church have really reached out to show me love, my efforts to plug into any sort of semi-permanent, consistent community have been in vain. I am rather starved for affection and for the companionship of people who know me intimately. To surmise, I will definitely, seriously deliberate very carefully before ever venturing off by my lonesome to the far ends of the world.

Undoubtedly, I will remain in this country up to the completion of my contract. And I will always hold tenderly my memories of my interactions with my dear little students. Indeed I will miss them greatly, and the pain of leaving them will be something fierce. I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it. But I am comforted in knowing that they belong to decent families who love and care for them and want to offer them the best opportunities at their disposal.

On a different note, this whole experience (of being far from any family and virtually alone) has for some reason gotten me thinking about orphans and their enormous need for love and acceptance. I am very fortunate to have a family to visit and spend time with and the means to reach them. At this moment, the number of orphans in the world is at a number roughly equal to half the population of the United States. Recognizing my own felt need to be loved and be in close relationship with others, I can’t help but feel deep compassion for all those little children who are much more alone in this world than I am.

Fall Highlights in Pictures

(If you usually read my posts as an email, you may need to head to my blog to see the pictures: thetideschange.blogspot.com)

 

FROM SEPTEMBER:

School field trip to an ice museum

Amy and Daisy wear traditional Korean hanboks and make rice cakes, songpyeon for Chuseok (Korea’s Fall Festival)

Playing Ultimate frisbee in the mud and rain at my church’s picnic

FROM OCTOBER:

A visit to the royal palace of Gyeonbokgung

Impersonating Justin Bieber just for fun on Halloween

From November:

With my small group from our church retreat

Enjoying some all too rare one-on-one time with Grace, a student who has worked her way into the deep, inner recesses of my heart.

And there you have it, a brief chronicle of my recent life in pictures. I hope you enjoyed them!

Thanksgiving Eve

These are crazy times we are living in. North Korea decides to launch an artillery attack against a South Korean island which amounts to be the gravest “incident” since the end of the Korean war and claims two South Korean lives. And yet a recent stampede of panicked people in Cambodia resulted in the deaths of over 350 people! I was truly horrified to read about this story along with the disturbing account of finding 2,000 aborted fetuses being stored under a Buddhist monastery in Thailand. To put things plainly, living in Asia has certainly been a time of more drastic exposure to all things weird and tragic. And no, I do not include kimchi in that mix because I rather like it these days.

Living in Venezuela allowed me to essentially witness various sobering events and be aware of the horrors of domestic violence and general lawlessness. I suppose growing up with a measure of instability under the strengthening regime of Hugo Chavez has also helped me to face danger and uncertainty with little to no fear. Still, being so close to North Korea has its way of wanting to make me feel a little panicky…but I’m doing my best not to and really we’re are all just continuing life as usual. I think I will at least make an effort to put important documents in an easy to reach spot if I need to make a quick exit. But see, this is exactly what I don’t want to do. If I start thinking about all the “what ifs” and planning exit strategies (which could potentially come in handy), its much easier to start worrying about things. And I really don’t want to. So I will stick to life as usual.

Speaking of my normal life, I haven’t written much about it here lately. There isn’t a whole lot to talk about either. The things that I get excited about are still to come, like seeing Jonathan and family for Christmas in Spain or finally finishing up my contract in February!! I’m not gonna lie, I’m ready to be done! I don’t mind too much that my life is reduced to a very repetitive, somewhat restrictive schedule and neither do I mind my students because I truly love them to death. But it’s the teaching part, the job part. Even though I literally do my very best, I will always feel like I’m not doing enough for my employers and they want me to do more. I’m so plumb worn out and really need down time to recuperate. Recently, my afterschool class on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons was eliminated because the students were moved to a different hagwon to prepare for entering public school next year. So during this time it now falls on me to do all sorts of random jobs for the school like editing, making tests, making endless lists of words and definitions, etc. Where I used to be laughing and playing with my beloved students I now face tedious, lonely hours in the afternoon staring at a computer screen or piece of paper doing extra work that none of my co-workers do. I asked to take a pay cut and just go home during those hours but was resolutely refused.

I’m just burnt out. Plain and simple. I mean, yes, I can keep eking out my existence and doing whatever extra, odd jobs are thrown at me. But it is not in my contract to do this type of thing and I already feel significantly used and misused for episodes in the past (like the time when the school took my personal guitar from my classroom so that another male teacher could have a photo op with him “playing” guitar with his class for music time and his photo with MY guitar proceeded to be printed in color in the school newsletter while there was NO picture of myself, my guitar and my class where I regularly play with them.) But like I said, I can keep doing this, but there comes a time after you’ve been pushed, pried into, shoved, forced, boxed, pulled, coerced, etc into so many directions and positions to please every client person at your school besides yourself that you start wondering how much longer  your once creative, fun-loving and free thinking mind can take it. What masquerades as open and democratic on the exterior is really Neo-nazism on the brain. Do you get my drift?

Anyways, I suppose it’s for this reason I haven’t been writing many updates at all lately. I don’t want to spend too many exercises reflecting on my current existence!!

Attempting a more positive note, lately I’ve been enjoying getting to know a couple co-workers better and just spending more quality time with them. I really have been blessed by the other 5 teachers I work with. Tomorrow, after work and a much needed dental check-up, I will be joining my co-workers and a bunch of other Americans (and a few Canadians) to celebrate Thanksgiving with a wonderful western-style meal! We are heading to the epicenter of international eateries in Seoul (Itaewon) and will be dining at some establishment that boasts fabulous Thanksgiving dinners. For $30 I sure hope it lives up to it’s claims! All the same, I will DEFINITELY be missing my awesome family back in Virginia this Thanksgiving. I’ve had the blessing of enjoying their company for the past 5 years during this time so it feels a bit strange to be missing out on everything. Still, I was reminded very strongly this week that I have so incredibly much to be thankful for. While my current employment is less than ideal, I at least have employment!! I can’t forget that. And in so many ways each one of my students is a huge blessing in my life. I am truly grateful for this experience overall.

Lastly, my promised pictures are long overdue, so my next post will be all photos.

Thanks for reading everybody and may you all have a very Wonderful and Happy THANKSGIVING!!!

~Heather

Score: 20/20 (or) Why I love my grocery store!

I just got back from a quick trip to the local grocery store. When the cashier rang up all my items I could hardly believe it! For just about $20 I purchased the following:

• 3 onions
• 4 bell peppers
• 1 package of perilla leaves
• 1 package of Vietnamese rice paper
• 8 bananas
• a 2-pack of household cleaner
• a cluster of grapes
• 1.5 liters of Del Monte mango juice
• 4 packs of plain ramen noodles
• a hunk of ham
• 1 small package of salt

As an added bonus, the cashier threw in a “service-ee” pack of bean sprouts. I double checked the receipt but everything was accounted for. The best part of it? This store is just right down the street on the corner. I was gone for just 20 minutes. It doesn’t get much better than that!

You may be wondering what on earth I plan to make with those ingredients. I happen to be thinking the same thing. Well in any case I’m sure it will be more than edible as I am currently very hungry after a hard day’s work. Today was my second Open House with my kindergarten class and I’m happy to report that all went well. Praise God for all His blessings!

Here’s a picture from my rooftop and another from my neighborhood. I need to take one of the grocery store!

Oh one more thing. You know you teach kindergarten in Korea if your kids use the shells they found in their lunch to make necklaces during playtime!!!

Contentment?

It has been quite some time since my last update and I am very sorry about that. For multiple reasons, it seems that I just couldn’t focus enough or find the time to know what I could even write about. But I want to let the world know I’m still alive and talk about some things I’ve been learning. I came here as a teacher, but I feel more like a student.

I have long since passed the point where things here in Korea seem new and novel. In September, I realized that I feel relatively settled and at home here in Daechi-dong, Seoul. It’s crazy to think that I have just a little more than 4 months left before my contract is completed. It definitely feels good to be considerably past the middle “hump”. Over the summer there were a few occasions where things happening at work and in my life were really rocking my boat. I was constantly in fight or flight mode, and came within a hair’s breadth of quitting. Thankfully, I am still here plugging along.

Yes, just plugging along. I don’t feel like I’m thriving and I don’t ever have opportunities to relax and regroup my frayed nerves or get away to a quiet place to be refreshed. And while I’m not very likely to freak out too much about ridiculous things at my job anymore, I’m also not jumping up and down with joy about it either. And in the midst of all this I’ve realized my real struggle has been about contentment. My time in Korea has continuously been about being stretched, falling down and getting up, trying and failing, and then trying again. I am forced to sit back and look at the “big picture” daily to hone in on what really matters most. More than anything I just want to be content. I want to be satisfied by what really matters. If I am not sustained by God Himself, the Bread of Life, I will not be satisfied at all.

And so it is that every single day I have no alternative but to look to God for strength, wisdom, peace, joy and patience. I find that I will always feel restless except that I rest in Him. It seems like such a rudimentary concept, but to be honest, if it wasn’t for its absolute necessity for survival, I would probably be doing a lot more things on my own strength rather than wholly relying on God. I find myself daily at the very end of my rope - worn out and exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally. And yet as I push deeper and deeper into God and drink more heavily of what He has to offer, I am overcome by an overwhelming sense of gratitude. The very things that drain me the most (work, cultural differences, relationships, & separation from loved ones) are in fact making me more free to pursue the glorious riches God is offering me. It is only when we truly see how empty and hollow we are in our brokenness that we are in a position to be filled.

“Why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”- Isaiah 55:2

For many years, and perhaps my whole life, I have been in the habit of seeking to please/indulge myself when I am worried, anxious, upset, frustrated, or just tired. This world offers a whole array of pleasures to partake of: movies, eating, sleeping, internet browsing, shopping, reading gossip blogs, and many more. But they are no better than fast food; as soon as they are consumed they leave you feeling cheap, bored, irritable, empty and more than likely – guilty. While marked by, affected by and predisposed to life-long bad habits, I am learning about and yearning for the true “richest of fare”.  If I walk away from this year in Korea with this having been the only lesson learned, I would have to wholeheartedly agree that the cost is definitely worth the reward.

~Heather

Coming soon… pictures, pictures and more pictures! Maybe some video, too. Let’s keep those fingers crossed!

Six Months and Counting

I can hardly believe it! I have finally surpassed the halfway point of my time here in Korea. It’s strange to think I’ve been living here for six months already. Time has been flying lately as I keep quite busy, but as time goes on I feel the absence of loved ones in my life more and more. I miss my family, grandparents, friends, cousins, mentors – goodness so many folks that I owe so many things to. I think my time here far away from everyone is reminding me to not take for granted the people in my life. I have been blessed with a loving church body to be a part of here in SK and some good friends, but my heart is feeling the tug to come back home.

Teaching has been a bit difficult because I work long, tiring hours with little kids. Then I have to really push myself to finish my additional work and lesson planning on the meager amounts of time and energy leftover when my students go home. But I’m getting by just fine and I keep reminding myself what a blessing it is that I have a job and a roof over my head! I am also so thankful for a couple of my students who don’t whine and pitch a fit as much as the others do. One in particular has been making me smile lately. A while back I started calling her “Amanda Panda” and it stuck :)

Here she is in her Disney princess nightgown on “Pajama Day.” She is a darling little girl who helps brighten those darker moments…

A lot has happened since my last update. I finally got a much needed week of vacation from teaching. And best of all, Jonathan came to visit! We had a great time catching up in real time and in a way, just getting to know each other again from the beginning. We also enjoyed hiking and seeing some exciting places together. It was a lot of fun to get to show him around Korea a bit and also show him off to my friends!

The first picture is from the top of a volcanic crater on Jeju Island. The second one is from a delicious Thai restaurant in Seoul.

It was tough to say good-bye to Jonathan, but it helps to look forward to the next time we’ll see each other!

August has been proving to be the longest month of the year but I’ve managed to have some fun, too. I went on an overnight camping/trekking trip with a group called Adventure Korea. Heavy rains ended up changing things a bit for the trip but it was a fun adventure nonetheless. I got to tour part of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and even go inside a North Korean infiltration tunnel which is underneath the DMZ! It was found by South Korea in 1990. Unfortunately I couldn’t take pictures inside the tunnel, but here is a picture of me outside of it.

Here was our campsite before we practically got flooded out. I was so excited to be sleeping in a tent only to get water logged and then evacuated from it by the grounds staff before the night was over! It was a long, cold night – a fine and pleasant misery!

Well that’s all for now folks. It’s nice to be over the “hump” and looking ahead at the home stretch!

Blessings and greetings to you all from here in Asia,

~Heather

On a hot, rainy Wednesday

I know I wrote an update not too long ago, but today I am feeling really discouraged and frustrated and just feel like I need to talk about it. Don’t worry, I’ve been talking about it with the proper authorities first (God) before going “public” with it. Yes, it all stems directly from my job.

Ok, so I’m an English teacher, right? That’s what I tell myself every day. I have a college degree and a graduate-level certificate for teaching English as a foreign language. On days like today I feel like I must be a terrible teacher and/or I’m going crazy. It seems like no matter how hard I try, I don’t “teach” the way I’m wanted to teach over here. I know that I can be stubborn a lot, but this is genuinely one of those scenarios where I’m doing everything I can to go with the system and make my superiors and their clients satisfied (aka school administrators & my students’ parents).

As I struggle to teach well, I’ve been going back to what I learned when I got my TEFL certificate at LADO International College in D.C.. I spent 2 months of my life taking the classes, lesson planning and teaching daily, as well as highly detailed and time consuming post-course work. So far, I have found all of the LADO principles of the nature of language acquisition to be very accurate. I feel like it prepared me to a great extent to understand what and how my kids are learning. I’m already getting too detailed about this for my primary audiences, but the point is that it seems like virtually everything I was taught about the best way to teach English goes against the grain of what is preferred and expected in this country.

I am currently preparing for my elementary open house where the parents will come in to observe my class. Today I went through a test run of what I had prepared with my class while the principal and another school administrator sat in to observe. I felt like I was put on a rack. Every idea or method I have thought of for how best to “teach” my students in front of their parents has been shot down and picked apart. But even so, it’s not so much the frustration of feeling totally incompetent and pathetic, but the fact that I feel like I’m being asked to be a magician, to just wave a magic wand that will make my 8-year-old students speak perfect English in complete sentences for the 30 minutes that their parents are observing. I am being asked to do the impossible. Literally. It is difficult to explain the dynamic of what’s going on here. Suffice it to say that I tend to encourage my kids towards less than perfect but authentic conversational English while my school would much rather have them memorize answers to questions so that I can ask them things in front of their parents and they can answer back to me like robots. That is not real. And certainly a far cry from what actually goes down in my class day in and day out.

I’m reminded of this movie I watched once, "The House of Wax,” where some travelers find a really cool museum filled with detailed and fantastic wax sculptures only to find out later that they were real people that were killed, dipped into wax, preserved and put on display.

So what will I do? I know have the ability (with God’s grace) to be flexible, creative and resourceful. As with all puzzles and difficult circumstances I’ve faced in life, I’m attempting to find a way through. I’ve been trying to meet this head on and do my best to please my employers. Today I felt so humiliated and utterly at the end of myself when they finished cutting apart all of my methods and ideas. I was ready to go home. I was thinking at this point, getting fired would be welcomed and joyously received. I think I’d prefer having bamboo pushed under my finger nails than to continue allowing myself to be found in this situation where the best that I know how to offer falls short and is ridiculed.

In case any one was wondering, as soon as the Korean school administrators left my room after wholly disapproving of all I was doing, I couldn’t hold back the tears. I lost it at school for the first time and cried. In front of my students. How will I ever gain back the shreds of respect and credibility I once had? Better yet, what will the kids tell their parents? (lol).

Don’t get me wrong. I am very thankful for the little lives that I get to pour into everyday. I am also so thrilled to have my own place and be completely self-sufficient financially. I am actually saving money now and I’m having the chance to pay off more of my student loans. Moreover, I don’t like being a quitter. I detest the idea of defeat. Last month, I felt like I was ready to give up but I pushed through and was glad that I did.

However, I’m finding that today I’m plumb out of resolve. My mind and spirit feel tortured and chained. Yes (Mom) I have a flair for the dramatic, but I really feel like this today!!! I’m curious as to what others think. How “bad” would it be if I decided to end my sojourn here and try my luck back in the grand ol’ U.S. of A.? I’ve heard it’s the half way point that’s the hardest to get through and I’m not even quite there yet. Oh joy, what shall I do?

If my long-winded rant has not exhausted you yet and you’d  like to read more, feel free to peruse this post I found that does a great job at outlining the issues with hagwons (private schools like the one where I teach).

The Hagwon System in South Korea – Although it was published in 2006, I don’t think things have changed much since.

The current flow in my Seoul

Greetings from the supposed “Land of the Morning Calm”. Lately it’s been getting really hot here. It also rains a good bit so days are generally muggy. But overall I’m definitely enjoying the warm weather for a change and don’t mind it one bit. It can stay all year for all I care.

 

Before I came to Korea I thought for sure I would be blogging all the time. I figured at least a couple updates each month, right? Sounded easy enough. But I now find that over a month has passed since I last sat down to reflect and write about my life here. In my last post I mentioned a desire to try to slow down the pace of my life. If anything my life has speeded up!! Now the summer is in full gear and since I’m still working full time I don’t see things letting up until my vacation at the end of July.

 

Here are Amy and Grace, two sweet little girls that have wormed their way into my heart. They were all ready to go on our field trip to the zoo! 

 

This past month I’ve been busy teaching most of the time. Earlier in the month I had an “open house” of sorts where parents of my students came to school and sat in on my class. The preparations leading up to it and the pressure that was being put on me to perform and impress the parents was a bit overwhelming. But God was gracious to me and it went very well. I was so glad to be done with it! I also had the opportunity to perform in a play that was part of a fringe festival my church put on one Saturday. So, many evenings of this past month were spent going to and from rehearsal. I really enjoyed it though and was able to get to know a lot more people from my church.

Here’s a scene from our play “The Interim” in which I played a sort of cynical, annoying neighbor/friend.

Another thing I’ve done this month to add to my schedule is joining my church’s refreshment team. I help serve drinks and refreshments to people after/in between services. My responsibilities also entail helping out in the church’s cafe. I certainly feel right in my element since I spent several years working at a cafe when I lived in Blacksburg. Even though it means giving up more of my time and waking up fairly early on Sundays to make the long trip to church in time, I’ve found that just being able to serve and give back a little has been a huge blessing and joy to me. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know more and more of the people who are a part of my church.

 

During the week, when I’m not teaching, at church or small group, I might be getting dinner with a co-worker or friend or going for a walk. On Saturdays I usually try to get outdoors and find a place to enjoy some nature away from the city. This usual translates into riding a subway to the bottom of a mountain and hiking up on unusually crowded trails to the peak. Generally I can find a bit of peace and quiet on the mountains in spite of the many other hikers enjoying the same place. Hiking in Korea is definitely a favorite and popular past time! Usually when I hike I go with one of my Korean co-workers, Joy. In addition to being a sister in Christ, she has been a great friend and comfort to me and I’ve had a great time getting to know her better! The following pictures are from a couple of my hikes.

 Joy and I at the top!

Last but not least, I also went with some friends to see a lantern parade of sorts a while back. The purpose of the festival was to celebrate Buddha’s birthday. I wasn’t really sure what to think of it all but I did enjoy seeing all the huge, lit-up paper lanterns. Here are a couple photos from that event.

I suppose that I’m mostly adjusted to living here. Sometimes I feel a little tired of Korean food and always having a language barrier, but I’m definitely getting used to it. I am even finding that I’m developing a taste for kimchi! I never thought I’d see the day.

 

I am so excited about my upcoming week of vacation next month. It will be a much needed respite from daily being crowded in a room with a bunch of crazy, rowdy kids! I am also looking forward to it because I am expecting a visit from my boyfriend, Jonathan. I haven’t seen him since Christmas of last year, so we are definitely thrilled about getting to spend some time together in person. I also can’t wait to show him around and have someone see what my life is like here. I appreciate your prayers (for safety and wisdom) as we spend this much needed time together.

 

Alright, friends, I think that’s probably as much as you’d like to know about in one sitting. I’m sorry for my delay and lack of diligence in sending updates. I will try to do a better job! Thank you for your love and care and for sending me updates on your lives. I love and miss you all!

 

~Heather in Seoul

Mayday - Get off the Treadmill and Walk!

 Picture from Insadong in central Seoul

I look back on the past month and it's all one big, hectic blur. Ever since my health returned, I've been trying to get caught up and on top of things in my life that were neglected while I was sick. This involved everything from cleaning and shopping to paying bills and writing emails.

“Into Marvelous Light I’m Running”

Those lyrics from a song come to mind as I attempt to describe the state of my spirit today. It has been almost a month since my last post and so much has happened within that time. I will try to sum up what has been going on. My apologies for the delay as I know that I haven’t been keeping in touch very well! I’ve finally got the time and mental stamina to crunch out one of these bad boys. So here we go!

It is interesting how I find it difficult to share about things that can get me down. I love elaborating on stories of my “adventures” and the fun things I get to do. Yet the darker times of life seem to want to withdraw from the public eye and be forgotten. What I am trying to say is that I have been sick. A lot. Since arriving in Korea over a month and a half ago, I have had maybe one full week where I felt strong and healthy. At first I just had a bad cold. That lasted for about 2+ weeks soon after getting here. All the other new teachers at my school got sick as well. For some reason, all the transitioning and being around little kids’ germs turned out to be the perfect recipe for getting sick.

Marchtastic

That’s the word I’ve coined to describe this month so far. Lately I’ve been busy getting all caught up in my new life over here and haven’t had the time or patience to sit down and write in my blog! But I wanted to give an update so that you know how everything is going.

I did get sick about a week after arriving in Seoul (as did all the other new teachers), but this past weekend I was finally feeling well enough to get out and enjoy the weekend. I had a great time hanging out with an old friend from the U.S. and a bunch of new friends. I did some more exploring, went to a basketball game, watched a movie at the theater, went to church, joined a small group and participated in a bible study. Pretty much a fabulous weekend as far as I’m concerned! The church I’m going to here is called Jubilee. So far I’ve found the teaching to be very sound and biblical. The church is also growing and has a heart for service and outreach. I basically felt right at home the moment I got here.

Annyeoung Haseyo!

Annyeoung Haseyo (Hello) from Korea!

I can hardly believe I’ve only been here in Seoul for a little over a week. It feels like it’s been much longer than that. Looking back over my first week of teaching, I’ll try to sum up what’s been going on.

Kid’s College
That’s the name of the school I’m teaching it. It is the main branch of a large chain of private, English language immersion schools for kindergarten and elementary kids. As I said before, Tuesday was orientation day at the school for the parents and kids to get to know the school and the new teachers. It was a bit intimidating to stand in front of a room full of Korean parents and tell them about myself and why I was excited to be teaching their kids English. But I managed to get through the formalities and then in the afternoon, all of the new teachers were taken to a hospital to have our physicals done. If everything looks good we’ll be getting our alien cards shortly, which we need to open a bank account, pay our utilities, etc.
Somehow I survived my first 3 full days of teaching – Wednesday through Friday. The days are very long, lasting from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM nearly everyday. The kids are really great though and already I can tell how they will make it all worthwhile. I love all my kids, even if some are crazy, violent or straight up nut jobs! Well, there is one kid who kicked another girl in the head and told me to shut up, so I foresee a multitude of problems with him. But all the others are loving, friendly, bright and enthusiastic. I also have another student who literally doesn’t say a word, and hasn’t done so since August. He participates well in all the activities except for the speaking part. I really hope I can have a breakthrough with him and get him talking before the end of the year! I know there will be many stories to come about my kids and all the crazy things they do, but that will have to come in a later post.

Here’s my classroom minus the little kiddies – doesn’t it look fun?

And here are a few of my kids acting silly:


As far as the teaching part goes, I pretty much feel like I’ve been dumped in white water rapids raging
through a gorge – it’s all I can do to keep my head above water! Education in Korea is very demanding. I can hardly believe how much work my 6 year-olds are required to do! They have homework and spelling tests, worksheets, art projects, reading, phonics, language arts, etc. It feels like I’m teaching them a curriculum fit for 2nd grade back in the U.S. The teacher who taught my class before me designed a lesson plan for the entire month of March, so it has been up to me to track down the various materials I need and figure out what exactly she had planned for the kids to do. Since the parents already have a copy of the monthly lesson plan I am required to complete every page of every assignment and there isn’t even 1 day of flexibility built into the schedule. It’s been a real challenge getting my feet under me, but I’m thankful to have survived the first few days!

My Apartment
I am so excited to have a place to call my own! Even though it is quite small, it is very nice to have a quiet space all to myself to relax after a long day of teaching. I also really love the neighborhood my apartment is in; it is very modern, upscale, clean and organized. There is a tiny convenience store very close by and it only takes me about 10 minutes to walk to the school. Here are some pictures of my Korean pad taken from both ends of the room:
 


As you can see, it is not very large – pretty much just one room with everything in it and then a bathroom with a sink/shower combo. In the second picture you can see another little space behind the bed which is where the washing machine is and a closet for my clothes. I actually have more than enough room to store all my things and overall I really like my new home!
There is so much more I’d like to share so I’ll try to post again soon, hopefully mid-week if I have some time.

Seoul - First Impressions

I was originally planning to write about just about everything else that has happened since I flew out of Charlotte, but the details are so numerous they'd spill off the screen. So I'll try to give you an overview of my first three days here without overdoing it. Fortunately, today, March 1st, is a national holiday, so I did not have to show up at the school to teach. I've been instructed to be at the school tomorrow morning, dressed "formally", ready for the school to "present" us and their program to our future students and their parents. As far as I can tell it should only last a couple of hours and then I should have the remainder of the day off again. Wednesday we start full blast.

Ok, where to begin. I'm not going to lie, the trip over here seemed to be never ending. By the time I crashed in my bed at the motel the first night I had been up for 28 hours. (Not counting the restless naps I managed to steal on the planes). I tried to stay awake on the hour long drive from the airport into downtown Seoul but I kept falling asleep. All I remember seeing were all the red neon crosses perched atop numerous churches, together with lots of colorful lights and looming skyscrapers. 

The last couple of days have not been all sugar and spice. As with all transitions, there have been some hurdles and moments of panicking, but also bright glimpses into the future. I finally was moved into my new place late Sunday afternoon. The teacher who had formerly occupied it moved out in a hurry and left quite a mess behind. A lady was hired to clean it out before I got there, but even so I have spent hours scrubbing things down and wiping out cabinets. I spent most of today unpacking and getting settled. There were still a few more things to put away, but I decided around 4 p.m. to take a break and go out exploring in the city.

The city, oh the city!!! Seoul is truly amazing - a ridiculously huge city full of character. And I'm slowly but surely learning my way around my neck of the woods. I decided to head out in search of a big mall called Coex that I'd heard some of the other teachers talking about. I really enjoyed my brisk walk throw the cold, lightly snowy air through block after block of fascinatingly designed buildings, wide open streets, glitzy store fronts and crazy lights. Seoul is very much westernized, with Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts on every other corner.

The large Coex Mall reminded me very much of a huge shopping center back in Caracas, called Sambil, with it's modern design and dizzy flurry of activity and shoppers. Seoul must be the city where love happens, as literally everywhere you look you see couples arm in arm, talking, laughing or sharing a kiss. I could hardly believe it as I watched couple after couple of smartly dressed young Koreans pass me by in the mall. It's something you have to see to understand. Even the few foreigners (like myself) that I saw were hanging on someone's arm...

All in all I have to say I am doing just fine. I only wish I had internet at my apartment so that I could be in better contact with people back home but internet cafes like the one I'm at now will have to do for the moment. I am going to head on home now, as the air is thick with cigarette smoke and I can't bear it anymore. One thing you notice quickly about Koreans - they smoke, A LOT! Everywhere you look you see people lighting up. At least my room is smoke free! I'll write more later about how everything goes at the school. I'm so grateful for all the prayers and support from the friends and family back home.

Until next time,

Heather

Goodbye USA

My bags are all packed. I've gone through all my lists and checked everything off.
I'm all set to go!

Tomorrow morning at 7:30 I fly out from Charlotte, NC to Los Angeles and then to Seoul, Korea. I won't arrive at my final destination until 6:00 PM their time, which is about a full 24 hours of traveling. That seems like a pretty long time to me. Well at least I don't have to sail on a ship for weeks to get there!

I'm really excited to hurry up and get there so that I can start getting settled and learning the ropes. These last few weeks have been pretty crazy, and looking back everything is starting to blur together and get hazy. Even now I'm struggling to think straight! But I'm very glad that I got to see a lot of my friends and family and say some last goodbyes.

So goodbye Virginia. Goodbye USA. I'll be back some day. For now I'm eager to see what the Lord has in store for me in the exciting and very different country of Korea.

Peace friends.

Until I'm across the waters,

~Heather

Countdown begins, excitement mounts!

I just realized that I'm finally getting really excited about moving to Korea! I think I was holding back because I didn't want to get my hopes up. But now I have a contract, a visa, and a plane ticket. I think I can start enjoying myself now!!!

An adventure. A completely new experience. A demanding job. I actually am kinda scared! Yes, Heather McMillan is afraid of new and afraid of change. But in a good, healthy way, I think.

That aside, Yippeeee!! I will be flying across the U.S. to the West Coast, to California. I've never been that far west before! Of course, I won't be seeing much more than LAX, but I don't care. Then, I get to cross the Pacific Ocean, including the International Date Line!!! How fantastic is that? It's like I'll be traveling through time. A-MA-zing. I'm looking forward to having my world expanded.

 My threshold of travel experience is going to burst at the seams!

Alright, so in 15 days, this all takes off. Phew. I had better be ready . . . . . bring it!

Finally, a flight itinerary!

Well my friends, the deed is done; the ticket is bought. I officially fly out Thursday, February 25th. My plane leaves from Charlotte, NC and will touch down in Los Angeles. Then I transfer airlines and fly out straight to Seoul, South Korea. You can view my itinerary here.

I was initially disappointed as I realized my departure date has been pushed back again. Then I realized that I am very glad to have some extra time as I really didn't feel ready to leave in 2 weeks. But then when that day comes, MAN ALIVE will I be ready for my adventure!!!

I found out late last night that I finally had a plane ticket and waking up this morning I sensed that a lot of anxiety and consternation was replaced with a call to action. There still remains much to be done, people to see and a new language to be hastily practiced. I am now off to spend the rest of the day keeping busy with what needs to be done.

Woohoo! Korea here I come!

Buying a Laptop PC for the First Time.

I needed to buy a laptop that was relatively inexpensive and receive it quickly.

I think I succeeded.

I decided to go with the Dell Inspiron 15. If I ordered directly from Dell it wouldn't ship until February 8th. If I ordered from Best Buy I wouldn't get the 1 year of service. So I decided to get a refurbished machine from Dell's Factory Outlet.

After a lot of research and comparisons, I went with this: Dell Inspiron 15 with 4GB Memory, 320GB hard drive, 15" LCD screen, Intel WIFI, dual-core processor and a built-in webcam. The top/lid is a cool Midnight Blue! Oh, and did I mention I should have it in my hot, little hands by February 3rd? Can't wait!

Right before I checked out I perused retailmenot.com and found a coupon code with a 67% success rate. It saved me $74.85!!

So, my final purchase was $445 including shipping and tax. Brand new with all the specs that I got runs around $650. Hopefully this "new" laptop will be just the thing I need.

A Big, Long, Good Day

Today (err Jan. 26th) was uber crazy and uber full. Here is a list of what I did:

1. Woke up and ate breakfast.

2. Showered and got dressed.

3. Compiled documents and all items necessary for a trip to the Korean Embassy.

4. Went to church to work for an hour.

5. Around 10:30 AM I got on the road to head to D.C.

6. Stopped in Mechanicsville for gas, cash, and to get a FedEx envelope.

7. Arrived at the Korean Embassy in D.C. around 2:00 p.m.

8. Submitted my visa application, passport and all the required documents.

9. Interviewed successfully for my visa.

10. Left D.C. and drove to Springfield to pick up some boxes for my parents.

11. Drove to Potomac Mills and did a little shopping.

12. Met up with my dear friend Christina for dinner in Stafford.

13. At 8:30 PM I was back on the road headed home to Hopewell.

14. Arrived in Hopewell at 10:30 PM.

15. Opened a package with the 50mm lens I ordered!

16. Scanned parts of an old book Christina and I found. See scans here.

17. Now it's time for bed! (12:41 AM).

First Post of the Year!

Phew...it's been scarcely over 15 days since I last posted here, yet it seems much longer than that. Or maybe it's the way time sometimes comes to a standstill, and a day is as a week.

I'm still waiting on word about my visa. Apparently the school is working on it but they are in no hurry since they feel they have plenty of time. Yes there still is time, but I hate to leave things to the last minute and I still need to get an appointment at the Korean embassy once I get my visa number to apply for the actual visa. Does that sound a tad confusing? It does to me, which I think is why I'm so anxious to get on with it! Still, "patience child," I say to myself. All will work out as the Lord has willed in His sovereignty.

I've also been sick more or less since the big snowfall we had in December and I'm now on my second round of antibiotics. Hopefully these ones will do the trick. I am so thankful for medicine! As soon as I get my energy back I will hopefully have the courage to really tackle all the belongings I have here and do a good pre-departure sorting. There's no telling when I'll be back!

Other developments have sprung up in my life and overall I have so much to be grateful for and excited about. I'm still enjoying my secretary job and it's been really cool getting to know more people at the church. I also recently discovered that a friend of mine will be staying in Korea for her second year of teaching ESL. The best part is that she and her husband will be working and living in the same section of Seoul as I will be! This news was so amazing to hear and I am all the more eager to get things ready so that I can fly over to Korea and get started on this next phase of my life!

I'm going to do my best to stay optimistic and hopefull. All things may still work out.

p.s. I just got word that I should get my visa issuance number in another week and a half. We shall see.