"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."

Brace yourselves. This is one long and random blog, but I figure that since I haven't written in three months, I am allowed long and random :)

Seth visited my private, all girls' school in October. My girls told him he was handsome multiple times, and one student insisted that he looks like Winnie the Pooh. What they really wanted to know from him was . . . "Do you like Anna?" "Do you love Anna?" "Do you think Anna is beautiful?" "What are Anna's best personality traits?" "When did you first kiss?" "When did you last kiss?" "When will you have a baby?" But the question that topped them all was, "If you were born again, would you love Anna?" And the statement that topped them all was, "Anna your husband is getting more handsome." It's been about six weeks since he visited, and they are still asking me where he is and why he isn't at our school.

Seth with my girls

The mountains are a sea of brown in the fall. I didn't find the colors to be nearly as striking as they are in Minnesota, but a few trees are brilliant reds and yellows.

Seongju Girls' High School

Daegu

"We are the best EPIKers!" This was the slogan for the EPIK trip we were selected to attend because of good performance. My memory of the trip is tainted with limited images of a bus.

Except for this stunning temple hidden in the mountains amongst stone towers, the bus is really all I remember.

Miasan Temple

Maurice made an outstanding Kenyan dinner for a huge group of friends this October. We were all very impressed with his cooking skills.

Maurice's Kenyan dinner . . . yummy . . .

This gorgeous summit of Gayasan graces our humble work town of Seongju. We spent a Saturday hiking it with our American friends, Ben and Lilli. This hike made me realize how out of shape I am . . . I really miss those 5k races.

at the summit of Gayasan

My girls performed so well during the school festival. They displayed artwork, sold handmade crafts, cooked snacks, and had a choir contest.

two of my middle school 3rd grade students wearing traditional Korean clothing - Hanbok

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Andong with our American friends, Danny and Katy. There were about 40 foreigners at this potluck. There wasn't a turkey, but there was ample amounts of other delicious food including mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie (for those of you who like that stuff).

Thanksgiving potluck

Seth celebrated his 25th birthday in Korea! It was an all day extravaganza. We had Maurice over for brunch, movies, and Wii. Then we met a group of 14 friends for dinner and games at the game club.

The sparklers make the cake!


Today is December 23rd, and so far we have had only one snowfall :( It was beautiful while it lasted, but it vanished quickly. The students went bonkers throwing snowballs. It rarely snows in our area of Korea. I can't believe we won't have a white Christmas . . .

I love snow!!!

Through changes and challenges in the past few months, I’ve learned three things in new ways. God is gracious. God gives abundant blessings. God has an excellent plan for our lives.

Note: At any point when I say “winter vacation,” I do not really mean vacation. I think vacation in Korea means “different schedule” because the students don’t actually get vacation. They simply have a different schedule during this time period. One of my co-teachers has to teacher 120 hours during his “vacation!”

Filled with apprehension, we tried to plan our winter vacation. If I haven’t already told you, it’s extremely hard to plan ahead in Korea. My sister-in-law, Laura, said that she assumed Koreans would be very structured and organized. The opposite is true. Things continually change at the last minute here. A whole class will randomly not show up, and a teacher will come in ten minutes late to tell you that the students have tests all day. At 4:30 in the afternoon, you will be told that all of the teachers are going to dinner together after work. You will be asked to sing on the spot; you will be told that it’s school picture day the second before the picture, you will be asked if you are going to sign another contract on the spot and an immediate decision is expected, etc.

Because of the lack of planning, it can be very stressful to try to plan a vacation. Nearly five times, different teachers attempted to get me to change my vacation days so that I could teach an English camp, but I put my foot down and did not give in to their pleadings. The outcome, after much fret and through God’s grace, is that my co-teacher gave me SEVEN WEEKS of vacation!! I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am! Compare that to the five DAYS I got for summer. This news has rejuvenated my spirit. I am still boggled that I will have so much time off!

We have been in Korea for 10 months, and previous to this winter break that we are expecting, we had five days of vacation. We have not gotten to travel like so many of our friends. I was feeling quite jealous of all of the unique experiences our friends have had traveling to China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Turkey, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, etc. During the peak of my aggravation, God clearly showed me why we haven’t traveled yet. Instead of taking frequent small trips like we had originally planned, He had a far better trip in mind for us.

This winter we will be going on a two week vacation to Kenya with our friend Maurice! I am now so glad that we have not done any other traveling. Like many have told us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We could not have handpicked a better place to spend our vacation time.

We will get to spend two fun weeks with our
good friend. He will be there to guide us through his home territory. We will have the opportunity to experience a culture that is so different from American and Asian culture, and we will get to more countries than we had ever planned!

We have not set our itinerary in stone yet, but the hope is to have a layover in either Dubai or Istanbul. Some of the things on our “to experience list” are . . .

explore Tanzania, stop in Uganda, go on a safari, explore the Serengeti, hike around Mt. Kilimanjaro, venture into the 2nd biggest slum in the world, tour Nairobi, go to the coffee plantations at Thika in Maurice’s home town, meet Maurice’s family, friends, and home church, go to a Kenyan soccer or rugby game, tour a Kenyan school, sunbathe on the beaches of Mombasa, relax at Lake Victoria, see the Big Five of Africa, tease a baboon with a banana, eat fresh picked pineapple and bananas, tour mosques (I think there were a few other things on the list . . . ). Can we do it all in two weeks? Probably not but there's always room to dream. Our friendship with Maurice and this amazing opportunity are proof of God’s grace, blessings, and plan.

We have one other piece of big news to share with you . . . We just signed another teaching contract. We will stay in Korea until August 25, 2011, another eight months. We decided to stay because . . .

We have more to experience in Korea. We aren’t ready to leave yet.
We have great friends and great jobs.
We make good money.
We have a small ministry here.
We are growing in our relationship with each other and our relationship with Christ.
We could save a significant amount of money and get amazing opportunities to travel.
We desire to see our students English ability improve even more.
We aren’t sure what we will do when we go home.
Our families have more chances to visit us!

And so on . . .

Currently, it is two days ‘til Christmas! We’ve been using every means possible to get into the Christmas spirit, but it’s a little more challenging to summon it here in Korea. Why? The most important aspect of Christmas is obviously not the superficial things. The most important characteristic of Christmas is Christ’s birth, and that can and is celebrated across the world in all situations and circumstances. It’s silly that I miss the superficial things so much. This holiday season will be different in many ways this year.

Some things that I will miss . . .

family, snow, ample amounts of Christmas decorations, contagious Christmas spirit, traditional Christmas cookies, Christmas carols on every radio station, Christmas movies all over TV, and real Christmas trees.

These songs have given me many moments of nostalgia. Before I could only imagine how these lyrics truly resonated with others, but now, I empathize with every verse.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten, and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white"

These lyrics remind me of “Narnia” just outside our backdoor, taking the sled to Mom’s work on Christmas Eve while bellowing out Christmas carols on the snow covered road. Face washes from my brothers, snow angels, catching snowflakes on my tongue, the crunch of snow as I trample over it with my bulky winter boots, and Sandy leaping through the snow like a rabbit.

"When you're still waiting for the snow to fall
It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all

Those Christmas lights
Light up the street
Down where the sea and city meet
May all your troubles soon be gone
Oh, Christmas lights, keep shining on

Those Christmas lights Light up the street
Maybe they'll bring her back to me
Then all my troubles will soon be gone
Oh, Christmas lights, keep shining on

Those Christmas lights
Light up the street
Light up the fireworks in me
May all your troubles soon be gone
Those Christmas lights, keep shining on"

These lyrics remind me of our candle-light Christmas Eve services and singing Silent Night, the Holiday of Lights, fighting with my parents about putting up colored Christmas lights rather than plain white, decorating the Christmas tree and making sure that Sandy could see her Christmas bulb, sitting around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and reading the story of Christ’s birth, and the joy that the sparkling lights bring.

"I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents on the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love-light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams"

This is a reminder to my family and friends to enjoy their time together, the snow, and the Christmas spirit for us! Even though I won’t physically be home for Christmas, my heart will be there.

Some things I that make it feel like Christmas in Korea . . .

family in Christ, friends, chocolate-covered peanut butter Ritz crackers (thanks Brittany! Although peanut butter and baking chocolate are ridiculously expensive, those Christmas "cookies" are one of the few things I can make without an oven. They have been a contributing factor to spreading the Christmas spirit), dollar store decorations, Christmas music, watching Elf with my students, Christmas Eve church service, getting to spend Christmas with my husband, the anticipation of Apryl coming to visit on December 27th!

Although I will be missing home, I am excited for our Christmas plans. We have to work on Christmas Eve; Christmas isn’t nearly as extravagant in Korea as it is in the good ol' U.S. of A. After work, we are going to the Christmas Eve service at our Korean church. I will recite Isaiah 53: 5-6, “He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

After the service we are having a Christmas Eve party in our itty-bitty apartment. We are going to eat Christmas “cookies," watch Christmas movies, and play games. Then Seth and I will spend Christmas day ALONE :) It's atypical of me to be excited about having no plans for Christmas, but we are endlessly hanging out with friends here (which we love). I want to wake up late, make brunch, open presents, read, play Super Mario Bros., read, play board games, watch a movie, and read. I don’t know if we will even leave the house!

The best Christmas gift I will receive this year is my sister coming to visit!!!!! I can’t wait to spend some quality girl time with her and to share our Korean life with her. I’ll definitely be writing a blog about her visit.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our beloved family and friends!

Love, Anna 애나

Dynamic September

As many of you know, Shayla came to Korea mid-September as our first visitor! Seth and I both thought that when we saw her, we were going to be emotional, but it was so natural. At first, it seemed like I hadn’t seen her in a long time, and she seemed to look different, but after about ten minutes, it felt like we were back hanging out in the Midwest. It was so fun to get caught up and share our lives in Korea with her. Her first day in Korea she went to Seth’s school and met the students and teachers and ate snail soup.

That same day, Friday, was my 25th birthday! I am now a quarter of a century old, but guess what?! I’m not scared of aging. Each year, I realize God’s blessings more and more and know that my future is in God’s hands! Age has no real importance.

During the school day, my students had a field trip that I had the privilege of going on. We went to a dilapidated old school in the mountains for a cultural experience. The students made traditional Korean crafts and did performances. My students were so sweet to me all day. They all wished me happy birthday, and some of them even sang to me :) One student who I talk to often, bought a birthday cake for me from Paris Baguette!

For my birthday dinner, Seth and I took Shayla to one of our favorite hole-in-the-wall 훈새 오리 (grilled duck) restaurants. Although it’s a hole-in-the-wall, it’s one of the most famous grilled duck restaurants in Daegu. Despite being a little nervous at first, she really liked it! After duck, we went back home and ate the birthday cake from my student.

On Saturday we had another birthday party for 시환 and me. Seth planned the perfect day. We met all of our friends at 두류 (Duryu) Park. I think there were 17 of us total. We laid out mats, chatted in the shade, played some Poker, and drank Sangria. Later on, the guys played a game of football.

As the sun started to set, we headed for my favorite 벌고기 (bulgogi) restaurant. Upon arriving, we were informed that the entire restaurant had been reserved for the night. A little let down and worried about where we were going to eat with 17 people, we sent out a restaurant search party. Kathy came back with good news. A 삼겹살 (samgyupsal - barbequed pork stips) restaurant had plenty of room.

Satisfied after our delicious meal, we went in search 노래방 (noraebang - karaoke). We had a yummy, moist chocolate cake (Thanks, Kathy) and sang our hearts out. Shayla and I sang “Baby” together. Noraebang is one of my favorite things to do here in Korea, not because I’m a good singer and love singing. Actually the opposite is true. I’m a terrible singer and hate singing, but I love the camaraderie during 노래방 sessions. It’s so fun to watch people let loose and make fools of themselves.
On Monday, Shayla went to my school. Each day, I greet the students as they are walking through the door into my classroom. Shayla stood next to me greet the students as well. As they came through the door, they started giving me the usual “hi,” but the instant they spotted Shayla they covered their mouths, hid their faces, and ran to their desks. They are so cute. Each time they meet a new foreigner they are so shy!

Shayla began each class with answering questions about herself. Koreans are very curious about foreigners. All the classes asked her, “How old are you?” and “Do you have a boyfriend?” Everyone told her that she was beautiful numerous times, and she heard far too many times, “You have big eyes, and a small head.” To most people this would sound like an insult, but to Koreans it’s a very nice compliment. In general, Koreans think that big eyes and small heads are beautiful. They believe that all Koreans have small eyes and big heads.

Shayla had a few new cultural experiences at my school. We had “weed” soup :) for lunch. That’s my name for it because it is made of plants that grow everywhere along roadside. As I was walking with my co-workers one day, they pointed to the side of the road, and said, “This was the soup today.” She got to experience Korean students, and she also got to use a squatty potty for the first time. Something everyone should have to do when in Korea.

On Tuesday, we took Shayla shopping downtown with 시환. For dinner, we went out for pasta, and afterward, we hung out in a game room playing board games into the wee hours of the night.

On Thursday, Shihwan took us on an insanely steep hike up 발공산 (Palgongsan - mountain) to see Gatbawi, a Buddha carved out of stone. The view was worth getting sweaty, sticky, and smelly. We were able to look down on Daegu and the surrounding mountains. It was one of the most beautiful and powerful places I have been in Korea. We were at such great heights that the wind slashed at our faces and made us shiver despite the abundant sunlight.

on the bus to 발공산

Buddhist temple on the hike up 발공산

the breathtaking view from 발공산

rejuvenating after the hike

Shayla's time with us began to wind down. On Friday, we spent hours on end traveling on the bus and throughout the Seoul subway system in order to show her a little bit of Seoul before she headed back to the good ol' U.S.A. We took her to one of the busiest shopping centers in Seoul, 명당, and to 이대완 (Itaewon – the foreigner district), and on Saturday, we soaked in the warm autumn sun at a pleasant park by the 한강 (Han River).

한강

It was such a blessing to have Shayla stay with us.

Sunday was our last day with our good friend 시환 :( Dinner with his family was a little quiet as we knew we would soon be saying goodbye. We hope to convince him to come stay with us in the U.S., and we also want to visit him in Australia, but in the back of our minds, we couldn't help but think that we might never see him again. Before he left, Seth gave him one of his famous buzz cuts.

September was a dynamic month for the Schuetts in Korea.

Love, 애나 상생님

ER, Typhoons, and Korean Culture

Despite the dreadful heat that has been consistently in the 90’s and often times 70% humidity, we've had an enjoyable summer. We have consistently found ourselves at Cold Stone and Sydney’s for respite. One unbearably sticky weekend we went with our Korean and foreign friends to a Samsung Lions baseball game. There are eight official Korean baseball teams. Each is owned by a major Korean company. For some of our friends, this was their first baseball game! The field was small but had a roaring crowd and an official cheer team clad in blue and white. It was nice but not comparable to the new Target Stadium (although I have only seen pictures ;). A friend compared it to the St. Paul Saints field. We cheered in Korean with the best of them even though we had no idea what we were saying, and instead of eating hot dogs and popcorn, we ate 만두 (mandu - Korean dumplings) and fried chicken.

After we got over the fact that our summer vacation would not be a vacation at all, we enjoyed working with elementary school students. It was a nice change to work with sweet and innocent elementary school children who still want to hold hands and hug.

For two of the English camps, we got to stay at 가ㅑ산 (Gayasan - Gaya Mountain) at a hotel huddled in the mountains. The thick green trees and valley with a rushing river were refreshing. We swam in the river a little and enjoyed not being in the city.

Despite the beauty of the place and the impressively high English level of the students, we were extremely frustrated. Our co-teachers for the camp, not the co-teachers we normally work with, were standoffish and unwelcoming, just another experience to teach us how to be empathetic to foreigners and minorities in our own country.

An emergency room adventure also filled our “vacation.” Friday night at the hotel, I decided to take a bath for the first time since we have been in Korea. Yes, we have a bathtub in our apartment, but I think I could only fit a quarter of my body in it ;) The shower head was one in which you had to hold down the handle the entire time in order for water to come out. After an awkward bath in which I couldn’t fit my legs, I went to bed.

Splitting pain in my ear woke me up the next morning. We still had half a day of camp left, so I popped some Ibuprofen and continued on with my day. The entire day I continued this routine, Ibuprofen, wait four hours, Ibuprofen, wait four hours. I convinced my self that it had to be something very minor, not worth going to the doctor.

The next day, I continued the routine, unable to function properly without the pain killers. It was the day of the baseball game and I wasn’t going to miss it. We had been planning it for a month. Although it had gotten to the point where my outer and inner ear was swollen, bruising, throbbing in pain, and blocked from all hearing, I chose baseball over health. I took some more Ibuprofen and attempted to listen to everything with my right ear only. I made it through the night with no one other than Seth knowing.

The pounding and ringing that night was so bad that I woke up for 40 minutes trying to alleviate it. The next morning we got ready for church, I popped some more Ibuprofen, and we headed out. After some persuasion, Seth finally convinced me that I should go to the doctor because we would be in the isolated mountains all week at English camp. Our hope was that I could simply go to the doctor’s office that is on the same street as our church, get medicine, and go to church a little later. We were mistaken.

After repeatedly pointing at my ear in an exaggerated manner, saying ouch, ouch, and making signs like ballooning, we got the message across to the receptionist across that I needed someone to look at my ear. She made and x sign with her hands, indicating that we couldn’t see a doctor there. She then wrote down the name and address of a Catholic hospital downtown. Since we have been in Korea six months and frequently use public transportation, we assumed that we could manage using the subway and the bus: wrong again! Stepping up towards the exit of the subway station, we heard pounding rain and witnessed people skirting under protection of the station soaking from head to toe. When we left for church, there had been no rain; we were unprepared for this torrential downpour. From this experience, we learned to always be prepared for rain in Korea, especially during Typhoon season.

Seth braved the rained and dashed out to find the bus station. He came back five minute later not a dry spot on his body creating a puddle around where he stood. We wandered around the underground subway mall searching for an umbrella and an ATM. After acquiring both, we sprinted into the rain and hailed a Taxi, Seth dripping all over the leather seats. Thankfully, the driver just chuckled. We showed him the address, sat back, and took a deep breath. Attempting not to get our Bibles wet, I deposited them on the ledge behind the rear window, making a mental note to pick them back up before we left. When we reached the hospital, comforted by the fact that it was big and looked clean, we dashed inside, escaping the typhoon.

We pantomimed once again and got the security guard to direct us to somewhere I could see a doctor. Turning a whitewashed corner, immediately, we knew where we were: the ER. We saw bloody, yelling, moaning, patients scattered about the room with no curtains for privacy. Doctors and nurses bustled in and out like working ants. Since only the doctors at the hospital could speak English (normally there is a translator, but we were there on a Sunday morning), we found someone wearing a white coat, and told him about my ear. He gently directed us to the reception area to fill out paper work.

Nervous and overwhelmed, we endeavored to translate the Korean form into English but with little success and increasing frustration. After calling at least five different people and interrupting numerous members of our church, we got a hold of our Korean friend 민히 Minhee. I told her what was wrong and she spoke to the receptionist. Apparently, she told him that I couldn’t hear. Obligingly, he filled out all of our paper work. We were then shuffled back into the ER and asked multiple medical questions by a different doctor. Thankfully, I was then guided up to a private room where a doctor inspected my ear (without cleaning or changing the tools) and confirmed that I had a severe ear infection. Feeling relieved, we got my medication and headed for a taxi. At that moment I realized I didn’t have our Bibles . . . nor did I have my transportation card. What a colossal fail to end a horrible day.

In addition to all of our other adventures, we finally did 노래방 (noraebang – Karaoke) 노래 means song 방 means room. This is a very popular pastime in Korea. Each party rents its own private room and spends hours singing and drinking. Koreans are very proud of 노래방, and they should be. It’s great fun.

By the end of summer vacation, I was relieved to be back at my regular school teaching the fall semester. It was uplifting to have my students tell me that the missed me and were happy to see me. Although, I enjoyed working with the elementary aged children, I still prefer middle school students, who are energetic, moody, goofy, and a little sarcastic.

Now, September is here! My 25th birthday approaches. Gladly, Shayla will be visiting us soon. She should arrive on my birthday. Then we will have a week to spend with her. During her stay, Korea has 추석 (chuseok - Korean Thanksgiving).

Until next time,

애나 상생님 Anna-Teacher

A Message from Seth

I really didn't want to write a post right now, but Anna said I have to :)

She thought I should post the story about my longest day in Korea, but I feel like I'm always posting negative stories, so I'll bullet point it and write about some happier things.

- Half day of school starting at 7:30a

- Lunch with co-teacher 1 hour away from home

- Dog Meat

- Buddhist Temple 45 min. away from lunch

- A Korean English Teacher, a Buddhist Monk, and an American walk into a Saum Gyaup Saul Restaurant...

- Drive with Co-Teacher

- Drive with Co-Teacher

- Drive with Co-Teacher

- Pick up Co-Teacher's girlfriend

- Get Home at 9:00p

At the time, I was pretty upset, but looking back, if we could have skipped the dog lunch it would have been pretty fun. If nothing else it was definitely an interesting day of firsts. I only choked down one bite of the dog meat, though, and only after explaining to my co-teacher and his friends that asking an American to eat dog was similar to asking a Muslim to eat pig or a Hindu to eat cow.

On a happier note, I've been able to get out and be a little more active recently. Soccer is my main outdoor activity now, and I've discovered that I'm actually not that bad at it. First I went and played with a bunch of British English Teachers (including one American who graduated from Bethel, small world). Then I was able to go play with a big group of Koreans from our church. We played for almost 3 hours on one of the hottest days of the summer! It was a lot of fun, I even scored a goal :)

Maurice and I have a little deal going now: he teaches me soccer and I teach him basketball. It's been a lot of fun. No more football though, I'm too afraid of breaking Korean fingers.

Earlier this summer, I taught our Korean friend Shihwan how to catch and throw a football. He caught on fairly quickly, especially for a Korean. I've tried teaching some of my students, and about 1 in 10 shows any aptitude for it. Anyway, I decided to Shihwan was ready for some "advanced" catch, so I taught him how to run routes. After doing this for a little while, he started telling me that his hand was hurting. I thought maybe it was just from learning a fairly new motion, but when I told him we could take a break, he wanted to keep going. Later, when we were eating dinner, he was still complaining about his hand, and when he showed it to us it was obvious that he had some swelling. I joked with him that he better not have broken anything, because it would be the second time I've broken someone's finger playing catch.

The next day, we got a call from Shihwan. He told us that his pinky finger was broken and the Doctor said he needed surgery! Later we found out that this surgery involved 3 pins and a 6 week recovery period followed by physical therapy!!!

There are many awful parts of this story, including: the theory we have made that the Doctor over-diagnosed the injury to get more money; the fact that Shihwan was unable to continue studying for his many tests (which significantly affect his ability to get a job); and a slight case of melancholy that he seems to have come down with. The scariest part of the story, to me anyway, is that the performed the surgery with partial anesthesia, meaning that, although he felt no pain, he was awake during the procedure and could feel pressure in his finger! To make it worse, the Doctor's SET UP A MIRROR FOR HIM TO WATCH!!!!!!! He described as "feeling like a horror movie."

So that's why I don't play football in Korea.

Anyway, hopefully I won't take as long between posts. The summer schedule is a little different, and there is significantly less bored free time for which blogging is perfect.

Our Summer in Korea

Wow! I guess the fact that we haven't written a blog in a month and a half is a sign that our life in Korea has become comfortable and fairly routine. We've still had many fun adventures since the last blog, but the stories are starting to seem less bizarre and more every day.

Here are a few random updates and insights . . .

We love the fact that living in Korea has given us the opportunity to build a very international network of friends. On the way home from a weekend visiting the Letts, another expatiate family, an extremely kind Pakistani man struck up a conversation with Seth on the bus. He graciously offered us a ride home from the bus station. We accepted and exchanged phone numbers. We've had the chance to get coffee with him, and Seth hopes to play soccer with him in the near future. He has lived in Korea for eight years working on cars in one of the many factories in our area. Many Asian and Middle Eastern expatriates work in the Industrial Complex in Daegu. His wife and two children are currently in Pakistan but some times live with him in Korea. I told him that I hope to meet his wife and children some day.

Through our very good Kenyan friend Maurice, we now have a Ghanaian friend, a Filipino friend, and a Rwandan friend. These three guys attend Keimyoung University near our house. They will first study Korean as an Undergrad., and then they will go on to get their Master's in another field. Through their program, the Korean government pays for their education. It is an attempt at making Korea more international. Currently Korea is 98% homogeneous.

In addition, we have British, South African, Canadian, New Zealand, and Australian friends through our EPIK program. It is so interesting and fun to learn the differences in language and culture in other English speaking countries. We love having the opportunity to learn about so many different cultures. It's soooo intriguing and enlightening. Of course, we have by far learned the most about Korean culture, rooted in Confucianism. It's interesting to witness Korea attempting to be both Eastern and Western at the same time. I don't think I can even explain it, you'll just have to come and see for yourselves!

We are pretty fed-up with the Korean work-culture. We had to fight to get five days off for summer vacation, and we are more exhausted and stressed than during the regular semester. The students have a five week summer vacation, but during that time there is summer school, English camps, after school tutoring academies, etc. It is endless!! When people found out that we were going on a four night five day vacation, they said, "Oh, that is too long! You will get bored." Seth and I were so shocked. Typically, Koreans take two or three day vacations.

For our vacation we went to a national park on the southern coast of Korea. We stayed on a small island called Geoje-Do. We loved taking the boat tours the the remote islands, seeing the clear blue ocean, hiking around the forests and gardens, and just relaxing. We definitely did not get bored!

We are currently supposed to be teaching at an English camp at a hotel near the base Gaya Mountain, but because of typhoon Dianmu (it is actually now a category one hurricane), it was postponed a day. We are sooooo thankful for the unexpected day of rest. You'd think teaching at a hotel in the mountains would be fun, but I am not looking forward to it. We have no materials for teaching, no computers, no internet, no white boards or chalkboards, no pencils, paper, chairs etc. We will pretty much be sitting on the floor of a hotel room try to teach EFL. Don't know how successful that will be.

Here are a few pictures from our vacation . . .

One of the beaches on Geoje-Do. All of the beaches were super crowded with families sitting under umbrellas, floating in tubes, burying each other in the sand, and eating Ramen and watermelon. Seth and I felt quite awkward at the beach. EVERYONE was fully dressed! While lying on the beach and swimming in the ocean, they wear swimsuits underneath long sleeve shirts, shorts, hats, jeans, etc. What???!!! The beach scene is sooooo different than in the U.S. In the U.S., people wear as little clothes as possible. In Korea, people wear as much clothes as possible.

Our boat tours were so breathtaking. Many of the small islands had beautiful rock formations because of the strong ocean winds whipping the waves against them.

This island is owned by a Korean couple. They made the whole island into a gorgeous sculpture garden. The only drawback was that we were soooo hot and sweaty that we struggled to enjoy it.

Windy Hill

This is where we spend our last night of vacation. We sat at a quaint coffee shop and watched the sunset over the islands. Perfect.

Love, Anna Teacher

World Cup Fever

We spent the weekend in Seoul with our friends, Danny and Katy, from Colorado.

Danny and Katy at Ponchos, a Mexican restaurant in Itaewon - Itaewon means place of foreign birth. This area is highly populated with foreigners. It was such a change to see this amount of diversity!

Seth and I enjoying good friends, good food, and laughter in Itaewon

Everyone in this popular shopping district was walking around with these face-size (as Katy would say) ice cream cones. We couldn't resist.

Oh, yes! Koreans love the Twilight Saga too :) I can't wait for Eclipse to come out.
P.S. I am learning Korea. I can read what the ad. says!

We went to Seoul City Hall to watch Korea play in round two of the World Cup. Soccer is Korea's biggest sport. Throughout the first round, everyone stayed up all night to watch Korea play. My students and co-workers came to school exhausted because of late game schedule.

Seth and I have jumped on the bandwagon. We decked out in Red Devils gear and cheered with the best of them. At City Hall, there were tons of huge flat screens set up for the game. Every single person was wearing red. You can see all of the glowing devil horns. We joined in dancing, jumping, cheering, and yelling for Korea. We arrived at City Hall two hours before the game began. The park was so packed that we didn't even attempt to find a sitting spot. People were flooding the streets. The police had to close the major highway because of the high concentration of people. We were standing under a stoplight watching the pre-game show.

Supporting Korea

Danny and Seth looking so cool

Right before the game started, it began to rain, but the rain didn't scare us or the Koreans away. Everyone bought ponchos and stood out in the rain wet and soggy cheering for Korea. I'm sad to report that they didn't win, but it was a once in a life time opportunity!

-Anna

Explore the DMZ!

Friday, June 25th was the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. This weekend we went on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between the North and South. The DMZ is 4 kilometers in width. The area is a no civilian zone. Civilians are only allowed in this area on tours. Both borders are heavily armed. Our tour guide explained that the US army dropped landmines in the DMZ in order to prevent land attacks from North Korea that regularly happened after the Korean War "ended" and sometimes even happen today. We were able to see areas fenced off with red flags warning that the area was covered in landmines. We were strongly cautioned to always stay with our guide. Despite being a demilitarized, no civilian, zone the area is also a "nature reserve." Because human habitation is prohibited, unique and endangered plants and animals exist here.

Freedom Bridge - This bridge was built to commemorate the location where North and South Korea exchanged 12,773 prisoners of war after the ceasefire in 1953. The two Koreas are technically still at war.

This is the final and north most railroad station in South Korea. It was built in the hopes that one day it will connect the North and the South. Pyeongyang is the capital city of North Korea. After the Korean peninsula is united, this railroad will connect Korea, China, Russia, and Europe.

President George W. Bush visited this railroad station after it was built in 2002. He gave a speech recognizing South Korea's strength and achievements. He also encouraged South Koreans to continue to hope for and strive for the unification of Korea.

There is one road that leads to North Korea. South Korea is only allowed to use this road 12 times a day total. Those who do travel on it must have special permission and must have gone through an application process.


We were able to look at Gaesong city, the third largest city in North Korea. You cannot see it in this picture, but we were able to clearly see a propaganda village, Gaesong industrial complex, a statue of Kim Il Sung, and the tallest flagpole in the world displaying the North Korean flag.

At this location, we were only allowed to take pictures outside (I was disappointed because the inside of this area was my favorite part of the tour)! After taking pictures, we entered a building, locked up our belongings, threw on hard hats, and headed down a narrow tunnel. The tunnel we explored is called The 3rd Tunnel. It was discovered in 1978. This tunnel was dug by North Koreans. It starts in North Korea and goes under the DMZ. The intent was for North Korea to use this tunnel and others to once again attack the South; however, their progress was stopped when the tunnel was discovered. After the tunnel had been discovered, the North Koreans quickly spread coal along the roof and sides of the tunnel. They told the South that the purpose of the tunnel was for mining coal, but the tunnel is all granite. There is no coal in the area, except for what they smeared on the tunnel walls. Four of these tunnels have been discovered. They all point in the direction of Seoul. South Korea believes that there are still many tunnels to be discovered. It is estimated that 10,000 soldiers could move through one tunnel in one hour. Exploring the tunnel was very intriguing. Dynamite holes covered the walls, yellow powder still lingered around the holes, and coal was smeared in random spots.

Although their hope for this has dwindled by the recent rising tensions, South Koreans are very eager to unite the Korean peninsula. This statue represents the unification of Korea.

All in all, it was very intriguing to learn about and see the most isolated country in the world.

-Anna

DMZ!!!... Oh yeah, WORLD CUP!!!!!!

So, yesterday we went up to see North Korea :) This train station was built in the hope that one day South Koreans and North Koreans would be traveling freely within their respective territories.

This platform overlooks the Demilitarized zone. From here you can see a small North Korean town, opposing North and South Korean flags, the third largest city in North Korea (which is not big), and plenty of barbed wire and watch towers.

This is City Hall for the South Korea v. Uruguay round of 16 match. IT. WAS. CRAZY.

One other interesting tidbit. When walking anywhere in a city, be aware of your surroundings. Should you at any point lose your focus, you may easily find yourself... being peed on. Last weekend we were visiting the coastal city of Busan. It was a great place:

On our way to watch that, um, spectacle, we were witness to two peculiar parenting practices. The first was a 3-4 year old boy being carried out of a store (while vomiting) to throw up in the street. The second, just outside of a beach-front hotel on a busy street, was an older gentleman instructing a young girl of 5-7 to pee on the sidewalk, a puddle we narrowly avoided.

On our way back from Seoul this weekend, on the subway platform no less, a woman had a young boy pull down his pants and underwear and pee into a pop can.

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The Great and the Not So Great

Great Things about My Job . . .
If you are a teacher, you will understand why these things are so wonderful :)
I have a full hour lunch break!
The students have a 10 minute passing period between classes, and I don’t have to do hall duty!
I do not have to do any grading, unlike last year when I had to grade hundreds of essays.
I have my own office and my own classroom.
I have computers in the classroom for student use.
Windows surround all but one side of my building.
I have a huge book shelf full of young adult literature for the students!
My classroom comfortably fits 35 students.
I have hours and hours of prep. time!
Most students WANT to be in my class.
My students treat me like a superstar. They constantly yell, “I love you!” out the windows, and whenever the see me, they happily greet me. I think this is the most famous I will ever be :)
Many of my students are interested in learning about my life and my country.
Teaching is highly regarded. Teachers are treated with respect.

Not So Great Things about My Job . . .
Although it’s nice to not have to do grading, it makes it hard to motivate the students because Korea is so focus on tests and grades..
The bathrooms do not have toilet paper; therefore, I have to supply my own.
The students clean the school. There are no janitors. My classroom gets cleaned once a week at most, and the students aren’t the best cleaners.
I believe that some of the students come from racist homes. I have experienced a little bit of racism towards non-Koreans and disdain for English and English speakers.
Even if I have absolutely no work to do, I have to sit in the office and fulfill hours . . .
I only get eight days for summer vacation, and I had to fight for those eight days.
The principal and my co-workers are very reluctant to use air conditioning, fans, and heat. They put strict restrictions on the use.

Great Things about Korea (in my opinion) . . .
Koreans have strong national pride.
They work hard, hard, hard!
Korea is soooo green, and there is a wide variety of flowers.
There are many beautiful places to hike.
Most convenient stores are open 24/7.
The subway system is awesome! It is clean, efficient, and cheap.
Buildings are heated by hot water running through the floors, so my feet stay nice and warm during winter.
There are gazillions of coffee, donut, and ice-cream shops J
Koreans are very respectful to their elders.
Bulgogi . . . yumm :)
The Korean soccer team, The Red Devils, is awesome!
Although it is a little to “poppy” for me, Korean music is extremely popular throughout Asia.
Korean kids are so adorable!
Grilled duck . . . yumm :)
The universities have beautiful campuses.
Taxis are cheap and speedy.
PC Rooms! On the fourth floor of most buildings, there is an independently owned PC Club. The internet is super fast. You can play games, surf the web, work, and buy snacks, like ramen.
Korea is sooo safe. We have never worried about our safety, even late at night. We haven’t even heard of any crime since we have been here.
There are countless flavors of ramen!
The Korean language is easy to learn. 99% of Koreans are literate.

Not So Great Things about Korea (in my opinion) . . .
Most Koreans hate the sun! Many of them wear long sleeves, pants, hats, scarves, and even gloves during the summer! Koreans consider fair skin to be very valuable.
In any situation, the elder or person who is in a higher position than you can command you what to do and you are expected to listen and obey directly.
Every possible space of land is filled with buildings, buildings, buildings. There are no yards. In my classes, I had to explain what a yard was.
Many Koreans eat dog meat. I was told that some Koreans believe that if the dog is tortured before it is killed, it will have a better taste. Older men also eat dog meat in a spicy sauce in order to give them stamina
There is no national or provincial system for dealing with garbage. Each section of town has a different system, and individuals come around and sort through and collect the garbage. There is often trash scattered around the streets.
There is always a haze of pollution and yellow sand.
Adults are always working and kids are always studying.
Some of my favorite things are hard to find or extremely expensive . . . cheese, Western-style popcorn, limes, margaritas, macaroni and cheese, Mexican food, etc.
Unless you are talented enough to go professional, you do not get to participate in organized extra-curricular sports. There are special programs and schools for those who are skilled athletes.
Coffee shops and bakeries are not open in the early morning. It is impossible to get a cup of coffee and a donut before work!
Buildings are heated by hot water running through the floors, so our whole apartment gets super hot when we take showers during the summer.
There are no street names.
Most Koreans love entrails and squid.
There are no ovens :( I miss baking, especially cheesecake!
There are no dryers!
There are no dishwashers!
There’s hardly any wildlife. When I asked what kind of animals Korea had, my co-teachers said, “Tigers, lions, etc.” I was very confused. I later found out that the tigers and lions can only be found in the zoo :)
The Koreans whom I have met do not like to read for pleasure.
Video game and computer game addiction is a national problem.
People stare me down and repeatedly say, "Russian? Russian? Are you Russian? I'm looking for a Russian?" Sadly, young Russian girls will be sent to Korea for prostitution, and apparently, I look Russian.
People have said behind my back and directly to my face, "We are in Korea. Why are you speaking English?" I now have much more empathy for those who are living in the US and are still in the process of learning English.
There is very little diversity in race, life-style, and fashion. It is a very uniform country.

Come visit us in Daegu and you can experience all of these things first hand! *hint *hint to a few specific people out there :)