Squeaky Cheese and Notes

Walking home from work at 6:30 p.m. for my hour break before I start teaching again at 7:30 p.m. It's a bit cool. A skirt may not have been the best choice of attire for the day. I walk up the steps to my apartment door as I fumble in my pocket for my key. I stop. I stare. What is this?

In front of me sits a beat up brown box. But what catches my attention on this beat up brown box is that there is English and the name 'Cindy Stotz' written on it. Boom. I know that package wasn't just randomly left in the hallway. That package is for me!

I hurriedly unlock my door and hoist the unexpectedly heavy package into my arms, carrying it as a mother would her child. I gingerly set it down by the kitchen table (by the looks of the smashed-in side of the box, I think it's been through enough already, poor thing). Then . . . I tear into. I can wait no longer! And what do I find on top first? A box of envelopes, each one holding love and encouragement inside. My apartment seems to grow a bit warmer with each card I read. Notes from people dear to my heart. My church family, both young and old, both new and familiar, sent me a little bit of home through their words tonight. A couple of you may have brought me close to misty eyes. Many of you made me laugh and smile. All of you made me miss home and appreciate the fact that I have people there who care for me enough to think of me, even though I'm half a world away. How lucky am I?

You all must be psychic or know something about the food situation in Korea, because the peanut butter and all the Mexican fixings and the AMAZING Burnett Dairy Co-op Wisconsin cheese is everything that I have been craving here. Do you understand what it is like to have a 3 month long craving for a burrito or an enchilada and not have it quenched? You are saints. I'll make sure the Lord knows the good deeds you have done. lol But seriously, everything in the box was a wonderful unexpected gift of love and thoughtfulness - even if you don't feel like it was.

Family can be anyone. It can be the mother who carried you for 9 months and brought you into the world. It can be the neighbor who took care of you all those nights while your parents worked hard to make a living. Maybe it's the friend you've known since you were two who has become the sister you never had. This package made me realize I have a very big family who thinks of me, even in those times when I feel that I've been forgotten by everyone. I am proud and honored to say that these people are my family in Christ. I hope they can say the same about me. This package brought untold joy to me, and not just because I got to share Wisconsin cheese with my co-workers (Korean and American) and brag about it. I don't really have many ways of showing my appreciation seeing as I'm half-way across the world with a 14, no, wait, make that 15 (thanks to our lovely system of Daylight Savings Time) hour, time difference. So I'll just blog about you all. Some of you will see it, some of you won't. If you do, know that I love you and miss you. Keep warm during the cold Northern winter we all know and love. Thank you, thank you, thank you - I have no other words better to say.

A Dinner of Realization

Laughter and conversation comfortably crowd the air. Smells of mashed potatoes and corn, chicken, and pumpkin pie boldly waft through the room. Is that a hint of Micheal Buble's Christmas album I hear? Possibly . . .

A Thanksgiving dinner in an American home? No, you would be mistaken. This was my Korean apartment on Sunday, November 25. I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner - in a country where Thanksgiving is in September and no pilgrims OR Native Americans were involved. That would happen to me. lol

The entire week before the dinner took place the anticipation and excitement built inside of me. On the morning of the dinner, the excitement and anticipation exploded out of me in the form of stress. I was quite a worried woman. I was afraid that things wouldn't turn out well, the food would taste horrible, I wouldn't have things ready in time. Silly me. Why do I always do this to myself? I worry, worry, stress, worry, worry, and worry some more? When will I truly learn that even if things aren't perfect, it's not the end of the world? Life still goes on. People will still eat. Conversation and laughter will still happen. I shake my head at myself sometimes.

The dinner was a huge success (apart from me being extremely tired, having to do all the dishes, and that the next day was Monday which meant a full day of work)! I definitely wouldn't have been able to pull it off without the help of a couple friends who came into the kitchen about 20 minutes early and told me to chill out. This was a necessary gathering for me I realize. As I sat, eating the delectable food on my plate, listening to and joining into the conversation and laughter in my humble abode, I felt so full of love and happiness (as well as food) that I thought I might burst out into song and make the dinner a musical or something. Okay, maybe not quite that extreme, but it was amazing to feel like I had friends and family with me. It feels like I'm really beginning to find my place in this world separate from anything I've ever known. This is not so much life as I don't know it anymore. Yes, there is definitely still a lot I don't know about living here. Yes, I have much to learn - I'm an almost empty vessel waiting to be filled. But I feel like this is beginning to be less like life as I don't know it and more like life as I know it.   Hmmm, I kind of like that. As the awesome character of Stitch might say, "It's good . . . yeah, it's good."

Yes, This Is a Post About Being Thankful . . .

As I quietly sit alone in my kitchen on this Thanksgiving evening after a long day of teaching, eating a tortilla with melted cheese and a bit of salsa, I realize that I have so much for which to be thankful.

Now, I promise I won't make this long but I really just feel the need to write about what gives me reason to be thankful this year.

This year has been one filled with change and adventure. Of course, life is always an adventure, but mine became more of one after I signed a contract agreeing to spend the next year of my life teaching in South Korea. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to skip across the ocean and spend the first year of my non-school life teaching English in a foreign country. I am thankful for both the good and bad experiences that have accompanied this journey. I have learned more about my weaknesses and my strengths and how to use them to my advantage. So far, the opportunities to strengthen my faith as well as my character have been endless.

I am thankful for my family. My parents were, of course, very reluctant to let their daughter fly halfway across the world and live there for a year . . . alone. But after I decided this was what I needed to do after graduation, they were there with 110% support. You are and always will be the amazing people I turn to when life gives me both trouble and joy. Angela, my dear sister, continuously told me to stay home and not go. She was always reminding me of how much she would miss me. As we embraced one last time before leaving her in Lincoln, she even told me that she already missed me. We've always seemed to have our differences (to say the least. lol) growing up, but her hug was filled with enough love to get me through a year apart from her. All of my other relatives - I love seeing your comments on my blog and I love knowing that you all support me and love me so much. I don't know how I got so lucky to be stuck with such an awesome family but somehow it happened and the rest of you should be jealous of all of the amazingness to which I'm related.

I am thankful for my friends. Wow, I don't know how some people make it through life without friends! Being here, I've realized just how important friends are to me. When you don't know anyone and have no one to talk to, trust, rely upon, or hang out with, life can seem a bit more challenging and a bit less enjoyable. So if you're reading this and we're friends, or ever become friends, please know that I appreciate you and our relationship beyond words. Without my friends' support, love, and encouragement throughout my life, and especially since I've been here, I wouldn't be the same person I am today. Thank you for helping to shape, and to continue to shape, me through experiences, talks, and laughter.

There's so much more but I promised this would be short so I'll wrap it up here. I guess I can basically say that I'm thankful for every day I have the privilege of living and every new morning I get to experience. I know that might sound cliche or like a cop out, but really, truly, honestly, that's what I'm thankful for - each day and whatever might come with it.

Delicious Fellowship

Friday evening. I think this is one of my favorite, if not the most favorite, day of the week. Life seems to decelerate a bit when that sun starts to set. Being in Korea has made me miss my Friday nights back in the U.S. Some good music, a clean house, no obligations or responsibilities, a good book, vespers, and the often late-into-the-night discussions with good friends. And yes Kelly, I dearly miss our Friday afternoon Ugly Betty marathons. :)

A Friday evening here consists of coming back from the market, cleaning house, having a bit of supper, and then heading to the chapel to put on the vespers program and lead out in conversation time for the few students who decided to attend that night. There is not a real atmosphere of warm fellowship. Deep spiritual and life discussions are far and few between. It's up to you to make your Friday evening special.

Tonight however, was the most pleasant Friday evening I have had in a while. Earlier in the week, I invited to dinner one of the Korean teachers, Jenny, who is also my neighbor. We also invited one of the foreign teachers, Ray. I spent the afternoon (and actually the entire week) getting my apartment ready. I wanted it to be perfect. Scrubbing and mopping the floors, which was about 3 hours worth of work down on my hands and knees on a Sunday afternoon; making artwork and fancying up pictures to make my walls look more attractive and less naked (because no one likes a naked wall); changing out my old beat-up tablecloth for a new one about 20 minutes before dinner (it may or may not have been a large curtain that had been wasting its days away inside my closet); chopping, rising, washing, drying, sauteing, baking, setting - yeah, all that good stuff that goes along with make an entire meal that you want to be the greatest thing your guests' taste-buds have ever experienced. As a short side-note, cooking here has been slightly different than back home. I never realized how readily available (and how much cheaper) items were, things I never thought I would miss and may have taken for granted - cheese, tortillas, salsa, good pasta sauce, Earth Balance (which is nowhere to be found unfortunately, even in the international marketplace in Itaewon). Also, I've been learning how to cook and bake with the few pans I have. No glass baking dishes, no pie tins, no 9x13 pan for me - Koreans aren't really into much baking and continuously are shocked when they find out that I actually have, and use, an oven. Ok, so let's get back on track here.

I did everything to get ready. I was so ecstatic (but only on the inside, of course) to be hosting my first dinner in my apartment. I was proud of the way my place was beginning to look and how clean it was. I was hoping and praying that dinner turned out well (I still have issues with converting Fahrenheit to Celsius at times - and my oven uses Celsius. lol)! I was worrying that I would not be ready in time. But, when 5:30 rolled around - dinner was fresh out of the oven, rice cooker, and fridge; the house was clean; and the awesome David Lanz Pandora Radio station was keeping my ears company. Dinner went off without a hitch. And without even realizing it, the warm intimate fellowship was just what I had been needing. As the conversation and laughter carried on through the evening, a strange and foreign feeling slowly began to move from the sounds and smells and seep under my skin. Familiarity. What an amazing and forgotten feeling! This has been a breakthrough moment in the Korean life of the American Ashley Schebo. I think it means I'm going to do just fine.

Two Months

Time.

It is merely a measurement. It is a unit by which we dictate how long something takes to accomplish, when we will meet someone, or whether or not we are late to an appointment. Time can be seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. Time can also be wasted, stolen, given, or lost. Time is how we organize our lives, from what time we wake up in the morning to how long it takes us to get to work, from when we eat our meals to how long we will sit in class.

Time can also fly. The older I get, the more I realize that, for me, time began as indecipherable and unimportant numbers on a clock but somehow evolved into the Concorde, transporting me through life at supersonic speeds.

Two months. In the scheme of life, it's not really much at all. But much can happen in two months. At the beginning of these two months, I stepped from my aunt and uncle's car in Minneapolis and embraced familiarity for the last time. At the beginning of these two months, I was sitting in a Singapore Airlines window seat, watching the endless span of clouds and ocean float gently below me, oblivious to the change that was happening in my life. At the beginning of these two months, I was wondering what I had gotten myself into as I walked out of the terminal and could not understand one word the woman greeting arriving passengers was saying. At the beginning of these two months, I was sitting on the floor in my tiny new room - no sheets for my bed, two sets of bars on my window, and unfamiliarity seeping into my body by all five senses as each second ticked away. I was crying out to God asking why I had come to this place, informing Him that surely I'd misheard Him. I could easily pack up all my belongings and go home if that's what He wanted me to do.

The middle of these two months was full of trials, loneliness, sadness, and fear. But, it was even more full of happiness, laughter, smiles, life-changing experiences, strengthening (and testing) of faith and character, and a step closer to finding who the person that is me really is. Sound cliche? If so, too bad. I dislike cliche-sounding things, but the above words are the truth, so why write anything else? These two months were full of traveling, eating, trying new things, making new friends, and learning to be prepared to do anything, at any and all times (I may not be able to do the splits to the ground, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to be flexible).

The end of these first two months in South Korea finds me sitting at my kitchen table on a Saturday night, eating some Kashi I bought at Costco and typing out this post. I never saw myself at this point as the wheels of my jet lifted off that last bit of U.S. tarmac. Now that I'm here, I can't imagine life without these two months. Teaching English in Korea hasn't been all that I've expected it to be, but it's also been more than I expected it to be. Sure I've had problems. Sure I've felt like giving up, skipping town (or country), heading back, flying away. Sure I've been surrounded, and at times, overwhelmed by unfamiliarity. But who hasn't? Who in their life has never faced a new situation, something foreign and unfamiliar to them, something that no experience in their life up to that point could have prepared them for? If not for challenges, how would we grow? How would we become the people we are supposed to be? Stagnation is for those fearful of the possibility of failure. I know - I used to be there. At one point in my life, I embraced stagnation, found peace and stability in it. It was the known that kept my life calm. The known kept me on top, away from that sneering creature of failure. But I've begun to realize that change should become my more constant companion, even though it is accompanied by many unknowns. If we fear the unknown, we will never know if it truly is to fear because it remains unknown. Don't get me wrong, I still get nervous when I'm faced with unknown situations. Instead of always running from them now though, I've begun to face them. I have found that life becomes more interesting, as do I. I challenge (there's that word again. lol) you to face an unknown today. Start out small and as the unknowns grow, so will you. Life is what you make of it, so dare yourself to make it an adventure.

Red Eyes and Sniffles

It's been a long Sunday.

Making friends has never come very easily for me. My introverted nature (yes, I am actually quite introverted, even though many a jaw has dropped in disbelief when I make this fact known) makes it difficult for me to start conversations with random strangers or to always want to be with people in general. I like my 'me time' and sometimes I like to just sit in silence with a person - some people find this awkward and uncomfortable so I may thwart off potential friends, sometimes without even realizing it.

Making friends in a foreign country with not only a personality barrier, but also cultural and language barriers to hack my way through, has been even more difficult. It may not seem like it on the outside to those around me, to those with whom I spend every day teaching, chatting, and planning. But I sometimes still feel somewhat alone, excluded, alienated . . . foreign.

So, when one of the few people I've met here who I thought I could call a friend told me today me he didn't want to be friends, that he never would have even spent any time with me if he thought I wouldn't be his girlfriend, and accused me of multiple things that were never true, I felt like someone had taken a knife, stabbed me in the heart, and then stabbed me again in the back. It's amazing how hard it can be to lose a friend when you only have a couple. And I felt horrible, like it was my fault that this had happened. I will admit, I can be slightly (possibly more than slightly) oblivious to things like this, but I've never had someone so vehemently accuse me and swear off even speaking to me. I didn't know what I did wrong and still don't understand. I only know that red eyes and kleenex were my companions this morning - my parents can attest to that fact. And those of you who know me well know that it takes a lot to make me cry over anything. Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess - this was one of those times.

I sometimes wonder if life would be easier if I kept to myself, minded my own business, and didn't even attempt to make relationships with anyone. Then I wouldn't have to worry about problems like this. I would only need to be accountable to me and to work out things with me. But then I realize how boring life would be. I may be introverted but I'm not a hermit. I crave human companionship too - just not as much as some people. Moving on is something I'm still in the process of learning how to do. I look at this as an experience to help teach me this life skill, and maybe as an experience to pull myself a little closer to the Best Friend I ever have or ever will have. Jesus's got my back.

Put On the Brakes and Blast "Three Little Birds"

Running. Rushing. Hurrying. Pushing. Scurrying.

It seems more often than not that this is how many of us live our lives. We hurry to catch the bus, we rush to make an appointment, we scurry to work - sometimes we get so focused on rushing that we become only mindful of ourselves and our priorities and forget about the people who are around us. We sometimes go too fast to see when we need to slow down for another who is placed in our way.

This was the final week of Term 5 classes here in Korea. There were term projects to hear, final tests to be given, and much grading and recording to be done. It was a busy and slightly stressful week for both students and teachers. By today, Friday, teachers were supposed to have all their grades and attendance records entered and decisions made on which students would pass to the next level and which would need to repeat. I now know, from personal experience, how difficult it can be for a teacher to tell a student that they did not pass the class, even though they did the work and studied hard. Trying to explain your reasoning to a native English speaker can sometimes be difficult enough. Now throw in the fact that this person brought someone into the room with them to help interpret my words and this predicament just got twice as difficult.

As students pass into the higher levels, they often need to repeat the level to increase their English conversation proficiency, comprehension, grammar, and pronunciation. Some students take it harder than others however. As Ray, a fellow teacher, and I sat in the hallway (because that's where we can get internet) and hurriedly worked on a power point project on Jamaica, which was due in a couple of hours, Romi, a wonderful young lady who has been studying at SDA for a little under 1 year, walked out of a classroom where she had met the ugly foe of failure. Her eyes and nose were the tell-tale red of someone who has been crying - hard and long.

Now, Ray and I could have continued working on the project. We needed to finish it very soon and when we continued with our morning classes, we wouldn't have time to work on it. We could have stayed in the fast lane and blown right on by this person who was broken down on the side of the freeway of life. Instead, I immediately told her to come sit beside me. I gave her a little hug and kept my hand on her shoulder. We didn't say much but kept quiet as her sniffling became a roller coaster of sound - soft then louder then a bit softer again. We told her we had just the song for her and up I pulled none other than Bob Marley's Three Little Birds. That was followed up with a good helping of One Love. After we finished the songs, we chatted a bit - Romi telling us why she was frustrated and mad at herself; us giving her encouraging words and telling stories about people who had failed or people who didn't understand why things didn't go as planned but soon found out there was a good reason. After about 45 minutes of this or so, we had her smiling and not thinking about her worries. When I met her in the hallway later that morning, we chatted for a few minutes. Then she looked me straight in the eyes and gently said, "Thank you". I knew that what we had done meant a lot to her.

In the span of a lifetime, taking forty five minutes to stop and encourage someone in need really isn't a great price. But it can do much more than you could imagine for the person you are encouraging. I have always been blessed throughout my life with at least one friend who always slows down to my speed when I'm only chuggin along at the speed minimum. They send encouragement my way and it rejuvenates me, wakes me up, gives me that extra boost I need to get going again. Think of a time when you were down and someone stopped to help you get back up. They said just the right words or did just the right thing to start you on your way again. It's one of the simple yet major acts we can do for our family, friends, and even people we may have just met. The next time you are hurrying through life and you see someone sitting in the wayside of despair, take a few minutes out of your day to encourage them and give them strength to get through the next minute, hour, or even day.
"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called Today . . ."  ~Hebrews 3:13

Fantabulously Fantastical Food

Food - a necessary and enjoyable part of life. Food brings people together, it makes us happy, it is a universal language - I love food. So, I decided, what better to post on than the food I've come to love here in good ol' Korea! So here is a small sampling - the tasty tantalizing tidbits in which my taste buds now take pleasure.

Bibimkoogsoo - cold, spicy noodle dish.

I don't even know what this actually is but it's
an extremely addictive rice treat.

That seaweed covered roll? Kimbap, my new food I can
eat anytime - morning noon, or night.

Lotte cookies are the best (although the chocolate
ones are better than the ones pictured here.

American pears I greatly despise. But the
Korean pear I adore. It's like an apple - but not.

The ever wonderful bibimbap - vegetables, rice, and fried egg.
Dolsot (steaming hot) is my favorite kind.

The bag doesn't lie - these snacks
are sweet and delicious! ^_^

Kimchi - I do love me some
fermented cabbage! lol

If all Ramen in the U.S. were as good as Jin
Ramyeon, it would've been a larger part of my college diet.

Hangwa, a slightly sweet light and airy
rice cake snack. A very traditional food
to eat on Chuseok.

Just a couple of the many variations of tteok (rice cakes).
Some I like better than others, some I really don't enjoy
one bit. lol

Samchi gui - Spanish mackerel. Never thought I'd ever
eat a fish with its face still attached - but it was
amazingly delectable!

Japchae (many variations of the spelling) - check out all
our side dishes, too!

A Time for Pondering

We never truly know how good we have it. We sometimes go through life complaining about the smallest and silliest of things: the weather, classes, traveling, walking, working. The list goes on. I know I'm definitely guilty of doing this. Sometimes it takes a something to remind us of the things for which we truly should be grateful. This is not a lecture on how you should be happy with what you have, but merely an experience I want to share. An experience that made me step back and think about my life and the lives of others.

Imagine with me, a place where food is scarce, rules are strict, and penalties even more so than rules. This past Sunday, two other foreign teachers, a Korean teacher, and I took a trip to the DMZ (demilitarized zone for those who don't know). It is the heavily guarded border separating brother from brother, the only remaining physically divided country. Excitement filled me as I found out the date for our adventure had been finalized. My fifth and sixth graders at Georgestone Elementary last year learned all about Southeast Asia and the DMZ was one of the topics covered. Ever since I knew I was coming to Korea, I knew it was one of the places I HAD to visit. I found myself feeling like a child waiting for that last day of school before summer vacation, carefully counting each day until the celebrated day arrived - it was so close yet so far. We were lighthearted, talking and laughing as we took the subway then an hour long bus ride to our destination. We had left the city and were entering small suburbs and country. Quick sidetrack - I was oh so glad to see the country. It had been a month and a half since I'd last been somewhere a building wasn't over 10 stories high and sidewalks were constantly crowded with people, delivery motorbikes, and even the occasional car. Finally, after our bus driver showed us her extremely fast and crazy driving skills, we got off and walked a short distance to the free shuttle bus that would take us up the mountain to the memorial and lookout point. 

One of many shots we got of North Korea, so barren and
abandoned compared to South Korea.

My first glimpses of North Korea had been while I was tightly gripping the hand rail that was keeping me from falling on the bus as I stood near the doors, waiting for our stop. It looked . . . well, it looked slightly different. It was a bit more brown, it didn't seem to have much foliage. After reading about all the invasion attempts and war-like episodes on the ground floor of the building, we headed up to the outside overlook. I slipped in a ₩500 coin into the extremely HUGE orange binoculars and glanced a close-up view of North Korea. As I slowly trolled from left to right and back again, strange feelings welled up inside of me. There were buildings, yes. But no one lives in those buildings. The North Koreans built them merely to show South Korea that they too can construct large structures, that they have the power and machines and resources. Without even standing on the other side of the river, with just a glimpse through some glass, the countryside had a aura of abandonment, eeriness, and silence. I saw one person riding a bicycle down a dirt road towards the scattering of useless high-rises. It was a Sunday afternoon - people should be out enjoying the last days of beautiful fall weather, children should be playing along the road and fields, chairs holding chatting adjoomas should be outside these houses. After my coin had given me its value in views, I just stood, quietly staring across the river, pondering anything and everything and nothing, all at the same time. After we had all had our fill of the view, we sat down in some chairs, soaking up the sun and feeling the gentle caress of the crisp autumn breeze. No words were spoken for a bit, just four silent beings lost in their own thoughts. The way I felt is not explainable. I have grappled with finding the right adjectives to describe my feelings, but I decided that I will never find the right words. It's one of those things where you have to be there, you have to experience it for yourself. 

Michael, the Korean teacher who had taken us, told us stories about the terrible living conditions and the treatment of citizens of North Korea. He talked about some of his experiences while he was in the military (which all men in South Korea are required to join). That afternoon was quite sobering. I'm so glad I got to experience it though, even if it wasn't jammed pack with endless moments of happiness, joy, and excitement. It made me think about who I am, where I come from, what I have done, am doing, and will do with my life. I'm grateful for a warm place to sleep; being able to feel safe and secure in my own home; having more than enough food to eat. I'm thankful for freedom of speech and religion, a government which is not dictatorial in style, and the endless opportunities I have to learn, travel, and work. I know this sounds like so many things both you and I have heard before. This time it's different though. This time, I had the experience. I ran into the hard wall of reality at the DMZ and realized that mine is nowhere near as thick and hard as that of others. Life can slink by quickly, days of complaints and wishing for something 'better' zipping by as fast as the Shinkansen Bullet Train. Don't let that happen. Find something in every week, every day, every hour, that you are grateful for. Doing that here in South Korea has made my life much more pleasant than if I constantly complained about wanting to go home, not liking my classes, being surprised when new classes are added to my schedule - that very morning . . . well, you get the idea. I'm not perfect by any means - I'm a work in progress and will be so until the day I die. There are definitely days I complain. But finding that silver lining in everything, being grateful that there are silver linings, affects you and those around you in a stupendously positive. As my good friend George Zimmer from Men's Warehouse always says, "You're gonna like the way you [feel]. I guarantee it."

Reasons

Things happen for a reason. Sometimes we never know that reason, sometimes we know right away, and sometimes we find out a ways down the road. Some people may think that saying this is a cop out or a way to wimp out of dealing with the reality of failure and disappointment. However, I believe that God always does things to continue guiding us on the path he knows is best for us. Even if we get sidetracked, he finds some way to gently nudge us back in the right direction.

This past week I was chatting with one of my friends back home. We were talking about patience and waiting and other such subjects. As I poured out my heart through my furiously typing fingers I began to realize that in this past year events in my life have been significant, even if not all recognizably so. I stopped at the booth in Ortner Center to just look at the information about teaching in South Korea and ended up having a phone interview within a couple of weeks. Now, I'm still not fully sure of the reasons that God brought me here but I think a couple are beginning to come clear, the sleep is being rubbed from my eyes. Maybe I'll never fully know all the reasons as to why I came or if I made any difference but many times, it seems, we do not have the privilege of knowing the impact we had on someone or someplace. We just hope and pray we did our best and let God take care of the rest.

I had many problems with my visa documents and apostilles and governments and . . . yeah. Ah, the joys of attempting to work and live abroad. Through those instances God was teaching me patience, lots of it. Lessons in patience have happened throughout my life of course, but this past summer was steps above any of those previous lessons. As I said to my friend, it's like taking an elementary algebra course and then, BAM!, you move straight into Calculus II. Intense. There have been many a times since arriving here that I've had to use my newly sharpened skills in patience: waiting for subways; trying to teach students how to pronounce the 'z' as in zebra or 'j' as in jar or 'l' as in lion sounds; doing the same English drills over and over so much that you start to dream about Mrs. Miller and Mary going shopping and Mr. Oh going to Busan instead of the island and Steve and Bob taking a taxi home instead of the subway; waiting for the rice cooker to make my lunch (it takes like 25 min - way slower than the one at home); finding out I have to sign a new (and 3rd) contract to get paid (the disorganization of this administration often wears my patience thin); waiting to get paid in cash because I cannot yet create a bank account; waiting to get paid some more, waiting, waiting, OH! finally getting paid on the 4th day after pay day. It is said patience is a virtue - to live and work here, it is a necessary life skill.

Chuseok is this weekend - it's basically like Thanksgiving back in the states but with much different food and they are thankful to ancestors. I was supposed to be in the Philippines right now, visiting friends and exploring yet another new country full of tropical fruit and white beaches. Instead I had to stay in Seoul while my roommate and her friend left for the airport this morning, on their way to the Philippines. See, I can leave the country if I well please, no problem. However, I feel the institute here would be slightly perturbed if I phoned and told them I may or may not be stuck in the Philippines, unable to re-enter the wonderful land of Korea. See, I still don't have my alien registration card (yet another place where patience gets to kick in) and if I were to leave the country, I would have no registration card or number, my visa would expire, and, well, I would essentially be lost in translation, of both languages and citizenship issues. So I decided that the wise and mature choice would be to remain here - and hopefully I'll get my refund (which is only half the price I paid for the package) by the end of next month (more patience). I know God had a reason for me not going right now. I can kind of think of a couple of possibilities, but I haven't zeroed in on any one specific thing. Maybe it's actually a combination of reasons. I don't know for sure, but I trust that God knows what He's doing, because usually I never know what I'm truly doing, I just seem like I do. God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, so obviously His reasons and methods of doing things are going to be astronomically better than ours. I'm glad He's got it under control - I don't know anyone else more perfect for the job.

Spur of the Moment

Plans.
Ah, that word on my tongue is sweet like honey, smooth as rich chocolate.
Plans.
That word is comforting and warm, like a crackling fire on a frigid December night.
Plans.
That word is familiar, like the sweet smell of grass in the summer or the voice of an old friend.

My life has always consisted of plans. Planning two weeks in advance to go out to eat with a friend. Planning to go to college, ever since I was a child. Planning trips, never just randomly taking them. Planning lessons to teach far in advance. Plans are my comfort - 'knowing' is my security blanket. To step outside of my comfort zone would be to not know what was happening the next day, events not going as scheduled, plans falling through and new ones being made within the same night . . . well you get the picture. Frustration, stress, worry, anxiety, unhappiness, irritation - all these words definitely describe the state I'm in when plans don't happen accordingly. Spontaneity is a word that is a minimally appearing foreigner in the land of my vocabulary. I like when things feel safe and I know what's happening. Organization pleases me greatly (I am a girl of simple pleasures. lol). When things happen on time, my breathing is always a little easier. Type A you might ask? My head nods vigorously in agreement.

As I went through college, I slowly began to learn that if an event didn't start on time all the time, I shouldn't have a heart attack; if plans had a slight change, don't stress so much you cause an anurism; if I didn't get the grade I planned on, worrying wasn't going to change the circumstances; and the like. I think those small lessons were just preparing me for teaching at Daebang School and living in South Korea in general. I've learned that if you want to have experiences, meet more people, lead a less stressful life, and better yourself, you need to learn to be a little (well maybe more than a little) spontaneous.

"Want to go for some ice cream?" (even though it's 10:30 p.m.) - "Sure."
"Want to go to the park to play badminton this morning?" - "Sure."
"Want to go to this park with us in 10 minutes? You don't have any plans, right?" - "Sure."
"Want to try this unpronounceable dish? What about this one that looks inedible? Or this one that looks like something already digested it? Oh, and definitely try this one - it's amazing." - "Ummm, sure . . ." (I've learned that I don't ask what's in the dish before I try it because if I know, I probably won't try it - eating out always promises to be an adventure, and we eat out here a lot because of such reasonable pricing.)
"Will you take a trip with me to the Philippines over Chuseok for my birthday?" - "Sure." (Even though it's only a week and a half or so until Chuseok. lol)
"Will you do a Bible study with me starting in a few days?" - "Sure." (Even though I've never given a Bible study before to someone who is fluent in English, let alone someone who barely understands it.)
"There's tea time this week." (Aren't you glad you knew more than a day in advance?)
"There's power day tomorrow." (Said my junior students to me, not any other teacher or coordinator - at least my students are on top of some things. lol)
"There's a conversation test tomorrow." (Yeah, the one we haven't shown you how to give and grade.)
                     "Sure . . . sure . . . and sure."

Learning to do something at any given moment has been a process and a half for me. Slightly like pulling teeth without the Novocaine - HOLY GUACAMOLE it hurts like none other at first but when it's finished you're much better off than when you first arrived in that dentist office. I guess that may be a slightly extreme comparison, but I thought it fitting enough and entertaining . . . so I used it. lol Anyway, I guess Korea is teaching me some lessons I didn't expect to learn and I think it's a good thing. Plans can be good, but doing things spur of the moment can sometimes be even better.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and future." Jeremiah 29:11
When my all my plans seem to not work out, I need only remember that there is Someone who always has better plans, lifelong plans, for me and that I need not worry because those plans will never fall through. I can be secure and sure when He makes the plans, for His ways are better than mine.

P.S. For anyone who wanted my address and who is brave enough to write so many letters and numbers in such a complicated manner on the front of an envelope, here it be:

Ashley Schebo
101 Hwasong Villa
349-10 Daebong Dong
Jongjak Gu
Seoul tikbyolshi
Seoul, South Korea 156-808

One In A Million

lone·ly

adjective, lone·li·er, lone·li·est.

1.

affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome.

2.

destitute of sympathetic or friendly companionship, intercourse, support, etc.: a lonely exile.

3.

lone;  solitary; without company; companionless.

4.

remote from places of human habitation; desolate;unfrequented; bleak: a lonely road.

5.

standing apart; isolated: a lonely tower.

I am not destitute of companionship.

I am not in a solitary situation.

I am not on a desolate island, removed from all human habitation.

I am not isolated from humanity.

In fact, I'm in the opposite situation. I'm in the middle of a city that stretches for miles upon miles. This expansive metropolis surrounds me with over 10 million people. I am continuously surrounded by students, both adults and children. I enjoy the frequent companionship of the other foreign teachers, as well as some new Korean friends. But loneliness can occur in the strangest places at the strangest times. I'm coming to find that when I've heard some say they 'feel totally alone even though they are surrounded by people', I was hearing the absolute truth.

When one gets a new toy for Christmas, it's so exciting. There's so many new things to do with it, so many people to show it to, and so many things to tell about it. But slowly, ever so slowly the new fades and the excitement begins to wane. 

When one arrives in a new country, alone, there is much excitement. Everything is new - people, routines, places, food, activities. But slowly, ever so slowly the new fades and the excitement begins to wane. Close friends have not been made yet. The language has not been learned yet. Finding MY place in this new job and team of English teachers has not quite happened yet.

Routines start to become familiar and there is now time to think on what was left at home, that life is continuing on. The familiar back home is beginning to switch roles and melt into the realm of unfamiliar. 

I love my job and having an extended new experience. 

But family, friends, bed at home . . . know that tonight especially you are being missed.

Adjustments

When I was living at home, my parents would always go to the chiropractor for adjustments. They'd need to get all their lovely vertebrae put back into place. It's amazing what the simplest and quickest adjustment can change - a slight pop and crack (ugh, I dislike the chiropractor because of these things), and boom, you're a brand new you!

• Seeing only signs in Hanguel, and on the rare occasion, a mixture of English and Hanguel -      adjustment.
• Living in a place 14 hours ahead of what I'm used to (I live in the future yo!) - difficult and elongated adjustment.
• Students coming in the door, late to class, bow respectfully - a welcome adjustment.
• Having a new roommate with quite a different personality than me - adjustment.
• Encountering very few who understand anything said in English - slight adjustment to say the least.
• Using won instead of dollars (and feeling quite rich when I have a bill that says '10,000' on it) - adjustment.
• Trying to use the subway and read the routes written in Hanguel - adjustment.
• Having no cell phone, so my only method of communication is email - unwelcome adjustment.
• Getting complimentary side dishes with free refills at restaurants - delicious adjustment.
• Speaking slowly and clearly - adjustment . . . lol.
• Trying to explain something in English to someone who is learning English, both of us getting frustrated and then laughing when we figure it out - adjustment.
• Teaching class at 7 a.m. and at 8:35 p.m. - ugh, adjustment.
• Teaching adults like elementary students but still remembering they are adults with adult lives - adjustment. 
• Sitting in my room, forgetting I'm now in a country where I'm the minority, hearing children laughing and yelling outside, and then . . . all I hear is Korean - surreal adjustment.
• Living in a city of about 10.4 million people - haha, uh, adjustment.
• Continuing to learn to lean on God and to trust Him in all things, on the good days and bad days - no adjustment needed. It's a life-long growing process.

Coming to live in South Korea, I've gone through many adjustments. They definitely haven't all been as quick as a visit to the chiropractor. However, they, like a visit to the chiropractor, are beginning to make me a brand new me - not in a bad way, but a good and growing way. Yeah, I'm growing - definitely not taller and hopefully not wider, but still, growing, continuing to push my way toward the Son, reaching up and reaching out. And maybe, just maybe, I can help others grow with me.

Random Thoughts on Life, Exploring, and Hearts

"Time flies when you're having fun."

Maybe they should add: " . . . or trying to figure out how to work and live in a foreign country."
It's amazing to think that just last week at this time, I was sitting in the seat of a van (with a strange looking seatbelt) making small conversation with a pastor and his wife as we made the journey from Incheon Airport (which is on an island!) to the apartment in Daebang I would begin to call home. Life has a funny way of sneaking away from you. One moment, school is all you know, but for all 17 or so years you cannot WAIT to get out of there. The next moment, you're preparing to graduate from college, so proud of yourself. Then, BAM!, you open the door to the real world and life yells, "SURPRISE!", throws confetti in your face, and blows a noise maker. "Bet ya didn't know I could sneak away and surprise you so easily, did ya?," it remarks as it snickers snidely. Growing up, I, as I'm sure many of you do, remember adults always saying how I should just appreciate being young and not be in a hurry to grow up because it happens at exponential rates and before you know it, you're sitting 80 years old sitting in your chair wondering where life scampered off to and if it did it while you were napping. I've gotten to the point in my life where I not only realize it's true, but I tell it to those younger than me. Yes, I know and don't worry, I'm shaking my head at myself because now kids get to classify me as old . . . at 22 years of age. Anyway, that was a nice little sidetrack, but I'm not sure how it came about. I get distracted easily and love to go off on tangents. And that's why all my students will love me immensely.

Living here keeps me busy. I'm always doing one thing or another: teaching class, preparing for class, thinking about class, learning I have a new class, dreaming about class. Yeah, classes take up quite a large part of my time. But for any of my friends who have taught - those who teach here have no idea how easy they have it. Once I begin to learn the books and get into the routine, this will be way less time consuming than student teaching ever was! It's just having classes randomly throughout the day, the first one beginning at 7 a.m. and the last one ending at 9:35 p.m. I have some pretty good breaks in between though, and use those to get ready for . . . that's right, class. Today was the first day I've ventured onto the streets by myself and it was to go a couple of blocks to Home Plus Express to buy some rice. Think about it: American girl from the country and a town of 1200 people; went to college in a small city (some might call it a very large town); always told to keep an eye out when in a large city; now surrounded by huge buildings, millions of people who speak a foreign language, and street signs that are, for now, unreadable. Slightly intimidating. But, I have made a promise to myself to begin walking the streets . . . in no other way but appropriate, however (don't worry Mom and Dad. lol).

My first real venture into the city was this weekend with Nomfundo. For 10,000 Won, we took a tour bus of the entire city of Seoul - and we didn't even get to really explore half of it! But let me tell you, I am now SO excited to explore the museums and markets and palaces and mountains without having to worry about whether or not we're going to miss the bus. My thirst for culture is slowly but surely becoming quenched, one weekend at a time.

Speaking of culture, I experienced my first church service at which the pastor spoke in a foreign language and the translator spoke English. I thought I would be extremely disengaged but, as it turns out, one can learn about and feel the love of God in more than one language. Amazing, yeah?! Duh, Ashley. And I can still make friends when I'm in a foreign country, too. Never would've guessed that possible, but hey, David invited me to join his new Sunday morning sports group, Sooji is going to teach me Korean and gave me a lovely Korean textbook as a gift, and Sarah invited me to go hiking with her sometime! Things are beginning to look up. I guess if you keep your chin up long enough, the ground just has to level out so your eyes leave the ground and see blue skies . . . shinin' on me, nothing but blue sk . . . oh, I'll stop singing now. I get carried away sometimes.

Your home never leaves your heart - the people you love, the places you know, the things you do. Maybe, just maybe, it's easier than it seems to clear a space in the corner of your heart for another group of people, places, and things - another home of sorts. I'm thinking my heart might just be big enough.

By Faith, Not Sight

WARNING: This posts promises to be slightly long and will not be good for those who despise reading. But it should be one of the last extremely long 'catching up' posts I make . . . for a while anyway. lol

Shaky breaths. Warmer than normal body temperature. Pounding heart. Unsteady hands. Plastered on smile. Feelings of fear, excitement, anxiety, loneliness. Being out of my comfort zone. 

These have been some of my closest companions over the last week. At least they are constant and familiar - unlike anything else around me. 

They began as, at the Minneapolis airport, I realized that my checked bags were going to remain in San Francisco and not accompany me to the land of Korea. This issue was luckily resolved before boarding began. Phew. Again, these feelings and bodily functions, I guess one could say, began as I realized I could not the gate of my Seoul flight to in San Francisco and had no boarding pass. After going back and forth between gates multiple times and calling my mom as I was close to tears of frustration and despair, I finally found out the gate number had changed. Large problem, simple solution. They were quick to return though, as I boarded Singapore Airlines Flight SQ15, non-stop passage to Incheon International Airport. HOLY GUACAMOLE! This was it - it hit me like a mallet on a Wac-A-Mole's head. Crap, what was I doing. But no turning back now. As I stepped from the terminal onto the large Boeing jet, I moved from my past into my future. 

Similar feelings again hit me as tiredly stumbled (in the most dignified and graceful manner possible) off my plane, down the terminal, and into the airport - where I was greeted by words my ears definitely did NOT understand. I followed the crowd. Now that sounds bad and I'm not a crowd follower, but I was on my own and I had no idea where to go or what to do, so I followed the crowd. We had to take a subway to the other building that comprises ICN, where I anticipated problems at immigration (just because I figured something would go wrong), where I waited anxiously at baggage claim (I may not like United Airlines, but I do thank them ever so much for getting the tags on my bags switched in time so I would have clothes to wear on my first day of teaching), where an exhausted and very warm me passed through customs unscathed, and where I first met Pastor Kim and his wife waving the lovely piece of paper that said SDA in large welcoming letters. 

Once I arrived at my apartment at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, September 3, 2012, I met my roommate, Nomfundo. She left to teach a class, I have already described in my first post what happened as I unpacked, and I then waited until my site coordinator Henri Du Plessis could come give me a quick tutorial on the lesson I was to teach the next morning. His proficient English, lovely South African accent, and pleasant demeanor was enough to put me at ease. I believe God put him in my path because I really don't know how I would have been able to dive straight into work the next morning without his advice, encouragement, and reassurance. 

My head finally hit the pillow a bit before midnight and I was up by 5 a.m. P.S. Time change (especially being 14 hours ahead of Central Standard Time) screws with your body miserably. I've been awake by 5 a.m. most mornings after a fitful few hours of sleep. One morning it was 3:45 - that was a great day . . . lol Sleep tempts you, tries to engulf you the entire day. It weighs on your eyes anvils and blurs your mind like bad antenna might a TV. Ah, but come nighttime, it avoids you like a child afraid of punishment, tiptoeing around corners hoping you won't find it, quietly giggling at its seemingly successful and intelligent evasion of discovery. No worries though because it does get better. I finally slept a full night of sleep last night for the first time and it was GLORIOUS! I definitely have taken for granted the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

Anywho, I began teaching class at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, a mere 12 1/2 hours after I had arrived in South Korea. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 Mmmm yup, preach it brotha! That's the ONLY way I have been able to go through this week - through Him. Again creeped in all those lovely feelings I spoke of at the beginning of this post. I was scared to death that I was going to screw up royally and be told I was a poor excuse for a teacher right off the bat. As the day went on, each time I felt nervous, definitely not calm, and possibly a bit tired (which, I would say, is an understatement. lol). However, as the week went on, I grew more confident and optimistic, like a sunflower pushing through the ground, reaching toward the bright golden sun. Ok, not sure where that came from, but it is late and I am sick, so my head is probably as foggy as a day in London. lol Please excuse me. I now love my classes!! I teach 3 adult conversation classes, 3 fifteen minute junior classes with the Korean teacher in the room, and then a longer junior class on my own. My adult students can be quite funny during the conversation time of our lesson - we've shared many a laugh already. They are extraordinarily dedicated, polite, and pleasant people. They are also shy and reserved. In the culture here, being unique and standing out are not sought after. So I've definitely had to adjust some of my teaching methods from those in the U.S. For example, if you ask the class a question, no one raises a hand to answer. Usually the students will just stare at me or down at their book silently, with a few exceptions on a good day. My kids are, well, adorable! Who doesn't think Asian children are cute? Especially when they are trying to saying ga-lic or ca-bage or po-tay-to! ^_^ I can't wait to start my adult religion class next week. It should prove to be interesting.

Some interesting things I've done or seen here so far you ask? Well, on Tuesday, Henri took me shopping. They have THE cleanest subways I have ever seen in my life here! I would sleep on the floor of those cars if I had to - no joke! There are billions of places to shop for clothes. I couldn't believe the size of the malls, both above and below ground. We shopped at Home Plus, which was also underground. It just kept going and going, like the Energizer bunny. It was like WalMart x3. The prices were also like WalMart x3. lol About 6,030 won for a cheap box of cereal (that's about $6 US)! Don't even get me started on produce! I spent 70,000 won (a bit under $70 US) on that shopping trip. And half of it will last me only about a week or a bit more. 

You don't jaywalk here - unless you have a death wish. These people are crazies when it comes to driving! No blinkers (man does that frustrate me!), extreme passing, cutting others off - yeah, I thank God every day that I don't have to drive while I'm here. If you've ever heard that Koreans will spit whenever and wherever they please and it's acceptable, that's totally and completely . . . true. Yes, unfortunately yes. Walking in the market the other day, a man spit and it landed right between my roommates' feet as she took a step forward. She was lucky. Speaking of the market, we went on Friday to Cheongnyangni to the largest outdoor (or indoor) market on which I have ever laid eyes. It is probably comparable to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and then a good chunk more. Or half of Mall of America, all on one level, outside, with hundreds of people shuffling in and out of aisles and sellers yelling out their wares. So many vegetable and fruit stands. A huge amount of root, herb, and bean stands as well. Underground there was a vastly expansive fish market, with huge tables laid with flounder and other ocean friends, sting rays (those things were ginormous), squid, crabs, oysters, muscles - you name it, they probably sold it. And then, above ground, we passed a glass case in which you would normally find meat. This container did hold meat - that of man's best friend anyway. There were dog legs and thighs, paws still with the claws attached, skinned and cooked just like you would find any other meat in a market. It was definitely an interesting way to start off my weekend. Today I attended my first church service where English was not the main language, but was what the translator was speaking. I get to be the translator for a church service in October I believe. Should prove entertaining for those who understand English. Luckily I will have a script to read from - I just need to wait for the pastor's pauses to know when I begin speaking. 

God has been so good to me here. He's given me a place to stay, a friendly roommate, a helpful and understanding site coordinator and team of teachers to work with, and an excitement for my job. I could not ask for more. I don't know where this road is leading, but with God at my side it can only be good.

For we walk by faith, not sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

The Apartmento

So, here are a few pictures of my new apartment. Kel (if you're reading this), if you thought our place in Lincoln was small, think again my dear friend, think again. The only larger part is the kitchen, and only because it doesn't have a wall blocking it from the living room. lol

The living room, in which I basically
spend no time. lol

My lovely little bedroom with the barred windows. It's growing on me slowly - except for the random screaming children and the motorbikes and cars coming and going at 2 and 3 a.m.








The kitchen, in which I love to spend time, as does my roommate. ^_^

Ah yes, where we hang our laundry - because we have no dryer. 

The neighboring buildings, just across the sidewalk. Things are quite
close together here, to say the least.

Beginnings . . . are hard.

Wow . . . well, this has been an experience already. I'm not sure about this blogging thing, so please bear with me if you're reading this, I have some learning to do.
I suppose I should give some background to why I am in South Korea teaching English, for those who don't know. So last November, I was freaking out because I had no idea what I was doing after graduation - I didn't have a plan, and for those who know me, you know I need a plan and that I love them dearly with all my heart. And when I don't know what's going to happen, I get a slightly nervous - which is probably an understatement. Anyway, I thought about going to graduate school this fall but then one day I walked by a recruiting table for teaching English in South Korea. It was just sitting there in the lobby of Ortner Center at Union College. I had always wanted to travel abroad, I'm a slight English/grammar nerd, and, being an elementary education major, well I love teaching. So I filled out an interest form before leaving the booth. As I was walking away, I thought to myself, Wait, what just happened? . . . Then everything started happening, fast. I prayed very hard, all the time, and talked with my parents about the pros and cons of this opportunity. They weren't exactly keen on the idea at first, but deep down I knew they were excited for me to have this opportunity.
Right before Thanksgiving, BOOM! I got a phone call from South Korea, interviewed and started getting approval from the Seventh-day Adventist GC (General Conference). I worked very hard at getting together my documents so I could get my E-2 Visa. My goal was to be in Korea by August 19 for the beginning of orientation - however, I guess God decided I needed to learn some lessons and grow as a person before I boarded the plane to leave.
The problems began this summer. I sent in all my documents to get an apostille on 2 different documents. The government decided that they only needed to tell me about one problem at a time instead of all at the same time, resulting in my documents being sent back and forth in the mail 3 or 4 times before I finally received my final document - in the second week of August. I realized then that I definitely for sure was NOT going to be making my August 19 goal. Well, ok, I could handle that. Being a couple days late for orientation wasn't going to be a big deal. So I sent all my documents South Korea (which costed an arm and a leg, by the way. literally . . . ok, not literally, but close enough. lol) and got my visa issuance number with in 2 days . . . TWO DAYS (on my birthday of all days - what a great birthday present!)! Usually it takes 10. I thought things were finally working out. I ended up not having to travel to the Korean consulate in Chicago but merely needed to send in my documents and visa application and fee. YES!! More things working out better than planned. So the next day, I sent everything in - got a phone call the next evening, telling me that my picture wasn't usable because it had a background. So I sent in a new one the day after that, but it was the weekend so it wouldn't make it until the next Monday. To cut to the chase, classes began on September 3 - I arrived at Incheon Airport on the evening of September 3 exhausted and possibly more than slightly scared at the reality that I was now in a foreign country without knowing a soul, the language, and what I was going to start teaching the next day. As I was unpacking my clothes in my new tiny and unfamiliar room that smelled funny and had people outside speaking a language I didn't understand, I almost broke down. I felt so alone in the world - that no one loved me or understood me. I felt I was going to be an instant failure. I even told God that I'd made a mistake, I wanted to go back home, that this really wasn't where he wanted me to be. That night was one of the worst I've had in a long time.
However, God sent me to Daebang School, where an amazing site coordinator from South Africa named Henri, is being extremely understanding, hospitable, and ever so helpful. My roommate, also from South Africa, named Nomfundo has also been a blessing, being encouraging and very friendly. Basically I have gotten the two weeks of orientation in a matter of sporadic lessons over the last two days. Two days - that's all the longer I've been here. Maybe it's the jet lag messing with me, but it feels like so much more than that. P.S., jet lag sucks . . . BIG TIME! Especially when you arrive in a country at night which is 14 hours ahead of your home and are expected to teach the next day at 7 a.m. with books you have seen for the first time that night. Craziness, right?! I guess that's kind of what this whole experience has been and will be - craziness. Living life as I have never known before, expecting the unexpected, not knowing what is going to happen the next day and being ok with that.
I will probably post a little bit more today about what classes and life here have been like so far. But right now, I have to go teach some juniors how to talk about going to an English overseas program and where they would like to go and such! Sorry if this post was too long, but it felt good to type it all out!