Thanksgiving in Korea

It's already December, and I haven't even told you about our Thanksgiving. I really have no excuse other than the fact that the cold, dark weather has made me lethargic.

Our actual Thanksgiving Day was quite uneventful since we had to go to work. I went to a local bakery and bought a walnut pie, the closest I thought we'd get to a pecan pie. I brought it to school and shared it with our coworkers. They didn't really understand why I was going around handing out pie to everyone, but it still made it feel a little more like Thanksgiving. Since we had to work, we decided we would really celebrate on Saturday with a home-cooked meal and Christmas decorations.

We went to E-mart and bought as many Christmas decorations as we could find. It was so fun to be able to decide how we were going to decorate our little home. I was pleasantly surprised with how much we were able to get, considering I thought there wouldn't be many Christmasy things when we moved to Korea. They don't celebrate it as big as Americans do, but the windows of businesses have lights and trees. Christmas music can be heard from several coffee shops and stores. It definitely helps it feel more at home.

Anyways, Teaven made dinner, while I went back to E-mart to exchange the Christmas lights we had just bought. I was nervous as I approached the counter and tried to explain to them that the lights didn't work. Thankfully, it was much easier than I expected. They didn't even need to see my receipt! To this day I am still amazed at how trusting Koreans are. I think America could learn a thing or two.

The dinner was delicious. Steak, corn and broccoli.

Ashlee's box got here just in time for us to decorate for Christmas! 

A Day in the Life of an ESL Teacher

I can't believe it's December already. I have been wanting to write so many blogs, but I just haven't done it yet. So, today I will start.

I've been wanting to tell you all some things that my students say that make me laugh so hard, so I've been keeping a little post it that I take with me to each class. It says things like "A nightengale's sister is a night club." Or some of the students telling me that Teaven had a friend who was an alien. Or one of my favorites, I came into class, and my students asked me if I knew that Teaven had another wife in America. I could see their little smirks. They were trying so hard not to laugh, so I played along. Apparently, her name is Sally. haha. However, last week, I had an experience that tops everything on that little post it.

My 7 o'clock class is filled with middle school boys who act just like middle school boys. Towards the end of class, one of those boys says, "Teacher, do you and Teaven teacher kiss?"
I replied, "What?" and since I wanted that to end quickly, I said, "Of course, we're married."
Much to my surprise, the next question out of his mouth, "You and Teaven teacher deep kiss?"
So, I tried to avoid answering that question by pretending I didn't know what he was talking about. "What? What's a deep kiss?"
Then, all the other boys entered the conversation by sticking their tongues out and wiggling them around, and I heard many responses like, "You know, when you swallow their tongue." or "When the tongues are fighting."I was laughing very hard, and as they started to persist, I felt that dreaded heat coming into my cheeks. In my head, I begged the heat to stop, but before I knew it, I heard "Teacher, you're red! Your ears are red!" If you have ever blushed before, you should know what happens when someone points it out, it gets even redder. I told them that the only reason I was getting redder is because they were talking about it. We were all laughing, but I think I learned my lesson. Ignore dumb questions and keep with the lesson. lol

Pepero Day

I'm sure you're thinking to yourself, "what is Pepero?" Or if you're anything like my mother, you assume it's the Korean word for "veteran"since you all were celebrating that wonderful holiday around the same time. No, Pepero is a chocolate or strawberry covered wafer stick. In America, we call them "Pockey." Yes, Korea has a holiday dedicated completely to this delicious snack, and the students love it (as do I). So, Friday before work, Teaven and I walked across the street to the supermarket and stocked up on boxes of pepero to give out to our students. From what I understand, the person who looks most like a pepero is supposed to give it to everyone else. I assume that means whoever is the tallest and skinniest. Even though we didn't fit this category, we still bought pepero for our students, and it was so fun to receive it from them as well. The moment the students arrived at school, I began to hear, "Teacher, give me pepero. Teacher, pepero please." And so it began... and did not end until the last student walked out the door. So fun.

This is all the pepero I received. I was the selfish one who kept all of mine for this picture. Teaven gave all of his away by the end of the day.

The strawberry flavor is by far my favorite.

Thursday's Thankfulness

1. I am thankful for my husband. He sticks with me even through my crazy moments. He makes me laugh, and I would be so lonely without him here with me. God sure knew what he was doing when he brought him into my life 5 1/2 years ago.

2. I am thankful for sisters. I have three great sisters who are so much fun to be around. My older sister is able to share her wisdom with me. My younger sisters laugh and act silly with me. Then, I've got 4 sisters-in-law who are all awesome as well. "Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters."

3. I am thankful that I have been able to find things like Dr. Pepper and awesome pizza in this country. This may seem ridiculous, but it really helps with the home sickness sometimes.

4. I am thankful that I really enjoy my job. While in college, I would have my moments where I worried if I would ever find a job that I would really enjoy going to, and now my worries are relieved. Some days I would just like to stay home, but once I get there, I'm usually glad I came.

5. I am thankful for the internet. Without things like Facebook and Skype, I'd be really homesick. I don't know how people survived in the olden days with only letters that took forever to send as communication.

6. I am thankful that God has fully provided everything we need to live comfortably.

7. I am thankful for blogs and Pinterest. They give me some really great ideas of crafts, DIY stuff, and recipes that I can't wait to try when we move back to America.

8. I am thankful that I have a desire to start learning Korean. When we moved here, I didn't really expect to learn the language, but I quickly realized that I want to be able to communicate with people better. I am currently learning the alphabet, and I get so excited when I can read a word or two on some signs even if I don't know what they mean. lol

9. I am thankful that God has given Teaven and I the opportunity to live in a foreign country and be able to rest and reflect on the past few years of our lives.

10. I am thankful for my parents who have been an amazing example to me of who Christ is and how to live for him daily. I miss them immensely and wish I could just give them a hug.

Bugs and Halloween

I am currently working on a list of things that the students say in class. Sometimes, they make me laugh really hard, and I want to be able to remember what they say but by the time I am done with school, I completely forget. So, I've got a post-it in my basket that I carry to every class to write down the things they say, so I can share these awesome kids with you.

Yesterday, in one of my classes I showed the students a video from National Geographic of the life cycle of a butterfly. About halfway into the video, the students start saying, "Oh, very delicious. Very delicious." Even with my limited knowledge of the culture here, this comment shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. I just don't expect kids to call a butterfly or caterpillar delicious. That is not my idea of a good meal. However, Koreans, especially the kids love to eat these bugs (forgot what they are called).

The kids here eat them like snacks, apparently, and Teaven and I had the opportunity to try them a couple of weeks ago. We went out to dinner with our friends, Jamie and Brian, at a local bbq place that I like. Each time you go out to a restaurant like this, they will bring you an array of different side dishes, and to our luck, this time we got those little bugs. Teaven hated them, but I didn't think they tasted as bad as I thought they would. I mean, if I thought dirt tasted good, I would love these suckers. Let's just say, we won't be enjoying them as much as our students do. It's just one of those things you have to grow up eating. Like candy corn. Who doesn't like candy corn, right? At the Halloween party, some of our students had the opportunity to try it, and they did not like it. Wow, did I really just compare bugs to candy corn?

Here are some pictures from the Halloween party we had with the school. First, we took the students on a "parade" around the neighborhood to try and promote our school. Then, the party began. We had face painting, balloon animals, bobbing for "apples" (which were really oranges because apparently the apples were too big and expensive), musical chairs, and pumpkin bowling. I didn't get as many pictures as I would have like because I was busy face painting the whole time. Oh, I forgot to mention that we brought Sader, who was Mickey Mouse for the day, to help socialize him a little better. He was the most popular thing there! All the students loved playing with him, and he loved the attention, although I think it may have freaked him out a little.

Sader's Mickey Costume

Sader was so tired from all the attention that he curled up in her lap. When she wanted to leave, I would here, "Teacher, Teacher, help me!" It was so cute.

Sader the Menace

Do you see this face? I'm sure your first thought is, "Oh my gosh! He's so cute!" Yes, he's cute, but training him is harder than I thought it would be. Let me clarify, potty training him is harder than I thought. You see, he learned to sit the very first time I ever taught him. I am getting frustrated with him peeing everywhere, but I guess I just need to give it more time. Unfortunately, we have a schedule that makes training a dog more difficult. We can't be with him all hours of the day, and  I am definitely inexperienced with training a dog in an apartment. So I get annoyed with him, but then there are times like now when he's curled up on my lap, sleeping. He's so precious and I just want to hold him. Time will pass. He will grow out of his puppy stage of biting my fingers, having accidents, and chasing invisible monsters. I love him; I just wish he would understand that he needs to go to the bathroom outside.

Thursday's Thankfulness

So, for the month of November Tuesday's Top Ten will change to Thursday's Thankfulness where I will write about things I'm thankful for.

This is for the 1, 2, and 3 of this month. The other ones probably won't be this long, but I'm kind of combining two posts into one.

Before we moved to Korea, I had every intention of getting into a good workout routine and to start eating healthy. Unfortunately, and somewhat fortunately, living in Korea allows me to be extremely lazy, something I have not experienced in a very long time. It's easier and cheaper to opt for eating out rather than cooking. For the first time in a while, Teaven and I are actually able to relax and just enjoy our free time without the stress of being busy 24/7. Last year this time, I was so busy with RA stuff, school, work, and planning a wedding that I longed for some time just to stay in my bed, watch movies and eat junk food. Of course, we have little stressers from our job occasionally, but it's nothing compared to what it would be back home. It's kind of like we're on a long vacation, a working vacation, of course, but still a vacation. And in all honesty, I love it. When am I ever going to get the chance to just relax and focus on things I have been putting off for so many years? The answer: probably never again. Teaven and I even decided that if we went back to America for a visit, it wouldn't be a vacation in the sense of being able to relax because it would be jam packed full (not that I would mind.) I know the moment we move back to America, our lives will become busy once again. We will have meetings and church activities, and then when we decide to have kids, we will be even more busy.
So, I have decided to enjoy this time to be lazy. I am going to enjoy being able to stay in my bed, watch movies and eat junk food. I am going to enjoy eating pizza while watching Biggest Loser. Bob and Jillian would want to kill me if they read that. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am going to accept it and appreciate it while I've got it.

Clear the Stage

What has my life become? I made a list this week. Of 12 things I wanted to accomplish by 2012, and I had every intention of writing a blog about that list. Now, I sit here reflecting on that list, and I realize that every single thing on there is completely meaningless and unnecessary. Don't drink soda. Find ingredients for new recipes. Keep my desk clean and organized. To most people, this may seem like a completely normal list of things to do, but to me, it's just another sign showing me who I am choosing to be. Not a single thing on that list had to do with my relationship with Christ. And, unfortunately, that reflects who I have become. I am an avoider. I try to shove my problems, you know the real, deep down problems that reflect my character, away by doing meaningless thing like making a list of things I won't accomplish, watching tv shows that take me to another world, trying to find new recipes and things I want to buy. I hide from myself until I can't hide anymore. Until I am so exhausted from hiding that I start to blame others. I have idols that I need to get rid of. I try to tell myself that I'm like this because I'm in another country. That's an excuse. If Paul can praise God from prison, why can't I praise him here? Just because I don't have church or I'm not surrounded by Godly people 24/7 isn't a reason for me to let it slide. That's just an excuse. I am tired of hiding. I am tired of lying to myself. I am tired of pretending that everything is ok. It's not ok. And it starts with me making a decision. A decision to praise God no matter where I am, to put him ahead of all those meaningless things I find so important at the moment. I have so much more to live for than meaningless things.

Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

I am making a choice to praise God, throw out my list of 12 things by 2012, and center my life on the meaningful rather than the meaningless. I have so much more to live for.

Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.
Anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We must not worship something that's not even worth it.
Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it.

Tuesday's Top Ten

I really want to start something weekly because I need to stay more committed to blogging. I've been thinking about doing this for a while, so now I'm going to get it started.

This week's Top Ten will be from Pinterest. My top ten picks for Fall.

I love this wreath. I wish I could make something like it, but I wouldn't even begin to know where 


















to find this stuff.

Source: Uploaded by user via Sarah on Pinterest

Caramel Apple Pie

Hallow-Rita. This would be great for a Halloween party.

Source: kirbiecravings.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I also like this wreath, and it doesn't seem too hard to make.

Source: southernlovely.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: kirbiecravings.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Cute idea.. Especially with kids someday

Source: thehighheeledhostess.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Sarah on Pinterest

My mom just sent Teaven and I a box with candy corn and candy pumpkins. I can't wait to eat it.

Source: whitney05.hubpages.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I am one of those people who wants to have a party with friends for  every holiday, so every time I see an idea, I have to save it.

Source: ourbestbites.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via Sarah on Pinterest

We're a family...

...and you're one of us now.

Teaven and I would love to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Sader Barnum. He is clumsy and timid now that he has such a big place to live in. He loves to snuggle, and he pees everywhere. He chases invisible monsters and love Teaven's feet. He howls when he is lonely and hates the newness of walking outside. He is stinkin adorable, and we love him already.

Clothes Envy

I have clothes envy. Real bad. I long to go shopping and buy new clothes that fit my body to perfection. If you have known me for a long time, you know I have always hated, or maybe loathed would be a better word, cold weather. If you don't believe me, check out this post I made last year.

However, once again, living in Korea has made me change my outlook on a few things. I am now beginning to enjoy the cool weather. Unfortunately, with this new love comes a longing to buy new clothes suited for this weather. Unfortunately, living in Texas my whole life has caused my view of seasons to be tainted, which means that I do not have enough clothes for warm weather. Therefore, in my opinion, I'm going to freeze. So, I will just post some pictures of the clothes I wish to have, and you can dream right along with me of feeling warm, fashionable, and confident.

I love this color scheme.

I want these.

I want a long pea coat.

So there you go. I gave you just a taste of what I've been envisioning. I've visited the Old Navy website almost everyday for the last week, and guess what?! They just got international shipping! Exciting right? Yeah, it is... for people who are loaded and can afford to spend $100 on shipping. hah what a joke. So, I will continue dreaming and praying that when Teaven and I go to Seoul tomorrow I can find something that fits me. If you don't know, Korean people are very tiny, and my big booty won't fit into their clothes. lol. 

Let the Rain Fall Down

Some days I just want to stay in bed all day and watch movies. Today is one of those days. For one, it's a cold, rainy day, the perfect weather to stay curled up under blankets in comfy clothes. Recently, I've decided I need to have "lazy days". Without the occasional lazy day, I can become quite the crabby person.  Of course, I can't blame my crabbiness completely on my lack of being lazy. How awful does that sound?

It's these kind of days that remind me of all those count downs I've had in the past. How many days until Thanksgiving break? How many days until Christmas? Days when I just want to write blogs, look at pinterest, and play games with my class because I don't feel like teaching.

Being in Korea has taught me some stuff about those count downs I used to have.. in my planner, on my blog, in a facebook status... always somewhere in the back of my mind I could tell myself that I only have so many days left. However, now that I have a job I actually love, which just so happens to not have many long breaks to look forward to, I can actually see that I don't always need to be looking forward to the future. Sure, I will always be a dreamer, but at times like these, I need to learn to be content with the here and now, thankful for where I am and what I am doing instead of longing for something far off in the distance.

P.S. 1 more day until a 3 day weekend. :)

Christmas, really?

It's only September, and I'm already thinking about Christmas. Now, for those of you that think I am crazy, let me explain myself a bit. First of all, I'm from Texas and have lived there my entire life. So, when I think weather in September, I think hot with maybe the slightest hint of a cool breeze at night. Seriously, I just looked up the weather there, and they still have temperatures in the high 90s everyday. Well, the weather here in Chungju is a good 25-30 degrees cooler. So, naturally, my first reaction when I step outside and need a cardigan to walk to school is to think Christmas is coming because the weather has finally started to get cooler. So, here I am, still 3 months away from Christmas and already dreaming about how I will be able to decorate our apartment to make it as Christmasy as possible. Of course, I can also say that I have an excuse for thinking ahead because anything I may need to decorate will probably have to come from home. Hence, I have to order stuff on the internet or have my mom buy something and mail it to me. We'll see just how crazy Teaven will let me be. :)

Unfortunately, the thought of Christmas this year brings a hint of sadness because it is the first Christmas I will spend away from my family back home. However, Teaven is my family now, and I am determined to make it great no matter how hard that will be. Thankfully, Christmas this year is on a Sunday, so we don't have to go to work. I'd be quite disappointed if I had to work on Christmas.

I'm sure if the weather warms up again, my thoughts of Christmas will slowly fade away...

Life's a Daring Adventure

Oh man, I have so much to update you on that I don't even know where to begin. Last Sunday Teaven and I went to Seoul since we had to leave from the airport early Monday morning. We took a train from Chungju to Seoul, and then we took a taxi to a motel. The motel he took us to was.... interesting. The room wasn't that bad, but the bathroom was horrible. The toilet didn't work, so it smelled like a port-o-potty. Yuck. lol. Thankfully, we didn't spend much time there because we were so busy exploring Seoul. We took a cable car to the top of Seoul Tower. It was so neat up there. There are millions of "love locks" that people have written on about the people they love and placed them along the rails. Teaven had a specific place in mind for our locks where no one would ever cover them up. Every time he held out the camera for the picture, I had a mini heart attack thinking it could fall down the mountain. When we finished with the locks, we took the elevator to the top of the tower where they have all of these points that show you what you are facing and how far that place is from you.

Then, we went to a place called Itaewon, which is near the military base. We walked around a lot of shops, and many people came up to Teaven and asked if he wanted a custom-made suit. Then we decided we were hungry, and guess what we found! Taco Bell! I knew there was one there, but we hadn't seen it, so I figured we wouldn't be able to find it. For this girl who misses Mexican food, it was delicious. Teaven was not as enthused. We finished there and hailed a taxi. We were attempting to go to a movie theater, but the taxi driver had no idea what we were talking about. He had to pull over and ask these girls on the side of the road. They pointed us in the direction of the I-Park mall, and we appreciate their decision. This mall is HUGE! Each floor was dedicated to something different. Teaven found a video game and was able to successfully get a haircut. We enjoyed walking around the mall, and when we finally got to the floor with the movie theater, they didn't have any new American movies so we called it a night. 

The next morning, we woke up super early to catch our flight to Japan. Yes, that's right. I said Japan. I believe I can officially call myself a world traveler now. To say this trip was chaotic would be an understatement. Our ticket said we were going to Fukuoka, Japan, and we thought it was just outside of Osaka, which is where we were supposed to be going. When we arrived at our gate, Teaven decided to look up how far away Fukuoka is from Osaka. To our surprise, Fukuoka is 8 hours away from Osaka, and we had a huge deadline to get our visas, so there would be absolutely no way we'd be able to take a train or anything from Fukuoka to Osaka. Insert freak out mode. I started to call the other teachers to see if they knew what was going on all the while we were walking around the airport trying to find somebody to talk to about getting our flight changed. When I got ahold of one of the foreign teachers, Mina, she told me should would call the boss. The boss had her cell phone turned off. All the later flights to Osaka were full. Insert super panic mode. What were we going to do? We had to be back at school on Wednesday and it took a day to get our visas. Finally, Mina called me and told me she reached the boss. Apparently, the boss purposely booked our flights for Fukuoka because the Korean consulate there is much easier to get to. Phew. Although we were upset that she didn't tell us, we were equally relieved that everything was worked out. So, we get to Fukuoka and talk to someone about how to get to the Korean consulate. They tell us which bus to take, and although there was no English, we successfully got off at the right bus stop. Unfortunately, the little paper the information guy gave us on how to get to the consulate failed to mention where to go after you get off the bus. So we spent the next 30 minutes trying to find someone who spoke English and could point us in the right direction. It's hot. We're sweaty  and lost. Finally, we found someone who showed us how to get there, and we even made it 30 minutes early. We went across the street to a convenient store, got some water, and sat in the air conditioning. During our wait, we met another teacher who was doing the same thing as us. It was fun to talk with her. Unlike the adventure of arriving at the Korean consulate, the visa process was painfully easy. Thank, God. All we had to do was drop off our paperwork and pick up our visas the next day.


        With that finished, we still had the whole day ahead of us, so we got back on the bus and headed to our hotel. Well, we thought we were headed to our hotel. Unlike American bus systems, Japanese buses do not go in loops, so a little down the road, we notice everyone getting off. Wait. Are we supposed to get off too? The bus driver motioned at us, and we knew that was our cue to pay our money and get off. Now, what? We have no idea where we are or how to get to where we need to go, so we walk into a building and notice that we are very close to the Fukuoka Tower. Might as well go to the top since we've got nothing better to do. The tower was nice, but not nearly as cool as Seoul Tower. From the top, we noticed that the beach was very close, so we went there next. We walked along the beach, and then decided to get a taxi to take us to our hotel since apparently we don't know how to use the bus system.
       After we checked into the hotel and ate dinner in the restaurant there, we walked to the mall down the street and explored a little more. We were very tired that night, so we picked up some ice cream and watched a movie in our hotel room. The next morning, we woke up early and picked up our visas. The day before we had seen a Hard Rock Cafe across the street from the consulate, and since we'd never been there before, we decided to give it a try. It was very good. Then we headed to the airport and waited for about 6 hours to get on our flight since we were out of money and things to do. Japan is an expensive country, especially compared to Korea. While there, we both realized how thankful we were to be living in Korea.
       And when we arrived back in Korea, we felt like we were coming home. You know that feeling you get when you've been on a road trip and you begin seeing things you recognize that tell you you are close to home. That's the feeling we got as we walked through the airport. I remember as a kid, I always knew I was home when we approached the big hill heading from Belton into Killeen. This feeling of relief washes over you and you look forward to sleeping in your own bed with all of the familiar surroundings. I never thought I'd feel that way about Korea so quickly, but I am so thankful I do. I love the little place we can call our home. I love the city we live in. I love the friends we are making and the place we work. Thank, God he knows what he's doing. :)

Just Another Weekend

Yesterday, Teaven and I were able to go out and explore some of the city. Our first stop was Lotte Mart because I promised Teaven we could buy him a TV for his birthday so that he can play his video games, and that's where we found the cheapest one. When we first arrived, we went to eat at Lotteria, which is the Korean version of McDonalds. We hadn't eaten a burger in over a month, so I was very excited. I really enjoyed it, but Teaven wasn't a huge fan (I think he was born in the wrong country.) He told me that he is realizing he doesn't really like American food anymore. I think he'd like it better if it was homemade.

Next, we decided to look at tennis shoes since I unknowingly left mine at home. Despite what we've heard about how hard it can be to find shoes that will fit, we thought we would try. The man who helped us was very helpful, and to our benefit, he spoke a little bit of English. We successfully found a pair of running shoes for me so that I can start to work out again. Now, because I wear a size 9 1/2 in American sizes and the biggest women's shoe they had was a size 8, I reluctantly had to buy men's shoes. Oh, well. They are very nice and will work well for me. :)

When we left Lotte Mart, we went home to set up the TV. 

Once the TV was set up, we took a taxi downtown to walk around all the little shops. It was really fun. We found some cute wallpaper that I want to use for a craft project for our apartment. I'll post pics once it's done. 

Today, we are going with Jamie and Brian (the other foreign teachers) to E-mart so Jamie and I can get pedicures. Then, they will show us some cool places downtown. I'm excited.

Reflections From a Small Town Texas Girl

For some reason, moving here has made me do a lot of self-reflecting, and I am realizing that I tend to be a "grass is always greener" kind of person. I can never seem content with where I am in life. So, needless to say, my adjustment period will probably be longer than usual. Today I had my first break down in a while (if you can count a week and a half to two weeks as a while). I miss "home" so much. America is my home. Texas is my home. Why can't I just allow Korea to be my temporary home? Sure, I realize it will never be the same, and at this moment in time, I can't cook or bake or decorate my house the way I want it. I can't do all those thing a typical newly married wife gets to do (who really wants to be typical anyways). But why can't I wrap my head around the fact that this is just a moment in a lifetime full of experiences? Someday, I'll probably look back and think, "Man, that went by quickly." I guess a part of it is the uncertainty, not knowing when I will set foot on American soil again or see my family. I need to get out more, explore this awesome place where God has placed me, and trust that he has me here for a reason. If anything, that reason right now is just learning to be content and not always long for more. Today, during our post-breakdown talk, Teaven suggested that I focus on the positive and make a list of things I am thankful for here. So, here it is.

1. Our jobs. If we would have stayed in America, one of us would probably have had to find a job outside of our desired profession.
2. Our boss. She is seriously one of the best bosses ever. Although she doesn't speak very much English,  she always wants to take care of us and make sure we are doing well.
3. The other foreign teachers, Jamie and Brian. They have been such a help to us during this time. I don't know what we would do without them.
4. The Korean teachers. They are so awesome, and they work so hard. They are always willing to help us out with anything we need and never expect anything in return. I will be sad to see one of them leave at the end of the week.
5. Our students. These kids never fail to put a smile of my face. Whether it's a mispronounced word or just them being silly, they're always so fun. AND they work so hard, unlike American students who could care less about an education.
6. Our apartment. Though it has its quirks, I am glad we have a place to call home right now. We've quickly fallen in love with this little place, and I can't wait to get some more money to do some decorating.
7. The ladies at GS Supermarket. They are so sweet and always try to speak English to us.
8. Pizza. It's become a once a week occurrence for us, and because I don't always care for the food we eat, I am thankful to have something to fall back on.
9. Soda. Yes, I know I said I was going to give it up when I moved here, but it has helped with my homesickness. (good excuse, I know.)
10. Rain. Before I moved here, I hated rainy days unless I could curl up in my bed and sleep all day. But now, I actually enjoy it, and I have to walk around in it at least weekly.
11. My husband. I realize he should probably be higher on the list, but I was trying to think of more Korean related things. He has been so sweet to me during this time of adjustment. I can't thank God enough for giving him to me.
12. Speaking of God, I am thankful that no matter what happens in life, he is always constant. Through all of my instability, he will always be here and always be the same.
13. Skype. I have been able to talk to so many people with this awesome invention.
14. The people, in general. They are always so nice and accepting to us as foreigners, even though I know sometimes we look like complete idiots. This culture is so forgiving. I think America could learn a few things from them.
15. Taxis. They are so cheap here, and with our lack of a car, they come in very handy when we need to get to places that are too far to walk.

I will end my list there. I didn't realize it would be that long, but Teaven was right. It was refreshing to reflect on being thankful instead of "I wish" or "I miss." God's got a lot of work to do in my life, but I'm ready.

"Oh my godness"

Some of my students always say, "Oh my God," in class, so I've been telling them to say goodness instead. It's so cute because I'll assign homework and hear, "Oh my God."
To which I reply, "Oh my what?"
"Oh my godness."
"Goodness."
"Gooooodness."

On another note, I figured I should update you all on the lives of the Barnums. We are doing well, still adjusting to marriage and a new culture, but our God is faithful. We've been wanting to travel and see more of the country, but we have to wait until we get paid. I'm sorry I have no new, exciting adventures to post for you. Someday soon, I promise.

I thought I was getting better at doing the laundry, so today I decided to punch a few more random buttons and see what happened. There are so many different time options on this machine that range from 6 minutes to 2 hours. The first load we did took an hour, so last week I decided to only wash the clothes for the 34 minute cycle. To my luck, the clothes didn't come out as stiff or crunchy. So today, I thought it would be good to go down to an even smaller time. Well, I just went to check and see if it was done. Evidently, I put it on soak. Oh well, someday, I will get the hang of this.

Niche

I think I am quickly finding my niche in life. I have always wanted to teach English, but I am seriously beginning to love teaching ESL. These students are so awesome, and I just love to hear them speak with their little accents. "My favorite movie is Transpormers." "My best pet is a puppy. Puppy is bery bery fun." When Teaven and I first arrived here, my first reaction was to hop on the next plane out and fly back to America. I didn't feel like I was ready for such a big change, but God has certainly gone before us and prepared the way. Although it does come with its difficulties, Teaven and I are beginning to love it here. It's amazing to me how God can work in us in just a few short weeks. We have a wonderful boss who wants to take care of us and make sure we are doing well. We have awesome co-workers who want to take care of us as well. They have been so helpful during this adjustment, and I can't be more thankful for that. Some would say we have it easy here, but I know God knew what he was doing. Anyways, back to my niche. I think that even when we do go back to America, I'd like to pursue something to do with ESL. Who knows, maybe it's just a fleeting feeling, or maybe it's a tiny piece of the puzzle that God is revealing to me. Only time will tell.

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Teaven and I have had a wonderfully relaxing summer vacation. Unlike America where they get a whole two months off of school, our school's vacation was 4 days long, but I am still appreciative. As you know, Teaven got sick on Friday, so we decided not to go to the International Fireworks Festival. Instead, we went out yesterday to celebrate his birthday.

The beautiful mountain just outside our apartment:

We wanted to visit Lotte (lo-tay) Mart, which is similar to E-mart, but apparently Koreans prefer it. In my opinion, Lotte Mart is to Walmart as E-mart is to Target. Naturally, I prefer E-mart. Lotte Mart was much more crowded, but we did find the bus station there, which will be useful later on when we venture out of the city. We bought some of our items and went back to our apartment to drop them off before going to dinner and a movie. We ate at a Korean BBQ place close to our school that we heard was very good. Thankfully, the other foreign teachers told us exactly what to order, so we didn't have any problems with that. I enjoyed the food very much. I mean, how can you go wrong with grilled beef?

 

 




After dinner, we took a cab to TTC, the movie theater here in Chungju. It was a very interesting part of town, and I wished I had taken pictures. However, we didn't have enough time to stroll, and we had to figure out how in the world to get into the movie theater since it wasn't clearly marked. We did see two other foreigners. That's a big deal in our town. We saw Transformers 3, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I had enjoyed it. Then we took a cab home, which is always an adventure because we still don't know how to tell the cab drivers where we live. This time he started driving before I could even attempt to tell him or show him the picture. Overall, it was a very fun day.

Teaven wanted me to mention that Koreans are very healthy people. They eat healthy and walk every where. Except, it seems like everybody here smokes. It's gross.

Oh, and we also attempted to wash our clothes for the first time. We pushed a bunch of random buttons and prayed they didn't shrink or turn different colors. Thankfully, nothing dramatic happened. However, I did learn that I must use liquid fabric softener because our clothes are very stiff and crunchy.

For me, personally, I am still trying to find my place here. Sometimes I have a hard time being content with all this change. For a small town, Texas girl, it's a lot to take in all at once, graduated, married and in a foreign country all in a matter of three months. Somedays, I get very homesick. But no matter what I am thankful for this grand adventure God has sent us on. I am thankful that we both have jobs and that I have an amazing husband who loves me no matter how many times I break down and cry. It's already been an amazing journey for me spiritually,  especially since it looks like our spiritual community will be lacking very much this year. I am excited for all I have to learn this year, for I know it is a lot. I can already feel that God has some phenomenal things to teach me if only I will listen and not fight him. As I sat down to work on some school work, some words from a Chris Tomlin song stood out to me.

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"