Busan Tower - Korea

It's still the month of Valentine's Day and today I'm gonna share one of the cheesiest things I ever suckered my husband into doing. =)

During my year abroad in Korea, Dave came to visit. There was a group of us that went to Taiwan (worst vacation I've ever had...) and then Dave and I only had 1-2 days in Korea because there was a typhoon in Taiwan that delayed us. I had so much I wanted for Dave to see but not enough time in the world to do it. Before I took him to the airport we thought we would make a quick stop at the Busan tower. If you are in Korea I highly recommend visiting. 

// via //

The sights at the top of the tower were beautiful. I loved seeing the 360 view of the city. Busan Tower not only offers breathtaking views of but they also offer various cultural things at the bottom of the tower as well. Next door hey had a museum of musical instruments and they even let you play a lot of them. 

But what really got me excited to the zillionth level was these little tile hearts they had. You could purchase a heart tile, write a message on it and then glue it to the wall at the top of the tower. I was all about this! Dave, although it was cheesy, joined in. How could we not though? I mean, our little love tile will be there forever. 

 

Somewhere in our dating relationship Dave told me the saying "Love always believes the best is yet to come". We now say "With Jesus our best is yet to come". It's a saying that has stayed in our marriage and I really believe it's true. It's also a good reminder for reasons I could go on and on about.

This picture pretty much sums up each of our feelings for the love tile. 

What's the cheesiest love thing you have ever done? Would you do something like this? 

Linking up today with Bonnie Rose, Melanie and Tina for Travel Tuesday.

My Korean Year in Review

This post was originally as a guest post for my sweet friend, Chelsea, over at Lost in Travels. As you know, in the month of February I'm highlighting some of my time in Korea. This post is a review of my time there. I hope you enjoy it. I had a lot of fun writing this and now reading it again.

I decided to move to Korea for several reasons. Mainly I needed a change from my non-stop busy American life and I wanted a year away to refocus and re-prioritize my life. My friend Alisha mentioned that she was thinking about teaching in Korea and I asked her if I could join. We got all our paper work, stuffed and stuffed 4 suitcases and 2 very oversized large carry ons and off to Korea we went and WOW what a year it was. Alisha and I say it was the best year and the hardest year of our life.

Our friend lent us some traditional Korean clothes called 'Hanboks'. When we wore them to school our kids told us we looked like 'grannys'. Apparently they are an outdated version. 

Our teaching job was real interesting. Honestly, when I left for Korea I forgot I was going to go teach. However, that didn't last long because when we arrived in Korea around 9pm and our school had us work the next morning. Hello jet lag! School was the "hardest" part of my year. Our school owners had us work from 9am - 6pm and that's a lot of teaching and wore me out. Ironically school was also one of the "best" things in Korea. I taught the beginners students who knew no English. It took a few months but I absolutely fell in love with those kids. Getting to know them personally, see them grow and develop is something I will always treasure. Another best part about school was that I got to tell the kids about Jesus. Some had never heard of anything Bible related and they were so curious.

All the kindys at our school

Another best part of Korea was my church. I attended Okpo Foreigners Church. It's an English speaking church, has about 30 members and has approximately 23 different languages / cultures represented. They were my family for a year and I met so many people from other countries but our common bond was our faith in Christ. I still cherish my time at OFC so much.

Our international church in Korea - OFC

Korea also is filled with wonderful people. I absolutely loved building relationships through sign language, charades and broken English/Hangul. I learned that kindness and a smile goes a long ways.

Pictured below is a sweet lady name DaiChu (Pronounced 'dye' as in hair 'dye' and chu as in I'm chugging a glass of water...hope that helps). DaiChu owned a teeny tiny cozy coffee house. We got to know her through sign language and severely broken English and Korean. However, one of the sweetest friendships was formed.

Ever heard of long distance dating? Yep, I did that in Korea too. My boyfriend, Dave, was kind enough to let me leave for a year to learn and grow. During our time apart we wrote over 600+ emails, filled up 6 journals, had countless of hours of Skype, traveled together to Taiwan for a week and I flew home for Christmas. Was distance hard? You bet! Was it worth it? Yes! I got home February 6th and married Dave on March 24th: and I'm so glad I did!

Coming back to America was major. reverse. culture. shock. I can't fully explain why but leaving the slower paced land of rice and kimchi to the fast paced land of pizza and burgers took some readjusting. Korea taught me that I could live without Walmart, that I could eat smaller portions, that I could walk and not drive and I enjoyed it all. I left America as one girl and came back as another and I couldn't be more grateful.

So, that my friends, is a Korean review in summary. Do you have any questions about Korea? Questions about my time abroad? Let me know and I'll be happy to answer them.

Linking up with Nicole from Treasure Tromp

Oedo Island // South Korea

Well friends, it has was exactly 1 year ago today that I boarded a plane in Korea and miraculously arrived in America. It honestly doesn't feel like I left a year ago but at the same time feels like a lifetime ago. I miss it more than I can describe but I'm still so thankful for that year. 

Today I'm linking up with Chelsea and Rachel for the Expat Diaries. I told you I wanted to share more about my time in Korea and today is a perfect opportunity. 

Oedo Island was one of the most beautiful and scenic places I saw while in Korea. The island was a 30 minute boat ride from where we lived. The boats were small and packed (Korean style packed) - we had to sit on the floor because there was literally no seating left. 

The boat drove us out to some scenic cliffs and then drove right in between a big crevice in the rocks. I couldn't believe how close they were to hitting the rocks but that is Korea for you. After they got as close as they could they backed out and went to the island. 

The whole island is a garden. It's a mix of Greece, Korea and Dr. Seuss. You'll understand when you see the pictures. I was amazed at how much detail was given to the gardens. During our visit on the island you could see workers trimming trees, plants and maintaining the gardens. It was simply beautiful. 

The boat ride where they took us in between the cliffs. 

This is what I mean by Dr. Seuss

Here are Alisha and I, also known as 1 + 1. We are sporting beautiful ajuma (granny) pants. Aren't they lovely? Don't worry, about 7-8 of us bought those matching pants and we rocked them in Korea. Does this count as my first 'fashion' post? Why, yes! I think it does. 

These were stairs in the middle of a building. The building was a coffee shop that over looked the ocean. 

A church area. I loved that Christ is in Korea. I never expected to see this at a garden in Asia. 

Greece

I always took a 'heart' picture for Dave wherever I went. That's one of the many little things that helped us make it through a year of distance. 

My 1 + 1 bestest friend in Korea. 

The ride back =) Este, if you are reading this - I don't know where the other pictures of you went so you get a sleeping one ;). 

That is Oedo island my friends. Isn't it pretty? Have you visited any pretty gardens? Where are the good ones in the US? 

The Thankful Project Day 2 : a role you've played

Today I'm beyond thankful that I got to play the role of teacher for a year to the most adorable Asian and Brazilian kids. I say role because let's be real now ... I'm not a certified teacher and it definitely was a role. A role I loved.

These children showed me a type of love I didn't know existed. After spending lots of time with them each day, they grew to become not just students but 'my kids'. I for sure miss them and as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I still tear up a bit knowing I won't ever see them again. However, I'm thankful for the time I had and it will always be a sweet memory.

Kids College - Geoge

This post isn't for fun but is to inform anyone who is inquiring information regarding  Kids College, on Geoje Island.The facts stated are to protect the teachers and to inform of business practices conducted at the school. I don't hold any hard feelings towards the owners, I actually like them, but their business practices need to be exposed. 

Upon arrival the school seemed normal. They gave us an apartment, we shadowed the teachers for one day and had one day of orientation before beginning teaching. On the first day of teaching our Vice Principal asked us if we wanted to sign up for pension. She told us that iwas a big hassle, that the money was for retirement and that it wasn't worth it. Ignorantly, all three of us teachers declined pension. Three months after school began we discovered how great pension was for Americans and asked our school to enroll us. They were very hostile about it and told us that "money doesn't grow on trees". They did sign us up for pension but were not professional about it.   

A week or two after arrival our Vice Principal informed us that it was customary to release our passport to the school owners. All three of us teachers refused to do so. Releasing of a passport was not customary like the owners said. They were attempting to keep our passports to manipulate us. 
The contract with kids college stated that any over time would be paid a rate of W17,000($17.00) per hour. After working overtime and inquiring of our pay, we were told if the owners were to be asked to pay the due overtime that they would " make our lives miserable." No over time was ever paid. If we stayed late, the school would sometimes buy us dinner and that was very much appreciated.

Another difficult and for me the worst part of it all is the following. The contract stated that if someone died or if there was an emergency back home we were released for 10 days. If someone added on an 'emergency' to a holiday vacation 50% of their bonus was forfeited. My fiancées mother, in October of 2012, was diagnosed with cancer. I informed the school of this as I thought it was important for them to know in case something were to happen. In December, when the school was buying our flights home for our end of year contracts that ended in February, I asked if I could add insurance to my flight (insurance paid by me) in case something were to happen to my mother in law. The school owners denied my request and became very hostile. They told me to write and sign on paper that I would leave immediately or stay no matter what happened to my mother in law. I refused to do that and informed them that according to my contract, if someone died, I had 10 days of leave as well as 2 sick days. I was screamed at, was told how irresponsible I was and was asked why they couldn't just 'cut the cancer out of her?'. They also looked for my replacement without telling me, or without me signing a contract to leave. I discovered this by reading a blog from the teacher that was to be coming in February. She posted that they wanted her to come in December. After a month or two of heated discussions they eventually purchased my tickets home and allowed me to purchase insurance. My mother in law did pass away on February 5th. I had 10 teaching days left and 12 days of leave. Her death happened during a holiday which forfeited 50% of my bonus pay. The school, after I purchased my ticket home with my own money, asked me to stay. They informed me that the school could close down with out me. According to the contract the school was to pay me for days worked, 50% of my severance pay, and they were to return the W600,000 ($600.00)apartment deposit that they withheld from my paycheck. The school did not pay me anything. They threatened to call my bank and take my money.They shorted me of around $3,000. They told me they would not reimburse me for money from my apartment because that money was to be used for hiring a substitute teacher. The school hired a sub for 2-3 days but my co-teachers took the full brunt of teaching their kids plus my own. Not only did they do all that but after I told them I purchased my ticket home to attend the funeral the school owner called immigration requesting that I be stopped on my way out of Korea. Thankfully, immigration denied their request. I attempted to negotiate with the owners reasonable solutions but it was of no effect. They only asked me to stay and not go home. 


Again, I don't post this to be vindictive or mean, however I don't want anyone to experience what I went through as it was extremely difficult and traumatic. However, as hard as it was I wouldn't trade that year. The teacher before us told us that the kids are the best part of the job and you better believe 100% I agree with that. Teaching in Korea is great but there are many other jobs out there. 

There is also a facebook page for Geoeje Teachers. Before basing everything on what have I written I'd encourage you to go there and consult other teachers from Kids College as well. If you would like that page the link is the following: https://www.facebook.com/groups/23316238780/

If you have any questions regarding Kids College please contact me at sunshine2thesquareinch@gmail.com

Happy National Coffee Day

In honor of national coffee day here are some pictures of the most prettiest coffees I have purchased. 99% of these I bought in Korea. They make the prettiest designs on coffee I have ever seen. 

This is called a 'cafe vienna'. It is made with heavy whipping cream and is topped with whipped cream. 

Here is the 1% of the pretty coffee from the US. I got this delicousness in Idaho. 

Now, for those that have never heard of an affogoto, you have me to thank. What is it? It's simple. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, a shot of vanilla espresso poured over it, some chocolate drizzle and almonds.  Do not! I repeat DO NOT eat these if you need to sleep. Alisha and I made the mistake of getting one of these on school nights when we had to teach the next day and boy did we our kids suffer. 

 

 Happy National Coffee Day! Hope you had a good cup of jo.

From marshmallows to sheep

A while back I wrote about the the untold stories from South Korea I mentioned that I wanted to write and share more about one of the kids who accept Christ so here it is. 

Meet Ella! 

                

Although she is only 5 years old she is by far one of the most thoughtful people I have met. Ella remembers people and the details in their lives! (As an adult, I still struggle to do that). I told my class things that were important to me ... when my family was visiting  Korea, when baby Elliot was due, when baby Zach was due, when Alisha's Mom's birthday was, etc. I know kids normally don't care about their teacher's personal life but Ella did. When it was time to review the day, month and upcoming events, if I didn't mention one of my personal family events she would say something like "Teacher Beka, Stephanie baby, in February", followed by a big baby belly mimic with her hand and so on. Ella also wrote me some sweet notes. Here is a funny one that I received for Teachers day, I love it and I have it kept in my Bible. 

Academically, Ella was one of my best students. She listened well and soaked up the information she was given. When it came to Bible stories, this was no different. One time I read the kids a book based on the parable of the lost sheep. A few weeks later, we had a 'cooking class'. We were given marshmallows, chocolate sticks and hershey kisses and were expected to make spiders! Ha! Impossible with the Korean ingredients. We tried, we really did but I finally said "make whatever you want!" A few minutes had passed and Ella asked me to come over so she could show me her creation and here it is:

It doesn't look like much, does it? I didn't think so either until Ella explained it. She said the brown chocolate sticks were the gate, the white pieces of marshmallows were the sheep, the hershey kiss on the outside of the gate was Jesus and the hershey kiss she was holding up was God! WOW! I immediately teared up as I had no idea that God's message of love had sunk that deep into Ella's precious heart. 

Sometime in January, after the kids had heard about Jesus and his love for them for quiet some time, I was curious to see if any of the kids had actually asked Jesus to come live in there heart. I thought I would ask but I didn't expect a response. Lo and behold, Ella raised her hand and told me she had asked Jesus to come live in her heart. I still was skeptical ... so I started asking questions. She told me she was at home, and prayed alone and asked Jesus to save her. I was blown away! I even asked again the next day to see what she would say and she said "Teacher, two times now" =) I explained as best as I could that you only had to do it once.  

So that is the story of little Miss Ella accepting Christ. I'm still amazed at the work God can do through teaching kids about Christ through a second language. It just shows the power of the cross and that a language barrier can't stop the Holy Spirit from revealing the gospel to a 5 year old. Ella received an English Bible at the end of the school year and I am trusting God to send someone to help her grow in her faith. Would you add Ella to your prayer list? I know God will answer!

Romans 1:16 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every oen that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.