Happy New Year's!

Yesterday was an amazing day of hiking with my friend, Will, up into the mountains. There is a cable car near here that goes up into the mountains, and then many trails snake around into the rocky, forested hills around Busan. I only got a couple of pictures before my camera's battery died, and I will post them again on Facebook as soon as the battery is charged.
Wow. What views. I'm not much of a hiker these days: I prefer walking around the streets to and from school, but this was a rare sight. Even though it was a little misty yesterday, Will and I could see almost to Hae Un Dae and the ocean. To the north, no one lives there. The stark contrast between city and wilderness is surprising. No suburbs.
Today, I opened the rest of my Christmas presents--including a package from Grandma Weezie that arrived on Friday. I had been waiting, hoping to be able to open them with an iChat or something, but today I decided I would open them.
Wow.
I miss everyone back home. Love you all. And merry Christmas.

A really quick post

I put some of the pictures from Christmas on Facebook. I don't know why I am having such a hard time with the blog, but I am exploring new media. This is exciting.
Yesterday was another four letter day. I mean, four cards from family and friends. The other teachers are jealous, and I was so excited. I got two cards from Mom (I love you so much, and I love the little treats!), a card from Meg (I love you so much, and I wish I were in IN), and a card from John Lundy (What a surprise! My friend from Duluth by way of Belize, for those of you who don't know!)
He enclosed a wonderful poem that I am writing here:
Today I found a
Coca-cola can,
a half-eaten apple,
and a tumble weed,
a squished up caterpiller
and you
Considering all the things
that I found today,
and judging from the
laughter and the tear time
I had with you
I think
finding you
was
better than
the squished-up caterpiller

I love this poem. Thank you, John.

Weather

I had forgotten that Mom wanted a link to a weather website. Here it is:
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/47159.html
Funny, today it is supposed to be a high of 60, partly cloudy. Sunday, it will be back into the thirties and forties, but I will take it. I heard that it got very cold here. I braced for the worst.
I'm not too impressed yet.
I'm heaving a sigh since we are past the winter solstice. Means the days will get longer--and frankly I could use a bit more sunlight in my days.
Love you all.

Christmas Eve night

Merry Christmas!
Well, I'm having a hard time posting pictures right now. I will try to diagnose the problem at some time. Too bad. I got some good ones last night.
I went to the Alpina Youth Hostel for the church gathering tonight. I was very chagrined to find that I only recognized a few people church. Funny, I wanted to go tonight to spend time with familiar people that I care at least a little about, to have some fun, to bond a bit, and to enjoy Christmas and all.
About thirty-five people were crowded into a room about the size of Mom and Dad’s living room. I suppose it wouldn’t have been that bad, but I had an impression that this was more of a mixer, a party, an evangelical thing, or something. I didn’t feel anything that I needed there.
When they started talking about Risk tournaments and Twister playoffs I was ready to bolt.
Luckily, John and Song Hee were supportive. Andrea and her sister were there, too, and I think they were on the same wave-length. We went to the lounge upstairs for an hour or so to “regroup.” I actually had some good coffee and some great conversation. Wow. What a treat.
Then we went back down to hear a devotional by our leader wearing reindeer ears. I think he had forgotten he was wearing them.
Then, I was ready to leave for real.
John took Andrea, her sister Lexi, and I out. We cruised around to a few very ritzy hotels, walking around, looking at the Christmas lights, watching the strangely dressed people, and puzzling about the Korean interpretation of Christmas. Just another day off, an excuse to have a big meal, time to go out, none of the strong familial associations that 99% of Westerners have.
Then, the crème de le crème, the four of us walked along the beach in Hae Un Dae. Some random people were shooting off small fireworks, and the people were decked out in all sorts of strange outfits. Also, on the beach, we saw this woman sculpting these strange but beautiful sand sculptures—Santa Claus, fish, and a shark.
A long taxi ride back, and I am home.
I haven't opened all my presents, yet. I opened the box from Mandy and from Grandma Sue and Grandpa Gary, but I really want to drag this out. Pretend that Christmas will last over the next week.
Hmm. That probably won't happen.
Love you all. Merry Christmas.

Chirstmas Eve Morning

I woke up to my early alarm this morning (I usually set my alarm early to turn on my water heater and my space heater and then go back to sleep for a bit), but I lay in bed just enjoying my new soft pajamas and the feeling of Christmas. I don’t think I have ever appreciated the soft luxury of new pajamas so much in my entire life—the new robe and pajamas from Mom are like some sort of treasure that I cannot even quite describe.
So, I’m laying in bed this morning, watching the sunrise, but this is not really accurate because I cannot see the sun rise from my apartment from all the buildings and mountains and from the heavily frosted glass that I have in my apartment for privacy. And really, I don’t need to see the sun rise: I love to watch the neon blue of the early morning fade to less mysterious colors.
I’ve been sort of dreading Christmas-- sort of waiting for this day to sort of quietly pass like so many other days in this strange country. Now, though, like so many strange things in this country, I find myself surprised. I am not missing my family any less, but the church is pulling together like a surrogate family. It is amazing. I may even have fun at this sleepover party extravaganza that they have planned.
And if not, I still have my consolation prizes tomorrow to console me. Have I mentioned that I am probably the most spoiled teacher in Korea?

Santa keeps coming...

Well, I took another picture to chronicle the progress of "Santa's" blessings. But I can't load it to blogger--maybe later. I have now gotten a huge package from Mom and Dad, one from Grandma Sue and Grandpa Gary, and one from Mandy and Scott. It's funny, as much as I wish I could see everyone and as much as I don't feel too materialistic these days, I feel the love.
I've been thinking about this a bit lately. Mom has sent a surprising amount of cards. Also, Meg, Grandma Weezie, and Aunt Barb have sent cards, too. The teachers here seem to have certain things in common: while they love their families and miss their families, they do not seem as close to their families as I am. Perhaps this makes it easier to leave for a year, go to another country, and not see them. Perhaps this is why they leave in the first place.
Anyway, as much as my apartment seems like some strange college dorm or a third-world episode of Melrose Place minus the swimming pool, work sometimes seems like camp with the mail deliveries and the crazy kids. And too, as much as I love getting mail--it is always the highlight of my day to seem familiar handwriting expressing love--I do feel some sort of strange feeling when another teacher brings me mail or a package. Everyone knew the day when I got four letters in one day. It was a joke--everyone thought it was so crazy that I must be sending letters to myself even if they were postmarked in different places in the US--because everyone was jealous. They want a family that cares about them as much as mine cares about me. In a strange and awful sort of way, this makes me feel so special and loved.
So people ask me if I will take a university job at Kyeungsung University next year. I say no. I will go back to America because I miss my family. Not many people understand that.

Election Day

So, listening to the reports earlier, it sounds like what's-his-name will win. I don't think this will affect Busan very much. From talking to my students, they are not interested in politics at all because the politics do not seem to affect anything.
Today I went to Seomyoun with one of the gals from Meyoungjung. This is sort of interesting. Sung Sung Duck introduced us--her name is Yenni--and Yenni is a wealth of information about many things here in Meyoungjung Dong. For one thing, she knew that my father had been here to visit, she knew that I was from America, she knew that Sung Sung Duck worries about me. I asked her why Sung Sung Duck is so worried about me, and Yenni said that Sung Sung Duck is worried that I am all alone so far away from my family. Later today, though, she remembered that Sung Sung Duck's daughter is away in Japan, and I remind Sung Sung Duck of her daughter, alone in a different country, far away from her family.
Yenni is very interesting. She is probably seventeen years old, will go to college next year, plans to go away to Seoul (which is like going to Jupiter for students in Busan) for college, is very close to her family, has sacrificed her hobbies for her studies, and wants to travel. She is similar to many students I have met: curious and interesting, but quieter and more reserved than any teenage girl I have ever meet.
This suits me just fine. I don't think I could spend several hours on my day off with a typical American teenager.
Although Yenni did take me to a strange place flooded with Korean teenagers. Wow. This "store" for lack of a better term, had a dozen or so brightly decorated photo booths. I have heard that Koreans are fond of taking pictures of themselves--a sort of vague cultural egotism maybe? Anyway, after taking ten or so different pictures with different poses and different backgrounds, we can add pictures, writing, coloring, and other computerized effects. Pretty fun but a bit strange. Tried to email the pictures to myself, but it didn't work.
Oh, and there is this dish that Dad and I tried--taco yaki--which are these doughy balls fried with some different seasonings and squid and then soaked in mustard and barbecue sauce. When I come home from work, often Sung Sung Duck gets me some taco naki from the stand next to her fish stand which belongs to Kim Bong Sue. The first few times I have eaten these, I did not like them very much. On Monday, I realized that I think I am actually developing a taste for this strange food.
So, one week until Christmas. I plan to spend all Christmas Eve at a youth hostel with the fellows from the church. Sounds like they have quite an evening planned. I'm grateful. Christmas is drifting by quietly and quickly--this is fine. I'm not too sad or homesick as long as I don't think about it too much.
I have been getting a ridiculous amount of cards from my family back home--mom mostly, but Meg, Grandma Weezie, and Aunt Barb, too. Wow. This means so much to me. I usually let my afternoon classes read the cards, and they think the cards are great--Aunt Barb, the kids loved the musical card. They thought it was so funny!

What a week Episode II

Funny thing, is, I had a great weekend, so right now, I'm sitting, dreading going back to work on this cloudy Monday morning, but it doesn't seem as bad. I've been laughing about everything this weekend and trying to forget how ridiculous this job has become.
No details. Probably not too appropriate for the web. But for right now, I'm so grateful mom and dad are so supportive--I spent forty-five minutes on the phone with them last night, and the phone call may cost them a hundred dollars--and that I can still laugh about it all. In the coming months that may become more and more difficult.
But this weekend was so much fun. Friday night I met up with my friend Jenna. She and I talked for a long time. She is so funny and kind and wonderful. She makes me feel like I am interesting and nice. She doesn't even seem to care about any of my foibles.
I spent much of the day on Saturday with my Canadian friend Will--he is very interesting, but nothing is going on. We went to the Nampo Dong fish market because he wanted to take pictures (sigh, I left my camera back in the ghetto, and I haven't been able to find Will's pictures on the 'Net). This market was like some sort of crazy zoo--except all the animals end up dead. Huge aquariums full of live squid, large bowls of octopus, skinned and live eels, strange fish of every variety, and then the strange, crouching fish ladies with their butcher knives and buckets of fish guts. They carved up the insides of a fish faster than I knew what was happening. And the smell, it wasn't like bad fish really although I could sort out a bit of rotting fish smell. Some of it smelled good--spices, fried fish, the sea water. Some of it just sort of stank of blood and fish guts.
I spent most of the day yesterday with John and SungHee at their apartment. I hadn't been there yet--I can't really explain why. I just need time and space to write, so mostly on Sundays I wanted to be alone. Now, though, John and SungHee are moving back to America in the next month or two.
Wow, this is really disappointing.
They made cappucchinoes, burritos, and lattes. Their apartment is beautiful. I felt like a princess. We watched TV and talked. I almost forget what it was like to live in the ghetto.
Gotta run to work.

Plagiarizing

I'm stealing this from Meg's blog. This is from one of her friends from Wheaton, so I'm not really plagiarizing, if anyone is wondering. This seems really profound to me.
"Anyways, nice to hear from you, again. Been missing my Wheaties recently... Have dealt with a couple of things this past year and not going to lie, my faith has suffered. Still love God, desperately even now, but man, his people can really mess you up. We are going to a great church, but we're not real active in anything. It's funny though, sometimes I almost feel more effective as a witness, the less holy I am. That's probably a good and a bad thing, but the best I can do right now. Many of the gang that I work with are not Christians, one even fairly atheistic Jew, but the spiritual talks are abundant and not forced. But all that to say, I still miss the easy support that a place like Wheaton offered. That people like you always offered, thanks for that..."

What a week...

In a week, the leaves have fallen from the trees, I'm beginning to see some Christmas decorations in a few places, and my job has crossed the ridiculous line.
It's funny, these crazy little dramas that keep happening are sort of funny. I'm not quite laughing, but I don't think I'm running yet. I've considered it, one of the leaders at my church suggested that his college would hire me, but I'm trying really hard to honor the whole contract thing.
I don't think I will write specifics. Long story, and maybe not appropriate for the open web.
I'm reading a bit of Penelope Fitzgerald that Meg sent me in this fantastic care package--so good. I was a bit cynical about these books, and it took me awhile to get into this first one, but now I'm totally into "The Blue Flower." If anyone wants me to pass it along when I finish, let me know.
Besides that, I'm trying to find time for myself. That seems like such a stupid thing, but I have found some different people that I enjoy spending time with, but mostly the days slip by. I can't believe it is almost Christmas, and three months have slipped away already.

Christmas is early!

This is a picture of my pile of loot from Mom and Dad. Wow, I love them so much. The timing couldn't be better. This week has been bad.
I literally had to take a cab home from school (where I receive my mail) to take the package home. I sat like a little kid, almost crying, ripping open the box and spreading the packages all over my bed. I tried hard not to guess what was in the packages too much--I like the surprises too much.
I even got to open a couple marked open now: a LED candle (special interest since I either soldered or inspected about a million LED on circuit boards at my last job) and a package of pencils for my students. They will love me.

Send a prayer...

Ok. A couple of you know that one of the American teachers and I have been, well, not getting along. I thought that things were "resolved," so to speak, such that we could coexist.
Well, I'm receiving the brunt of more of her difficulties. I'm taking on her Grade 3 class (I already have half the class, meets for two hours, every school day) because she has too many hours. This has happened before. So now, I am taking on more students, which means more unpaid preparation time.
I'm getting tired and frustrated. I'm trying so hard not to be angry, but whenever I see her, I want to tell her how much trouble she causes me and everyone else. There have been quite a few situations--ranging from mildly annoying to bordering on ridiculous.
I'm just trying to do my work and interact with her as little as possible. Right now, though, I'm extremely frustrated by the lack of work ethic and by the attitude of privelege that some teachers seem to show.
Gripe, gripe, gripe.
Pray for me, nonetheless.

Three months down...

So here it is.
Three months later. Not really any wiser, just a bit more Korean.
Funny, I was glancing at the news: read about the Christmas shopping and the snow in the Midwest. Here, the bigger stores have Christmas decorations, but Thanksgiving passed without a blink. And most of the trees are still holding onto their leaves although there aren't many trees in Busan here. It is funny to watch the shopkeepers sweeping the leaves into the street, pushing the leaves away into someone else's area or out into the street.
And the weather is chilly: I'm not getting very used to the Celsius temperatures, but it gets down near frezing most nights. During the days, it usually gets into the forties and fifties still, but I rarely see daylight. I leave in the morning after the sun has been up for an hour and a half, and I leave work many hours after the sun has set.
I think this is the hardest thing right now. I want to make it through the next couple of months: the increased darkness and cold make me want to stay inside so much, and the holidays make me miss my family. Come February, I will have a trip to Hawaii to lok forward to, the days will have more daylight, and hopefully, it will be getting a little warmer.
And, I have found a wonderful club down near the port: the Seaman's Club. It is a naval installation that serves very inexpensive Western food. Turkey and mashed potatoes on the holidays. They even serve pecan and pumpkin pies for the next couple of months.
I will go there on Christmas. No key lime pie, though.