...life in korea thus far...

Ok, yes, this is a much needed update. It has been a long time since I have posted...for many reasons. First, I got really sick, then I got off the honeymoon stage and was just sort of depressed and didn't want to talk about how sad I was and how much I missed my family and friends back home and how lost I felt, and then I just got really busy. So much has happened in these last 6 months (almost 7) that I have been in Korea. And I will tell you what, none of this could have been possible without God right here with me. Ever since I got back from the Philippines, it's like my heart has been completely changed. Gumi is really feeling like home now, and I am not just comparing it to how much I miss Seoul (although I still do). This is home to me now. I have started to learn where some of the cute shops are here in Indong (my town in Gumi): where to get the best cup of real coffee, where I can sitting on cute swinging chairs and sip yogurt smoothies, where I can get a good Italian meal, where I can find the BEST kimchi mandu, where I can do dry cleaning, where I can so salsa dancing or take Kpop dance classes, where I can find my favorite hoddeok lady or the guy who always sells me the best tasting mandarins, where I have foreign and Korean friends now, and where I have a church family I love...Indong (/Gumi) really has all I need. Sure, I can find bigger stores or places with cheaper clothing or better options in a bigger city like Daegu or Seoul, but I am becoming content exactly where I am. Daegu is only a 30 min train ride from Gumi Station (an hour from my house in Indong), and I go down there every Friday for Korean tutoring at the YMCA with a teacher that I love.

Now...life in Korea has not been without its ups and downs, too. I will take this time to share some hard times, so you are not completely shocked when you come here and it's not all peaches and cream. Let's be honest with each other for a moment. Not complaining, just observing.
When I first came to Seoul, I was so sad because I didn't really have any friends and I missed the ones from back home. I finally found a group of friends and started to like life in Korea, and then I had to move 3.5 hours away to Gumi, the factory city, hosting all the factories like Samsung and LG and others...and then all I could think about was how much I missed life in Seoul and couldn't wait until I could move back. But what do they say...the grass is always greener on the other side, right?

1. "Soju, drinking, girls, and sleeping..." 

I was offended by Indong: I felt violated everytime I walked along the streets. My town is filled with "love motels" and business clubs, and I cannot walk down the street without seeing gigantic, billboard size signs every few buildings of close to naked women. Every time I see those things, my heart just breaks. My heart breaks for those women who find there is no other way. I think of who they might be: is one of them a mom who is willing to do ANYTHING to provide even food for her children? Some might condemn these women, but my heart find compassion. We all might say we would NEVER do something like that, but I ask myself this question: If I were a mom and looked everywhere to find a job and couldn't get one anywhere...well, as a mom, wouldn't IIIII be willing to do ANYTHING to make sure my child had food and his or her needs met? Even if it meant I went without food, I don't think I could, as a mom (not that I even have any idea, since I don't have children yet), not do everything in my power to protect my little babies.

And my heart also breaks for the children in town. IIIII don't even want to see these signs, but then I think of all my students. Seeing these things isn't strange for these children: it is what they have grown up seeing. For some of them (or maybe many, seeing as how many of these places there are), this is where they stay because their parents own the motel or business club or whichever. I just want to cover their eyes and shield them from such a loss of innocence. My heart aches for them.

And lastly, my heart breaks for the men that go to these business clubs or then later take women to love motels (I will also write another post on love motels...it's not just bad things going on there, as you might be thinking... It's also a cheap way to stay when traveling!). But as for these men, my heart breaks that they see this as life. A comment from my friend Bianca's class encaptures this idea. In her company class of adults, she was asking them about their top 4 favorite things they like. One student says this: 1.Soju, 2. Girls, 3. Partying, 4. Sleeping.

This sounds really sad and maybe not quite what she was going for, but for many men in Korea, this IS life. Drinking is such a part of the culture here(*), that for them, it is a way of life. I just think: what if these men had Jesus? God has a plan for Gumi, let me tell you what!

2. "You are my Shy, Shy, Shy Boy...Oh, Oh, Oh My Boy"

If you say "shy boy" in Korea, the first thing to come to mind is the band Secret's song 샤이보이 ("Shy Boy"). This idea doesn't hit too far from home for most Koreans, though, I would say. Koreans as a whole are very shy toward foreigners. I am sure there are many factors that go into this including their culture and also a fear of not knowing English or being bad at it and the fear of even trying to communicate. Take this commercial, for example, which was on TV here. To translate, it's basically saying DON'T BE AFRAID OF FOREIGNERS! (English-, Chinese-, and Japanese-speaking examples are in the commercial).



Needless to say, with such as it is in Korean culture, it has been hard to make close relationships here with native Koreans. Before I came, I told myself I wasn't going to be one of those expats (foreigners) that only hangs out with other foreigners (like I would often see on people's blogs or seeing things online). I can hang out with English speakers whenever I want. I am here IN KOREA...why would I NOT want to form close relationships with the Koreans?

Well, come to find out, it is easier said than done. Sure, in bigger cities like Seoul or Busan where there are innumerable groups and meetups and clubs and activities mixing foreigners and Koreans together in cross-cultural learning and language exchange, it's unheard of here in Gumi. In spite of what my previous blog posts say about me not knowing a stranger, it was hard to form DEEP or meaningful relationships with anyone. Sure, I can say I'm friends with the ahjussi (older man) who sells fruit down my street or the ahjussi who works at the convient store across from my apartment or even the people working at the cell phone stores or shops I walk by everyday, but all that defines our "relationship" is saying hi to each other and the occasional attempts at communicating with each other in a mix of basic Korean and English, if we ever get past the "hi." I wanted to keep telling myself I had all these "friends," but in my heart, I was missing those close relationships I had back home.

In spite of this, God was merciful and brought me to some foreigner friends (some of which ARE internationals from South Africa lol ^.~ and some Americans too). Actually, from my previous post about the BBQ I went to after church that one day...yes, those friends from the rooftop BBQ are now some of my closest friends here. We have prayer and worship night every week, go to church together, share with one another, encourage each other, share our burdens together, go on mission trips, and have hearts after the Lord. This group of friends has been such a blessing. We seek a vision for Gumi and changed hearts and lives here! We pray for AWAKENING in Gumi!

And so...after returning from our mission trip to the Philippines, God was moving (and of course, Satan was right there trying to tear us away from God's magnificent work~~thank God for prayer!). I had a couple Korean friends (actually, those guys from the naeng myeon restaurant I told you about before? Yes, they sort of invited me into their "group" of friends and now I have girl and guy friends to hang with every now and then. Those two have been such a blessing and great help in so many ways. What great friendship I have in those two.) before, but after coming back from the Philippines, in a matter of a couple weeks, God brought so many new Korean friends into my life! After all those 6 months of prayers, and now I have the joy of sharing in its fruition. I have a whole new group of friends: from a sweet university student I met while trying to order deokkbokki from a new street vendor, to two Jehovah's Witnesses friends, to new friends from salsa dancing (duh! I knew from the beginning that dancing is where I wanted to find a Korean family~~look what dancing in the States got me! My two best friends and sisters and family, Evelyn and Clara!!! Love you, ladies!). A couple of them are even good at English. One lady even lives in Indong and gives me a ride downtown (about 30 min by bus) to my lesson each week. And last week, those two ladies asked me if I would lead an English conversation group on Monday nights for some of the dancers in our group. Of course, at 9-930pm, I am thinking of cuddling up in my apartment and getting ready for bed and it will make for a LATE night getting home before waking early to teach BUUUUUUUT I know God put these people into my life for a reason and is giving me this opportunity for a reason, so I am going to be obedient and follow HIM (rather than my fleshly desire to rest).

~~Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ~ Romans 8:5-6~~

3. "You say po-TAY-to, I say po-TAH-to"

Another hard thing-ish (or at least just something I want to share with you all thinking coming to Korea or living abroad) is grocery shopping. Or, more specifically, can I just say how much I miss WAL-MART?? It's just that I miss knowing exactly where everything is and how to ask for what I want and know where to find it. Sure, it was sort of fun the first couple of times, standing like a buffoon in the middle of the aisle trying to use my phone to translate basic words like salt or eggs or flour or seasame oil or soy sauce (all of which I know now lol) into my phone's translator and hoping the translation makes any sort of sense. I completely know how my international friends felt when we would go grocery shopping to make some traditional meal. It is like~~you know what it looks like (or at least what that kind of vegetable is supposed to look like in your country), but you don't know the word for it, so you just walk around until you hopefully see it. Yeah, this is me in the grocery store just about every time. lol

I will never forget one time during the time I was really sick that I was trying to figure out what meat to get to make bulgogi since my co-teachers and the 6th grade teachers were coming over for the first time the next evening. Being sick and trying to grocery shop in America is hard enough, much less in Korea! (As a note: I was so sick but I felt even worse to cancel on the teachers since they were going to take time to come over out of their busy week (it was the week before a HUGE showcase of our school).) Anyway, in Korean, I am telling the lady I want to make bulgogi for the other teachers at my school and want to know what meat to use (you must also note that I pretty much NEVER cook meat in the USA, so on top of this, I don't even have the slightest idea about cooking meats either!). She points to two different meats. I proceed to ask her which is the best? She just looks at me dumbfounded...proceeding in me looking at her with a confused look as well. I try repeating myself again. I know that this word means "best" because it was one of the first words I learned here. AhhH! I was so sick and then stressed and I couldn't communicate and I didn't want to screw it up for my co-teachers and here I am in the store about in tears...and this lady is just looking at me like I am an idiot! I even did charades (as an expat's life in Korea can be defined by...one never-ending game of charades), pointing at her, then uh "this one," "this one," uh which (miming balancing scales and which was higher), and ending with my hands in a heart shape. And.......Nothing. I would up walking away with whichever one was closest to me. Ohhhh boy! Haha, now it wasn't that I was mad at her, don't get me wrong~~I was mad and upset that I didn't even know enough Korean to communicate my point and it just really got me down while I was already feeling down. lol Just lost in translation!




And yet, despite all of its many ups and downs, I am happy with life in Gumi. This has been one of the biggest adventures in my life, and I have no doubt God brought me to Gumi--to Indong--for a specific purpose. And I mean really, GUMI???! Of all the places in Korea I could have gone, I would have never picked this place for myself. If I had it my way, I would have been teaching in Incheon. I can't imagine being at another school with other students or in a different city right now. I've known in my heart that God brought me here to Gumi for a reason, and I've just been praying and praying for Him to reveal even a little bit of His purpose for me here. Slowly, but surely and in His PERFECT timing, the veil is being lifted and a piece of the puzzle is being revealed. My next thought is this: am I ready for that purpose? And when it is revealed, am I ready to do what it takes to fulfill that purpose?

~~From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. ~ Luke 12:48~~

I will write again soon on what God has put on my heart and what has been weighing on my heart since returning from the Philippines (on New Year's Eve). Here's a look into something that has been pulling on my heartstrings (Please read Isaiah 61):

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD    for the display of his splendor...

^korean salsa dancing...when in korea, do as the koreans do^

I haven't posted in awhile, this is clear (do I really need to mention that? lol), and I do want to do a recap post soon of the last few months for everyone, but for now, before I start class, I want to write a funny post on salsa dancing in Korea. Mainly, I am writing this because I just HAVE to share this with you all (special shout out to my latin dancing community!) because I don't think this is something to keep to oneself. I wouldn't exactly call this a "faux pas of the day" (although I have definitely had many more of those in the last months), but it IS sure something to laugh about! Enjoy sharing this experience through these words! ^.~


Ok, to catch you up, I have gone salsa dancing in Korea maybe just a handful of times. Maybe 3 or 4 times in Seoul and once in Busan (yes, on the beach!). A Korean friend of mine found out how much I love salsa dancing and told me that there was actually a salsa dancing club here in Gumi! No way?! I went to one dance in December and the teacher asked me to come to lessons. Now, sure, I have fun dancing because really, it's me~~how could I NOT? But I didn't really know about learning salsa on 2 (most all of Korea dances this way. Annnnd~~like how they do most things, they are SERIOUS about dancing. Very technical and to a T. Needless to say, the first time I saw salsa dancing in Korea, I was shocked, scared, impressed, and felt like MY salsa dancing didn't have a place there. It's like watching Dancing with the Stars when you watch them dance. haha) Ok, anyway, back to the story. So, I finally decided that, what the heck, I might as well do something fun and experience salsa dancing in Korea. Starting two Thursdays ago, I had my first salsa lesson on 2. I felt like a baby again, haha, having to learn the "basics." AND...the basics that I had learned on 1 were NOT the way he wanted it done for on 2 (err...or on 2, Korean style).


Which brings me to yesterday's lesson~~


We are about halfway into the lesson (he is leveling the lesson because I pick up on it all after a couple times because I already know it from salsa on 1, and the class is for absolute beginners. He wants me to come a different day, but I can't make it at that time because of school, so he said he would do this for me. Thanks, Teacher!). Ok, so as I was saying, we are about halfway through the lesson, and I am told, "Um, Laura, hips..no." (This is the basic translation I am getting, being as though the lessons are taught in Korean). Me: "Umm, what??" And the basic of it was pretty much, again, NO HIPS. Ok, I think, how am I supposed to balance? How can you NOT have hips when you are stepping anyways? You know, in this culture you kind of don't question your authority, but my mind was just dumbfounded and I just blurted out, "Um, but why?" The first thing he says is that when you are doing these moves and turns and such, you can't have hips. Ok, people, STILL not convinced. Sorry, but what ever happened to Shakira's 'Hips Don't Lie'? He can obviously tell by my face that his explanation didn't suffice, and so THIS came as the bottom line, said to me with pride...


"Korean men are just not strong enough to handle a woman when she dances with hips!"


hahahaHAHAHAHhahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ok, my friend, THAT convinces me. It's NOT that this is what Salsa on 2 is~~it's that Korean men are too weak to handle the tension created by settling on your hips! Ok, friend, let's roll with that. I mean, ok, "When in Rome...>"  ^.~