The last bite of Korea

So remember how I said I made a quick trip to America? 

Well, I got off the plane and got on a bus.

I got off the bus and got in a taxi.

I got out of the taxi and did this. (So please excuse how tired and unmade I look.)

New beginnings...

The End

It's been one week since I finished at my school...and I've gone back there three times anyway for various reasons.  Clearly I'm not good at this not working there anymore thing.  My kids get excited/upset every time they see me.  "Byeee, Teachah!  I miss you!  You miss me?  You sad, Teachah?"  And... the most uncomfortable of the encounters: "Teachah, you know my name?"  I totally missed the mark on that goal.

I've spent the majority of this week finishing up a project that I promise you will hear more about in the coming days.  Stay tuned, because this is a big big deal, but I'll give you a hint:

You're going to want to do this.

I now have two weeks before I head to Thailand, which means it's a month and a half before I hit the States.  Within that time, I still need to pack, sell most of my possessions, sing one more time at churhc, move out of my apartment (and crash at friends' homes for a week), send directions to my school to my boss, attend/tech a friend's wedding, and manage to get a goodbye event in there somewhere.  It is going to be a packed couple of weeks.

To be honest, this all seems a bit anti-climatic.  I think that's mostly because I was just on vacation, doing a lot of the same stuff I'm doing right now.  I'm not sure it's really hit me yet that I'm leaving... I'm not sure it ever will.  Life does that sometimes... smooth transitions, I mean.  I've had two legitimate job offers to keep me in this city, though, which are somewhat tempting, but only in the sense that change is scary.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll come back some day, but, for now, I know that it is definitely time to move forward.  I'm looking forward to the adventures on the horizon, and will, as always, keep you informed.

The Plan

It's about time I told you this.

I have a PLAN!!!

We're still hammering out some details, but I should tell you about it before it becomes so commonplace in my head that I forget to tell you.  Here it goes:

I'm leaving Korea on September 23.

I will be in Thailand, volunteering with Home & Life Orphanage Foundation until the 23rd of October.  But I will leave Thailand on the 27th.

From Thailand, I'll head back to the States (with a 6 hour layover in Incheon, so, Korea friends, help me pass that time!!!), ultimately ending up in Atlanta.  I've got a lot of people I'd like to visit, and I'm thinking about following this path:

View in Google Maps

If you recognize yourself on that map, or if you're not on that map and you should be, let's talk.  I'm going to be needing help with transportation as well, so I'm really, really hoping that you can assist there. 

I'm thinking of trying to fit this all into November and December (ending by Christmas).

Currently, it's looking like I'll be heading back out in February.  My Korean church has asked me to go join their missionaries in India, working at a school that focuses on working with children from the slums.  Currently, we have not set an end date for that.  I will be needing to raise ALL of my own support for that, so, not to worry, you'll definitely be hearing more from me on that.  I may not have definite details until December for that, so I'll probably have a very short time to raise a considerable amount of money.  I'm not stressed about it (yet), though, because I know that if G-d wants me there, He will bring the money in.  I've never had a problem with that before, and I don't think that I will start now.  (Please pray!)

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and I'm looking forward to reporting on my upcoming adventures.

111 Days until I touch down in the U.S. of A.

A couple of impressive young men

Middle School is a hard time.  I would know... I went to three different ones, and none of it was easy.  I think that's why I find it most impressive when a middle schooler does something of character.  I think it takes extra strength to push past all of the hormones, self-discovery, and outside forces to shine through by doing something Good.  I want to take a moment to praise two young men who pushed through all of that on the last day before a long weekend.  These might not be impressive at first, but mull them over; I think you'll see what I mean.

The first is the less obvious example.  It requires a quick culture lesson, though.  One of the things that blows my mind in Korea is the relative lack of supervision the kids have here (ok, in my mind, it's more like an absolute lack of supervision).  They're allowed to do whatever they want, which usually means they're running around, screaming in the halls, and beating on each other.  This stops anywhere between 5-10 minutes after the bell rings to start class and is picked up again the moment class is over, although it often occurs more quietly during classes as well.  I know.  It's not at all what you pictured of Korean schools, but I assure you it's true.  Knowing that, it may be less surprising to you that I had noticed a slap fight starting in the back of my classroom, but ignored it in favor of finishing setting up.  I normally break those up pretty early in an effort to maintain a semi-Western-style classroom (in the name of culture lessons - not comfort, of course...), but not last Thursday.  Well, when I looked up again, something felt not quite right about it, but, by the time I processed what it was, it was too late.  The slaps had been getting harder, until one boy started punching the other in the face.  I could hear the impacts from the front of the room.  I kicked my shoes off and ran to the back of the room, bellowing "YAH!" before I grabbed the hitter from behind in a sort of bear hug, pinning his arms to his side.  The impressive part was that, instead of struggling against me, letting his adrenaline push him forward and out of my grasp (which would have been easy, as he's roughly a head taller than me), he went limp in my arms.  We both stood there, breathing heavily for about 30 seconds before I heard him say,

"Teacher, no fight."
"Yeah, I know 'No fight.'  That's exactly right."  I didn't let him go.  I didn't trust him.
"No, teacher.  No fight."
"Okay..." I said, slowly loosening my grip, waiting to see his next move.  I backed up, and still he stayed where he was.  He turned to meet my eyes.
"No fight."

I was proud of him, even in that moment.  I directed him and the other boy to sit at opposing sides of the back of my room, while sending another to go get a Korean teacher who I knew would be fair and would get to the bottom of what had happened.  The hitter was normally pretty quiet, while the hittee is pretty wide open and has a tendency to speak his mind, so I figure there's a decent chance that the hitter was provoked... not that that justifies rearranging someone's face, but it does justify further investigation.
Even in this moment, I glow with pride at the amazing amount of self-control this kid showed as soon as I got involved.  I don't like the situation, but I do like his actions once within it.

The second young man I want to lift up is more classic in the category of praise.  After school on Thursday, I prayed that G-d would provide me with some kids to take next door to the grilled cheese shop and buy a snack.  Well, He's generally more than happy to answer that prayer.  As I came out of the door of the school, there were about 8 kids sitting on the ground, waiting around for an after-school class.  I talked to them a little bit, mostly about their love lives.  One girl had just broken up with her boyfriend; one girl was yelling up to a third floor window to talk with her "husband;" one boy was gushing to me about how pretty his girlfriend was; one girl wanted to tell me about how she was chatting on an instant messaging service with her boyfriend.  All in all, I felt pretty honored to have them let me into their world.  The trick is that most of it was being relayed by the one boy who felt comfortable using English.  They all wanted to talk to me and I to them, but we needed a translator, and he was fully willing to help - never a sigh, never an eye rolled, breaking off mid-conversation when someone beckoned.  What's more, at the sandwich shop, he made a point of making sure the girls all got their food first, saying "Ladies first," when I looked at him in surprise.  You don't see that much anymore, but it was really nice.

And that, my friends, is me publicly praising two of my many amazing young people at my school.  Or, as my friends at Blimey Cow would say, "That is me supporting my local chivalry."

The Atomic Announcement

Okay; I promised you all a bit of an announcement, and here it is.

A couple of years ago, my friend Meret told me that she felt like she had two paths in front of her that she could take.  Both of these paths would shape her life in drastic ways, and both of these paths seemed to have the "okay" from G-d.  At the time, I didn't understand how that could be possible, but now I do.  I am being confronted with two paths, and I feel like G-d would be perfectly fine with my choice, no matter which one it was.

On one hand, I could easily see myself staying in Korea and becoming what we call a "lifer," meaning I turn this into my career and settle here.  I have a great school, co-teachers that I adore, a pet rabbit that I haven't killed, a young woman who I'm introducing to G-d, and some great friends.

On the other hand, I hear that Still Small Voice saying, "Or, you could Go to the land that I will show you."  There is peace and terror in this option at the same time.  There is peace in that I know this is G-d whispering in my ear, leading me to something He has designed me to be able to do.  There is terror in that He has not specified where or when as the alternative to a comfortable, secure life.  This is not like Abraham's day and age; I cannot buy a plane ticket to "the land I will show you."

And yet

I have chosen the second path (for now).

As of two weeks ago, I turned in my notice of my intention to resign from my position in Korea at the end of August.  I have yet to sign anything, so there is still some wiggle room on that, but I feel confident that, for now, this is the better of the two choices.

What this doesn't mean:

• This doesn't mean that I'm moving back to America.  I would be incredibly surprised if G-d led me there.
• This doesn't mean that I will for sure be resigning.  As I said, nothing's in stone yet.
• This doesn't mean that I won't come back to Korea after some time.  In fact, I hope to be able to return and teach here again in the future.

What this does mean:

• This does mean that I'm hoping to visit the USA for a month or so.  This is very tentative, so please don't get too excited yet, but it is my hope to do a tour around the States and see all the people I've been missing for the past year and a half.
• This does mean that I am in a period of serious prayer and stepping out on the limb of faith.  I have no idea where I am to "Go," but I'm beginning to have some inklings as to where it's not.

What I need from you:

• I could very much use your prayers.  I need discretion and faith, a quiet heart and an open mind.
• Patience.  I know from being on your end of this conversation that all you probably want to do is ask me questions about what my plans are, because you're honestly interested.  Please don't right now; I don't have the answers you want yet.
• Suggestions.  If you know of a missionary opportunity anywhere in the world, I'd be interested in hearing about it.  Ideally, I'd like a position working with children at risk of being trafficked (in a warm country) and/or a non-tent maker missionary position.  Again, that's my ideal position as far as I know, but I know that G-d could have something else in mind that's completely out in left field, so I'm not tied to that idea.  So, if you know of something, please pass it on.

Thank you so much for being here for me this past year and a half.  I'm excited to see where this journey will take us next.

Indonesia: Taman Safari

Taman Safari was the main place I wanted to see in Jakarta.  A couple things had caught my eye in my research, but this seemed the most interesting to me.  I knew I had only a couple of days in Jakarta, and I wanted to make the most of them, but I also was exhausted from my adventure trying to find a hotel.  I tried to justify a couple days in the luxurious hotel to myself, but, in the end, I couldn't.  I walked to the travel agents' offices (because yes, the hotel was so nice that it had two different travel offices in it) and asked for information on things to do that would be open in spite of the flood.

Sea World, which was right on the water, was clearly not going to be an option, but then, a brochure advertising the Taman Safari park caught my eye.  I was sold.  The travel agents, however, were not.  They told me it was about 45 minutes away, and, if the water hadn't receded, I'd be unable to get there.  I asked them if they minded calling the park and asking for me.  Grudgingly, the agreed.  In the end, it sounded like, everything was going to be a go.  But I wasn't out of the woods, yet.  Next, they tried to convince me I needed to rent a car to drive through the safari myself.  I knew that normally people drove their own vehicles there, but, "Surely," I told myself, "a tourist attraction of this magnitude has options for people who have not yet mastered the mystery of driving on the left side of the road."  I scoured the brochure and found that you could arrange to rent a car there.  While driving myself around the park wasn't my favorite idea, it was at least better than driving myself through the giant, congested city, a feat I was sure would kill me if I attempted it.

So, the next morning, I ate an enormous breakfast at the hotel buffet (my plan was to survive on the two complimentary meals, provided by the hotel, a trick I learned at family Thanksgivings when we stayed at a similarly-styled hotel), and headed out to the taxi stand, where I found another one of my trusted BlueBird taxis.  I told the driver where I wanted to go, and, after he checked to make sure I was serious about the 45-minute ride, we were on our way.When we got there, I assumed that there would be some check point where the driver would let me out, and I'd piddle around until I found the rental area. So I was very surprised when I realized that there were animals surrounding the car.  As it turned out, the driver had opted to take me through the park himself, a considerably cheaper option for me (since the taxi fares in Jakarta are mostly based on distance traveled, rather than time - as they are in Korea) and, I'm assuming, a considerably more enjoyable option for him than his normal fares.  He even drove me around the theme park part of the area, driving me up to different rides and attractions and waiting for me to finish.  After the park, we made a couple stops for souvenirs, and returned to the hotel in time for me to have some dinner and do some serious work on my story (Yes, I'm still working on it.  If I'd been more faithful to it, I'd probably be further along by now, but I haven't been.  I can also justify it a bit by saying that I've been very anal about my edits, too, so it's changed massively since I started, which has contributed to the amount of time I've spent on it).  I made the choice to stay with this taxi driver, based on one observation: It was crazy cheap to do so!  I had a private driver the whole day for a grad total of $60.  That, my friends, is winning.

Now, we all know it wouldn't be a vacation post if there weren't some pictures.  I will tell you this, though, I forgot to charge my Canon PowerShot SX50 HS 12.1 Megapixel Black Digital Camera - 6352B001 (Google Affiliate Ad) the night before, meaning that a few minutes into the tour, it died.  At first, I was very frustrated, assuming I wasn't going to get any pictures, but then I remember that I had my Penguin (Aka.. my iPhone) on me, so I used that to take most of the pictures in the park.  I must say, I was very impressed with how they turned out.  See if you can tell where I switched cameras (to be honest, I can't remember exactly where it happened):

A lot of people brought carrots with them to feed the animals. As a result, many of them would stick their faces right into the cars, searching for food. I shook hands/trunks with this elephant.

My brother thinks this was a bull, but I'm not convinced. All I know is that I wouldn't want to be the one to make it mad.

This tiger looked like it was pretty settled to take an afternoon nap like many of the other tigers were doing, so I leaned out the window to take a picture of it (not at all uncommon for people to do in the park). At that moment, it decided it didn't like the spot it was in, got up, and started walking seemingly toward the car. The taxi driver started yelling, "Window! Window! Close the window!" It was a hand-crank window, so I was turning it as fast as I could, yelling also: "I know I know I know I know I know!" It turned out that the tiger only wanted to pass in front of our car to cross to the other side. (Apparently that's not just a chicken pass-time.) We both giggled rather sheepishly for a bit after that.

Llama face!

In the baby zoo, people could buy tickets to play with/take photos with various baby animals. The only two that were awake while I was there was the white tiger and the lion cubs. The tiger had just woken up from a nap, so he was happy to play. He licked my leg and sniffed at my arm, yawning widely in a couple of pictures. All in all, he seemed rather curious. The lion, on the other hand, was very sleepy, about to end his shift. He did sniff my face, something that made both the handler and myself nervous, but, mostly, he just laid there like a doll. But I can assure you, he most definitely was real.

More Politics: What Korea Wants from President Obama

Well, since I'm here, I may as well inform you on the atmosphere surrounding American politics in Korea.  In general, people assume that all Americans love President Obama.

Yeah.  I know.  Let that sink in.

As I've mentioned before, Koreans (North AND South) aren't really allowed to speak out against their government.  Such things get censored online, and, as a result of global short-term memories, the assumption is that everyone likes the current government.  Since this is what they're used to, the same assumption gets applied to Americans.

Trust me.  I've had to quickly de-contort my face many times for that one.

Basically, everyone I've talked to here (who's Korean) is a pretty big fan of Obama.  (Well... except potentially this girl.)  But then again, I apparently missed a group.

I titled this post "What Korea Wants from President Obama."  I probably should have clarified.  CNN somehow got a small group of North Korean defectors to speak out - without having their identities protected, no less - on what they wanted from this election, and what they want moving forward.  It's certainly not ground-breaking or incredibly unexpected, but it's still fascinating to watch.

Go ahead.  Respond.  What do you think is most important for President Obama to do this term?

I just danced around my office.

Because I booked my flights for vacation in record time.

I'll be going to Vietnam to see my friend and fellow Orioles fan, Danielle.  It'll be great to see her, although it might be weird with no baseball around us.  The last time we did that, I think we were in high school...  Oh well.  It's clearly long overdue.

After Vietnam, I'll be heading to Indonesia, where I'll hang out in the capitol for a while, then head east, where there's, apparently  a volcano that's CONSTANTLY ERUPTING!  Volcano eruptions were my deepest fear as a child (one too many late night viewings of Volcano and Dante's Peak, I guess).  I had horrible nightmares about them, one of which I remember distinctly: I was trying to save my cousin from the volcano which had opened up into my church.  He was at the very top, and the volcano kept spraying lava everywhere... which was mac and cheese yellow with hairy tentacles.  (Aliens were my other big fear, also blamable on TV - you guessed it: Unsolved Mysteries.)  So, I'm putting my TV-crippled days behind me, and I'm actually very excited to go face this fear... maybe a little too excited.  Somebody should probably go with me to keep me from falling into the volcano... although, if you didn't, it would be a good way for me to prove once and for all that lava and aliens were different...

Additionally... Volcano-seeing may or may not be on my bucket list?  I don't remember... I'll have to check and add it if it's not.

But yes, I'm excited, and I'm going, and I'm (hopefully) returning to work afterward, when I will be happy, sunburnt, and maybe less jet-lagged than before.

Leave your Vietnam and Indonesia must-sees here.

Love you!

I start middle school today.

I dream last night that I showed up to school in my PJs and forgot where my office was. Half of that is true. Ahhhh!!! I'm getting more nervous by the minute. Prayers, please.

Edit:
My dream in detail:
I woke up to go to school, and I realized that I'd left all of my stuff in my other apartment, which happened to be in my old school.  My blanket was there (so I woke up cold), my clothes were there, my school supplies were there... So I knew I needed to go get them.  I decided to swing by my new school first to tell them why I was going to be late.  So I went in my PJs (sweat pants and a sports bra), but I couldn't find my office.  I spent several hours wandering the halls in said PJs, not finding it before I woke.  There's a good first impression.

August 18

Said goodbye to my family this morning, and I'm now at Dulles, waiting for my flight. :( But I've just decided that this will be a good year, and, suddenly, I feel ready to take on the world, even the stupid rabbit, waiting for me at my apartment.

It's 1:48am, and I JUST finished tomorrow's Captain Bob.

So make sure you read it tomorrow.  I'm pretty proud of this one.

It's interesting to me how now that I'm leaving my elementary school, I finally feel like I'm making a difference there.  It feels like people - students and teachers alike - are finally listening to me and finally expressing/seeing that I do a good job (new teacher status bringing allowances, of course).  I have a feeling that some of it is just cultural bull, but one thing happened on Friday that cannot be explained away.

My fifth-graders have just been playing review games since their finals (read: midterm).  I can understand why it's happening (who's really going to listen after you've already taken the final?), but it also means that I usually have to yell myself hoarse just so the kids can hear what the question is.  Finally, empowered by the fact that I'm already leaving, so they can't very well threaten me with that, I took discipline into my own hands.  Every time a team got too loud, they got additive points taken off their score.  First offense = -1pt., second = -2pts., and so forth.  Unfortunately, the all-boys team got so far behind that they no longer cared, so, instead of taking off the 6 points they had added up to, I had them all stand up and hold their arms above their heads (a quite mild punishment for Korea, mind you). One boy, however, refused.

"I wasn't talking!" He said (in Korean, of course).  "I shouldn't have to be in trouble!"  We (yes, we - my Co-teacher joined me at this point) tried waiting, we tried pressuring him, we tried reasoning with him - nothing.  Finally, we let the rest of the class go, and took him to his homeroom teacher.  She informed us that he was just stubborn, and she would not be talking to him, because it was a waste of her time.  This upset me, and I informed my Co-teacher of it.  We decided to take the student down to the teachers' lounge and talk to him some more, there.  At first, I just let my Co-teacher handle it, but they were both just getting more and more angry, so I joined in, asking her to translate very calmly what I wanted to say to him. 


"I know you're upset," I said, "and I know that this doesn't feel fair, but I want you to think about this:  If you had answered every question wrong, but your team still won, you would want candy, too, right? Well, this goes with that.  When we do something as a team, it is like we are one person.  What happens to one person on the team happens to everyone."  He calmed down a bit while I was talking, so we had him go back to his homeroom.  


Meanwhile, my Co-teacher informed me of every "rude" comment he made:  "He told me, 'I could be doing much worse.'  I couldn't believe it!  He was so rude!"  This confused me a bit, since I remember telling my mom the exact same thing in high school, and I agreed with him.  He could have been doing a lot worse, but respecting his teachers is going to be a vital lesson to have learned when he graduates to middle school, so I wasn't about to let it go.  (Because my personal stubbornness has nothing to do with it... Sure.)


I figured that was the end of it.


But I was wrong.


After school, the boy came back to the teacher's lounge and handed us a letter.  My Co-teacher read it to me, while he stood, waiting.  Basically, he wrote the following (paraphrased) note:

Dear [Co-teacher] and Native English Teacher {Yes, that was how he addressed me...},

       I am very sorry for losing my temper in class.  That was wrong of me.  Even if I think something is not fair, I should still listen to and respect my teachers.  Also, I am sorry because we were doing a team activity, and I was acting as an individual.  This was wrong of me.  I am sorry.

Sincerely,

[Student]

We were both floored.  Not only did the kid apologize, he apparently listened to every word we said.


I feel like I'm finally making a difference, and I couldn't be happier.   I love these kids so much, and I apparently have to be fearless - respectful, but fearless of repercussion - to translate that into the best action possible.

Pray that G-d will continue to guide me and keep me in check.

<3,
Anne Nicole Royster
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Sunday Funnies: The Return of Captain Bob

Well, I've noticed that Bob has been appearing in my classroom more.

My example for a project the fifth graders were doing

And more.

Teaching the third graders body parts

And it got me thinking that while some people may remember Bob (Hi, Mom!), most people will not.  So, here's the deal on Bob:

Bob was born while I was in third grade.  I was bored during a test, waiting to turn it in, and I doodled him on the side of my paper.  The only thing that has changed in his appearance over the years has been that I finally decided to make him slightly more proportional (He used to have a giant head and tiny everything else... much like a T-Rex).  Drawing from my love of the Sunday Funnies (and the culture of my family, in which my uncle is a cartoonist), Bob made a career change when I reached middle school, and became a captain with Star Command, an outlet I used to express my frustration with my family's obsession with Star Trek.  It turned out, however, that they found my sarcasm toward the show highly amusing, and I was horrified to realize how many details of it all had stuck with me.  A couple of Bob's comics got published in the school literary magazine, but for anyone to admit enjoying them would be to admit getting the Star Trek / Star Wars references and risk uncoolness, so I stopped drawing them.  In fact, I took almost a complete hiatus from Bob for about a decade, until he showed up in my classroom.

I started missing Bob, Star Command, and his friends this week, so I decided to revive Bob.  Maybe it will just be for this week, maybe it will be a continuing thing.  We'll see.  Luckily, I'm now an adult and not quite as worried about being cool, so I'm completely unashamed to present you with The Return of Captain Bob:

The next adventure >>

Enjoy!

Another Prayer Vigil

Enock

"Wherever two or more of you are gathered, so shall I be also."

Back in October, I asked us all to pray for my Enock (one of my Compassion Kids)'s sister. I just got an update on her condition, and Enock and his mother are again asking for prayer, specifically from the team that prayed last time, but will welcome more too. I told them I would ask.  I'm looking to put together another vigil on Saturday, June 9.

The girl is currently living in a hospital facility, which is putting a lot of financial strain on the family. In fact, there are now many times when Enock cannot go to school, because he needs to work to help pay the bills. This breaks my heart, and I'm going to try to supplement his income so that he can go back to school. Let me quote the letter to you:

"Enock says his sister is doing better, but she does a lot of talking abnormally. He says continuing praying for his sister with your prayer team, because she suffering and she wants to be astray... Enock says there has been some improvement but she still in the hospital to receive further treatment. 

"Enock and his mother say the sickness had cost a lot to them both financially and spiritually. Enock sometimes finds it difficult to go to school because of money been spent on his sister's sickness. The family is somehow okay, Enock says so."

There is a lot of room for interpretation, I know... but this is my latest information.  And, just as a refresher, this is what was written last time:

"She says her daughter went for a greener pasture, but when she was returning, the daughter returned with the mental problem. The child had been sent to hospitals and prayer camps, but it still doesn't go. Their mother therefore is pleading on your behalf to pray for her daughter. The situation is now: The sick child is at home safely. According to her mother, she doesn't sleep at home at night."

I myself am going to attempt to be praying on this as much as Enock's mom is asking. What I am asking of you is a prayer vigil. I would like to get 24 hours of solid prayer going for this girl. I hear from Enock 1 to 2 times a month, so this information is very recent (as of 3/17, actually).

If you are willing to pray, please respond with the time that you are taking... I'm suggesting half hour blocks, but hit me with more or less as you see able. This is a really bold healing prayer that I would recommend including in your prayer time. (Also, I realize that time zones are drastically different, but I'm going to do this vigil on G-d time, so just sign up in your own time zone.) I'd like to be able to send a copy of this list to Enock's mom, so please respond ASAP (and be sure to designate AM or PM!).

Please feel free (and encouraged) to share this with anyone and everyone.

THANK YOU.

12:00am - Anne Nicole Royster
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9:30am - Sarah Cooke
10:00am - Rharcell Clements
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12:00pm - Cora Meyers
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3:00pm - Darryl Royster
3:30pm -
4:00pm - Carol Jaeger Wynn
4:30pm -
5:00pm -
5:30pm -
6:00pm - Will Houck
6:30pm -
7:00pm -
7:30pm -
8:00pm -
8:30pm -
9:00pm - Mandy Sayers
9:30pm - Kelly Rogers
10:00pm - Megan Jarrell
10:30pm - Megan Jarrell
11:00pm -
11:30pm -

Another long weekend started.

Today, I went to the doctor, and I was really excited about it.  I know what you're thinking.  No, no one has hijacked my blog.  I went to the doctor to finally have a giant wart removed from my elbow.  It's so big and gross that it's become a distraction in class.

And this is after I made part of it fall off.  You can see how that would be distracting.

So, I took my day off, and I went to an esthetic doctor, who used a lazer to take it off, as well as a little on on my hand.  As the numbing cream began to take affect, I started getting nervous, but I knew it was going to be well worth it.  Having a doctor that spoke English well was comforting too.

The doctor, lazering it off, while her assistant sucked up the smoke from my frying skin.

We stopped halfway, because she wanted to numb it more.  This is what it looked like then.

The doctor kept telling me that "warts want to survive," so this is by no means permanent, especially with it being so big.  I have a checkup appointment in one week, where it sounded like we'd be lazering again, but, with my Korean healthcare, it's only just under $15 for the whole thing, so I don't really mind.  I know a lot of people were furious about universal health care in the States, but, let me tell you, it's really pretty great.

I haven't seen what my elbow currently looks like, because there's a decent possibility of infection if I fool with it, so I'm keeping it out of the air until I need to change the dressings.  So yes, that is what I have for you.

Today is June first, so I wanted to let you know that I'm officially starting my June goals now, although they've been slightly modified.  I'm only going to try to write "some" every day, not a page.

Also, I thought you should know, I found another couch in the trash today (well, two, but I let Kris pick one for himself, too).

Finally, because I can read so well, I started my photo a day thing early.  Click here to see my first photo.

Okay.  That is all.  Don't be too grossed out.  Goodnight.

And you?

I'm sure you remember the riots in Cairo in the beginning of 2011.  I certainly do.  I followed that story like a hawk, keeping the TV turned to the news at all times.  I was sure someone was going to roll out the artillery and massacre them all when they were confined to the square, and I wasn't the only one who thought that.  It seemed like everyone thought that.  In spite of the great potential for death, the protestors did not set aside their religion.  In February, there is a major Muslim holiday called Milad Un Nabi (birthday Of The Prophet Muhammad), and when that holiday came 'round, plenty of people were still in midst of their protest, so the question arose - what would happen?  Would the government strike back while they were in their observant prayers?  Would the muslims succumb to fear and not observe it?  Would they disperse?

I think the solution shocked the whole world.  The Egyptian Christian community came together, a mere fortnight after a Muslim radical's suicide bombing took the lives of 23 Christians, to provide a human barrier between the Muslim worshipers and the military on the other side of them.

I found this photo attached to this article.

Today hase no significant ties to this event.  I just happened upon this photograph, which made me think about it all.  I began thinking of how many people would be against this idea - Christians protecting Muslims - but I cannot stand with anyone who says that it's wrong, because I believe that this is what we were put on this earth to do: Love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Moreover, we are called to love, unconditionally, uninhibitedly.  Don't believe me?  Let me prove it:

Find more translations here.

Please note, that in that day, Samaritans and Jews had nothing to do with each other.  The were enemies, and, yet, it was the Samaritan who was willing to protect this Jew as he returned from the very cause of their controversy (Don't know what that is?  Read up on it here).  Let me remind you of Jesus' instructions concerning the Samaritan: "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).


So I ask you: Are you willing to take the plunge and protect those who may very well be seeking to destroy you?

Just a little food for thought today.

The question you've all been asking: E.T.A.?

With my one-year mark in Korea quickly approaching, I've been receiving a lot of the same question: "When are you coming back to America?"

The answer to that question on its surface level is easy: I'll be Stateside from August 9th to the 18th.

The answer to the question that I'm pretty sure you're asking ("When are you moving back to the States?") is a little more complicated.  Let me try to explain.

Bahamas: My first international mission trip (2007)

When I was little, maybe in Kindergarten or first grade, some missionaries came to my church to speak about their work in Nigeria.  I knew then that I would be working outside of the U.S.  Never in my life has that underlying knowledge wavered.  This has nothing to do with a hatred or even a dislike for the United States.  I may say that I don't like living there, but that's not quite an accurate description of how I feel there.  I am definitely American by culture.  I am not fully American anymore, nor could I be the second I first stepped into another culture, but my overarching culture is American.  Here's the thing, living in the States makes me feel trapped.  When I'm there, there's this stress that's on me that most people only feel around finals or evaluation time.  I am not designed to be there, or at least not right now.  For that reason, it is not my current intention to return to the United States for any length of time.  I still may come back for schooling or do schooling online, I'm not sure; I'm just taking life one day at a time.

Let's face it, though.  I'm saying all this, but you must understand that everything could change tomorrow.  I go where G-d sends me.  If G-d sends me back to the U.S., that's where I'll be.  I'm just speaking from my current understanding of the plan, but I am human, and I am small, so my understanding could be incredibly flawed.

All of that is to say:
My evaluation went very well, and, barring some major change, I will be staying in Korea another year.  (And that thought brings a smile to my face. ^_^)

Some of my third graders and me, directly after my evaluation

Vacation: Surat Thani (Khao Sok National Park)

A long time ago, while flying through the air, I picked up one of those airplane magazines, which showed all the expensive luxurious places I would never get to go in my life.  One of those places was a treehouse hotel in the middle of some jungle somewhere.  Well, when I realized that I was planning my vacation to a place filled with jungles, I looked into it, and sure enough, there were plenty of treehouse hotels!  Thrilled, I booked my stay at Our Jungle House (click the title), mostly because of their awesome activities list.  I'm so glad that's the one I picked.  This is why:

The view from my first room.

Some of the staff

I went on a "Night Safari."  The key phrase was: "Don't touch that!  Full of poison!!"  This snake will kill you in 30 minutes if it bites you.

Little tarantula.  Although, when my guide said it, it sounded like, "little Dracula."

The lowli moves slowly!  I'm pretty sure he's a type of sloth.

I went on a an intense hike to find the Rafflesia flower, which I'm told is the largest flower in the world.  It only blooms for a couple of days, so most of them were dead when we got there.

This one would be open within the next couple of days (so right about now).

The view from the top of the mountain.

Our Jungle House was GREAT, and I'd definitely recommend staying there.  The place was incredibly family-friendly.  In fact, when I left, I felt like I was leaving home.  Bodhi, his family, and his staff made the stay wonderful, offering activities and food to tempt any traveller.  I meant to write so much about this part of my trip, but it's hard to find words to accurately describe the warm place in my heart I have for Thailand, specifically because of my stay at this hotel (If you can really call it that).  So, I hope my pictures do it justice, and I hope you take the leap and just go ahead and stay there - you won't regret it.

So, yes, all in all, I'd definitely say vacation was a win (and a much needed break from the cold).  Hope y'all are doing well!  I'm off to get coffee with a friend, so I'll upload the rest of my pictures to Facebook later. :)

Vacation: Bangkok

I stopped in Bangkok for one reason, and one reason only.  I'm going to let look at my pictures and figure out what is was.  :)

Rocking the sunburn for an early morning trip down to the floating markets.

The pressure to buy was intense.  One woman started crying when I said I wasn't interested, another started pushing things into my hands.  The place was packed, so I know they were going to get buyers, it's just hard for me to walk (or float) away from that sort of thing.  I'm sure that's what they were banking on, though.

He was selling the opportunity to get your photo taken with this snake around you.  If not for my excruciating sunburn, I would have gone for it.  You win some, you lose some, I guess. :)

Next, I met up with my tour guide at a WWII POW grave yard.   I didn't realize WWII had touched Thailand, but apparently, the Japanese used POWs to build a railroad to carry supplies through the country.  They generally worked 20-hour days, with little to no food and water.  Most died from the heat.  It was tough, walking down the cross-shaped path, hearing people searching for specific names, counting the number of men who were younger than me when they passed...  It was very emotional.

At the Bridge of Death, where so many men unwillingly gave their lives, forced to fight for the side against whom they began their war; I can think very few worse ways to go.  I pray to G-d for His mercy, that, one day, this will not even be an option that crosses the minds of our leaders.

At the tiger temple, with a sweet little cub.  He wasn't the youngest I hung out with, but the other was too frolicky for me to get a great picture. 

Fully grown, and fully fed, so he wasn't too interested in play - just bath time, then nap time.

Speaking of bath time, I had to take this sweet girl down to the river for her bath.  It was, on the whole, much more scary than being around the tigers, as I had nothing to hold while I was riding her!  This, of course, left me incredibly sore, as I think my goal became to stay on the elephant, using my legs as my only semblance of a seatbelt.

Loving that rub down (I hope - it was a little hard to tell).  She started playing with me after a while, splashing me with water and spraying some out of her trunk.  I ended up feeding her in the end, and I think she decided she liked me then. ;)

So - can you guess what it was?  I know, it was definitely an eventful day that is leaving me smiling, even now.  I certainly wouldn't trade it in.  I would recommend it (link attached to the title, of coure).
<3

Vacation: Nakhon Si Thammarat (นครศรีธรรมราช)

The first stop on my trip was the tiny, absolutely non-tourist city of Nakhon Si Thammarat, known in Thai as นครศรีธรรมราช.  I can't read that at all, but it's absolutely wonderful to look at in small quantities.  Nakhon Si Thammarat has been plagued by floods for pretty much a year now.  It's been pretty bad, and a lot of people in the lower half of town (incidentally, the poorer half of town - isn't that how it always goes?) have had to relocate.  Interestingly enough, the whole experience in the city (from the weather to my hotel) kept reminding me of my time in Nicaragua.

I stayed in a cute hotel called Teeny House while I was there.  I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I'm glad I stayed there.  Its bright pink exterior helped keep me from getting lost, the rooms were nice, and the food was delicious.  The staff couldn't have been more friendly or helpful.  I'm pretty sure, of the couple who owns the place, the wife is primarily responsible for the decorations.  It almost gave the feel of a B&B, each floor having a feel of a theme (although you'd have to be a woman to notice it, because each theme was flower-heavy) and hidden poetry or philosophy painted onto the walls.

And, of course, what is a hotel without a mascot/symbol of some sort.  This seemed to be Teeny House's:

While I felt awful for this dog, having to wear a dress in that kind of heat, I did enjoy rolling it around in play, in essence, contributing to the heat problem.  Ah, well...

Nakhon Si Thammarat, while not being tourist in nature, is rich with history and culture.  I took a day to walk the entire length of the place (I'd guess four miles?) and check out a bunch of historical spots marked on my tourist map.  Here are some of them:

This stupa - "Chedi Yak" - was built between 1257 and 1358 AD.   It's in the Coylouese (Sri Lankan) style. 

This Buddha image - "Luang Pho Ngoen" - is located in front of Chedi Yak.

I'm pretty sure this was at "Suan Phra Ngern."

I went out of my way to find this pool.  Unfortunately, it was very much closed off and shut down.  This is "Sa Lang Dap Si Prat," and, according to my tourist map, Si Prat was a poet who prospered during the rule of King Narai the Great.  However, like most poets, he wasn't a fan of conformity to custom and tradition, and, crossing the line with one toe too many, he was banished to Nakhon Si Thammarat, where, keeping with the poet stereotype, he was found to be committing adultery with a local woman.  As punishment, he was executed (by beheading, from what I can tell) near this pool.  According to legend, the executioner washed his sword in this pool.

This is part of the ancient city wall.  It is surmised that the wall was constructed over an older wall that was an earth wall, supported by columns.  This newer wall is a brick wall, covered by plaster.  I sat at this wall and enjoyed a Coke, while watching a guy fishing.  Then the police came by and started hitting on me, so I figured it was time to go. 

Phra Sua Muang Shrine was built to house an image of Phra Sua Muang, the angel of the city who is supposed to protect the city from all dangers, along with protecting the armed forces and bringing peace to the locals.

At Wat Phra Maha That Woramaha Wihan (try saying that 10 times fast... ... ... or at all) also known as: The Big Pagoda.  I'm putting up two pictures that don't show much at all of its size or beauty, but I promise I'll post more in my next post.  You'll understand why.

Each of these is supposed to hold the ashes of a Buddhist monk.

Yup.  I definitely think the walk was worth the sunburn.  Plus, on the way back, a local college kid got excited to see a white person, so he asked to take a picture with me.  In return, he gave me a ride on his motor bike back to my hotel, while his wife waited at the college.  It was terrifying, as it had just rained and we were going incredibly fast, but I managed to avoid a third round with sun poisoning, so I still throw this one in the win-win category.  :)