Lazy days and small victories

Shortly after I arrived in Korea, I promised Jimin that I would go with her to Oobang Towerland, an amusement park in Daegu, on September 12th. She circled the date on the small flip-calendar the rests on the Kim family kitchen table. It's been a while since I've been on a roller coaster or eaten a funnel cake, so I'd been looking forward to it. But my Saturday course pushed our departure time to 4 p.m., and ultimately, Moxanim and Hyunsuk decided it would be better for us to reschedule because they didn't want us traveling back at night. Now, we circled October 2nd--a national Korean holiday called Chusak--as the Oobang Towerland day. I wasn't terribly disappointed to wake up on Saturday morning to an unplanned and uneventful day.

The weekend became a chance for me to recover from my insomnia. (My biorhythms are back to normal.) I taught a short conversation class, wrote a letter to my future mother-in-law, visited Su Jong's apartment, read a few chapters of "Love and Respect," played badminton in the kitchen with Minwoo (surprisingly, we didn't get into trouble for that one, maybe because the birdie is light and harmless when it hits the low ceiling) and in the front yard with several mysterious neighborhood kids, and for the most part, I kind of just went with the flow.

I skipped the Friday evening Bible study in anticipation of Oobang Towerland plans, and then I skipped a party on Saturday night in anticipation of meeting Nick on Skype and getting a good night of sleep. The party was a major conversation topic at church the next day, and I momentarily regretted my laziness. But I think resting was a good idea.

Despite my recent bouts of homesickness, there are small victories keep me going, keep me wanting to be here. A successful bus trip home from Dongshin service, without the help of a bus driver or passenger, was a small victory with great joy. For weeks, I've needed minor assistance getting around, particularly in knowing where to get off the bus in Jilyang. Finally, I've established some landmarks for myself. I've figured out that the bus drivers don't automatically stop at every bus stop, especially if there's no one to pick up, unless you alert them by pushing one of the red circular buttons on the side of the bus, which makes a buzzing noise and cues the driver to pull over. Like a child on a diaper commercial, I feel like a big kid now, rejoicing in all-by-myself, everyday tasks.

Small victories come from unexpectedly successful lesson plans. I don't care for teaching phonics, but today, I taught the "ch" sound to three elementary-aged students. To help them practice the "ch" sound, I had them repeat after me: "Chuga, chuga! Chuga, chuga! Choo! Choo!" I moved my arms to create the image of a train, chugging and chooing. They ate it up! I heard them chanting to themselves and dancing as they packed their things to go! "Chuga, chuga! Chuga, chuga! Choo! Choo!"

At the health center, I successfully recited Korean numbers one through ten to count my repetitions with the barbells. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to master the numbers, but I've finally got it. Small but sure victory!

On Sunday, Su Jung and I met for a Bible study for the first time. Every time I meet with a nonbeliever to read, I have a new and different experience from the time before. We're reading Mark, and she seems to know a bit more about Christianity than I expected. Probably because Christianity is more popular in Korea than in Japan or China, for example. In fact, it may be more popular in Korea than in the U.S. (I read a bio for a famous Korean pop musician who said that one of her favorite things to do was read the Bible. Caught me by surprise.)

Anyway, I believe my meeting with Su Jung, regardless of the outcome, is another small victory--a tiny reminder that I just might be in the right place at the right time.

Here is one of my Korean favorites: Potbingsu!

Here is the Sahan and Eva of Korea: