(originally posted 5/20/02)

Feminism hijacked by George Will. Ever the voice of reason, Mr. Will tackles what I consider to be one of the two most pernicious agendas to hijack society's attention and resources: feminism.

Coed dorm rooms -- a big yawn? by Mona Charen. Ms. Charen addresses my second vote for destructive attention and resource killers: the homosexual lobby.

Some passion about Israel by Marianne M. Jennings. "There will be no peace or Nobel without Reaganesque blunt force. Communism's tyranny was defeated, not with negotiations, but with a show of military strength coupled with clear oratory."

Photo-partisanship by David Limbaugh. Subject: why it is hypocritical of the Democrats to complain about the Republicans' use of a September 11 photo of President Bush to raise campaign funds.

(originally posted 6/11/02)

Charity: Perfect and Everlasting Love by Elder Gene R. Cook. Not exactly a political reference but it struck me with such clarity when I watched to it the other day I felt it deserved a link. I plan on reading it and devouring it again and again.

day 131

A Korean Wedding

Yesterday I was privileged to attend the wedding of one of my now former co-workers from Weesing, Seung-mi. I went with David and Bomi Orr. David used to work at Weesing and is the person I corresponded with to get a job in Korea. His wife Bomi is Seung-mi's sister. They are both LDS, though Seung-mi is not, and they have two children: Keana, about three years old, and Shyann, five month.

The wedding was a mix of Western and Korean tradition. The wedding hall was white, elaborate, and, like the ceremony itself, quite indistinguishable from similar sites in the West. The bride and groom wore a traditional white dress and tuxedo, as did the family members who arrived early to greet the guests. A gift table was set up to receive presents and from what I could divine money appeared to be the most appropriate and common gift. As Seung-mi marched in, escorted by her father, traditional music was played on the piano. Her husband, already standing in place, marched part-way down the aisle to take Seung-mi from her father, which he did with a deep bow.

Both ceremonies actually consisted of a lot of bowing which of course isn't uncommon in Korea but it was remarkable to me how much both sets of parents were involved in both ceremonies and the deep, sometimes fully-prostrate, bows to them seemed to signify a great amount of respect and gratitude for the parents' roles in producing the bride and groom.

What I assume was the actual legal part of the ceremony consisted of nothing more than a long speech from the man performing the rite, an exchange of rings (which I was told is somewhat uncommon as part of the ceremony), a lot of clapping throughout it all, and a return march down the aisle.

The bride and groom were very solemn throughout it all and rarely touched each other, let alone held hands. After they marched out of the hall, they returned for professional pictures. Although I'd recently bought a digital camera in the hopes of taking my own pictures, the two video cameramen who roamed the hall throughout the ceremony mostly got in the way and prevented me from getting anything really meaningful. The final picture the photographer took was of friends and non-family guests surrounding the bride and groom.

The Korean portion of the ceremony took place a short time later in another very small room with limited standing room. Dressed in brilliant traditional clothing, arms folded with elbows outstretched, and looking very solemn, they sat at a low table as more pictures were taken with immediate family. As his parents and then her parents sat at the table, the bride and groom repeatedly bowed to them, three times, fully prostrate. Seung-mi had to be helped up and down each time as her costume was very restrictive.

The table had a variety of Korean food that appeared to be more for show than anything else with the exception of what appeared to be roasted chestnuts. Each set of parents in turn gathered up large handfuls of the chestnuts and ceremoniously threw them into an embroidered white apron stretched between the bride and groom. Then, what I think was soju, a Korean alcoholic beverage, was served in a small cup and passed around the table for everyone to take a sip.

Of course this was a very important day and everyone was very happy. Afterwards food was served in a basement cafeteria: kimchi, octopus, rice, hot peppers, Korean-style sweet and sour pork, and a dozen other things I couldn't identify, all served in the traditional Korean way as side dishes. It was a unique experience and I enjoyed myself immensely.

day 131

David Copperfield

It's not often I've read a book of such scope and magnitude as Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. My only motivation in reading it is that it was the biggest, cheapest book I could find at Media Play before I left for Korea that was also a classic, an area I've wanted to concentrate on recently. I knew nothing about the book and I never anticipated it would take me over three months to read and become one of the most difficult books I would ever undertake. At over 800 pages and full of the language commonly used when it was published in 1850, be prepared for a challenge.

In the end, the undertaking was more than worth it. The story purports to be the autobiography of the fictional character David Copperfield. It was originally published in serial form in England and then later released in book form.

I have little worthwhile to report on the book other than how it affected me. I can't recall reading a secular book that had such a profound impact as to make me want to be a better person. Copperfield recounts the people and events of his life from birth through, I believe, his early thirties. Without preaching, he weaves a credible and vast cross-section of experiences that show the triumph of honesty and hard work, the consequences of deception, and the importance of character. The book contains, by my count, 44 significant characters, most of whom wind up reaping the consequences of their actions, good and bad. Just as Dickens expressed his fondness for Copperfield, I was sorry when the book came to an end.

In perhaps the same way I am enamored by Shakespeare, David Copperfield won me over through Dickens' insights into human nature. His observations are keen, succinct, and timeless. This book was a chore but I am a better person for reading it. I am conscious that may sound silly but it remains a statement of the truth.

Memorable Quotes

"Barkis is willin'." -Mr. Barkis, page 60.

"I feel as if it were not for me to record, even though this manuscript is intended for no eyes but mine, how hard I worked at that tremendous short-hand, and all improvement appertaining to it, in my sense of responsibility to Dora and her aunts. I will only add, to what I have already written on my perseverance at this time of my life, and of a patient and continuous energy which then began to be matured within me, and which I know to be the strong part of my character, if it have any strength at all that there, on looking back, I find the source of my success. I have been very fortunate in worldly matters; many men have worked much harder, and not succeeded half so well; but I never could have done what I have done, without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one object at a time, no matter how quickly its successor should come upon its heels, which I then formed. Heaven knows I write this, in no spirit of self-laudation. The man who reviews his own life, as I do mine, in going on here, from page to page, had need to have been a good man indeed, if he would be spared the sharp consciousness of many talents neglected, many opportunities wasted, many erratic and perverted feelings constantly at war within his breast, and defeating him. I do not hold one natural gift, I dare say, that I have not abused. My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest. I have never believed it possible that any natural or improved ability can claim immunity from the companionship of the steady, plain, hard-working qualities, and hope to gain its end. There is no such things as such fulfillment on this earth. Some happy talent, and some fortunate opportunity, may form the two sides of the ladder on which some men mount, but the rounds of that ladder must be made of stuff to stand wear and tear; and there is no substitute for thorough-going, ardent, and sincere earnestness. Never to put one hand to anything, on which I could throw my whole self; and never to affect depreciation of my work, whatever it was; I find, now, to have been my golden rules." -David Copperfield, page 559

"There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose." -Mrs. Strong, page 610

". . . I should be thankful to him for having saved me from the first mistaken impulse of my undisciplined heart." -Mrs. Strong, page 611

"It's very much to be wished that some mothers would leave their daughters alone after marriage, and not be so violently affectionate. They seem to think the only return that can be made them for bringing an unfortunate young woman into the world - God bless my soul, as if she asked to be brought, or wanted to come! - is full liberty to worry her out of it again." -Betsey Trotwood, page 613

"Of all my books I like this the best. It will be easily believed that I am a fond parent to every child of my fancy, and that no one can ever love that family as dearly as I love them. But, like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield." -Charles Dickens

Significant Characters

A nearly exhaustive list, probably of interest to no one but me.

1. David Copperfield - title character, also called "Trot " or "Trotwood" by his Aunt Betsey, Mr. Dick and some of his friends, "Daisy" by Steerforth, and "Doady" by his wife Dora.
   
   
2. Clara Copperfield - David's young unfortunate mother.
   
   
3. David Copperfield Sr. - David's father who died before he was born.
   
   
4. Betsey Copperfield - David's fictional sister, kept alive by his Aunt Betsey.
   
   
5. Pegotty - David's "nurse" or nanny from childhood.
   
   
6. Betsey Trotwood - David's aunt and guardian.
   
   
7. Mr. Chillip - David's childhood doctor.
   
   
8. Mr. Murdstone - David's wicked stepfather.
   
   
9. Miss Murdstone - Mr. Murdstone's cruel sister.
   
   
10. Mr. Barkis - the town carrier and eventual husband to Pegotty.
    
    
11. Mr. Dan Pegotty - Pegotty's brother, uncle/guardian to Ham and Emily.
    
    
12. Ham Pegotty - Emily's noble, betrayed fiance.
    
    
13. Emily Pegotty - Ham's cousin, David's first childhood crush.
    
    
14. Mrs. Gummidge - Mr. Pegotty's "lone and lorn" housekeeper.
    
    
15. Mr. Omer - the town undertaker in David's hometown.
    
    
16. Mr. Joram - Mr. Omer's son.
    
    
17. James Steerforth - David's popular but deceptive schoolmate.
    
    
18. Mrs. Steerforth - Steerforth's wealthy mother.
    
    
19. Rosa Dartle - Mrs. Steerforth's tenant, victim of Steerforth's cruelty.
    
    
20. Littimer - Steerforth's butler.
    
    
21. Traddles - David's childhood schoolmate and adult friend.
    
    
22. Sophy Traddles - Traddles' wife.
    
    
23. Mr. Wilkins Micawber - David's inept but well-meaning friend.
    
    
24. Mrs. Emma Micawber - Mr. Wilkins' wife.
    
    
25. Mr. Wickfield - town attorney, provided room/board for David.
    
    
26. Agnes Wickfield - Mr. Wickfield's daughter and David's best friend.
    
    
27. Uriah Heep - Mr. Wickfield's 'umble employee/business partner.
    
    
28. Mrs. Heep - Uriah's equally spineless mother.
    
    
29. Mrs. Crupp - David's London landlord.
    
    
30. Mr. Francis Spenlow - David's employer at court and Dora's father.
    
    
31. Dora Spenlow - David's "child-wife" bride.
    
    
32. Jip - Dora's annoying little dog.
    
    
33. Julia Mills - Dora's bosom friend.
    
    
34. Mr. Jorkins - Mr. Spenlow's silent business partner.
    
    
35. Miss Clarissa Spenlow - Mr. Spenlow's sister, Dora's guardian.
    
    
36. Miss Lavina Spenlow - Mr. Spenlow's sister, Dora's guardian.
    
    
37. Old Creakle - Traddles' tormenting schoolmaster.
    
    
38. Miss Mowcher - a wise dwarf, introduced to David by Steerforth.
    
    
39. Mr. Dick - Betsey Trotwood's mentally-challenged but insightful tenant.
    
    
40. Doctor Strong - David's schoolmaster, would-be author of the Dictionary.
    
    
41. Mrs. Strong - Doctor Strong's young wife.
    
    
42. Mrs. Markleham - Mrs. Strong's overbearing mother.
    
    
43. Jack Maldon - Mrs. Strong's cousin and would-be suitor.
    
    
44. Martha - a servant girl who helps Emily run away with Steerforth
    
    

day 128

My clever nephew

I hope Natalie doesn't mind but I want to share a quote from her five-year old son Scott in a letter she recently sent me. I can't remember the last time I've laughed so hard.

"Now I'll tell you Scottie's latest questions. Last week while riding in the car he asks,

'Did Jesus make the moon?'

I answer 'Yes.'

'Did Jesus make the sky?'

'Yes.'

Did Jesus make himself?'

???

The next day he asked,

'When is Jesus coming again?'

I answered, 'I don't know when he's coming again but what do you think we can do to get ready for him to come?'

Scottie answered emphatically, 'We can clean our room and do the dishes!'"

day 116

Sweet revenge

The most rewarding and frustrating group of students I teach are pre- and early-teen middle-schoolers. They have matured to the point where you can have semi-intelligent conversations with them which are facilitated by the fact that their language skills have also advanced beyond "Hi. How are you? I'm fine, thank you. And you?"

HOWEVER, they can be little SNOTS! To quote Mr. Schroeder, my 9th grade English teacher at Pleasant Grove Junior High, "All educators consider jr. high students to be the armpit of the school system." Bingo! These little brats can be rude, insensitive, ungrateful, non-responsive, and above all, disrespectful. The way they snicker, point, tease, drop BRILLIANT little English words like "fat," "crazy," and "homo," really displays their supreme intelligence. English swear words and that universal bird that always manages to get flipped only make teaching these little angels the ultimate experience in pleasure. HA! So, before I start sounding cynical and disheartened, here's a rewarding bit of revenge I exacted yesterday.

It actually began on Wednesday. I'd dismissed the students and as they filed out of class behind me, several of them patted me on the back. I'm no slouch and I immediately wondered if they were sticking signs on me. I thought no and dismissed the idea. But later, in the teachers lounge, Carly and Moon found two stickers - one that said, "I'm crazy!" (Korean children LOVE this English put-down!), and "I love Cally." (Their misspelling, not mine.) I was furious and ready to give it all up for five minutes. Then I realized what a small thing it was and how I've been guilty of doing the same thing myself. So, how to retaliate?

On Friday, the next day I taught the class, I had Yeddi, the 10-year old daughter of Mrs. Kim - one of our Korean teachers, who often hangs out in the teachers lounge and has perfect English, help me make up nine signs (for nine students, an almost even split of boys and girls), written in Korean. They said things like "I'm ugly," "I stink," "I'm crazy," and "I like girls." When I entered class I had all the students line up and face the wall as I taped one sign to each student's back, since I couldn't really guess who'd been responsible for putting the signs on me.

Actually I'd earlier singled out two students I was confident wouldn't have done it - two well-behaved girls (Ja-young and Seung-hee) - but I made them submit to this punishment as well though their signs said, "I'm pretty," and "I'm smart." This was great fun. Before I let them return to their seats I took several pictures and then made them keep them on for the entire hour. They were unhappy with this punishment but I took great satisfaction my little juvenile revenge.

What made it even more embarrassing for them and more humorous for me was that a few other teachers had heard of my plans so they crowded around the windows that surround the classroom and as their own students gawked at my little ritual and their teachers told them, "See, this is what happens when you're bad."

The little thing that kind of spoiled all my fun but ultimately made me laugh even more at the futility of trying to get payback was that only eight students were present that day. The one missing student, Jae-chul, was, after the adamant convincing of the other students, the one who had actually put both signs on my back so he wasn't even in class to receive his punishment! And, unknown to me, they said he wouldn't be coming back as his mother had decided not to send him to the hagwon for English lessons anymore but get him a private tutor instead. But when I asked the students if they'd known about the signs on my back when he'd done it, they admitted they did so I condemned them for being just as guilty. Little devils.

day 116

Two big Saturday adventures

Two cool adventures today. Small and meaningless to others perhaps but cool and fun for me.

Adventure #1. The front tire on my bike went flat yesterday so I headed to a nearby bike shop this morning to get it repaired. Remember that I know practically no Korean so any time I head out the door to do things like this I have to either rely on the other person knowing a little English or on hand gestures. I arrived at the bike shop, showed the owner and his wife the tire was flat and they immediately began working to fix it. After 10 minutes they couldn't find a hole so I assume the problems was with the stem which they replaced. The whole process took less than 15 minutes and when it came time to pay, the refused to accept any money! How nice is that? I would have gladly paid 10,000 Won ($8) for the convenience of the fixed tire but they wouldn't hear of it. I plan on going back next week to buy a patch kit and a pump.

Adventure #2. This is the really cool one. After taking care of my bike it was time for lunch. Becaue of my limited language skills I've never ventured into any of the more than a dozen Korean family restaurants in my extended neighborhood. It's made it frustrating when I want to eat out and I don't have the luxury of a Korean speaking partner. Too heck with it, I thought, I'm tired of being too chicken to find a place to eat on my own.

The big problem after the language barrier is that Korean restuarants, I've been told and noticed, normally cater to serving meals to two or more people and here I was alone. So, caution thrown, wind involved, a handful of Korean phrases in my notebook, and I began my hunt.

The first two restaurants turned me away once they understood I only wanted to order for one person. A little embarrassing but expected. The third little restaurant I wandered in was a little corner place. It was empty and the owner, a middle-aged woman, was asleep in the corner. I interrupted her, "Ahn nyung haseyo?" She immediately jumped to her feet, listened to my plea, and happily seated me, appearing to completely understand that I only wanted to order for one. After ten minutes she brought me a bowl of brown rice (the first time I've seen BROWN rice served here),a bowl of some kind of radish-tasting noodle to be mixed with the rice, an oyster/noodle soup that tasted fine plain but tasted even better when she mixed in some (hot) Korean red pepper paste. She hovered over me throughout the meal, making constant remarks and I guess suggestion in fast Korean. (Why she thought I'd understand I don't know but even I find myself speaking in full English to foreigners when I know they don't understand, hoping they'll divine what I'm saying, somehow.)

The whole time I'm eating, feeling so proud of myself for taking the risk of finding a place that would serve me traditional Korean food and not just resorting as I've so often done to McDonalds, Burger King, or KFC, I was reminded that this is where the adventure lies. Even while you live in a foreign land you can so readily retreat to the safety of your apartment, losing sight of the wasted opportunities that lie inches outside your door.

I know some will think this is all so elementary and that it will only convince them how dense and slow-witted I am at times. Regardless, I felt the need to record for my own benefit, if for no one elses.

day 114

No more TV

I went to the Hyo-sin Sauna, a public bath in Chunchon, before class today. So relaxing. It's my second time there and my fourth time to a public bath since coming to Korea.

Yesterday was my 12th anniversary since coming home from my mission. Nothing more significant to me than simply noticing the coming and going of the date and marveling at the passage of time.

I got rid of my television and VCR a week ago yesterday. It's been a real security blanket for me since I've been here, something nice to come home to hand watch each night. Lately though it's become much more of a waste of time and I've wanted to just take it back to the school but was afraid I'd go into some kind of withdrawl shocks. I finally did it though and it's been one of the best decisions I've made in recent memory. Make all the arguments you want about the evils of modern television but I'll defend how it's gotten me through some pretty long stretches. Ultimately, for me though, it's been doing more harm than good. I'm sure I'll be able to outlast the urge to retrieve it (made easier since Carly took it for herself at my invitation).

~ not finished yet ~

Provo vs. Chunchon

Provo, Utah

• Population -
  
  
• Density -
  
  
• Size -
  
  
• Temps -
  
  
• Precipitation -
  
  
• Elevation -
  
  
• Geographic coordinates -
  
  

Chunchon, South Korea

• Population -
  
  
• Density -
  
  
• Size -
  
  
• Temps -
  
  
• Precipitation -
  
  
• Elevation -
  
  
• Geographic coordinates -
  
  

Utah vs. South Korea

Utah

• Population - 2,233,169 (2000 census).
  
  
• Density - 26 people per square mile (10 per square kilometer).
  
  
• Size - 84,904 square miles (219,900 square kilometers), more than twice the size of South Korea!
  
  
• Temps - January: 19 - 36 Fahrenheit (-7 - 2 Celsius). July: 64 - 92 Fahrenheit (18 - 33 Celsius).
  
  
• Precipitation- 8 - 16 inches (200 - 400 millimeters) annually.
  
  
• Elevation - 6,100 feet (1,900 meters) above sea level.
  
  
• Geographic coordinates - ?
  
  

South Korea

• Population - 48,324,000 (2002 estimate).
  
  
• Density - 1,261 people per square miles (487 per square kilometers), one of the highest in the world.
  
  
• Size - 38,322 square miles (98,480 square kilometers).
  
  
• Temps - January: 19 - 33 Fahrenheit (-7 - 1 Celsius). July: 71 - 83 Fahrenheit (22 - 29 Celsius).
  
  
• Precipitation - 54 inches (1,370 millimeters) annually. Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months (June to September).
  
  
• Elevation - lowest point: Sea of Japan - 0 feet, highest point: Halla-san - 6,261 feet (1,950 meters) above sea level.
  
  
• Geographic coordinates - 37 00 N, 127 30 E.
  
  

day 104

Cripes I thought this internet apathy was over but it remains. Tomorrow is a holiday - election day - and I'm planning on catching up then.

day 96

I'm getting over a prolonged aversion to the internet and emailing. It happens to me every now and then, I don't know why. Unfortunately it means I've fallen behind on my journal entries, a problem I plan to rectify soon.

day 77

Scouting in Korea

My father, who used to work as a professional scouter for the Boy Scouts of America in Detroit, recently asked what evidence I'd observed of Scouting in Korea. For the longest time I didn't see any evidence that it existed. Then, two weeks ago when I was on the subway with Tammy in Seoul, I saw a group of 30+ elementary aged boys and girls wearing uniforms that screamed Scouting. I walked up to one of the leaders, who was furiously herding the children down an escalator, expecting to ask him, as best I could, if this was a Scouting group when I noticed his hat read 'Boy Scouts' in English! Question answered.

Since then, several of my students have come to class wearing their Cub Scout uniforms. They look very sharp! Of course uniforms differ around the world which is probably why I didn't notice them for a while but now that I know what they look like, I can avoid them. The different badges, pins, neckerchiefs, and belts buckles make someone like me, who tries not get caught up in collecting frenzies, envious. I wonder where the local scout office is so I can rush over and stock up on souvenirs. I can only imagine how happy my father would be if I came home with a big box of Scouting trinkets. I can also picture the green, jealous faces of all the men in the carpentry shop at BYU, the other High Counselors in the stake, and every Scouter in Provo! Ha, ha.

[Note to self: confirm with the Bishop that it's only a sin to covet and not to cause someone else to covet.]

day 75

Carpentry and woodworking in Korea

I have observed several unique things about woodworking and carpentry practices in Korea. High rise, narrow apartment buildings that rise from 12 -20 stories are EVERYWHERE! I noticed them in Seoul the first day I arrived but even out here in Chunchon, which everyone continues to call a 'small' town, I would guess that 80% of the population lives in these high rises that are usually clustered together in groups of probably ten or more.

For the first three weeks I lived with another teacher from Weesing on the 12th floor of a 14-story building. What a unique experience for me. Of course now I live on the ground level of a more traditional three-story apartment building in the type of neighborhood that seems to be the other unique way of living in Korea. In what is the closest thing to a suburb that I've seen, these small apartment buildings are sprinkled among dozens of small markets, family restaurants, PC rooms (where it only costs you 1,000 won - about .75 - an hour for a high speed connection to the internet), and miscellaneous other businesses, many with their own apartments on the upper floors, on narrow congested streets.

Speaking of suburbs, I asked my housewives class a few weeks ago about them and they just drew a blank. Don't take my word for it, but my impression so far is that the concept of owning and living in your own house on your own untouched piece of property is almost unheard of here. Apartment living is the norm. That, along with the high rise phenomenon is, I'm sure, a result of a large, growing population that doesn't have the luxury of spreading out like we do, they must spread up.

As for the apartment building like mine, they are constructed exclusively out of concrete. I have yet to see a wood or timber frame structure other than an occasional anomaly in the countryside. The walls, floor, and ceiling in my tiny studio apartment are all solid concrete which at least has the benefit of making noisy neighbors nonexistent. Also, the roofs on these buildings are flat and usually allow access by way of the stairs, as mine does. A-frame roofs just don't exist. (I actually did see what appeared to be a new timber frame house with an a-frame roof out in the country when I was on the train a few weeks ago. It really caught my eye as being very out of place.)

A new commercial building started going up a few weeks ago down the road from Weesing. It was fascinating to watch the footings and foundation go in - the concept was the same as I'm accustomed to seeing in the States but it was different enough to make me question the wisdom of the placement of rebar and utility conduits. Once the concrete floor was poured, the steel frame arrived and now most of what they are doing seems all very similar to what I've observed back home.

As for woodworking, I haven't seen much. I've noticed two or three lumber stores but they are nothing like the customer-friendly places, like Anderson Lumber and even Home Base, we've grown used to. I've seen several people using table saws and other tools at these businesses to process plywood, with no blade guards, fences, goggles, masks, or ear plugs of any kind.

On the other hand, I have noticed a lot of woodcarving. At the tourism office in Chunchon, they sell an unbelievable array of items made my local craftsmen. It's not limited to woodcarving but wide range of masks, statues, trinkets, and other things difficult to describe are impossible to ignore. They are beautiful. It's easy to immediately make plans for the things you want to buy but I can usually restrain myself with the reminder that I'm here to earn, not spend, money.

day 74

I've been dragging the last couple days with a mild cold. It hasn't been enough to prevent me from working, fortunately, but I look forward to feeling better.

My housewives' class insisted on treating me to lunch after class this morning. One housewife volunteered to offer her house as our eating place. Her adopted English name that she's used for several years is Lena (Yay! Grandma Sanders and Malena) We had kimbop, rice and meat wrapped in dried seaweed - one of my favorite Korean dishes, and lamyun, comparable to ramen that everyone knows in the States but oh, so much better and much more than just a cheap cup-o-soup meal.

I neglected to mention how they thoughtfully presented me with some gifts last week before my birthday. They gave me a slice of chocolate cake, some homemade cookies, and three pairs of dress socks. The cake, which I ate later, was awful; the cookies, which one woman proudly made in her oven - a novelty appliance for most Koreans, were decent, and the socks were EXACTLY what I needed as I've, quite shamefully, been wearing white socks to church lately. Regardless of the taste of the cake or whether or not I needed socks, could you possibly be more touched by the thoughtfulness of the showed? I pretented to get all teary-eyed in class and said I felt so lucky to have so many "mothers" in Korea. Oh, they thought that was funny! (Most of the women in class are closer in age to being older sisters to me rather than mothers.)

day 71

Sunday marked my 68th day in Korea and my 33rd birthday. It was a pretty low-key day but I was perfectly content to spend it that way.

After attending church in the morning, where we watched parts of General Conference from a video tape sent to me by a friend, I went to lunch at Mr. Sao's (pronounced 'saw') house with Carly. He's the man at CHB bank where we have our accounts that's been so helpful since we set up the accounts two months ago. He speaks enough English to communicate with us and a few weeks ago he said he's like to have us over for dinner. The date we set just happened to fall on my birthday. We met and ate with his gracious wife and two young children. Before dinner they presented me with a birthday cake and candles and sang "Happy Birthday" to me in English. Dinner was kimbop, bulgogi (delicious meat), and cold jap-chae.

After lunch, I spent the rest of the night at home and called Mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day before I went to bed. They were on their way to church so we only spoke for a little while. I called again Monday morning and talked to Grandma Anderson who was visiting for dinner and also Julia, Hailey, and Amelia.

The day before my birthday I went to Seoul again and spent the day with Tammy. We went to the shopping district of Dongdaemun again and then on the lunch at TGI Fridays where I treated myself to fajitas for 22,000 won! (about $16.50) Afterwards we went to see the Seoul Temple. It was beautiful but so hidden, in spite of being on a hill, amidst all the confusion of office buildings, apartments, and industrial growth. I'd hoped to stock up on garments since I'd heard they stocked American sizes (yes, they acutally make different sizes for the smaller-than-average Koreans) but the selection was so limited I didn't buy anything. Later that night Tammy was unable to escort me back to the Cheongyangni train via the subway so I had to brave it on my own and, in spite of my treapidations, I made it, on time, and didn't miss my train.

day 70

I was finally paid on Friday, May 10. The day before I'd gone to Jim's office to bemoan the trials of functioning without money (yeah, shame of me for complaining about such a trial). I said I was ready to ask Mr. Kim for a letter of release from my contract. I told him what an insult it is to not receive payment in full on time. Why should I care about the students or doing a good job teaching if I was doing it for free? I was furious, with no patience to work under such conditions.

He promised me I would be paid by the end of the day. The end of the day came and went and I wasn't paid but I was paid the next day so all my worries have been solved and now I can worry about more important things. Jim told me this is a problem of the past now and that come June, I'll be paid on time. We'll see.

My work schedule also changed a bit on May 10. I no longer teach the class with my favorite problem student, Jee-hoon. It's been replaced by an advanced reading class that I teach three times a week during the regular dinner hour. So on the days I teach that class, I have to take my dinner alone and earlier that the other teachers. I don't mind so far because it's an advanced class, which is usually fun to teach, and they are well-behaved so far.

On Wednesday, May 8, I went with Carly, Jim, and Michael to see the movie Spiderman. Loved it. Many of the current movies that are showing in the States also find their way to Korea (and Chunchon by default) where they are shown with the original English and Korean subtitles; so it's just like the real thing. The one movie theater I've been to in Chunchon is very old but very big. The sound system isn't anything to get excited about and the refreshments are about as old, stale, and unexciting as you can imagine but as long as you're seeing the movie you'd want to see back home, who can really complain?

I had wondered about videos before I came to Korea. Video stores are almost more common here, from what I've seen, than they are in the states. Of course there is a large selection of Korean-language videos but the largest percentage of movies available in these video stores are original American movies with Korean subtitles! And the selections are usually very up-to-date.

day 66

As you may know, I am a devoted fan of Rush Limbaugh. His program recently led me to an article at National Review online, written by John Derbyshire titled Why Don't I Care About the Palenstinians? It's a tough read but a brilliant commentary on the never-ending trouble in the Middle East and it echoes the frustration I have with the Palestinians.

Please don't mistake my tone or reference to this article as a dismissal of the complexity of the conflict in the Middle East. I don't for a minute believe that the problems between the Israelis and the Palestinians will disappear if we just adopt the attitude that the Palestinians are a hopeless cause and don't really want peace.

(Although it's difficult for me to NOT adopt that attitude myself - living on the opposite side of the globe, untouched by the senseless, never-ending death and violence, and less educated than I ought to be on the origination of the State of Israel in 1967 and the conflicts preceding and following it.)

I am simply offering my honest reaction to a situation that appears to be escalating beyond the levels that already seemed more than anyone should have to bear. ANY one group can get bogged down in their own list of offenses and justifications for revenge but where and when does it end? At what point do you decide to move past it all, look forward, and live for the future?

day 63

I've been learning the differences between the work cultures in Korea and America. Like Korean children who almost universally attend school six days a week, most Korean adults, from my observations, work six, if not seven, days a week. (In fact, there was recently some kind of national referendum up for vote about reducing the work week from six days to five days. I don't think it passed.) Also, when payday arrives, many employers have the nasty habit of not paying on time. Unfortunately I have to suffer through this particular idiosyncrasy at Weesing.

Mr Kim, the hagwon director, is notorious for paying his teachers late. Five to ten days late is the norm but I've even heard of him paying one teacher twenty days late. And when you consider that payday is once a month, the problem becomes even nastier. Also, everyone has their own payday, based on when they started working here; there isn't a universal payday, like the first Friday of the month, for example. And to top it all off, Koreans do not use checks, only cash and credit cards. So, when you receive your wages, you get enormous stacks of cash that you have to carry around conspicuously until you're able to deposit it all in the bank.

Why am I bemoaning this problem? Yesterday was my payday, I'm down to 2,000Won in the bank ($1.60), I have bills to pay at home, I'm out of food at home, my refrigerator died over the weekend (the hagwon will get it fixed, it's just a question of when), and I'll be surprised if I get paid before the week is over. (Wait, deja vu! It sounds like all my old problems have followed me from Provo! Curses!) I handed Mr. Kim my hours this morning and he promised to pay me tomorrow or the day after. We'll see.

day 59

I was on a roll with my classes yesterday. I've been experiencing a little bit of burn-out, days where I find it hard to care whether or not the students are learning anything and where or not I'm teaching effectively. But the last two days I've come into school early to do what little preparing I need to do before class and to think of ways I can more effectively convey the concepts I'm teaching so that the students will actually learn something and not just waste their time. (Is that a run-on sentence?) I've also grown weary of waking up late (9-10 AM has been common for me lately) so I've been going to be earlier and setting my alarm to wake up at 7, even though I don't have any commitments until three in the afternoon.

It's all paid off in that I've been able to go into class, with my agenda for the comfortably in the back of my mind, and focus on each student. Classes have gone faster, I've been less tolerant of misbehaving students and therefore able to restore order faster when they get out of line, and I haven't run out of steam and energy by the end of the day. I've been getting more done each day and I don't feel like everything is passing me by. It feels, to me, like a continuation of the spirit I felt on Sunday.