너무 너무 아파요~~neo-mu neo-mu a-pa-yo~~

너무 너무 아파요~~neo-mu neo-mu a-pa-yo~~very very sick. T.T

...So for the last 3 weeks and counting, I have had this running cold. The first couple weeks it was just a little cough and congestion....then, after 2 weeks, it turned into a REALLY sore throat, fever, SUPER congestion and sinus problems, coughing, blowing my nose constantly, losing my voice, and not being able to breathe well. Sounds great, I know. Just when I thought it should be over, it just got WORSE. I finally went to the doctor Monday. I figured it was just a cold, and 'what could a doctor do for me, really?'...but I went anyway because after feelings REALLLLY bad on Monday AND being at school teaching all day (while my CT and I BOTH didn't have voices too!~~Interesting lessons, needless-to-say), I decided that if I was going to get through the rest of the week and still teach, maybe going to a doctor couldn't hurt...and here is my experience at a Korean doctor's office:

Walk right in. Hand them my "insurance notecard thing I got from the school" (just a piece of cardstock paper that I only have to show once. It is not like in the US where you must carry around an insurance card. My CT told me that those are even just for foreigners. Koreans don't even need to show anything. They just show up at a hospital, and the information is there. Man, Korea has it down!) Anyway, after they check it and my ARC, I am told to go to the actual office of the doctor. It's not like a US office where you sit on your hospital bed of crinkly paper and wait for them to check your vitals. In Korea, it is like walking into a business office. I sit down across from the doctor's desk, and he asks me questions. I tried by best to get across what was going on (being as though I had no voice). He thankfully spoke some English and tried to help. He was very kind, at least. One of the first questions was to ask what's wrong. Then, why am I here. I thought to myself, well, hmmm, did my coughing and lack of a voice, fever, and congestion NOT give that reason away? Um, because I'm sick?? I wasn't sure what answer he was wanting so I simply tried to say that my friend told me to go there. The only "medical check" he did was to take my temperature. Other than that, he didn't check my heart/lungs/ears/nose/troat.....nothing. And then he said, "Ok, I will give you this paper to get some medicine."

Ok...how do you even know what is wrong without checking? How am IIIII supposed to be my own doctor, and you just trust what I say and believe me? So different, let me tell you. Ohhhh....but it gets better. I walk back out to get the paper and pay. In Korean, he tells me 500 Won (~45 cents!). I knew exactly what he said, but I said, "What?!??" (in Korean) with a confused look and my mouth hanging open (I mean really??!!~~~How can it only cost 45 cents to see the doctor??? CENTS??!?!?!) So they proceeded to say it in English. I responded in Korean how yeah, yeah, I understand~~it is just really, really cheap!

I take my Rx to the pharmacy and pay a mere 5,000 W (less than $5.00) for my medicine. I was given the typical Korean packets of meds (picture to come) to take 3x/day for 5 days, along with cough medicine. I proceeded to go home, take the meds, and go to sleep.

It was not until the next day that I thought to myself, 'Oh, that's weird...they never asked me if I was allergic to anything. ...and I have absolutely NO idea what this random pills are in these packets. That's weird.' (This was after taking 2 doses of it already.) I was so sick Monday night and loopy off of the decongestant I had gotten over the past weekend in Seoul that I had not really thought about that little problem until AFTER taking the meds. ...and taking these meds didn't help either. They make me drowsy and a little out of it. ...but when it was all said and done, when I got to school, I asked my other CT if she knew what the pills were. She called the pharmacy for me to find out what was in them. Turns out I WAS allergic to the Codeine in the cough syrup, so I quit taking that. Thank goodness I had not had enough to do anything. If it had been Sulfa, I MAY have had a little problem. Thankfully, it was not.

...And so here I am~~it is Friday, and I am still not feeling well. I am definitely feeling better than Monday, but still sick. The doctor told me that if I didn't get better after these 5 days of meds, I had to go to a bigger hospital. (Oh, I should stop here and explain: in Korea, going to a doctor's office is called "going to the hospital." There is not the distinction we make about just a doctor's visit and a hospital visit.) I wonder if I will go to a bigger hospital. Maybe if they are open Sunday evening, but I am so busy this weekend toO! Saturday I will leave early to get a train to Daegu to go to an Asian Pop Song Festival!! Woo hoo!! ~~~And my "boyfriend's" band, Beast 비스트, will even be there!!! Ahhhh!! Too bad I can't scream! But I am so excited nonetheless! This is a Pop Festival of Asian Pop Stars from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong. It is sure to be awesome! And best of all~~it is FREEEEEE!!!!!!  (As a side note, I was super sad yesterday that T-ara and MBLAQ and Everland all came to Indong (my neighborhood in Gumi), OF ALL PLACES, and gave a FREEEEE CONCERT LAST NIGHT!!!! The one time something cool ACTUALLY happens in Indong, and I am in Daegu for Korean classes. Oh well, maybe sometime something cool will happen again....maybe.

Address!

Hi all! I don't have much time to write because I am actually about to head to my Saturday classes. This will be my first time teaching 1st/2nd graders on Saturdays...AND it's by myself! Goodness, gracious! These kids are so young they're still working on their Korean, muchless knowing ANY English. This will be fun. I guess I'll have to cave in and whip out some Korean for these kids. ^^ Oh, and did I mention, I also found out yesterday that a guy from the POE (Provincial Office of Education) is coming to check out the Saturday classes at our school???? If I wasn't already nervous about just teaching 1-2 by myself for the first time, I get that lovely surprise! >.<  But I know God is good, and He will be merciful to me. He is good in so many ways. He has provided me with a loving Church family, as well as other believers to encourage me/for me to encourage. I will also have to share in another blog post soon about God's amazing work with opening the door for me to go to the Philippines to work at an orphanage there over the Christmas holiday. I really have been blessed with one of the best schools in Korea, let me tell you. You just wait until I tell you the amazing work that happened there to allow me to reach these people in the Philippines. ^^


Well, before I head off to class (which will be ending with an ice cream social after they sum it up with practicing colors and numbers on ice cream scoops to make one big ice cream cone to display), I will be heading to Busan for a weekend of relaxing on the beach and hitting up a jjimjilbang and trying out the famous Fish Market. Ohhhh....and our first experience meeting up with fellow CSers (Couch Surfers). Can't wait! 


Final point, and the main point I wrote this post was to finally remember to post my ADDRESS!!! I posted it in my profile's About Me section. Also, if you want mail sent to you (and I would LOVE to send mail!)....PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS (use the email on my profile!)!!! ^^


I will also post my address here: 




Indong Elementary School
#400 Inui-dong
Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 730-320
South Korea

I don't know a stranger

Can you believe it?? Two posts in a week?! Maybe it will be a trend??? Lol, keep crossing your fingers on that one. ^.~  I have a little extra time before I have to head to school, so I thought I would share a little from my last night's adventures...


So, my friend, Erin, who teaches in Sang-mo dong (in Gumi, too) was going to try and come out to Indong again. As we had somewhat figured out the bus schedule/system (thanks to some help from both our co-teachers (CTs)), she made it here! We were on a hunt to get her a cell phone. A lot of people have been having a hard time getting one yet since we don't have our actual Alien Registration Cards (ARCs) yet. We have all applied for them now, but it will take some time to process...until then, most cell phone stores (from what I have heard) will not issue cell phones. I, for one, found this strange since so many of us got pre-paid phones in Seoul (some of my friends only staying for 5 weeks).  It might have been because it was Seoul and they have more "global" stores/get it a lot more? Either way, I was DETERMINED to get her a phone, no matter what KIND (even if it was just a pre-paid one and not a smart phone), by the end of the evening. I was armed with my minimal Korean and my cell phone dad's number in case we needed reinforcement lol. 


First store I pick out, I walk in and start attempting my Korean, and the next thing you know, we walk out of the store with some new friends (teehee, I'll be back for my iphone 5 from him in October! Weeeeee!!!! yay!!!!) AND a new smart phone for her! SUCCESS!!!


And theeeeeeeen~~~~~


By this point, it's after 7pm, and I didn't want her to have to make the trip back to Sang-mo without eating, so we decide to walk around downtown Indong in search for a good restaurant. We both decide we want noodles (yay!!! I've been DYING to have mul naeng myeon~~cold noodles~~since the last time I had it in Seoul. Seriously, I thought Bi bim bap was my favorite food (and I told all my students this too), but now I am reminded that there is NO WAY naeng myeon can be second place. Bi bim bap doesn't hold a CHANCE against naeng myeon~~it's just sooooooo good! My FAVORITE!). Sooooo....I figure~ I don't really know any restaurants around here, so what better way to find the best place than ask a local, so I walk up to some guy in the street and ask for where the best naeng myeon is, and he proceeds to walk us around to find one. Find out he works for LG (Gumi is the city of factories~~Samsung, LG, and some others are all here...just to let ya know since I haven't made the post about my city yet), and he has only been here for 5 months, so he is not too sure of the best place, but he says he is determined to help us, and since Gumi downtown is not too big, it is certain he can find a good one. Woo hoo! Another new friend. ^^ And he DOES find us one and we are SOOOOO happy! And the food was ABSOLUTELY delicious! I'm pretty sure I could have been drooling all over myself at this point. haha


And you know, I really don't think I know a stranger. .... because there I go again~~ Start talking to the store owners there and make some new friends. They knew a little English, so pairing that with our basic Korean, we had a simply wonderful evening. Great food (they even gave us some yummy free mandu and then my yummy favorite Maxim Mocha Gold coffee to end it off), great conversation, and great new friends. It was so cute, the owner even offered to make us some hamburgers hahaha I didn't get why, but it was cute nonetheless (Oh, I should preface this by saying this is naeng myeon shop, and they literally only serve 3 dishes~~mul naeng myeon, bi bim naeng myeon, and the mandu...so I didn't even understand what he was saying when he said he could make hamburgers lol).  my new FAVORITE restaurant in Indong...will be back to visit again, for sure. ^^  (I will have to add pictures for sure sometime~~next time I'll take some. ^^) 

A Tale of God's Faithfulness

Ok~~so I have not updated in so long, and I have soooooooo much to tell~~from my trip to Japan to EPIK Orientation in Jeonju to my first week as a teacher. I do hope to get to these things soon (except for Japan~~those notes are on my ipod, and it is unfortunately broken at the moment).....BUTTTTT.....I HAD to interrupt and write this post about God's faithfulness.


I have had one of the most wonderful and merciful days today, and it is completely due to the Lord's guidance, mercy, and blessing. I started off by going to an English service at a Korean church in downtown Gumi (about 15 min drive away from where I am in downtown In dong). Another foreign teacher and I were going together, and we did not even know how to get there, and it was quite a feat trying to get the information on the church from her co-teacher. We were not even sure the name of it until about 30 min before it started. Buuuuut~~~trusting in the Lord's faithfulness, we took a taxi (and he knew where it was, thankfully, even after trying to get us to call our friend for more information, with no response). Satan would have liked us to just go back home and "try" again next week when we had more details such as a bus to take, service time, etc. Honestly, neither of us had been given our entrance allowance of 300,000 W (a little under $300.oo) yet, so we did not even have the money to spend on a taxi. BUT, trusting in the Lord and realizing that He would bless and honor our obedience and provide for us ("I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."~Phil. 4:12), we spent the money for a taxi and made it there. It was a blessing to be in the house of the Lord. Although it was much smaller and different from the worship style of the service I attended in Seoul, it was still a blessing to be able to worship God and be surrounded by fellow believers.


After this English service, my friend went home, and I stayed for the Korean service as well. I made a couple new Korean friends there. And get this....once again, I met a Music Major!~~this time a Vocal Music Ed major. God is so good! It was hard to sit through such a long service while they were speaking SOOOOO fast in Korean~~although it was cool that I could understand some of it -.~ There were four new people to the service today, and we all had to stand up in the front and introduce ourselves. I was the only foreigner (go figure haha), but every was kind as I tried to speak in Korean, telling them who I was and what I did/where I taught. After our introductions, the whole church sang a song of blessing and welcoming over us. It was sooo cute and heart-warming! <3 Then, I met a few more people after service, and I cannot wait until I go back in two weeks (because they don't have service next week because of Chuseok (like a Korean form of Thanksgiving. I'll do a later post on that for you all)~~why they don't have Church because of that, I am still uncertain about, but I guess I'll go with it. 


Anyway, after church service, one of my new friends, Gloria (the Vocal Ed friend) and her boyfriend drove me back to In dong. Her bf is also a Vocal Major and even has his own Academy~~how cool! Can't wait to hear the two of them sing! I tried to get them to sing in the car, but they wouldn't do it. Next time lol -.~


On my short walk down my street back to my apartment, I ran into a foreigner! First one I had seen in In dong besides my friend, Brittany (who went to church with me and is a teacher through EPIK at the Middle School). Come to find out this girl's name is Bianca, and she is from South Africa, having lived in In dong for 6 months now. She is sooooo kind and welcoming and offers to show me around sometime and help me with the bus system and show me the best coffee shops, etc etc. WOW am I so lucky! God is soooooo faithful! Someone who has been here for awhile to help show me the ropes. .....And it GETS BETTER!!! She asks me if I live nearby, and I say yes, and then she asks me where I was coming from, and I told her how I was just getting back from church. Turns out, she goes to the other English church service in Gumi and is on her way to meet up with some of them for a little BBQ (shoot, I forgot the name for it in South Africa haha~~something with a rolled "r" lol), and she invites me to come along. Ok, wow! Only in Korea~~I LOVE IT!! So I hop in a taxi with her, and we go over to another couple's apt. There were five of us there in total, and it was some of the most encouraging, BEST fellowship I have had. I really cannot even BEGIN to describe how wonderful these people are~~and with such hearts after the Lord. I absolutely do not deserve this, and yet, God is sooooo completely faithful. (OHHHHH and I forgot to mention, I was asked if I would play my flute at church for an earlier service in the Korean church~~GOD, you are SO FAITHFUL!! Ohhhhh, AND it was MISSIONS SUNDAY at the Korean service. I mean, really~~~)

Kyle and Jade (is that spelled right?) with the rooftop BBQ

Jade, Haley, and Bianca~~check out this BEAUTIFUL view they have from up here! ^^

Yummmmmmmy!!!

My heart has been so completely filled today, I feel like it is going to BURST!


On top of everything, this group of new friends I made tonight does a Wednesday prayer meeting in their apartment each week. Wow, another answer to prayers. And really, here is another instance in God's divine appointments. If I had not gone to the Korean church and come back at that EXACT time, and if Bianca had not been running a little late for the BBQ, NONE of this would have happened. GOD IS SO GOOD!!! PRAISES TO HIS HOLY NAME!! Can I get an AMEN!! And get this~~at their last prayer meeting, they were praying for all the new foreigners coming into Gumi. We were an answer to each others prayers. Now you CANNOT tell me there isn't a God out there! 



"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,

   'In the time of my favor I heard you,
   and in the day of salvation I helped you.'
   I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation."

~2 Cor. 5:17-6:2

my very own lotus flowers ~~~<@

Nothing much to write on today's post~~~just wanted to upload a couple photos (untouched) I took of my own lotus flowers~~~from outside the Jamsil Stadium, of all places...But oh so beautiful! I'm proud of these photos ^^  

Stay tuned tomorrow for my adventures with Yurika to the Hello Kitty Cafe!!! ^.^

A Special Gift for You!!!

Alright!!! So, as my semester here is about to end, I had to put together a final project for my culture class. I, of course, went far above and beyond the amount of time/effort I ACTUALLY needed to put into it, but I was just have WAY too much fun messing around on a couple new programs! I used some new photo editing software, which was REALLY fun to play with, and I spent so many hours playing around to make different photos....and then, this was also my first time using iMovie (thank you to Destiny for telling me what this program on my computer even is~~~I LOVE IT!!!!) I will DEFINITELY be making more of these in the future!


Unfortunately, as many of you know, I was having major camera problems, but praise the Lord, it is fixed now, right before I leave for Japan/Orientation/my new hometown! Many pictures are sure to follow! 


But as for now, I wanted to share this special treat with you~~~a little glimpse into just a FEW of the MANNNNNNY things I have had the blessing of experiencing here in Seoul. Enjoy!!! ^_^




(cool~~I like the thumbnail~~shout out to What's Up Korea! This is the best group to be a part of!!!)

(almost) faux pas of the day~

Ok, so I had such a great weekend volunteering with HOPE, teaching English in Suncheon, and I have had many things happen last week to talk about, but unfortunately (or fortunately, if I decide to blog in order to procrastinate? lol), I have finals this week, and need to take my time to hang out with my friends before I leave Seoul AND study, study, study. 


BuTTTTTTT~~~~ I didn't want to leave you completely empty-handed, so I thought I'd add another (almost) faux pas of the day, since it's always funny for you all to imagine these things happening to me because you know how goofy I am already hahaha~~~so here goes~~~I dedicate this one to my dear imos, Evelyn and Clara. ㅋㅋㅋ


During Culture class last week, this came up...don't ask me how~~honestly, I have NO idea, but somehow, in KOREAN, we got on the topic of diarrhea??? (Yeah, who knows~~if you know the people in my class, you may not be surprised lol). But annnnnnyways, I hear the word from across the room (설사, pronounced like: "Sawlsa"), not knowing what it ACTUALLY meant, and proclaim: "Oh, I do Salsa (살사, pronounced like: "Salsa"~~very similar!) dancing! Someone else (over there) does it too? Cool!" 


bahahahahaahaha HAHAHAHAHAHA


Hahaha, ooooops!!!! Yeah, I'm pretty sure "설사" dancing looks a LITTLE different from "살사" dancing >.< hhahahahaha Needless to say, I went and double-checked my writing assignment for day (where I wrote a paragraph on things I had done in Korea so far) to make sure my teacher knew which kind of dancing I had done. Hahaha


Ok, that is all for today~~I hope to post soon before I leave for my Japan visa run next week. Love you all! <3 


((((((P.S. This is also a special shout-out to Melody and Madison (because anyone else reading this P.S. will have NO idea what is going on hahaha)~~~as I typed this post out about thinking I heard one things and then proclaiming something else NOT related hahaha, I thought of the time in the dorm room~~yeah, you know what I'm talking about hahaha~~~"Man, Laura is so ADD."   Laura:" WHAt?!?? I'm Asian????" HAHAHAHAHA love you guys!!!!))))))

T-ara's [Roly Poly]

Oh, and I may have forgot to mention, but~~~~~~~definitely check out T-ara's Roly Poly Video (I'll post the M/V here) because~~~~


In Culture class last week, it was KPOP week. We learned a couple Korean songs on Monday and then found that we would be learning the dance to T-ara's Roly Poly on Tuesday in class to perform and be filmed on Thursday in the school's Filming Studio!!!! AHHHHH Embarrassing!!!! That video better NEVER get out hahaha We only had and hour and half to learn the whole dance and remember it for Thursday's filming....and we didn't have the dance instructor there with us on Thursday, we found out! Gah! Well, here are the videos of the songs we learned AND T-ara's Roly Poly to which we learned the dance~~ >.< 

인기 가요~~SBS Visit/KPop Rehearsal

On Sunday, our culture class went to the SBS Studio (one of the broadcasting networks here) to see a KPOP REHEARSAL for the show, 인기 가요 (if you google "Inkigayo," you can find information on it too, but I will post some videos from their youtube channel). I was surprised by the fact that the stars are just walking around the building like it's no big deal (we see at the door while we are waiting for the next rehearsal), using the same bathrooms as us, etc. ...and people are all that excited about it. I just thought~~if this were in the USA, they would have to have bodyguards, taped off sections, own private dressing rooms/bathrooms/etc. Oh, and there would be TONS of screaming fans!!!! Duh!!!! But it was kind of ho hum here~~some of them got cheers, but mainly, just clapping when they got on stage and off stage. Granted, this WAS just the rehearsal, but STILL! THESE ARE KPOP STARS FOR GOODNESS SAKES!!!! AHHH!!!! I wanted to just go jump on stage (mainly be 이기광 was an emcee, but stilllll!)


Later, talking to one of my friends back in the dorm about it, I come to find out that the actual "fans" who are there screaming and everything show up in the wee hours of the morning to get tickets and then THEY come line up after the rehearsal for the actual LIVE streaming show. Well, either way, it WAS pretty cool to be so close (3rd row) to some famous people (except, where were you, Beast and 2pm??? *sigh* 사랑해요! (I love you!))


Here are some clips from the Live Broadcast~~~

flea market in 홍대

This past Saturday, I had my first meet up with a facebook group I joined called "What's Up Korea." This group is a mix of foreigners and locals~~it's description is: " 'Changes for the better'
Korea has been categorized into a racially homogeneous nation for a long time. For that reason, most old generations feel awkward to live with different races and it's very difficult for especially those Koreans who have never lived abroad or have no foreign friends to learn differences between different races. Unfortunately, foreigners in Korea sometimes feel like it's racism..So I made this page to help both Koreans and foreigners become friends..'What's up Korea' gives information related to Korea so that foreigners can understand Korea more and makes events for those who want to make friends and have more fun in Korea..Everyone who loves Korea is welcomed.."

It was absolutely a BLAST!! We started off all meeting outside the subway exit and played rock-paper-scissors to see what order we would pick the 5 money envelopes (because that's how one ALWAYS decides things here in KOrea~~I don't know how to write it in Korean, but they say something else~~they take this game really seriously ㅋㅋ ~it's great! ^^). I won R-P-S, butttttt I picked the envelope with 1,000 W (equal to about 94 cents!). The other envelopes were 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, and 20,000 W. With this envelope, we had to pick out TWO gifts at the flea market, while practicing our Korean (with the help of each of our Korean buddies).  I knew it wouldn't be easy, but we knew we could bargain something for cheaper! I had two of the coolest language partners~~박지원 and 양기석. 지원 is even a music major too (percussion)! How cool is that! 기석씨 is a grad student in economics. Super smart! 


After walking around for awhile and seeing what all there was and wondering how we were going to do it, we happened to see some beautiful postcards for 1,000 W each. I, using my broken Korean skills, even bargained it down to 2 for 1! Success!! We were supposed to buy for one of our friends or give to someone. Well, I had two language partners, who are also my two new friends, and so I decided to buy for them! I got a postcard with clouds and music notes/staff on it for 지원 because of our shared passion for music, and since there were not any cards with money on them (ㅋㅋㅋ), I got the prettiest one for 기석 of a nature background. We had plenty of extra time, and it was soooo humid and hot outside from all the rain (thank goodness it stopped for Saturday while we did this!), we went in to Smoothie King and cooled off and talked.


From there, we all met back up and went for Mexican food. I was really interested in seeing how "Mexican food" tasted in Korea. How do I describe it now that I have had it? Well, it sure wasn't as BAD as I thought it was going to be, but I wouldn't say it's great lol. But even still, it was a fun dinner talking with the people from the other groups, meeting more foreigners like me and new Korean friends too. ^^ 


When we were finished, some of us still didn't want to leave, so we carried the conversation over to a coffee shop, which involved lots of laughter and good memories. This was one of the first times that I have really felt connected to people and feeling like I have new Korean friends, as well as foreigners who have been here awhile and have the wisdom that comes along with that. Thanks, God, for Saturday. ^^ (Below photos courtesy of our lovely Hyejin Lee~~the founder of What's Up Korea)

Shopping at 홍대 flea market

기석, me, 지원

another shot

Awww you two ^^

all so sweet!

explaining about my two gifts

our table~~one of my favorite pics

^^~some of the group at Tom n Toms Coffee~^^

i.am.like.the.lotus.flower.

The flower I have always loved, I have come to find out, is ACTUALLY the flower for those born in July (I discovered this here from my Korean friend). How PERFECT! 

~~Do you know the story of the lotus flower? Well, sit back and get ready because you are in for a treat~~


***It is amazing, the Lotus Flower--its story from beginning to end. The lotus flower is something so beautiful and delicate, but you would have no idea where it came from. It is the only flower that is able to do what it does. It grows out of the bottom of dirty, muddy, murky pond waters to create something beautiful. Sadly, it only shows its beauty for but a few short days after which all the petals quietly float off into the water. Despite this, the large green seed pod remains while the seeds inside it grow and mature. During this time, one must be aware, that although the stem may bend easily, it is very hard to break due to its many strong fibers. Once the seeds are fully ripe, the pod then turns back down into the dirty water, to the bottom of the pond, where it releases its seeds for many more beautiful lotus flowers to bloom and continue the process. . I am like the lotus flower in so many ways. Out of the dirty, muddy, messy life I went through in the past, something beautiful has come out (all thanks to God, I must say!), and I continue to live to share that testimony with others to plant seeds and help cultivate with a beauty that is "of one's inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves" (~1 Peter 3:4-5). 
The lotus flower may be a symbol in Buddhism or Hinduism, but ultimately the lotus flower was created BY God, FOR the glory OF GOD, and it is the perfect story of what He does with us. He is able to turn our lives from something ugLy and into something beautifuL (sound anything like Camp rEVOLution, Refresh friends?? ^_^), and although we may bend, we ARE NOT EASILY BROKEN. AMEN to that! We are created to glorify Him, taking that story of Him turning our ugly lives into something beautiful~~our testimony~~and sharing it with others, planting the seeds, helping to nurture the seeds in others, and then watching as they grow into something beautiful in Christ. 


I cannot write this without thinking about this song~~listen and be blessed. <3 <3 <3 



~~Another With Lyrics~~~

Give me the attitude of Christ

~~~I do not want you to be uninformed, dear friends, about the hardships I suffered in the province of Asia. Indeed, away from you and feeling so alone, my heart felt the sentence of death. BUT THIS HAPPENED THAT I MIGHT NOT RELY ON MYSELF BUT ON GOD, WHO RAISES THE DEAD.

He HAS delivered me from even more such deadly peril before, and He WILL deliver me. On Him I have set my hope that He WILL CONTINUE to deliver me, AS YOU HELP ME BY YOUR PRAYERS. Then MANY WILL GIVES THANKS on my behalf for the GRACIOUS FAVOR GRANTED me IN ANSWER TO THE PRAYERS OF MANY."~~~

~2 Cor. 1:8-11 (paraphrase & emphasis, mine)

Ok~~~So after last night, I really felt I needed to take some time today to share my array of emotions as I have been living here in Seoul for the last 3 weeks. Some of you know some of what has been going on, and to many of you, this will be a surprise/new news, but my first three weeks are not what I would call "floating on cloud 9" for me. First, do not get me wrong, I have had a LOT of fun here and explored many parts of Seoul, but inside, I have been struggling, which is not something I expected (making it even harder). I expected I would get here and it would be like a vacation at first~~everything new and exciting and lost in the hype of everything. On the contrary (ok, yes, I HAVE been amazed at HOW BIG SEOUL IS and how COOOOOOOL it is here but...), I have had a hard time adjusting for many reasons. At the moment, I've been feeling out of place and lonely. It's amazing how, in such a big and busy city as Seoul, one can feel lonely. Seemed like such a paradox as I thought about it.


First of all, I am in a 5-week Korean Immersion Program (KIP) here, and I feel sort out of place because I am one of the older people in the program. Most of the students here are in college (some even in HS) and see this more as one big party in Seoul for the summer. This just is not me. They also seem to have a lot more money too. I want to go and explore and eat out and spend money (which I did do WAY too much the first couple weeks here and am paying for it, no pun intended). I am here with what little savings I have, and it has to last me until Sept. 25th when I get my first paycheck. Let me tell you, after having to pay for the plane ticket to Japan (way more than I thought), it was a HUGE chunk out of my assumed budget. So, that was getting me down too. I want to go out with friends, but I also have to remember that I will be living in Korea for awhile, so I can always come visit Seoul some other time. This is also something that hit me: I AM LIVING IN  KOREA FOR AWHILE. This is my new home. That is so entirely weird to think about. Unlike for all my friends in this program, this is not some temporary summer vacation and then back to my daily life and friends and activities. THIS IS MY LIFE NOW. One day I was walking and said to myself, "Dang, Laura! You just moved half-way across the world by yourself to live and teach. WHat were you thinking??!?!!" ㅋㅋㅋㅋ (Said jokingly, of course! ^_~) 


Last week, I just got to the point where I just wanted to move into my apartment and get settled into Gyeongbuk~~get to know the area, make some friends, decorate my own permanent living space (and not some dorm where I'm living out of my suitcase), enjoy COOKING!!! (I MISS IT SOOOOO MUCH!!!!), etc. I was tired of the temporary and soooo bored with language classes. Not being challenged in language classes was really getting me down. I was extremely bored the first week because I already knew the alphabet, and then last week, I knew a lot of the phrases already because I had been studying online on my own before I came. I did learn some vocab words, but still. If you know me well, and yes, Mother, I can just imagine you shaking your head in agreement right now (and to my other music friends~~think me in Parsons' classes...yeah, like that, except these teachers are WAY cool), you would know that I--despite how my lack of common sense and somewhat ditsy-ness may come off--am actually kind of smart lol If I am not challenged in a class, I will not do well. I cannot take "bird classes," as they are called (so easy that you can fly over them and pass)~~if I am not challenged to use deeper parts of my brain and work for answers and personal discovery, I tune out and can't focus and become somewhat "annoyed" by the class and lose all motivation to try. For a language that I once LOVED and lOVED discovering new words and using them, I came to dislike it because of the boring classes (for me) which made me lose interest. (Now do not get me wrong, I LOVE my teachers, ALL of them, and the class level IS right for those people who had no prior experience with Korean, but I did, and so it's been hard.) 


And so....all this sort of getting me down, not feeling attached to a Church group (although I have gone to Yoido Full Gospel Church Int'l Service the last 2 Sundays since I've been here, I wonder if I will still be able to somehow catch a bus from wherever I am in Gyeongbuk and still be able to go on Sundays or not or whether there will be an Int'l Service nearby where I will be), and then just really missing everyone back home and wishing I had them all here to be with~~~~well, it was all really getting me down, and I was so sad. I was upset that I felt this way, upset at myself for letting myself get this way, upset and wondering where happy, bubbly Laura went. Satan was really using this transition as a way to try to get at me, and I recognized it, but I didn't know what to do to get away from it. I felt like I was back in HS while here at KIP with all the younger people and drama and just wanting to party and drink and who likes who drama. Satan was trying to use this to make me feel insecure again. All of that has been behind me, so why bring it  back to surface? Yes, I admit, I used to party and drink and get myself in trouble (sorry, mom), but through Christ, that person is NOT me anymore. It is so true that it is easier when you surround yourself with positive people and Christians/friends who will lift you up. But what happens when you are surrounded by people who are NOT uplifting? WHo are not Christians? Who are only interested in the things of this world??? These things are not uncommon to man, no matter where in the world you are. Let me tell you a little secret, that is not really so secret~~~And here is what God has been speaking to me all along. In a quite whisper over the last 3 weeks JUST when I needed that grace and peace, and finally quite loudly last night, just when I was having one of the hardest times (talking with the program director, etc. with school and classes).

~~~He reminded me of what it is to be a Disciple for the Lord and that His WOrds are true and a comfort in our times of need.~~

 Being sent out as an apostle of the Lord, these are the things I should be expecting and be praising Jesus for! DUH! If I am to be the example and light of Christ, I will have to be in the WOrd THAT much more and thirsting for Him. I have to be in prayer THAT much more to stay in communion with Him against the attacks of Satan. Satan is scared, people. He KNOWS God has a big purpose for me here, and he is scared. He is scared of the souls that will be won back for Christ. He is scared of the Hope that I have and the determination and strength. I allowed his thoughts to begin to seep in, but NO MORE! If God is for me, what is there against me that I should fear? I prayed and prayed and prayed last night. I wanted a heart change. I took back all of the ground that Satan had begun to capture, in the name of the Lord. I warned Satan that EVERY THOUGHT was going to be taken captive and sorted out before I let it get ANYWHERE. I prayed for a renewed heart. Being upset and down is a choice, I said, just as being happy is a choice. I choose to be happy, NOW. I have hated the distant, unmotivated person I am in class, sad that it is the only person some classmates are seeing. Is that the example of Christ I want to be? Lord, I want to put on the attitude of Christ!
So many times along my way here, I have felt alone, but in the still whisper, you have been speaking to me! Whether it was the kind word from a friend (shout out to my SGF friends (and fbk friends) back home who, despite the distance, are there to offer a kind word), thoughts of friends back home and my AMAZING REFRESH/FELLOWSHIP kids who I miss so much and think of everyday (seriously, thoughts of you all ALWAYs make my day brighter), whether it was introducing me to two new friends in the program who ARE out of college, STAYING IN KOREA, and are PAST all the drama (I love you guys, shout out to 데이지씨 and 잭씨!! ^_~ you two have been a blessing for me), whether it was walking through Hongdae, hearing a band, walking over, and then realizing it was a worship band singing HILLSONG, whether it was finding a Korean-English bible, worshipping my heart out through song and tears and experiencing your presence at Church, getting opportunities to talk about You to others, whether a stranger walking me all the way home when it was late and I was tired and lost, to a new Korean dad in a cell phone store or a sweet girl covering me with an umbrella and helping me with my luggage on my arrival lost in Seoul, or simply to the sweet blessing of such kind Korean friends like JiHae who takes care of me and is there when I need help and encouragement, someone I can laugh with and explore with, and just spend quality time with~~~~God, you have been there in it all!


And let me tell you, I definitely feel the change today. Thank you, Lord! I feel a renewed excitement for the language and with learning (shout out to my new language partner, Ji Woong, who reminded me that "Hey, don't worry or think too much. Korean is FUn!"~~which, btw, can you all be praying for him~~His grandfather just passed away. T.T). With my teachers giving me extra work and even special 1-1 tutoring on the side, I am ready to get back into being serious about things and a good student ^_~. I am going to smile, even when I may not feel it (and with all this gloomy weather, bad flooding, death rates rising, seeing the sun sure wouldn't hurt in helping that. **Prayers for Korea!**), and I am going to be in the Word even more now than ever. As Nicholas Sparks writes it, "So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want You. I want ALL of You, forever, everyday. You and me...everyday" (emphasis, mine). Granted, this quote is from The Notebook, but I emphasize it as a promise to between myself and God. It is true~~it's NOT going to be easy, and I WILL have to work at this everyday, but I want ALL of Him and want to glorify all of Him. 


As seemed fitting as I began this journey to Asia, I wanted to read on the experiences, struggles, and ways to overcome by someone who has gone through something similar...so I turned myself to 2 Corinthians, and I will be meditating on this book for quite some time. To end this out, I would like to share with you some words of wisdom I am holding to during this time (emphasis and paraphrase, mine)~~ As if said as my OWN prayer~~~


~~~"Praise be to the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
WHO COMFORTS ME IN ALL MY TROUBLES, SO THAT I can comfort those in ANY trouble with the comfort I myself first received from God.
For just as the SUFFERINGS of Christ flow over into my life, so also through Christ my comfort overflows...And my hope for you, my Beloved friends, is firm, because I know that just as you share in my sufferings, so also you share in my comfort.
I do not want you to be uninformed, dear friends, about the hardships I suffered in the province of Asia. Indeed, away from you and feeling so alone, my heart felt the sentence of death. BUT THIS HAPPENED THAT I MIGHT NOT RELY ON MYSELF BUT ON GOD, WHO RAISES THE DEAD.
He HAS delivered me from even more such deadly peril before, and He WILL deliver me. On Him I have set my hope that He WILL CONTINUE to deliver me, AS YOU HELP ME BY YOUR PRAYERS. Then MANY WILL GIVES THANKS on my behalf for the GRACIOUS FAVOR GRANTED me IN ANSWER TO THE PRAYERS OF MANY."~~~2 Corinthians 1: 3-11

i.miss.my.chingu.destiny.

I know I am really behind in posting, and SOO much has happened in the last two weeks (some has been shared on facebook), but I was really missing my bestie today, and I wanted to devote this post to thoughts of her. So here goes~~~~


****A FEW RANDOM THINGS THAT REMINDED ME OF DESTINY TODAY****



1. Every time I brush my teeth, I see the sink stopper which says "Daelim," and I think of my D. Lim

2. I bought some Dove conditioner today and thought of you, and now every time I wash my hair, I will think of Destiny.

3. I listen to some part of the Dream High OST soundtrack pretty much every day, and I always think of you~~especially when I am listening to the Dream High theme song and nearly burst out into dancing to my iPod while walking down the street but am stopped by the weird stares.

4. I have my prayer cards for you up on my desk to think of and pray for every day and think of Destiny.

5. I was in the subway today with a classmate and he randomly ran into a sunbae from his uni, and I said to him, "Dang, I wish something like that would happen to me...like, woah! Just happen to be walking up the stairs from the subway and BAM! I'm like, oh, hey, Destiny, funny running into you on the subway.....IN KOREA!"

6. I had a really great day, and God really spoke to me, and I thought of our conversation about me being here~~and He was basically like, "LAURA! i AM here in Korea. I have been here, and I will always be here. You have felt so alone here and wanting to connect, but the truth is, I have been here with you along the way and been revealing myself to you in so many ways that you haven't even taken the time to realize it's me." Today I was able to have a great conversation about God with a friend, I finally got a Korean-English Bible, and on my way to help my friend get a haircut in 이 대, all of a sudden I hear a concert going on outside of one of the department stores. I figure, hey! Let's go check it out for a second. As I start to listen, I realize it is a worship band playing Hillsong. And that's when it hit me. None of my worries matter because HE is with me. He IS here, and He is revealing Himself in real ways! Each time I start to get down about not connecting and missing friends and feeling lonely, He ALWAYS has picked me up and encouraged me, whether through actions, deeds, or the words of dear friends (like my Destiny). Now, not that I deserve ANY of this, but He is doing it for me all the same out of His great mercy. I just want to remain in His presence as He slowly reveals His plans for me here...

7. Even if I didn't have ANY of this~~~I would still always think of you, my dearest 친 구 <3 <3 <3 사 랑 해! <3 <3 <3

생일 축하 해요

So, yesterday was my birthday, as well as my first day of classes/placement. Needless to say, after looking at the test (all in Korean), raised my hand, ummm "Sillehamnida~~Yeah, um, I have no idea what this says," and then leave the room with a few others to go to the absolute beginner class. So, although I know the alphabet and some basic phrases, I am starting back at square one. Can't hurt, right? I am a little bored now, but it will be better in a few days, I think, when we get past the alphabet and on to phrases and such.


Anyways...I have taken too long to post this and will cut it short. sorrryyyyy.....but, ok, yay, first day of school stuff. Ok, now~~best part of the day! My birthday!!! ㅋㅋ


I went to the cell phone store, and my new " 아 버 지 " (dad) gave me a delicious cake with candles and all. Awww too cute!~ 


Then~~best part~~I got to see my chingu (which I know, I cannot ACCTUALLY use in this instance since we are not the same age, but I will anyways), JIHAE!!! <3 <3 <3


Jihae took some friends and me to 홍 대 (Hongdae--another popular area of Seoul) for some samgyupsal (Korean BBQ). We ate soooo much foood, but it was soooo good!!! Gumawoh, Jihae! ^_^ 


I will put up pics from my b-day too, again, when I can find that darn convertor to charge my camera. Sorry it was cut short, but I didn't want to keep being behind on this. Happy reading! ^^

faux pas of the day

Ok, so, while I am still working on my birthday/first day of classes post, I thought I just had to share my little ummmm lack of understanding in the cafeteria ^_~ really fast before I go to class.


So, woke up today for breakfast and Yurika (my roomie) and I go down for breakfast. Now, yes, I have had breakfast down there a couple times, but I have never actually gotten something to drink because I usually go back to my room and get my Maxim mocha instant before class. But today, I was feeling like I was dragging AND Yurika is still sick, so I wanted to take some Emergen-C to start the day off right with vitamins. 


I find where the water purifier is (they always use those jug purifiers everywhere here), and see the plastics "racks" (you know, like how they wash them in restaurants) of cups right next to the purifier, on its left. So, NATURALLY, I grab one, fill it with water and Emergen-C and enjoy breakfast while still half-asleep. THEN, when I go to return my tray and utensils, the kitchen lady tells me (in Korean, of course, so I'm not QUITE sure what she says)...but basically that I needed to go take the CUP somewhere else (all the rest of the dishes go to her, it seems, except cups). I walk over to where she's pointing at across the room with a confused look. I don't see anywhere for dirty glasses. Yurika then points out that I should put it to the left of purifier. WHAT?!?!?! I was drinking out of someone else's used, dirty cup?!!?!?!  And that ACTUALLY, you get a clean cup OUT OF THE FRIDGE AT THE END?????????  HOw in the world was I supposed to know??? HAHAHAHAHA sooooo there it goes, First FAUX PAS  of the day ^_~ Dear person who shared my cup in our effort to go green~I do so hope that you were in tip-top health and clean. Kamsahamnida~ so please now excuse me while I go brush my teeth, ok. bye.

first day's adventures~~searching out an adaptor/convertor plug

So, for my first day in Korea, after dropping off my luggage and showering, I left my room to go to the electronics store (Hi-Mart) that the emailed map showed me to buy electronics. Let me preface this by saying: I bought a convertor/adaptor at Target before I left for Korea, but after reading how it will be SOOOO easy to get one when I got to Korea and for cheap, I figured, ok, why not just wait? And so I did....and so begins the first day's adventures...

I walked outside (after it had been raining)....OOH OOOH WAITTTTT!!!! I must back track a bit...I cannot miss out on my GETTING to the university...

So, contrary to my previous post, I DID in fact take the bus. I went outside intending to get a taxi, but some guy stopped me (one of the bus drivers, i later find out) and said I could just take the bus and THEN a taxi to the school if I wanted to. It looked like a lot of other people were loading their luggage underneath the bus, so I figured, ok, why not? It will be cheaper, I'm sure. So I wind up paying 10,000 W to get to Sinchon station from the airport. At this point, it is still pouring outside. So here I am, with what is supposed to be a short 10 min walk, lost in the middle of a HUGE  intersection. Which way am I supposed to turn? Even though they say it is a 10 min walk, how do I know WHERE to walk that 10 mins??? So here I am trying to drag my luggage across the wet, rugged sidewalk, and ask a girl I run into about where it is. I start to walk in that direction, but I realize my luggage and I are not going to make it, so I ask her how to get a taxi. Ok, I get across, hail my first ever taxi, and hop in. Should be easy, right? They told me if I took a taxi instead of walk, it would be about 2-3,000 W. Ok, no biggie if it will ease my worry and complete lack of knowing what to do or where to go. No, I got even MORE stressed, as he had NO IDEA WHERE HE WAS GOING!  I showed him the paper over and over with the map, but nothing. We finally got to campus, and we drove around that place so many times. I think he asked at least 15 people on the way about where. Finally, when I feel like he got an answer that made sense to him and have a little relief, he drops me off, says "It's here" (or something to that effect) and leaves. I'm a little skeptical that it is the right building because it looks all dark. I try all the doors to no avail...and so now here I am...alone, lost, in the rain, outside a building with my luggage, and go figure, here I am in Seoul, one of the busiest/packed cities, and I look around the street and no one, I mean NO ONE is in sight! Go figure lol...so I say a little prayer~~"God, pleasE, PLEASE let someone walk down the street!" ...and BAM! A sweet university girl walks down the street, and I stop her. She is so nice to me, covers me with her umbrella and grabs my carry-on suitcase and helps me all the way into my dorm. So sweet. I will never forget you. ^^

...And then to my next unforgettable moment...

To make a long story short, I got to the dorm, showered, and went out on my adventure to explore around Seoul (well, Sinchon, really....didn't realize how many different areas are in Seoul itself) to find that darn convertor. I looked around in SOOOOO MANY different stores with NO luck at all finding one. The electronics stores, no. The cell phone stores, no. The bookstore on campus (twice), no. The convenience stores, no. Ahhhhh!!! I thought this was supposed to be easy! And so about 2-3 hours later of walking, I happen upon a tiny little cell store next door to an electronic store I went into. Probably at this point, it was no more luck than the next, but I figured, oh well, give it a shot. And oh, yes, long story is supposed to be made short here~~ so, yes, the store owner is very nice, and I show him my iPod touch and he proceeds to charge it for me, free. Ok, kamsahamnida, but I need one of those THINGS that you are USING to charge it. I got the charger (but still no convertor), and then we start talking. At this point, I have awake since before 430am, have been lost by a taxi driver, and it's sooooo humid here! annnnnd walking around for so many hours to no avail. Needless to say, it was so touching when he told me to sit down for a bit and offered me some coffee (yum yum Maxim Mocha Gold). We start talking, and from there, we become good friends. I know all about his family~his wife and two kids. I tell him how I am a student at Sogang and will then teach in Gyeongbuk. He even runs to get me "Korean water," which I have no idea what it really is, but it tasted REALLLLLLY yummmy! I definitely want to get some more. Annnyway, then he  gave me a phone. Yes, FOR FREE. I did not even ask for one or mention it~my goal was a convertor today, but look where God took me. He met my need in a friend and kindness right here. It took me probably 30 minutes to understand the concept that he was giving me a phone FOR FREE and I didn't even have to sign ANYTHING. Ahjusshi~~no id? no passport? No,...me sign anywhere? Nothing? He kept saying no no, "I love sungsaengnim!" (No, not in a creepy love-y way, but in I love teachers!). OOOOOooh, the kindness of strangers. As he said, and I agree, this, today will be "forever memory." Lol, yes, it will! I promised to visit again too. Oh, and did I mention, he wanted me to come back Monday (which, as I am writing this post on Monday...grrrr behind, I know...but jet lag has been getting me...but I did return) to give me a birthday cake with candles? I tried to say no like 15 times, but finally I gave in. It was soooo sweet! I will put up a video of it later. I will definitely come back to visit him many times before I go. We decided we would help each other out. Tee hee, and when I came back Monday to celebrate, I brought him a thank you card for all of his kindness (my attempt at writing in both English and Korean), and he hung it on his wall in his store. Awww a "forever friend" indeed. ^^

starbucks in korea

Ok, so I don't have enough time ORRRR battery left to write everything that happened yesterday on my first day exploring, but I thought I should write this little thing before leaving for lunch while I was thinking of it...


So yesterday, after dinner, a couple new friends and I were walking around in sinchon and stopped inside starbucks to sit down and so I could get my mug (I always collect mugs from starbucks of every country/state I am in...something I picked up from Mrs. Ann Lindemann ^^). So I got my mug...a travel one again like I did in China, only because it would be easier to pack and more practical use I guess. Too bad...I was really wanting a mug for my room too, but perhaps another time on my way out or something, but I WILL be living in a few places before I make it to my actual apartment, so it is better this way. Ok, so I bought this mug. Along with my receipt, I get a coupon for a free drink (at least this is what we could gather, being as though it was all written in Korean lol) Woo hoo!! Free coffee=AWESOME!!!


~~**YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN KOREA WHEN.......YOU WALK INTO A STARBUCKS AND IT IS THREE FLOORS HIGH AND PACKED WITH PEOPLE**~~


Oh, and I should also mention, before I left for Korea, I had to make sure that they actually drank coffee here or that it would be easy to get some coffee since being a coffee addict, I needed to be able to survive lol. I was told they had them all over the place. So here I am thinking they are like Walgreens in America~~"one on every corner"...meaning a lot of them all over the place. Yay! HA!! to my surprise and still complete shock, it is nothing like this. No, not that they are rare but that pretty much EVERY FEW STORES IS A COFFEE SHOP!! DAAAAAAANG!!!!


Needless to say, no worries on the coffee front, have my travel mug from Seoul, and have a free coffee drink awaiting me at my next stop by there! 


Stay tuned, though, for the best memory of the day! ^^

flight and arrival at Incheon Int'l Airport!

Annyeonghaseyo everyone! I have made it safely to Korea and am hanging out at The Coffee Bean here in the airport until I can take a bus or taxi over to Sogang University. Right now, it is 620am ( I arrived a couple hours ago). It takes about an hour to get to the uni in Seoul from here, so I have another 1.5 hours left to hang around. Thankfully, The Coffee Bean opened around 6am. I was in dire need of some  커피 (coffee). I haven't eaten much in the last couple of days probably because of nerves of getting here. Haha, in fact, one funny moment (now) was when I was waiting at the St. Louis Int'l airport. I got through security over 2 hours early, but I didn't care. I was just glad that there were no problems (except for my goal of having one bag~~yeah, I did it with room to spare, but it was TOO heavy, so I had to buy a tiny little one at the airport to fill with some of the gifts and such or else pay $200 extra~~really???!! Seems a little excessive to me, bc what is the difference if I get 2 bags free ANYWAY, but it's alright, it all worked out.) Anyways, back to the funny story...Ok, so there I was charging my Mac and sending messages to people and checking my email, etc. After all that, I was just grooving out to some sweet K-Pop. Oh dang, that reminds me, I have to listen to Dream High, just for you and me, Destiny! <3 Ok, I digress...so I decide to maybe see what books I have or anything else I could work on or something to do/organizing things again when I happen to look over at my laptop and the time reads 752!!! Ahhhh!!!! My boarding time was 650 and the flight was to leave at 733. OH MY GOSH!!! HOW??? THIS CAN'T BE TRUE!! OH MY GOSH, I JUST MISSED MY FLIGHT!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!! With this, I am frantically throwing everything back into my carry-on (can't even find my headphones anymore) and am about to RUN to the check-in when I decide to double check my ticket, thinking THERE IS NOOOO WAY THIS COULD BE HAPPENING?!!! I pull it open so fast from my passport that I rip the stub off~~yes, my times WERE right~~what am I going to do???!! As I am zipping things up and putting my passport back, it crosses my mind to check my ipod because there is just NO WAY this could be happening! 


~~~~and then a BIG SIGH of relief, although my heart is still pounding out of my chest, when I see the time is still in the 6 o'clock hour. Oh, praise Jesus! I'm not even Catholic, and I wanted to a few hail marys. Needless to say, after that I ran up to the check-in to make sure it wouldn't be a problem that I ripped my ticket and gave them a good laugh at my freak-out (at least I hope I did~~gotta laugh at yourself and find the humor in those situations lol) then proceeded to sit RIGHT IN FRONT of the check-in (I was sort of far away because I can before the flight BEFORE me took off at that departure gate). 


Ok, so after that CUH-RAAAAZY mishap, I made it to ATL and then safely to Incheon Int'l Airport, where I am writing to you now while sipping a straight black iced coffee (I tried to get a frapp, but she couldn't understand what I meant when I asked if it was made with milk (I'm lactose-intolerant, for those who don't know). She gave me a confused look and thought I wanted an iced milk. Iced black coffee seemed the easiest to get across. And boy is it strong! Having not eaten much lately and the nerves still plaguing my stomach I assume, it is still hard to get down. I am trying to eat a protein bar with it to calm my stomach and give me energy for the day.)


Now a little blurb on my flight. KOREAN AIR definitely lived up to the hype from all my friends. The plane is sooo big and clean. You arrive on the plane to find the following on your seat cushion: a large blanket (one of the warmest and most comfortable ones~~I wanted to take it with me~~this was no ordinary airplane blanket) , bottle of water, headphones, slippers, toothbrush, and toothpaste. If that wasn't enough, each seat has it's own touch-screen TV filled with music, movies, news, travel information, etc. After everyone telling me about the delicious bibimbap you get on your Korean Air flight, I am sad to say that I slept right through it. I slept most of the way and probably only watched about 20 min. of a Korean movie before dosing off to sleep again. I will have to try it on my way back (as the saying goes, to avoid bad jetlag, "Rest when going West (and stay awake when going East)." Special thanks to my friend, Kourtney, for that one!) I DID wake up in time for some breakfast. My stomach was still uneasy (I did eat ginger bites I had with me and wore my SeaBands, but it still wasn't perfect), but I knew I hadn't eaten but a little bit of plantanos fritos and gallo pinto for lunch the day before, so I probably NEEDED to eat something. For breakfast I had the choice of an omelet, yogurt, & fruit or porridge, fruit, and pickled radish. OF COURSE I would try the latter! I have really been wanting to try this porridge that I always see in the K-Dramas. And YUM! This one was green tea porridge, and let me tell you, it was so good! I only wish I was more hungry to eat it all. I can't wait for my stomach to go down so I can go eat my first REAL Korean food! ^^


BUt first things, first. Here's my plan for the day: leave in a little over an hour for Sogang, check-in (pray I don't have to drag all this luggage up tons of flights of stairs~~elevator, please?), SHOWER, did I mention I want to SHOWER?? (One of the disadvantages I hate of flying~I never feel clean when I get off a flight), and then hit up the electronics store for a converter/adaptor plug to charge my electronics, get pillow/bedding for my dorm, then explore around Seoul. Busy day, but so excited! I am excited to meet other people in KIP and explore together. I saw a few (maybe 4 or 5) other gringos on the plane with me, and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe they were studying with KIP or what they were doing in Korea. It's around 72 oF (I'd better start learning how to use Celsius!) and RAINING. Too bad it's raining or else I would just leave now for Sogang. I'm debating on whether to take the airport shuttle bus, which will put me about a 10 min walk from Sogang or just take a taxi straight there. I don't have an umbrella, and I would hate to get LOST (KNOWING ME, this is the more LIKELY occurrence) and then be walking around with my suitcases, lost in the pouring rain. Orrrr, just spend a little more  money and take a taxi straight there. Here's a thing too, I'm worried I'll get the wrong taxi. For instance, in China or some of the other countries I have been to, there are different color taxis. One is the "official" color, and the others are not "registered" or something. I'm not quite sure how to explain it. Some guy, as soon as I walked out of customs, came up to me and asked me if I needed a taxi. I didn't, honestly, at that moment, but even if I did, would it have been safe/the right choice to go with that person? Anyone have any experience? Also, I know there are different kinds of taxis here in Korea, each with different prices, as some are more "luxurious." I wouldn't know the difference. Oh, but thanks for fREE WIFI (one point for Korea because I had to PAY for wifi at the USA airports)~~I will try to find this information online before I go. Looks like I will probably spend a little more and take a taxi. Ok, well, I am going to leave you here with this. I took a little video of part of the airport, but something is wrong with my batteries on my camera. I charged them fully before I left, and when I put them in, it is flashing red at me for low battery. I will have to look into this. Well, I will try to take a couple more pics on the way before my batteries die, though. Love you guys! Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get this all out, AND I had time to kill. Off to research taxis~~~Annyeong