Summer Plans

With summer vacation quickly approaching at school, I thought it would be a good time to let all those who are interested know our summer travel plans.

June 10th we will be heading back to KC from Seoul and should arrive late on the 10th in Kansas City

From the 10th-16th of June we will be recovering from jet-lag and enjoying almost a week in KC.

On the 16th we will be flying to Penn. till the 30th and catching up with all those in Quakertown.

From the 30th of June till the first week of August, we will be in Kansas City.

Our final tour will start the first week of August and take us Greenville, SC for a few days. Then we are going to Alabama to G-pa’s lake house and finally on the 18th heading back to KC to catch our flight out on the 20th.

Summary:

(6/10) – Fly into KC

(6/10-6/16) - KC “recovery from jetlag”

(6/16-6/30) - Penn. Pritt Family visiting

(6/30-First Week of August) - Kansas City and smaller, shorter trips

(First Week of August-8/18) - Greenville,SC; Lake in Alabama

(8/20) - Heading back to Seoul

So for anyone that would like to, we would love to see any friends or family along the way! Talk to you all (and hopefully see some of you all) soon!

저는 단 이에요…

…But you already knew that didn’t you? 

 

I know that it has been a long time since I dropped my meager ripple in the information super-puddle, but I am back, if only for a mist-like moment.

 

Lets do a little math.  During the school year there are 8 hours of on site work.  Most of the time is devoted to teaching or preparation for teaching.  My role is very heavily laden with in between class questions, grading and teaching.  Interestingly enough, I also seemed to be taking a lot of my work home in the form of grading.  By my calculations I spend 8 hours at work per day plus perhaps another 30 minutes a night for a total of 42.5 hours of work a week. 

 

Fast forward to the last two weeks.  I spend 4-6 hours a day at school with perhaps an hour or two per week for preparation.  So lets say 26 hours—about half that of the normal school week—and then add to that 6 hours of class plus study time and that still puts me about 10 hours a week less time than during the normal school year. 

 

Mathematically, I should have more free time, but somehow I have been feeling busier than ever before.

 

By the way, the title of this post is “I am Dan.” “저는” means I.  “단” is literally Dan as it is easier than saying Daw-nee-ael.  The nearest approximation of “이에요” has a basic meaning of “is” or “am.”  So the literal translation is actually “I Dan am.” S DO V.

I think the sad part of the above is the length of time it took me to memorize how to say that as well to write it correctly.  I am a loooong way from using this language correctly!

 

Well, there is little else at this point to say other than we would love to hear from you!

 

More to come…

As Promised…

We are back on the blog. 

 

Let me see if I can bring you up to speed. 

 

First, Daniel’s birthday was the 14th and in celebration many of the teachers went to On the Border for a Saturday dinner.  Not much of a cultural shock but I thought I would take a few minutes to publicly thank so people for the gifts.  Thank you Mylinda and Lisa for the Korean/English Bible and the other cool little things.  Thank you to Linda, Merilee and Holly for the ₩!  Thank you Jason for the Gift Certs. for Outback.  Thank you Joanna for the coffee, tea and mug. Thank you Jessica for the variety of teas. 

 

I also want to thank all my students that worked so hard to surprise me on my birthday as well.  Thank you to the students that posted their notes and well wishes on my door.  Thanks also to Kevin for his gift of aftershave.  Also, thank you to my wonderful wife for all that she did on my birthday to make it special. 

 

Second, Charity also celebrated 23 years on this earth one week later on the 21st.  We had the opportunity to go to TGIFridays, really good to have American food once again, and enjoyed yet another wonderful birthday of fellowship with our new friends here. 

 

For Charity’s birthday, I suggested a day at the spa.  Mylinda, Charity and two of the other teachers went to Spavis, a really nice water park and spa resort thing.  The ladies all said they had a wonderful time relaxing at the spa.

 

Third, we had graduation here at school.  It was a bit of an odd feeling.  I really didn’t know many of the graduates well, so on one hand I wasn’t too sad.  However, I  saw amongst the attendees and the graduates emotions and sentiment that reminded me of my graduation day and I was a bit affected by it.

 

I should keep with the spirit of this blog by telling you some of the more interesting happenings that night.  As honor to the molders of the children’s minds, the parents took the teachers and administrators of the school to a really nice buffet restaurant.  Now, buffets, I am pretty sure, were started and have reached their epic proportions through good old American adoration.  American’s love buffets.  However, there are very few buffets here in Korea (or at least in Seoul).

 

The food there was good!  They had American classics such as prime rib, salad, french fries and fruit bar, but they also had a sushi bar, a desert menu that included do it yourself cotton candy and dduk and a couple varieties of kimchi.

 

Aside from the food, I noticed that none of the fathers were at the meal.  I am not sure why.  It may be culturally based but it might have been as simple as they were not off work yet.

 

Ok, there is more I can say, but I think I will save it for the next post. 

 

What you can look forward to in coming posts:

• Updates on Mia.
• More on summer school
• Korean classes, fun or failure?
• Summer day trips…

 

More to Come…

Looking Back…

Ok, so this has been an only marginally interesting week.  I say marginally because we have been in school in the routine for most of it, but we did get Children’s Day off.

 

I cannot say that we really did much on Tuesday.  We did go to Yongson to get a power supply for one of the other teachers for her laptop.  What you have to love about Yongson is the ability to ask on “flea market” style vendor and if you don’t like the price, simply barter.

 

One cool thing we saw (and I couldn’t resist trying) was the “Kkultarae” (꿀타래).  You can see it being made in the video I found on YouTube below.  It is basically honey that has been fermented and then pressed with a small hole made in the middle of the “pancake” which is then pulled like taffy and folded.  Unlike taffy though, the individual strands are kept separated by malt.  The finished little cushion of fine strands is wrapped around nuts and sesame seed oil which makes a wonderful treat.

 

I can’t say that we have done much interesting since then.  We both have been getting ready for summer.  That may sound like a simple statement, but it involves the installation of a air-con for the apartment, reading up on Hangul, figuring out our Master’s degree correspondence classes (yes we are both trying to get our Masters in Education) and preparing for summer school.  It has been a little difficult to know that we are only going to get a week or so off before we have to be back and teaching again.  Also, the week school is over is the same week that our Hangul classes start at Seoul National University (aka Seouldae or 서울대).

 

So, we are looking forward to a pretty busy summer! 

 

Also, pretty soon on the horizon we are going to be “debt free.”  What a blessing it has been to be here in Korea!  I am doing what I love in a new country while experiencing new aspects of the culture and all the while I am paying off debts back home.  I am profoundly at peace with the world it would seem.

 

Ok, so may 10th was Mother’s Day.  I thought it would be good to talk on the differences between Korea and America on this important holiday. 

 

First, Korea has new true “Mother’s Day.”  Tuesday was Children’s Day and Friday (which is actually carried over into Sunday) is Parent’s Day.  Now I think to understand Children’s Day fully, you would have to understand that Christmas in not nearly the marketing mayhem that you have there in the States.  It is actually very low-key and sedate comparably.  Children’s Day is comparable to Christmas in that Parents will spend most of the day with their children.  Also, this tends to be the time of doting and presents. 

 

For us, we went to Outback (I know it sounds a little strange, but Outback restaurants are quite prolific here) and they gave us “service” (ie something free) of those mini brown bread loves with their signature butter in extra tubs. 

 

Parent’s Day is actually Mother’s Day evolved.  I have been told that in Korea “every day is Father’s Day” and now so is Parent’s Day.  The holiday is geared more to the mother and the father does take a back seat.  The usual gifts are a carnation along with some other small gift like, *snicker*, a necktie for dad.

 

I wish I had more to say, but if there are any comments or thought, please drop me a comment on the blog for all to see and I will respond accordingly.

 

Otherwise, more to come…

We Are Still Here…

Nobody worry, we are still here.  I am sorry that I have been remiss in updating as I should, but I think the “honeymoon” stage of our acclimation period is on hold for awhile as we settle into the last few busy weeks of school.  I think one of the teachers said we have about 19 days left in the semester.  Sometimes it feels as if we have been here always, while other times I am still the lost sojourner at Inchon Airport.  Life is full of surprises and living here is no different.

 

While I have little news, I will say that Charity and I are signing up for Hangul (Korean script) classes for the summer and while we are excited about formalized teaching, I can say that it is a most frustrating language for my English tongue to learn.  I never really truly empathized with the missionaries attempting to learn a new language in adulthood till now.  While my need to learn the language is not an absolute necessity, it would be wonderful to walk into a business, restaurant or even church on Sunday and have even simple conversations with the wonderfully kind local people. 

 

Something that I just noticed recently, as not knowing Korean is much akin to a language cocoon, by trying to use Korean, they assume that I know waaaay more then I can actually say.  I can simple say in my best pronunciation “한국어 조금 이해하다” which, as near as I can make out, means “I understand Korean a little” (literally though it is “Korean little understand).”  Then they shoot down another lengthy list of Korean words as I repeat over and over again that I don’t know Korean in Korean.  I then have to finally say “I don’t understand” in English and that usually ends the matter.

 

What is worse, some Korean words pop into my head at the wrong time and the right ones won’t come, no matter how hard I think.  It is very awkward to say thank you when you should be saying hello…

 

A couple of quick items and then I will have to touch in with you all again later.  First, I was asked and had the privilege of leading Bible Study last Sunday.  It is a little daunting to be opening the Bible in front of the local body as I have not really done this before and because many in the local body have very strong faith and knowledge of the Bible already.  My plea for prayer comes on two fronts.  First, that I would not be the center of the teaching time and Christ would take preeminence.  Second, that I would have enough time and diligence to properly prepare. 

 

Second, this week has been insane!  With the absence of one of the teachers this week, Charity and I have been picking up the other classes and while I initially thought it would be no big deal, it has been quite hectic!

 

All that to say that we are still here and I know I have been remiss in my posting, but I will try to get back to it shortly…

 

Until next time,

 

More to come…

All Tied Up in Knots…

To start my next post, I should say I had very little to do with the preparation for the wonderfully performed SCS Spring Concert.  That duty and privilege went to two other teachers who worked (and continue to work) excessively hard to bring out the talents of those students. 

 

However, I did have the honor of preparing and coordinating very small parts of the program.  It is humorous in that I have a communications degree which would lead some to believe that I prefer the spotlight.  I however have little to no desire to be in the public eye.  I think it is because of my training that I prefer not to be in the public eye.  For me, working in the background is where I prefer.  No piety involved, it is really just my propensity towards the hermitical.

 

Two days before the Spring Concert, one of the lady teachers here asked me to take the boys in choir and band to demonstrate how to tie a…tie.  SCS purchased regular ties for these young men to wear at the Concert and I assumed, errantly, these young men knew how to tie a simple tie knot.  I also assumed, erroneously, that all I was showing them was how to tie a Full-Windsor knot, which is, of course, the sharpest way to tie your tie.

 

Was I surprised!  Only about three out of thirty knew how to tie a tie and only one of them knew the Full-Windsor.  The teaching lesson that ensued was as telling as it was comical.

 

Before I can get to this, I must explain my qualifications for my being able to teach this daily task to these young men. 

 

I learned how to tie the Full-Windsor from my father sometime between the ages of 8 and 10.  He must have been a good teacher because I have used it on and off for the last 15+ years.  Subsequently, I learned several other knots but have always returned to the Full-Windsor as it is the nicest and cleanest knot.  After years at church, formal events, performances, being a student at Bob Jones and later roles as employee has necessitated my tying the Full-Windsor upwards of 5,000 times.  In fact I have done it so often that I have created a permanent neuromuscular facilitation (muscle memory, consider your vocabulary expanded!) which allows me to create the knot with no thought at all.  I let my fingers fly through the knot as my mind ponders the coming day.  This statement will come into play a little later.

 

Flashback to the teaching session.  There I stood on a makeshift podium with collar up and tie draped over neck.  Across from me stood about 30 mirrors of me, sans podiums, waiting expectantly for the first cross of material.  For the next HOUR my hands and voice labored in vigorous attempt after attempt to teach the basic concepts, techniques and movements needed to attain a suitable Full-Windsor knot.

 

However, after about the fifth time, halfway through the sixth knot, I could not remember the next step.  My brain as well as my hands went into lockdown and I stood there dumbly.  Worse, I tried from the beginning—letting my hands do all the work—and I still couldn’t remember how to do it!  So there I stood floundering in something I have done automatically an average of five times a week for the last 15 years!  While eventually I did recover, I still felt silly trying to remember something so habitual.

 

I would like to say congratulations to the many young men and women that participated in the program as it was very well done and encouraging to me.

 

Also, to preview what might be coming in future posts:

 

Some of our favorite foods in “I Just Ate What?!?!?!?”

The progress of our current Korean lessons in “I Never Meant to Imply…”

A recent poll among students about our fairness in “Teeeeacherrrrr, You So Meeeeeean!”

Or Charity and Daniel’s many trials training a puppy in “Those Were My Favorite Shoes…”

 

 

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Also, I would like to say that my thoughts and prayers are being sent to the family and friends of David Anders.  I worked with Mr. Anders for several months and we both travelled to Toronto on the same business trip.  The shock of his sudden passing has brought back the sobering reality that we all have very little time on earth and even less time to waste.  Rest in peace

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More to come…