For the Love of Samgyaetang, A Whole-Chicken-Falling-Off-the-Bones Soup

CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAY OF ONE OF THE KINDEST TEACHERS AT SCHOOL

After teaching our morning classes, Sookhee and I went out to lunch with Mi Suk Teacher. Without me knowing it, we were going out to belatedly celebrate Mi Suk Teacher's birthday (which was yesterday). This teacher is one of the very kindest teachers at school and always does little things to show her favor towards me. She has done this since I arrived at Yeongdo last year, and continues to show me the utmost kindness until now. I felt guilty at not having known about her birthday, and done something special for her.

*Flashback to my own birthday back in November when she was among the group of teachers who celebrated me with a cake and enthusiastically sang me a "Happy Birthday" song in English!*

Noticing my despair, Sookhee confided in me that she had also forgotten and that was why we were  going out!

ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS SERVING SAMGYAETANG IN YEONGDO
To make up for it, I resolved to beat Sookhee to paying for our lunch, which just happened to be at one of the best restaurants that serve samgyaetang at Yeongdo. Samgyaetang is basically hot chicken soup with green onions and "other delicious flavorings" (according to another clueless reviewer online). 

A whole chicken

We sat using the tables and chairs

I'm guessing this is some of the "other delicious flavorings" thrown into our samgyaetang

THE STRUGGLE OVER WHO WOULD HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PAYING THE BILL
When it was time to leave, I got up and, noticing that Sookhee was still seated, felt confident as I took my time sauntering towards the counter. Mi Suk Teacher was there. Upon a closer look, she appeared to be reaching into her handbag and handing over her credit card to pay for our meal. I had two seconds to fly across the restaurant and intercept this payment. Hugging her to me (and truncating her elbow's reach towards the counter), I pivoted so that I was in between her and the cashier. This would have been a lot smoother (not to mention successful) had I had my own card ready upon interception. Alas, I had to fumble in my pocket, during which time she escaped!

Mi Suk Teacher struggled and insisted that she pay for our lunch, which, to me, was ridiculous since we were there to celebrate her birthday! We struggled some more, with Sookhee laughing on the sidelines.

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES ON...
Unlike other people who only pretend not to want to pay the bill, Mi Suk Teacher really did seem like she wanted to pay and that she had, in fact, gone with us that day with the intention of footing the bill. I continued to dance with her in front of the counter and may have, at one point, tossed my own debit card towards the cashier in an effort to beat the good teacher, who, at that moment, had once again escaped from me and was making deliberate strides towards victory.

The poor restaurant owner picked up the debit card I had tossed to her from a semi-indecent distance and, at the same time, accepted the card that Mi Suk teacher more calmly and civilly handed to her (like any normal person might). Looking at the both of us, she made the executive decision to use Mi Suk teacher's card instead of mine.

I sighed in defeat.

My attempt to redeem myself from having forgotten her birthday yesterday did not work. Meanwhile, Sookhee was still laughing uncontrollably on the sidelines. At this point, she was using both hands to cover her deep amusement over what had just transpired.

MIMI = ZERO, SOUTH KOREA = ONE
As the three of us made our way back to the car, I aired my grievances over the injustice that was a birthday person paying for the birthday meal. Sookhee assured me that my intention was good, but that Mi Suk teacher, as our elder, was to have her way if she wanted to pay for the meal. Just as I had thought, Sookhee had also designed to treat the three of us, but...got the memo earlier and received it with more grace than *cough* some people *cough*.

Lesson learned, South Korea! Lesson learned.

It's Springtime in Busan!

2014 Spring Conference | Jeju Island, KAL Hotel, and Angel-in-Us Cafe

THE BEGINNING OF MY JOURNEY

It seems just like yesterday that we had Fall Conference! I had my backpack (yes, just one) all packed last night for the next four days. I was determined to have as hassle- and stress-free a flight as I knew was possible for other people in movies.

At around 5 a.m., I could already hear my parents stirring in the kitchen. I got ready and was able to hitch a ride with my host Dad, whose workplace is a mere 15 minutes away from Gimhae International Airport.

Here's what my day looked like traveling from Busan to Jeju Island:

Host Dad calling a taxi for me so I could continue commuting to the airport and he could continue on to his workplace

The hotel we stayed at for four days and three nights

Didn't I label this post "Official Stuff"? 

HOW I SPENT MY FIRST FEW HOURS IN JEJU
09:00 a.m. - Landed at Jeju International Airport

09:30 a.m. - Got on the Limousine Bus that would take me to the KAL Hotel in Seogwipo

11:30 a.m. - Arrived at KAL Hotel, and noticed I was the only ETA around. Not surprising, since conference was slated to begin at 2:00 p.m.

11:35 a.m. - Hailed a cab to drive me to the nearest Angel-in-us Cafe, which just happened to be 5 minutes away (\3,400)

I arrived extremely early for conference

11:45 a.m. - Read my Bible at Angel-in-us while eating honey bread with green tea ice cream and sipping on a hot caramel macchiato with whip (or "whipping cream" as they say here). Savored the post-flight and pre-conference peace I was afforded in my little corner at the cafe. Resisted the incredible urge to fall asleep due to exhaustion.

01:45 p.m. - Hailed another cab to drive me back to the hotel. Felt legit hailing all kinds of cabs from point A to point B when the distance is a mere 5-minutes.

01:50 p.m. - Discovered that the conference time had been moved to 2:30 p.m. due to late arrivals. Grabbed my Fulbright ID badge and room keys from the lobby and headed to the 8th floor, where I power-napped.

02:25 p.m. - Rolled out of my super comfortable bed and mentally pumped myself up for the presentations up ahead!

Okay, fine, I traveled with a backpack AND a purse...This is still a huge improvement from having a carry-on bag

How many cups of caramel macchiatos have I consumed here in Korea?!?!

The perfect recipe for a quiet, peaceful afternoon to myself!

After the Conference welcome remarks and presentations, I had dinner and wandered around the hotel grounds with Gabrielle and Hope.

Even though it was dark, the three of us could still feel how beautiful the place was. We plopped down on the fake grass and just took the time to share how our respective experiences have been since we saw each other at Fall Conference. We shared our highs and lows and punctuated the end of our walk by praying for each other. I was hungry for this kind of fellowship, and am extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to visit with these two young women tonight.

A Rare Lunch Date with My Three Co-Teachers at 석화정 (Seokhwajeong)

Sookhee, my amazing Fulbright co-teacher, has been in the habit of mercifully saving me from the, sometimes, mind-numbing monotony of school life by inviting me to eat lunch outside of school. I don't know why, but my usual reaction usually goes like this:

ME: ...we will what?!
SOOKHEE: We will eat lunch outside today! 
ME: ...why? [raised eyebrow]
SOOKHEE: You know, it's nice weather today [refers to the window overlooking a sunny day that I had, somehow, been oblivious to all morning]
ME: ...hmmm...[and then, feeling strangely loyal to cafeteria food, I ask] But - what about school lunch?
SOOKHEE: [laughs hysterically at me] Aren't you tired of school lunch? 
ME: Mmm, it's okay...
SOOKHEE: You must be tired of eating same food everyday, right? Just be ready. After fourth period, we will go
ME: [still feeling like we're students skipping class] SOOKHEE, ARE YOU SURE THIS IS OKAY TO DO? 

SOOKHEE: Yes! Of course. We are free to have lunch at school, at home, anywhere!

ME: Yeah, I knew that. I'll be ready by then. 

And so it was that, today, I had the extra special opportunity to go out for lunch with not just Sookhee, but also with my other two wonderful co-teachers: Eunyeong and Miyeon.

Here we are after Miyeon seonsaengnim (teacher) drove us around in circles around the island before finding the restaurant. 

Here I am with Eunyeong seonsaengnim and Sookhee seonsaengnim, clearly having adapted the Korean way of dressing up for work

Entering the restaurant and not knowing what type of food would be served

Most Korean restaurants have you take off your shoes before entering

I have been so blessed to have known these women!

Our table before our super delicious orders arrived. No joke, SUPER delicious.

We ate oyster soup and seafood Korean pancake, both of which reawakened my somewhat dormant excitement over the everyday act eating and feeding myself.

I even took a photo of the restaurant name and contact number, just in case I return by myself

Here they are again: Miyeon, Eunyeong, and Sookhee

A breath of fresh air, a nice change of scene were just the things I needed to continue on with this 9-hour work-day! Oh, and the hot caramel macchiatto Sookhee bought for me after lunch. No complaints here.

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU
When bored, falling asleep, or feeling completely out of it, what brings you back to the present? Is there a person who usually comes in and helps yank you out of the thick haze of monotonous being? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.

A Glimpse Into Russel's Tutoring Sessions with Cute Kids from Church

Russ asked me if I wanted to go with him to tutor a couple of children from church in their home. I agreed not knowing which of the dozens of cute little ones (who adore him and are constantly hanging off him in one way or another) he would be tutoring this evening.

It's amazing to me that he even has time to tutor nearly a dozen students in the midst of his Masters studies and church-related activities. This is, apparently, his way of relieving stress.

I went out of curiosity but, not long after, ended up lightly tutoring Yu Eun for about an hour as Russ took on Eun Su. Their mother, a very sweet lady who plays the piano at church, kindly provided me with some snack as I did nothing more than play with her young daughter in their kitchen and living room areas (all in English of course).

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.