What was that?

So I was sitting in my classroom around six a couple of nights ago grading homework and setting up for the next day when what sounded like the largest rice krispy *CRACKLE POP* ever rang out and my laptop screen fluttered and my desk rattled. Funny enoungh, my first thought was earthquake, but with the news in Haiti I just thought I was being paranoid. Dismissing at as well as I could with thoughts that it must be something to do with all the construction going on in the area, I went back to grading and prep.

The next morning, one of the other teachers informed us that there was a minor earthquake and asked if we had felt it. Now it was only about a 3.0 in magnitude or for my California friends "no big deal" but it was my first. I suppose it is yet another thin I can check off my list of experiences. Although, I would have thought most of my experiences would be cultural, I guess you can never really tell.

I am writing this on Friday late afternoon as Charity, our wonderful local guide and I are heading down to 원지 (Wonji) for Lunar New Year weekend rest. If you have read past posts you would know how nice the buses are here and how comfortable the ride is.

Lunar New Year is quite the affair here. Evedently it is customary to bow in respect to your elders and especially showing great honor to your own grandparents. In return, the grandparents give their grandchildren money and gifts for these actions. All in all, it is a very big family holiday and EVERYONE TRAVELS!!!

As I write this, we are stuck in a massive traffic jam. I would guess we are not going to see the end of this four hour trip for another six hours. Traveling in and around Korea is made much nicer by the fact that Korea is relativley small and Seoul is so set in the country that travel can be easily had by many different means from Seoul to almost anywhere.

School has been going well and we are in full swing for the semester. I enjoy the students so much even though I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility I have been given. It is comforting to know that God has put us here for a reason and that He always gives the grace to accomplish what He has given. Still...in my fraility I feel responsible to get the results. I have to often remind myself (more likely it is God reminding me) that it is only my steadfast commitment to serve (something I still need His help to accomplish) and it is His to move and make the result. How sobering!

For those that would, please pray for the school. Nothing in particular really, I just know the day in day out strain that living the high example that is needed by the teachers and administration can be taxing. I have said it many times before, but I will say it again, getting married was a wonderful event, but it also showed me how evil I am at heart. Being a teacher is like being on display or being observed through a microscope. Every flaw and shortcoming is seen. There is a very natural (as in the "natural man") desire to shirk the life of high standards and to live in non-accountability. Also, students today have all the same problems as every other generation before it but they also have more ease and even less accountability today than even five years ago.

I don't consider myself an old man nor do I believe myself to have achieved, but every year that passes leads me to desire His return more and more. I will stand with Paul when he sakes that still desire to remain and fulfill the purpose the God puts before me.

Well, I would continue, but sleep is pulling at a pair of weary eyes and I am afraid sleep will win soon.

More to come.


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Shorter posts...and maybe more of them...

Ok, so now that I have an iPod touch I probably will be able to post more often. For instance, it is about 11:16pm and I am posting from bed with Charity asleep next to me.

Topic for tonight is the equivalent to the DMV in Korea. My international driver's license from the US expired on the fifth so I needed to get it renewed or go and get my Korean driver's license. The slightly more permanent option of a Korean license appealed to me so Mr. Goh, one of the other teachers and I set out to obtain these two Americans their local license.

First we had to ride the subway to the Samsung subway stop and walk to our destination about three blocks away. Done.

Then we stood in the first of what would end up being many different lines for the day. This first lady curtly informed us that we would have to get more pictures for the other teacher and that we needed to go to the physical exam. Done.

We took our increasing stack of papers with us from the main building to a low-slung building in the complex and proceeded to take the "physical."

Now this was no run of the mill physical. No way. First, you walk right by the eye exam boards that you will have to stand much further away to read a few characters that a busy Korean woman pointed to with a…pointer scant minutes later. I was little nervous about having to do it Korean but luckily she knew 영오 (English) and I passed simply and quickly.

While I was standing in this line I was lucky enough to take, what I am affectionately calling, the "squat-stand-honk-honk test.". Basically I had to squat down Korean style, stand up and with my hands facing forward at shoulder level had to make a "twinkle-twinkle" with my hand. Hence my name for it: the "squat-stand-honk-honk test."

From there we paid at another line, stood in another to have another document signed off on and on to take our test.

The test consisted of twenty random questions on a computer. I don't know what was worse, the English on the test or the fact that on some questions I only had a vague notion of what the question was asking. For instance, one of the question began "what mind should you have as you approach a cross-street:" and the rest were way worse...

From there we proceeded to the last two lines. The first of which we surrended our American licenses and the last where we were issued our Korean licenses.

In total we only spent…3+ hours in this process from leaving school to returning.

Another one for the memories!

Hope all who read this are doing well and if you are facebook jump on out to charityanddaniel2008.blogspot.com and leave a comment including additions, subtractions and comments about this or any other posts that you might see.

Thanks for reading and as always More to come...


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Hi I know it has been awhile…

Who are those two sitting there about a year ago? They look and act like tourists! Don't they understand what is coming?



One year later we sit looking both forward and backwards (don't worry, not at the same time… that would be painful) and realize that God has been good to us this past year.

We have enjoyed our students immensly, we travelled around Korea and out the Philippines and back. We added to our household through a little dog Mia, gained new friends and experienced untold new things. We lost a bit of money through a robbery and all our debt through some hard work and God's grace.

I have grown closer to my wife and to my God.

We have enjoyed new foods and new favorite dishes.

All in all it has been a great year and it will be fun to see where this year will take us in location, spiritual walk and mental knowledge.

Love to all and have a wonderful new year from Charity and Daniel

As always “More to come”

Hello Again from Seoul…

After not being able to sleep this Sunday morning, I decided to get up and work on lesson plans and some school work.  Upon sitting down with my laptop, I realized that I really didn’t want to work on school work and would rather blog.

 

Let me catch you up on some of the events of the past couple of weeks. 

 

First, we had our opening week of school at SCS and many teachers used that week to prepare students for some of the academic hardships they were facing this semester in their various classes.  This year, I am teaching a new class…SPEECH, which I am enjoying thoroughly, but I am not sure my students are yet.  Aside from our robbery, the week at school passed rather uneventfully.

 

Second, on the last day of that first week, Matt and Aaron Collier came to present some material for the camp they would be overseeing here in Seoul.  Our students were going to have the opportunity to experience camp as it is in America! 

 

During the second week of “school”, the teachers became counselors for a wonderful (if tiring) week of camp.  The students, while still students, were able to find out what American camp was all about.

 

You have to understand, these students do go to camps here in South Korea.  These camps though are more military and regimented than the WILDS, Southland, Northland, Co-Be-Ac and the like.  Talking out of turn can lead to severe, very extended punishments such as the “drop and give me 20” or prolonged calisthenics. 

 

The time is usually devoted to intensive study, Bible or otherwise, and other free times are devoted to all kinds of other…less wholesome activities. 

 

Imagine the surprise of these students when their teachers started screaming and cheering!  It took a LOT of effort to get them all into it at first, but they eventually came ‘round and I think we all had a fun time…well maybe that is not completely true.

 

I think it was good for our students to see us as counselors as I hope that they will be able to approach us much more easily.  Many of them made wonderful decisions and I look forward to what the Lord is going to do for the next couple of months in their lives.

 

This brings me to my third point.  It seems that many of our students and teachers fell ill.  There has been some talk that some of these cases were H1N1 and some of those that did get sick, got really sick.  However, while none of them enjoyed being sick I am sure, all of them recovered with the unfounded fears of the H1N1 virus!

 

While the level of work this year has been extraordinarily high this year, it has been wonderful to have the school full with the students again.  God blesses by giving more than we can handle and then taking care of those things we cannot!

 

More to come…

Well, I was Waiting for Something to Blog about…

…and it would appear that I have something now.

School is in full swing with almost an entire week under the belt. The students are not exactly excited about being here, but I have been enjoying them just the same!

From the hat I pulled Speech (Very Excited!), Life Science, Geometry and Algebra 1. I can honestly say that it may be a very tuff year! However, I am very excited about the new subjects and cannot wait to fully sink my teeth into teaching them.

Charity is teaching 4th grade this year…well, that is if she can get over her laryngitis and get her voice back. Unfortunately, she has been sick and unable to recover completely yet from being sick. She has not been able to teach all her subjects and has spent much of her time helping in the office or cleaning our almost always messy apartment. But now I am getting ahead of myself…

I was sitting down this afternoon enjoying my chicken mayo and discussing this afternoon’s boy’s PE class with Mr. May, when Charity came up to say hi and ask whether I had picked up a board game at home. A little puzzled, I asked why she would ask such a question. Her response is the true beginning to this post:

“Because I went home to get something and the door was unlock. Did you forget to lock it back up when you went home this afternoon.”

*Long Pause*

“I didn’t go home today,” I said, “I have been here the whole time.”

Upon these words I knew already what had happened. Still, I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions and assume. Charity and I took the long semi-run home (well it seemed like a long way). Upon walking in I noticed items had been thrown around, stuff was out of drawers and it appeared that our stuff had been thoroughly picked through.

We immediately came back to school to call the Police. The Police came and dusted for finger prints as one of the officers and I filled out a report of what was missing. I noticed that they left my home computer, speakers, TV, PS2, Charity’s iPod and many other valuable items. Both Charity and I had our laptops and I had my iPod, so the things that help us communicate and get our job done also was in no danger.

It seems that they only came to get the Won that was in the various locations in our house. Sum total was about 600,000 Won, which appears to be about $500.00 US. A large financial loss, but aside from some small jewelry for Charity, there was really not much else, as near as we can figure, that was stolen.

The only thing that is really affecting us now is the thought of safety. Still, a couple of things that set my mind at ease and calm my spirit is the following facts.

1. God knows what is happening, has happened and will happen.

2. I cannot be separated from His love in any way (Romans 8).

3. He has been taking care of us so far and will continue to take care of us in the future. (Luke 12)

4. My treasure is not here on earth and cannot be stolen. (Matthew 6)

So here it is in a nutshell. It was scary to think that someone came into our house, invaded our privacy and stole from us. However, God is controlling the situation and He will watch over us.

Let me also say that we are not in fear of this country or of Seoul. This is still a very safe place to live and we are still enjoying it very much.

As always…

More to come…