Lunar New Year

Well, as you can see, I didn't quite get to my post about Lunar New Year over the weekend. I was originally going to have a nice quiet weekend at home, just me, grading papers and watching movies. The perfect time to update my blog. The plans changed on Friday afternoon. I ended up going into Seoul on Saturday with friends from church. We went to Itaewon, which is a very "American" neighborhood with lots of American restaurants and shopping geared for foreigners. We also went to Times Square in Seoul, which is basically a big shopping mall. We needed to escape the cold after being outside for several hours. It was a great time with friends, but I was tired by the time I got back to my apartment. And I still had grading to do on Sunday! It's a good thing my blog readers will forgive a few days tardiness.

Itaewon:


Times Square:



Inside Times Square:






Now, on to Lunar New Year. This is the major holiday in the Korean calendar. This holiday goes back centuries to when Korea (like China) followed a lunar calendar. It is the same holiday as Chinese New Year, but the two countries celebrate it differently. While the Chinese holiday lasts for a couple weeks and is filled with fireworks and parties, the Korean version is shorter more sedate. The holiday lasts three days; the day in the middle is the actual holiday and the two days on each side are travel days. That's right, they set aside days specifically for travel. That also means that it is a horrible time to travel around Korea, as most of the country is on the roads at that time. You see, most Koreans travel to see family for Lunar New Year. As a result, sons and daughters (with their own families) are descending on their parents' house. The travel problem is exacerbated by the fact that Korea is such a small country. With 48 million people squeezed into a country the size of Indiana, you will run into travel problems whenever a large percentage decides to travel at the same time. The holiday just exaggerates that trouble, making it difficult to go anywhere in a car during the prime holiday travel hours. On the Saturday of Lunar New Year weekend (the first travel day), I was riding with some friends to go out to eat, and it took us about twice as long to get to the restaurant as it normally would have, and the drive normally only takes about 10 minutes. It was craziness, and we never even left our neighborhood!

Anyway, Lunar New Year is a big holiday for family, kind of like Christmas and Thanksgiving all rolled into one. There are special Korean dishes that they eat for the new year. Traditionally, there are also sacrifices to the gods, but that was before Christianity arrived in the country. Some parts of the traditional Lunar New Year celebration still cater to that tradition, but it has lost most of the religious aspect. Another traditional component to Lunar New Year is that the grandparents give money to the children, which is something that all the kids look forward to. I had some students wish they were going to their grandparents' house so they could get money. While there are other details about the holiday (some of which I'm not even sure about), the important thing about the holiday is that families get together to celebrate the start of the new year.

Reflections

So, last weekend was Lunar New Year, which is a major holiday in Korea. It's not a two week deal like it is in China, but it lasts for three days. Everyone has it off work, and many stores and restaurants are closed. I had it all planned out to write a nice long post about Lunar New Year and other Korean things (including some stuff about Korean literature). However, as we started this week, I couldn't help but be reflective.

You see, one year ago, things looked very different.

One year ago, I was working at Grandview and was planning on being there for a while longer.

One year ago, as class sponsor, I was starting to plan things like senior trip for the Class of 2013.

One year ago, I was living in Des Moines, Iowa, within just a few minutes drive of my parents and where I grew up.

One year ago, everything was familiar.

One year ago, my world flipped upside down.

One year ago, on this very day, I learned that I would not have a job at Grandview for the 2012-2013 school year.

One year ago, I was updating my resume and applying for jobs.

One year ago, I was scrambling to apply to NICS and get to Southaven, Mississippi, for a job fair.

One year ago, I was offered a position a Pyongtaek International Christian School in South Korea.

One year later, my life has completely changed. I am living in a different country, on the other side of the world, teaching not only in a different school but in a different kind of school. I am teaching some different classes with different responsibilities. I am far away from my family, talking to them only occasionally and being with them only a couple times a year.

But I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am doing what God wants me to do in exactly the place God wants me to do it. And while there are things I miss about teaching at Grandview and living in Iowa close to family, I really do love Korea.

So this week, as I reflect back on what my life used to be, I cannot help but feel content with what my life is right now. It's something that I would never have imagined for myself a year ago, but here I am. I teach a great group of kids at an excellent school. I have a wonderful church family and awesome friends. God has blessed me here in Korea.



And I promise to keep in touch with people back in the States, and I will eventually write that post about Lunar New Year and Korean literature. Maybe even this weekend...

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I spent the holidays in Iowa with my family and friends. Despite being jetlagged the entire time, I was able to relax and take a break. I played games with my sisters (including our perennial favorite, Jeopardy) and the rest of my family, including Hand and Foot and Ticket to Ride. I spent a weekend at my grandparents' house and got to see all of my extended family on my mom's side, including my two adorable cousins, Max (3 1/2) and Auggie (1 1/2). Hooray for family!

I also spent some time with friends, getting lunch or seeing a movie. Additionally, I was able to stop in at Grandview and see my former students and co-workers/teachers. I even got to share about Korea with the 3rd grade class, which was a really neat experience. They asked a lot of good questions (and thankfully I knew the answers!). If for some reason I didn't get to see or spend a lot of time with you, I'm sorry. A two and a half week trip doesn't leave a lot of time for seeing everybody. However, I will be back for the summer for probably about six weeks, giving me time to see and spend time with a lot more people.

There was also one other thing I did over break that is of mention. I went to the doctor about my wrist. I haven't mentioned it a lot on here, but my wrist has been really bothering me this semester, especially from October on. So I decided when I was in Iowa for Christmas that I should go see the doctor about it. I could have seen a doctor in Korea about it but I didn't want to for a couple reasons. The first is that I've had a hard time explaining exactly what's going on to doctors in the States who speak English. I wasn't quite ready to tackle it with a language barrier. The second, and more significant reason, is that I wanted to stick with the same doctor for the sake of continuity. I have discovered with carpal tunnel that you have to go back to the same doctor several times before anything gets done in order to prove that this is a consistent problem over time. So, long story short, I went back to the orthopedic doctor I saw last winter. Last time I went to see him, he told me to keep wearing my brace and resting it and see if that would help. This time, however, it was a much more productive appointment. Because it is still a problem, he gave me a cortisone shot to help with the pain. Now, this is not a long term solution. It should help for a few months, but then it will fade away. When I get back to the States, I need to make an appointment with him again. At that point, we are probably looking at surgery. I am hoping that if I have surgery this summer that I can have it as close to when I get home as possible so I have the maximum recovery time before starting school again. But, we'll just see what happens. There's a lot up in the air yet. However, we are making progress. And, if the cortisone shot helps (which it is), then I'm a good candidate for surgery.

Since the cortisone shot will not solve this problem, your continued prayers for my wrist would be much appreciated. And don't just pray that I don't have pain. Most days I've accepted that I will have pain. My bigger request is for my attitude. Most of the time, I do okay, but I have bad days with a lot of pain or when I get really frustrated, and then I go into pity party "woe is me" mode. Pray that I can maintain a good attitude and be thankful for what I am able to do. Pray that I can even be thankful that I am dealing with this and that I will accept help from others to make my life easier and less pain-filled.

Things have been really busy since returning to Korea, as they always are at the beginning of a new semester. However, this semester will be especially busy as I take on a new responsibility. I am one of the directors of the school's spring musical. We are doing My Fair Lady. Yes, our little high school with a total of 46 students is going to attempt My Fair Lady. And, I think we'll be able to pull it off. It is going to require a lot of work and a lot of students with multiple small parts, but I think we can do it. We will be cutting some of the music, mostly just the length of the songs, as well as a scene or two. Don't worry, you'll hear much more about it over the next few months. The performance is on May 18th, so it's still a few months away. We are, however, starting auditions this week. We want to give the students as much time to practice as possible. And the performance will be video taped, of that I have no doubt, so I'll probably be able to post the video or a link to the video from my blog. I've never directed a play before, so that's a little scary. It's a good thing I have all that acting experience from high school under my belt. Here's hoping I can be almost as good a director as Mrs. Fisher or Mrs. Fincham.

Election Day

What would you all think if I told you that election season was not over yet? I can hear the groans now. Thankfully, elections are over in the United States; however, today is election day in South Korea. And by today, I mean my today, Wednesday, December 19.

Elections are a big deal in South Korea. In fact, election day is a national holiday. Businesses are closed, banks and other institutions are shut down, and kids don't go to school. All of this so people can vote.

This year is the year of a presidential election, so it's something that everyone is paying attention to. In South Korea, the president is elected to a single five year term. There are several political parties in South Korea, but only two main parties, just like in the United States. Candidates are given a number to help identify them. The number you get depends on the popularity of your party. So, the candidate from the most popular party gets the number 1, the second most popular gets the number 2, and so on. There are banners all over the place with the candidates' pictures on them and their number. Since I don't watch Korean TV, I don't know if they do television commercials like in the United States, but I would assume they do.

However, South Korean political candidates use a couple other measures that are not seen in the United States. The first is advertising trucks. Trucks drive up and down the streets with an advertisement for a candidate playing. They are bright, colorful neon ads that can be heard from a ways away. Let's just say it's very annoying when they pull right up beside your vehicle when you're on your way to school at 6:30 in the morning while it is still dark.

Another unique advertising technique that is popular is the dance team. Each candidate will have a team that dances, sings, and chants in support of their candidate. These dance teams can frequently be found in downtown areas, on the corners of busy intersections, and in the open markets. They are accompanied by colorful signs telling which candidate they are supporting, and the dancers are all dressed in the colors of the campaign. For instance, the #2 candidate's colors are yellow and green. Therefore, the dance team for his campaign will be dressed in yellow and green. The dances they perform are very coordinated and synchronized (and kind of fun to watch).

The two main candidates in the election are Park Geun-hye from the current ruling party (candidate #1-conservative) and Moon Jae-in (candidate #2-liberal). (Note- In Korea, the last name is given first. Therefore, Park and Moon are the candidates' last names, not their first names.) Right now, Park Geun-hye has a slight advantage over her rival, but it is within the statistical margin of error. This could be a major election for South Korea, as Park Geun-hye could become the first female president of South Korea.

Now, you may be thinking, "This is all very interesting, Jessica. I'm glad you're aware of the political happenings in the country you are living in, but it really has nothing to do with me." While I understand this sentiment, the South Korean presidential election could have a lot to do with you. For one, the United States is allies with South Korea. Therefore, the U.S. needs to maintain a good relationship with the South Korean government, which is headed by the president. Two, the U.S. has a large military presence in South Korea because of its northern neighbor, a closed off communist country who is always threatening to make nuclear weapons and use them against the U.S. or its allies (like South Korea). Such a move could start a major war. Sixty years ago, the Korean War almost turned into World War III. You see, historically, Korea is known as a shrimp amongst whales. The whales were traditionally China and Japan, with both countries wanting to control the Korean peninsula as a launching point to conquering the other. During the Korean War, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. joined that fight. The war left the country divided. Ever since then, a big question is what will happen to the two countries. Will they ever be reunited? How will it happen? Much of the South Korean policy toward North Korea is determined by who is president. And what that policy is affects how the two countries interact. And that interaction will affect what the rest of the world, namely the United States, does. Some administrations have chosen to have nothing to do with North Korea. More recently, some administrations have embraced a "Sunshine Policy" towards North Korea. This policy means the South Korean government is trying to be friends with North Korea. The most notable accomplishment of this policy a few years ago was the opportunity for families separated by the Korean War to meet. However, this policy does not mean that the two countries are at peace. Technically, they are still at war from the '50s. For instance, a couple of years ago, a South Korean ship sank near the sea border with North Korea. The North also recently launched rockets at a border island, killing a few people, both civilian and military. As an ally with South Korea, the United States should care about its interactions with North Korea.

Now, I don't know what each of the candidates or parties think about relations with North Korea. But I do know that it matters who is elected president. I encourage you to pray for the election and for the country of South Korea.

On another note, it is almost Christmas! I will be spending Christmas in Iowa with my family. Yay! I am excited to see my family and hear first hand all about my sister Abby's experience studying abroad in Lithuania. It will be a good time. I will be there for two and a half weeks before returning to Korea to prepare for second semester. If you would like to do something, or even just catch up, I will have some time to do so. You can contact me via facebook, email, or my American cell phone number. I will have my American cell phone and the number is the same. I look forward to seeing many of you and catching up.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Harvest

It's finally time for the much awaited post about harvesting rice. No, the harvest did not just get finished. It's been finished for over a month. I'm just finally getting around to posting about it. It wasn't a time sensitive post describing what I've been doing, so it got pushed back until I finished updating you on the rest of my life. But it is finally time.

I'm going to let my pictures tell most of the story. The farmers harvested the rice using a combination of farm equipment and hand labor. The machines are a lot smaller than I'm used to seeing, but the fields also don't stretch for acres and acres. They are divided up into much smaller sections with little roads between them. Let me tell you, the narrow rice paddy roads can be lots of fun to drive on.

Here's how they actually harvest the rice:

The front end of the combine cuts the rice, then the rice is separated from the stalk, which is fed across the top of the combine before it is spit out the backside. The stalks are then left out to dry before being gathered into bales.

They then cover the bales with a white tarp, so the fields look like they are dotted by giant marshmallows. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the Korean version of the town of Chewandswallow.

The final step is burning some of the remaining detritus. Some fall days the air is very choked with smoke.

I hope you enjoyed your brief tour of the rice harvest. Tune in next spring to learn about planting rice and flooding the rice paddies. In the meantime, your tour guide will see if she likes rice paddies in the winter as much as she likes corn fields in the winter. My favorite time of year to look at the corn fields is during the winter. I just think they look so pretty covered in a light layer of frost, surrounded by the cold, clear air. Now I just have to figure out if the rice paddies look as nice during the winter. I'll let you know what I decide.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is enjoying their Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends while remembering to give thanks for the many blessings God has given us. I was able to get a traditional Thanksgiving meal several times over the past week, so I'm not lacking in the turkey category. I was also able to watch a little bit of football, which really made it feel like Thanksgiving (my dad did a good job training me in that respect). I'm also thankful that the cold I had this week is starting to get better, due in part to having two days off school. Hallelujah for school breaks! The extra rest has helped a lot.

The thing I am most thankful for right now are many friends to celebrate the holiday with this year, which makes up a little bit for not being able to spend it with family. There are three groups in particular that I am thankful for (yes, there is some overlap among the groups).

Group 1: The PICS community. I am grateful for the staff community that exists at PICS. This group includes the other teachers, the staff members, and all of their families. One of the reasons this year is going so well is because of these people. They all care and are concerned about others. They've helped me when my carpal tunnel has acted up and told me where to find things or how to do something in Korea. It's a very fun group that is able to tease each other but can get serious when the situation calls for it.

Group 2: My church family. One of the things I was concerned about in moving was the kind of church I would be able to find. I have been very blessed to be a part of Mission Baptist Church (MBC). The church is made up of people from around the world, though mainly Americans and Koreans. With Osan Air Base just a few blocks away, there are many people at MBC who in the military. I am very thankful that I've been able to get involved in a wonderful women's Sunday school class. I've also become part of a Sunday "lunch crew." Every week after church I have lunch with the same group. There's usually about 8-10 of us, and sometimes we hang out at other times throughout the week (like we did last night). Because of the nature of the church's situation, the specific people in the group are a little bit in flux, simply because people come and go all the time. One of the members of the lunch crew recently went back to the States. In a few months, a couple more will be gone. But, just as people move on, we also get new people in our group. I'm very grateful that I have found MBC and become a member.

Group 3: My roommates. I am very thankful for my two roommates, Kari and Jennifer. Though we all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences, we all get along well. We have a lot of fun hanging out and talking. These two girls are my closest friends in Korea, the ones I can tell everything I'm think and feeling. I'm very thankful that I have found those kinds of friends here. We spent this afternoon decorating our apartment for Christmas, putting up our tree and listening to Christmas music. Then, we wrapped our presents and put them under our tree. We got most of the shopping for our families done when we were in Seoul a few weeks ago, so we really don't have to worry about it anymore. Now we can just enjoy our festive apartment, like I am doing as I write this post next to our Christmas tree with the lights blinking in the dark.

I am also thankful that in less than 1 month I will be back in Iowa for Christmas! I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends that I haven't seen since July. The new friends I've made here are great, but I'm excited to catch up with the old ones as well. All of your prayers and support have been much appreciated. I couldn't do what I'm doing without them.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Fall Festival went very well. We raised a lot of money for the school, and there were no issues with Balloon Darts in my room. Everything went very smoothly, including when my roommate Kari got a pie thrown in her face.

All Work and No Play...

Where has the time gone? I feel like time is just flying by! I feel like I just got to Korea, but in reality, it's almost Thanksgiving and I've been here for almost 4 months. Life has really settled in over the past 4 months, especially in the past few weeks. While most of my life is pretty boring--wake up, go to school, tutor, come home from school, grade, and go to bed--I have taken the time to do something other than school the past few weeks.

First, I went up to Seoul with my roommates last weekend. We went to Insadong, which is a street in Seoul with lots of shopping. It is known for its art galleries, everything from paintings to pottery. Insadong is also a great place for souvenir type items, which happen to make great Christmas gifts. When we were in Insadong, I also bought a painting/wall hanging. These Korean paintings are painted on a thick, heavy paper and then mounted on a decorative background. There's a wooden rod on the bottom to help it hang straight, plus a ribbon at the top to hang it. I love these paintings! Most of the designs are of the Korean landscape, filled with mountains, trees, flowers, streams, and lakes. They are gorgeous! I bought one when I was here for student teaching, which is still in the States. I promised myself I would buy another one when I got to Korea to hang in my bedroom here, and I finally did it last weekend. Now I really smile every time I walk into my bedroom!

Here are some pictures from Insadong, including one with my roommate Jennifer. It was really crowded the day we went.

Now, before I go any farther, I'd like to take a few minutes to ask a few questions. What is the most commercialized holiday? What holiday was created solely to help a company sell more of its product?

If you answered Christmas or Mother's Day to either of the above questions, then you need to hear about Pepero Day. What is Pepero Day, you may ask? Pepero Day is celebrated on 11/11, and it is a day where you give Pepero to your friends, to your parents, to your teachers, etc. Now, I know most of you are wondering, what is Pepero? Well, Pepero is a Korean treat. It is a cookie stick dipped in chocolate. There a few different kinds: original, which is just regular chocolate; almond, which has pieces of almond stuck in the chocolate; and strawberry, which is strawberry flavored chocolate. The original are my favorite. Pepero Day was created by the company that makes Pepero as a way to sell more Pepero. And it worked! It is a very popular holiday, especially with kids. Student council did a fundraiser selling Peperograms, where students could buy Pepero to give to their friends, with a special note, that student council would deliver on Pepero Day. Since 11/11 was a Sunday this year, they did the deliveries on Friday. And, in case you were wondering, I did get Pepero from several of my students, including some homemade Pepero. It was yummy! Here's a picture of some of it:

Another fun thing going on right now is Fall Festival. Fall Festival is held at school every year, and every class creates and runs a carnival game out of its room. I am the 9th grade class sponsor, and they decided to run a game of Balloon Darts out of my room. Fall Festival is tonight, and they are getting ready right now. They just finished blowing up hundreds of balloons, creating a balloon mountain in one corner of my room.

Hopefully everything goes well tonight and there are no balloon avalanches! Or anymore water balloons like the one I just confiscated...