Coaching a YDAC Meeting While Sick & Almost Being Sent Home By My Own Students & Having a Late Christmas Dinner at Deacon Lee's House

A SHOUTOUT TO 유자차 (YUJA CHA) DURING WINTER

I no longer have classes, so my whole day today was free! However, my chronic cough has set in in full force and much of my free time is actually just spent indoors in pajamas and a robe. I wander from my bedroom to the kitchen and back, heating water in jibsanim's cute teapot and making 유자차 (yuja cha), lemon tea, for myself 4-5 times throughout the day. This hot cup of citrus-y goodness makes me feel as if good health is within my reach; however, in reality, the amount of sugar in this yuja cha is likely negatively affecting me in some way. 

YDAC MEETING A DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

I got out of bed and got dressed to go to school, doing my best not to step on the landmine of used tissue scattered across my floor. Even though it's the day after Christmas, my YDAC students and I had set up a meeting to smooth out our speech outline for the conference. (If they had had their way, we would have also had a meeting on Christmas Day. I, of course objected). We had a lot of work left to do, so, as much as I wanted to stay at home, I knew nothing would get done if I didn't do my part of coaching them through their ideas and editing their drafts. 

I arrived to find them lively and busily poring over their own drafts. It seemed I may have overestimated the importance of my role...

My team of 5 girls posing with some cute stuffed animal. I didn't have one as I was busy setting up the camera. My students nearly went mad searching for the perfect stuffed animal for me before we could take the next shot. Seriously, how cute are they?!?

Nevertheless, they were as honest and sweet as ever because, when I arrived, this exchange promptly took place, reenacted on my Facebook wall as follows: 

MEANWHILE, in Yeongdo Girls High School, I arrive at school for a YDAC meeting, coughing and sneezing:

Student 1: [with concern in her voice] Teacher, you better - err, you had better go to home

Me: Oh...Why? I just got here!

Student: Because you don't look well

Me: Really...? But I put on make-up today... :(

Students: No, no! Teacher, not your face. Face is okay

Me: ...but you said I don't look well...

Student: Face is okay. But your health is not well.

Me: Ahh...You are all so kind!

And then I gave each of them lollipops for their sweetness :)

GOING TO DEACON LEE'S HOUSE FOR DINNER

It must have been around 8:30 p.m. when we finished. Russel texted, inviting me to a dinner at Deacon Lee's house. I was very hungry, but was quite reluctant to accept because of how late I would be arriving (around 9:00 p.m.) and didn't want to hold them up.

I need not have worried.

When I finally accepted, and arrived there by taxi, the men were already fully immersed in their favorite pastime of eating. Jibsanim's sons were there, and his wife was bustling about making more food for them to eat. She also bustled my way and gave me food. Strangely enough, my intense hunger seemed to have shrunk my appetite because I could hardly finish the small bowl of rice and soup she gave me! It was nice to see their family, including Russel, together for the holidays.

I sat on the table using a chair while the men sat on the floor. I didn't want to break into the seeming spell they were in. I just sat back, did my own munching, blew my nose here and there, and enjoyed the atmosphere of...family.

Ah...I miss coming to this house

Gwan Jibsanim super busy cooking and serving her family! It is her habit to not eat until her family has eaten. Older Korean women really go above and beyond

Classic Shin Jae face

Jibsanims opening their gift. (They only got a Christmas card from me :/ - But, hey, it was personalized!). Personalized Christmas cards are pretty cool, too *cough*

The deacon and his wife admiring Russel's Christmas gift for them 

...like REALLY admiring

I think David Jibsanim likes it! He is touched...

I insisted on taking a family photo after dinner and before Russel and I left. Shin Yeong had already, apparently, fallen asleep though so this photo is not quite complete. 

THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF GOOD COMPANY
David and I had time to catch up a bit about how my family is doing back home. I shared some updates with him before leaving to go on a walk with Russel and calling it a night. Though I was more tired than ever after this interaction, I noticed I actually felt a lot better having been around people than other days when I would choose to stay at home and "get better" all by myself.

THANKFUL THAT CHRIST IS IN THE HEARTS OF MEN
I'm thankful for the blessing that is this family, and hope that God rewards them for the service and sacrifice they do at the church, especially on behalf of foreigners like Russel (whom they treat as a son) and me. When I think about the temporary nature of our stays in South Korea, I am even more amazed by the love people like David and his family show to us because they know from the very start that our stay is relatively short.

We will not be around in a year or two or three, but they still choose to invest in us. They still show us the best that their country, culture, and food has to offer. They pour their time and energy attending to our needs and fling the doors of their homes wide open so we would feel welcome. I love Korea most for the people who, like David, has shown me that, as a Christian, I have family anywhere I go.

Christmas is not so bad even when away from your own family when families like that of David's embrace you and remind you that family is anyone who shares your faith and love for Jesus Christ!

Post-Dinner Evening Stroll in Yeongdo's Coastal Trail with Host Mom

CHUSEOK HOLIDAY BEGINS!

Today is the start of my 5-day Chuseok vacation! The days leading up to this break were filled with questions about what my plans were.

With great excitement, I told other teachers that my plans were: ...*drum-roll please*...

Absolutely Nothing! 

DEALING WITH THE GUILT OF HAVING FREE TIME

I am free! This past year, I have struggled mightily against the guilt of being free to just relax. Being free to pause in my tracks. Being free to not have a schedule. Being free to not have an agenda. Being free for self-care. This past year, I have struggled with this peculiar guilt and am still learning and implementing ways to safeguard my sanity, my health, my time, and my energy. 

THE EVENING STROLL

MY SATURDAY CONSISTED OF ME...

...waking up slow and getting up late, eating brunch while Skyping my sweet Mama in Washington, and then spending the rest of the day reading, napping, watching video clips, napping, pinning parts of my dream home on Pinterest, napping again, waking up for dinner with my Korean host mom, washing dishes, doing laundry, and then taking a walk together afterwards.  

The evening was beautiful - from the moment we stepped outside the apartment complex and saw the near-full moon to the very end, when we sat facing the twinkling lights of the Busan coastline and chatted in the near-dark. I made verbal observations about how much safer Korea is compared to the Philippines (or even compared to the U.S.). 

THE SAFE HAVEN THAT IS KOREA

Walking around at night, I don't feel like I have to constantly look behind my back, or remember my Arnis or Taekwondo, or keep a deathly-grip on my smartphone in case it is snatched. I feel safe here! This safety gives me more freedom to enjoy the walk, breathe in the scenes and the fresh air in one gulp, and just appreciate Connie's brisk walk and personality.

There was a small group out for a night picnic and actually grilling something delicious in the dark. The smoke and the aroma added a touch of warmth to the tingling coolness of the night air. Among many others, we passed by a young family, the father carrying a baby strapped across his torso, while his wife walked arm-in-arm beside him. The sight of this family warmed and gladdened my heart! At one point, Connie collided with what looked to be a disoriented wasp and ended up squashing it with her next step by accident. Very unfortunate fellow.

We returned to the apartment to find that my host dad had arrived, and was hanging our clothes up to dry in the balcony - quite an unusual sight in Korea, I think, especially among the older married folks! 

Tour of Naewon Temple at 양산 (Yangsan), Gyeongsangnam-do During Fall

FALL SEASON IN SOUTH KOREA

Today, we were to head over to Yangsan to visit a temple for Buddhist nuns. Deacon Lee  had invited me and several other foreigners from church to join him and his wife on an excursion. They wanted us to see how glorious the Fall season is in South Korea. 

THE COST OF RUNNING LATE

I was running late for the 10:00 a.m. appointment so I sacrificed the breakfast that was already sitting warm and delicious in front of me (courtesy of Seoyeon) to run out the apartment and hail a cab. The driver was an old woman, complete with a puff of white, permed hair. Since running up the hill had triggered another coughing fit (third week running with this illness), I was unable to communicate to her my destination for a good five minutes. Helplessly, I sat in the back of the cab and just coughed. I managed to point left and right in between breaths. The old driver periodically looked over at me using her rear-view mirror, a line of concern on her brows, and a string of Korean words directed at me that I couldn't understand. 

COUGH ATTACK ON THE CAB

More than anything, I wanted to erase the concerned lines on her forehead so I made a concerted effort to smile, too, in order to reassure her. I wanted my smile to say, "Don't worry! This will pass. Just give me a few more good hacks," and "No, I am definitely NOT contagious [anymore], so it's all good!"

In a sudden moment of epiphany, I dialed Deacon Lee's number, introduced myself between coughs, and handed the phone to the driver. I arrived at Holy Joy Center at 10:02 a.m. - the first one in the group to do so. The fare was a surprisingly low \5,000 (or $5.00) - surprising because the other cabs I had taken to HJC before charged me double that amount! Jerks.

HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME WAITING

The others were 20-30 minutes late. I relished being the most punctual one of the group, but couldn't help but wistfully long for the brunch I had set aside to hurry over. It turned out there was absolutely no need for me to miss a perfectly good meal that would have energized me for half the day!

The center's parking lot had transformed into a big farmers' market with stores and merchandise and restaurants everywhere. I waited for the others by helping a lady from our church set up her spot along with the rest. With the exception of my job teaching, it seems no one here allows me to do any other work! My Korean mother, for instance, refuses to even allow me to get up and bring my own dirty plate to the sink. I am halfway up my chair when one of her powerful arms bars me from getting up and has, very suddenly, also stolen the plate and bowls right out of my hands. They treat me very well, perhaps too well. This is why I was all too happy to help Mrs. Song, the lady from church, carry a big box from the 6th floor down to the parking lot, lay out a tarp on the ground, and roughly arrange items she wanted to sell. 

The others finally arrived. The Deacon's wife could no longer join us, so I took the front seat and wavered in and out of consciousness for the 1.5-hour drive to Yangsan.

Here's a photo story of our day. 

When we arrived, it was obvious that the majority of the fall leaves had, well, fallen. Deacon Lee was worried that we would not find the place beautiful, but we assured him time and time again that everything was still very much so!

It was sunny, the skies were blue, and the color scheme of nature and of the temple we eventually arrived at all screamed loudly enough to impress us.

I lagged behind my companions for most of the time because each step and each bright thing from nature seemed to arrest me. I walked and saw and praised God.

My companions on the foreground, and a couple of Buddhist nuns in the background

The Naewon Temple
David pointed out that the people with shaved heads who kept passing us in gray clothing were actually women. They were the Buddhist nuns who lived in the temple. According to this website, the temple was burned down during the Korean War, and was reconstructed in 1958 by a monk named Suok.

TEA TIME IS STORY-TELLING TIME!
We entered this building and served ourselves tea. I listened as Elly, a lady from Myanmar, and Deacon Lee gave what amounted to a comparative political/military/economic history of Myanmar and South Korea. In both their stories about their countries, the United States cropped up in a way that made me cringe a couple of times. Just a couple of times though. The rest of the time, I hope the slight discomfort I felt was undetectable.

We stayed here for over an hour. The floors were heated, my very-small tea cup had long been emptied, and the conversations continued on in such a fantastic way that I became aware that I was slowly being lulled to sleep. I resisted the urge to lie down on the floor and very casually rest my eyes for just a few seconds.

The stream flowing through the valley was absolutely enchanting! I have to go back here when the weather gets warmer so I can wade in the water!

David reminisced that, before, there were no paved roads leading to the temple. A quarter of a century ago, he would trudge through this valley on dates and feel only the crunch of fallen leaves on the ground. He deliberately took us off the paved paths and led us through the limited patches of earth still offering the luxurious crunch of leaves. Amused, we followed him.

This is the area I want to swim in!

What a beautiful day. Yes, the leaves were nearly all gone, but with what was left still clinging on the trees, it was not hard to imagine this place would resemble a bit of paradise in Autumn. 

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU

Do you know of other beautiful places in South Korea that you would recommend I visit? Leave a comment below with your suggestions. 

2013 Fall Conference at the Commodore Hotel in Gyeongju, South Korea

I fell ill just in time for Fall Conference. 

During our grant year, all Fulbright Korea ETAs will attend two conferences - one in the Fall and one in the Spring. The Fall Conference snuck up on me, calling us for a reunion only two months after we had left each others' company at Jungwon University in Goesan. 

HOW I ALMOST MISSED FALL CONFERENCE

I was feeling under the weather just the day before, and seriously wondered whether or not I would even be able to physically get up to take the train to Gyeongju the next day. 

I laid in bed with a fever and chills, unable to really rest from the intermittent alarms I had set to wake me up every thirty minutes, and mentally packing my bags for the conference. Two hours before my train would leave, I finally heaved myself up from bed, shuffled to the bathroom, forced a brunch in my system, and packed my things before hailing a taxi from Yeongdo to Busan Station. Once I got there, I stumbled into two other ETAs who were about to board the same train as me. 

HOW PEOPLE APPARENTLY IDENTIFY ME IN A CROWD

One of them was able to quickly spot me using my hair, of all things. 

ME: How did you - I had my back to you!

ANNA: Oh, easy. I saw your hair. 

ME: ...So?

ANNA: Your long, and shiny hair! 

ME: Oh...

ANNA: - and I thought, that's Mimi!

ME: Well! I'm glad you found me because I don't know where to go from here...

She pointed me to the appropriate gate. We boarded different cars. My bags thankfully fit in the bins. The train ride was only 25 minutes long. Hugging myself in my seat, I nearly fell asleep and missed my stop. We arrived safely, greeted by Liam at the station in a crisp suit with a bright blue collared shirt underneath (Mrs. Shim's entourage, on top of their professional game!).  

Conference Room we used for the whole 4-day weekend at the Commodore

As always, we hit the ground running with a packed itinerary for Day 1 prepared by Andrew, our Program Coordinator

My roommates for the conference are Tara and Jean, the same sweet ladies I roomed with during our trip to Seoul! This is Tara unpacking her bags after our arrival.

We had a fantastic view of trees, mountains, and a lake! The room had three separate beds, and were very comfortable

View of the hotel grounds from our window on the fifth floor

HOW I PUSHED THROUGH 'TIL SLEEP OVERTOOK ME
I plodded through the different activities, excited by the chatter of fellow ETAs around me, and energized by the delicious snacks they provided just outside the conference room. At the end of it all though, I just wanted to lay in bed and rest. The following day, I was to lead a small-talk discussion on the general topic of "How to Wake Your Students Up in the Classroom" (when they are sleepy after lunchtime, bored out of their minds, or just generally apathetic about life). I worked on my presentation before succumbing to the deliciously warm folds of my pillows and blanket lulling me, hugging me to sleep.