can't sleep

I'm too excited. I booked my flight to Laos today.

source

Now that my time in Korea is coming to an end, I'm super blessed to have the financial capability and time to travel. It's a gift from the Lord, and I just want to saturate that time in prayer and thanksgiving and utter joy!

I finish my contract here in Korea soon and will trek around Indochina for a while. I can't believe I've just spent 18 months in Korea. I've learned so much about God and myself and respecting others. This has been one of the hardest times of my life. On several occasions, I defaulted to hopelessness, unwilling to admit my mistakes and was ready to pack up and go home. But God has continually shone through my doubt and depression with his faithfulness. It's been hard, but it's been so, so good.

source

I can't get this song out of my head. It's a spontaneous song from the International House of Prayer about God as the restorer. If I could sum up my time in Korea in one song, this would be it.

Gentle Shepherd, I love the way you lead me. Loving Father, I love the way you lead me.

in korea, again

I'm way behind on blogging. Wow. It's been almost 3 weeks since my return. I got off the plane around 8:30pm, arrived at my new apartment and crashed, and started work the next morning. I currently work 7 days a week, about 9 hours each day, but this is only during English camp, ending in a few weeks.

I really like my new apartment. One thing I really wish I could find is a jewelry stand for a few necklaces. They're currently sprawled over the top of my dresser, as if I were trying to imitate a sort of museum-like display (which I'm not; none of them cost more than $8).

first & third, second 

Happy Sunday :)

garbage

I'm preparing to leave for the states in three days! Yeah!

I've been realizing that I have a hard time writing as myself (i.e., letting my true self-expression come out) in my blog. I wrote the madre an email tonight about my packing process, then read it over before finishing it, and decided that this might make a good blog post. It includes some interesting facts about life in Korea. Here we go...

Well, I got some more packing done tonight. I still have a long way to go. I think I'm really gonna have to throw out a lot of stuff :( I have so much stuff that I didn't use that much. Blah! It was mostly stuff that I bought as a newbie in Korea, thinking I would need it, and then it just got tossed under a pile of other stuff, and I forgot about it. Now I know for next time. 


The real pain with throwing out stuff here is that garbage and recyclables are only collected on certain days. And even on collection days, you can only put out certain types of recyclables and garbage. For example (these examples aren't accurate, just theoretical)...
On Monday, it's recycling, but only styrofoam. 
On Tuesday, it's regular garbage and food garbage (yes, you are supposed to separate them; I still don't understand how, but I have a strategy for when I come back). 
On Wednesday, it's regular (non-food) garbage and plastic recyclables. 
On Thursday, it's both kinds of garbage.
Nothing is collected on Friday or Saturday.
Sunday is.. something. I don't know. 


Oh, and they have to be put out by 8pm. And you have to buy particular garbage bags for your garbage. They're expensive.


Anyway, I figured it doesn't really matter when I put my stuff out cuz in the end it all gets collected. It might just have to sit there for a couple days. I try to be careful and put out my garbage on the right days so it doesn't get gross in the rain or eaten by stray cats, but about 70% of the time I've tossed something to the curb, someone has seen me and yelled at me for putting out the wrong thing on the wrong day. Some communities have really convenient neighborhood-wide bins for putting your recyclables in, but no, not my neighborhood. We are old school Korea around here. No fancy garbage trucks - just workers who go around to every building, collecting garbage and sorting your recyclables by hand.


I respect Korea for their work ethic and taking responsibility for their waste (I'm not talking about excretions). I also respect Korea for being really, really accommodating to foreigners like me who don't speak Korean. However, there are a few things here that I just don't understand because they are so different than what I'm used to, and I've been doing my best. However, I've been met by natives on the other end who don't show a lot of patience for my lack of knowledge in these areas. I'm truly sorry that I don't know when to put out my cardboard or plastic bottles. I guess all I'm asking for is a little understanding and just a straightforward answer for these things rather than a long lecture about how terrible it is to add that much more work to these people who are collecting my trash. I have no desire to make these hard-working people have to work that much more, but a lecture and a slap on the hand will get neither of us anywhere. This is the end of my rant. Good night.

café aslan

Let's throw objectiveness out the window. I really like this place. A lot. Really really a lot.
This is Café Aslan. Yes, Aslan, like from Narnia. There's a lion in their logo. That's totally legal here.

I gotta warn you - the prices are a little high, but from what I've tried, the quality of their beverages is pretty impeccable. Also, the location is a little remote. Okay, it's really out of the way (for me, anyway), but the beautiful surroundings and the huge windows and the nice lighting make for a lovely ambiance, so I'd say it's worth the trek out there.

Café Aslan would be the perfect place to spend a quiet, rainy Saturday with a book or homework or whatever suits you. There is plenty of comfortable seating both on the main floor and on the super cool loft. Yeah, there's a loft.
I really like this place. I mentioned that, right?

Café Aslan offers regular espresso beverages, tea (honey grapefruit is delicious), tea lattes, smoothies and ades, a small selection of salads and sandwiches, waffles and cakes, and a handsome display of breads and colorful macarons. The macaron flavors aren't labeled, unless I somehow missed that. I tried what seemed to be a caramel macaron. I was a little surprised because I was expecting the traditional fluffy, chewy texture; rather, it was more like a soft, dry cookie sandwich. A little disappointing :( However, I have seen a guy come out of the back with some sort of baker's hat on, so save for the macarons, I think their foods are pretty legit, unlike the frozen products at chain bakeries.

Regardless of their below-my-standard macarons (not that I'm an expert), this place really is worth a visit or two. Plus, they have sweet heated toilet seats. Just sayin'.

To get there!
Take subway line 2 to Jangsan. Go up exit 13, head straight at the top of the stairs, walk for about one minute, and take the first left. Pass a parking garage, and it's on your left.

end chapter 1, start chapter 2

It's June 8th.
Days left at current job: 21

I never thought my school would close or that I would be under contract with a greedy boss (a.k.a., a 'hagwon horror story'). Despite the series of unfortunate events that came along with my school closing, things have turned out for the better, and I'm thankful. Example A) I'm getting more and more excited to go home for a quick vacation {eeeeek!}

On my state-side to-do list:

{click pics for source!}

• buy ear candles (I'm too scared to have my ears cleaned by a Korean doctor)
• go to the orthodontist (my retainer broke)
• shop 'til I drop - literally
• eat Taco Bell and cake and cherries
• drink really good, dark coffee and espresso
• catch up with family and friends
• backyard BBQs
• roast marshmallows
• ride my bike
• longboard
• etc.

If you were away from home for six months, what would be the first thing you'd do upon returning?

the coffee factory

Typical Korean coffee drinks:

• Americano
• Café latte
• Cappuccino
• Mocha
• etc.

If this is what one expects when stepping into the Coffee Factory, he or she will be a little surprised. Now, the Coffee Factory's menu isn't life altering-ly different than other places. They have the regulars like macchiatos and americanos, but their courage to offer something a little different in a very conformist society is what drew me to this place.

I've only tried the saigon cinnamon latte and banana latte, but I found both worthy of being ordering again. They also offer teas and desserts and sell coffee supplies, from hand-drip filters to milk frothers. Additionally, in-house roasted whole bean coffees fill their shelves. I bought a bag of the Papua New Guinean beans. They were pretty awesome; at first sip, all I could think was, "rainbow of flavors" (lame, I know). The beans are pretty lightly roasted for my taste, but this is coming from a former Starbucks employee, whose company "over-roasts" their beans. {Whatever.}

One of the greatest benefits of being a Coffee Factory fan is that they have three (3) locations in Busan - two in Nampo-dong and one in Seomyeon. Not sure of the hours. I'm definitely going to be a Seomyeon regular when I start my new job. Assah!

luxembourg cafe

Okay, so Luxembourg Café isn't the actual name of this place. It's actually Café d'Armes, but for the longest time I only saw a sign on the side of the building which says Luxembourg. And because I only saw the side of the building, I mistook it for a hiking gear store. Once I discovered that this place was a coffee shop, I obviously had to go there; it's only a 5-minute walk from my current apartment (sadly, it will be about a half-hour bus ride from my new apartment).

On my first visit, I realized that this place was more than a coffee shop. They serve a wide variety of pastas and have a cute little buffet with some salads and a big selection of pastries. Everything from the wood interiors to the menu to the food presentation is (Koreanized) Luxembourg. Well, everything except the American pop music they play; I always bring my iPod. Their menu also features, of course, awesome coffee drinks (like my amazing iced vanilla latte in the photo below), fresh fruit juices (also amazing), and teas (haven't tried those yet).

This place is in Yeonsan-dong, close to Togok Sageori. Find the McDonald's on the main road near the intersection, head straight up (so McD's is behind you), pass a 7/11 on the left, a bakery on your right, and it's on the left side. Hours are from 11am-11pm, with lunch served between 12pm-3pm and dinner 6pm-9pm. Go there.

good news

I got a new job.

It doesn't start until late July, so I have a few weeks off between my current job and my new job.

So, I'll be going back to the states for a nice little vacation (as long as my visa extension goes through).

I'm so excited, I don't know how to even express it.

Well, it's kind of like this...

image sources: 1, 2, 3

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you," (Psalm 84:11-12).

i'm still in korea

...disclaimer: this post is all-over-the-place random...

What an interesting couple of weeks it's been. I shan't {<-- new favorite word, as of ten seconds ago} go into details at this time, but I gotta say - despite the turbulence of life, God is ALWAYS faithful. That's who he is. He doesn't sigh and go, "All right, I guess I'll pull through for you on this one." That's not what he's like! He is faithful and loving regardless of my attitude and the fight I put up against him. I've doubted and gotten angry at him and tried to go my own way so much over these past two weeks, but he still makes all things work together for my good, which leads me to my next point...

I have good news to share!

But not till Friday. Sorry.

In the meantime, you should probably listen to this song (actually a compilation of 3 songs by Jon Thurlow from IHOP-KC). It's really long, but I promise, it gets better as it goes on. Jon Thurlow isn't really my style, but man he brings the heat on that piano!

Oh and I bought these shoes.

If I had seen these in the states (pre-Korea), I probably would've throw up in my mouth. 

If you've ever lived abroad (especially in a different hemisphere), you understand how perplexing and frustrating it can be to go shopping in your host country. While I really admire Koreans' style, it's just not me. If you took the average Korean woman's clothes and put them on me, I'd look like a doll. I mean, sure, cute, but I don't want to look like a doll :-/

Anyway, to me, shopping in Korea is a cultural experience - styles, prices, fit, materials are all different. Plus the sales clerk follows you around as you shop. I've had some experiences where I felt like I had (no joke) about 6 inches of personal space because the sales clerk was following me so closely. While most westerners really REALLY don't like sales people following them around, to Koreans, I guess they prefer it. 

But.. I don't like it. Sorry, Korea. Ohhh, I miss...

• Anthropologie
• Urban Outfitters
• Forever21
• H&M
• thrifting

Random note: I like these. They move!

source

In closing, many exciting things are in store, including on Monday: 

a day off {happy Korean memorial day!} 

and tomorrow: 

mak gooksu {eeeeeek jumping up and down on the inside yum!}

^^!!!mak gooksu!!!^^ (source)

Yaaaay!

hold on

I

hate

waiting.

My current job ends in one month and one day.

It's so hard to wait for the right job to come. The struggle for perseverance and the desire to just settle for a job collide inside my heart everyday now. It has become such a struggle that I don't want to wake up in the morning. Even getting out of bed and brushing my teeth feels like a huge insurmountable task. I know God is with me and he's for me and has a plan, but I have to confess I've been believing lies that say he's forgotten about me and doesn't care what I do.

Look at the night skies:

Who do you think made all this?

Who marches this army of stars out each night, 

counts them off, calls each by name

-so magnificent! so powerful!-

and never overlooks a single one?

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, 
or whine, Israel, saying,

"God has lost track of me. 
He doesn't care what happens to me"?

Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?

God doesn't come and go. God lasts.

He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.

He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.

And he knows everything, inside and out.

He energizes those who get tired, 
gives fresh strength to dropouts.

For even young people tire and drop out, 

young folk in their prime stumble and fall.

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.

They spread their wings and soar like eagles,

They run and don't get tired,

they walk and don't lag behind."

(Isaiah 40:26-31, MSG)

I'm currently at this place. It's lovely, and they have delicious coffees and juices <3.

butterflies

I don't feel very nervous, but I have butterflies in my stomach. Butterflies are symbolic for change, right? Well, a big change is about to take place in my life.

Originally, I was going to stay in Korea for one year.

Last week, I found out my school was closing. Never trust a greedy businessman.

So now I'm searching for a new job. And considering going back to the U.S.

If I get a new job, that means staying for at least another year (until July 2012).

I have an interview tonight.

I don't know what will happen. I've tried to figure out the best next step by myself, but I really REALLY don't know what is going to happen. And I've realized that I can't figure it out for myself. Only God knows what will happen, so I just have to wait, trust, and obey. Refusing to follow his plans means refusing the best plans for me. Now that would just be silly.

La Palette

Kimchi: spicy fermented cabbage

Everybody in Korea eats it. I've asked almost all my students, "What's your favorite food?" Roughly 80% of them say, "Kimchi." As all expats know, western style bakeries and restaurants have flooded Korea with breads and pastries in the past decade or so. Carb-loaded, flour-based breads are certainly not traditional here, but I gotta say, it makes living in Korea that much more comfortable.

It's not really a bakery, but enter stage left independently-owned La Palette Cupcake and Coffee, located in Jangsan. I went in there late one night and got a café latte (my go-to drink of choice when I'm too scared to try any heavily syruped options on the menu). I was in a hurry and didn't have time to sit down, but the first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was their pastry case, full of yummy-looking frosted cupcakes. They had a wide variety of flavors available, including red velvet, coffee, berry, chocolate, and more. The next few things that caught my eye were their modern lighting, high ceilings, and friendly employees. I promised myself I would come back and try a cupcake.

Second floor

I did go back a few weeks later. Again, the Koreanized western ambiance delighted me. Like a kid in a candy store, I gladly tried to order a red velvet cupcake, but the cashier informed me they ran out of red velvet earlier that day and only had the cupcakes that were left in the pastry case. Unfortunately, there were only about three in the case. I ordered the banana cinnamon nut cupcake and an americano (always a mistake in Korea). I sat upstairs on the second floor and indulged. The cupcake tasted like banana bread and wasn't too overwhelming with banananess, but the icing was very, very sweet.. too sweet. My americano was, as always in Korea, way too light for my taste, but I had it coming since I already knew ordering that was a mistake.

Americano and banana nut cupcake

Although the taste of my order was a little less than really satisfying, the ambiance and friendly owners were worth the trip. Would I go back? Probably, but I'd try something different. Their menu consists of the typical coffee drinks (i.e., espresso, americano, caramel macchiato, mocha, etc.) as well as full-leaf teas. However, the menu is all in Hangul, so not knowing Korean can be a disadvantage. The ever-smiling owners do speak some English, and pointing and grunting toward the pastry case always works.

How to get there! Jangsan subway line 2, exit 10 - at the top of the stairs, make a 180 degree turn and go straight across the street. Starbucks is on that corner, and La Palette is straight, a couple doors down from Starbucks (there's a sign that reads 'Cupcake and Coffee' sticking out from the building).