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" 

Grocery Shopping

Have I told you how much I appreciate the fact that the grocery store is right across the street? I have been there so many times that the little Korean ladies who work the registers know who I am. Well, that could be because we are probably the only white people who go to that supermarket. lol. Anyways, for those who know me, I am a very forgetful person. So, when I go grocery shopping, I need to have a list or I will probably forget something. That's happened to me twice since we've been here, and thankfully when I got back to the apartment and realized it, all I had to do was cross the street again.

Well, today was an adventurous trip to the supermarket. Teaven has been sick this morning, so I decided to go get him some sprite and other things we needed for dinner. When I opened the door, I realized it was pouring rain, something that happens often here, but I'm not quite used to this much rain. Well, in our apartment building, the floor and stairs outside the apartment are made of marble or some other type of stone that becomes very slippery when wet. So, picture this, I'm headed to the grocery store, umbrella in hand, Old Navy flip flops on my feet. When I get off the elevator, I know to walk very carefully because it's wet and slippery, which is only made worse by the fact that I'm wearing Old Navy flip flops, shoes with no friction at all.
          Anyways, I made it safely past the marble stairs and quickly went back to listing what I needed to get at the store so that I wouldn't forget anything. As I was watching a young Korean woman try to cross the street without stepping in a puddle, I slip and almost bust my butt. You see, on the edge of some of the sidewalks is that same gray marble. Unfortunately for me, I didn't even think about it until I slipped and caught myself from falling on my butt. So, I quietly laughed it off and looked around to see if anyone saw. The young Korean lady was walking my way, but she didn't let on that she saw anything. So I walked on as if nothing had happened, and when I got back to the apartment, I told Teaven. He laughed, of course. :) Then, I realized I forgot bread and begrudgingly headed back out into the rain on the very familiar path to the grocery store. This time I didn't slip.
  

    

Happy Wednesday!

Today is our Friday! Yes, I realize it's only Wednesday (well, Tuesday night for you people in America), but we don't have school tomorrow or Friday! We are very happy about this because it will give us some time to catch up on our school work and go to the International Fireworks Festival! Yes, you heard me correctly.. Fireworks! Last weekend, we ventured into our own little city, and this weekend we will venture out of it. We have to take a bus to a city on the coast and then find a hotel. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

I miss American food. It's true. Teaven has loved everything he has tried here, but I can't say the same. Our school feeds us dinner every night, so we never know what we are going to eat unless we get to order. This has been a huge blessing because we don't have to pay to bring a dinner with us to school. Unfortunately for me, I've only found 3 dishes so far that I actually enjoy eating. The first one I can't remember the name for, but it's pork with some type of seasoning. Teaven said it tastes like fajita meat (that's probably why I like it so much). The second one is Curry, which is just like a curry soup with chicken that you mix with rice. The third, which I had last night, is teriyaki pork. Teaven, on the other hand, actually likes all of the authentic Korean sauces and foods. I really do wish I could say the same. lol I'm hoping that I will continue to find dishes that I like eating. haha. Oh, wait! I like kimbab, which is Korean sushi. kim (keem) is seaweed and bab (bob) is rice. We often stop by the supermarket before school and pick some up to eat for lunch.