Sweet Tea

It's 10:41 Pm. I'm sitting next to my computer watching a video made by some friends back in Orlando. Sipping on sweet tea, I began thinking of home, my friends, and family. I miss them.

Then the thought comes to my mind; is it my friends whom I miss or the thoughts, expressions, words, and love they constantly share. Sometimes, I feel like I am in an expressionless void surrounded by zombies whose main motivation for living is money. Surrounded by people who are afraid to fully express themselves. To share who they really are. I miss them.

I miss the freedom of expression my friends and I shared. The constant flow of love and the creativity it created. It was beautiful. When I hear of what they are up to, I yearn for it... here, in Korea. I want people to freely express themselves. I want people to think of things other than money, jobs, and the outward appearance. I want to become creative again.

I have become caught up and the everyday life, that I have actually forgotten about why I am here. Why I came to Korea in the first place. I have forgotten how to be creative. It's time to step it up. To love those around me and to allow that love to create creativity. The love of Christ. My God. My Friend.

Thank you to all those from Orlando. You have deeply shaped my life and I'm constantly thinking of you. I don't stay in contact as much as I would like to, but know that I love you. I like reading about your lives and the things going on with Status. Thank you for the freshness you bring.

These Days

I have been in Korea for just over one year and a half now and I love where I am. I'm living in Seoul, teaching for a kindergarten where my boss loves me. The kids I teach also love me. I'm paying my own rent now and all the bills that come along with it. I really have no complaints.

Since I have been in Korea, I have been part of things that I never dreamed of when I first moved here. I was in a Korean musical that where I had to act and sing in Korean. I was one of the main characters. I guess you could say I was the comic relief. It was a hard journey, but am really glad I went through it. I was able to learn a lot about my self. Some good, some not so good. After I finished the musical, I was asked to be part of Othello... done completely in Korean. This time I was just part of the ensemble. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some really great people.

Other than that, I have just been working and hanging out with friends. I'm starting to learn that I need to take time for myself. Without this, I tend to lose myself. Hopefully, I can keep that up and always remember to take time away from everything and just relax, enjoy all the things God has given me.

Also, I have found a coffee shop that I really enjoy coming to. While skiing the other day, I scraped my elbow. Now whenever I come into the shop, the owner always puts medicine on it. She is quite motherly. I like that.

10 Movies I Do Not Want to See

10. Stone - I actually like all the actors in this movie, however this one just doesn't seem too interesting.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/stone/

9. The Karate Kid - I love the original. Why would I need to watch this. Jackie Chan what are you doing?

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/karatekid/

8. Book of Eli - Sounded interesting, however I really do not like Denzel Washington. However, I did like Training Day.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/thebookofeli/

7. Frozen - The idea of watching teenagers scream for 2 hours or so does not sound appealing.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/frozen/

6. The Spy Next Door - I use to really like Jackie Chan, now I'm starting to really dislike his movies. Dear Mr. Chan Could you please go back to your old Chinese style movies. You were best at those.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/spynextdoor/

5. Faster - The Rock... er I mean Dwayne Johnson is in it.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/faster/

4. Twilight - Any and all of these movies. Everything about them is terrible.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/summit/thetwilightsagaeclipse/

3. Step Up 3D - Why are there so many movies in 3D these days. Dance movies are never good, even if they are in 3D. Okay, maybe Dirty Dancing and Footloose were good.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/stepup3d/

2. Piranha 3D - I guess if you put it in 3D people will watch it.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/piranha3d/

1. Saw 3D - I never liked the original, nor the second one. I haven't gone past that. Being in 3D will not make it better.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/saw3d/

From the last three, just assume that any movie that comes out in 3D, I will not be there to see it. I hope this trend goes away fast.

Letters From the Past

Last night I was with a friend just walking around a lake and chatting. I seem to be walking around that lake quite often these days. Well, after awhile of walking, my friend asked if to sit down for a bit. I did and we began talking about God. As we were talking, she began to ask if He was really listening to what she had to say. She said she doubts Him sometimes. I began to tell her that He is always there. When we think He isn't listening, we just have to trust that He is. I told her there were and still are many times when I have the same thoughts. However, we shouldn't allow these thoughts to turn us away from Him.

I then opened my notebook and wanted to show her something I had written during a pretty dark time in my life. When I couldn't find it on my computer, I saw a different piece on my desktop. I opened it and we began to read it. It was crazy because I had completely forgotten what I had written about and as we read it, we saw that it pertained to exactly what we were talking about.

After we finished, I began thinking about it. It might have been good for her, but it was also something that I needed to read. It was things that have been on my heart and have placed to the side. It was God telling me to come back to it. I thought it was funny how God would use something I had written several months ago to get my attention. To tell me not to forget my promises.

And even before all of this, we were at a Korean church. The pastor was talking about time and our promises. For me, I don't usually listen the first time. I usually need something to hit me in the face before I actually hear it. I guess seeing it in my own writing was God's way of doing just that. I actually enjoy those moments. Moments of clarity. I know I could use a lot more. Sometimes it is quite easy to get distracted.

A Sabbath

Okay, so I'm sitting at a coffee shop I discovered earlier this week with a friend. Today would actually be the third day this week that I have come here. It's a good place to come and write. Its semi-near where I live and the people are friendly.

Well, I have finally begin to work on my body. I started yoga and am trying to ride my bike more. And by ride my bike more, I mean actually ride it. Since I started the musical back in December, I feel like a lot of things went to the wayside. I stopped riding my bike, I began eating fast food, and I was eating out way too much. I'm in a process of changing all of that now. I'm setting a budget for myself, exercising, and even writing more. Actually the past few weeks have been pretty good. I'm no longer in the musical so all of that stress is gone. However, now I have quite a bit of free time on my hands. Therefore, I am placing things such as yoga, riding my bike, and writing where the musical practice use to be. I think it will be good for me. Who knows, maybe I can write a story and try to shoot it later on.

So, I titled this 'A Sabbath' because today is one of the first days and a very long time where I didn't have anything planned. I mean, I did yoga this morning but after that, my day was free. I have no plans of meeting people. Today is a day of truly resting. I decided to come to the coffee shop because it is quite peaceful here. (And I was just given some food from the barista... for free.) It is a place I can come and just sit. I can eat a chicken salad if I want and drink some coffee. It has been refreshing to not have any plans.

I am one of those people who is always thinking of the future. I don't really allow my brain to rest. I'm constantly thinking of what I should do next and when I don't have something planned, I feel I need to plan something. I sometimes forget to take time for myself and just enjoy the moment. I have had so many conversations where I have given advice to not worry so much about the future, but to enjoy the now and never seem to listen to myself. I always seem to think this advice is for others and not me. However, days like today remind me, I need that just as much as everyone else. I'm no different than the person next to me.

2 Months? Seriously?

I can't believe it has been two months since my last update. I think a lot has to do with the fact I have been writing a lot more on paper these days. It's been a lot more personal and stuff I guess I didn't feel comfortable sharing with the world.

Anyway, I would like to give an update on things in my life. I guess I will start with the musical. We started back in December and have been working hard ever since. A month in, we changed the script. It was a good script and the director was good. About 3 months in, the director was let go. Thus, a new script had to be made. The old director wrote the previous script so when she left, the old script left also. Sometime in April we were given our new script. This one is just as good. It's very different than the last one. However, we were given this script about a month before we were suppose to perform. The date never changed.

There has been a lot of stress on everyone's part. Some disputes, tempers flared, and hugs given. We really are like one big family... Korean/Foreigner family. I like it. I think we have all learned a lot through this experience. God has been stretching a lot of us. I know in some ways, I have become much stronger, but have also discovered weaknesses. I'm learning when to keep my mouth shut and when I should speak. I'm also learning a lot about friendships. People I never thought I would be friends with have literally become best friends.

So, we will perform this coming Sunday, May 16th. I'm excited and extremely nervous. I know it won't be perfect, but we are putting our all in it. I guess that is what is important.

This past weekend we went on a trip to 산청( Sancheong.) My experience there was quite... well... something. For the very first time I tried acupuncture. I'm not sure what happened, but my body became extremely week and I actually almost past out. (I have photos of the needles in me. I show those later.) After I was able to get up, I felt very sick. My body began to ache and felt drained. It was as if all my energy was pulled from my body. The next day we went to a place where they believe Korea's chi is the strongest. We touched this rock that was suppose to give us energy from the earth. Then, I noticed afterwards, my body was gradually getting better. By the time we got home, there was no pain in my body and I had quite a bit of energy. It was quite an amazing experience.

Now, I'm home and am ready for the week. We still have a lot of work to be fully prepared for this Sunday. Pray for us this week as I'm sure it will be quite trying on all of us.

10 Ways Korea has Influenced Me

Well, I have been in Korea for over a year now and I guess it was only a matter of time before things that I normally wouldn't do, become completely normal and are done without thinking about it.

10. May have forgotten how to drive a car.

9. No longer say, "bless you" when someone sneezes.

8. Crave squid when out with friends. (It's so good and there are many ways to eat it!)

7. Say 아이고(I E Go) or 어떻게 (oh ddah kay) when something sudden happens.

6. Type Korean names only in Korean. It's really hard to translate them to English. (Above: It was hard to spell 아이고 and 어떻게 so you know how to say it.)

5. Would rather text only in Korean. It's faster and takes up less space.

4. Probably eat rice at least once a day, sometimes more. Actually, I crave it most of the time.

3. Can sleep on the bus or subway and wake up just before my stop. I will never understand that.

2. Give and take things with two hands. I noticed this while in Japan. My friend kept making fun of me because they don't do that there. However, we do it here in Korea.

1. I bow to everyone while saying 안녕 하세요. It's a greeting. (And when I say everyone, I mean foreigners as well.)

Well, there are 10 things that you might see me doing if we meet. I'm sure there are more, but this was what I could think of. Enjoy^^

2010/2/13

Right now, I'm sitting in a coffee shop a few minutes from my house. It's small and cozy. The coffee is okay, but think it could be a good place to come from time to time. For those who don't know, I have recently moved to a new place in 건대 (Kondae) which is located in Seoul. I have been trying to get my place to look nice and am awaiting the arrival of my couch. Hopefully it will be here by Tuesday. It was suppose to arrive by Thursday, but apparently a little snow stopped that from happening. Other than that, the place is coming together. I like it.

I just found out that I will be transferring to another branch for my kindergarten. It is located in Jamsil which is about 10 minutes away from where I live by subway. The other place took me about an hour and a half to get to work. This means I will get to sleep an extra hour!! That's good news for me. The director I work for now is moving there also. It will be good to continue to work for the same boss. That way, we already know how each other works.

I'm done with Seoul National University. Since I am in the musical, I will not have time to go back until after the musical. I'm also thinking of not going back to SNU, but instead to a school closer. Maybe Kondae. We will see how things work out after the musical.

Speaking of the musical, that is going... well... it's hard. Trying to learn a script that is in a language you don't fully understand is really hard. However, everyone is trying to help and makes it a lot of fun. Friday, we had an interview with tbs efm, a radio station here in Korea. That was fun. Apparently, Tuesday KBS will be coming to document the rehearsal process and take some photos. I guess I should look decent for my TV appearance.

I honestly cannot say how thankful I am. God has truly blessed me with this amazing opportunity. I work with wonderful people and have met so many people. It truly is a great experience. I'm anxious and excited about the performance. I just hope Koreans understand that we are giving our hearts into it, but it will not be perfect. I mean, we are foreigners acting in a language we don't know. But I believe they will understand.

Pray for us. We will all need patience during this time. People can become frustrating during situations like this and we all need to stay cool and calm.

A Man Sitting on His Shoes

I'm walking home from the bus when I see a man sitting on the ground barefoot. He is barefoot because he is using his shoes to keep him off the wet ground. It is raining slightly and the man looks cold.

I want to do something for him, but what? I reach into my pocket for my change before deciding to pull out my wallet. I grab a few thousand won and hand it to him. I put my wallet away and cross the street.

"Is that all you can do?" my heart cries.

"He's Korean. I don't speak Korean. What more could I do?" I reply.

I walk to the bus stop thinking about the man sitting on his shoes. Could I have done more? How do I communicate with someone who speaks a different language? How do I show Christ's love without words?

After I got on the bus, I went home where it is dry and away from the cold. I can't stop thinking about the man sitting on his shoes. Guilt tries to come in, but I know guilt is not needed. Action is needed. But what action? I'm in a foreign land with a foreign language. What can I do? God has called me to stand up and stand out, but how?

This man sitting on his shoes has stirred something inside me.

Larry David Should Move to Korea

If Larry David thought he had awkward moments in the States, he should move to a country where people speak a different language.

Today, while riding on the subway to rehearsals, I got a phone call from my realtor. She, nor anyone in the office, speaks any English.

*Also, it is difficult to spell out how Korean sounds in English so maybe to all those who can't read Korean; you will understand how frustrated I was during this situation.

Realtor 1: 여보세요.

Me: Hello. 여보세요.

Realtor 1: 쟈니예요?

*쟈니 is Johnny in Korean. One of the ways to spell it that is.

Me:네

This is where I can no longer understand the situation. A lot is said in Korean and I understand words such as bank and deposit. However, I have no clue what they were saying. Then, I hear, "One moment please."

Realtor 2: 여보세요.

Me: 여보세요.

Realtor 2: 쟈니예요?

Me: 네. 네.

Then, she says the same exact thing the first person said... all in Korean. I tell them I do not understand in Korean. Then, I hear, "One moment please."

Realtor 3: 여보세요.

Me: 여보세요.

Realtor 3: 쟈니예요?

Me: 네.

Again, the same thing is repeated all in Korean. At this point I have given up on trying to even speak Korean. On several occasions I said I was meeting a friend and would call them back all in Korean. They just said okay and kept talking. Then, this happened.

Me: I'm meeting a friend. I will call you back.

Realtor 3: What?

Me: I'm meeting a friend and I will call you back.

Realtor 3: What? (In the back ground I hear, "어뗳게" which is what Koreans say when they don't know what to do.)

Me: I will call you back.

Realtor 3: Okay.

After about 15 minutes of this conversation, I finally hang up. Then, they apparently realized they knew my teacher's number who is Korean and called her and had her talk to me. Apparently, if the same thing is said by three different people, you will eventually understand what is being said. This gave my friends and I something to laugh about later at dinner.

Just in case you are wondering, everything is going well with the house. They apparently couldn't find the money I deposited, but eventually did find it. Not sure how they couldn't find it, but at least it was found and I am still able to move in on Sat!!

Umm... What?

Okay, I told you I had some big news and I wasn't lying. I finally have a few moments where I can tell you a little about what it actually is. I can tell you it involves Korean and singing. I can also tell you that it involves acting. Can you guess what it is? It's a Korean musical that yours truly will be part of.

Now before you start, I know, I'm not Korean and I haven't acted since I was in high school. However, the director saw something in me and decided I would be good for it. Here is a little bit more info. The people I am working with are doing a musical that is equivalent to Romeo and Juliet in Korean without the tragedy part. There will be a Korean cast and a foreign cast. I am pretty sure you can guess which cast I am part of. This is a great opportunity for me and am ever so thankful I was asked to be part of it. I have already met a lot of people who are extremely nice and always willing to help. Pretty much, it's amazing.

In case you still don't understand, I will break it down for you a little more.

1. There will be a Korean play with two sets of cast; Korean and foreign.

2. I am in it. I will be singing and speaking in Korean.

3. I am in a musical in Korea!!!!

Keep reading for more updates. I will constantly update as much as I can and am allowed to. Yes, I know this might seem really random, but come on, it's me we are talking about.

December 4th Should Have Been a Snow Day

I was awaken with the great joy of snow today. I am from the south and have only lived in the north for a little over a year and have never had much snow. Last year in Korea, it didn't really snow either. Last night however, it did!

I felt like a child today as I walked to the bus. I kept grinning as my feet were sliding around and I was trying to keep my balance. I can't explain the joy I felt. I believe today was a gift. A little bit of joy to wash away the frustrations of recent. All day, I heard people complaining about the snow; I just smiled. It wouldn't leave. When people were slipping around me and I, myself was struggling to stay up, I just laughed. It was nice. It was pure.

I truly haven't felt this way in awhile. I felt like a kid again. No worries, no pain. Just pure joy. I am so thankful for the God I have. This joy I have, I know comes from Him. It is such a blessing to have a God who does love us and cares for us. I know the snow wasn't just for me, but it brought a smile to my face... and giggles (even if giggling annoys me 99% of the time). I had a good day.

I just wish it would have been a snow day so I could have laid in the snow, haha. Maybe next time.

One Year in Korea

Since it is January 1st, I thought I would try and recap the past year. (I will try to keep it short.)

I began my new adventure living in a new country. (Technically, I moved here in November of 2008, but who's counting?)

I met my first friend in Korea, 정길. (Jeonggil) He introduced me to many others.

I participated in my first "big bow" with 정길의 엄마. (Jeonggil's mom.) This is done at New Year's. You stand in front of your elder and bow all the way to the ground. (They usually give you "pocket money."

I went to 거제도(Geoje Island) with 정길, Amy, and my 선생님 배소영(Teacher Bae So-young.) It was a beautiful place. If you ever get a chance, visit.

I worked and met many more friends. (Sorry, not too sure what I did between 거재도 and Japan.)

Well, I guess that brings me to Japan. It was my second country to visit outside of Korea. I would like to go back and experience more of it. My goal is to visit an onsen, but because I have tattoos, most will not let me enter. **Background Info** Korea and Japan both have ideas of people with tattoos being yakuza(Japan) or 깡패, 조폭(kkangpae, jopok, Korea) which are gangsters or mafia. Therefore, in Japan, if you have tattoos, you aren't allowed into their onsen. What is an onsen? It is a natural bathhouse. Because Japan has so much volcanic activity, its springs are naturally heated. These are used in bathhouses. Just something I would like to try one of these days. If you are Japanese and reading this, maybe you can help me!

I got back from Japan and met some more friends. I met these cool kids who are part of an English study group. They are a lot of fun and we have traveled around together. They say they enjoy my cooking, haha.

I got to enjoy my first ever mud festival. I went with a few friends to Korea's annual mud festival and got well, muddy. I had to walk around all day without my glasses which is partly the reason I ended up buying contacts a little bit later. I can't stand not being able to see clearly.

Around September, I had to start deciding what I wanted to do at the end of my contract. I didn't feel, I was done with Korea so I had to figure out what to do. I knew I wanted to really dive into Korean since I had only been studying it here and there with my private teacher. I applied to Seoul National University for their language program. Then, I actually got accepted. A friend introduced me to a kindergarten school that would allow me to work in the mornings and go to school in the afternoon. I guess you could say it worked out perfectly.

I went to move into the dorms, but found them completely disgusting. I don't think I would have been clean even if I showered. Luckily, my friend 정우(Jeong-woo's) family said I could live with them for the semester!!

Now, I am working with Kinder Schule and love "my" children and going to school in the afternoon. I have a midterm next week and will hopefully do well on it. So far, I haven't done too bad. Currently, I am looking for a new place to live and trying to listen to God for where to go to next.

Well, I guess that will be all down memory lane. Hopefully I didn't forget anything too important.

2009/12/26

What's new? Well, I had my third speaking test in 3 weeks. So far, I have made a perfect score on each. Hopefully, I can keep this up. I think if I am at the top of my class I can get some scholarship money!! I guess you can say school is going well. I enjoy my teachers and classmates.

Christmas was Friday. On Christmas eve, my friends and I met up at a hotel room for our party. It was a good way to celebrate Christmas. Other than the fact I was extremely tired from work and school all day, I had fun. I cooked chicken and hotteok. I am pretty sure I have explained it before, but I will do so again. It is basically a pancake with cinnamon sugar and crushed nuts inside. Oh so good!! After the party, I went home.

On Christmas, I met with my friend 정길 and had lunch. Afterwards, we went to 교보, but it was so crowded, we decided to leave. We both went home and I rested for a bit. I met with my 선생님 and had dinner. We ate some sushi, then went to a bar and played darts. Apparently, last night wasn't my night. I ended up losing 2 out of the 3 games. I'm not saying that I am good at darts, but I am better than how I played last night, haha. Afterwards, we went home.

Today, I will meet with a friend and watch Sherlock Holmes. I'm hoping it is good since it has been a movie I have been looking forward to all year. Maybe in my next post, I will let you know what I think.

This week has been a week of thought. It seems as if I hit a brick wall and couldn't figure a way around it. Today, I was able to talk to a good friend, David Miller, and we had a good conversation. I think through the conversation, some things were made clear. I know I need to find some time for myself and that is my goal for this week. To find a place where there are no expectations of me. A place where I am alone and can think. A place where God and I can have a conversation like we use to. I want to come back to that.

Christmas. Would Jesus celebrate it?

It would be hard for anyone to go anywhere and not relate December 25th with Christmas, the day to celebrate Jesus' birth. However, this day has not always been a day to celebrate Jesus. If you look up the history of Christmas, you will find many reasons why people chose this day. Some say it was to hide the fact they were celebrating a Christian God while others say it was because some people thought Jesus was born on the same day as the rebirth of the sun.

Now, in this blog, I do not want to you to walk away with the idea that I hate Christmas. I merely hope for all of us (including myself) to look at why we really celebrate Christmas and why it is we think we should "up the ante" for loving Jesus.

Growing up I have learned about Christmas and Chanukah. As a child, I experienced both and to some, had it made. I got Christmas and 8 other days of gifts. In all reality, as a child, I only cared about the gifts. I didn't give much thought about what the days meant. To me, it meant the newest Lego set. As I got older, I began to realize the importance of the celebration. Then, as I got a little older, I noticed I wasn't as happy around this time of the year as I was when I was a child. Why?

Well, I began to look around me. I saw people who would rush to the store at 5 am to buy the newest toy for their child. I saw people standing in long lines so they wouldn't run out of that doll they forgot to buy their daughter. I saw people standing outside in the freezing cold to pick a tree, chop it down, and decorate it. Is there anything wrong with any of this? No. If nothing else, it shows that you at least care enough about your children or friends to do some of these "crazy" things.

Along with this, I would go to church and would listen to a pastor preach about how we should show God our love, especially during this time of the year. Now, I fully agree that we (those who claim to be a Christian) should indeed show God and those around us our love. The problem I have with this statement is the, "especially during this time of the year." Now, what does that mean? We should show God's love, but during Christmas, we should give extra effort? Then, I can "really" show God's love in December and slack off during the rest of the year? This seems like pretty good news to those who like to slack off on this.

However, I believe that there is no certain time of the year that we should "especially" show Christ's love. I believe we should strive to show it with the utmost effort everyday of the year. God's love doesn't revolve around a certain day and neither should ours. His love is constant and never changing. We shouldn't think about the homeless or that old lady down the street who simply wants you to listen to her stories just on Christmas, but year round.

I guess it all comes back to your heart. Does a pastor really mean to show more love on Christmas when he says something similar to the statement above? I don't think so. I merely wanted to share my thoughts on some of the things I have seen and heard.

This morning while I was attending a church service, I heard a very similar phrase and it just made me slightly indifferent to the idea of what Christmas is all about. Is it really about Jesus who we(Christians) say it is about or is it more about personal desires? Since I have been in Korea, this question keeps coming up. Not just about Christmas, but about my every day life. Is this, what I am doing now, about Christ, or is it about my own desire?

Tired

At the moment, I am pretty tired. I need to learn how to stay at home and relax. However, that is a little hard when you don't exactly feel completely comfortable living where you are. Don't get me wrong. The people I live with are extremely nice and have done what they can to make me feel at home, but it's still hard to get completely comfortable living in someone else's home. Maybe this will pass with time. I mean, I have only lived here for a little more than 2 weeks. We will see.

On other news, I aced my first speaking test. I had my second one on Friday and will find out the score next week sometime. I guess you can say that so far, school is going well. The classmates are nice and we are talking to each other more and more.

Tonight, I helped out with an English study group. That was interesting. All the people were really nice, but teaching English is quite tiring. It's funny how the language I have used every day for the past 25 years (Korean age) can at times be hard to explain. There are parts of speech and phrases that through using the language, you just know what they mean or how they are used. However, when it comes time to explain them, it seems impossible. Nonetheless, I had fun. It's always great to meet new people.

I'm not sure if it is just me being tired or what, but I don't really have much to say for this week. I went to work... which reminds me. This past week, a student who is about 4 years old asked if I was a father. I said, "No! I'm too young!" Then the Korean teacher began to laugh. I also went to school and repeated this every day. Its life. I enjoy it!

Week 1 of School

Okay, I am going to try something new with my blog. I will try really hard to post at least once a week. This way, you guys can know how school is going and what not. By you guys, I mean my mother and the 5 others who actually take the time to read my babbling.

Anyway, I just began my life as a 한국어 학생. (Korean Student) Right now, it is kind of easy since I have already learned how to read and write Korean. The teachers are pretty nice. I somewhat have a crush on one. Well, her character anyway. She has a lot of energy and makes the class fun.

The students are pretty cool as well. One other student is from America(Boston) and the rest are from Canada, China, Japan, Mongolia, Singapore, Germany, and Australia. A lot of them can speak English, but there are a few who just know a few words.

Side-note: China actually just says, "hi" and "bye-bye" when they greet. Apparently, movies are not the best source to find out what people say when they see each other. Thanks 25 years of watching Chinese movies and being lied to.

It has been fun talking to some of the students and to hear their stories. Oh yeah, about half of the class has studied some form of psychology and 3 of them are lawyers.

To make money, I am a kindergarten teacher now. I teach for a few hours every morning working with children who are between the ages of 4 and 7. They are extremely cute. I will try to get pictures of them soon. I think you will agree when you see them. Work is good. The teachers are all really nice. It should be a good, tiring year, haha.

In other news, I had a 소캐팅 (blind date) and must say that it was a complete disaster. My friends and I had a lot of laughs about it afterwards. When we met, it was like pulling teeth to get the girl to speak. In fact, I am not even sure what her name was. (I know, I'm a terrible person.) Anyway, after about 15 minutes of this torture, I wanted out of there fast. My friend showed up and pretty much rescued me. I slid over and let him sit in front of the girl. Then I mentioned that I needed to go to 교보 (It's a bookstore here in Korea.) in hopes of getting away. However, they all went. My friend 바우 and I walked around without the date while I was shopping. We talked about how terrible it was going and then left. We all ate some ice cream and then the girl went home. When the person who set up the date came back we all began joking about what just happened. I told her she should never set anyone up on a date again. It was a complete bust.

Now, I just finished my homework for class and have to study for my test on Monday. That's right, only a week of school and we have a speaking test. I will let you know how I do.

November 20th

This morning I awoke around 7:00 AM to go to a meeting for a job with a kindergarten school I will be working for while I attend school at Seoul National University. However, while I was walking towards the bus stop, I received a text telling me not to come and that they had to revise the contract some more and I could sign it on Monday. Needless to say, I had some time and thought I would share my thoughts.

Since I have moved to Korea, I have felt that I was brought here for a purpose. It has been my goal to constantly strive for that purpose, whatever it may be. Throughout my stay in Korea, I have developed a desire to reach out to the people of Korea. I sincerely believe God has been putting this in my heart. However, the past few months, I have been so busy with everything, I feel I have completely forgotten why I am even here. Every now and then I will have a conversation that brings it all back, but it seems to vanish as quickly as it came.

I get caught up in my every day life and forget about all those around me. I haven't called my friends or family in such a long time. For that I am sorry. Living here has really shown the importance of friendship. But more importantly than that is the relationship with God. I believe at times, I have sacrificed my relationship with God for my ambitions or for His goals. I get caught up in why I "think" I am somewhere and forget to allow the Holy Spirit to lead me.

I remember in Florida that when these situations arose, I always had my friends who could set me straight. They could call me out and I appreciate that. That is the one thing I desire here. I want a friend who can call me out. A friend who can say, "Hey, what you just said wasn't right." Or just a friend who could ask, "How is your relationship with God these days?"

It's funny. Out of all the things I miss the most, having friends who were not afraid to call each other out is by far top of that list.

Life: Past, Present, Future

Okay, so I think a few of my friends have begun to wonder, "What's going on with Johnny?" Well, I am here to give you the scoop.

Last year about this time, I was preparing for my big move to Korea. I had no idea what would be in store for me. I had never traveled before other than to Mexico when I was a child, so I really didn't know what to expect. I knew that the transition wouldn't be easy. Not only would I be moving to another country, but also to a country where most of the people speak a different language. However, even knowing all of this, I had a peace with me the whole time. There was never any doubt or fear. I knew where I was going was the direction I was suppose to go in. (Quite possibly for the first time in my life.)

Then, I got to Korea. I immediately fell in love with the place and the people. Korea is beautiful and hopefully my photos are able to show just a little bit of that. (Which I have a ton I need to edit. Hopefully, real soon.) Anyway, since I have been here, I have done some traveling around Korea and was also able to go to Japan. It has all been quite exciting. As my year was beginning to end, I began to wonder what my next step was. I had begun to learn Korean, but I wanted to know more. I also began to feel that I wasn't done with Korea yet. I believed and still believe that I have more to do here in Korea.

Currently, I am still working. I have about 3 more weeks before my contract is up. I have decided not to extend my contract with my school and have given them my notification. However, I still had this desire to live in Korea. I have prayed about it for awhile now and I finally decided to apply for 서울대(Seoul National University.) Well, I was accepted and will start class on December 7th. I will study Korean 4 hours a day for 5 days a week. This will hopefully go on for the next year and a half. My contract with my school now will end at the end of the month. From there, I will go straight to school.

Which brings me to the future. I will not be able to come back to the States this year. I would not have the time to visit nor the resources to do so. I have been saving up for my school and housing. I am hoping that this allows me more opportunities to speak to those whom I think God would like me to. I have also found out that teaching is not something I would like to do for the rest of my life. I studied film and would like to pursue something in that field. My hope is that when I finish school, I will be able to speak enough Korean and get a job here in the film industry. It is really growing here and there is progress being made in expanding to do more overseas. I hope I will be able to contribute to that some day.

So, my dear friends, I am sorry to tell you that I will not be coming the States this year. However, I am happy to say that I am completely happen with where I am and who I am. God has huge things in store and I ask that you would keep me in your prayers. A lot has happened with me over the past year, some of which happened overseas, and at times things can seem difficult. Know, that I constantly think of you and pray for you as well.

Heres to another year in Korea!

48 Hour Film Contest

It is 11:53 am Sunday morning. I have wrapped up shooting and editing a short film and now sit on my bed after having a shower. I must say that I am quite exhausted, but I hope that I am coherent enough to tell you of the journey that was the 48 Hour Film Contest.

Well, my day started around 8:30 on Friday morning. I woke up and got ready for my day. I was excited to be working with a camera and doing a project. However, I was also a little nervous and was not sure how it would all turn out. From the previous meetings, I came to realize that I might be the only person on the team with any technical background for film. This had me very worried. It meant that I would be working with people who may not understand the process of film making. But, I put my worries aside and moved on. I went to work and waited with anticipation for the contest to start. I got off work and rushed to Seoul to meet a few team members at the camera rental store. We looked over the camera and the rest of the gear, then headed to my friend's apartment where the rest of the group were located.

When we arrived at the house, it seemed a little chaotic. People were playing a video game while others were talking about the story. My friend Sun-ho began to tell me about the story. "Oh no!" My head began to scream as I am sure that tiny smirk appeared on my face that often shows up in these types of situations. I began to discuss what would work and what wouldn't work. What followed was about an hour or so of arguments. It was clear the "technical" and the "creatives" were not seeing eye to eye. This was when I was introduced to Sarah, who thankfully also had a background in film. We began to explain why some things would work and why some things simply would not be able to be done. I think we wasted a good portion of our time on these meaningless arguments.

Finally, a story was produced and Sarah and I began the hard task of trying to make sense of the story and come up with a shooting schedule. We knew in order for the story to make any sense, things were going to be added. Well, the "creatives" didn't like us tampering with their work. However, we talked them into it and proceeded. About 6 am we got the camera gear and looked for a place to shoot. We found a bus stop that would be the ending of our short. We got the shots we needed and headed back to the apartment. Not too much happened other than a tiny old Korean man began watching us and ate a banana with some of the others on the team.

We arrived back at the apartment around 9:30 am and rounded everyone up. We knew our next location and headed off to the cafe. Suddenly, things took a turn for the worst. The director and I were not seeing eye to eye. People were sitting around and nothing was happening. People were tired and hungry. The director and I began talking about the shooting and it seemed we couldn't come to any agreement. He then took the camera and began filming. At this point, I haven't slept in 24 hours and wasn't too keen on someone doing the job I was supposed to do. We began to argue where I told him we need to stick with our jobs, but this didn't go well. It ended with me walking outside to take a few minutes and pray. I began to ask God what I should do. I wanted to just grab my bags, go home, and call it quits. Just before 1 pm, the director called me and asked me to come back. I did so, only to find out they were all thinking of quitting. They had found out, this idea wasn't working. Then people were thinking we could just write something new and shoot that.

At this point, that was out of the question. Sarah and I told them, if we were to continue shooting, we needed to stick with what we have. Otherwise, I was out of there. We got back to the apartment around 2 pm where they began discussing what should be done. Sarah and I went to get some food. When we came back, they had made the decision to press forward with what we had. We found our next location and began shooting right away. I think my favorite shot was of a friend named Donny Yoo. He is a really funny guy and a good actor. Look him up and check out his commercials. They are funny.

Night was upon us and we had a few scenes to shoot. I was tired and knew that edited was right around the corner. We began shooting the last shot and it ended with a lady cheering out her window, quite sarcastically, I must add. We moved to a different area shot the scene and went back to the apartment. It was around 10 pm on Saturday when we began uploading the footage to the computer. Sarah and I were to begin editing. We went through the scenes shot by shot and then another confrontation. We had to tell everyone in the room that we were the editors and everyone must leave. This wasn't exactly heard too well, but eventually happened and editing was underway. At this point I have not slept, other than the 5 minutes in the cab, for over 48 hours. I let Sarah take the helm and trusted she could do it. Sarah tried a few times to keep me awake, but my body wanted some sleep. I ended up getting about 6 hours of sleep and woke up to a somewhat finished product. The editing was done. All that remains was for some music and touch ups on audio and transitions. At least my part was over and I could go home.

After all of this, what have I learned?

1. Make sure the team is well balanced with a technical team. Having 2 or 3 people do everything is not a good idea.

2. Make jobs for everyone and everyone MUST stay in that job.

3. Do not allow too many people offer advice. It causes too much confusion and wastes way too much time.

4. Sometimes we have to put our foot down and simply say no.

Was this a total failure, by all means no. Was it a success, I would have to also say no. But it depends on how you look at it. Did we make a short film? Yes. Will people understand it? I'm not sure. However, I did learn a lot from this experience and will be able to use that in the future.