Namdaemun Market

Last Saturday, a few of the girls and I decided that we needed to do some Christmas shopping... at Namdaemun Market! It was our first visit - and certainly won't be our last. Definitely a lot of fun (but also kind of draining).




This market brought back SO many memories of China. I tried bargaining again. But... I either lost my skills or they aren't quite as eager/desperate to bargain here. :-/


At the imported foods market - notice that this Vegetarian Meal Ready-to-Eat bag (approved by the US government) is made in Evansville, IN. Guess who I thought of? Miss Nora Whelan!!!

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Yes, Mom. This is raw meat (perhaps frozen, I don't remember) and cheese just sitting out - for who knows how long. Rest assured, I kept my Korean won tucked safely inside my pocket - no purchases for me, thank you very much!


Inside a little tea store with Kay, Janis, Sara, and Cassi. We tried Oh-mi-jah tea. It is my new favorite tea! They call it a "Five-Taste Tea" in English - because it apparently hits five different taste buds. SOOO delicious! I stocked up. =)


Yep, selling fish in the midst of everything else at this multi-purpose market that never sleeps. For some reason, open-air markets motivate me to want to learn a language more than anything else that I've experienced thus far. Hmm... (by the way, I'm pleased to report I can read most Korean words now - at about the speed of a kindergartener). =)

Looking forward to returning to Namdaemun in the future. We probably didn't even see a quarter of the market... but left early because we were hungry and needed to hit up Insadong (one of my favorite traditional Korean places).

Musings from a First-Year Teacher

How does one respond to a student that flat out refuses to do what you ask them to do - multiple times? For example, Students I need you to move your desks into groups of five - quickly! I had a few students respond to me in this manner: No (accompanied with a defiant stare). I've been experiencing frustration and anger more frequently than I ever expected to encounter in teaching. I have so much to learn... it is quite challenging to respond calmly.

I've decided I'm really tired of trying to talk over 35+ voices each class. Fortunately, I found a bell at the Daiso (similar to a Dollar General) store last night for 2000 won (less than $2 USD). Hopefully it will improve the situation.

I also have started assigning homework more frequently to unruly classes. I wonder if I will have the reputation of being a strict teacher next semester (instead of a super-lenient one). I've also started taking away cell phones. Can you believe some of my 3rd graders were talking (not just texting) on their cell phones during class this week?!!!! Most teachers take cell phones away for an entire week. I think I will start instituting that policy as well (it seems so harsh... but they are only in middle school - I'm sure they can survive without their cell phones for one week).

Unfortunately, I had some very sad experiences in my classes this week as well. Sometimes I forget what it was like being a middle school student. Sometimes I forget how mean kids can be at that age. Saw several instances of it this week... which is sad. It's hard to know exactly how to deal with it.

Amidst the challenges, there are some amusing anecdotes I keep forgetting to write about:

• A few weeks ago, I felt like Anne of Green Gables (although it might be more appropriate to say Anne of Avonlea). I had a class put a large fake spider on top of the computer mouse before class. They were eagerly waiting to see if I would freak out. I noticed it before putting my hand on it... and I think my reaction disappointed them. I merely dropped it in my basket and gave a disapproving look (inwardly laughing at their attempts and somewhat worrying if it would be real next time...). I think they were most disappointed that I wouldn't give the spider back to them at the end of class.
  
  
• Last week, when I was having my students color Thanksgiving turkeys, I noticed one of my first grade boys coloring his entire turkey gold. Our conversation went like this:
  Wow you have a very yellow turkey!
  No, Teacher. My turkey is gold.
  Why is it gold?
  Because it is VERY expensive!!!
  I couldn't contain my laughter. SOOOO cute!
  
  
• This week, we did a Jigsaw activity. Basically, students had to brainstorm words that started with certain letters... and then had to define and explain them. At different points, it almost felt like we were playing a HUGE game of Catch Phrase. Anyway, some of the definitions that students came up with were so dear! For example, do you know what a pencil's friend is? An eraser. I wish I would have written down the rest of their definitions. I definitely plan to use this activity more often in the future.
  

A small glimpse of what goes on during our ten minute breaks in the first graders' building:

Definitely running FULL speed.


It's very normal to see kids hang all over each other - wrestle, squeeze, punch, kick, etc. (It is especially common with the boys - although I wouldn't put it past several of my girls).


More running/falling/jumping...

Like I said, this is just a small glimpse. I really wish you could see it for yourself. It is definitely a different culture... One teacher told me this week that if we can make it through teaching at this Cheongryang, we can teach anywhere. Apparently, it's one of the rougher schools in Seoul. I don't know... it is in a poorer section of town, but I feel like it is a pretty safe school. Although last week, my last class period on Friday was canceled because there was a fire. Some first graders were smoking in the bathroom and it caused a little fire, I guess. It's sad... Maybe next semester I'll do a lesson on HEALTHY CHOICES.

Although I find myself lamenting about the challenges in teaching, I am thankful for them. It's somewhat rewarding to have a job that has challenges... challenges where specific growth and improvement can be seen and measured. The good thing about teaching 22 different classes is that I have a good variety of students - all the way from my dreadful 3-10 class to my perfect model 1-7 class (I really do mean perfect if you can believe it)! Having good classes with students that are eager to learn help to balance out the negative classes. Teaching is such an adventure!

Thankful for OEM...

Sunday was SO encouraging! Pastor Eddie has been preaching a sermon series on the "Marks of a Healthy Church." This week, he preached on "Growing Mightier Through Missions." I can hardly begin to describe how encouraging this sermon was to me! Definitely had my heart beating!!! I wish you all could have been there to hear it... so, here's a link to check it out if you have some time: http://www.cgntv.net/service/program.asp?pid=224. It's totally worth it, I promise!!! I am once again overwhelmed with the church God has provided for me. God is truly doing something special at OEM.

Basically, South Korea is one of the only (if not the ONLY) Christian nations in the 10/40 Window - which puts us in a pretty strategic spot! I'm beginning to understand more and more God's purpose in bringing me here... Sunday's sermon helped to confirm that.

So thankful.

More Thanksgiving Pics

Pics from Thanksgiving with Bok ja - as promised!!!


Bok ja, Sara, me, and Bok ja's twin daughters (Chong-mi and Song-mi). (She hung up balloons with our names on them on the wall - reminded me of what Sara's mom did for us for our send-off dinner).


Bok ja prepared QUITE a spread! Mmm... delicious! Immediately to the left you will notice some Songpyeon - traditional Korean treats during Chuseok (their Thanksgiving time). Actually quite sweet and delicious! I mistakenly assumed the cream puffs (on the right) were rolls! Had a sweet surprise...


American style chicken and Korean style chicken... both delicious!


Cheese kimbop. It looks kind of like sushi, but no fish. Kimbop is wrapped in seaweed paper (called kim) and then usually has some spam, radishes, rice (bop), and some other random veggies and/or meat. Mrs. Moon often brings kimbop for breakfast to our morning prayer/devotion times. I'm starting to enjoy it quite a lot...


Various rice cakes... perhaps variations of kimbop... not exactly sure.


In Korea, it's all about hiding the face... lol! It was nice to see Ah ju again (we went to the Korean Folk Village together in October).


With Bok ja's daughters, niece, and nephew... Definitely a sweet time!!!

Yes, Bok ja is truly a blessing! I met her through our dear family friends in Arizona, who knew Bok ja and her family while they were in the States at Arizona State University. (Her husband was doing research there). Bok ja and I normally see each other every Saturday. We enjoy lunch and prayer together. She's really intentional about asking specific questions about what's going on in my life. Such a blessing and encouragement to me! Her thoughtfulness at Thanksgiving was overwhelming...

THANKSGIVING DAY

Thanksgiving Day started with a solid reminder of the GOSPEL and the life I have in Christ. What more could I be thankful for? Throughout the day, I received several reminders of God's incredible grace...

A Thanksgiving Package
As I was leaving for school, I noticed a package waiting for me at the front desk. A package on THANKSGIVING day?! How perfect. From my mother, of course! I hopped on the bus and eagerly (yet carefully) tore open the festive, autumn-designed envelope and found... Nana & Papu's nagatoli's (priceless!), coffee & cookies from Josh's trip to the Dominican (mmm... REAL coffee!), a spiced pumpkin Yankee candle (which I've been enjoying thoroughly), homemade PUMPKIN bread (delicious!), a sweet Christmas ornament (can't wait to start decorating...), and the most recent school pictures of my sibs. The pictures caught me off guard... or maybe it was their card... but I soon found myself tearing off a piece of tissue paper in substitution for a Kleenex. I felt a bit like a baby... but they were good tears, I think. I'm so proud of my siblings... and I really miss my family. God has truly blessed me with an incredible family - thoughtful, loving parents, quality brothers, and a dear sister.

Love from the Cheongryang Teachers
I thought the tears would be finished once I got to school, but that was not to be so. When I arrived at morning devotions, Mrs. Moon poked her head up and said, "Holly!!!" She was excited to see me... and just made me feel so welcome. Then her and Jang Myung sun noticed my eyes were a bit puffy and inquired... and the tears flowed again (for the second day in a row at Cheongryang Middle School this week). They thought I was crying because of the 3rd graders because they knew Wednesday was rough for me. So, I had to explain that it was not the 3rd graders that were making me cry this time, but just a bit of homesickness. They were comforting and so was Mr. Chong. (He doesn't speak English, but seems like a father to me sometimes). They all prayed for me... and when we finished, I saw Mr. Chong wiping away some of his own tears.

Then Myung sun and I walked back to the teacher's office and I showed her, Mrs. Moon, and Teacher Lee the contents of my lovely Thanksgiving package. It was fun to share the nagatolis with them - they seemed to like them.

A Sweet Time with Kyunghan
During third hour, Kyunghan (one of my lovely co-teachers) came to visit me because she had questions about the essay I wrote about my experience in Korea. We had such a delightful time together! She brought some grain tea for us to enjoy together, which was so delicious! She thought the nagatolis tasted "exotic." I never would have described anice flavoring as exotic, but I don't think she has ever tasted anything like it before.


I was so blessed by our little date during third period - so refreshing to me!

Thoroughly Enjoying my First Graders
Although my third graders have been difficult, my first graders have been delightful and a breath of fresh air. This week, I was teaching about the First Thanksgiving and then had the students reflect on what they are thankful for. I gave them turkey coloring pages and had them write something that they are thankful for on each feather. It was so fun! We even listened to the Nutcracker Suite while they were coloring. It was good for my teacher heart to see them bring pens to class, listen attentively, and eagerly work on their turkeys. (Not all of the classes were perfect, although my 1-7 class was pretty much perfect yesterday.)
Some pics:






Even my 3rd graders cooperated today... prayer is powerful!



So proud of these kids!

Dinner at Bok ja's with Sara
Bok ja invited Sara and I over for Thanksgiving dinner. It was such a special time - definitely a blessing! Bok ja definitely went out of her way to make a very special Thanksgiving meal - American & Korean-style chicken, salad with Italian dressing, bulgogi, mondu (dumplings that I love), kimchi (of course!), sweet & sour chicken, noodles... even cream puffs (which I mistakenly thought were dinner rolls), Songpyeon (traditional Korean rice cakes usually served during Korean Thanksgiving) and pecan pie! We sat Western style - at a table with chairs (instead of on the floor). She blew up balloons and put them on the wall with our names on them. So many little touches that really showed her thoughtfulness. Her twin daughters (Chong-mi & Song-mi) were such a delight to play with.

We all shared what we were most thankful for during the year of 2008. It was really hard to choose just one thing... but I finally decided that God's provision has been a huge blessing this year - amidst NUMEROUS changes. Yes, He's always been faithful to me!

I don't have pictures from Sara yet... but as soon as I get them I will post them!!!
Hope you all had a marvelous Thanksgiving!!!

Teaching, Failing, Learning

I'm learning so much as a teacher. Of course I'm learning about classroom management and teaching techniques... but even more so, I'm learning a lot about myself. Wednesday was one of those days that served as a good reminder that I have SO much to learn!

The day started off poorly - waking up at 7:52 am (normally I'm almost at school by this time!). I didn't have time to wash my hair and was late to school. (Of course, my vice principal shrugged it off like it was no problem...)

But things only got worse throughout the day. My 3rd graders (grade 9 in the US) are finished with all of their exams, which means they no longer care about school... even though they still have more than a month of school left! Even several of my advanced students fail to bring a pen or pencil to class! They expect me to show movies in class. They are completely checked out... which makes teaching difficult, to say the least! There were several times on Wednesday I felt as if I was talking to a wall (it wouldn't have made much difference...).

To make matters worse, I was feeling somewhat homesick (with Thanksgiving and all approaching), exhausted (from a tiring week), and had some sparks with one of my co-teachers. Not very pleasant...

Instead of being patient, loving, and compassionate toward her... I was angry and frustrated. I felt no compassion... no love.

When I realized this, I felt a little scared. How important it is to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus! When I don't, I find myself focusing on others' faults and ignoring my own... not a good place to be...

I have never met a person I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God. - Oswald Chambers

Yes, Wednesday was a good reminder of what lies in me apart from the grace of God... I'm reminded of the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35.

I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?

Hmm...

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

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I cannot love people the way God loves them. I cannot have compassion and mercy... not on my own strength. But because of the cross... because of His Spirit that lives in me... I can love, I can have joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.


I don't ever want to lose sight of the power of the cross.

OEM Thanksgiving

On Sunday after church (at OEM), we headed to the US military base for some real turkey and pumpkin pie!


This was our table... so festive!


Zane, Janis, me, and Sara... Good times, good times.

(I think us girls were excited to get dressed up... but I must admit, it's definitely more fun to get dressed up together, instead of alone in a quiet apartment. It really is half the fun - getting ready together! I found myself reminiscing my college days with my dear Jana Alexis, queen of fashion and up-do's.)


Sara, Hanna, and me (Hanna is our Finnish friend!)


My plate: real turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, salad, mixed veggies, cranberry sauce, and mostoccoli (YES, they actually had mostaccoli!!!). I wasn't able to finish it all....


Had to save some room for dessert: Fruit salad that reminded me of mom's taffy apple salad, jello, pumpkin pie, and some oreo cheesecake stuff. I didn't do a very good job making my plate look photogenic... I was too eager to eat it!

As you can imagine, I was feeling like I gained 5 pounds after such a meal... probably better try to visit the fitness center a little more often!

It was a delightful feast. Although, I must admit... it was a little quiet for Thanksgiving. The atmosphere was definitely great - with soft music playing in the background, a beautiful table, delicious food, pleasant dinner conversations... but it was a little too quiet. At home, with my lovely Italian family... well, it's definitely NOT quiet. I found myself missing the chaotic scurrying around, loud teasing, and even louder laughter...

I am SOOO thankful for the time we had Sunday night. I guess it's just good to be reminded that my family is definitely irreplaceable...