Skiing: "Hera!"
Eli, Tharine, Elise, Vanessa, Renee and I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to catch a 4:50 a.m. bus to HighOne Resort, which in East Korea. The trip was 3 and a half hours long each way, but the bus was fully equipped for sleeping passengers--purple curtains on the windows, big chairs that recline easily, dim lighting, nice heating. We slept most of the way there, and to my surprise, most of the way back, too.
For the most part, skiing in Korea is the same as skiing state-side with the exception of a few distinctions. Number One: Green circles, blue squares, and black diamonds are used to denote beginner, intermediate and advanced slopes in the U.S. Green, orange and red are used in Korea. Number Two: Burgers and chili dogs are replaced by ramyon, kimbob, dumplings and
spicy soups for lunchtime possibilities. Number Three: My red Columbia coat, which stuck out like a sore thumb among the peacoat fashions in the city, looked rather drab against the bright-colored and sometimes animal-shaped fashions of Korean skiwear. I saw a man in a cat suit with cat ear-hood and a white belly and a woman in a neon-yellow, plaid ski suit. Also, animal hats that tie under the neck are really, really popular here for kids. I'm thinking I might bring one back for my dad, who likes to wear winter hats that embarrass us all. Just kidding! (I love
you, Dad. Thanks for the Valentine's card.)
We sailed the slopes from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. with a lunch break of course. Half of us skied, and half of us snowboarded, and some of us started on snowboards and switched to skis when the going got rough. As group trips often go, we started out all together on the bunny slopes but broke up into groups due to different ski and boarding skill levels. Renee and I split for an expert hill pretty early on when she somehow convinced me it was a good idea. I wiped out twice on the way down. After my first wipe out, I decided to ignore my anxious reticence because it seemed to lead me to fall. Instead, I embraced the speed, which...consequently, led to another wipe out and a lecture from a Korean man about going too fast and braking properly.
Embarrassing. I've been skiing plenty long enough to know what wedge is. I guess I probably deserved the lecture though. Renee said I was really flying.
After lunch, Renee, Vanessa and I decided to hit up the intermediate slopes. All of the slopes at High One were named after Greek gods. The beginner slopes were called Zeus, the advanced were Apollo, and the intermediate slopes were Hera. Hera was the wife and older sister of Zeus and the goddess of women and marriage. Anyway, on Saturday, the word reminded me of the Korean word "hera" which means "Do it!" I sometimes say this to my students to get them going, "Bali hera!" or "Hurry! Do it!" I kept thinking about this meaning of hera as I started each run, only this time "bali" was far my self-instruction. Having readopted my hesitation, I told myself, "There's only one way down this mountain. (Not entirely true, as there were a few
other slopes that began at the same point, but this is psychology, you understand
.) There's only one way, so hera! Do it!" The "Hera" slopes were my favorite ones...not quite so out of control, but challenging enough.
The snow on Saturday was not all packed and not all powdery but a combination of the two types. Breaking too hard on powdery snow results in a wipe out. Breaking too gently on packed, icy snow results in either a wipe out or an uncontrollable and unwanted acceleration. The difficulty lies in distinguishing the two types with visual judgment.
As I said before, I love skiing. I love the intense personal focus required by a challenging slope. Weaving down the mountain on two parallel strips, I am silent, rhythmic, concentrating, discerning, exhilarated and delighted by the cool air and the fast dance. Skiing is both a group activity and an individual activity. (This suits me as well.) One cannot let others ski for oneself. One must get oneself down the hill. Yet external encouragement and assisting others is
imperative. One ought not ski solo.
In addition to my love for skiing, another beautiful thing about this Saturday was the host of admiring thoughts that surfed through my brain about the incredible character traits of my friends. My friends are super cool. Tharine, from South Africa, was courageous enough to try snowboarding even though she only just saw snow for the first time this winter. Eli, from Maryland, loyally stuck by her all afternoon even as they switched from snowboards to skis midway through. Elise, from Florida, snowboarded through umpteen falls with determination and improved greatly by the end. Vanessa, from Oklahoma and only a second-time skier, graduated herself from beginner slopes and gracefully tackled intermediate ones with impressive athleticism. Renee, from Los Angelos,...well...Renee is a great story. This thirtyish, half-Chinese, half-Korean left her high-paying job with Fidelity in LA to come find herself in Korea. Without a job or a schedule, she spends her days training to run a half-marathon, praying for others, and lifting us all with her spirit. Her presence is an example of living from one's heart.
With this inspiring comrade, I danced the Korean slopes all day long, make-up-less and free-spirited. We got back by 8 p.m., ordered a pizza and watched a British comedy together.
Vanessa and I washed our friends dishes as a token of our appreciation to Eli, Elise and Tharine, who serve us with unceasing hospitality.
Lunar New Year
I came home after church on Sunday to discover, much to my exhausted dismay, the church was locked up, and my host family had gone to visit relatives. It's the Lunar new year in Korea. For most families, the Lunar New Year is a day which they recognize and honor their ancestors by cooking Korean food for their spirits. Eli showed me a video of her family's ceremony on Sunday morning. They set out all of this food and move the chopsticks around the table to allow the ghosts to eat from each dish. The men dress in hanbok or wear a nice suit and bow to the ghost guests. Also, children bow to their grandparents and receive pocket money for the next month or so. But Korean Christians don't usually observe the lunar new year in the same way. Instead, they just visit family, eat and travel.
I met up with my host family for their traditional dinner in KyungSan. The mood was similar to Thanksgiving in America. Casual. Watching TV. Eating. Enjoying the company of relatives. Not a big deal. The only distinguishing features were the food, the respectful bowing to one another and a little yorkshire terrier, which they dressed in Hanbok. To my relief, Moxanim drove me home before they visited more relatives. I was pooped.
Dreaming of my Valentine
Last night, I had a dream that I was riding on a bus with a friend to an unknown destination. I got off at her stop. She took me to her home and showed me around.
"Isn't it nice to have a home?" I said to my friend. "Isn't it nice to have a place to come and just rest?"
At that moment, my phone rang. It was Nick!
"Hey Babe," He said casually. "So where are you? I was just thinking you should stop by and try some of that chicken I told you about...and maybe I could get started on that story, too."
Typical Nick and Sally activities--food and stories. Warmth filled my body at the thought of breathing in the same air as the love of my life. Was it possible? Then my heart sank, and my dream self realized aloud, "But I don't know where I am, and I don't have a car..."
I woke up. It was 3:30 a.m., and my throat parched. I went to the kitchen for a glass of water, then lay back down. I tossed and turned for about 20 more minutes just thinking about how unnatural it is to be so far away from someone I love so much and for so long.
My life feels so dichotomized right now. When I'm busy doing something on the weekend, then I feel so happy to be in Korea with people I love to be around, doing things I love to do. When I have down time, which is quite a bit during the week, then I miss the person I love the most, and I can't wait to be with him again.
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