Girl Pamper Day

I've been browsing through a lot of people's blogs lately and I've realized that I write in a very fobby way. This is going on not only in my blog, but when I tweet or write anywhere in cyberspace. I'm okay with the ^^s, the ~s, the ㅋㅋs, etc. when I'm chatting, but I'm going to refrain from this fobby madness in my blog. Can I still accurately express myself? I hope so!
This past weekend, Jessica and I finally had the Girl Pamper Day that we had been planning for weeks. Our group of two turned to four once we found out that our friends wanted to get their hair done too.  The morning started off with brunch, coffee, tea, and something special at 나무그늘 (Na Moo Geu Neul). I'm definitely going back to this cafe. The decoration is very cute and the atmosphere is homey; seems like a good hangout or study cafe. There's also a library for people who go there to read and two computers for people to surf the web. Plus, if you order a drink, you have unlimited access to their breakfast bar. It has coffee, tea, jam, butter, and a variety of bread. My friends and I totally filled up on the bread there. After we ate and chatted for a little, we were ready to do Dr. Fish! My friends and I went to that cafe specifically to try it out, and we were not disappointed! (For those of you who don't know what it is: it's a spa treatment by fish that eat dead skin cells.) The worker had us rinse our feet before we started. There were two pools: one had tiny fish and the second pool had bigger fish. Caroline and I bravely started off at the pool with the bigger fish. We stared at their excited eyes and gaping mouths eagerly waiting for our hovering feet and we chickened out. We joined Dee and Jessica at the pool with the smaller fish. It was still hard to get our feet in the pool. (Maybe we were scared of being eaten alive?) We were screaming and giggling loudly, but I think the other customers are used to it because nobody seemed disturbed by our ruckus.Once we got our feet in, we started to enjoy it and take pictures of the fish nibbling on our feet. It's the sensation of vibrating feet.. Before we left, we tried out the pool with the bigger fish. They kind of hurt. The only reason we could do it was because the fish were distributed among four feet. If they were all nibbling on my feet, that would scare me. You can feel their fat bodies, so it's a little more nerve-wrecking!
After we put our shoes and winter gear back on, we set off to Myeongdong to get our hair done! I made reservations for us at the JUNO hair that I went to back in September. We spent about two hours there because we were getting hair treatments. Ooh la la. (This was definitely a girl's pamper day.) Both times I was there, I got male stylists. I actually wanted my first stylist to help me, but I lost his business card when my purse got stolen, so I couldn't request for him. I got another one from him on Saturday though! Anyways, I feel like the male stylists are always a little flirty. I think it's because they want their female customers to come back again. It's a pretty good business idea.
After hair time, our group of four turned to seven! Our group ate dinner in Itaewon, so I finally got to see Itaewon. it is definitely "foreigner district." Foreigners are everywhere in that area: walking on the streets...eating in the restaurants! There's a Taco Bell and lots of sports bars that you can't get anywhere else in Korea. These sports bars are run by Koreans, but about 98% of the people in them are foreigners. We ate at a Thai restaurant called Buddha's Belly, and it was not good. I've never been to a restaurant where they messed up with Thai food until last Saturday. It was too bland and not greasy enough, seriously. I don't think I'll be going back there again because my friends tell me there are lots of other Thai restaurants in Korea.
One thing I love about my experience here is that I get to meet so many new people. Most of the foreigners and English-speaking Koreans are super friendly. (Even at 나무그늘, we met two girls from New York. We had a good conversation with them as we all squirmed in the Dr. Fish area.) After our group said our good-byes for the night, I went with Dee to her friend's place so she could stop by to say hello to a friend she hadn't seen in a while. We ended up hanging out for a couple of hours. Foreigners in Korea are that cool.
Sunday morning, Dee and I randomly went out for breakfast, so I have another new Find  in Korea (i guess i'm starting my "Finds" list with this entry): Butterfingers, and it's too good to be true! They serve American breakfast foods: buttermilk pancakes, sausages, hash browns, eggs, omlettes, bacon, salad, orange juice, and more. The items are pricey, but the portions are big enough for two girls to share. It's at Gangnam Station (near exit 6).
On a side note,  I'm getting sick. I have a runny nose and a sore throat, and I get so tired. I've been sitting in my apartment a lot, hence the frequent blogging. It's too cold. I thought I was going to die from the cold early November. I was wrong then, but now I know I am going to die from the December cold.

Don't you wish we could apparate?

Yes, I wish I could apparate, even for just one day. (And yes, I'm reading a Harry Potter book these days.)
I wish.. I could have a day to go home to talk with friends and family. These days, I feel like a phone call nor a skype call just doesn't cut it. I miss girl talks with the people who know you best. Don't get me wrong. I'm so thankful for the friends, no, family (they're pretty much family now) that I have here. I just know I need the kind of advice that my friends and family back home give me. Wow, I think I'm homesick.

Update!

Wow, where do I start? It's been so long since I've updated, and even the last time I updated, there was so much I didn't blog about. I'm so behind! I'll give brief updates and fast-forward to the present.

창덕궁 (Chang Duk Goong) 
I went here with my distant aunt, distant uncle, his wife and 3-year-old son during Chuseok weekend. My uncle wanted to take me somewhere "touristy." (They're so thoughtful!) This is the 4th Korean palace I have seen, and I was still in awe. The grounds are so so gorgeous. There are peaceful streams, luxuriously wide pathways, and lots of trees constantly shadowing you from the sun. The building architecture is similar, but there are also some landmarks that are more unique: You can find gazebos, stone walls, a tree in the middle of a lake, etc.I think it is more well-kept because they have more money available from the admission fees they collect. My aunt told me that parts of the palace are consistently closed for its upkeep. If a traveler had to choose one palace to visit, I would definitely tell him/her to go to this one. You can only get in by reservation, and tour reservations can only be made on the Korean website.

  

GEPIK orientation 

I went to an orientation that was arranged for all new elementary school teachers teaching for Gyeonggido English Program in Korea at the end of September... I loved it! Everyone there was so friendly and eager to meet everyone. Think first year of college. The usual questions: where are you from? (America? NZ? Candada?) Where do you teach? (in Korea) How long have you been here? (Seriously, foreigners are so friendly here. When Jessica and I first got here and went through the drama with our school, everyone we met, empathized with us and always wanted to help.) 

Everyone I met was so unique: from different parts of the world, with different backgrounds, with different interests. But, our differences don't keep us from mingling! Most people here are so well-traveled or are eager to travel. Traveling buddies! Jessica and I purposely didn't stick to each other like glue. We could have stayed in our comfort zone, but we wanted to get to know people too! I'm so glad we didn't because I think it would have been hard for people to approach us if we were constantly with each other (like we are at school..haha). Even now, the people I hang out with regularly are friends from orientation. 

We didn't just play; we worked hard too! We had seminars, lectures, group meetings, etc. I actually learned a lot too. I had already learned a lot of the stuff they taught through experience, but the lectures on powerpoint and class management were helpful. 

Everland Halloween

On the Saturday before Halloween, I went to Everland! My friend invited me to go with her and her relatives because they had gotten free tickets. We tried to get other friends to go, but people were too busy prepping for Halloween parties. They were free tickets, so we took it easy. We went on 3 rides. It was really crowded, so the waits for each ride were at least 1 hour long. We rode T Express last and this ride made the whole day worth it! Its speed is 200km and it's perfect because it doesn't put you upside down (that kind of ride really scares me). My friend's relatives were really sweet too. She's actually a native Korean who speaks good English. I met here through an orientation friend and we've hung out quite often. Her relatives are native Koreans too and they were so sweet. They picked me up, dropped me off, treated me to lunch, etc. I bought my first-ever pair of character ears. It's really too cute. One of my neighbors wore it for Halloween that night. That night, my neighbors and I went to Suwon station to hang out. Most foreigners went to Hongdae, but we went to Suwon station and still had fun! I really love my neighbors. I feel so blessed to know them here in Korea. They make me feel more at home here. :-) Jessica prepped a bee costume and she let me be a bee with her, since I couldn't find materials for my costume. 

Adventures with the cousin

My cousin Sam was in Korea for about a month because he attended a family wedding. We went to the tea museum in Insadong (which I would not recommend) and COEX aquarium (which I would recommend). The tea museum wasn't really a museum; it was more like a cafe with expensive tea. We were expecting to learn the history of tea or something, but there was nothing like that. I can see a lot of couples or a group of girlfriends going there because the atmosphere is actually really nice.

Tickets for the COEX aquarium are a little pricey, but it's worth it. The aquarium is HUGE. They have so much for you to see- almost to the point where you're like, "There's more?" It's very kid friendly too. They have a section dedicated to unique aquariums. I don't want to spoil it for others, so I won't post up too many pictures.

Lantern Festival at 청계천 (Cheonggye Stream)

This is a man-made river that's built in the busy city of Seoul. It's peaceful near the stream because it's below street level. To commemorate the G20 Summit, there was a lantern festival during the time the summit took place. There were lots of traditional Korean lanterns and there were also lanterns that represented other countries. It was a Sunday night, so there were tons of people- not only foreigners, but lots of native Koreans too. Luckily, my friends and I accidentally started off at the wrong end of the stream and had to walk for about 20 minutes to get to the festival location. We were lucky because there was a really long line of people waiting to walk down the stairs leading to the stream. It looked like it would have been an hour wait.

Haechi the Seoul mascot. I don't know who his red friend is?

Pepero Day is like Valentine's Day in Korea. It's on 11/11 because 11/11 look like pepero sticks! I thought it was bigger than Valentine's Day because of all the fuss that was made about it at the markets, but my co-teacher told me that Valentine's Day is bigger. Some of the schools ban the kids from celebrating Pepero Day because it's a commercial holiday. Literally, chocolate companies came up with this holiday because they needed a way to get people to spend money. I thought it would be lonely pepero day, but a couple of my students, some teachers, and my uncle gave me pepero. heheh Jessica was so touched when the after-school English teacher gave us pepero; She's a romanticist. ^_^

JYJ

Soooo I dragged Jessica to the Kim Junsu Musical concert. ^^ She fell in love with Xiah Junsu's voice and his Mozart dredlocks. I knew I could make her into a fan! hehe The fans were so crazy, especially during his performance of "Intoxication" (the floor moves were what killed them. haha). I really love how they made a orchestra version of the song. It was fitting with the Mozart and Elizabeth musical songs and still hot. We knew the concert would end pretty late, so we had packed our stuff to spend the night at a sauna. Before we went to the sauna, we found a Japanese restaurant to eat at and discovered that their plum wine is delicious! We ate and sang and walked to the sauna. Good times ^^  

I was jealous of her lustful pose with the poster, so we went back the next day and I made her take another picture for me. Better? 

A week and a half after the concert, JYJ held an album showcase in Seoul. I went alone this time; It wasn't as fun being at a concert alone, but it was still fun because it's JYJ! I fell in love with Ayyy Girl there. I loved everything, except that it was too short. 1 hour and 30 minutes? It's okay because they're having a concert in Seoul this weekend!! I've been promoting JYJ's English album to all the other foreign teachers here and I got 6 of them to go to the concert with me. I'm so excited for the concert and to introduce JYJ to my friends. I can't believe tomorrow is the first night. :-)

Random Mentionables About Teaching in Korea

My co-teacher is really beautiful. One of my first impressions of her was that she's really expressionless, which made her seem really mysterious to me. I'm getting to know her now, so I’ve seen a few different sides of her, but yesterday, I saw my co-teacher in the most excited state I've ever seen her (think Gollum when he found the Ring): One of my 6th grade classes came in, ranting about wanting to change seats. She decided to change their seats for them and while she reassigned new seats, she had them practice writing key words and definitions. During those 30 minutes, the class was SUPER quiet, which is really strange for this class. She turned around and looked at me with the most excited Gollum-like expression and said, “I want to make them write every day.” I was being slow and said, “Huh?” She said, “They’re so quiet.” Oh~~ hahahah My co-teacher is so cute. I still giggle when I think about her facial expression. In a way, this story is very sad. She got so excited just bc the class was quiet…

I love the alpha females in my 6^th grade classes. They keep their male table-mates in check! If their table-mates aren’t doing their work, I see them tapping their worksheets and telling them to hurry up. ^_^ They always participate. If their teams lose a point because of their teammates, they get pissed. They get their table-mates to open their books. Girl power, anyone?

My 5^th graders changed seats today. I’ve noticed that students thrive, depending on where they are sitting and who they are sitting with.

My 5^th grade classes played a Harry Potter game, so we had Harry Potters and Lord Voldemorts. One of my dramatic male students half-jokingly said, “I want to be Hermione” while he cupped his cheeks with his hands. hahaha I love him! He loves dancing too. Jessica walked into my classroom and walked in on him doing a booty dance and slapping his butt. She just…walked out. He’s feminine, but the other kids don’t make fun of him! Doesn’t that rock?! I could see him thriving in theatre. We’ll see what he’s like in a few years. :-)

One of my 6th grade boys is such a gentleman! I love chivalry- even in a 6th grade boy. I've always liked this student because I can see that he has leader-like qualities. He always helps to calm the class down. And when I do a clapping routine to get their attention, he's always the loudest to "answer" back. I learned that he is the class president, and it made sense to me because the role suits him very much. I've secretly really liked this student for a while, but I saw him do something in the lunchroom that is worth publicizing!: In Korea, the classes go to lunch together and sit together. The boys are first in line and then the girls are in the back. He sat down at the table with his class and started to eat. But, one of the shy female students came to their table. There were no seats left on that side, so she stood behind him, not knowing what to do. He noticed her, stood up, told her to sit down at his seat, and walked over to a seat on the other side of the table. Such chivalry! 착하다~

Freaky...

Do you ever get an eerie feeling after seeing a person?? Maybe that person has a creepy stare, or you just get a bad vibe from that person? I usually trust what my gut tells me, especially when it comes to choosing whether I should trust a person or not. I think the Holy Spirit really aids me. Well, today in class, I got that feeling! Don't worry; it's not a scary story. My co-teacher was leading the class in review exercises, so I was walking around the classroom. I stood in the back, leaning against a block and noticed two boys fooling around. I shhsed them and they turned around to see who had shhsed them. I distinctly remembered seeing one of the boys in a different class. My first reaction was, "What are you doing in this class???" Then, he seemed different to me and I started to get creeped out... I kept staring at him... I confirmed to myself, "Yes, Johnna, this is the same face. So then what is he doing here? Shouldn't he be in class?" I started to think, "Maybe he has a twin?" Later on in the class, I found some free time to ask my co-teacher, "Does he have a brother." She asked me, "Why." I said, "He looks like another one of our students." She tells me, "Yes, he has a twin in the other 5th grade class. His name is Mingyu. His brother's name is Mingoo." I was amazed! She laughed at me. Then, she told the whole class that I had noticed that Mingyu is a twin. I went to Mingyu and started to tell him about MY twin sister. heheehe Now, I know how weird it is for people who know me to see Elis, or vice-versa. Very trippy~~ I felt like a bad teacher because it took me 2 months to notice I had the same face in two of my classes each week, but my co-teacher seemed to think it was an early observation. My goal is to learn each of my students' names by the end of the year! I have 4 more months to learn about 330 names...... :/ Anyways, they're both such cuties :-)

On a Friday Afternoon

This week has been crazy: The school faculty played volleyball three days this week (On Thursday, another school came to play an actual game.). I’ve been having a hard time waking up all week. The students took midterm exams on Friday, so the class schedules were adjusted. And all week, my students have been more talkative than usual and more disruptive. I didn’t know what was going on because even the classes that are normally good were acting up. On Thursday, I was talking about it with Jessica (the other native English teacher) and I found out that her students have been crazy all week too! It made me a little relieved. Then, I started thinking, “Maybe my students are getting used to me…They were behaving well because I was still new, but now that I’m a familiar face, they are letting themselves get comfortable.” Just as I started to brainstorm disciplinary ideas in my head, my co-teacher brought it up! During one of our classes, she asked the students, “Why are you guys so talkative today? Are exams stressing you out?” I thought, “Oh my gosh! She’s right!” It was like an epiphany! I guess my co-teacher knew by her teacher instinct…? After our last class, all of the English teachers at the school talked about it in our office. Apparently, all of the students have been wild all week. Since the students finished their exams today and will have a weekend to have some fun, they should be settled down on Monday, right? Let’s hope so. :--)

This week, I finally got internet and cable TV at my place. I’m blogging from school, but I feel so happy knowing I could do it from home. Hehe Lately, I’ve been reminding myself to give thanks. The first 2-3 weeks in Korea were really rough and I was full of nothing but bitterness. It was very easy to complain and to question, but very hard to say thank You. After 2-3 weeks of this, I knew my attitude had to change. It was obvious that I was not fully surrendering to God and with that attitude, it would be hard to enjoy Korea. So, I started to pray a prayer of thanksgiving every night. I prayed over everything, even minor details. It’s been about a month since I started to do this and I know it’s helping: It reminds me to love the Korean teachers. It reminds me to love life. It reminds me that I live for His glory.  

Thank You for my new bed.

Thank You for my new TV.

Thank You for my new AC remote.

Thank You for my co-teacher who is just wonderful and so accommodating!

Thank You for showing me that I’m not the only English teacher who struggled here.

Thank You for all the friends I met at GEPIK orientation!

Thank You for Jessica’s honesty.
Thank You for transforming me in the small month I’ve been here.

Thank You for my internet connection and my cable TV.

Thank You for TV다시보기 so that I can catch up on my Korean dramas. Haha

Thank You for my first care package. ㅜ.ㅜ (완전 surprise and 감동.)

Thank You for the random phone calls from my relatives who call to “see if anything’s going on.”

Thank You for the variety in the delicious school lunches. ^__^

Thank You for helping me to love my students.

Thank You for allowing me wisdom and discernment each and every day I teach.

Thank You for my first paycheck. Haha

Thank You for giving me money when I go on business trips. (I did not know this until it showed up in my bank account. Plus, business trips are fun because you get to go home as soon as your business is done. Woohoo!)

Thank You for cleaning supplies.

Thank You for the wonderful Korean teachers I share the office with.

Thank You for all of the foreigners in my neighborhood! (Some teachers don’t have any in their neighborhoods. We have about six!)

Thank You for bringing Diana relatively close to me.

Thank You for BJ gsn. He reminded me of the grace I had forgotten.

Thank You for Heejeong because I feel less lost with a close friend nearby.

Thank You for reminding me how much I appreciate friends and family back home.

Thank You for protecting me.

Did you guys notice the first 3? Oh YEAH~~ Dad is good. <3

Quotes of the Day

In my 5th grade classes, we are learning -ing verbs. Today was the first part of the lesson, so I had to teach them grammar. (Ewwww.) Native English speakers don't even like learning grammar! It's a big headache to learn and to teach. The first time I lectured on grammar went horribly: All the kids had blank stares and the class was SO quiet. Today's lecture went better though. I had more pictures and interaction. Plus, I had them write the rules down to keep them busy. ^^
Oops! I was trying to blog in-between classes and I forgot the quotes, except for one. I was teaching a class "come--> coming" and one of my examples was "comeing."  I asked them, "Is this right?" I asked them, "Why is it wrong?" They said, "the 'e'~~." I said, "What about the 'e?' One of the students yelled, "trash 'e'!" TRASH e?? puahahha My co-teacher and I had a good laugh in our office about that.
My students were so funny today, but too bad I don't remember what they said. Today was a fun teaching day. One of those days when the lesson I planned is effective, the students are attentive, and I'm smiling a lot!

3 Weeks

It has officially been 3 weeks since I arrived in Korea. It feels like a short time, but I guess it's been a while... I got in trouble from my distant uncle for not calling earlier. After talking to him, it makes me feel like I should contact ALL of my relatives PRONTO. I thought it would be okay to call later because I've had a lot going on with my housing drama, because I started work, and because I'm going to be here for a whole year. But, I have now learned that I should not expect the world to revolve around me. (-.-;) Just because I'm busy doesn't mean that I should leave my relatives or friends hanging. This was a big oops on my part. I've only called my grandma and my distant uncle and I still have to call my aunt and my cousin. I don't even have their phone numbers. -.-;
So after I finally contacted HyungSan samchon, he called me back to ask if I was doing anything tonight. Jessica and I were considering going to the Korvia welcome party in ShinChon, but we decided not to because she wasn't feeling well. I didn't feel up to the long trip. I guess it was a good thing that I decided not to go because HyungSan samchon invited me to his father's birthday dinner. I met my relatives for the first time ever and ate a delicious dinner at a 한정식 restaurant in YongIn. 한정식 is a fine dining dinner course and it's all Korean food! I love this idea because I love Korean food and I don't want foreigners to think that Korean food is all 포장마츠 and Korean BBQ. All of the food was super delicious. I would love to take my foreigner friends there because it is a well-known restaurant, but we went through a montainous road and I don't remember how to get there. I will have to settle on a 한정식 restaurant accessible by bus. (If you know of any good ones, let me know!) I felt at home with samchon's family. It was nice to sit down to a meal and pray over our meal together. Strangely, many of the Koreans I've run into don't go to church. The lady who came to clean my apartment doesn't go to church; the Korean English teachers who I share the office with don't go to church. I'm actually quite shocked that I've run into so few Koreans who go to church. I'm more surprised that none of the Korean teachers whom I work closely with don't attend church. Discovering the unexpected is a good thing though because it brings me out of my bubble!
Another fact about Korea that surprised me is that clubbing and drinking seem okay here. In LA, the stereotype is that everybody at the clubs and bars are party animals, but here, most people in their 20s seem to enjoy it. It's normal and it's okay. Samchon's wife asked me if I had been to the clubs in Hongdae and Itaewon! She told me that those clubs are probably more fun that the ones in YeongTong! Most of my aunts and uncles in California would never ask me a question like that or even encourage it! Wow~ Maybe she just asked me because I'm young? Still, what a shocker.
Another thing: everyone in Korea really do smoke. -.-
I think I will be getting internet at my place this week, so I will be able to contact people more frequently and update my blog more often! woo hoo I'm excited because I need to catch up on Korean dramas.

Update

Hello, friends in America (and maybe a couple of readers in Korea). I haven’t been able to update my blog as much as I’d like because I have no internet at my apartment yet. I’m secretly updating my blog from work because I’m exploding with stories to tell! There were so many “firsts” this past week: I met my Korean co-teacher for the first time. I met the teachers whom I will be sharing an office with for the next year. I met my students. I got my first haircut of the year in Myeong dong. I had my first drink in Korea with Jessica last night (she liked the Korean rice wine!). I went to my first kpop concert. I went to my first 회식 (staff dinner). I signed up for a cell phone. I made my first lesson plan. I checked out Young Nak Church in Seoul this past Sunday. I got lost for the first time. Etc~ But before I can blog about any of these things, I should update my blog about my housing status. Korvia recruiters came down to see Jessica’s and my apartments, but they couldn’t do much. They pretty much came down to show they cared, which was really nice of them because their office is about an hour away. We talked about the situation and decided that Korvia would pay for a cleaning service to work on my apartment. Afterward, they took us to eat Korean BBQ in nearby Yeong Tong. They wanted to show us around Yeong Tong because there’s so much to see and do there. It’s located next to a college, so the area is catered toward college students. During dinner, they were patient enough to listen to us vent. Haha Jessica and I were so dissatisfied with the whole situation then. Now, we can laugh about it (kind of). We’re trying to make the best of the situation. :--)


To make a long story short:
I asked the school to move us to cleaner apartments. The Korean teacher said no because the school had already signed the lease.
I asked the school to have my apartment cleaned for me because it was too difficult on my own. The Korean teacher said the school doesn’t have money, so Korvia paid for the service.
I asked the school to buy me a bed. The Korean teacher said this might be possible later, but that he would have to look at the budget books.
I asked the school for an AC remote because it can’t be turned on manually. The Korean teacher said the school doesn’t have money. It is missing because the Korean teacher didn’t inspect the place carefully after the previous teacher moved out.

At this point, I was really fed up, so I told the Korean teacher that the whole situation made me think that the school isn’t ready to have two native English teachers. I told him it made me question whether I should stay or not. He listened pretty calmly and he told me the school’s postition. I think honesty was the best policy at that point. He understands me better and I feel like I can empathize with the school. I decided to stick it out at the school for this year. I haven’t given up on the AC remote or a bed though because I know I deserve those two things at the least!

I think my first day at the school played a big part in my decision to stay here. The teachers whom I share the office with are all friendly and welcoming. One female teacher, in particular, is a really warm person. She told us to let her know if we need anything from Costco because she can pick it up for us when she goes. And when she gave me her phone number, she told me to call her if anything happens. <3 I was deeply touched. Hehe

Well, cheers to a more positive outlook! I received a lot of encouragement through the Word and from people’s messages throughout the messy situation. I’m feeling a lot better now and my appetite came back. I can say, with confidence, “God, I surrender.” I don’t know what I’m doing here, but rather than spending the year in bitterness, I’m going to discover His plan.

Bad Start

Yes, I'm off to a bad start with the school. The apartments the school moved me and the other English teacher (her name is Jessica. you'll probably be hearing about her a lot) are far from luxurious. In the state that it's in right now, it's not even liveable. The English teacher who lived there before broke his contract, so nobody has been living there since then. I'm not sure when he left, but from the looks of the apartment, it's been a while. There are layers of dust and dirt everywhere. The mis-matched furniture are piled up on top of each other. I have no bed and the remote to my AC is missing. One of my windows doesn't have a screen, so I shouldn't open that window, lest I want bugs to come in, says the Korean co-teacher who dropped us off. I got a bug bite the first night I slept there. Standing in the bathroom gives me the shivers. It's just gross. The Korean co-teacher is being really stubborn about the whole situation too. The school had a bad experience with a previous English teacher who didn't show up for work and cancelled his contract, so he is unwilling to put money out for us until he sees how we do our jobs. This attitude seems very improfessional to me.
Jessica's apartment is not as bad because the previous teacher managed to stick it through for the year and she left it in a liveable condition. I have been finding myself spending a lot of time in her apartment. Sharing this experience has brought us quite close. :--) We both contacted our recruiters and they will be coming down today to take a look at our places. I am hoping they come in and swoop us out of here like ladies-in-waiting in shining armor. (I wish I could use "knights," but they are ladies.) I'm counting down the hours until they get here. Meanwhile, we're going to go out and eat lunch! Well, I'm going to try to eat because I really haven't had much of an appetite since I moved in. I think it's from a combination of stress and discomfort. I think Jessica is worried about me, but she hasn't seen people fast like I have!

Moving In

...
At times like these, it's hard to keep an eternal perspective, so I pray, "God, remind me of Your grace and love. It's so easy to forget. Remind me that it's for Your glory. Allow me courage. In Your Son's Name I pray, Amen."

Welcome to South Korea

hello Johnna. Welcome to South Korea. heheh
After 12 hours (actually 11 due to speeding skills of the pilots), I landed safely in South Korea. It was way too early to go over to Heejeong's house, so I hung out at the airport until Eunice had to board her plane for EA. I'm so so soo glad that Eunice and I had the same flight. It might have been a random coincidence for us, but I know God had a hand in this. By the time I boarded the plane, my anxiety was still growing, but knowing Eunice was with me put me at ease. I thought, "Man, if Eunice is staying abroad for the 2nd year in a row, I can do this too!!!" I was challenged and encouraged (feelings that lessened my nervousness).
Getting to know her was also a really good experience. We talked about her 1st year ST experience, her feelings about the upcoming one, boys (^^), how I felt about teaching, etc. etc. Hearing about her ST experience helped me to see how God is indeed working in and through her. It made me think, "God is so in love with His people." Seriously. What a feeling! So, I was challenged to make Korea my mission field during this year. I may not be here as a missionary, but we're created to live for His glory. Even though I may not be doing spiritually well right now, I have faith in You. Help me to take this small faith and serve You. And if it is Your will, I pray that You would ready me as Your vessel so that I may shine Your love. (Please keep me accountable!)

Two Days Left

Last Friday, I came home and I saw that my mom had picked my plane ticket up from the travel agency. As I noticed it sitting on my desk, it made me excited, but the feeling of "shoot. i'm really leaving" hit me at the same time. During the application process, I was super excited, but this is when I started getting nervous.. Now that it's just two days before I leave, I'm getting more nervous. God, please help me..
I hope the other English teacher is fun.
I hope we can become friends.
I hope my co-teacher is easy to work with.
I hope my students study hard.
I hope my students listen to me.
I hope my students aren't taller than me. ^^;
I hope I don't get homesick.
I hope the place they're getting for me is clean.
I hope I'm not a loner there. (another ^^;)
I hope lots of people visit Korea while I'm there.
I hope there will be a good church I can attend.
I hope I'll learn more about myself.
I hope I can travel to other parts of Asia!
I hope I can get my visas, reentry stuff, and tax stuff completed soon (this part is the toughest).
I hope I experience God more during this year.