Trip to the Big City

Well, the day after I posted my last entry, I took a trip with Rachael B. and the school cross-country team (boys only) to the city. We didn't actually go all the way to Seoul, but rather to a city in Gyeonggi Province (Korean: 경기도), which is a mostly urban, crescent-shaped province surrounding the metropolitan city of Seoul. (Kind of like the relationship of New Jersey to New York City; only Seoul is on the same level as a province.) As mentioned previously, I got to do this because I was basically the only person available who is able to drive the van that they had to use. Since she asked, I said that I would. Otherwise they would have had to take public transportation, which they have done before, but kind of got lost in the process.

Well it turned out to be a bit of an adventure. Actually, we kind of got lost, too. No one knew where we were going, really, but we had one of the runners (the best one, actually) plug in the address into the GPS (which was a Korean-language GPS). I had Rachael watch the GPS and call out the turns to me. Well, it only gave notice of one turn at a time, and then took a little while to display the next one. If the exit you take has a choice right away between one direction and the other on the expressway, that doesn't work unless you're watching the picture of the roadway as well as the direction arrows.

The other thing that caused problems was the fact that the guys didn't trust the GPS, and started to second-guess it. Rachael got distracted by them, and failed to give me adequate notice for a turn I needed to make. On the Korean expressway system, the exits are few and far between. Basically, if you get on an expressway, it means you're going some distance, whether you want to or not. There are toll plazas at the interchanges between expressways and surface streets/regional highways. That cost us some time, and a few thousand won in unnecessary tolls.

However, we still got there within the time parameters that Rachael thought would be OK. Then we found out that her assumptions had been incorrect, and the race the guys were supposed to run in had already started. We decided to run the course and time the guys on our own. Uriel, the star runner, was pretty frustrated, because this wasn't the first time he had missed a race like that. It looks like maybe Rachael needs to allow more time for getting lost and recovering, and for other unexpected events, than she has been allowing.

At any rate, we ran the race. I actually chased the slowest runners all the way around the course, which was a hilly 5K race. (I was wearing blue jeans and hiking boots.) In fact, I sometimes had to yell at them not to walk, but to keep running, and rest later. I think I would have liked to be working with Rachael in coaching the team, but I haven't had much time for that, and anyway, the season is pretty much over for now. Too bad they didn't get more races. Some of these guys need to learn the way of the warrior. Tae Kwon Do doesn't appear to be teaching them enough of that.

After the race, we went out for dinner, paid for by the athletic budget, of course. That was another challenge, trying to find a place for dinner in a city we didn't know. However, we eventually found a Kim's Club, which turned out to be a grocery store that has a food court attached. Next challenge: find a parking space! The first four levels down were full, but the attendant on the fifth floor waved us on. The lot was really tight, as they all are in Korea, and the spaces were all squared, no angled spots. (Angled spaces take more space, something that's at a premium everywhere in Korea.) I tried for a couple of spaces, but there wasn't really enough maneuvering room to get the van into them safely. Then I saw a corner space open up, and I went for it.

Another driver, a woman, also wanted the same space, and came at it from the opposite direction. (Note: I'm not sexist. Women drive differently in Korea, as discussed in a previous post.) I got halfway into the space, and then I just sat and waited for her to move out of my way. I figured my car was bigger than hers, and more beat up, so she wouldn't be too aggressive. Also, I figured she was in more of a hurry than I was, and would quickly tire of waiting for me to to move, and go find another space. She honked at me, and I honked back and motioned for her to move on. Soon, a parking attendant came over (there were a few on that level), and spoke to her in Korean. Evidently the attendant sided with me, and helped the woman find another parking space.

In Kim's Club (which had plenty of signs in English, surprisingly enough), I learned how to order food at a Korean food court. There was a display of fake food, which represented the dishes available for order. Beneath each dish of plastic food, was a tag showing the name (in Korean) and price of the real food item. The idea was to choose the item you wanted, and go to the cashier and tell her, and pay for it, of course. This was another challenge in reading Hangul. Fortunately, Rachael knew some of the names, and once she said it, I was able to read it better. I chose a hot variant of bibenbap, which is a rice bowl with veggies and other things. (The word "pap" or "bap", spelled 밥 in Korean, means "cooked rice".)

After I paid for it, she gave me two receipts, one with the price to give to Rachael for reimbursement, and the other with an order number, which she helpfully pointed out. I was directed to look at a board with several rows of numbers. Apparently, each row represented one counter in the food court. Every time an order was ready at a counter, that order number would flash on the board, and an electronic bell would chime. The number would also flash on a smaller board at the individual counter. Different types of food were prepared at different counters, of course.

Eventually, my number flashed, and I went to pick up my order. It was served in a cast-iron bowl, so hot the rice on the bottom was sizzling. It cost 4,900 won, and was very good. I've never had such a good meal for less than 5 bucks before. I honestly enjoyed it more than some meals that were twice the price.

After dinner, we did some shopping, with an agreement to meet back there at a certain time. (I actually told them an hour later than I intended to, so we had some time to kill, but that's the way it went.) I took one of the boys who is bilingual, and I tried to get a prepaid cell phone, which is apparently the only kind I can get as long as I don't have a foreigner ID card. No dice. Apparently prepaid cell phones are only sold where many foreigners can be found, in places like airports, and near Osan AFB, and in Itaewon-dong, the international district of Seoul. So, that was frustrating. However, I also looked for a few things for the kitchen, and bought a decent cutting board that I can wash and sanitize properly.

On the way home, we didn't make a single wrong move. (We did have some people honk at us, but I kind of expect that in Korea.) We had learned how to use the GPS successfully. I also positioned it so I could see it as well as Rachael. I did succeed in getting the guys back before 11:00, which was my goal, so they could get a decent amount of sleep before having to get up for church. Then, of course, I took Rachael back to the apartments. Not the date I would have chosen to take her on, but a fun experience none the less, and also valuable for getting a little bit better acquainted.

The next day, I got a request from some of you, via my mother, for ideas for care packages. So, I'll post the list here for those who are interested. (Note: Sending packages to Korea is expensive, and I understand this. So, I don't expect a lot. Please don't feel obligated in any way.)

Care Package Ideas

When people think of care packages, they usually think of food. Now, I can buy food here, but there are certain things that I have trouble finding. Instant oatmeal is very good, and I haven't seen it even in the black market. Instant cocoa packets are also good. I've seen chocolate powder in places, but I'm not good a mixing hot chocolate from that, so hot chocolate packets would be nice.

I don't need candy, but some filling snacks would be really nice. I've only seen Snickers in the black market, and I haven't seen Balance Bars anywhere, so those would be good, as would Power Bars. Some unsalted trail mix (without walnuts) would also be good, as I haven't seen that anywhere.

I really want to bake a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and baking things are hard to find here. I can get fresh pumpkin, and I'm pretty sure I can prepare it for baking. I also think I can get evaporated milk, although that will be harder. I have some cinnamon, and I know where to find more. I've also seen ground cloves somewhere, maybe the black market, so I think I can find those. I haven't seen any ground ginger, so I'd love to get a small amount of that for baking. I'll have to make a piecrust from scratch, so if anyone has a recipe for piecrust that a pioneer (think Little House on the Prairie) could follow, I'd appreciate it. On that subject, I haven't seen a proper-shaped piepan anywhere, not even at the cookware store in Pyeongtaek near Osan AFB, so if someone is willing to send one or two deep-dish piepans, I will be forever in your debt. Other baking items like baking soda and vanilla extract would be good too. I was able to get some stuff that claims to be baking soda, but the way it's labeled makes me wonder if it's the same stuff I'm used to. Same with the vanilla. I also need some measuring cups for dry ingredients, and measuring spoons for teaspoon and tablespoon measurements. Again, I couldn't find them, even in the cooking store in Pyeongtaek.

That's about it for food. As for other things, it is starting to get colder here. In fact, I understand the old name for this area meant "cold snowy valley". (I have already ordered a long cashmere coat from a good tailor in Pyeongtaek.) So, all you knitters out there in my fan club, I would really love some hand-knitted wool socks and a scarf or two. (You can get my sock measurements from my mom.) If anyone is more ambitious, a knitted wool vest in a versatile color like black or grey, that can be worn with a shirt and tie, would be very nice. Keep in mind that my job requires me to look like a professional, not a ski bum.

If you've read the above post, you're probably wondering why I don't get some paper maps. Apparently, Koreans rely on GPS devices despite their shortcomings, and don't really use paper maps, so no one knows where to find them without ordering some kind of atlas. So, some paper road maps would be really nice, even if they're labeled in Korean. Some of the expressway system in Chungcheongbuk Province (Chungcheongbuk-do, Korean 충청북도) and southern Gyeonggi Province (Gyeonggi-do, Korean 경기도) would be really nice. Also, of the area around Osan AFB. If AAA can provide a road map of Eumseong County (Eumseong-gun, Korean 음성군) in Chungcheongbuk Province, that would be very nice to receive as well.

Thanks to everyone who was asking about this. I do love receiving packages. However, your prayers are even more valuable, so I'll move on to the next section.

Prayer Requests

First, praise God for my continued good health, and the continued growth of relationships with my colleagues and students. On the whole, I've really enjoyed my time in Korea to date.

Also, praise God for allowing me to develop a taste for Korean food. I'm really starting to like kimchi, and cucumber soup, and even edible seaweed. That definitely makes it easier to live here.

As for requests and petitions, please pray for the health of the students and staff. On Monday (the 12th of October), we started seeing an unusual number of kids running fevers. Many were sent to the nurse's office, and several went back after school to be taken to the hospital to check for H1N1 virus. That apparently resulted in a visit from local representatives of the Ministry of Health, who administered temperature checks to all students, faculty and staff on Wednesday night. Fully one-third of the students were found to have an elevated temperature, and as a result, the school decided to have an immediate, week-long fall vacation. Students were sent home on chartered buses on Thursday, and their parents were called to pick them up at the stations. Please pray that everyone made it home safely.

Please pray that this will allow the sick students to get better, and keep them from infecting everyone. (This also gives the custodial staff a chance to sanitize the dormitories.) Some of the teachers were showing symptoms as well, and one tested positive (assumed) for H1N1 at the hospital, so those people stayed home from the teacher in-service/fellowship day that was held on Friday. Please pray that everyone would return to school healthy next Monday, and that there will not be any more outbreaks.

Since the Fall Festival was canceled as part of this vacation, we only lost four days of instruction time instead of seven. Praise God for helping me replan my lessons for the rest of the semester, to make up for the lost days. I have tried not to overburden the students with too much work. Please pray that this revised plan would work, and allow the students to keep up with the pace. Also, praise God for helping me finish grading all the chapter tests before I left for my vacation, and please pray that I would be able to finish all the homework grading and lesson planning I have to do this week.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, thanks to those of you who are sending care packages, and thanks most of all for praying for my colleagues and I. May the blessings of God be with you all.

Driving in Korea

Well, now I can say that I've driven a car (a van, actually) in a foreign country, and lived to write about it. I would also like to add, as an aside, that an International Driver's Permit (IDP) is a wonderful thing. With an IDP and my CA driver's license, I can legally drive a vehicle in Korea with no additional paperwork.

How did I get a vehicle? Well, here's the deal. The school provides housing for the teachers and staff (and their immediate families) in the nearest apartment complex, which is about 15 minutes' drive from the school. The school also provides a shuttle, essentially an old van with a 5-speed transmission and hardly any seatbelts, for teachers to ride to school. (Many teachers do have their own cars, or ride with roommates, so one van is enough for the others.) Josh C, who teaches Bible and Social Studies (and coaches volleyball), normally drives this van, which seats up to 11 passengers if they get very cozy, and can hold more if they sit on each others' laps.

The students just had a 5.5 day weekend for their Chuseok holiday (think early Thanksgiving). Originally, the next weekend was scheduled to be a Fall Festival by the school, with only one and a half full days between them. Josh was asked to officiate at a friend's wedding in the U.S., which coincided with this time. So, he and his wife decided to take a vacation spanning Chuseok and Fall Festival, so they would only miss one and a half days of school. After they booked their flights, the school changed the timing of Fall Festival, pushing it back two weeks. That meant that Josh & Meagan would be gone for at least four full school days. Sherry is responsible for finding subs for them from teachers who have a free period (I'm one sometimes), but Josh had to find a substitute van driver. He asked me, because I have an IDP, I know how to drive a manual transmission, and he trusted me to be responsible and prompt.

So, I have the use of the van, and the school pays for the diesel fuel. Most of my driving has been between the apartments and the school, but I've driven in downtown Eumseong as well. Tomorrow I will be driving the cross-country team to Seoul with Rachael B (one of the twins). She had asked another driver, my new Korean roommate, but he is taking his junior brother to Daejun this weekend, to visit their parents. So, she asked me. It sounded like fun, and I said so, which she correctly took to be an affirmative.

So, what's it like, driving in Korea? After I get back from Seoul, I may have a different impression; however, I'm pleased to report that, as far as I can tell, Korean drivers are not crazy. They do, however, drive differently than most American drivers. They drive faster, unless there's a speed camera. (These have yellow signs warning drivers to slow down.) They leave less space between cars, and they have no hesitation about parking illegally. They often run red lights, and, if you're in front of them at a light which is red for no good reason (i.e., no cross traffic), they may honk at you to run the red light so they can, too. (I may speed, but I won't go that far.) They park more closely together (the parking spaces are also smaller), and they often park illegally, partially blocking a lane of traffic. (I've seen whole blocks with cars parked like that. Apparently, there isn't anyone giving parking tickets.) They may even block a full lane by parking at a slant, or double-park if it's crowded.

These differences may be due in part to a national tendency to hurry, expressed in the common phrase, "Bali-Bali" (발리 발리), "Hurry, Hurry". It may also be because enforcement of traffic laws basically consists of well-marked cameras to catch speeders and signal flaunters. (If you see a warning sign, slow down for the camera, and then speed up again.) Anywhere there's not a camera, drivers do what they please and fear no consequences. They do, however, pay a human price.

I asked one of the Korean teachers, and he said that the collision rate in Korea is rather high, as is the fatality rate for collisions. Yet, no one seems to be worried about this. I will, as he advised, be extra careful on my trip to Seoul tomorrow. Good thing God is watching over me.

There's another interesting thing about Korea; apparently, far fewer women drive here than in the U.S. I guess fewer women work outside the home, which I think is a good tradition to keep, generally speaking. The public transportation system is quite good, so one can get along pretty well without driving here, if you don't have to go out to the bak-wonga like I do every day. However, that means that a Korean woman is less likely to have a drivers' license, and a female Korean driver is more likely to be inexperienced. This, combined with the hazards of Korean drivers and women's natural protective instinct, tends to make them more ginger, reluctant drivers.

Also, of course, the streetscape is different than in the U.S. Here in Korea, only the expressways have a speed limit higher than 80 km/h (50 mph). Expressways are toll roads, and their onramps and offramps are much fewer and farther between than those of U.S. freeways. As for surface streets, the lanes are narrower, but well-marked (as far as I've seen). Traffic lights, however, don't appear to be equipped with buried sensors, which is surprising in a country that generally seems to be pretty technologically integrated. (For example, my bedroom light switch has an alarm clock built into it.) I haven't seen a stop sign between the apartments and the school.

However, I can adapt to these differences. They do drive on the right side of the road, the signs I need to find directions are marked in English as well as Korean, and Koreans are generally pretty honest, law-abiding folk, and very helpful. Seriously, if you're a foreigner in Korea, and you need help, they'll bend over backwards to help you, if they can. (The biggest problem may be communicating your need, as few people speak much English outside of Seoul.)

Prayer Requests

First, praise God for providing a vehicle for me to drive this week! This has allowed me to go grocery shopping, exchange traveler's checks at a bank, and buy medicine at a pharmacy. Hopefully, my role as a driver tomorrow will enable me to buy a prepaid cellphone, as well as see a little bit of Seoul.

Also, praise God for an improved relationship with my fellow teachers, especially my roommate Justin (teaches Social Studies), the Russian teacher Almagul, and the twins Sarah and Rachael B. The relationships started off well, and now I'm getting to know them better, and vice versa. Scoring volleyball with Sarah, tutoring Almagul's daughters, and now driving with Rachael, are great opportunities to strengthen these friendships.

For our trip to Seoul, please pray for a safe trip for everyone. Driving in Korea has different hazards, as I've mentioned before. I will be very careful, but I cannot control the actions of other drivers.

For Almagul's daughters, please pray that they would overcome their language difficulties and succeed in their respective math classes. "Sarah", the elder, is fluent in Kazakh, Russian and English, but her Algebra 2 class is taught in Korean (although the book is in English). "Esther", the younger, is fluent in Kazakh and Russian, with limited English skills and imperfect eyesight, and she's in my Algebra 1 class. (I will require her to sit in the front row until her mother gets her some glasses.)

For all my students, please pray that I would develop a better relationship with them. Pray that I would remember to relate to them from my heart instead of my head, even as we are in an intellectual, head-focused environment, studying algebra, an extremely left-brained subject. I especially need prayer for the best way to address the problems that Korean girls have in developing a healthy body image. (For my feelings on that, read my previous post, "Chuseok", especially the part about Sunday morning, and the second prayer request.) Also, I need to earn respect from the boys, so they will stay quiet when I need them to.

Finally, please pray that I would be able to do my work well, and grade the homework in a timely manner, which has been a big challenge to date. Pray also that I have the wisdom to avoid making more commitments than I can keep.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for praying.

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind always be at your back,

And until we meet again,

May the Lord keep you in the palm of His hand.

Chuseok

I've been really busy, but I figure it's time to update this, as there has been a lot going on in the past few weeks.

This last weekend, on October 3rd, Koreans celebrated one of their biggest national holidays, called Chuseok (pronounced Choo-sock. In Korean, it's spelled 추석.) It's a major harvest festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, at approximately the first full moon of Autumn. It's basically their equivalent of Thanksgiving, a time for gathering with family (including attending to the family graves), feasting, and giving gifts. Our students had a five-and-a-half-day weekend. The teachers had a four-day weekend.

My first, intellectual reaction was, "It's their holiday, not mine. Chuseok means nothing to me. I'll just use it to catch up on my work." That was what my head said, the "ego", or conscious mind. Then, my heart spoke up. (I've been learning to listen to my heart. It's usually wiser.)

My heart said, "This will be like Thanksgiving. The exact date isn't important. Everyone in Korea is gathering with family, feasting, and giving thanks for the harvest. You could feel very lonely." Fortunately, that didn't happen. Some of the staff at my school, who live in the same apartment complex and weren't travelling, hosted a Chuseok feast in their apartment. It was all Korean food, which I'm really starting to enjoy, and very good.

Otherwise, I spent some time exploring. I had the use of a van, because I'm the substitute van driver while Josh & Meagan C. are in the U.S. for a friend's wedding. On Friday, I drove them to the bus station, and then drove around for a while trying to find my way back to the apartment. Finally, I had the presence of mind to stop at a gas station and ask for directions. The station attendant spoke enough English to help me out.

Once I'd figured out how to keep my sense of direction, I ventured out later that day to do some shopping. After parking the van (illegally, like everyone else) and wandering around for a while, I finally found a grocery store! I got barley, eggs, broccoli, bananas, and tomatoes. I'm set for a while now.

On Saturday, I figured everything would be closed for the holiday, so I graded homework until it was time for the Chuseok feast. That was excellent, as I mentioned above.

Sunday I went to Osan for church with my roommate, Dick the Bible teacher, his wife Sherry the Admin Support specialist, and her mother. They go to a Baptist church near the Air Force base in Osan. It was the first time I'd seen Americans in the majority of any gathering. The preacher looked and sounded like a southern good ol' boy, but the message was real. He talked about the importance of prayer, how prayer was the only thing that would be effective to combat the evil around them.

Even on Sunday morning, the hedonist pleasures of that neighborhood were clearly visible. Right outside the church, there was a sign with a drawing of Betty Boop, advertising the "Pink Lady" on the second floor of a neighboring building. Of course it's a strip club, but what got me was the exaggerated features that Miss Boop is known for. Big, round eyes. No wonder Korean women and girls think their eyes are ugly, if that's the kind of image they're bombarded with! It made me very angry. I'm sure some of my students have problems with their body image, and that sort of thing is definitely a contributing factor.

I tried to buy a cell phone from the place where my roommate got his, but I didn't have enough cash. That place near the base takes dollars, but not traveler's checks, and that's all I had. (Note to others: Traveler's checks are not easy to change in Korea if you're a teacher. You're usually working when the banks are open, and banks are where you will get the best rate. Where you live, the businesses will probably not take traveler's checks. Also, property crime in Korea is almost zero, so there's no need to worry about carrying cash.)

On Monday, which was still a holiday, I managed to find the bank that Sherry had pointed out as we swung through town on our way back from church. I changed $200 in traveler's checks into won. Then I went to the pharmacy and got a month's supply of a PPI to replace the famotidine that I had run out of. (Of course, the explanations were involved, since the pharmacist's English skills were limited. However, I didn't need a prescription.)

After the pharmacy, I tried to buy a cell phone. I went into 5 or 6 different places, all nearby, and tried to explain what I wanted. (Everything took longer, accompanied by hand signals and pantomime.) They all wanted me to have a foreigner I.D. card, which I don't have because of my visa status. None of them would sell me a phone without this I.D. After talking with my roommate, it seems I have to purchase a prepaid card. After talking with Do Young, a Korean art teacher, it seems that such phones are available anywhere in Eumseong, if you know how to ask in Korean. He volunteered to go with me to buy one. I think I'll take him up on that today.

My third roommate moved in today. He's a Tae Kwon Do instructor, one of the younger ones, but pretty good. His schedule will be later than ours.

Well, it's almost time for me to get dressed and fix my breakfast, but first I need to share some prayer requests.

Prayer Requests

First, praise God for a good Chuseok holdiday! I had a good time, a good feast, I got lots of grading done, and I got some important errands done.

Second, please pray for my students. The girls need to know that they are beautiful just the way God made them, slanted eyes and all. The boys need to learn how to respect me and pay attention in the classroom. All of them need to be able to understand me better, and learn how to do homework properly.

Finaly, please pray for me that I would be able to get all my work done in a timely manner. I need to get caught up on grading, and I need to submit a syllabus.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying for me. I hope to write again soon.