Sign me up...

...for the Jesus Revolution.

Forget irresistable, I want to get on board with an awesome Jesus who rides in a minivan with rocket ships and robots.

TGIF

Dear Eunice,

I met your mother. She is a wonderful woman (and also pictured above). My work at the daycare is worth it because she is so fun to be around.

Beautiful Remembrance

So I teach this student, his name is Matt, and he doesn't know much English. The last time I met with him, I was really frustrated because he was clearly not having any fun, and I wasn't having fun, and neither of us were having fun and it was terrible.

This week wasn't shaping up to be much better, but then his mom came home and she brought the two of us to the Korean National Cemetery. It was a somber moment because we were in a cemetery, yes, but it also was one of the most beautiful places I have been in South Korea so far. The landscaping was meticulous, and the weather was 70 degrees with a slight breeze that cooled you off just enough to enjoy the day. I felt privileged to have visited it.

Pork Belly

Tonight I met with Mr. Kim at a Starbucks, and he told me that the original purpose of our meetings-preparation for an English job interview-was no longer needed. It turns out that he "decided his future" yesterday and took a job with another company. Just when I thought I was saying goodbye to one of the most interesting students I have, he told me that he wants to keep meeting with me and just having normal conversation. What a relief.

After finishing our coffee, he told me that he wanted to "show me how a salary-man [white-collar worker] eats." He took me to this hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the middle of Seoul. The tables have big holes in them, and when you come they put a big grill in the middle of the table. After which they big you a big portion of raw pork belly (thick, thick, bacon) and you cook it for yourself right at the table. It was extremely tasty. The grilled Kim Chee was better, because you grill it below the pork so that the juices can soak into it.

Yum.

We talked about a lot of things: the economy, North Korea, beef, the current Korean President, etc. He also introduced me to a Korean drink: Soju. It's like a weak vodka that is distilled from rice and much, much smoother. Don't worry everyone: I didn't get drunk.

Next week we go to a Korean micro-brewery. Yay!

Music

I am very thankful that I took the time to download some new music before I left for Korea. While I am on my two or three hours of commutes every day I am listening to the following albums:

"Everywhere at Once" by Lyrics Born

"The Craft" by Blackalicious

"Matisyahu" by Matisyahu

"We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" by Jason Mraz

"All Time Greatest Hits" by CCR

I'm also checking out a few sermons from House of Mercy, which are always enjoyable.

That's all for tonight. See you tomorrow!

---CJ

The Bridge of San Luis Rey

I just finished "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thorton Wilder. The winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, the story is of the inter-connected lives of five people who die when the bride of San Luis Rey collapses while they are crossing it.

I picked up a copy of the book in a used bookstore in Lindon, Washington about two years ago, and despite its small size, I never got around to actually reading it. I grabbed it on an impulse for this trip, and I have to tell you, I don't regret it.

This book masterfully connects each character in this book in wonderfully inventive ways that aren't overdone or too stereotypical. If you're a fan of LOST (and hey, who isn't?), then you might understand what I'm talking about. I finished this book with a feeling of hope and it left me thinking in a more profound way than most other books twice its length.

Wilder has been characterized as an "unfashionable Optimist" whose work embodies his "concern with, admiration for and love of human life at its most ordinary..." If this sounds appealing to you, pick this book up. Finally, a quote:

"All, all of us have failed. One wishes to be punished. One is willing to assume all kinds of penance, but you know, my daughter, that in love --I scarcely dare say it--but in love our very mistakes don't seem to be able to last long?"

Full of Food

Sorry for the delayed post everyone.

China Town

Last night Dr. Kwon asked me if I wanted to go with Jun to a Chinese restaurant. I said, "Sure!" thinking that it would be an hour-long excursion to a local eatery. Little did I realize that it would be a forty-minute commute. Instead of going directly to eat, however, we visited Jun's grandparents (Dr. Kwon's parents) and his grandfather and Ceri went with us. We ended up going to Icheon, a coastal city near the outskirts of Seoul.

Apparently, Icheon has a Chinatown like that of San Francisco. We ate at a pretty nice Chinese restaurant. We had typical noodles and sauce, and then went back to the grandparent's apartment. I glanced at my watch. It was already 9 PM. I told Ingrid that I'd call her at around 10 or 11 PM. Hopefully I could get out of there on time.

I knew I was in trouble when the grandfather asked me if I wanted to take a shower.

Turns out that I stayed the night in their apartment, which was nice because they had a complete guestroom and everything all set up and I got to take a shower and spend the evening relaxing. For those of you wondering, I called Ingrid from there and even checked my e-mail.

French Food

The next day Jun and I woke up and had eggs(!) for breakfast and his grandmother took us back to Dr. Kwon's apartment. Unfortunately, the eggs and the stop-and-go traffic of rush-hour Seoul didn't agree with me and I got pretty car sick. Actually really car sick. I went and crashed in my bed for about three hours of fitful sleep. Yay for days that I get nearly 12 hours of sleep...

Dr. Kwon had been up late writing a paper for a Korean Traditional Music conference tomorrow morning, and so she woke up at around 11 and asked if I wanted to go get some pizza. Understand that I have been craving pizza since I got here, and so I jumped at the chance. I was expecting to drive to Papa Johns or Pizza Hut or something, but instead we drove to an area of Seoul where all the French people live. We ate at this nice French place and had pizza and a seafood-noodle dish. I'm continually surprised at how nice these people are!

Eating

While we're on the subject of eating, I should let you know: I eat out a lot here. It's good food, and I'm glad for the opportunities that people give me, but I'd say that I only know about 70% of what I'm eating. Otherwise, it's a total guess as to what I'm actually putting in my mouth. It's good though, and I think I can handle another five weeks of this.

That's all I have for now; I'm off to work in about half an hour and the rest of my night is going to be packed. So... peace out A-town.

---CJ

Greetings everyone! I just wanted to get you a quick update on what's going on: I don't have a lot of time. I'm very tired and need some sleep! The picture above is of me and June, the boy that I'm living with. I was pretty frustrated at our lack of communication at first but it turns out that he has only taken 6 months of English lessons! I am no longer angry!

MOCA

Today I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art here in Seoul.

I freaking loved it.

I always get so charged up by looking at art in a museum or gallery context, like, "I could do that" sort of charged up, and today was no exception. I really enjoyed the exhibits, although I couldn't tell you the names of either of the artists... (oops!)

Their international contemporary art section included a few pieces by Chuck Close and Andy Warhol, but it was the first time that I had seen any of Cindy Sherman or Orlan's work in person. It was sort of disturbing. Also present was an exhibit on Naim June Paik's television work. I didn't get a chance to view that exhibit as much as I would have liked, but I'll be sure to go back.

I couldn't take any pictures (they wouldn't allow it!) but I might try to grab a few when I go back.

Art

I've been trying to incorporate a little more color into my moleskine with a set of cheap watercolors. It works well, but I don't feel like I have a very good grasp of the medium yet. I usually do art while I'm out and about. It's funny; I need water for my paint, and so I usually use the complementary water that coffee shops and restaurants give out. I think the waitresses hate me. Above is some trippy art that doesn't have any coherent theme. The Korean in the picture is a brand of beer I copied off of an advertisement.

This picture was done while enjoying a piece of Tiramisu at a quaint coffee/sandwich shop in the art district on Monday. It was off the second floor, and I just started drawing the shop below. Also featured is a man from the subway and poem about tourists.

I'm exhausted. Going to bed now.

---CJ

(edit: I realize the writing in the poem looks like "erotic." This is not the case. It is "exotic." I am not a pervert.)

The Burning Word

I just finished reading "The Burning Word: A Christian Encounter with Jewish Midrash" by Judith M. Kunst. It's a fascinating look at Jewish method of interpretation applied to the Christian Bible. The idea is that scripture is not meant to provide answers to our questions, but rather accompanies us in our spiritual lives, dialoging with us, and often giving us more questions than answers.

I don't do the subject matter justice, but I really enjoyed this book. It was a little too "devotional" for me at times, but it served well as an introductory text into Jewish Midrash. Those of you that might have a more post-modern theology might especially enjoy this book, as it is a prime example of a, as Brian McLaren puts it, "generative conversation" with another faith tradition.


I'll leave you with a quote:

"Our purpose in reading Holy Scripture is to meet God, meet ourselves, learn how to live. God purposes much more. He wants to use us to redeem the world."


Peace out, party people.


---CJ

Up and Down Topsy-Turvsy Day

Soccer Match

This last week Dr. Lim asked me if I wanted to go with him and Jun to a K-League soccer match. I've never been to anything beyond the Northwestern soccer matches, so I thought it'd be a good experience. We took the subway to the SIFC stadium. They were facing a team from Seoul... but they're all from Seoul, just different districts. Anyway, we were rooting for the yellow team.

The game was very interesting. I've been to a few pro-sport games in my lifetime, and they've generally been pretty boring, but last night's game was certainly entertaining. It was nice to only be there for an hour and half, and the action was faced-paced. I basically learned to cheer when everyone else around me did, but I didn't realize that there were people from both teams sitting around me until the game was over. So I was basically cheering for both teams.

The game ended in a last-minute tie. The crowd went crazy; we thought we were going to lose.

Art District

This morning I was planning on going to the Museum of Modern Art, but Dr. Kwon looked up the information and found that it was closed on Mondays! So she told me to go to a subway station, telling me that there were "interesting things there." I hopped on a subway, took the thirty-minute commute, and ended up in an area that looked exactly like every other district I had seen thus far: shopping, eating places, and street vendors.

"Surely she didn't mean for me to come here," I thought to myself. Imagine my surprise (and luck), then, when I met up with an white guy. I asked him if he knew what Dr. Kwon was talking about, and he told me that if I went around the corner I would find a whole street full of stores dedicated to paper and art. I had found the art district of Seoul.

For the next two hours I wandered up and down the streets, looking at all of the galleries and paper stores. It was a great experience; I really enjoyed my afternoon. Below are a few pictures of art that caught my eye.

I couldn't take a picture of this, but I was amazed by one other thing in the art district. There were so many white people. I apparently had also stumbled upon the tourist hot spot of Seoul as well. Even after having been here for less than a week, I still marvel at a white person when I see them.

Speaking of which: I was in the subway yesterday, and in the crowd there were three American girls right behind me. They were talking about how Korean people don't do drugs and how they think Korean boys are cute (woot woot!) and etc. etc. They totally disregarded anyone around them, because they didn't think anyone could understand them. They said some pretty bold things, and when they got off the train they were totally lost. So I turned around and asked them, "Can I help you guys find something?"

Their shock at my (near) flawless English was priceless. haha.

Camera

My camera broke today.

It has always been a little wonky after having apple cider spilled all over it (long story), but today it completely broke down on me. I'm going to try to disassemble it and repair it, but I don't think it's something that I can take care of.

I'm going to have to buy a new one, I fear.

I am put into the tough position of "I should really have a camera, and I have a little extra cash," to "I can't afford another camera, and I should be wise with my money." I'm not sure what I should do...

Dr. Kwon says that I can borrow her camera in the meantime. I'll probably do that while I figure out my next steps. I have some art for you, but I can't take a picture of it!

Final Things

For those of you wondering, I'm doing great. I'm busy, but it is okay. Living in a city is a big adjustment for me, but it isn't the crime-filled environment that I imagined it might be. Sure, I need to be a little more careful, but I can usually walk around without worrying about ending up somewhere that I shouldn't.

Being in a different culture is a little crazy, but I'm trying to adapt. It drives me a little crazy not to be able to understand anything anyone is saying or read basic signs, but I'm getting over it.

Okay, that's all I have for now.

Shalom,

---CJ

CJ Tries Something Korean: Chinese Noodles

Now it's time for "CJ Tries Something Korean", the part of the blog where CJ tries something Korean.

United Airlines Chinese Noodles

Whiles these noodles are not really Korean, I did aquire them on the flight over. Because I was too busy sleeping off my Dramamine-induced haze, I wasn't totally awake when the stewardess came forward and gave me the bag with this, a fork, and some cookies. I was awake enough, however, to notice the cookies and think about how nice those would be after my nap. So I kept the entire packet in my bookbag and didn't notice until tonight that I still had some noodles!

Score!

The noodles themselves are basic Ramen fare. Texture, taste, etc. The only real distinguishing feature is the large chunks of meat that I found when I opened it back up after four minutes of stewing in boiling water.

The problem is that the meat was a weird sort of fish. Ugh. The intial tastes were terrible; who wants to eat fish-tasting noodles? Well, the Chinese evidently do, because United has given me their food, but I do not. But because I am lazy and didn't want to cook anything else, I ate some more, and some more, until I realized that the taste grows on you if you don't mind eating a few bites.

Overall Score:

2.5/5

Art

Alas! The evil bird is haunting dreams once again...

Included on this page are some directions back home from the church, and a picture I drew in the subway while following those directions. The entire row of them were sleeping! I would worry about missing my stop. It is pretty difficult to draw while on a subway... people are always moving, etc. The sketch above took me about three-four minutes.

Monster Island

I just finished reading David Wellington's Monster Island. It's a book about zombies that take over New York, and the quest of a few living people to put a stop to them. I know, I know, it isn't exactly the deepest book I've ever read, but it was pretty entertaining all the same.

The characters were engaging, and it took a few surprising twists that I didn't see coming. But in the end it is a zombie novel, and the only thing you really want to read about is awesome gut-splattering violence done to the undead (and the occasional undead munch fest on the living). I think I surprise myself with how much I love the idea of zombies. Not that I would want the dead to start rising or anything, but I find it to be a really interesting concept. I love zombies. I do.

I'd suggest it to any of you that like zombies. Wellington actually published the book in an online format, along with his other two zombie sequels. The link is above, but you should read a few chapters before you buy it.

If you like this sort of thing, I'd also suggest picking up Robert Kirkman's "The Walking Dead", a graphic novel about... well, you know.

Today!

Kids!

From left to right: Me, John, Julie, and Jenny

Above is a picture of three of the kids that I work with. Their sister, who is around three years old, doesn't like me. It isn't that she's scared, it isn't that she gets upset. She just doesn't like me very much. Subsequently, there was no chance to get a picture with her. I work with them about three times a week, and we play games and learn about idioms. They are definitely high-energy, and are an interesting group to work with.

By the way, their real names aren't John, Julie, and Jenny. They chose their American names themselves.

Shopping

Underneath some of the busiest streets in Seoul lies an elaborate network of underground shops that stretch (literally) as far as the eye can see. They sell everything from floral arrangements to cell phones, but it is mostly a place to get cheap clothes. Clothes here are quite cheap (both in price, and I suspect, in quality). I picked up a new white shirt and tie for around twenty-five dollars total. Dr. Kang told me that I should barter with them. So when the man told me the shirt was fifteen dollars, I said, "I'll give you twelve." He looked at me, blinked, and said, "I said fifteen."

I'm not very good at bartering.

Anyway, I suspect I might lose a little more money to these shops before my trip is over. If nothing else, ten dollars is a good price for ties.

They Call Me on My Cell Phone

By Day, an Ordinary Looking Cell-Phone

After having gotten lost twice in the busy streets of Seoul, I decided a cell phone would probably be a good purchase. I didn't want a full-up plan, however, so Dr. Kang found me a deal on a used cell phone. It only cost 20,000 won, and 10,000 for a service plan. It is an old phone, but it was quite the piece of technology in its day,

By Night, High-Tech Piece of Awesome-ness

The high-tech screen flips around and you have a digital camcorder! The future is now! Anyway, I haven't had to use it yet, but its good to have around just in case.

Other News

Last night I was on the bus and I notice a guy reading (in English) an advanced mathematics book. I sat down next to him, drew for a little bit, and asked, "Are you a student?" He said, "No, actually I'm a professor." And for the next fifteen minutes or so we had a pretty good conversation. His name is Byung-Woo Hong, and he's an assistant professor at Chung-Ang University. He teaches computer science, and he goes to a Presbyterian church. He pointed out a church that I should go to, telling me that, "They have English services there."

It was a good experience.

I have a few more posts for your reading pleasure, so I won't take up too much time. Tomorrow: I go to church(!) and I a professional soccer match(!). See you later!

CJ Tries Something Korean: Lotte Aeration Chocolate

Since I am in Korea, I've decided to add a part to my blog where I try the different things that I see in stores over here.

Lotte Aeration Chocolate

While I was waiting for my train in the subway, I noticed a vending machine with these large boxes in them. Upon further inspection, these boxes were "Lotte Aeration Chocolate." I know what Lotte is (see previous post), and I know what chocolate is, but what is aeration chocolate?


Also: why did they sell it in a box?


Review:



Upon opening the attractive box, I discovered that the box is full of individually wrapped pieces of chocolate. It turns out that the "aeration" description is because the middle of these pieces of chocolate has little holes in it. It looks like a small sponge.

The taste is pretty b-grade chocolate. I didn't even notice a difference in texture. Also, each piece has over 245k cal. I'm not sure what that means, but if it means that I'm absorbing 245 calories per piece, it is too unhealthy for me. I chomped down five pieces before I noticed.

The cost was only 1000 won (about a dollar), so I can't complain about that.

Overall, I'd give it:

2/5 points

Long Day

Party people: I have a few pictures. Enjoy.

An outside shot. I live on the first floor. (for Ingrid)

Pre-School

This morning I gave a call to Eunice's mom (I still am not sure of her name), and we arranged for me to visit her at the church that I will be working at this summer. When I got to the school, she showed me around the church (pictures forthcoming) and then told me that I had come on a good day. The kids were going on a field trip to a traditional Korean Market.

A generic street; probably the street that the market was on.

The kids I'm working with are anywhere from 2-4 years old. They don't speak much English; I'm sort of just there to... move heavy things or something. Regardless, I think I found the experience of the market as interesting as the kids did.

These are the kids that go to the primary school. They found an animal vendor. With squirrels.

Much like many other coastal cities, Seoul has a fish market. I'm not going to lie: some of the things I saw today made my stomach turn. I'm still a trooper though; I figure if it hasn't killed the people here, I won't die either.

Dear NWC and Dordt people reading this: take a look at the tasty food we'll be enjoying.

Speaking of food, one of the most interesting things happened to me today. I ate lunch with the children, and Eunice's mother gave me a bowl of fried rice. Next they gave me some pickled pork with garlic cloves. I had to eat five whole cloves. Next she plopped six pickled eggs on my plate. These aren't the size of chicken eggs, though. They're smaller... like robin eggs? In any case, they were also good. Finally, for dessert, they broke out a watermelon. I was thankful it was something familiar, until I was told that I had to eat the seeds because they were good for me. I don't mind the food here, but I need to get used to eating things that I never would eat in the US.

This is a picture of Lotte World, an amusement park near the church. Evidently, Lotte is a huge brand name in South Korea. Think Wal-Mart. Now picture that Wal-Mart owned its own fast food chains, amusement parks, grocery stores, etc. It's nuts.

LOST

I got lost today. I had to take a taxi to the church in the morning (I was running really late), and so I had really no idea how to get back. I rode the subway back to the right station only to realize that I had no idea how to get anywhere from the train station.

I freaked out and walked around for about two hours. Finally, I found a familiar road and found the bus stop I needed to wait on to get back. Now, keep in mind that I always had plenty of cash and my transit pass to pay for a taxi to take me where I needed to go, but I thought I wanted an adventure. Big mistake

After my wasting my whole afternoon, I had nothing to show for it but a little bit of know-how. I didn't even have any good stories. Discouraged, I decided to get something to drink from a local coffee shop.

Tired.

Maybe it was the air-conditioning, maybe it was the soft-rock American music in the background, but I sat in that coffee shop for almost an hour just reading and enjoying the rest of my afternoon.

Post Smoothie

So that is my day in a nutshell. I also played soccer and at fruit. I'm super tired now, though, and am going to take a twenty-minute nap.

Peace out!

---CJ

Post-Rapture Radio

I had the opportunity (like, 12 hours of opportunity) to read Russel Rathbun's "Post-Rapture Radio: Lost Writings from a Failed Revolution" while on the plane to Seoul.

It is a fantastic book.

Basically, the entire book is written to look like Rathbun found a box of sermons and journal entries from a (fictional) pastor, the Reverend Lamblove. Using the fake character, he gives sermons, notes, short stories, etc. to describe what he calls the "Contemporary Christian Culture Conspiracy." The idea is tha Christian culture and popular culture have become the same thing, and that neither is really what Christianity should be about.

A quote:

"The personalization of salvation--the individualization of Christianity--is not the result of honest interpretation of our holy scriptures, faithful adherence to our tradition, clear application of our reason, or divine revelation from the spirit of God.

"The personalization of salvation is the result of the twisting of these things, the misrepresentation of a selection of spiritual passages taken out of context.... It is presented time and time again, surrounded by so much garbage of personal piety and manipulation that it always comes out sounding like Jesus is making individual trips from heaven to knock on the door of some poor Sunday school student's heart to see if he can get in.

"This weak, robe-wearing, door-knocking Jesus, who would be thwarted by the indecision of a twelve year-old, is no savior. This is not at all what the story is about."

and

"If I can imagine a God who is more loving and intelligent than the one I find in the Bible, then it is obviously time to get a new God."

I suggest you pick it up. It's a quick read, and you can get it for a few bucks off Amazon.

---CJ

The Morning After

Hey Everyone,

I woke up this morning at about 5 AM, and I felt great. This was probably due to the fact that jet lag hasn't quite sunk in, but I'm still feeling alright. This morning when I woke up, Dr. Kwon gave me a bag of Cheerios and some milk. I suspect that she doesn't think I'd like Korean food. I ate them obligatorily, but I have to be honest: I'd rather eat raw squid.

Let me show you a few photos!

Place

The apartment that I moved into belongs to Dr. Kwon and Dr. Lim, a young married couple with two kids. Their son, Jun, is nine years old, and speaks limited English, and their daughter Seri speaks no English (but she does speak a lot, all the same).

This is the bedroom I'm staying in for the next month or so. Yes, that is a guard-rail alongside the bed. Just in case I fall off.

This is the main living-room type area. I forgot what Dr. Kang called it. This is where the family hangs out; it is the only room in the apartment that isn't a bedroom or bathroom. During meal times, a small table is set up and everyone sits on the ground around it.

I went out for a walk this morning. I strolled for a few blocks of shops. There were a lot of Beautfy Salons (at which I will soon dye my hair, right Hannah?). It was a rainy morning, with temperatures in about the mid-sixties, so I stopped into a coffee shop and had a latte. It was a mediocre drink, and I didn't realize until I was almost finished that there were only middle-aged women in the coffee shop. Like twenty of them. And me. Oops!

Teaching

I have a lot more information about whom and when I will be teaching.

I forgot completely that Korean schools go year-round, so it turns out that I won't be teaching any students during the day. Rather, most of the teaching will happen in the evening. So, that means that most of my afternoons are completely free, except when I teach a few adults.

I currently have something like 10-12 students that I will meet with. Some are children, some are adults. I think they just want someone to talk to, although I'm not sure if I'm going to be very good at it. I'll have names and faces soon.

Art

Some hip, trendy chairs at the coffee shop, and a picture of Cyclops from the X-men. Done this morning while at Cafe Paris.

Last Thing

Jun (the boy I'm staying with) is so excited to have me here. So excited. I arrived last night and he took me for a tour of the room I'm staying in. "This is bed... this is bookshelf... this is pillow..." and then he proceeded to show me how to work the key system to the apartment, tell me about his homework, and be scandalized by how I kept my shoes in my room by my bed (I quickly discovered this wasn't acceptable. I now keep them in a closet near the outside door).

I don't think his sister is as near as excited. She sort of ignores me. I don't think she understands that I can't speak Korean, so it's easier to pretend I don't exist. Sad day.

I'll post more pictures tomorrow.

Peace!

---CJ

24 hours later!

I'm here.

It is... a lot to take in right now.

I wasn't tired when I got here, but I think I need to go to bed. My first day of work is tomorrow, and I need to wake up at 5:15!

I'll post more later.

---CJ

Last Pre-Korea Post

Alright, I'm putting this up here because I won't get a chance to post anything again before I leave. My flight leaves out of Sioux Falls at 6:45 Am.

Please pray for me as I start my adventure.

I love you all.

---CJ

Happy Graduation Cassandra

It really is her day. She is amazing.

Pre-thoughts

I'm watching the fourth season of LOST right now... It is so good. I can hardly contain myself at times.

I need to get a grip.

On reality.

And the reality is that I am leaving for South Korea, a half a world away, in a little more than twenty-four hours.

...

I suppose that this post was going to come. If you're not in the mood to read, that's fine. I just want to put down some of my concrete feelings and anxieties and expectations before I leave.

Confessional

A friend sent me an e-mail recently telling me not to worry, and not to get too stressed out while I am preparing to go. The truth is, however, that I haven't really been stressed out this entire week. I've been reading a lot, watching some TV, doing a lot of stuff on the computer, and enjoying the outdoors. I might even cook a nice meal, have a glass of moderately-priced wine, and enjoy my last evening stateside tomorrow. Actually, I probably will do just that.

I really am excited to go on this trip. You know, "all my bags are packed, and I'm ready to go" sort of thing. But I really am not too nervous for it. I mean, look at it this way: if I go and I hate it, it's seven weeks long. I'll be back home in July and then I'm on my way to Minneapolis for three weeks. Whatever. I'll survive. And really, that's the only reason that I get nervous about things is because I'm afraid that I'll have a terrible time.

Maybe it's because I'm so unsure of what my experience is going to be like that I'm ignorant of how difficult this is going to be. Actually, strike that. I am ignorant of how difficult this is going to be. But I like new, exciting, challenges, and this past week really has gotten me more energized and ready to go more than anything.

Family Ties

Part of Holt International's policy with adopted Korean kids is that they have the opportunity, when they are adults, to fill out a form that lets the company know that I have a desire to get in touch with my birth mother. It's a standard form, and I filled it out months ago. The problem is, however, that the other part of the application process is that I have to write a letter to my birth mother. I'm not even sure what it's supposed to say. "Hey, I know you dropped me off at an orphanage twenty-one years ago, but here's how I've been"? I've tried to write the letter more than a few times, and I keep getting about a paragraph finished before I delete it all and go do something else.

I'm not sure if I can proper explain this to anyone who hasn't been adopted, but it's such a difficult thing, thinking about a birth mother who you know nothing about. I mean, is she tall, is she short, does she like art, does she have a cynical worldview? These are all questions that pass through my mind on a regular occurrence. And yet, I can't seem to even type a letter to her. It's inexplicable.

Expectations

I honestly don't know what to expect for these next seven weeks. I don't know what sort of kids I'm going to be working with, how easy the English instruction is going to be, how difficult it is going to be, how much it is going to cost, I really don't know anything specifically. But here are a few things I hope for:

-I hope to eat a lot of strange food.
-I hope to teach some people some English.
-I hope to not offend too many people.

That's about it though. Otherwise, I'm open to just about anything.

That's all for now. I don't think I'm missing anything. I'll post more tomorrow if there is.

If you could, I ask that if you're reading this right now that you take a few minutes and post a comment on this post. I'd like to know who I'm writing for...

Shalom,

---CJ

Only Three More Days...

Not much to report today; it's been nice being able to relax and have the days to myself. The weather is beautiful outside; if you're from the midwest, in the midwest, or whatever, you should definitely spend some time enjoying the sunshine.

Which is what I'm going to do.

Art

Yesterday I sat outside my house and drew things around my yard. Pictured is my lawn tractor, the old grill, a trailer hitch and a basketball hoop.


I'm off to go read some James Patterson.

Peace,

---CJ

Korean

Today... is a beautiful day. I think I will go outside and read for a while. Or forever. Screw Korea prep.

Okay, that isn't a good idea. But I have a lot of my lesson plans done and stuff, so... I'm going to enjoy the day.

But FIRST...

Art

I still am having trouble with scanning the art into the computer. I'm looking for a quick, easy, way to do it, but I haven't come up with a real solution yet. The best I can do (and what I'll probably end up doing) is taking pictures with my camera and then doing a rough edit on the internet.



Today's picture is Famous Dave. Or his pig. I'm not sure which, to be honest. Also pictured is the dictator "Infamous Dave." He's a pig with BBQ and an iron fist. Today was mainly an opportunity for me to use out the new cheap watercolors I picked up at Wal-Mart today. A graphic artist guy I know uses watercolors in his sketchbook, and I wondered if I could do the same. He's a great artist and a smart dude. Check him out.

I should point out that the art that I'm posting up is not always my best work. But, good or bad, I figured you should have something every day to see.

Peace, joy, and love.

---CJ

What I'm Fighting For...

I've been listening to Matisyahu lately.

I know, I'm like, four years late. Whatever. I like it.

Art

I'm posting yesterday's sketch page, done while watching the Food Network's "Good Eats":

Featured is my cat, Joe, and a doodle of an Android Penguin and his nemesis, the villianous Arctic Puffin. Also included is a bonus sketch of white bread suburbanite couple. No paticular rhyme or reason to any of it; just thought I'd liven up the post a little bit.

EDIT: I realized that the way that I rendered the woman's arm is a little awkward. It plays tricks with my mind...

Korea Wha-?

So, for those of you that are unsure of what I'm going to be doing in Korea, you're probably a little frustrated because I haven't shared much with you. Well, I'm going to be honest: it's because I'm not quite sure of what is going to be happening either.

But because you're a loyal reader of all five of my posts, I'll catch you up to speed: as far as I know, I'm going to be staying for the first four weeks in somebody's apartment. I'll be spending most of my mornings helping out Eunice's mother at a kids' camp in a church. In the afternoons I'll be tutoring some students in conversational English. Depending on how they far along they are in their English, this could include a number of things... I'll tell you more about what it's like when I get there.

The last three weeks I'll spend studying Korean Culture through religion and music with the study abroad program. We'll spend our days studying and our nights partying. Holla!

During one of these weeks we'll go out and tour the country; hitting up many of the major cities. I'll be sure to tell you where and when I am going places, as well as post pictures.

That's all for today party people. Five days....

...eep!

---CJ

Lesson Plans...

...are exceedingly difficult.

I'm supposed to be making lesson plans for kids who are 5, 7, 9, and 11 years old. Egad. Good thing I'm an elementary education major with all of the proper credentia-oh wait.

Drat.

Any suggestions any of you have would be appreciated. Just comment below.

Art!

Art

This is an experiment that I'm trying out; I don't know if it'll work or not, but I'm hoping to post some of the art that I create while I'm in Korea. I whipped out this sketch this afternoon while watching some generic sitcom. The problem is that I won't have my fancy photoshop with me at all times to edit the pictures for internet viewability. Luckily, the kind folks at Adobe have put out a free, stripped-down version of photoshop. After some fooling around, I think I found a solution!

Unfortunately, it looks like this is as big as they're going to get, so you might lose some of the detail. I'll try to see if I can't post up links to bigger versions of the art though. Maybe I'll use Flickr or something.

I think it's important for me to get art up every so often; a lot of you don't know this, but I sketch on a pretty regular basis. Virtually no one see that work though. Check back for things that I produce; they won't be finished and I probably won't come back to them, but I thought it'd be good to break up the words.

Peace,

---CJ

Sermon Graveyard

I won't post any of it up here, but I made a new blog for the sermons that I write. They're long, but if you're interested, they're posted up there!

http://cjwurpts.blogspot.com

I Will Come Bearing Gifts...

Church.

I went to the Korean Church Service in Sioux City today.

When Dr. Kang originally asked me if I wanted to participate in this Study Abroad, I was hesitant because of the cost. After explaining my situation to Reverend Oh (yes, that's really his name), the church generously donated a significant portion of the total cost of the trip. There is really no way that I could properly thank them for their kindness, but I thought it would be appropriate to attend a church service to show my gratitude.

I was reminded of a few things:

Firstly, I don't understand Korean. Of course. Seriously though, today was the first taste of what it is going to be like to be in a culture where the dominant language isn't one that I understand at all. Being the only non-Korean speaker there, I felt very... isolated. It wasn't a terrible feeling, I just felt like I was at a serious disadvantage.

Second, I really need to be careful about the food. The congregation holds a Korean meal after each service, and I stayed and enjoyed the tastiness. I took a big helping of some green plant, took a bite, and instantly gagged. The other green plant mixture, however, tasted like bacon and was pleasing. I had seconds.

Gifts! Gifts! Gifts!

On a completely unrelated note, I spent my time in Sioux City buying some gifts for the families and students I'll be interacting with while I'm over there. Below is a picture:

Sweet, sweet bribes...

Pictured are the gifts that I am going to be giving. The cheap toys and candy are for the kids that I'll be working with every day. There is a sweet thing that you put in your mouth to make it glow in the center of the picture. I wish I would have bought one for me.

The Bath and Body Works lotion is for the lady that is giving me a place to stay, and the chocolate is for the Dr. Kang's sister. Not pictured are the two pounds of Pine Nuts for Eunice's parents. I hope they like nuts!

That's all for today party people. Maybe tomorrow I'll post some test art and maybe a thought or two.

---CJ

One Week, One Hour...

So...

...I'm going to South Korea.

In keeping with the policy of my Summer Study Abroad, and for the sake of posterity, and because there are a few of you that have expressed interest in hearing how my summer turns out, I created this blog to keep you all up to date on the comings and goings of my big adventure.

Check back here for pictures, drawings, and news.

Peace out,

---CJ