Surprise! It's a manatee!

How does one go about telling people she is pregnant? I still haven’t figure it out, so I sprung it on people at random unexpected moments. The shocked faces and disbelief were hilarious. Seth said he loved watching me tell people. I guess it was quite entertaining.

We received an assortment of reactions upon telling people that we are going to have a baby. We called my parents first. They were both out of the house visiting their parents for the evening. Being so anxious to finally start spreading the news, we called both of their cell phones. I've never called my mom's cell phone from Korea, so I thought she would be a little suspicious, but she didn't have a clue. I lied and told her that we needed to talk to them about our tax returns. She promised that she and Dad would Skype us when they got home. After coming up with some lame problem that we were having with our taxes, we finally (after a lot of dilly dallying on my mom’s part) got them to both sit in front of the web came. Instead of telling them, we held the ultrasound picture up to the screen. My dad had a grin on his face, and I knew that he instantly knew, but he was waiting for my mom to catch on. Silly mom! You'll never live this story down. We asked her if she knew what the picture was, and she said that it looked like the manatee that she had just seen on their vacation to the Florida Keys. Slowly, she processed what she was looking at and couldn't accept reality. Popping her mouth and eyes wide open, throwing her head back, and grabbing my dad's shoulder, she expressed her shock. They both had smiles plastered on their faces the rest of the conversation.

The instant we held the ultrasound up to the web cam Seth's Mom whispered into Dad Schuett's ear, “They're pregnant.” She started yelling out obscure baby names (that we’re probably gonna pass on, but thanks for the suggestions) and Seth's dad shed a few tears. They woke up the siblings, and we got to share the good news that they would be aunts and uncles and that Mom and Dad Schuett would be grandparents! We are going to give Shayla and Stacey what they have been bothering us for, a niece or nephew to spoil :)

I was getting extremely frustrated with the fact that Apryl was REFUSING to Skype us (maybe she wasn't refusing, but it felt that way . . . ) “We have plans that night.” “We're in bed.” “We just talked to you a week ago.” I knew she was getting suspicious because of our incessant calling. Finally, one evening while she was sitting in her robe hanging out with David, we were able to show them the ultrasound. Her reaction: weeping. Now, if you don't know my sister, you might call this a bad reaction to great news, but if you know my sister, you know that this was the most encouraging reaction we could have received. She explained that she was crying so much because she was soooooo soooooo happy that we were having a baby and sooooo sooooo sad that she couldn't be with me to help nurse me through all of the pregnancy quirks and to see the baby growing.

I think God gets a real kick out of surprising us. When Apryl was here to visit, she begged us to come back to the States. I told her that we were still thinking about staying for another year, but that if she and David had a baby, we would come home as soon as possible to be with them. God turned the tables and got us pregnant!

I had to inform my co-teachers of my pregnancy early on because I needed to take a morning off of work to see the doctor. The day after my doctor’s visit I was talking to one of my students in the hallway. My new, young, male co-teacher walked past and decided that he just had to know how the doctor’s visit went. Knowing what he was up to, I attempted to start a random, non-pregnancy related conversation. He didn’t get the hint, and asked the question I was dreading. How was your doctor’s appointment? Did you get to see your baby move? My student freaked out in the middle of the hallway by shouting, jumping up and down, and grabbing my arm. While this was taking place, my co-teacher crept off. Eventually, I got her to clam down and sternly told her, “It’s a secret, and if you tell any of the other students, you will be in big trouble.” After double checking that she understood, I began celebrating with her. She dropped by my office several times to chat about the secret. The very next day she brought me some very Korean Hello Kitty baby slippers :)

All of our co-teachers were both exhilarated and disappointed with the news. They are so excited that we are having a baby, but they understand that a baby means we will be leaving Korea soon. It’s great to know that they still want us here. During my commute, Mrs. Lee said, “I really hope that after your baby is one or two years old, you will come back to Korea.” I replied, “Oh yeah, I’d like to come back to visit.” “To visit!?” She repeated. Then I realized she wanted us to live in Korea again. Unless God decides to throw us for another loop, I highly doubt we will be back for good.

It was getting quite difficult to keep the secret, but we were determined to tell as many people as we could either in person or on Skype before revealing the news on Facebook. Finally, after nearly a two month wait, I surprised my students by showing them the ultrasound. The various reactions was so encouraging. Koreans are crazy for babies! They screamed, cheered, clapped, and sang. Some of the students asked the Korean English teacher if I was lying or joking. The Korean teacher explained that I am so slim that they didn’t believe I was pregnant. The students have said . . . “Teacher, you are so slim. It’s dangerous.” Teacher, you should be careful.” “Eat a lot for your baby.” “Listen to Mozart for your baby.” “Oh, teacher, don’t do that. Be careful.” One day after class, a group of about 10 students backed me into a wall and repeatedly rubbed and patted my stomach. The strangest part was that at this point, I didn’t have a baby bump, so they were just rubbing and patting my still flat stomach. Also, if they wanted to touch the baby, they would have had to touch uncomfortably low . . . I don’t think they realize that the baby is not where my stomach is :) One socially awkward student stayed after class, came uncomfortably close to my belly and tried to look inside it to see the baby. Her face was literally almost touching my stomach. I had to push her away and say no, no, no, you can’t see it . . . I can’t even imagine how many belly pattings/rubbings I’m going to get once I get a real baby bump . . . I might just start rubbing and patting people's bellies in return.

You're Pregnant Dummy: Some Obvious Misdiagnosed Symptoms

I spent one long, gruesome day in Kenya making circles between the bed and bathroom. I claimed food poisoning that somehow my sister-in-law, Laura, new to be a mis-diagnosis of my vomiting.

Although it's never happened in my entire life, I attributed my missed period to the stress, anxiety, and hectic schedule of the Kenya trip. That one was a stretch, but somehow I convinced myself it was an accurate diagnosis.

Cravings for garlic, orange juice, dill pickles, onion bagels, provolone cheese, tuna, and cranberry juice, pounced on me at sporadic moments. “I'm just really homesick and want some comfort foods from America.” Shouldn’t I have found it strange that a week later even the smells of those foods were making me nauseous? During a Costco run, I convinced Seth to let me buy a colossal jar of pickles, a big package of provolone cheese, two bags of onion bagels, and massive liters of cranberry juice. Now, two months later, the pickles and provolone are still chillin’ in our frig . . . sorry Seth :( Every time he attempts to eat the provolone, I am revolted by the smell.

I had severe nausea the entire three weeks after returning from Kenya. We were taking antimalarial medicine which can have strong side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hallucinations, seizures, etc. (the list gets worse . . .) I was nauseous from the medicine of course!

Our friend, Whitney, asked us if we were having any hallucinations from the antimalarial medicine. I said no, but that I had been having very vivid dreams nightly. The vivid dreams have continued. Every morning I wake up with a bizarre story for Seth about my nighttime adventures.

Seth and I had truly convinced ourselves that I was just dealing with the physical after affects of a grueling trip, but just for reassurance, Seth finally convinced me to take a pregnancy test. I kept telling him that if I didn't take it, then I could just go on pretending I wasn't pregnant whether I was or not. I knew I was being foolish, but it was comforting to go on with life as “normal.” He finally convinced me that putting off taking the test wasn't going to change the outcome, so we ran to the pharmacy, looked up the Korean word for pregnant on our phone’s English/Korean dictionary, and finally got the point across that we wanted a pregnancy test. The pharmacist asked if we wanted two, but we were so positive that the result would be negative that we insisted we only needed one.

One line = negative, two lines = positive. The second line appeared before I had even finished the process. Squeezing my eyes tight, I stepped out of the bathroom and wailed, “I think I'm pregnant.” Seth instantly put his arms around me and said, “What’s wrong. This is a good thing.” After crying for a few minutes while he comforted me, I explained that I wasn't disappointed; I was just utterly shocked and scared. If it had been up to us, we most likely would have waited three more years to start having kids.

We double checked the pregnancy test with the directions, and beat ourselves over the head for not buying two tests. Feeling silly, we ran back to the pharmacy to buy another. The pharmacist laughed and tried to explain a different way to take the test that might lesson the probability of errors. On our way home to take the second test, we got celebration Cold Stone. Seth said he could see the stress in my wide, bloodshot eyes, and in my pacing, fidgeting, and blabbering. The second test glowed two double lines just as instantaneously as the first. With such overwhelming news, we “called in sick” to Bible study.

It's a baby!

Culture Shock: Just the Beginning

Before I get into describing the next phase of our trip, I wanted to comment on something I found simply incredible even before we reached any of our destinations: Customs! Based on childhood experience crossing the border into Canada or flying to Thailand/Australia, etc., I was led to believe that getting through immigration is an immense pain. Now, I have developed a new theory: American immigration is an immense pain! We went through Korean, UAE, Kenyan, and Tanzanian customs 8 times, and the total amount of time we spent talking to the officers was about 12 minutes (although we did have some difficulty in Tanzania, but that's a different story).

Anyway, when we arrived at Jomo Kenyatta Airport feeling dirty, tired, and a little sick to our stomachs, we spotted Maurice waiting for us directly by the exit. Receiving his warm welcome hug and seeing his bright white smile instantly lightened our mood. Knowing that he was there to guide us lifted a huge burden and stress from our shoulders.

We threw our luggage in the “boot” of the rickety rental car Maurice's friend had rented for us. Anna originally wrote “kindly rented,” but I changed it. Not because it wasn't kind of him to help us and Maurice out, but more because of the hardship it caused Maurice. When we opened the boot of the car, we realized it was held closed by a length of wire. At first, I didn't think much of this...

I think it is telling about what state we were in when, about 50 meters out of the airport parking lot, Maurice said, “Oh hey look, there's an Elephant,” and both Anna and I responded with “WHERE?!?” There was no Elephant. It was a sculpture on the side of the road. Maurice got a pretty good laugh out of that one, and I felt significantly like my gullible younger sister Stacey.

Anyway, first impressions: well, if you ever decide to go to Kenya, and you arrive after dark and have to drive any sort of distance, DO NOT base your first impressions on that drive! The combination of our circumstances did not create in me a stable state of mind.

Circumstance 1: It was night time. In Kenya there are few, if any streetlights, to which I am apparently too accustomed.

Circumstance 2: Kenya, particularly Nairobi, has earned itself a less then glowing reputation. Please see http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_923.html It's very interesting, and this article in particular influenced our outlook on the trip.

Notice the date: 12/28/2010. Less then one month before we arrived.

Circumstance 3: There were people everywhere! Pedestrians commonly walked in front of, beside, or behind moving cars in congested traffic while yelling at Maurice to fix his boot.

Circumstance 4: We didn't know what a Matatu was. Basically, they are shared taxis (in the form of a Nissan mini-bus) that really have no rules of the road to follow. The goal of Matatu operators is to cram as many people as possible into the vehicle as quickly as possible. It is not uncommon to fit almost 30 people into a space that, in America, would be designed for 8-10 people. There are known Matatu stops, at which point the Matatu's tend to swell out into traffic as they park anywhere to get people in their bus.

Circumstance 5: The traffic was intense.

Circumstance 6: The roads in Kenya are in terrible condition. If they are paved, they are littered with potholes. It is routine for cars to simply drive off the road to avoid the massive holes in the ground. Fortunately, the government has recognized this as a problem on at least one road, and has started to remedy it. That road happened to be the one to Maurice's house, and the remedy happened to include shutting down huge sections of pavement and redirecting traffic onto windy dirt bypasses. Also, the most common enforcers of traffic laws in Kenya are the enormous speed bumps.

So hopefully you can draw a picture of the situation in your mind using this information. After 25 hours of traveling, with approximately 9 hours of sleep between the 2 of us, we were bouncing along a windy road with no light but the headlights of oncoming traffic, surrounded by crowds of Matatu's and pedestrians who, at this point, we considered perfectly capable of taking our luggage out of the unlatched boot which bounced open higher and shut harder with every pothole and speed bump. I swear there were a few times I didn't know if we would survive that car ride. I'm sure I was completely disoriented, but it seemed like cars were driving straight at us and veering away at the last second.

Luckily, Maurice knew what he was doing. After about 1:30 of this, we picked up his brother and arrived safely at his parents house (thank you Jesus!).

Maurice's parents have a nice place in the country, far away from the crowds we drove through. We couldn't see much of the surrounding area, but the stars captured our attention immediately. It's hard to remember how many stars there actually are when you live in Korea, but Kenya doesn't have that problem.

Finally arriving at their house was a great relief: we were fed an excellent meal of Nyama Choma (goat ribs), Ugali (boiled flour and water), Chapati (flat bread), Mboga (cabbage), and Karanga (beef). It was great. We were served in the family room, the only room in the house with a light bulb. There was enough seating for about 15 people, which is good because so many of their neighbors wanted to come greet us.

We felt very welcomed, but we were excited to get cleaned up and go to sleep! There was no running water, so Maurice's sister Winny heated some water for us to sponge bath ourselves. Before nodding off, we commented to each other that the lack of electricity, running water, and outdoor pit latrine for a toilet gave it the feeling of camping, albeit with a bed and four walls. With that mindset, we slept soundly.

Seth

Seth-the-Stressed and Posh Dubai

After a full day of working with Ben at a Chojeon English camp, we rushed home, showered, tossed a few last items in our suitcases, locked the deadbolt of our cramped Korean apartment, and began our journey to Kenya not knowing what to expect. As we traveled with plenty of time to the Incheon Airport, we learned a little bit more about each other.

While I basked in the joy of being done with work and the knowledge that we were leaving Korea for the first time in a year, Seth double, triple, and quadruple checked our flight itinerary, our progress on the public transportation, and how many spare minutes we would have. His mind was consumed with worrying about all the bumps and glitches that we might face before arriving in Kenya. Because of our previous travel experiences together, I did know that he often travels like this, but I think his stress was amplified by the fact that we were traveling to Africa and not simply around America or Korea. Annoyed at himself, he explained that his family always flies standby because his dad is a pilot for United Airlines. His conclusion was that because things are never guaranteed with standby, there was always a high level of stress when traveling as a kid, and that has shaped how he travels today. Of course, in Anna-fashion, I did tease Seth quite a bit, but in reality, I was and always am glad that he takes care of the worrying while we travel. If he didn't, I'm sure I would take on that role, and I'd rather not.

We should have known that this trip was going to be challenging simply because of the way it started. Because of the popularity of Emirates and the time of year, the plane was completely sold out, and we didn't do an online check-in. Therefore, we were forced to sit apart during our 10hr. flight to Dubai. This and the fact that I hadn't eaten since lunch did not go over well. I sat stoic in my seat surrounded by Korean ajummas as Seth looked back at me with a sympathetic smile. Although I was uber-crabby at the time, I have to admit that after having some food and reflecting on how good the circumstances actually were, I was fine. I was reassured by the fact that family and friends in Korea, Kenya, the United States, and Canada were praying for our safety and protection. This was a comfort, and as the instant airline beef and noodles digested, I realized that everything was not only good but great.

Emirates is by far the best airline I have ever flown on. We had the privilege of traveling on the biggest plane in the world: the A380. The whole upper deck is first and business class; they are provided with two showers and a personal bar. Even in economy class each person has a personal touch screen TV with endless options such as Friends, Fringe, Lie to Me, Glee, etc. detailed information about tourist activities in Dubai, frequent news updates, an abundance of film options like Avatar, The American, Inception, The Other Guys, etc. They also provided each person with a personal blanket, pillow, toothbrush and toothpaste, and eye mask. I was completely taken aback when the intercom announced the vast array of languages the flight attendants spoke: Arabic, French, Korean, Mandarin, English, Tagalog, Spanish, Hungarian, Swahili, Japanese, and the list went on. The entire staff was very professional and friendly.

We were both surprised and relieved to be surrounded by so much diversity the instant we got off the plane and entered the Dubai International Airport. Korea is 98% homogeneous. We relished hearing so many different languages and seeing so many different nationalities.

While doing some quick research on my touch screen on the flight, I learned that Dubai has virtually no middle class. The increasing foreign population is slowly reviving a middle class, but as we spent the day wandering around our first Middle Eastern country, we were struck by the disparity between the lower and upper class. The residential area that we first wandered through was cramped with rundown apartment complexes and local markets; whereas, the business and tourist district was posh and meticulously clean. The airport and subway themselves were overdone. There was literally a gold shop in the airport directly across from a Rolex store.

At 7:00am in Dubai, I felt like a complete alien. 95% of people on the streets were men dressed in traditional Arabic clothing. We found a little cafeteria near the river and ate some snacks, but I couldn't quite relax and enjoy it while being the only female in sight.

Getting increasingly exhausted, we summoned enough energy to be typical tourists and take our picture by the tallest building in the world: The Burj Khalifa towering an impressive 2,717 ft. in the air. Seth rightly said it looks like something from a fantasy or sci-fi movie. For some reason, I think it belongs in Batman's city: Gotham. Always in the Burj Khalifa's shadow, we wandered around the Dubai mall. The people, buildings, and merchandise screaming, “Look at how much I'm worth!” We quickly and strongly felt our American middle class-ness. The in-mall aquarium hosts sharks, sting-rays, and other sea life that has given itself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

With Seth pretty much dragging me, we made it back to the airport. Although still flying Emirates, this plane wasn't quite up to the same standards as the last. On our way to Nairobi, we were joined by a potent odor of B.O. and fussy children, but we also got to sit together and had extra time to sleep before experiencing Africa.

-Anna

"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