The Lost Writings

September 27, 2008 – Gili Air, Indonesia

The sea breathes here. And in a boat perched atop her chest, we go up and down, up and down. There are geckos everywhere. They talk, too. Not to me, per say, but maybe to each other. I can’t be sure after all. Rachel says the chickens talk, too. But I’m not sure who has more to say.

The Lost Writings

September 20, 2008 – North Stradbroke Island, Australia (Adder Rock)

Climbing slowly, barefoot with sandals in hand. The rocks are sharp sloped and sandy. How far should I go? Just up and over, close to the spray but yet out of her salty reach. A flat spot for sitting is found as I pick shells off the rocks and send them flying to the sea. The tide is coming ever closer – will I be trapped? Stranded on Adder Rock with nothing but my sandals? To Hell with it. The tide and I are friends, and I am confident that it will not sacrifice me to the sea.

What to do on a rock, floating just above the waves? Sing songs, of course. Songs I haven’t sung for ages are whipped by the wind, carried off to no one in particular. I am alone, just me and the tide and my sandals – perched atop Adder Rock – quite simply, the only place in the world I want to be.

The Lost Writings

September 15, 2008 – Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia

I want a dream. I want a reckless desire to do something radically out of the ordinary. I’ve never stuck with a dream for very long. It has always been, sooner or later, forfeited in favor of a reality. My head in the clouds with 2 feet firmly planted on the ground. Hope and I have never gotten along. We are fair-weather friends at best, coexisting when it’s easy; no sooner the tumult of emotion comes and we throw each other to the wolves. I cannot hold onto it and it cannot carry me. We must part ways.

I wish it was different. I wish I could live in the hopeful expectation of future desires, but I can’t. My 2 firmly planted feet won’t allow me to fly. I’m stuck between knowing and hoping; between the promise of the freedom and the reality of the chains. And when my dreams fade, it is because I let them go, like a yellow balloon from a child’s hand floating up and up into a cloudless sky.

The Lost Writings

September 7, 2008 - Christchurch, New Zealand

The last few days have felt so cold. I can’t tell if it’s because of my sudden departure from a sweltering Seoul summer or the fact that I haven’t packed properly for this weather, or a combination of the two. We left Kaikoura yesterday afternoon; it rained all day Friday and it was miserably cold. I took 2 hot showers in an attempt to warm up, but neither worked very well for very long.

It was funny just how miserable I was all day. All my clothes were wet which added to the cold misery. It rained all day which made the 2K walk back to the city an impossibility. And so there I was, stranded – wet, cold and hungry.

Out the windows was the harbor, a surprisingly aqua color in the midst of the bleak rain. It was one of those days where houses, roads and people alike appeared grey and dismal. And yet – the sea. Her color could not be dulled.

It’s on days like this that I get the urge to fly. Not because I want to escape the miserable weather, but because I know that somewhere up there, it’s a beautiful day, and I’m aching to go find it. When I was younger (and I must admit that I still do now), I felt superhuman, escaping the confines of atmospheric sadness to sail high above to a place where the sun was always shining. The sun is always shining, you know, whether or not you can perceive it.

The next day I got up early in the morning to schedule my bus ticket. I happened to glance out the window as I walked into the dining room.

Overnight the rain and clouds had lifted, and across the harbor were the most beautifully majestic mountains I had ever seen. In a matter of hours they had appeared, and yet – they had always been there.

The Lost Writings

September 1st, 2008 – Wellington, New Zealand

Today we visited the Botanical Gardens. It’s August here, and that means winter. Though not as spectacular as a summer day perhaps, the walk was beautiful nonetheless.

It’s amazing to me how nature never really dies. Granted, in individual cases, yes, but think on a larger scale. Though it was winter, though the conditions seemed inhospitable, there was life. I could smell it all around – new, untouched air.

I once heard a sermon while I was in Seoul about how nature is still serving the purpose that it was created for – to glorify God, to reflect His beauty and His character; to call people to see and to know and to believe. Humans, of course, God’s prized possessions, fell from that top shelf long ago, and we no longer fulfill the purpose to which we were called. But nature remains. It still calls; it still draws out an admiration for a beauty we are unable to replicate no matter how hard we try. And even in a photograph it dulls, and falls flat.

Living in Seoul gave me a new appreciation for beauty, simply because there was none around me. I lived in the middle of a concrete wasteland, devoid of grass, lush trees and really any wildlife to speak of (save for pigeons). Next to God’s creation, our fumbling is filth. And we are filling our world with it. Slowly we are chipping away at the God-ridden gift of nature. Not only have we fallen, but we are determined to take creation down with us. In Seoul I had dreams about beautiful mountains, rivers and lakes only to wake up aching to experience that same beauty again. God is so alive there, in nature, present in every painted petal and oozing out of the trees like sap.

Maybe this is so clear to me now because I was without it for so long. I feel like there’s a meter inside of me, a rain gauge of sorts that fills with beauty of Creation. Last year I experience a drought. And now, with the small amount of rain I’m experiencing, it awakens and renews the part of me that before Seoul, I never knew was there.

While walking through the gardens today, I noticed a few things. There were some flowers in bloom that looked perfectly beautiful, as though they were not at all hindered by their hostile surroundings. There were some that looked to be on the verge of blooming, very much alive and full of potential. There were blooms that were wilting, that had perhaps seen better and easier days. And then there were the dormant creatures; not dead, but not blooming either.

I couldn’t help but think of my spiritual walk as I physically walked through this garden. I thought of my year, and how Korea had been my winter, my hostile environment, my season of discipline and learning. And I wondered which of those plants I was. Did I bloom fully in spite of my circumstances? Did I show potential and readiness to spring to life at a moment’s notice? Did I start out strong but ultimately wither and begin to show signs of defeat? Or did I go dormant altogether, not dead, but unwilling to do anything but wait out the storm?

To be completely honest, I fell into all of those stages at multiple times in Korea. There were moments I felt alive and blooming, but there were also days when all I wanted to do was close everyone out and hide from the pain. There were days I sought God’s will and there were times I wanted nothing to do with it. And there were moments I felt beautiful, but there were hours and days when I felt completely empty.

The achievement...of a lifetime.

Today, I conquered Mt. Nostalgia.

What is Mt. Nostalgia, you ask? Well, it is the aptly named teetering towering mountain of crap accumulated from various move-outs (college, DC, Korea) that made its large and in charge presence known to anyone foolish enough to set foot in my room.

When my mom went in my room yesterday, she screamed. Literally - screamed.

You see, Mt. Nostalgia was growing so tall, mostly from debris accumulation (ie. I kept throwing stuff on it) that parts of the exterior were starting to sheer off in giant erosive landslides. Fearing yet another disastrous avalanche, this afternoon I decided that it was time to conquer the beast.

Now, most people (I'm talking about women here - when's the last time you saw a man sorting anything?), when faced with the task of sorting through items of sentimental value, will get about a quarter of the way into the sorting process only to get swept up in the sweet, sweet memories of years and times gone by.

This reminiscing is DISASTROUS to the sorting process and will not only lead to a decrease in sorting efficiency, an increase in time spent, but ultimately it could derail the sorting process altogether, because she decides that 'memories are too precious to just throw away' so back in the closet go the wedding programs, the heartfelt cards from people she hasn't talked to in 21 years and the stub from the first movie a boy took her to.

I, however, think these women are crazy.

With a few exceptions, I take ruthless pleasure in discarding mementos of my past. Now, please - don't get me wrong. If you have been one of the people who sent me a card or made me a handmade woven potholder featuring a picture of you and me holding hands, I want to say that I do, indeed, treasure these artifacts. I sincerely do. Thank you so much for giving them to me, and when I read them or gazed upon them I truly felt loved, and they may have even brought a tear to my eye. And I'm sure I re-experienced that emotion today when I re-read or re-gazed upon your gift right before I re-cycled it with the rest of the paper products in my closet.

Its just that I hate - I HATE - being weighed down by things. I like my possessions to constantly be whittled down so that if I needed to flee the country in 24 hours, I could. Call me crazy, but this thought enters my mind many times as I drift off to sleep: "Could I pack everything I own into 3 suitcases?" "What would I leave behind?" "Did I leave my hair straightener on?" "Do I even need a hair straightener?" "What if I had to leave but it was still hot?"

So that's why I throw your stuff away. I'm really sorry. I don't throw everything away - I usually keep one card or note (the most poignant and touching, of course) from each of my friends as to have physical proof of your love for me. These help on the lonely days.

So, in conclusion, you guys are the best. And please don't refrain from telling me how you truly feel about me in card or letter form. I promise I will treasure your words, just as long as they're more touching and/or poignant than the other card I have from you, which will be dis"card"ed immediately upon receiving the new one.

Saranghaeyo~ <3 <3 <3

PS. I included a picture because a couple great bloggers once told me that my blogs tend to have a lot of "words" and that people tend to enjoy blogs with pictures as to keep their visual interest...so I hope you enjoy my selection.

PPS. I think writing satire is quite possibly my favorite thing to do...

Home

I have been home for 16 days now.

And now I will tell you why being at home is AWESOME.

1) There are people here who STILL REMEMBER ME!!! (Praise God!). It may seem silly and irrational, but in my worst moments I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to maintain a friendship with me - I literally came back expecting to re-connect with about 4 people. I have been floored at the awesome talks and lunches and coffee chats I've had with friends since I've been back. God has been very generous in giving me so many meaningful friendships...I could talk with you guys for days!

2) My family has been WONDERFUL in allowing me time to decompress and readjust to my surroundings. And they've all been so patient when I slide into my "Well, in Korea" this and that, and even though they don't understand fully what it was like, they humor me by listening to my strange and foreign tales of the Orient. I was very worried that I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing my experiences with people because the second I mentioned something they couldn't relate to, their eyes would glaze over and I'd be left feeling stupid I'd brought it up. That hasn't happened at all (Praise God!).

3) We have a stocked pantry, so I have been fully able to exercise my culinary freedom! So far I have made oatmeal butterscotch cookies, steak and bleu cheese salad (with fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden), and Korean sigumchi namul (wilted spinach with sesame seeds), amongst other things. I also went to the Oriental supermarket to buy chunky juice and made my family try it. It tasted like sweet subway memories...

4) I HAVE SHOPPED SO MUCH!!!! Hilary warned me of this phenomenon...but after not being able to shop for 14 months, what's a girl to do? Plus, its good for the economy, so...you can thank me later.

5) I have never appreciated this before (maybe I'm dense), but Indiana is beautiful in the fall. Yeah yeah I know the billboards, the strip malls, the suburban sprawl...complain all you want. The Indiana I see is full of trees that explode with color, pumpkin stands along the side of the road, the smell of bales of straw and bonfires in the country and the crunching sound of me tossing my cousins into piles of freshly-raked leaves.

6) Two words: Taco Bell.

And I could go on and on...brevity is not my forte, you know. But I shall stop here.

Who knows how long I'll be here. But that's a statement all of us can make. No matter how firmly we plant our feet in this world, our existence here is temporary. No matter how closely we cling to people, to places, to traditions - they will all disintigrate as dust in our hands.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

~ 1 John 2:15-17

I'm afraid of tricking myself into thinking I don't need God.

I'm afraid I will cause Him to manifest (in my mind) into a "conceptual" deity, rather than the fully real and honest Presence I experienced in Seoul.

I want my journey to be experiential, not just intellectual or emotional.

I don't want to get stuck in the mud of complacency.

So...I love being home. And its good for me to be here now. But I must keep my eyes on my real home. And I must not refuse Him who is speaking.

The Long Road Home

After a year in Korea and 6 weeks traveling the world, I am officially packed and ready to go home.

Feels weird, but good. I am ready.

I'll post my Bali and Lombok pics when I get home - I had a great, relaxing time! If only every day could be filled with beautiful snorkeling, picturesque sunsets and dinners on the beach...

But I'd trade 'em in any day for a trip home.

So here I come! See y'all when I get there :)

Nothin like a Straddie Vacay

Yikes - it's been a few days since the last update! That's because I spent the last 3 days here:

~North Gorge at North Stradbroke Island, Australia~

And their internet cost $8 an hour! But the good news is that the beaches were FREE!

After getting back from the Gold Coast, I had noticed a blurb about an island just across the bay from Brisbane that was remote, peaceful and beautiful - North Stradbroke Island - so we decided to try it out for a few days. They had a lovely backpackers hostel called Manta Lodge where we stayed with in the good company of a few locals and a kind Canadian named Paul who ran the place.

~Our lovely accomodation - YHA Manta Lodge at North Stradbroke Island, Australia~

The hostel also featured a dive shop (as seen in the picture above) where you can take day trip to snorkel or scuba dive around the island. Usually the waters around the island are host to some exciting species of fish and marine life, such as sea turtles, manta rays and grey nurse sharks. Also in the early spring, you can see dolphins and humpback whales as they make their annual migration from Antarctica to warmer waters.

~Manta ray & diver~

North Stradbroke Island - or 'Straddie', as the locals call it - is host to several unspoiled, fairly deserted beaches that look like something out of a pirate movie. The waters are crystal clear and the waves are HUGE! We went swimming Friday afternoon and it was exhausting just keeping up with the waves pounding the snot out of you every few seconds. We were in water up to our waists and the incoming waves towered well over our heads!

~Surfer at Cylinder Beach~

After we got back from the beach, Paul told us about a surfer who had been surfing over at Main Beach around the same time we were swimming at Cylinder Beach (about 2 km apart). The surfer noticed a shark tailing him, so he went in and told the lifeguards, who hopped on their jetskis to chase the shark away. Apparently, the shark came back later and made himself known to the surfers, so they had to close the beach. Paul said the unusual thing about the shark was it was much more aggressive than the usual sharks around the area - and that it was much larger too. The lifeguards speculated it was either a tiger shark or a great white - neither of which are common in the area, except during the month of the whale migration.

~Main Beach at North Stradbroke Island, Australia~

I'm just glad I heard about it after I had been swimming...I wouldn't have gotten NEAR that water if I'd heard about it before!

Now we're centered in Brisbane city for a few days. I head off to Bali on Wednesday morning, and there will be no updates from Indonesia through the rest of my trip because there's only sporadic internet on the islands. Maybe I'll sneak one update in somewhere, or maybe at one of the many airports (Bali, Taipei, San Francisco or Detroit!) I'll be traveling through on my way home.

Until next time, cheers mate!

Summer again!

Hey y'all -

We arrived in Brisbane yesterday morning, and in a spontaneous move decided that we didn't want to really be in Brisbane - we'd rather be at the BEACH! So right now, and for the next few days, we are stationed at Surfer's Paradise (that's the town's actual name) right in the middle of Australia's famed Gold Coast, where the beaches are extensive and the sand is white as snow.

The weather has been perfect so far, and we're looking forward to a few days of sitting in the sand and playing in the waves.

I don't have time to leave an extensive report, but hopefully I will later on this week. Before I forget though, I'll give you the answer to last week's puzzler. The question was:

"What does the following phrase mean in Aussie English: I've chucked a sickie and I've got my budgie smugglers, now I'm ready to hang ten, mate!"

The equivalent phrase is:

"I've called in sick to work ('chucked a sickie') and I have my Speedo ('budgie smugglers' eeeeeewwwwwww), now I'm ready to go surfing (hang ten), my good friend (mate)."

Thanks to all of you who played along :) Until next time!

American

Lately, this fact has come to my attention:

I am an American.

As obvious as this statement sounds, it has only been brought to my attention in the last year or so. Before then, it didn't matter. When I was at Purdue, in a group I identified myself by what I studied. And then in DC, I identified myself with where I went to college. And then in Korea (amongst friends), it was by my home state. Amongst my colleagues and students, it was by saying I was from "near Chicago" (because they had no idea where Indiana was). And finally here, circling the globe amidst travellers from every corner of the world, I have simply become "American".

This makes me uneasy. Am I proud to be American? I'm still figuring it out.

I would venture to say that almost everyone in the world (who has access to the global news) cares about America. They care about the President. They care about the election. They care about the war. I can't escape it. The mere mention of my nationality brings up heated debates among people who haven't lived there, can't vote and generally have no voice to be heard in the situation.

And I'm expected to defend my country and my people. My label is "American", and it represents something that 95% of the world either disagrees with or finds fault with. Some of the time, I agree with their complaints. Some of the time I laugh it off. After all, there's not much I can do but listen to them.

But I can't seem to find the line between between loving my country and loving "being American". Other citizens can love their countries; if an Italian man is proud to be Italian and defends such a right, he is patriotic, perhaps even noble. If an American is proud to be as such and defends America, many times he ends up looking like a jerk.

I love my rights. I love my freedoms. I love my opportunities and my big, American dreams. I love that literally, anything is possible. I love that I belong somewhere. I love that I have a home. I love that there are people who stand beside me and defend me. I love that I have a voice and that I am heard.

And I appreciate the people I meet and the people I call friends who have grace for America and its sons and daughters.

So, after all of this processing, I still don't know if I'm proud to represent all that America stands for.

But I am certainly not ashamed to call myself "an American".

Down Undah

So far we've spent 3 days in Sydney, and its been a whirlwind. I literally cannot believe how fast this vacation has gone! Next Monday marks the halfway point, and by then we'll already be in Brisbane!

Australia is not what I expected it to be. Granted, my expectations were along the lines of Crocodile Hunter meets Crocodile Dundee meets kangaroos and wallabies. There are much fewer crocs in Sydney than I had anticipated :)

On one hand, being in Sydney is really like being in any other city. There are lots of people (LOTS of non-natives here), big buildings and touristy things. However, Sydney is impressively green. There are SO MANY parks and a HUMUNGOUS Botanical Gardens area. It makes walking through the city a relaxing experience. Not to mention such impressive sights as the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

Another thing I've noticed that sets Sydney apart is that these people LOVE to exercise. All the time. Day and night. I tried to count the runners I saw when I was walking through the park to get downtown today and I stopped at 150 after walking about 20 minutes. People also kickbox in the park and bike everywhere. I was (and still am) highly impressed with their disciplined regimens, however, I often wonder to myself:

"Do these people ever work?"

Yes, of course they work. At least I'm pretty sure...

And now, a short Aussie vocabulary quiz:

Take a guess at what the following Aussie phrase refers to. NO CHEATING! (No cunning either, for all you Koreanites)

"I've chucked a sickie and I've got my budgie smugglers, now I'm ready to hang ten, mate!"

I'll post the answer when I get 5 guesses. If you guess right, I'll buy you a wombat. Or a boomerang. Or some budgie smugglers.

Cheers, mate!

The Christ in Christchurch

Today was our last day in Christchurch; tomorrow we'll be leaving (at 4:15 AM - YIKES) to fly to Sydney. We'll be spending a week there, and then we're off to Brisbane. JCrew and I used to sing "The Prayer" by Josh Groban and Charlotte Church in the noraebang in Seoul, so I've got some good experience under my belt. I hope it wows the people at the Sydney Opera House :)

Today was (and still is) Sunday. Its the first Sunday we've had on this trip where we've actually been able to attend church. We did some research and found an evangelical-ish church in the center of the city. The message was interesting (I'm still chewing on it) and the church seemed really community-focused. Overall I think it was a good experience, though it reminded me that church is about community, family - and I'm still missing my Seoul church family.

More than wanting to hear a moving speech, more than wanting to sing good songs, I want to worship amongst people I hold dear. I want to surround myself with family and with one voice worship the Creator. So the service today didn't exactly fill what I expected it to. As it turns out, the empty "church" slot in my week yearns to be filled with people, not a place.

After church, I walked to the grocery store to buy food to cook with tonight. As I passed the main square I saw a man holding a sign. The sign was ranting about the church and about Christians and next to him on the ground was a Bible. He was encouraging passers-by to literally stomp on the Bible. And there was a group of about 4 teenage girls around him who seemed all the happier to oblige.

As I walked past the scene, I was surprised to find that I wasn't angry. Granted, what they were doing was quite offensive, but my reaction was not anger. I wasn't stirred with a "How dare they!" attitude. I was surprised to find myself quite sad for them.

If I took a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham" and stomped on it, I don't think Dr. Seuss would give a hoot. Even if I wrote a book, which someday I hope to do, and someone spat on it, ripped it to shreds, poured gasoline on it and lit it, I don't even think I would be that upset. This is because their action cannot destroy my work, just as my proposed offense could not destroy Dr. Seuss by simply destroying his words on paper.

I thought of the verse: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God is. It has been for thousands of years. If I write the word "Hello" on a piece of paper and you rip it up, the word "hello" still exists. I was (and still am quite frankly) perplexed of the motives of the whole incident.

And that's what brought the sadness, wondering what they've experienced in their lives to make them so determined to spite God and all the believers who witnessed their act. Is their anger against Christians? Probably. Our seemingly "hypocritical" natures often deserve that. Is their anger against the Church? Maybe. Against parents who pushed their beliefs onto them? Or is it against their own feelings of guilt that come as a result of their rebellion?

What a heart-breaking sight.

And while the pages crumple and tear, the azure blue sky simply exists, and brings more glory to God that they could ever take away.

Kaikoura musings

Hello!

We have successfully navigated our way down the east coast of New Zealand and have arrived in Kaikoura, a beautiful beachside town about halfway down the south island. I can't help but imagine how much more beautiful this place is in the summertime - its cold (about 50) and rainy today and the sea is still strikingly aqua in color and stunning to gaze at from inside our nicely heated backpackers' residence.

Kaikoura is typically known for its seal colonies and whale watching tours. For awhile this morning there was a seal perched on a rock not too far from the front window of the kitchen. As Trevor bundled up in preparation to go capture this cute pup on film, he promptly swam away (the seal, not Trevor). Perhaps he had a lunch date.

In addition to seals and whales, there are large numbers of dusky dolphins and a variety of birds here as well. Though Kaikoura is, in numbers, so much smaller than Seoul or any other place I've lived in, I can't help but feel that it is so much more alive. I can't explain it, but there is a harmony here that resonates into a soft, peaceful atmosphere. I'm reading The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, and at one point he says:

If you take nature as a teacher she will teach you exactly the lessons you had already decided to learn; this is only another way of saying that nature does not teach. The tendency to take her as a teacher is obviously very easily grafted on to the experience we call ‘love of nature’. But it is only a graft. While we are actually subjected to them, the ‘moods’ and ‘spirits’ of nature point no morals. Overwhelming gaiety, insupportable grandeur, somber desolation are flung at you. Make what you can of them, if you must make at all. The only imperative that nature utters is, “Look. Listen. Attend.”

There is comfort existing in a place that says to you, "I am bigger than you. I have existed longer than you. And I will continue to exist even after you have gone."

Kia Ora!

'Allo from New Zealand, mate!

We are currently in Wellington, NZ. We flew into Auckland last week, and from there made our way to Rotorua (the Maori cultural center/geothermal hub of NZ) where we spent a couple days, and then yesterday we hopped on a bus and cruised 7 hours south to Wellington, a pleasant harbor-side city full of history and fun free things to do!

Some of the most impressive things so far:

1) Waiheke Island (Auckland, NZ) - Stonyridge Winery

~Leaving Auckland by high-speed ferry for a day trip to Waiheke Island~

~A view of the vineyard - this is the greenest place I've ever seen!~

~Unfortunately, August in NZ is winter...so there were no grapes :( ~

2) Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Zone (Taupo, NZ)

~This area is the most active geothermal zone on the planet~


~The flora of this area was so unique, due to the generally inhospitable environment produced by the mineral-rich geothermal pools~


~All of these pools were near boiling temperature - and brightly colored due to the various mineral deposits present~

We're currently in the process of exploring Wellington City; today we visited the Botanical Gardens and the world-famous Te Papa Museum, an AWESOME interactive museum covering everything from the driving geological forces behind the formation of New Zealand to the rich cultural history of the indigenous Maori tribes that once lived an isolated life on these remote islands. We learned so much today!

So far Wellington is my favorite place we've visited. Its got a blend of visible, preserved history and a modern attitude, where the people are friendly and there are lots of places to explore.

We're slated to take a ferry on Thursday morning to the South Island, where we'll finish our trek through NZ with stops in Kaikoura and Christchurch before heading to Sydney on the 8th. In Auckland, the temps hovered in the 55-65 range during the day, and about 50 at night. As we head farther south, it gets colder and colder! Right now its about 45 outside and its 8:30 PM. By the time we get to Christchurch, it'll be even colder...quite the shock coming from a Seoul summer to a New Zealand winter in only 12 hours!

Please pray for our safety and our relationships with each other - so far we're having a blast! 1 week down, 5 to go!

Kiwi Travels

We officially made it to Auckland bright and early this morning! Its about 60 degrees here...quite the change from Seoul summer weather. So far I've noticed some differences:

1) People here dress normally
2) People here are uber-friendly
3) People here speak English (PTL!)
4) People here eat a lot of Kebabs (there are Kebab restaurants EVERYWHERE)
5) Though bigger than Koreans, people here are generally still smaller than North Americans
6) People here don't stare at me

Also in the Incheon Airport as we were getting ready to leave Seoul, we saw:

1) Japanese Olympic Sumo Wrestling Team
2) The one - the only - BOBBY KNIGHT (probably coming back from the Olympics...he was carrying golf clubs with his buddies); I wanted to ask for a picture but there were a lot of chairs in the vicinity and I was fearful

So far, so good here in NZ. We'll be traveling around here until the 8th of September, when we fly to Sydney.

Before I close, I would like to mention that our Backpackers Hostel is smack dab in the middle of the "Korean" district of downtown and that this Internet Cafe is also a Noraebang. Oh Korea - I tried to escape you, and yet you follow me even here.

Hope all is well - miss you guys!

Oh what a year...

I'll be leaving Korea on Tuesday! I can't believe as of Sunday I've been here for a WHOLE YEAR! How did I survive?

ONLY (and I mean ONLY) by the GRACE of my LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

This experience wouldn't make sense any other way...and it would be completely devoid of the life-altering meaning that it now carries. This year wasn't a job, it wasn't a trip and it CERTAINLY wasn't a vacation (haha).

It was a MISSION.

Korea refuses to leave you unchanged; it demands adaptation, perseverance, flexibility and humility. I feel so different than when I started. As much as I came to carve out a life for myself here in the big city, it was God who carved me into someone who is more me than I've ever been.

Whereas I used to brace myself, panic-stricken, in the back of the cab for the inevitable result of my driver's seeming "recklessness", I now shout at him "Ajoshi! Ka juseyo! Bali bali!" which means "Old man (polite term)! Drive! Hurry hurry!"

Whereas I used to go white with fear at the mere prospect of having to communicate with someone who most certainly didn't speak English, I now understand that, just like spiders, they're probably just as scared of me as I am of them. And I realized that a little humility goes a long way.

Whereas I used to turn up my nose at the mere idea of "fermented cabbage", I now eat kimchi like its going out of style, and seriously fear for my digestive system's health without it.

Whereas I used to "know" that God was with me, I have spent the last year learning that He is always there.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~ James 1:2-4

To my new Seoul family, to my church, to my students, to my fellow teachers and co-workers, to those who have helped me, encouraged me, taught me, corrected me, loved me -

I will miss you so much. I love you and I'll see you again, perhaps in more beautiful world than this one.

To Korea -

Kamsa hamnida ^.^ Jeonun chamchi kimbap eol joa hamnida. Mashi sseumnida.

Another great spa experience!

Last week I redeemed my birthday present from Rach (a gift certificate to a spa in Itaewon). I couldn't decide between a massage and a pedicure...so I wound up splitting the difference and getting a foot massage. This experience was interesting, ranking on the interesting scale somewhere between the acupuncture incident and the Hong Kong acupressure massage incident.

First of all, I don't know what to think during a massage. I cannot shake the feeling that this experience is, in fact, weird. I mean, I just met this person. Don't know their name, where they're from, if they're licensed, if they've ever spent time in the clink, nothing.

And if the weirdness isn't enough, I feel uber-pretentious the whole time. Like "I have enough money to pay someone to rub my feet" which to me no amount of money should justify rubbing someone's stinky smelly feet (not that mine are like that...mine are quite nice actually). I just want to apologize the whole time.

So on this particular occasion, the foot massage seemed like a good idea. That is, until I remembered that I am quite ticklish. But of course by that point, it was far too late to do anything about it. On top of that, it HURTS when someone presses on the bottom of your foot! I literally spent an hour trying to stifle the laughter/screaming that was trying to shimmy its way from my brain out my mouth.

For the record, I have never, ever walked out of a massage thinking "Wow - that was so relaxing!" I usually walk out limping and whimpering like an injured animal. Geez - last week my wrists were stabbed repeatedly with needles and it didn't hurt half as much as that.

Also got my travel shots a few days ago - Typhoid and HepA. HepA made my tongue go numb and Typhoid made every muscle in my body feel like I got run over by a bus. The doctor suggested I get malaria pills but I told him that a few years ago I got bitten by a spider and felt this tingling powerful feeling and since then I've kind of felt...superhuman...so I didn't think malaria would be a problem. Actually I've just heard terrible things about them, and I've done research and I don't think I need them. Please pray I don't get malaria.

Leaving Korea in 11 days, God-willing! CRAZY!!

Flying Seoul-o

I am so proud of myself that I thought of that clever title. As of late, my English is disappearing faster than the Statue of Liberty on a David Copperfield prime-time special. My friend Jung-mi says that Korea brain-damaged me. Other people are starting to notice. I gotta get outta here!!!

I'm in my 2nd week (of 3 total) of vacation. Except for a few days scattered throughout the year, this has been my only real down time. It's nice to have most of my days free. People have been leaving sporadically, and now I'm down to a few precious friends on my speed-dial. Hil is gone, the Crews are gone, Jen and Jeff are gone to Mongolia, Becky, Vanessa, Ali, Will, Ruda moved to Ilsan (so he's basically left the country), and Katrina and Rach were in Hong Kong this week (they're actually stuck in Macau right now...prayer for their safe return before their visas expire on Monday would be greatly appreciated).

My life is like a reality show where one of my friends gets voted off every couple days.

I've had some good times of prayer as of late. I think God is teaching me how to pray...I used to be all intellectual about it. Now that my big words and intellect have taken a holiday, I can't hide behind them anymore.

Something else I discovered is praying out loud. I've always been a proponent of verbalizing thoughts...in your head everything is so nebulous and hard to pin down. Something I learned in DC this summer was how to journal my "self-talk" in moments of anger or pain. If you've never done this, I encourage you to. "Core lies" you believe about yourself will manifest themselves onto the piece of paper where they're much more easily dealt with than when they're swimming around willy-nilly in your head. Don't knock it til you've tried it!

Currently reading "The Reason for God" by Tim Keller. Excellent read.

Gonna continue cleaning/packing/pulling my hair out now! :)

Dinner

-Whole grain crackers with peanuts and toasted sesame seeds-

-Peach yogurt-

-Special K Red Berries-

-Soy milk-

-Toasted seaweed-

This might be the greatest meal ever...only thing missing is kimchi.