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"