One Lazy Lunar New Year

I wish I could say that I have been productively using my time over the Lunar New Year holiday (referred to hereafter as LNY) but no I have been spending nearly every waking hour goofing off. While I have not been the most productive of people over the holiday, I have enjoyed the brief respite.

On Saturday we went to Coex which is at the Samseong subway stop. For those of you that want to follow along at home:

Here is the Subway map.
And here is some info about the mall.

Here is a little taste of the crowded subway:

We traveled down the green line from Bongcheon about 7 stops to Coex. It is HUGE!!! I think we walked through most of it throughout the next several hours. First we went to a little store that was trying very hard to be "All-American." They had jelly-belly beans and Campbell's soup. It was a little funny to see what the Korean's thought were main staples of the American life...

The girls checking out the "American" Store:

Then went to the food court (it was about 2:30 or so and we needed a snack) and located a bastion of Westerner mall-rat sustenance-Auntie Anne's. As you can see it was enjoyed all around:

Waiting in line...

Reaping the rewards...

Enjoyed by all!
After Auntie Anne's we walked around and saw all the shops. Strangely, many of them were something straight out of middle America.

Towards the end of our time there we went to Uno Chicago and had deep-dish pizza and hot-wings. Again, not terribly Korean but tasty nonetheless.

Sunday after church we went to the grocery store (we had just been paid and our cupboards were bare). Mylinda got Bulgogi meat and some noodles which she prepared later for dinner and it was sooooo good! On a side note, it was pretty cool to punch up my PIN on the ATM and see that we had a couple million in our account. (for those of you that know the exchange rate, that was funny, otherwise please realize that I am referring to WON and not $)

Monday I slept in till almost 10am. My beautiful wife on the other hand woke up before me and proceeded to clean almost every square inch of the apartment. Her cleaning ethic is something to be commended. Now if I could only find my stuff...

Today we are going to a basketball game. I am really not sure of the details yet, but I am pretty sure that I am going to cheer obnoxiously loud and make a spectacle of myself in memory of Beta games at BJU.

Talk at you later...

Has it Been a Week of Silence Already????

I really intended to stay on top of this better, but I have been a bit busier of late...

Let me see if I can get you more up to date. First, Sunday was another good day of both fellowship and instruction in the Word. I will say that the singing is still something I will have to get used to. I am sure though that it is because of the syllables. Here I am singing "Guide me o..." and the Korean brethren start the same line with what sounds like a vowel or a "d" or something. So I think I am singing the wrong verse. I then pause and listen to the fellow English speakers only to find that I was on the right verse and am no longer keeping up my voice among the singers (no great contribution as it is...)!

The meal though was wonderful! It was an extremely eclectic mix of foods. There was everything from pizza to dishes I have no idea what to call them. The many types of rice and noodles were very delicious, but I think my favorite items were a meet and herb wrapped in some kind of larger pasta-like substance. I will say that kimchi is still a bit of a challenge and that there are and probably will be certain foods and flavors that will be assaulting my simple taste buds.

Monday was mostly uneventful except for the addition of a new student to the 10th grade. The one and only person in the 10th grade was happy that her class doubled! We shall see how well he does coming into the middle of the year.

Tuesday one of the other teachers was having a very bad bout with a local cold or flu so Charity and split her classes. While it was a little more hectic, it was also a lot of fun because I was able to spend some time with the 12th grade class. All in all a good day for the Mooreheads and not so much for the poor teacher who had to stay home.

Wednesday we finally got the equivalent after classes were over we attended the midweek service and prayer meeting. Again another good time of fellowship, worship and learning among the people of God.

Today was also a good day. I have been getting to know the students better and thought it was time that they met my family. Michael and Stacey were over at Mom and Dad's house with the girls. Using Skype (which I am growing to love) I was able to connect and we conversed shortly during homeroom. After lunch I connected with Nathan, Dad and Meganne and showed the "picture" to my Pre-Calculas students. I told them to wave at my family and they obediantly did and every one of them gave a very startled response when the "picture" waved back! Way too funny!

What I haven't mentioned is that I pulled Detention/Study Hall duty. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday any student that had a D or lower during the last semester had to spend the next semster getting their grades back up in Study Hall. Detention on the other hand means that you broke a rule serious enough to warrent spending an extra 40 minutes at school. Usually they have to write a passage from the Bible (helps them learn better English), memorize a verse and finally write down what they did wrong. Let me just say that they are not too terribly happy to be there and I would prefer that nobody had to come but it is a needed part of the system so I attempt to fulfill those duties. Sometimes I think some of the student try to get things by me and I believe that at times they do.

I believe that they desire to do good, but just like everyone else in the world they fall into self-serving sinful actions. Ahhh, sinners...

Anyway, the clock says that it is midnight local time and now I have to get as much sleep as I can as the morning is coming rather quickly now!


Before I go, I thought I would leave you all with some contact info.

Our home address is:

Daniel and Charity Moorehead
Apt 202
Bongcheon bon-dong 902-32
Kwanak-gu, Seoul
South Korea

Also, I purchased a number in the states on Skype:

816-625-5200

You can even leave a message on there when I am not on (VOICEMAIL!!!).

Bye for now...

Commenting

Ok, I think I figured out what was wrong. I think the posting of new comments should work now. Please though sign your name if you pick to anonymously post as I would love to know who is posting. Otherwise, please sign in.

Thanks for the heads up to everyone!

Daniel and Charity

Reflections

The classroom. I sat there in watching my wonderful wife teach one of her classes and was noticing both similarities and differences between here in Korea and schools back home.

First, let me show you our classroom:


The first picture here is just the entrance to our shares classroom.








One of two views from our window








The left-front of the classroom.








And the back-right...










All those to give you an idea of the place I spend my eight hours a day....


Anyway, several things about the students are the same. The girls sit in groups and laugh as all slightly uncomfortable, young teenagers do. Subjects such as who is cute, best sales in the area and noticing clothes and new accessories.

The boys display the testosterone that now pumps through their unsteady veins by bumping into each other in the halls and punching each others arms. Some of them verbally spar in and out of the classroom to release their minor aggressive tendencies.

The main difference I have noticed is that they desire the common good though. While they do vie and compete for grades and the top of the class, they will also look to help each other out and improve all the grades for everyone else.

Lastly, they are just like every other person on this planet: The Path of Least Resistance is the most desirable choice. Taking the easy road is exactly what they want. No surprise that sin and human nature reach all the way across cultures and language! It is sad to notice all at once that my students share the same sickness that make me as human as they are.

Lastly, while I never expected teaching to be an easy job. It is a sacred trust between school, teacher and student. It has shown to b and e more and more difficult. Maybe it is because I have been teaching such subjects and Algebra, Pre-calculus and Geometry that I am realizing a very interesting new concept. People are not variables but huge banks of equations with hundreds of variables. To make it even more interesting, I think the variables are in a constant state of change. To me this means that I have to continually adapt to the people especially if I hope to mold them into something usable to the King. It is what someone had to do for me so it has to be something I learn to do for others.


On a more personal note, please be praying and thinking of my mother. She has gone through a terribly operation that is going to have her in and out of the hospital for physical therapy over the next 6 weeks.

Also, I am feeling much better now that the bronchitis has tapered off and the jet-lag is almost non-existent.

Till next time...

The Lords Day in a New Land

Well, I know that I just posted, but I thought I would add one more for the day to complete out the prior weekend.

After a somewhat more restful night Saturday, Charity and I awoke to a very cold Sunday morning. The temp didn't hit 25 Fahrenheit all day! Thankfully we only had to walk our usual 2 blocks to Seoul Christian and down to the basement.

Now, I have been to services where there were some people singing off key. I have even been in services where people were singing the wrong song or wrong verse of the same song. But I have never been to a church where those who speak Korean sing the Korean language and those who speak English sing the English language. It really works out extremely well, except at the end of every stanza the vowel or consonant sound would be different.

Notwithstanding, the fellowship with the Korean people and the other American natives was very sweet. People had been praying for us and let us know how glad they were that we made it.

So the service starts with the basic movements of worship with Bible reading, memory verse, songs, announcements, introductions and good morning handshakes, the message (English with Korean translation) and finally a time of commitment and reflection. A very complete example of the true means of worship.

After the morning service, there is a time of fellowship and "breaking of bread"--rather Moon Pie types of cakes, sweet breads and from one of the Air Force Americans Double Stuff Oreros! There is a Bible study and although I would have like to have stayed, my lingering sickness coupled with, I am sure, the lack of sleep and the Korean medication, had me almost lying down during fellowship in an attempt to sleep. I will have to go next week and report. :o)

After several hours of sleep-which I hear is a cardinal sin for those suffering from jet-lag-Charity and I spent the evening playing cards and visiting with Lisa and Mylinda at their apartment.

All in all, a wonderful Lord's Day.


On a more personal note. I am sure that I am not setting any records on the alacrity of keeping this updated. Nor am I winning a Pulitzer for my writing skills. And more than likely Blogger is not amazed at the 16 followers this blog has in its short existence, but I would like to say both how grateful and truely blessed to know that you all are reading these short snippets of life. Knowing that you are disappointed when there are no new updates and eagerly taking in my humble writings as they hit the page. Charity and I have felt the warmth of your company even these many miles away and have appreciated you attention.

Good night from Seoul.