kbleevable

So... if you don't know. I am still in Korea. Or, back in Korea rather...
I don't know if you would say it was a rather rash or hasty decision to come back... But I realize there are always be things you will miss if you are away from home. You know... you'll miss anything if you're anywhere, but it's when things are going on at home, it's where you feel bad. Maybe this is my first ever ever ever sign of home sickness.

If only people can be in more than one place at once. Hahahaha, that's what many people say. But then that would really lose meaning of you 'just being there.' no?

Anyways... Quick update/recap. I made a quick decision to come to Korea in Dec-Jan to teach at the hakwon in Daegu. After that decision, I decided to stay longer and applied to the TaLK program (English teaching program in Korea). Thus requiring me to run around applying and finding the correct documents to send to the TaLK office before I hopped onto the plane to Korea a week or two later... I got accepted...

So.. Since they offer a round trip ticket, I decided to utilize that. I went home to Atlanta with my original plane ticket. And now I'm back to Korea...

I really didn't do much in Atlanta when I went back. Ate some American type foods, hooked up some computers in our house, and met a couple friends. I was jetlagged so not much going on at night. Though it was great to see the JAMA people come in town. =]

So yeah.... thus begins another adventure in Korea. I think I come too much. I don't really know why anymore. Am I looking for my roots? Is it just comfortable for me? Is it... just where I need to be? Haha. I think the answer is 'yes' for all of them. It's been a couple days now since the TaLK orientation has started. Too many people to meet....... Would be great to meet everybody. Haha

So, this is something I've been meaning to write about. Since I've been teaching at the hakwon in Daegu, I have asked students to write topics on various topics. I have thought various classes for high school students and middle school students.

But it seems the topic, or just any sort of mention, of "success" always creeps up in many of the student's essays. It makes me wonder, is it their upbringing? You see, most of these students are international students. So it would seem that their parents have sent their children overseas to study in hopes for them to study and achieve some sort of 'success.' So it seems like these students know to have the idea to gain success.

But what does that really mean. When I read most of these essays, there's not much information backing what success really is. It may say "so and so is an example who have achieved success." But again, what does that even mean? It makes me even wonder...

What really is success? It seems the students don't have a great idea of what they are trying to do. Basically it's "I want to go to university and get success." Of course, many people strive for that. But I'm sure there are many answers for that. It's something that I can't ever answer clearly. It's not just the students who don't know...

But what thing I know is... dream big and do its

So I finished probably my last time teaching in Daegu this past Wednesday. I don't think I have any future reasons to return to teach at the hakwon anymore. Hmm, I didn't notice really think much of it but wow. I have such good memories from just being there. The past two summers and this past winter break holds some good memories. I would say the students, the co-workers, and especially my boss had a part in making my time there enjoyable.

So on Thursday, my boss and I went to go skiing. This would be my second time going this winter break so the times I have been skiing in my life has tripled. Haha. Yeah, it was awesome. The drive there had some amazing sceneries. And even once I got there at Muju, it was amazing. The ski slope we went to has the longest course of all in Korea (more than 6 km!). Here's a picture from my phone when we were at the top of the mountain.



So on Friday, made the trip up to my grandparent's home where I'll be staying. On Saturday, went to eat McDonald's with the little cousins. They really wanted to eat the bulgogi burger. I just stuck with the big mac.

On Sunday, after church, I went to go see a professional basketball game. There were more similarities in watching American basketball and Korean basketball games than there are with baseball. But unfortunately, we were watching the game between the two worst teams in the league. Overall, the game wasn't all amazing except for a few good plays. But mannnn, it is freaking loud in there. Not from the crowd (cause that's bearable), but from the music and the announcers blasting through the speakers... I think the volume could have been turned down a lot. But it snowed a bunch in Seoul on Sunday so after the game, we went to the park next door and stepped on the new snow. Hahaha

Today was a big fun day. We went ice fishing at Inje (인제). I think we got very good spots cause every time we pulled up our fishing line, there would be at least 1 fish that would come up. We didn't have to really sit and wait for the fish to bite. Just drop and pull. It was fun fun fun. Haha. And the view was amazing too. My first time standing on top of water like that. Crazy. I think the final count was 46 fishes. The people that walked up to us were surprised at how much we caught. I guess we were lucky.
Afterwards, we went on over to 속초 and just saw the beach area and ate dinner...
So.. that is my post work thus far~

So I've noticed something while I've been here in Daegu. No one really comes to visit me unless they are from California. I was just thinking back and noticed that this was true. So win one for Cali people. haha
Andddddddd, these are new friends I made while I was in Korea.
Interesting. hahahahaha

Sigh,,, Georgia friends just don't want to visit me down here. Always making me go up to Seoul??? boooo~

ha ha.....

It's funny how one day, a person can seem cute.. and the next day, I could almost care less. Ok, maybe that was a little bit extreme. But regardless, a person gets the plus points, and just as quickly get the minus points...

So apparently in Korea, today is the day where you eat 팥죽. Hmmm, so red bean cognee soup? Haha. I don't know how to translate it.



But I dont have it and no family to eat it with here so i am eating a 비비빅, a red bean ice cream.


I think they it's because it's cold in the winter, and you eat it to warm up. So I think I'm going against the whole purpose of eating red bean.

Hahahaha. peaace out

I cannot believe it's already the 4th advent Sunday. I'll be honest, I totally forgot that it was Christmas Sunday going into church today. In fact, I think I might have almost missed going to church today. I actually didn't/couldn't go last Sunday while I was in Daegu and had to work at 1pm.
But this weekend, I was up in Seoul (how and why for another blog). I actually was gonna go back to Daegu  Saturday night (to work on Sunday again) but my boss told me to just stay the extra day and come back on Sunday. So I did.
I woke up Sunday morning and decided to take advantage of the situation and make my way over to Jubilee Church, an English speaking church in Seoul.
Pastor David Hwang then told us to greet each other in the congregation, "happy 4th advent Sunday"
It was then I realized, "wow, it's the Sunday before Christmas." We were watching the children do their Christmas performances and just made me smile.
And the sermon was on His perfect love. the nitty-gritty non glamorous kind of love. Wowsies, it hit me.

But right now it's almost 3am so I need to sleep. HAHA, cliffhangerrrrrr

And I think I saw Tim the 가수 today.