3.) Church Photo hunt

One of the things that I'm really happy with here in Korea is my church. I found this church my second week in Korea, and I've been there every Sunday since. One of the things I was looking for when I first got here was a good outlet for some energy, the opportunity to grow, and a place to meet friends. So I sought out a church that had a college group, believing that if I found one, the other things mentioned above were sure to follow. And that held true.
I have become ever-more involved since I began attending back in December. I now lead a small group, am involved in the leadership process, and do various other things in the name of "SEC" (SaRang English-College). ["SaRang" is the English way to spell the Korean word for love, which is also the name of the church.]
Being summer, and being the college group, there are many people without a whole lot to do, since a lot of Korean students are on break from school and many Koreans who have been studying abroad have returned for the summer. So at SEC we have hosted various events to keep people involved and entertained in their free time. And since I am jobless, I have been able to not only participate in numerous activities, I have also been able to plan some. This past weekend is one example.
In my high-school youth group we used to have an annual event held downtown Chicago, where we would have to do a scavenger hunt and also try to find staff members throughout the city. So in planning this event, we combined that idea with the convenience of digital cameras and the official excuse to do silly things in public places, and called it "SEC Photo Scavenger hunt." Original, huh?

The list of assigned pictures included the one above, a human pyramid in front of City Hall. What you cannot see are the hundreds of people in one of the only grassy places in Seoul, the lawn in front of City Hall. There was some sort of event going on, and tons of people of all ages were running around, sitting on the grass, picnicking, playing in the water fountain, and giving away free hugs (of which I was the happy recipient... twice.). It was quite a fun atmosphere to be in as we walked about and checked the assigned photos off out list.

One part of 'city life' that I have come to enjoy is the presence of people everywhere, but not just business people and adults, but people of all ages and backgrounds. It also serves to provide fodder for interesting encounters, whether they be drunk old men trying to start fights on the subway, kids coming up and saying "hi!!" and then running away, high school girls giggling at you on the bus as they're on their way to Saturday-school, or tourists who are so lost that you can't help but laugh 'cause you've been in exactly the same situation at some time in your life. Regardless of when and where, there are always things in the city that make me smile. One of my favorites are the little kids that are just doing everyday things in the midst of such a fast-paced environment.

Besides having the excuse of an organized activity to spur on our energy and push the limits of appropriate social norms of behavior, we had another attribute which is quite unique and empowering, the FA, Foreigner's Advantage. I have yet to figure out exactly why it's the case, but almost everywhere I travel in Asia, and especially here since I've had so much time to experiment with it, I am treated more like a celebrity than an American who, according to the mentality and propaganda back home, the world is supposed to hate.
[--One quick side story is when Kyle and I, besides catching glimpses and hellos from countless people around us, we actually stopped people in the street, had them turn around, and say... "wow, you guys stand out!" That comment pretty much made our day, and has been the topic of conversation ever since. That particular instance could be attributed to the fact that we both have red hair (something very rare here), we were both wearing sunglasses (which for some reason over here transforms an average person into an instant celebrity... really weird, but nonetheless strangely true), we each were quite well dressed (including my tailored creme suit and Kyle's professionally styled hair which has been rumored to have caused an international frenzy, particularly in Japan, due to his appearance in BeautyLife magazine), or that we were strutting down the middle of the street... but whatever the case, I still would like to attribute it to a case of FA.--]
Anyway, back to the photo hunt... several of the things on the list required asking people to do favors for us, like posing with a Starbucks' barista, or wearing an official police hat. And when those situations arose, the cause for agreement with the FA theory was only strenthened...

Living in Korea is great. I have experienced things that I never could have back home. And those such experiences have had a dramatic influence on my life's perspective. Something that could not have happened had I not been here in a particular place at a particular time. My church has provided a great foundation for me here, and you can look forward to many more posts regarding the fun things we do and the awesome people there!

2.) From loafing to living

As you may or may not know, I lost my job about a month ago. It was a real shady situation, where the school "fired" me on no grounds, and then proceeded to force me to move out and pretty much left me stranded in Korea with homeless, jobless, and close to penniless (if not for the saving habits I learned as a child, I don't know where I'd be...). However, challenges are just another word for the opportunity to grow, learn, and ultimately become something better than you were before. So I'm ok with that.
As for the practical, Kyle, the friend who introduced me to the idea of teaching in Korea and my fellow club-fiend here on the weekends, offered to let me crash at his place. Whether or not he knew I would stay here as long as I have, I know not... but he has, regardless, continued to offer me a mattress on his floor, his nicely furnished bathroom, and endless entertainment opportunities... and more recently, a part-time job, but I'll get to that a bit later in the post. So I have been very blessed in that capacity. [If you are intrigued to know more about Kyle and his experiences here, check out his blog, which is linked at the side of this page.]
After working for seven months at a private institute, where even though I taught some really cool subjects to great students the management just drove me crazy and I had to work a full 40 hours a week (something that is not very typical here), I decided that I would like to try something a little new. A few of my friends teach at universities here, and those are really nice jobs. You have to teach about 20 hours a week, and then you prepare and grade from home, whenever you want. Also, they give between two to five months of paid vacation, which is kind of a huge plus.
So I began looking for some opportunities to teach at universities. It was pretty cool, 'cause I found one, and then I decided just to start looking up any schools in the area of Seoul where I want to work, and then I looked up their contact numbers on the Internet. A few days later, I found job postings for two of the schools that I had looked up, without even knowing that they would be looking for teachers. So God provides, right? Right. So I interviewed at one university during the second week of July, and was told that they would call me later that week, which I wasn't sure I wanted because the other schools told me that they wouldn't decide for several weeks. So I just kinda said to myself, "ok, we'll just see what happens." As it turned out, the school that I went to for the interview didn't call me back that week, or the next. So I have just been pretty much loafing around Seoul waiting to hear from these places. Which, like I said, isn't all bad, because I would rather hear from all of the schools around the same time so I can make one decision and not worry about foregone opportunities.


[This is one of the palaces in a part of the city called Insa-dong; the whole place has a very 'traditional' feel and decor.]

Waiting, and being content with that, however, has been yet another challenge. I described to a friend the other day that I consider myself an action-man, wanting to just make things happen, to get up and go, and to take initiative when I think something needs to happen. So just waiting to hear back from these schools has really tested my personality. It has also tested the calling on my life. Like, is this really where I am supposed to be right now? Is it the best thing for me right now to basically hang out in Seoul for the summer? Could my time be spent better elsewhere?


All those questions, and more, have filled my mind this month. And the only conclusion I can come to is that I don't feel a strong urge or calling to go anywhere else, not even home, and I also feel somewhat at peace here, and I feel like I am doing some things that are realy useful in my down-time. For instance, I have been able to become much more involved in my church since I don't have the pre-occupation of an occupation. And the group has really been growing (it started last year with about 7 students, and now there are around 50-60 people there on Sundays). I have also been able to hang out with a lot of people, and really explore the city in the process. But though I have been having fun, I have this sense of restlessness that has been welling up inside me. So lately I've been feeling like I need to make something happen.
I have also thought about the possibility of teaching at another school or institute, like the place I worked before. I have even interviewed at about five or so places like that. I have had some really appealing offers presented, but I just don't feel called to do that again, at least not yet. So I have, like I said, been loafing. That is, until today...
....
It's strange how in life there seem to be no other outlets, nowhere to go except to keep plotting along, but then, almost all of a sudden, you notice that there is a way out, and not just one way, but there have been lots of things that have been building up for some time that have finally come to fruition and there are so many options you are still confused about what to do but for completely the opposite reasons. Well, today was one of those breakthrough days, a day where you know that God has to be alive and well, and working, too!
Last week, at the school Kyle works, one of the teachers just quit, without warning (if you haven't noticed, that's pretty much the business climate over here, at least as far as teaching goes). So Kyle had mentioned that I could possibly work some part-time hours there, which would pay nicely, give me some flexibility, and provide enough money to reasonably support myself as I wait on and continue looking for jobs. So today he (Kyle) asked if I could go to his work with him, so he could introduce me to the teachers and the kids. So I went. I attended three classes, and then talked to the head-teacher and started picking the activities to do for a class that I will start on Thursday. The class is cool. It meets twice a week, and on the first day we do activities in class, and then the second day we take a field trip somewhere. I had heard of other teachers that were able to take trips with their kids, but I was at a pretty rigorous school before and didn't have that option. So I'm pretty excited about that. It starts Thursday.


[This is one of the many artistically decorated restuarants in Insa-dong. It kinda reminds me that things look more beautiful when you can tell that they had to struggle to get to a certain point, just like the ivy had to dig its roots into the brick and stone in order to make the building look so cool.]

Furthermore, this morning when I was getting ready to head in to Kyle's school, I was making some phone calls to follow-up on a few of the university positions I'm interested in. One of them (the one that was supposed to call me back two weeks ago, and who every time I call ask if they can call me back the next day and then I never get a call) basically asked if I had my official transcripts yet, and then asked that, given my transcripts arrive soon, if I could start on Monday. So we'll see what works out with that.
Also, as I was making the aforementioned calls, a friend from church called to ask if I could tutor one of his friends for several hours a week, which would last for a while. So in just one day I have had two specific opportunities offered (both of which I accepted) and also had my anticipation reinstated concerning a fulltime position in the very near future.
It's always cool to see how opportunities seem to match the things we need at the time that we need them. For instance, last week I had a packed schedule, basically just hanging out with friends. I met with at least three different sets of people every day last week, which was awesome, but at the end of the week left me really wondering if I was effectively using my life over here. I viewed those fellowship opportunities as valuable, but didn't think that I wanted to keep that up for very long. So over the weekend I had decided that I would really put forth an effort to figure things out, both by my own initiative and also in my re-focusing on where God was leading. So, like I said, the floodgates opened right when I had personally come to the point of seeking that out. Nice timing, huh?
So my time out here in Korea has been challenging, for sure, but has also been a time that I have really enjoyed life, and learned about patience, faith, and contentment. Not bad for just a few months.


[This is the only Starbucks in the country that spells out the name using Hongul (Korean)... one of the cool places I've been able to see since I've had some time to prowl around the city.]

1.) Seasons

When fall begins to show its face in late summer, you recognize the signs by the color of the trees, the crisp bite in the air, and the lingering dampness that the sun used to evaporate away in the heat of the day. None of those things alone are enough to make you stop and say, "wow, the season has really changed," but, when combined, it's impossible to miss the imminent change ahead. A lot of the time, life is exactly the same.



I have been in Korea for exactly eight months (as of yesterday). I have worked a job, gotten involved in a church, met tons of friends, and lived a life worth envying... at least I'd like to think so. However, none of those things have been captured by my blog, which you may or may not have noticed. However, just as the aggregate signs around point to a changing of the seasons, the past month or so has seen its fair share of changes, which have added together to mark a pretty drastic change in my life. So, though I am still in Korea and have no strong intention of packing up and flying home in the near future, the things I have experienced have led me to start putting into words what life is like for me over here, and document some of the remarkable things that have happened and are still happening around me.
Just like the shape of the landscape, the size of the trees, and the scope of the surrounding civilization do not change terribly much when fall conquers summer but rather show a different perspective of the reality of the dynamics of a particular environment, so my life still resembles itself from a year ago, only it can now be seen from a different perspective.