The surprisingly mild letdown

So, I woke up this morning listening to the rain pounding the pavement outside and swallowing the lump that was forming in my throat--I get this familiar lump sometimes when I need to say goodbye to the dearest people in my family when I really don't want to say goodbye and when I just can't express how much I love them.
Safely and quickly, I got them off to the airport, and the day passed quickly at work with no unusual problems--yeah, I had the normal crying girls, the threats of vomit, the fights to dissipate, and the quirky lessons, but all in all, it was good.
I was praying a bit more than usual today. This week has made me realize how amazing my circle of friends here is--Choi, Shin Bun Ock, Sun Sung Duck, Gim Bong Sue, Pil, Jenny, Tae Hyun, Maria, Hanna--and I love them so much. I don't want to think about saying goodbye to them, but I miss my family so much sometimes. Seeing Meg and Mike compounded this, I think. Well, I was praying that I wouldn't feel too sad or lonely.
Sure enough, this little town of Meyong Jong Dong never ceases to amaze me. While I was to meet Sun Sung Duck this evening, and I was a little late to do so, a lady waved me into her shop. She has a little coffee shop, and she quickly mixed me some Korean coffee and a padjun while I stood there looking around and making my pathetic attempt to communicate. The ladies didn't seem to mind. After a few minutes, I tried to make a tactful exit promising to return.
But Sun Sung Duck was not at her stand. I didn't know what to do. I ran into the hairdresser's shop to try to ask, "Sun Sung Duck odi?" (Where Sun Sung Duck?) in my tremendously broken Korean, and she said something that I didn't understand. I headed to her apartment, and asked again at a vendor on the street. Fourth floor.
I headed upstairs, and knocked on her door. She looked a little tired, but she opened the door, waving me inside--I think I interrupted their dinner. I stood awkwardly in the doorway, offering Sun Sung Duck the padjun that the other lady had just made for me (what am I doing? I love this dish, and it was such a lovely gift). Sun Sung Duck then proceeded to bring me gifts--first a hat from her daughter, then two different jackets (she had me try on two different sizes), and a backpack.
I stood there, overwhelmed, a bit embarrassed, and completely thankful.
I hope I am not taking advantage of anyone.
Last night, Choi and Pil took Meg and Mike and I to the best baseball game--ever--and one after another, all of these wonderful people have been offering to take us out and show us a good time.
And, on Friday, I get to hang out with Jenny and Choi and Pil and who knows?
I have moments where I think I may get on a plane post haste and go see my family. I have other moments when I think I may never leave this amazing town.

The Itinerary

For those of you that don't know, I'm getting ready for Meg and Mike to get here. This entails bleaching my apartment, making several different lists for different grocery stories, doing the laundry, and buying several interesting foods that Mikie will be thrilled to try (aloe juice, dried cuttle fish, Korean melon, a variety of teas, green tea cereal, gimchi flavored tuna, and sweet bean breads, to name a few).
Besides this, my neighbor fell off a skateboard and broke her arm this weekend--frankly, I'm glad it wasn't me--and I'm trying to keep my head down and get through the next few months.
So, back to the itinerary.
Thursday: Meg and Mike arrive, and I plan to show them around Meyoung Jong Dong a bit. They will have plenty to see in this five block area on Friday to keep them a little busy.
Friday: I must work, and Meg and Mike must keep themselves happy. Friday night, Choi Won Seok and his parents--the family that teaches me Korean--will drive us around a little. Maybe later we will meet a couple of people in Pusan De Hak Yeo.
Saturday--we will head to Japan. I don't know what we will do there.
Sunday--we will return from Japan.
Monday--I have to work again. Monday night, maybe we will go to Nampo Dong where the fish market is. If it is too late, we may just go to Hae Un Dae or Gwanan li where one of the beaches are.
Tuesday--we really should make some serious time to go shopping although everybody knows that I can usually only take shopping for as long as I can hold my breath or for as long as Mom is there for me to physically lean on. Maybe Pusan De? Lotte (probably no)? Migliore?
Wednesday--I'm not thinking about this. I think they fly out in the a.m., but I'm still in a bit of denial about this.
Anybody else wanna come visit? I'm here for about 2 1/2 more months?

Engineers and Cats?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXBL6bzAR4

Meg just sent this to me. Check it out: it's one of the funniest things I have seen in awhile.

Korean Baseball

First things first: I am much better. The flu has passed, and I am feeling so much stronger.
This week has been a hiatus as I have been trying to recover, though. On Tuesday, I went to my new Bible study at a wonderful Korean tea shop. Lovely.
Wednesday, I went to my language exchange with Choi and his mother, Shin Bun Ock. As always, this is so much fun, they are so hospitable, so interesting, and so fun. Have I mentioned that Shin Bun Ock is the best chef (yoree-sa, in Korean) in Meyoung Jong Dong? Choi asked me to a baseball game, and I thought, "Well, I'm still a little beat, but why not?"
So, Thursday, I went to a Korean baseball game.
This was an adventure of Don Dillo proportions.
After work, I met Choi and his friend Pill at the subway station. We travelled to the stadium, but we were running late. We stopped into a HomePlus (sort of like a big WalMart) to get some chicken and drinks.
Then, the tickets. This was a challenge.
The ticket counters were sold out. I was not too disappointed. I was excited, but sports (as anyone who knows me well) are not my most favorite pastime. However, after negotiating with several scalpers, Choi bought some tickets for an undisclosed price. I was excited.

The stadium was packed. They pass around bright orange bags to collect the garbage after the game, but the people blow up the bags, and the bags end up on everyone's heads.



This is Pill and I sitting next to the guard rail. What a great game! I hardly remember the two home runs and the four fouls as much as I remember the newspaper pom-poms and the songs people sang. Choi took some video, but I'm still trying to figure out how to post it on blogger. iPhoto is not cooperating.


This is Choi and I. We are sharing some sweet and sour chicken--Al, it is great! We also had some dehydrated squid, which was fantastic.
What a game. I'm not much of a spectator, but this was quite a night. Everything was such an adventure.