Sunday, December 23, 2007

Overworked and Underplayed

So I had Saturday off (yesterday) and enjoyed the day freezing my butt off and doing what I love, rock climbing. I got to go with some of the Koreans we've met at the climbing gym here in Suyu. I wasn't able to find the camera at 5 in the morning, so I don't have any pictures. But maybe next time. 5 in the morning, you ask why? well i had to meet woo-jin (sound like oo-j/chin; the j and ch often mix together in the korean language) at 5:30 at the station in Suyu, then ride the subway about 40 minutes to another station, then get a ticket for the korail, which is a train, not subway, that took us to ghanyun (Konglish for canyon), about 2 hours eastward ( i think) from Seoul. the climbing was interesting and pretty fun. it made me feel lonely at times though because the only person there who really spoke much english was woo-jin. it made me miss rebs and i was very glad when i got home around 10pm.

Anyway, that's not really what's on my mind right now. Having been away for a day helped me to step back and have a little perspective. Often times when you're in the middle of a metaphorical storm, you can't see your hand in front of your face. That is what I'm witnessing right now. This past weekend there were just over 60 teams of between 12 and 16 kids, which rounds out to about 700 kids. I got to miss most of it on Saturday, which was my day off for the week, but Rebs was working. And she worked today with me. I can witness first hand the effects of not getting enough rest. Besides Rebs, there are many other teachers who are getting or have been sick for a while. I'm not sure why I haven't been stricken, but I haven't yet. And believe me, there's alot of stuff going around.

But I think the thing that gets to me the most is the look on people's faces, the body language that shows they're exhausted. I hurt for them. And the worst of it is that it isn't a single person's fault. It is the way the business world runs. The administrators over us have been working in a panic for about a week now, getting ready for this weekend's Christmas event, and also for the beginning of Winter Camp, which starts tomorrow. That means no break between kids... and Winter Camp runs for 10 days at a time with a one day break in between sessions. The whole course of Winter camp runs through the end of January, three different rounds. I still don't know what it is we're doing with the kids yet. That's how disorganized they are. But don't worry, we find out on Monday at 12:30. That's besides the point. The point is that it's all about the money. The head guy, Mr. Kim, leaves registration open until two days before sessions start, so schedules are always being changed at the last minute. It causes alot of stress on alot of people, but he doesn't seem to care. I truly despise money in the way that it manipulates people's minds to put it as a higher priority over a person's health. But not really because usually the decisions regarding money in a business are made by a person who's work schedule is already set. It makes me want to work for a non-profit organization for the rest of my life. What do you think?

So, I'm sorry for the soap box. And I'm sorry we haven't been keeping up too much lately, but everything's been overly busy that we feel good if we just get an hour to ourselves to collect our thoughts at the end of the day. Working in Korea seems to be more work than we had hoped for.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

In the Raw

so i realized that i've been having a hard time writing to an audience i didn't know. but i just got done writing to a good friend of mine who was unaware of what rebs and i have been doing, other than the fact that we're in korea. so i guess you can consider this a bit of a recap with some more intimate details. i'm pasting what i wrote below with a few modifications. enjoy...

i can relate to where you're at right now. i went through all of college thinking i was going to be a camp and rec major without even thinking too hard about it. i enjoyed learning about it alot, but i'm still not sure if that's what God has in store for me. all i know is i want an adventure with whatever path he has me take. hence, korea. but anyway, i got out of school, went to korea the first time, and then on the road trip with caleb (which is a great way to kill a friendship, by the way. although we did recover). then i didn't know what to do. so i got a job as a bike mechanic. then rebs and i got serious and she told me i wasn't making enough money to support "us" for when we got married. that was God's wakeup call for me. it was the hardest thing to hear, but it was true. so i started looking and praying for the right job. and sure enough within a few weeks, my friend had a part time opening at his job that paid about twice what i was making as a bike mechanic, and it was as a recreational therapist, which is similarly related to my field. the part time job shortly became a fulltime job, which i held until we moved here.

honestly, i think i've learned a few things. one is that God is going to use you no matter what you're doing. two is you're going to get crapped on no matter where you are in life, whether you're working at mcdonalds or for google. there's no perfect world. it's more about your perspective. that's why i'm glad to hear you talking about being content in whatever the situation. you asked if i'd read any good books. the answer is no, but i read a chapter of this book called _irresistable_revolution_ by shane claiborne and it's powerful stuff. very hippie-esque, minus the pot. oh, and two more things i learned along the way. it's way more about who you know than what you know in this world, especially when it comes to getting a job. and the other part goes with it. it's all about who you know and how you present yourself. basically, if you learn to be friends with anyone, and be respectful of your differences, it's hard not to end up in good standing with the people you work with, which can be worth alot. you find yourself looking forward to work than dreading who you'll see.

so... to answer your questions. korean life is like playing supermario brothers (the original). you go down into the subway like you go through the portholes. when you come out, you're in a new world. this city goes on for days! i can't begin to describe how big it is. but there are skyscrapers, people, and polluted air everywhere. one thing that's been extremely hard for rebs because she's more introverted than i is that it's really hard to get alone in this country. there are literally people everywhere. even when you go up to the mountaintop, there are 65 year old men hiking around as if they're 35 year old americans. the koreans are in great shape. and they've got workout stations along the mountainside with pull-up bars and incline benches for inverted situps and bench presses. it's pretty cool except that it's too cold right now. it always gets below freezing at night.

our contract is through the end of october '08, but we're probably going to be here for two years. our goal is to have all $_____ worth of student loans paid off completely before we come home. and with the exchange rate of the us dollar right now, that looks very possible. i just hope it goes back up eventually.

the climbing here is pretty cool. there's actually a climbing gym about 15 minutes from where we live, which is amazing because it seems like it takes twice as long to get anywhere here than when we were in the states. if you want to go to the equivelant of wal-mart, it'll take you 30 minutes just to get there because you have to take 2 busses. the only exception is if you have a motorcycle because they all weave in and out of the traffic. and you're not going to get a ticket unless you do something really stupid or kill someone. but on a motorcycle, you're more likely to kill yourself. oh, so the climbing. there's sort of an unspoken rule among climbers that you should be nice to people. it just amazes me that on the other side of the world, i get the same vibe among the climbers here that i do at home, which is friendly and helpful. every time we go to the gym, someone is there to show us a new route. they're great at pushing us because in korea, when they boulder, they do it for endurance more than strength because it's alot of work to go climbing. you have to basically take an entire day to go. which reminds me, i get to go climbing outdoors this saturday. but i have to be a the subway station at 5:30 am to do so because i guess the train going south out of seoul only leaves at 7am and 12pm and nowhere in between. so we're catching the 7am one so we can get full day worth of climbing in. it should be interesting. i'm actually very excited.

yeah, if you haven't figured it out, we're in south korea. but we do go to a group called catacombs on tuesday nights to talk about and pray for the north koreans. we're still looking for the right way to get involved. one bad thing is that our work keeps us so busy and our schedules are very random at times that it's hard to know when you're going to have off, which makes it hard to commit to things and this is a very long sentence.

"how's married life?" is a single person's question because that's like asking "how are you doing?" it could entail so much. but rebs and i are doing good. she's had a couple culture shock break downs, but i think that's to be expected.

you asked "what's God teaching you right now?" i think he's working all around us. there are 45 foreign teachers living in our village, so there are english speakers everywhere, and a few of them have become interested in the bible lately. one of the coolest things that's happened so far is that a couple of our korean teacher friends wanted to start a bible study with us. so we meet every thursday and talk about the verses we read every day. it gives us a chance to apply what we're learning and hear what God's doing in other people's lives. it helps me to be more aware of His presence. and it also helps me stay accountable with reading every day. this is the first time in my life i've been able consistently ready on a daily basis. and i'm realizing it's not always that deep, and that's okay. i think when you're consistent, God rewards it. consider it like a friendship. if you are roommates with someone, you're likely to see them almost every day. maybe you eat together and have some good conversations every now and then. but not every moment is action packed. there are some dull moments too. i think that's how God is with us too. He's there through it all, not just the movie script material. but when you are consistent with Him, you can get to such a deeper level. i think in the past my problem was that i always wanted that adrenaline rush that you get when someone comes to know the Lord. and when it wasn't there, i got discouraged and started picking at my life, thinking there was something wrong, a sin or something in the way between me and God. but really i think i just wasn't being intimate with Him. does that make sense?

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Christmas Party... Korean Style

Imagine Napoleon Dynamite all grown up, living in Korea. Tonight we had our SEV Christmas party and we wanted to introduce you to some of our co-workers.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Desperate times call for desperate measures





So, I'm feeling better. I've had two days to rest and the antibiotics have really kicked in. Hooray! Tonight I went back to the doctor and he said my tonsils are back down to normal size. I got antibiotics for a few more days and also bought this nifty mask. Don't I look beautiful? The Koreans wear these a lot in the winter to combat the cold and pollution. Never thought I'd actually wear one of these things but now that I'm feeling better, I'm determined to stay healthy. Notice, I'm also giving the signature peace sign. In case you didn't know, Koreans pose this way in almost every picture. Also, don't you like Dusty's lovely frog hat? We're really fitting in now. Ha! Honestly, we really do love it here and are enjoying life in Korea more everyday. Tonight I was describing to Dusty how living here feels sort of like playing in a real life SuperMario Bros video game. It's so stimulating. There's stuff everywhere. Lights flashing all around at night. Some cars don't even bother turning on their headlights to drive, it's so bright. Usually when we go anywhere outside of our neighborhood, we hop on the subway. When we come out, it's like entering a new world sort of like you do in SuperMario. There is so much to do and explore and everything is so weird and foreign. And the shopping... amazing! I love it but I'll have to set a budget for myself. Dusty thought that my analogy was funny but agreed with me. Maybe those six pills I'm taking three times a day are making me loopy. I have no idea what they are but I sure feel relaxed and I'm sleeping like a baby at night. Off to bed I go. Goodnight.

Monday, December 3, 2007

"AWAY MUCUS!!!!"


Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have tonsillitis. When I swallow, it feels like I have about 10 million knives stabbing me in the throat at one time. Yes, I'm a bit dramatic but it really hurts. Yesterday I woke up with a horrible sore throat. I made it our of bed for church and that's about all the strength and energy I could muster. I couldn't sleep at all last night. I kept waking up everytime I had to swallow. So I've been up since 3am. Somehow I made it through work. Afterwards, a couple of my friends who are Korean took me to the doctor for translation purposes. Let me say, they do things a bit differently here. First of all, there was no throat swabbing. He took one look and said I had tonsillitis. Who knows if it's strep throat which is bacterial or just a virus. He then took some weird instruments I'd never seen before and sucked the snot right out of my nasal cavity. That felt weird. I also got a shot in the butt. That was unexpected and now my bootie is sore. And I have lots of pills to take the next two days. I already took six after dinner. I have no idea what any of them are but if they make me feel better, I don't really care. I just want to be able to swallow and sleep. So guess how much this all cost me. With my insurance everything was less than 7,000 won which is equivelant to about $7 in the states. Isn't that amazing? I saw an ear, nose, and throat specialist, walked in without an appointment, waited 10 minutes, got my prescriptions filled, and was out of there. Let's just hope it helps. I'm so tired of being sick. Last week was the first week I felt better like I was getting over my cold and now this. Aargh! But I'll survive. At least I'm not dying of cancer or something.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Where we're going!



Yes, that's right. We're going to Thailand this February. Woopee! I can hardly believe it. I've been wanting to go for so many years. I can't wait! We plan to go to Railay Beach for some of the best climbing in Southeast Asia and also to Koh Phi Phi which is one of the most beautiful places in the world.