Teacher Dinners

Brotherhood of Korea
The other night I was discussing how to order some 짜장면when the 5th grade teacher invited me out to dinner with some of his dongsengs who were visiting him from Wonju. So, why would he invite me, a complete stranger to his friends who were visiting? He didn’t want me to eat alone. Wow, the love I felt immediately as we they ordered tons of meat (very expensive…the bill came out to over $200 for a group of 4 because meat is expensive in Korea) and through the conversation was totally unexpected. From ordering bus tickets to inviting me to stay for free at a resort near Busan, I was overwhelmed at the concern they had for me. Basically in their mind, their friend’s friend was also their friend. Afterwards they bought me ice cream and we played ping pong and shot some hoops. I am so utterly thankful for the family like atmosphere that was immediately shown to me.

Dinner at the Kindergarten Teacher’s House
I found out after going to the kindergarten teacher’s house that I was actually going to do homestay at their house. The only hindrance was that I was going to teach after school and the ride situation to school would be too difficult. I talked to the daughter, Patty, and it looks like I’m going to be coming over quite a bit to help her out with English writing and grammar. We talked about how important it is how babies learn a language and to know situational expressions. Her mother is an expert in calligraphy so I’m going to ask her to teach me in exchange for some English lessons for her daughter.

Dinner at 1st grade teacher’s house:
Where to begin…
After school went to the first grade teacher’s home in the mountain as you can see through the pictures. The company we were in included the 5th grade, 3rd grade, both 1st grade teachers along with the 3rd grade teacher’s husband and two of our school’s bus drivers. The house is situated in the mountains surrounding Jangpyeong and I was told that in a couple of months the mountain will turn orange from the trees’ leaves changing colors. Shortly following that, I will get to experience my first true winter. Deciding to have a barbeque outside, the food was delicious. The sanggapsal we had was the best tasting sanggapsal I have ever had. The sweet squash side dish was extremely tasty as well. Actually, everything was good. Topics of conversation ran from fishing (I was invited to go fishing on Saturday on the driver’s boat) to prices of land in the area (someone told me that the house I was at is 1/10 the price of an apartment in Seoul, which is pretty ridiculous because the mountains are so beautiful). Anyways, as the night passed, some of the bus drivers began drinking a little too much. One actually started grabbing my hair and pulling me towards him every time he had something to say. Understanding that he was drunk, I didn’t react. However, the younger teachers knew that I was not used to this (this being the endless drinks and accepting them, the lectures from the older men, and the older men grabbing my hair and calling me “yah”). So, I was escorted outside to take a walk with some of the guys through the neighborhood. I learned that the amount of alcohol you can consume defines your manliness (apparently becoming quite intrepid or should I say obnoxious and rude is manly). If anyone really looked at it…becoming completely intoxicated is completely inconsiderate of those around you (as I have often been the one who has had to take care of those who have taken that course of action and have heard and seen my father begin threatened and hit by drunk people). Patiently and considerately, I take into account that many of the older men around me have difficult lives and use alcohol as a peace substitute, so I only want to show them care. However, I have had my share of difficulties and it is no excuse to burden those around me. We can always complain or find a means to complain, but little fruit comes from that.
I love the respect and concern for one another that exists in Korean culture. However, the alcohol consumption is a definite and very noticeable problem. All in all, I had a great dinner.

First week and Festival

Week 1 Finished.
Wow, what a week. I feel as though I have been teaching for months. My first class of complete anxiety, panic, and fear is a distant memory. I am now getting into a rhythm of lesson planning and preparing for class. Here’s my typical week day:
-Wake up and eat breakfast
-Go to school and help train the track team…then go back home and shower
-Lesson Plan at home
-Go to school again
-Fine tune my lesson plans
-Teach
-Go home and lesson plan for the next day
-eat dinner
-watch some TV and then read…followed by sleep
Of course there are random surprises like teacher dinners, movies at the school library at night with the 5th grade teacher, playing pick-up basketball with the 5th grade teacher, going out with some hyungs to eat, going over to teachers’ homes, and other things…but that’s my regular schedule as a teacher.
Since I spent so much time lesson planning, my children are always on my mind. Whenever I go to the market I think of what they would like to eat, when I visit a craft store I wonder what they would like to make, and when I read my Bible I think of the love I need to show them. So many of them come from broken families, and I find that many of my shyest students (who need more attention) are the ones raised by their grandparents and other guardians. I find it so easy to like the students who are obedient and participative, but those who aren’t usually noticed are the ones I must show love towards. During a talk I had with my dad a couple of nights ago, he told me to build relationships with the trouble-makers because they are the ones who are in need of more love and attention…basically, don’t brush them aside. It’s funny because right after that I ran into one of my trouble-makers in town on Sunday (I always see my kids in the town…the town is basically one block of random stores and abandoned buildings) and talked to him a little. I found out he had just ended Sunday Service at church, so I found out the time of the service and am planning on going to the church next Sunday (even if it is in all Korean). Anyways, I love my students.
So this weekend I went to Jinbu to eat Ddak Galbi with some English teachers in the county. Slept at a friend’s apartment and then went to the buckwheat festival the next day in Bongpyeong.
Walking among the buckwheat flowers, I was extremely pleased to where I was when I was. Feasting on buckwheat noodles (looks like nangmyun but much better), munching on street food, and enjoying the shows and endless stalls of traditional crafts, I could barely believe that my home was only a quick 10 minutes bus ride away. My place is pretty rural (mountains), but my environment in Bongpyeong was the exact picture that comes to mind when I think of the countryside.
The festival was so enjoyable that I went Saturday (with co-teachers) and again on Sunday (with my fellow English teacher in the county). Today (Monday) a couple of my students ran up to me and yelled “Jason Teacher I saw at festival (that’s exactly how they said it)!” At first I was a bit confused, but now I’m used to them referring to me as Jason Teacher when describing the things I do. Well, another week has begun and it’s time to hit the ground running again.
Almost every day I am asked by my fellow teachers and scholars: Aren’t you lonely in that small little room all by yourself? My answer, not at all. As much as I love my school, the sweet quiet of my room is blissful. Of course there are times when I think about home and miss everyone, but there is nothing I can do about it except focus on the blessings I have been given while here in Korea.
This post has been pretty scattered…o well.
Cheers!

Welcome to Jangpyeong

I've finally found the time to post a couple pictures of my home here in 장평. From my residence school is 5 minutes walking distance(heated floors!). The scenery is stunning, the air crisp, the view breathtaking, and the school is very advanced. For a school in the countryside, I was pretty blown away. Automatic doors, huge flat screen TVs in every room, and an indoor gym with basketball hoops! The girl table tennis team here is ranked #1 in Gangwon-do, and I can see why after watching them practice until 7pm. Downtown Jangpyeong consists of a hair salon, 2 small markets (very small), a couple of restaurants, a wedding hall, a church, flower shop, and a bus terminal. Not very busy now, but in a month or two (ski season) I have been told that downtown becomes pretty busy. It takes about 20 minutes for me to walk to the stores, so I tend to stay up in the mountains where my home and school are.

Over the weekend I took a bus to Seoul to do a little shopping at 동대문 (where the shop owners grab you and try to convince you to try a shirt on) and Itaewon where I had some Mexican food (I can confidently say it was not the best Mexican food I've ever had). Spent the night in Suwon, then the next day I took a trip with my uncle and his family (along with my grandma) to Jangpyeong and the beach where we road a motor boat and went biking.

Today was the welcoming ceremony for the new teachers and marks my first day of classes. I will be starting off with second graders, followed by grades 3-4 and 5-6. There might be a teacher's dinner tonight, so I hope the elder teachers understand that I am not a heavy drinker.

Anyways, I have to get back to lesson planning so I'll update this blog after my first day of classes!

Update:

Grade 2 = little monsters...I was totally not expecting the mob I encountered from 1:20-2pm. While some children were calm, others were jumping on me, running out of the room, and screaming in my ear: GAME!!! After that class, I rushed back to my room to prepare heavily for the next class. The reason why I was so thrown off for the 2nd graders was that I thought I was having class in my classroom, but last second I was told to go to the 2nd grade homeroom to teach. Luckily, the rest of my classes are in my classroom. Rushing back to my room, I found myself surrounded by 5th and 6th grade girls and boys (mostly girls) wanting to play games for the next 15 minutes before their class would start. Knowing that they would continue to ask me even if I said no, I played 4 corners and hangman with them. I am so glad we played those games because I used them later during the next 2 classes I had. Basically, things didn't always go the way I saw during the day, and my respect for elementary school teachers skyrocketed as a result of today. Eagerly I will go home and prepare extensively for the next day. I am actually staying at school right now (17:30) to prepare a little while I can. Well, I'm off to eat some rice and kimchi at home for dinner so until next time, ciao!

address:

Jason Lee

강원도 평창군 용평면

장평리 장평초등학교

232-933
South Korea

Gangwon-Do

As of right now I'm staying at Freya Naksan Condo, which is in the city of Yangyang. Across the street is the beach and my room is the size of my apartment in Westwood, except I am the only resident (Kitchen, living room, bedroom, and plenty of room to move around, with a view of a beautiful mountain range). The province I am in may be perhaps the most beautiful province in Korea (it is the only split province in Korea with part of it being in North Korea). Surrounded by mountains, fresh air, friendly people, and peaceful surroundings, I am extremely excited for the next 4 months to be a time for growth not only as a teacher, but also as a student.
Today I was taken to a seaside town where we could pick out whatever seafood we wanted (alive) and have it cooked for us. In addition to amazing food, amazing views surround me. Korea is definitely growing on me. Since Gangwon-do is less developed than places like the Seoul area, I feel so much more at peace. The quickened pace of life in the city is not present here :)

My update is lacking in descriptive details, so when I have more time I will update with pictures and hopefully about when I meet my fellow co-teachers at Jangpyeong Elementary School.

Until then,
cheers.

Surprises

Events don't always go as you plan, and goals at the beginning are not always goals at the end.

Yesterday evening made plans to go to the Han River Ferry with some friends. The trip to Seoul took a little longer than expected, the meal lasted a little longer than expected, and walking out of the subway station took a little longer than expected. We ended up at the Han River, but arrived 20 minutes after the last ferry had departed from the dock. Although we were unable to complete the expected goal of seeing Seoul from the deck of a ferry boat, we were able to witness the still beauty of the Han River while watching occasional fireworks and consuming our ice cream cones. Sometimes the best things are unexpected.

In the same way, I make plans for the future in the hope that I will be able to complete those plans. However, as a servant of an almighty and sovereign God I must recognize that I am susceptible to the endless factors that I cannot even imagine to control. I am weak and fleeting and I must "...not boast about tomorrow for you[I] do not know what a day may bring forth." (proverbs 27:1)
Whatever the outcome, especially it is not one that initially desire, I am grateful. I serve a sovereign God who has given me grace incomprehensible, love never ending, and peace never fleeting from my heart. I take pleasure in knowing that I am in the hands of God. My heart remains strong because of my firm belief that "...for those who love God all things work together for good." (romans 8:28).

Whether I become involved in microfinance, school planting, IMF development, behavioral finance, or other forms of economic development, may I boast always in the Lord and be a man seeking after his heart.

Cheers.

Weekend in Seoul

I've been in Korea for around 1 week.

Weekdays are taken up by classes from 9AM-8:30PM. Although some students complain of the seemingly repetitious routine, I am actually pretty thankful because every class focuses on a different subject (from Korean Pottery to Creating Teaching Materials) and the schedule keeps everyone occupied with work other than going out to drink (curfew is at 11pm).
Well, this weekend we were taken to Seoul as a group and watched the show NANTA. The show was by far the most captivating, exciting, and thrilling interactive show I have ever experienced. There were only 5 cast members and each showed expertise in martial arts, cooking, percussion, comedy, dancing, and just plain awesomeness. I recommend the show to anyone who ever visits Seoul. Just in case, it's in the Gangwon area.
After the amazing show I walked around the town with some friends and eventually ate lunch, went to a Korea vs Japan soccer game at Incheon Stadium (Korea lost pretty badly...but the group Sonyuhshidae performed at half time which was pretty cool), and spent the night at a Chimchil Bang. This sauna was no normal sauna. Unparalled with 5 floors which contained a PC room, Singing room, arcade, restaurants on every floor, sleeping rooms, countless heating and cooling rooms, business rooms, anime spots, massage areas, and of course the amazing male spa areas where you chill with the guys naked. After getting very clean and having some good bonding time with friends, I went to Jubolee church in Gangwon on Sunday. I loved how the pastor was so real and challenged the congregation to examine their lifestyles and to see if they are living a life of love. After church I was reminded of how small the Korean community is when I met Ben Park, Crystal Kang, Justin, Noah, and other friends at the church. 6,000 miles away and I still see people I know :) That's pretty amusing to me.
Took the bus back to Suwon, ate at the food court at Home Plus, took a taxi back to school, and then played some ultimate frisbee.
All in all, a jam-packed weekend of using public transportation (which everyone uses here unlike Los Angeles) and bonding time with some friends.

China Trip

Going into China I asked to be humbled and for trials. God granted my request.

Pulling up to the orphanage by way of bus, my team and I were met by countless children with huge smiles on their faces and hands waving continuously in a hi-motion. I could not help but smile and feel excited for what was to come. The next 5 days went by in a blur. Biking to the town for ice cream, playing basketball, teaching the Macarena, helping with countless arts and crafts, decorating the cafeteria, singing praise songs, participating in morning exercise, reading my books, and just spending time with all the children.

Then it happened suddenly. Numerous team members began getting sick, the children began getting sick, and we learned that one of the visiting members from China had tested positive for the H1N1 virus. Immediately we were quarantined and sent off to the country to a hotel controlled by the Chinese provincial government. Isolated 1 to a room, we were given ample time to reflect on what had just happened and why were being disciplined. Most of the time I spent my time on my bed listening to sermons on my computer and reading my Bible seeking answers. After one prayer session, I had confirmation. I must be as King David and be a man after God's heart. Instead of worrying about what is next (Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth, Provers 27), I am to be confident in uncertainty because of my trust in God's sovereignty. I prayed for trials, but selfishly I asked for complete physical safety. God revealed to me that I have no power over him and he does not operate according to my demands. Instead, I am to revere and fear my Lord for he is sovereign. My inability to rely on any of my abilities to control the situation resulted in a complete reliance on God. As a result, there was never any panic or anxiety; instead, a unexplainable peace inundated within me. What a rebuke...I was being cared and supplied for by unbelievers (nice room, A/C, bathroom, food, TV, exercise time, and more)...I have no right to complain of my situation. God allowed for empathy to enter my heart as my focus in prayer became the children and their health.

Missions became a much more serious issue. Missions is not about having fun and using God's blessings inefficiently. It is about discipling and training people in order to glorify and further God's kingdom.

Stick to my strong convictions.

There is so so so much I left out, but these couple of paragraphs should suffice for now.

Some of the main themes:
Romans 8:28
Proverbs 3:5
Mathew 5:43-47


As of now, I am in Korea about to begin my training program to teach in an elementary school in the countryside.

Until next time,
Cheers