It's a Tough Job Being a Seon Saeng Nim...

Currently Reading: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison & The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love by St. Augustine
Currently Listening To: And the Glass Handed Kites by Mew

Well, I was going to get on and post the pictures of me and my homeroom when we had our little "photo shoot" for our 2-page spread in the yearbook...
But, this picture of my Dad took the cake...
I guess all I am saying is, I love my family for reasons like this...

In other news, I am set to go to China...
The ticket has been purchased, now I have to get my visa from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul...
I have to go to Immigration tomorrow and get some things sorted out, too...
But, after that, everything is a go, I do believe...
Only 4 weeks left of school...
Today, we didn't have classes because of ESL testing, which was amazing, because I was a grade-A zombie life form all day...
Anyways, I am getting stoked on this Mew CD...
I forgot how good it was, and I just downloaded it so I could listen to it again, considering the fact my old iPod crashed and took some precious tunes to the electronic grave in its incessantly whirring, frozen-screened grasp...

Next week, some friends and I, as well as a group from Jeil Sungdo English Ministry, the church I attend here in Korea, are headed off to the Empower 2008 conference...
That should be pretty amazing...
It is nice to be getting a little more plugged in to some ministries here...
That was definitely something struggled with being here a while back...
I think I am going to get to start playing bass a couple Sundays a month, too...
So, a "yippee" seems appropriate here...

My spiritual nugget for this post, I suppose, is about the Lord's Prayer...
I prayed the Lord's Prayer the other day...
Not just recited it, but actually prayed it...
It really is an amazing way to communicate with God...
It is so rich in community/other-oriented language, dependence and submission to the Father, respect and acknowledgment of the person of God, and an expectancy for the Kingdom to be manifested here on earth...
I love it...
So, maybe try to pray the Lord's Prayer some time...
I mean - I didn't necessarily restrict myself to a recitation, either...
It was more of a starting point for communication with God...
Just give it a shot...
Really think about making God's name sacred and aligning your desires so that your heart's cry is that the Kingdom will be more evident here on earth through your reliance and conforming to the will of God...
Let me know what you think, yeah?

In Christ

Sort This Out On Your Own Time...

Currently Reading: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
Currently Listening To: Low Level Owl: Volume 1 by The Appleseed Cast

Well...
It is the weekend here in lovely Korea...
There are like 30 days of left before school is over (this is including weekends - CUH-RAZY!)
I think, at this point, I am going to return...
I just feel like there is so much more to see and do here...
Last weekend, we had our school's annual Spring Festival, which is basically a glorified field day...
I had so much fun with all the kids, I couldn't imagine just never seeing any of them again...
Also, I feel that God isn't displeased at the potential of my staying here...
So, as far as I know, I will be teaching another semester...
By the looks of things, I will be getting to teach a History of Christianity course (I am still holding out to see if I will get to teach an Introduction to Theology course)...

Tonight was a funny night...
Recently (a few weeks ago), the car that 6 or so of us Lee teachers use broke down...
It is going to cost way too much to fix, so we are just holding out and living car-less lives for the rest of the school year...
Some of the other teachers have a car, but it is a lot smaller, and they decided to go to Costco tonight to grocery shop...
The car was full, so not everyone could go, and a friend of mine and I decided to take a bus to Cheongju (which is about 45 minutes away) for a good dinner...
We weren't able to get there until almost 8...
It wasn't until we arrived at the station that we found out that the last bus left at 9...
We wanted "real" food so badly we decided to go for it...
We didn't finish in time, missed the bus, and neither of us or any of our friends have cell phones...
So, we found a creepy gamer/internet cafe and tried to email our friends...
Luckily, it worked, and some of them came to get us...
It was pretty hilarious, and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it...
I love it when crazy things happen - it makes life so much more memorable...

Anyways, I am going to close by adding some poems by my friend's 7th grade ESL class...
I loved them!
(they are in their original form with no corrections - keep in mind, these kids are not native speakers, which is why I think they are so awesome)

CLOCK by Edward Park

tic
toc tic
Clock is moving and
time is going and going
my golden time is going
and going my memory's
are going and going
I will cut out a sad feeling
and starting up and
finally I will
become rich
and lawyer

BLOOD by Grant Kim

blood is always circulation.
time is always circulation.
when blood and time circulation,
some people feel good
but some people feel bad

CLOCK by Kerry Ha

Time is
time tack
Ta time is
tick tack
Time is
ti... ti... stop
we must
Change battery

BLACK CLOUD by Kerry Ha

dark and sad
i cry
you cry
They cry
But
we smille

[A CAN] by Dorothy Shin

A can what was drunk.
The can rolled
the streets
Someone trod
the can
Someone kicked
the can

and
cleaner
threw away
the can into
separate garbage collection
The poor and dirty can recycled.
and the can became new can.

FRIEND by Rose Cho

sit
on the flower
flower smell
emanate
we make
beautiful sight
above all
my name
is butterfly
and we
are the
friend

HAPPY SEEN by Sonia Son (this one is my personal favorite)

have you ever seen
a bird family?
chatter happily
& dance activly
& open their small mouths
I smiled

The Final Countdown

Currently Listening To: Duper Sessions by Sondre Lerche

Doo-doo-dee-doo...
Do-Do-De-Do-Do...
(Please tell me you know this power metal anthem)

Anyways...
I have 4.5 weeks of teaching left...
6 weeks of actual school...
Wow...
After last night, backpacking China is still a go...

Now, I was inspired by my friend Phil Harris after reading his blog (which you can access through my favorites in the top right corner)...

Some Things I Love:

- Black Coffee
- Sneakers
- Pizza
- My iPod (just got the 160 gb - booyakasha)
- Remembering my dreams
- Inside jokes
- Cold pillows
- Dreamland (best ribs ever)
- Chips & salsa (something I desperately lack here)
- Washing my hands
- Adventure
- Road trips
- Candid photographs
- Surviving a long run
- Bread

These are just some of the top of my head (and, I haven't had breakfast, so most of them are about food - whoops)

Yesterday, the Well Went Dry...

Currently Listening To: Noni's Field by Anathallo

First of all, this new Anathallo song is absolutely incredible...
I go to their MySpace and listen to it multiple times a day...
Check them out, it will be well worth it...

I have tons of stuff going on my mind right now...
I am sure I will type it out later...
For now, it is all just floating around in my noggin...

Anyways, in all of my life-speculation and slight senses of panic, I came across a quote that I might very well be floating on in a state of metaphysicality for a while:

"But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin."

This is basically the story of my life at this point, as terrifying as it might sound when I actually think about the implications of a life that is lived in this way...
However, a life like this will be so much more rewarding...
Let's do it, YHWH...
This little addage might just do a good bit to revolutionize my life...
Awe-some...
Absolutely awe-some...

Peace

A Secret Prayer: Please Let Lunch Be Good Today

Currently Listening To: Floating World by Anathallo

Let's just say this...
Sometimes one gets tired of eating peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast and lunch...
Anyways...
I am praying that the cafeteria hooks me up today...

This past weekend was nice...
We got a 3-day weekend because of Children's Day, a Korean holiday...
So, we got to see some festivals (Lantern Festival) and a cool parade...
It was awesome...
It really makes me feel a part of the country I live in...
A nice change from just walking in clothing stores, for sure...


Well, I am starting a Korean Conversation class tonight, I think...
All I have to say it, finally...
I have been wanting a way to learn a little Korean, and now I have my chance...
I think it is going to be offered twice a week...
I just wish it could have gotten started up a long time ago...
I only have a couple months left...
Hopefully I can absorb as much as possible before I leave for the summer...
I think we only have something like 5 weeks of teaching left or so...
Which is, honestly, kind of a relief and kind of frightening...
I still feel like I have a lot of stuff to get through before finals...
Well, I guess you just gotta do the best you can...

Anwyays, I have to do some planning for my World History class before lunch...
XOXO

My Students Always Come Back With Haircuts After Vacation...

Currently Reading: Love in the Time of Cholera
Currently Listening To: Happy Music for Happy People by Mogwai

I have nothing groundbreaking to say in this entry, I just sort of want to write...
I really am striving to be a more honest person...
Honest with myself, honest with others...
Lately, every time I think about what it means to be a Christian, I just think how I want so badly to be like Jesus...
I really feel that the Lord has been so faithful to me...
I went with some of my friends to a great English ministry in Seoul on Sunday...
I think we are going to try and make it out there as much as we can, given the distance and all...
I really just want to feel and be alive, and I think God is responding to my desire by drawing me in to God's nature and being, and I am trying to focus on becoming as much like Christ as I can...
I am trying to rejoice both in the freedom and yoke that comes with Christianity, and just strive for greatness (which, as I was reminded on Sunday, comes when we become servants of all)

Like I said, I don't have anything to say, which makes my life feel somewhat monotonous and lacking in reflection...
That's a different story...

XOXO