Since when is this ordinary?

I sat down tonight to blog and I went blank. I knew I should blog...its been awhile after all. But for the life of me I could not think of what to write. And for someone who usually lacks the ability to shut up, I found myself in an interesting quandary.

Somewhere along the line, all of this became ordinary to me. Normal, everyday occurrences. Nothing to write home about, so to speak. I mean, I still see and experience really obnoxiously strange things almost everyday. Like on Saturday, Rachel and I were getting on the subway and as we were walking into the car this girl runs up from I don't know where and smacks both of us on the butts. And that is sadly not the first time that has happened.

But instead of getting angry, feeling patronized and objectified, or punching her in the face, I had this thought:

"Whatever."

I don't know if I've become disillusioned or just used to this madness. Or maybe those things are the same. Anyway, Rach and I had a good laugh about it.

For me, Korea has been a mix of things I absolutely love mixed in with things that drive me absolutely bonkers. There has been very little middle ground. I think it would do me some good at this stage to show you some of the things I've become passionate about here:

THINGS ABOUT KOREA THAT JESSICA ABSOLUTELY LOVES:

• My kids!!!

This is a picture of the kids that Ruda and I teach on Sunday afternoons for Sunday School. They are a keen combination of baby geniuses and comedians-in-training. All these kids are from abroad and speak English fluently. Its so nice to teach content instead of always fighting to just be understood. We've got some awesome rugrats!!

I also love my school kids. I started up Teacher Mail again last week for the new 6th-graders, and I got some priceless letters. One girl went on for 2 pages about the boy that she liked...she never did tell me his name though. My favorite letter was from the "coolest" 6th-grade boy in our school (all the girls have a crush on him) which said, and I quote, "I am so happy teacher is from USA!! I want a relationship with my teacher. I love you, teacher!" So...you know this makes me cool by association, right? :)

• My friends!!!
  

Well, I should clarify. These people are not merely my friends. Here in Seoul, we are family. We rely on each other probably more than we should, we fight, we play, we sing Toto's "Africa" in noraebangs, we feed, we eat, we laugh, we worship, we pray, we dance, we live - and we have grown to love each other more than we thought was possible.


We're all so different, from different countries, different backgrounds, different families, different hobbies, different everything - and yet...

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galations 6:2, 9-10

I can't imagine my life here without them.

I'll blog next time about the things that drive me nuts...but as for right now...they don't seem as important :)