Korea: November 2005


	I love my host sister like a sister

	Some people think that when students stay in another country with a host family that their family is just a group of people who they live with maybe like a land lady or something, but that is not it. For a long time I did feel as though I were just living in the house and not exactly part of the family. I think it is because very often at home, even in my home with my biological family I tend to be introverted and spend a lot of time in my room. I focus on what is going on in my life, but don't usually learn very much about the lives of my other family members. About a month into my homestay I had begun to stay out late and spend time outside of the house. I wasn't ever doing anything that I wouldn't want my family to know about, but sometimes I would forget to send a message or call and tell my mom what I was doing. Or better yet, sometimes there are things that I know I should probably ask my mom before that I say that I can go do something with friends or a teacher, but I just forget and agree to plans. My mom was feeling that I wasn't treating my family as a family and I felt like I wasn't fitting in as part of the family. When I was at home I was usually just sit in my room and study without progress. She said, "I am your mother not your land lady." That really hit me, because I felt like that's what things were becoming too. Since then, I have been watching more TV with my host family (there is one drama that I really like that's from 10pm-11pm, then I got to bed), my host mom has been helping me study Korean and even giving me homework from a book that I bought, and I have been spending a lot more time with my host sister. She began coming to church with me on Sundays and is really enjoying it. She's learning english and becoming closer to God at the same time. Last night and today were probably the closest that I have gotten with her though. Last night we stayed up until one o'clock talking about boys and life and we could really understand each other. We learned a lot more about what each other are really like. Then tonight I went out with two girls from school and when I got home she said that her boyfriend had broken up with her. I gave her a hug and told her to come sit down and eat some chocolate. Then I played one of her favorite cds for her. Since I have been in Korea my sister and I have had some really hard times usually when it comes to cultural misunderstands. I think that we've both made each other cry. And at home we sometimes spend time together, but usually give each other her own space. Lately we're learning to be close. Like sisters we know that usually the other one needs to go her own way, but if she needs help with something like homework or relationship problems, or just doesn't understand life at the moment, we can be there for each other. Some people ask me when we are seperated, "where is your friend?" but I don't think of Myung Hae Chung as a friend. I think of her as a younger sister who I will hopefully keep in touch with for the rest of my life.

Okay, I know that this picture is really creepy, but I posted it for two reasons. 1. Koreans have dark brown eyes and usually no fold in their eyelids. I am always being told that my eyes are so beautiful because they are so big and lighter colored. The most common graduation gift for a Korean girl is plastic surgery for her eyes so that they will look more like those of westerners. This makes me sad. I wish that everyone could just find beauty in themselves and not always wish to look different. I truely believe that the inside is what counts and feel terrible when people can't look past my outside. I like to be told that I am beautiful for my actions rather than my appearence. 2. When I post things on my blog there are many things that I overlook as part of my everyday life. I usually only tell you about extraordinary events. Please send me comments asking about little things in my life and I will try to find the time to write about them. To the people who have already given me writing suggestions that I haven't acted on, please be patient. I forgot about them for awhile and am just now finding time to start writing again. I will answer them first.

Isn't this just a fun picture? Sometime back in October Torie and I went on a church retreat to Anseong which is a suburb of Seoul. It is kind of in the country. At least it is a retreat from city life. This picture is of a man made lake and each of the chairs is for if you want to go fishing, but you have to pay to go fishing. At the retreat I spent a lot of time singing and getting to know people. I even got to play 500 with an american football and some Canadians, a Coloradian who grew up around the world as a missionary's son, and a fellow from Great Britian. Quite the game if I do say so myself. I also spent a good amount of time by meself hidden in the woods writting and reading. The most amazing part of it all though is that I got to see the stars. I hear about movie stars all the time, but people in Korea don't have that desperate ache that I get when I look into the night sky and only see the moon. I do love the moon, but on this night I could see my favorite constellation (I don't know the name, ask one of my best friends to point it out), the big dipper, Casiopia, and maybe a 10th of what I am used to. Still it was amazing.

This is my school through the eyes of first year (about 10th grade) art students...

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This is what the school actually looks like. Above are paintings by students in past years. I am using them as my inspiration. If someone else can do the project that well then so can I.

I hope that this doesn't ruin anything for the final product, but this is my next art project in process. I took a picture of it before I began painting, because I'm scared of my painting skills. So far it has turned out very well though. The object of this project is to paint the school or something on the school grounds. When I began these trees were absolutely gorgeous, but now they are nearly bare. I'm not sure if I'm painting them with leaves or bare. Wish me luck.

Isn't this just a post card? Meet Torie. She turned 18 yesterday.

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Hey dad, check this out. It's a crane. This scholar, Jeong Yakyong, invented it. You should check him out in a korean history book or webpage. He seemed to be a really interesting and amazing figure in Korea's history.

This is where we visited.

This is our teacher's husband (I mention her two pictures later) standing infront of the convergence of the North and South Han rivers and some gorgeous mountains.

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This is one of the teachers at my school and her daughter who is six years old in Korea, five in American age. Their family took Torie and I out into the country today. I thanked them so much. They were very fun to spend time with.