This is the theme of our summer camp here at CELA (Concordia English Langauge Academy, the elementary portion of Concordia). Every Monday in the morning, we have VBS followed by English class. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we have English lessons and activities. On Friday, we take the students on a fieldtrip. The students range from First to Sixth Grade. There are three classes that each consist of a variety of these ages, so it can be quite a challenge teaching a variety of English abilities.
The camp is traveling to three countries: Scotland, India, and Mexico. For each country, we will talk about the history, culture, and interesting travel locations. This past week, we have talked about traveling and the process of reserving and taking a plane to a foreign country. Next week we will talk about Scotland.
The VBS portion of Monday went very well. We had the entire group (about 60 kids) together for the story, which was Jesus visiting the temple when he was young. After the story, we split them into their three groups for recreation, Bible verse, and songs. I joined Amy in leading the Bible verse, which they were able to memorize in twenty minutes quite well. When we asked them questions about the meaning of the verse, some of the kids were able to answer pretty well. I hope as the weeks progress, we will receive more inquisitive questions and answers.
I am teaching a group of about twenty students. I have an assistant, which is great. His name is Isaiah, he is an American/Taiwanese student. He is very helpful in keeping the younger boys in line (seven year old boys everywhere have this universal ability to wiggle while in a class).
The first day was quite a challenge for me I have to admit. I do not have a formal teaching degree like my fellow two volunteers. I do not have the same experience like the other teachers here. However, I love working with kids, and I've reaffirmed my belief that kids everywhere are the same in a lot of ways: the desire to learn something that interests them, the wish to have fun in any situation, and the joy on their faces when the realize something new. I want to be able to make this camp fun while helping them learn more about English and their Lord, so I have been very attentive in learning the best ways to teach in this culture as I go along.
The second and third days of teaching went much better. I am still trying to find my groove in how to present the information in a way that all of the ages in my class can understand. I am also trying to find ways to challenge the students with a better understanding of English without neglecting the needs of the others.
The kids are great! It has been such a contrast from working in the Cree culture, where freedom for children to explore and learn on their own is the norm. I love Cree culture, but it is an adjustment to engross yourself in a culture where you will not be able to get every child to sit down and listen to you. Taiwan is completely different. The first day, I told my students "Alright class, everyone please take their seats." Five seconds later, every child was sitting, eyes focused on my every move. I was shocked! It took me a moment to grasp what had just happened. There is no tolerance for anything but this in the classroom. The classroom environment is something that I am still getting used to compared to my past experiences.
Today, the students practiced all of their airport skills by boarding a plane to Scotland on CELA airlines. The camp leaders built this amazing plane using two of the classrooms. There was First, Business, and Economy classes, each with different seats and snacks. The students were placed in families and received money for class participation. Depending on how much they had, they could purchase different tickets. I a flight attendant working at the ticket booth and the plane. It was fun to see the students really engaged in the process, thinking hard about what they should ask about the flight and how to answer questions at customs. Another twist on our flight was that it was hijacked by one of the teachers! Me, Ryan, and Cana were quite surprised that the teachers wanted to include this in the lesson, but it is their camp, so we obliged. It ended up quite adorable, probably the cutest way to hijack a plane. The teacher said the reason he hijacked the plane was that he missed his mom and wanted to return to Taiwan. Before he could take control, a police officer (another teacher) stops him. It was so funny, when he tried to hijack Economy, the seven year olds would have none of it. Before he could take a hostage with a fork as his weapon, three of the boys jumped on him and took him to the ground. It was so cute "Quick, let's get the teacher!" I think they enjoyed the opportunity to attack a teacher.
Tomorrow we are going to a real airport to show them all the things we have learned. It will be quite interesting leading 60 students through the airport.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Taiwan: The Heart of Asia
I arrived to Taiwan safe and sound. Of course, there was some interesting things that happened along the way. I flew from Incheon to Qingdao at 8am. When I connected in Qingdao, I was put in a "time out" of sorts because I didn't have a Chinese visa. After I convinced the two officials as they examined my itinerary and passport that I will be leaving Qingdao in two hours and that I will not be leaving the airport, they allowed me to continue on my way. I never seem to have a dull moment at airports, even when I am prepared with everything I need, there always seems to be some misunderstanding or bump in the road. Oh well
I arrived in Taipei around 4pm Saturday. I waited at the airport for one of my fellow volunteers to arrive as well as two of the long term missionaries. While I waited in the "meeting place" area of the airport, I was able to watch the home run derby of the Taiwanese baseball league. It was very dynamic as the winner was able to hit twelve home runs. My fellow volunteer, Cana, arrived around 7:30. She is a Law student from Sheboygan (she was a student at my uncle's high school, it is a small Synod!) The two missionaries were late to arrive because one of them learned that his luggage was still in Chicago. Once they gave the airport information on where to send the luggage, we headed to the bus terminal.
The two missionaries, Kevin and Matthew, have taught in Taiwan for about seven years. They told me and Cana a lot about the school and Taiwan in general on our three hour bus ride to Chiayi.
When we arrived, we met the other two missionaries that are here, Amy and Ben, as well as the other volunteer, Ryan. We are staying on the campus of Concordia Middle School in the teacher dormitory. It has several rooms as well as a kitchen and a common room.
The next morning, we went to the Lutheran church in town for the service. It's quite interesting where God puts you at His determined times. A year ago, I was in Brochet attending the evening prayer Mass in Cree. A year later, I am in Taiwan worshiping with Taiwanese brothers and sisters in Mandarin. We were fortunate to have a translator summarizing the sermon and any other parts of the service that was not listed in the bulletin. The translator is English, so we all agreed it was like Liam Neeson interpreting. The pastor is incredible, he has so much passion for God that even though I couldn't understand what he was saying, I could feel his love for his Savior.
After church, we met our coordinator Callie to get some lunch. We bought some turkey rice to take back to where we are staying. On our way, we passed several groups of people participating in a Taoist ceremony for one of the deities. It was interesting hearing Callie discuss this type of ritual. She talked about how scared she was when she was young of these deities and rituals. Taiwan is a mix of religions: Taoism, ancestor worship, Buddhism, and a small amount of Christianity. Many Taiwanese will mix bits and pieces of the first three religions, a ritual here, an offering there. The Taiwanese people are so hungry for answers that they turn to every option hoping to find it. I pray that they will see that there is only one person who can bring them peace and salvation: Jesus Christ.
Later in the afternoon, we had a meeting about the camp. Before arriving, we were not given too much information about the camp, so we were excited to learn more about it. Each of us will teach a group of about twenty various English conversation skills. We will also teach VBS every Monday morning. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It seems the motto for the week is "Be flexible and have fun." It is summer, I hope to make this experience fun for the kids. Learning should always be fun, especially in the summer.
After the meeting, we went to two different markets: the evening fruit market and the night market. At the first, we bought a variety of fruits including pineapple and papaya. The market was packed with local farmers selling their crop and people from the city eager to buy some summer fruit. One thing that I have noticed since coming here is there are scooters, a lot of scooters. As we walked the market, what seemed like a stampede of motors would fly past us. It is most definitely the means of transportation choice.
The night market was very dynamic. Joining us were Ben, Amy, Kevin, and Callie's two children Jeremiah and Meredith. I love markets, so I was beyond myself walking around this huge market selling various foods, clothing, toys, the list goes on. We walked around the market, viewing the kaleidoscope of colors in the clothes and other products, smelling the various Taiwanese foods, and listening to the yelling of the vendors. We stopped by the arcade area of the market, where several of us tried our hand at some of the games. Cana and I decided to try this one particular game where you throw soft plastic balls at a screen with moving characters. We were joined by Jeremiah as well as two other curious kids in trying to set a new record.
We then walked around the food vendors to pick up some food. I asked Callie to take me to buy some of here favorite street food. She first took me to buy this seafood pancake that had shellfish and shrimp fried with an egg and dough. We then found a vendor selling stinky tofu, which she told me tastes much better than its smell. It was very good, I liked that it was fried rather than boiled like most tofu I have had in Korea. I was also able to chat with Callie about her family. She is so sweet and accommodating.
The tourism motto of Taiwan is "The Heart of Asia." While I don't know if it could be considered the heart of the continent, the people of Taiwan have such open and warm hearts. The culture is quite similar to Korea in that people will go above and beyond to make sure you are comfortable in their country. I am curious in the next few days as I teach and explore more of the city what I will learn about this unique part of East Asia.
I arrived in Taipei around 4pm Saturday. I waited at the airport for one of my fellow volunteers to arrive as well as two of the long term missionaries. While I waited in the "meeting place" area of the airport, I was able to watch the home run derby of the Taiwanese baseball league. It was very dynamic as the winner was able to hit twelve home runs. My fellow volunteer, Cana, arrived around 7:30. She is a Law student from Sheboygan (she was a student at my uncle's high school, it is a small Synod!) The two missionaries were late to arrive because one of them learned that his luggage was still in Chicago. Once they gave the airport information on where to send the luggage, we headed to the bus terminal.
The two missionaries, Kevin and Matthew, have taught in Taiwan for about seven years. They told me and Cana a lot about the school and Taiwan in general on our three hour bus ride to Chiayi.
When we arrived, we met the other two missionaries that are here, Amy and Ben, as well as the other volunteer, Ryan. We are staying on the campus of Concordia Middle School in the teacher dormitory. It has several rooms as well as a kitchen and a common room.
The next morning, we went to the Lutheran church in town for the service. It's quite interesting where God puts you at His determined times. A year ago, I was in Brochet attending the evening prayer Mass in Cree. A year later, I am in Taiwan worshiping with Taiwanese brothers and sisters in Mandarin. We were fortunate to have a translator summarizing the sermon and any other parts of the service that was not listed in the bulletin. The translator is English, so we all agreed it was like Liam Neeson interpreting. The pastor is incredible, he has so much passion for God that even though I couldn't understand what he was saying, I could feel his love for his Savior.
After church, we met our coordinator Callie to get some lunch. We bought some turkey rice to take back to where we are staying. On our way, we passed several groups of people participating in a Taoist ceremony for one of the deities. It was interesting hearing Callie discuss this type of ritual. She talked about how scared she was when she was young of these deities and rituals. Taiwan is a mix of religions: Taoism, ancestor worship, Buddhism, and a small amount of Christianity. Many Taiwanese will mix bits and pieces of the first three religions, a ritual here, an offering there. The Taiwanese people are so hungry for answers that they turn to every option hoping to find it. I pray that they will see that there is only one person who can bring them peace and salvation: Jesus Christ.
Later in the afternoon, we had a meeting about the camp. Before arriving, we were not given too much information about the camp, so we were excited to learn more about it. Each of us will teach a group of about twenty various English conversation skills. We will also teach VBS every Monday morning. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It seems the motto for the week is "Be flexible and have fun." It is summer, I hope to make this experience fun for the kids. Learning should always be fun, especially in the summer.
After the meeting, we went to two different markets: the evening fruit market and the night market. At the first, we bought a variety of fruits including pineapple and papaya. The market was packed with local farmers selling their crop and people from the city eager to buy some summer fruit. One thing that I have noticed since coming here is there are scooters, a lot of scooters. As we walked the market, what seemed like a stampede of motors would fly past us. It is most definitely the means of transportation choice.
The night market was very dynamic. Joining us were Ben, Amy, Kevin, and Callie's two children Jeremiah and Meredith. I love markets, so I was beyond myself walking around this huge market selling various foods, clothing, toys, the list goes on. We walked around the market, viewing the kaleidoscope of colors in the clothes and other products, smelling the various Taiwanese foods, and listening to the yelling of the vendors. We stopped by the arcade area of the market, where several of us tried our hand at some of the games. Cana and I decided to try this one particular game where you throw soft plastic balls at a screen with moving characters. We were joined by Jeremiah as well as two other curious kids in trying to set a new record.
We then walked around the food vendors to pick up some food. I asked Callie to take me to buy some of here favorite street food. She first took me to buy this seafood pancake that had shellfish and shrimp fried with an egg and dough. We then found a vendor selling stinky tofu, which she told me tastes much better than its smell. It was very good, I liked that it was fried rather than boiled like most tofu I have had in Korea. I was also able to chat with Callie about her family. She is so sweet and accommodating.
The tourism motto of Taiwan is "The Heart of Asia." While I don't know if it could be considered the heart of the continent, the people of Taiwan have such open and warm hearts. The culture is quite similar to Korea in that people will go above and beyond to make sure you are comfortable in their country. I am curious in the next few days as I teach and explore more of the city what I will learn about this unique part of East Asia.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Changdeokgung with Woosik
Today I went with Woosik to visit Changdeokgung Palace downtown Seoul. We took the guided tour of both the palace as well as the gardens in the back of the palace grounds.
Changdeokgung is considered the most intact palace in Korea. It was built in the 1400's as a second palace to Gyeonbukgung. In the late 1500's, most of the palace was destroyed by the Japanese during the war. It was the first palace to be rebuilt following the war, becoming the main residence of the kings of Joseon after the 1600's. When Japan occupied Korea, many of the buildings from Gyeonbukgung were moved to Changdeokgung to make way for Japanese officials buildings. Many of the original buildings on the grounds were also destroyed, only about 30% remains. The last king of Joseon lived here in a special area built by the Japanese for the remaining Joseon royalty until his death in the early 20th century. It was also home to his queen and children until around 1970 when the last direct descendant passed away. Today, the palace is a good representation of Joseon architecture as well as the unique aspects of Joseon royalty.
In the back of the palace grounds lies the gardens, often called the "Secret Garden." It has been preserved from the Joseon dynasty and displays Korean traditional gardens. The original landscape of the area was maintained when the garden was built because it was believed that it maintained harmony. The gardens make up the majority of the palace complex, about 70% of the 110 acres.
The palace compound consists of three main areas: The officials compound where government mandates were created, the royal family's quarters where traditionally the King and Queen lived and worked, and the area built for the remaining royal family after the occupation. A few interesting things I learned while touring around the palace grounds:
1. The building where the King lived is covered in blue tile because blue is considered the color of the ruler. Today, the president of South Korea lives in a mansion located near this palace called the Blue House.
2. All of the officials and royalty's buildings are painted with the traditional blue, green, red, white, and yellow that represent north, south, east, west, and power. Only buildings associated with the royalty or religion (Buddhist temples) could use this color combination. The home where the royal family lived during and after the occupation are not painted in these colors, but rather designed like the commoners house with plain white walls.
04
3. After the occupation, the descendants of the royal family continued to live here. Because of the political unrest and poverty of the country after the Korean War, they did not receive any money from the government. In order to survive, the former Queen and her daughter, the woman that would have succeeded the throne, worked with the tourism portion of the palace, leading tours of their ancestors home.
This palace is such a contrast from Gyeonbukgung. Gyeonbukgung is a huge complex with so many officials buildings and several compounds for the royal family to live in. Changdeokgung feels like a palace in the countryside. It is very peaceful, you cannot hear the sounds of the city even though you are in the business area of the city. You can really picture what life must have been like for the Joseon royalty walking around this palace.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Boryeong Mud Festival
On Saturday, I joined Woosik, his cousin, and three of his cousin's friends from school in England to visit the Boryeong Mud Festival. Boryeong is very close to Daecheon, the beach that I visited in May. It is about two hours southwest of Seoul by bus right on the coast.
We met at the Seoul Bus Terminal, which is about an hour from the Byeons. From there we took the journey south by bus to the festival. When we arrived at the festival, we saw mobs of people covered from head to toe in gray, mineral rich mud. It was quite a sight to see so many people covered in mud. It almost looked like some thriller movie gone terribly wrong: "Return of the mud people." Most of the people there were adults, and there were hardly any Koreans. I think this festival has turned into a foreigner activity.
The mud that makes this festival so famous is considered rich in minerals, courtesy of the abundance of hot springs in the area. Many Koreans come to Boryeong to go to the hot springs and have a mud bath. Boryeong is the place in Korea if you want mud that is considered good for you. I'm not sure if it is really as beneficial as the locals make it out to be or if it's just a way to get tourists, but the area is so beautiful that it is worth seeing with or without mud.
It was the first day of the festival, so there were hordes of people. The festival was located in sight of the beach. There were huge inflatable slides, obstacle courses, and pools filled with mud. Because it was so crowded, we were only able to do half the things we wanted, but it was still an interesting experience. After playing in the mud, we washed off in the ocean and relaxed on the beach before making our way back to the chaos of the city. It was nice to return to the countryside where there is little smog and life moves at a slower pace.
We met at the Seoul Bus Terminal, which is about an hour from the Byeons. From there we took the journey south by bus to the festival. When we arrived at the festival, we saw mobs of people covered from head to toe in gray, mineral rich mud. It was quite a sight to see so many people covered in mud. It almost looked like some thriller movie gone terribly wrong: "Return of the mud people." Most of the people there were adults, and there were hardly any Koreans. I think this festival has turned into a foreigner activity.
The mud that makes this festival so famous is considered rich in minerals, courtesy of the abundance of hot springs in the area. Many Koreans come to Boryeong to go to the hot springs and have a mud bath. Boryeong is the place in Korea if you want mud that is considered good for you. I'm not sure if it is really as beneficial as the locals make it out to be or if it's just a way to get tourists, but the area is so beautiful that it is worth seeing with or without mud.
It was the first day of the festival, so there were hordes of people. The festival was located in sight of the beach. There were huge inflatable slides, obstacle courses, and pools filled with mud. Because it was so crowded, we were only able to do half the things we wanted, but it was still an interesting experience. After playing in the mud, we washed off in the ocean and relaxed on the beach before making our way back to the chaos of the city. It was nice to return to the countryside where there is little smog and life moves at a slower pace.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Lotte World
Today I met Woosik for the first time since he got back from London. He graduated in May and moved back to Korea. It was great to see him after six months. It was difficult for the longest time to coordinate our schedules to hang out, but we were able to set a time and were able to hang out.
We went to Lotte World, which is one of the most popular amusement parks in Korea. Half the park is indoors and the other half is outside, which allows the park to be open year round. I was amazed by the design of the indoor portion of the park. The architects of the park used the space very wisely, building several huge rides in such a small space including a looping rollercoaster, log flume, and raft ride. The outdoor area also utilized its space very well, especially with an underground rollercoaster (which was my favorite ride).
We were not aware of several variables that proved to be a challenge in our mission to ride every ride. First, it rained....a lot. Second, today was the first day of summer vacation for Korean students. I'm pretty sure at least half of the Korean students in Seoul were celebrating at Lotte World. We didn't accomplish our mission, but we still had a great time catching up while exploring the amusement park.
A few of the memorable moments from the day include:
1. We went to the 4D theater in the park and watched this very funny pirate adventure story while being jostled and squirted with water.
2. While in line for the log flume, the girl listing the rules said: "You will get wet on this ride, but don't worry, the water is purified so it is safe." You would never hear that in line at Six Flags!
3. Riding the looping rollercoaster with two middle school girls behind us screaming like it's going out of style.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Internship Week 3 and Taiwan
I am finished working at my internship with STL! It was a long three weeks of work, but I really enjoyed my time at the company. I met so many incredible Koreans at the company and have so many memories from work and MT. I learned a lot about the way in which Koreans conduct business and a lot about Korean culture that I have not seen in my other experiences.
I spent the week working first in the office then back at manufacturing. It was nice to come full circle, starting working at manufacturing, working with marketing for a week, and returning to the assembly line. It was bittersweet to finish this three week internship, but it will be nice to rest for a week after such a busy three weeks.
I also have some travel news: I will be going to Taiwan for a month to volunteer at an English camp at the Lutheran school. I had wanted to volunteer this summer here in Asia and had asked Matt and Dee Dee about possible opportunities with LCMS World Missions. They recommended this service project, and it seems like a great opportunity. This is the school where Matt and Dee Dee worked, so they have a lot of knowledge about the school and the work being done there. I will be teaching English classes along with some VBS material for four weeks. I am very excited about this opportunity to use my gift of being a native English speaker to help enrich the minds of these children. Now that I'm done working at the internship, I have been busy preparing and packing for this trip. Hopefully, I will be able to keep you guys updated about my experiences teaching there and the new things I learn along the way. Another culture, another adventure!
I spent the week working first in the office then back at manufacturing. It was nice to come full circle, starting working at manufacturing, working with marketing for a week, and returning to the assembly line. It was bittersweet to finish this three week internship, but it will be nice to rest for a week after such a busy three weeks.
I also have some travel news: I will be going to Taiwan for a month to volunteer at an English camp at the Lutheran school. I had wanted to volunteer this summer here in Asia and had asked Matt and Dee Dee about possible opportunities with LCMS World Missions. They recommended this service project, and it seems like a great opportunity. This is the school where Matt and Dee Dee worked, so they have a lot of knowledge about the school and the work being done there. I will be teaching English classes along with some VBS material for four weeks. I am very excited about this opportunity to use my gift of being a native English speaker to help enrich the minds of these children. Now that I'm done working at the internship, I have been busy preparing and packing for this trip. Hopefully, I will be able to keep you guys updated about my experiences teaching there and the new things I learn along the way. Another culture, another adventure!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Internship Week 2
Gosh, this is ridiculous, I feel like a grown up with a real job: no time to blog! I finished my second week of my internship, which was just as busy as the first. This week, I worked with the marketing department, which was quite a contrast to the week prior.
I spent my days in the office calling prospective customers from various countries inquiring if they would be interested in our product. Before making these calls I had a crash course on Security DVR technology and what makes STL's products unique. I have realized that this technology revolution we have experienced is greater than I imagined. The capabilities of these security devices makes me wonder who is watching me as I walk down the street or through a shopping center....
I also corrected the English in the products instruction manuals. It was quite a tedious task but it was something that I could contribute considerably for the company.
Friday, I went on the Manufacturing departments Membership Training (MT). Basically, it's a weekend long trip for all the employees to spend time together outside of work. It is to build a friendship relationship between coworkers. I have heard many other Korean companies have MT's as well, so I was curious to see what this whole MT thing is about.
We left for Taean, which is on the west coast of Korea on the East Sea. We played Paintball, rode ATV's along the beach and rice paddies, and rode a Banana boat on the East Sea. I found that I was at quite a disadvantage seeing that all of the Korean men were trained for two years in how to use a gun. They annihilated me with their military aim before I could even target an opponent. The ATV ride was absolutely gorgeous. To ride among rice paddies with the smell of the salt air of the nearby ocean, followed by making figure eights on the sand was a great memory. For those who have not seen a Banana boat, it's a long inner tube that can hold about eight people at one time. We raced around several of the small islands close to the coast as everyone was screaming with both fear and delight. It was great to see my coworkers spend time together outside of the workplace and share a more informal time together.
After these activities, we went to the Pension we would stay at for the night. The pension was right on the coast overlooking the sea. We ate Samgyeopsal for dinner outside right on the coast. As the evening continued, me and Uncle Josh went to buy some fireworks from the nearby store to shoot off at the beach. It was a lot of fun, especially considering that it was 4th of July weekend.
Hyesun and Omma are back from Europe, so we have been busy catching up this weekend. They came back a week early because Omma was homesick. Hyesun will start her new job next week, very exciting!
Today, I met my friend Zhenghong in Seoul to hang out together before she leaves. She is returning to Beijing next week to finish her studies (she attends the same school as Xiaochen). She is quite an interesting person: she is Korean Chinese, meaning ethnically she is Korean, at some point her family moved to China. She speaks Korean, Chinese, and English quite fluently. Her grandparents live here in Korea, while her parents live in Brazil. She hopes to work in diplomacy with the Chinese government, so someday she and I may be working alongside one another representing our respective countries (wouldn't that be interesting!). We went to see a movie and then chatted over some coffee at a local coffee shop. I am going to miss her terribly. Even though there was a bit of a language barrier, we would have some really interesting discussions about politics, social issues, and our opinions on the changing dynamics on the global stage. I told her that this is not "goodbye" but a "see you later" because I am certain, at some point in our lives, our paths will cross again. Whether it is in three years when we have both graduated or in fifteen years when we each have established our careers, I know we will share coffees together again discussing the same topics.
I spent my days in the office calling prospective customers from various countries inquiring if they would be interested in our product. Before making these calls I had a crash course on Security DVR technology and what makes STL's products unique. I have realized that this technology revolution we have experienced is greater than I imagined. The capabilities of these security devices makes me wonder who is watching me as I walk down the street or through a shopping center....
I also corrected the English in the products instruction manuals. It was quite a tedious task but it was something that I could contribute considerably for the company.
Friday, I went on the Manufacturing departments Membership Training (MT). Basically, it's a weekend long trip for all the employees to spend time together outside of work. It is to build a friendship relationship between coworkers. I have heard many other Korean companies have MT's as well, so I was curious to see what this whole MT thing is about.
We left for Taean, which is on the west coast of Korea on the East Sea. We played Paintball, rode ATV's along the beach and rice paddies, and rode a Banana boat on the East Sea. I found that I was at quite a disadvantage seeing that all of the Korean men were trained for two years in how to use a gun. They annihilated me with their military aim before I could even target an opponent. The ATV ride was absolutely gorgeous. To ride among rice paddies with the smell of the salt air of the nearby ocean, followed by making figure eights on the sand was a great memory. For those who have not seen a Banana boat, it's a long inner tube that can hold about eight people at one time. We raced around several of the small islands close to the coast as everyone was screaming with both fear and delight. It was great to see my coworkers spend time together outside of the workplace and share a more informal time together.
After these activities, we went to the Pension we would stay at for the night. The pension was right on the coast overlooking the sea. We ate Samgyeopsal for dinner outside right on the coast. As the evening continued, me and Uncle Josh went to buy some fireworks from the nearby store to shoot off at the beach. It was a lot of fun, especially considering that it was 4th of July weekend.
Hyesun and Omma are back from Europe, so we have been busy catching up this weekend. They came back a week early because Omma was homesick. Hyesun will start her new job next week, very exciting!
Today, I met my friend Zhenghong in Seoul to hang out together before she leaves. She is returning to Beijing next week to finish her studies (she attends the same school as Xiaochen). She is quite an interesting person: she is Korean Chinese, meaning ethnically she is Korean, at some point her family moved to China. She speaks Korean, Chinese, and English quite fluently. Her grandparents live here in Korea, while her parents live in Brazil. She hopes to work in diplomacy with the Chinese government, so someday she and I may be working alongside one another representing our respective countries (wouldn't that be interesting!). We went to see a movie and then chatted over some coffee at a local coffee shop. I am going to miss her terribly. Even though there was a bit of a language barrier, we would have some really interesting discussions about politics, social issues, and our opinions on the changing dynamics on the global stage. I told her that this is not "goodbye" but a "see you later" because I am certain, at some point in our lives, our paths will cross again. Whether it is in three years when we have both graduated or in fifteen years when we each have established our careers, I know we will share coffees together again discussing the same topics.
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