Seventeen Candles

It's my Bella's birthday today! She is seventeen years old.

This picture is a bit outdated but it's one of the ones I like most.

Pure nostalgia.

Room with a View

I went for a sweet hike today, with the Canadians, Dan and Lindsay, an American couple, Mike and Alyssa, and a Korean teacher from one of their schools, Julie. It was definitely one of the most challenging hikes I've done here. We pretty much blitzed straight up a mountain, but the views and the breeze at the top made it so worth it! Have you ever driven for a long time by endlessly rolling fields and hills, when all of a sudden you catch a glimpse of the ocean and your heart catches in your throat and you start getting really excited, as though you've just seen the love of your life? Or felt like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, singing "The Hills Are Alive" at the top of her lungs, in a mountaintop field full of flowers? I totally had that experience coming out of the trees today and into the open sunshine, with this gorgeous landscape sprawling out in front of me. I just wanted to start frolicing like a little kid! Which I didn't, for the sake of the others with me. It'd be nice if they'd think of me as somewhat normal for a few more weeks, seeing as how I've just met three of them today. Don't want to put it all out there at once, you know. That's how you scare away your potential friends. ;0) Never mind, I'm blah-ing! Here are some pics from the hike:

Confessions of a Lover

The homeless woman in the Seoul subway station had childlike, bright eyes that squinted up at me, almond-shaped, out of a wrinkled, worn face. There was something angelic about her. And something unnerving. I felt uncomfortable in her presence. The way she gripped my sleeve and wouldn't let go. Such tenacity for an old, crippled hand.

I have pondered, many times, the issues surrounding the handing out of money to my less fortunate brothers and sisters on the streets. I'd much rather give to an organization that I can trust works closely with these individuals, and knows how to best meet their day-to-day needs. Many times I've given the gift of food, a warm drink, or some sort of practical clothing item, so as to avoid the potential that my spare change might contribute to an ongoing drug addiction, or that the child forced to panhandle in the streets is really just aiding an alcoholic parent in their downward spiral of self-destruction. Sometimes I have had opportunities to engage in simple conversations with these people, and have found that knowing their stories enables me to better know how or what to give. But in this particular situation, I had no tangible item with me to give this woman, was reluctant to hand over cash, and a language barrier prevented us from conversing. So instead, I took her outstretched hand in mine and held it, wanting to affirm her humaneness irrespective of circumstance, while firmly shaking my head, "No, I'm sorry, I have nothing to give you."

Hours later, after purchasing some books at a secondhand bookstore, and enjoying an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner at an Indian Restaurant, we made our way back to the subway station.

She was still there. Hands outstretched in eager, expectant hope. Approaching person after person with a stubborn persistence that amazed me, for almost all of them turned her away. I had a full stomach, a wallet bursting with spare change in my backpack, and my arms were laden with the day's purchases. What was my response this time? "I have no money to give you." Lies, lies, lies! And she knew it. She gripped the sleeve of my shirt, not letting go until I had stepped onto the escalator, nearly dragging her along with me. "Me... hungry!" she called out after me, in English.

It's been a few days since this encounter, and I can't seem to shake her from my mind. This is my confession as one who seeks to love God and all humanity... that so often I am a complete and utter failure when it comes to Love. I still don't get it. I pray for opportunities to love people and then ignore the ones I receive. I find myself wanting to love people on my terms or not at all. I am disturbed to discover, within myself, that I am first and foremost a lover of me, not others. How desperately I am in need of a change of heart, and of the continued work of a Savior in my life. Of the One who saves us from ourselves, from destroying ourselves and everyone around us in our blatant selfishness. The One who demonstrates Ultimate Love in the giving up of Himself for others, even to the point of death.

She gave me something... this empty-handed woman. She gave me an unshakeable, unsettling feeling that got me re-thinking, about what I believe and how I live it. Faced with her poverty, as ironic as it may sound, I realized how truly poor and lacking I am, and how desperately I need a Saviour.

But she also gave me a new definition of Hope. Hope that has no place of retreat. Hope that holds out hands, and holds on tightly. Even when everyone around is thinking, why don't you just give up and go home? Open your eyes, woman, and realize how futile this situation is. But Hope did have her eyes open. Beautiful, childlike, almond-shaped eyes... in a weathered, wrinkled face. Hope is not naivete or wishful-thinking. Hope is well-acquainted with suffering. Hope knows the facts, inside-out, maybe better than anyone. But she still doesn't give up, she still won't go home. She grips, stubbornly, and will not let go. Her persistence is unsettling and unnerving to those who are in despair, because they cannot understand her. But without her, all are lost.

Continue to hope.

Festival of Light

I took an evening bus to Jinju after work last night to experience the Namgang Lantern Festival there. It was magical! The city's waterfront was bustling until about 2am, with people wandering up and down both sides of the Namgang river, and around a large fortress above it, admiring the many floating lanterns that were reflecting their colored brilliance onto dark, oily water. The festival has historical significance to these people, dating back to a period of Japanese invasion in 1592, when a Korean general used lanterns in the sky and torches on the river to send military signals to his troops. The soldiers also used lanterns to express their safety to family and supporting forces outside the fortress. The whole place reminded me of some sort of surreal dream, although sleep deprivation may have contributed to that. The diversity of the lanterns was amazing, ranging in size from larger-than-life, Disney-esque and rather garish, to the most exquisite handmade paper ones hanging in an archway. I spent most of my time in this tunnel of light, craning my neck to examine each one. They were by far my favorites, each lantern so different in its design, expressing the unique creativity of hundreds of individuals. It was beautiful.

Another favorite of the larger lanterns was this dragon, which actually moved and breathed real fire. I felt like the Paper Bag Princess standing beneath it's enormous head and moving claws.

Overall, a brilliant night. Slept a few hours in a nearby motel and then caught a morning bus back to Geoje-do, after a coffee and a quick browse through a Chinese photography exhibit in a local gallery. (Wish you were here to share this adventure with me: Ally-Lee, Isadora, and Beckstargirl! I think you three especially would've LOVED it.)

Chili Lady

A Korean ajuma sun-drying chilis on her rooftop. Chili peppers are currently in season!

Second Sunday

Lindsay and Dan AJ and Jennifer

I have discovered a church that offers an English service to foreigners. It's actually quite a big church, and they also have services in Chinese and Russian! The first Sunday I was here, I ran into friends of JennSpen's from Briercrest, who are teaching English on the island as well, which is crazy and small-worldy. The people at this church are VERY friendly. Almost overly friendly. ;0) If I was in another context, like a bar, I would be totally freaked out, but within the church, it's just sort of... funny. I feel like I am in my family church at home, from the familiar way people approach me, only without the history of relationships and time weathered together. They also like to give presents! The first day we arrived, we (being Jen, AJ, and I) had to go up in front of everybody and introduce ourselves (eek!) and they handed us a welcome gift of toothpaste. I'm talking a LIFETIME SUPPLY of toothpaste. I don't even think I could use it all up in a year if I wanted to! (Unless I start eating it.) The second Sunday I was there, I received a handmade pottery soap dish in the shape of a turtle. At least I think it's a turtle. (Um... and I think it's a soap dish!) Both very practical gifts, that's for sure.

This is a picture of all the newbies with the Pastor on our first day. I think I will continue attending here for the time being, but have another lead on a church in Okpo which I would like to explore!

Consumerism Central

We took a three-hour bus ride to Costco today! Kate, one of the American teachers from my school, wanted to get some food that is not as common in the Korean supermarkets. So we made a day of it, and five of the girls; Kate, Jess (the girlfriend of an Aussie teacher at my school), Jen (Hen), Lindsay (from Toronto) and I, piled onto a bus, stowing our suitcases underneath, because they are easier to cart around than bags upon bags of heavy groceries. We made an interesting sight for the Koreans, I'm sure, walking around a city with our suitcases full of food. I must say that is the farthest I have ever travelled to get food, and some of those groceries would have had to have travelled an impressively long way to get to Costco, so it really was quite a ridiculous effort! One that I can't see myself doing again anytime soon. Perhaps my tune will change in a few months, when I'm homesick for food from Canada, but I don't feel like I've been here long enough to miss the food from home, so in some ways, today felt unnecessary and excessive. I did come home with a lifetime supply of organic peanut butter... a lifetime supply because, being Costco, everything you buy is in bulk! How much peanut butter can one person really injest in a year? We shall see. Let the peanut butter experiment begin!

Ah... but we had fun. Lindsay and Jen are pictured below...

Highlights:

Fitting five shopping carts and five girls into one elevator.

Plenty of travel time to daydream and pray.

The beautiful landscape rolling by my tinted bus window.

My freezer full of food at the end of the day.

Lowlights:

The pink chicken in my wrap at lunchtime.

Spending most of a Saturday on a bus.

Upon arrival at home, attempting to make a fruit smoothie for Jen with some of the frozen fruit we'd bought, only to find out that my blender doesn't work.

The overhanging conscientiousness of the consumer who knows how much of the world's resources went into the few edible items that now fill her freezer. Oh dear.