Sleepover With My Korean Host Sisters During Korea's Foundation Day!

My adorable sister Seo Yeon, whose cuteness, adorableness, and mannerisms remind me so much of Emily.

Thanks to Korea's Foundation Day, we have a three-day weekend to do as we please! I made plans to see the Kim Family and spend some quality time with my first host parents and sisters. Unfortunately, my parents were headed to a couples retreat with their church so I was not able to spend time with them. However, yesterday, Friday, I met up with my sisters at the basement of Lotte Department Store and, from there, proceeded to do some "eye shopping," wandering arm-in-arm through throngs of people enjoying the Busan International Film Festival (or BIFF, for short), looking for a place to eat lunch, and finding it at a second-floor niche called Mom's Touch somewhere in Nampo-dong.

MOM'S TOUCH CHICKEN BURGER REVELATION
Immediately, I saw a fast-food counter, and fries and burgers on the overhead menu. My sisters assured me that I would love the chicken burger - which did sound good from the description. I sat down completely unprepared for this chicken thigh burger to blow my mind. It was so delicious! I couldn't believe how whole, full, real, and scrumptious the chicken tasted. I have grown accustomed to mediocre meals, especially at fast-food joints, but this experience was worth a mini review. Mini review done.

KOREAN PATBINGSU VS FILIPINO HALO-HALO

After that, Seo Yeon, Ju Hyeon and I walked around some more holding hands and making me remember what it feels like to have sisters again. We had some strawberry patbingsu for dessert at Cafe Benne (which they pronounce as Cafe Beh-neh, and not "Bean," which I thought was the correct pronunciation. If they are right, then everything I know about the world has now effectively been thrown into question).

I discovered that Seo Yeon does not like red bean, and was all too glad to eat the red bean portions of the patbingsu. For the record, though this patbingsu was delicious, it has nothing on the Filipino halo-halo, and especially Mama's Filipino halo-halo.

As you can see from the pictures, there is absolutely no comparison!

Shy Seo Yeon. We were waiting for Ju Hyeon to bring up our order of patbingsu from the first floor of Cafe Bene

View of the other stores crowding all along Nampo

My beautiful sisters!

SISTERS BEING SISTERS IN A CANDY STORE
After dessert, we went inside a store selling foreign candies and other goodies. I bought a few items for my sisters, whose looks told me they would take every item home with them if they could. Seo Yeon was so excited about everything and asked Ju Hyeon if she could buy this or that. Ju Hyeon, being the responsible older sister, would peek into the waller their mother had given her charge of and, with a grim face, solemnly shake her head, telling an increasingly sad-faced Seo Yeon, No. Another bag of gummy bears or mint chocolates was not in the budget.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry upon seeing this mostly-silent exchange between the sisters. I grabbed the packages and plopped them down on the counter before either one of them could object (because they are fond of objecting). They were both so happy that it made my heart glad!

I am not usually one to spoil the younger generations, but this was a rare occasion.

I wish the occasion wasn't so rare though. I am missing my sisters from home and can only hope to show them love and care through what I do for my sisters here in Korea.

SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT LIP TINT

After this, we went inside tens of cosmetic stores looking for the perfect lip tint. Seo Yeon and Ju Hyeon have flawless, porcelain skin, so they were not interested in powders or foundations, blushes or bronzers. For extra special occasions, such as days when they're not in school, they will tint their lips and put on circle contact lenses.

 

WATCHING BEGIN AGAIN AT LOTTE CINEMA

We went to Lotte Cinema and watched Begin Again with Keira Knightly. This was not necessarily my cinematic cup of tea, but seeing as how the last movie we saw (a thriller set on a hijacked airplane) practically scarred poor Seo Yeon, I remained quiet as they chose the movie. Like the burger place, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this movie! I left the theater wanting to write music, play an instrument, and sing, sing, sing!

DRINKING BUBBLE TEA RUSSEL'S TREAT
We met up with Russel around 10 p.m. and, half-asleep, sipped on bubble tea that he insisted on treating the girls to. They are usually very shy, but their shyness slowly melted because of his easy humor.

We took the bus home, and the girls ordered chicken(!) for more movie-watching. I was practically asleep on the living room floor so I warned the girls that I might not be able to stay awake through the whole movie, and I was so full from our various meals, desserts, and snackings that I also objected to having any part of the chicken.

ORDERING A MIDNIGHT SNACK OF CHICKEN
However, when the girls opened the lid containing the freshly-delivered chicken, all of my protestations melted into nothingness. I dove right in, rekindling my life-long love affair with chicken.

WATCHING RATATOUILLE UNTIL 3 IN THE MORNING
The girls settled on watching the 2007 animated film Ratatouille, which I was sure I was going to have to endure for the girls' sake. However, at three in the morning, I was the only one still awake, inspired to cook up magic in the kitchen, and chuckling to myself in the dark living room - the girls having long fallen asleep on various uncomfortable-looking positions around me.

I woke up first and relished in the quiet of my first home here in Korea. I have grown to love my second home, but often think of this place and this family and the love they showed me all of last year and even until now. It feels incredible to be reconnected.

Seo Yeon told me last night that Mom was so pleased with the photo album I gave them as a gift that she can often be seen flipping through the book, admiring each image page by page, and sighing over what a talented photographer and awesome daughter I am. [Insert happy sigh and what remains of my melting heart here].

Dressing Up in a Hanbok for the CamKodian Inaugural Ceremony at HJC & My Multiple Roles as Greeter, Singer, and Dishwasher for the Evening

Since I came back from the states, all of the talk at Holy Joy's English Service seems to revolve around the Cambodian-Korean NGO they are working very hard to establish by next year. From zero Cambodians in attendance on Sundays, we now have anywhere between 5-20 in attendance during the worship or singing portion. After the singing, they are whisked off to another floor and another room at Holy Joy, where, I presume, they receive more information about how they can help make this NGO a successful reality for them, their families, their communities, and any other Cambodian who immigrates to Korea. 

During David Jibsanim's announcements, I learn that a few of the church leaders make regular (aka daily) visits to a location closer to the Cambodians' place of residence. There they hold Bible studies, and receive Korean language instruction - among other things beneficial to them (like help with establishing a Cambodian restaurant). Hearing this made me feel better, knowing that there was a steady and personal effort to connect with this particular group of foreigners in Korea. I applaud this church's deeply-concerted work to reach people, especially foreigners in the area, and share with them the love of Christ through practical means.

However, because I don't always understand what is going on around me and because a lot is lost in translation during service, I have more or less been feeling bewildered these past few months at Holy Joy - feeling excluded as another foreigner who does not share the same nationality as those on whose behalf all of the planning and outreach is aimed; silenced by the guilt I feel at the realization that my self-centeredness is likely preventing me from sharing in the awesome work that my church is doing to welcome others the way it has welcomed me (well, minus the establishment of a Filipino-American NGO, of course); and feeling a bit like it is only a matter of time before the English Service disappears altogether. 

With all of that said, I am doing what I can to combat feelings of not belonging by, at least, being a part of the behind-the-scenes work. 

THE CAMKODIAN INAUGURAL CEREMONY

For this event, I was asked to wear a Korean hanbok and greet our guests at the entrance of Holy Joy. With the help of a jibsanim and a samonim, I was ready within a few minutes.

Most of the people in attendance at tonight's CamKodian Inaugural event held at the basement sanctuary of Holy Joy Center

Cambodian Leaders visiting Korea. Church leaders took it upon themselves
to give them a tour of Busan and of Yeongdo upon their arrival

When the ceremony started at 4:00 p.m., I hurried over to the stage to sing a couple of songs.

Professor Gabriel and me singing

The senior pastor speaking to his foreign guests through a Cambodian translator.
Of course, since everything was in Korean-Cambodian, Cambodian-Korean, I had no way of understanding
any of the great things that were being said

A korean girl playing a traditional instrument

The extremely talented son of David Jibsanim performing for the evening

This couple sang beautifully!

Receptionists

Traditional Cambodian dance

Harmonica players

Our singers, who had traveled from Seoul that day and who returned to Seoul that very night back to their studies!

Dinner on the 8th floor

Saying grace before the meal

Some of our beautiful guests

Meanwhile, I had changed out of my hanbok and had donned on an apron, washing hundreds of dishes this evening. This kitchen was my dream kitchen, with its huge and deep sinks, flexible and powerful faucets, and ample storage and elbow room!

Out of all the roles I played this afternoon and evening, I was most comfortable and most confident in my role as dishwasher

This is the view of Nampo-dong just outside the church balcony 

I wish the CamKodia NGO the best! With this kind of dedication, I can see nothing but success in its future.

All Photos Courtesy of David Daeil Lee 

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! 

Living By the "Don't Compare" Mantra Outside of the Fulbright Family & Encouraging 2nd Host Mom to Stop Comparing Herself to 1st Host Mom

THE "DON'T COMPARE" MANTRA
What we always hear in Fulbright is "Don't Compare" - referring to ETAs who might be tempted to look at each others' differing living accommodations and teaching situations and become discouraged or resentful of the lot they've been given during their grant year. The message makes so much sense, is so often forgotten and just as often recalled that it can be heard reverberating in various forms throughout the year - in Facebook posts, social media captions, hashtags, blog posts, and during coffee dates, and sleepy conference heart-to-hearts.

Comparison comes naturally, which is why we should be all the more vigilant in keeping ourselves from being caught in its unhappy trap. I struggle against it, and so do others - among them the second host mom I am living with now, who, upon hearing about my first host mom's mad cooking skills, has been quick and unrelenting in criticizing what she produces in the kitchen and places on the table.

BATTLE OF THE HOST MOMS
My second host mom also works in education, so we both get home right about the same time. She is always apologizing to me for not having dinner prepared on time, or, if dinner is prepared, for not having delicious and nutritious enough dinner.

I have no idea what she is talking about.

Her cooking is delicious and nutritious! In keeping with a truly Korean cuisine, there are always at least five side dishes on the table besides soup and rice. She also never fails to serve fruit for dessert. In the U.S. "dessert" for me was this exciting event that involved cake or ice cream, brownies or walnut cookies. Or all of those combined. Though I miss this kind of rich, chocolately dessert, I much prefer the fruit desserts because there is never guilt from indulging. (Something to tuck away for my future family!).

I am not very verbal when giving praises, but since moving here I have learned to be more so. If the soup tastes like something I had been craving for but couldn't describe, I tell her. If she peeled the apples with what I consider unusual dexterity, I tell her. If the seafood she served on the table is cooked to perfection, I tell her! 

I don't want my host mom to compare herself to my first host mom. It hurts me to hear her say negative things about the food she cooks, and am trying my best to convince her that what she's provided for me is enough. More than enough. 

Lately, I have taken to hanging around her when she's in the kitchen. Just hanging around - looking for opportunities to affirm her - however random and small. This is the context of the video embedded above. I was so interested in the way she made kimbap! (Also recorded it for the sake of my mom back in the States, who is always asking for recipes of Korean dishes she sees on my Facebook posts!). 

In quick sum, don't compare, folks! You are enough. You are more than enough. 

My Second First Day as a High School English Teacher at Yeongdo!

Yeongdo Girls' High School's first ever woman principal with her ETAs from 2011 and 2013.
Missing Andrea Tang (2012) from this picture!

THE RHYTHM OF RUSHING AND SLOWING DOWN

For the new school year, my walk started from the house of my new homestay family. The path was windy - familiar in that I had traversed it by bus countless of times before, and unfamiliar because I was much lower on the ground and slower on foot, allowing me to see and notice and consider things I had not before.

I was approaching my school from the opposite direction. If I had not been rushing, I might have had opportunity to entertain such things as have from time to time fought to accompany me along the rode: Nervousness, Anxiety, Fear. 

Sometimes it's the rushing through life that saves me from so much mental apprehension. Of course, with these negative feelings come the positives: Excitement, Hope, and a Fire that grows within me with each step that leads me closer to my destination. 

Today has been a special first day being back:

1. I found out I have a new Fulbright co-teacher -  an English teacher with whom I worked last year as a classroom co-teacher. She is beautiful, sweet, and soft-spoken but has been away for a semester. I am glad to be working with her again and am excited for the new dynamic ahead of us!
2. A former ETA (2011) came to visit! Hogan Medlin, Yeongdo Girls' High School's first ever native English teacher came to say hi to the principal (who is very fond of him), the teachers he worked with (who were talking about his visit 6 months before it happened), and his students (who are now in the 3rd grade). We had communicated via email during my first year as an ETA and he had been quite generous with tips on how to ease my experience at YGHS. What a real pleasure to have met you, Hogan! You set the bar high and I couldn't be more grateful for the challenge!

English teachers and principal with Mr. Hogan Medlin, future major world-changer!

Trip to Boseong-gun in South Jeolla Province with My 1st Homestay Family

TRAVELING FROM INCHEON TO BUSAN
After a relatively incident-free direct flight from Seattle to Seoul/Incheon, I arrived back in Busan very early Friday morning. The day was spent more or less sleeping after a sleepless night of waiting for the airport bus limousine to arrive at 10:30 p.m., tossing and turning on said bus for the whole five hours of travel back down to Busan, and then standing streetside at Nopo-dong for 30 minutes trying to hail a taxi in the rain.

To be fair, it was mostly Russel who stood streetside trying to hail a taxi in the rain while I sat dry with my luggage under an awning. Thirty minutes more of commute brought us to the home of my new homestay family, where I didn't even bother to unpack my toiletries before crashing on the newly-made bed they had prepared for me. 

WELCOME BACK TO KOREA! DINNER
Fast-forward to the evening and I am woken up and told by my new host mom, Connie, that she has invited a handful of folks from church and my former host family for dinner! What a thoughtful gesture!

FIRST HOST FAMILY STEALING ME FROM MY SECOND HOST FAMILY 
No, not really, but...

During dinner, my host family convinced me to go on a family trip with them. When? That very night. I was exhausted and disoriented, but this was the same trip my family had been wanting to take me on for what seemed like all of last year but it never materialized. So I said, Yes!, packed a change of clothes, toiletries, and a gift I had prepared for them from the States. My host sisters' excitement served as a kind of energy injection into my system.

TRAVELING FROM BUSAN TO BOSEONG
We traveled for three hours, arriving at my host dad's sister's house a few minutes shy of midnight. Her house was beautiful and comfortable and somewhere in Boseong County, a place famous for its green tea leaves. I slept soundly with Juhyeon and Seoyeon and woke up the next day to a full day of adventures! I will post more on this trip later but, for now, enjoy this video I created through SnapMovie (thanks for the new obsession Juhyeon!), offering a brief glimpse into our afternoon coming home that day. 

The Last Week of My Grant Year | Sunday: The Pastors in My Life in Busan

PENIEL INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

10:00 a.m. | Yeonsan, Yeonje-Gu, Busan

Throughout my grant year, I have found great support from my faith communities here in Busan. I am grateful and count myself blessed for having gotten to know Korean folks, Filipino students and workers, and other foreigners in the area. The Filipino community at Holy Joy used to be a bit bigger, but now that community is only represented by Russel and me. 

Russel preaching at Peniel International Christian Community

PASTOR RUSSEL

By a curious turn of events, Russel now pastors a church in mainland Busan called Peniel, whose foreign members consist mostly of Filipino men and women. 

PASTOR DEO

Deo Vistar, the former pastor of this international Christian community is also Filipino - one who, as a matter of fact, graduated from the same seminary in the Philippines as Russel and who is now pursuing a PhD in New Zealand after having earned two Masters in Korea. 

I am so impressed and inspired by this man's life journey so far! (You can read his blog here). Pastor Deo speaks my native tongue, Visaya, and so was a figure who seemed very familiar to me from the start. There is nothing like hearing your native tongue - complete with its intonations and particular phrasings - to reach into your heart and draw you into a family that is at once a wide network and an intimate unit. There are others at Peniel who also speak Visaya, making this community of believers very attractive to me.

This is the church that Russel has, in a way, "inherited" from Pastor Deo. Not knowing how long I would be able to keep attending this church upon my return to Korea, I did my best to enjoy everyone's company on my last Sunday here before returning to the U.S. for a brief vacation.

This man has a wonderful, wonderful singing voice!

 HOLY JOY CENTER

2:00 p.m. | Yeongdo, Busan

After Peniel, we took the subway back to Nampo-dong, and then walked across the Yeongdo Bridge to Holy Joy Center in time for me to practice singing with the worship team. 

PASTOR GABRIEL

These days, the worship leader and main pastor of the English service is the same (and, might I add, busy) man, Pastor/Professor Gabriel from Kosin University. He is a vibrant character whose stories about his native South Africa and his experience of marrying a Korean woman (and, subsequently, her family) has kept me laughing and, at the same time, deep in thought regarding the way human beings interact with each other across cultures.

With the apparent flight of most of our Filipino church attendees (who made up the largest portion of foreigners in the English service), the church deacons cultivated new plans of drawing in foreigners from a different country, Cambodia.

Now, we have a growing community of Cambodians who attend our English service. The church provides them with English tutoring, and, because I'm an English teacher, has appointed me as their English instructor. Today, though, I team-taught with Russel as we used an online tool to help deliver our lesson on the alphabet and very basic words in English.

Our group of English learners. The others were in a different room learning Korean

Our students' names. Pronunciation was an issues so we had to have them spell their names out to us

A game we played on the board to gauge their spelling skills

Observing some hilariously misspelled words by their team members

Baby strapped to mom's back as she participates in the spelling activity

Hopefully baby is also learning some English, even subconsciously! 

After church, Russel and I walked back to Nampo and headed to our favorite Chinese restaurant, where we ordered the same two items on the menu: sea food fried rice and sea food soup (they had fancier names on the menu but, seriously, you couldn't be more to the point than this!).

Russel still on Pastor mode, sharing his ideas on eschatology, or end-time events.
Who needs dessert when you can talk about an optimistic view of the end of the world?!

He wanted me to bring a few small gifts back to my family from him, which was really thoughtful.
These are some of the coloring books he picked up for Emily!

Without a doubt, my experience here in South Korea would not be the same without this man who, from the moment I stepped into Holy Joy, took my hand and led me to the various communities he was already a part of or was just establishing. I don't know what the next year will bring, but I want you to know how grateful I am for your care and company during my first year in Korea. Thank you, Pastor Russel! (Feels strange addressing you as that, but you truly do have a pastor's heart).