tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90911788665585709972024-03-13T18:52:51.174-07:00forever yourspromise . no matter what . forever .The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-21608944161079798582015-01-07T22:04:00.000-08:002015-01-07T22:04:30.508-08:00Thoughts for 2015...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello everyone. Thank you for
checking out my new post on thoughts for the New Year. It’s interesting how New
Year’s is one of my favorite holidays. I love to reflect on the past and think
of ways I can improve my future. I am always looking for opportunities to
challenge and shape myself into a better person.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With that being said, I have a New Year’s
resolution. It’s been on my mind for a while now, but I thought this would be
the right time to share it with you, so here it is. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">“Invest in those that are willing to
invest in you.” </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year I want to focus on real
relationships. I don’t know about you, but don’t you miss having actual, real,
deep, through thick and thin relationships? I know I do. With living overseas,
I understand (believe me) that it’s difficult to keep those friendships close.
Facebook to me is a blessing and a curse. I think sometimes as we scroll
through our friends’ statuses and pictures, we think we’re making a connection
with them… when actually the connection is not real at all. How do they know
you are thinking of them? How do they know how much you appreciate them? By a ‘like’
on a photo? …a simple comment? To me, it’s just not enough anymore. I want to
focus on something deeper. I miss the days of real phone calls, letters in the
mail… being who you REALLY are in front of those you love, rather than just
showing everyone your highlight reel on social media. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To clarify, this is not a dis on our
beloved, Facebook. It of course is a blessing with making it easy to see
updates on friends’ lives and such. Plus, we get to share all of our adventures
with you! I do like that part of it all. I’ve just been thinking lately…. That as
time goes on; we are losing that authentic realness with people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Korea I like to get to
the bus or train stop early, and when I look around I see everyone on their
cellphones. I am sometimes guilty of this as well. I know this sounds silly,
but I like to challenge myself with “waiting” and not needing my cell phone. I
mean, I seriously feel like a robot sometimes!!! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wake up – check cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Go to bed – check cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wait 5 minutes at bus stop- check cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boring part in a movie- check cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The list goes on… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, it’s a little ridiculous don’t
you think? So like I said, I like to ‘just wait’, observe my surroundings, take
it all in, and be a REAL person! I love to be curious, observe this new
culture, look for something I’ve never seen before, think and ponder on my life
in a new country. This is the type of person I want to focus on in 2015. I no
longer want to be the person that opens their phone and finds themselves comparing
their life to others, getting sad, and feeling lonely… It’s ridiculous.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-language: KO;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I know I’m getting a little off
topic. But this year I want to invest in people. I want to be real with those
around me; I want to go above and beyond to show people how much I appreciate
their true friendship, because in reality, we’re all in this crazy thing we
call life; together… it’s time we actually start living it… together. </span></span></div>
The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-30931056995202223502014-07-09T21:26:00.000-07:002014-07-09T21:26:07.092-07:00Redefining My American Dream<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you think of the
typical American Dream… what comes to mind? Some of you may often think about
graduating college, maybe continuing education with a Master’s degree, getting
married, having a pet, buying a house, babies, and having a steady job from 9-5. In ways, all
of that stated is sometimes what we view as “success.” We live in a society
that values a strong working ethic. We may have time for fun activities on the
weekends, during the summer, once or twice a year… but more often than not,
many people push their dreams of travel, seeing the world, getting away from it
all… and tack it onto retirement. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By teaching and living
abroad, my whole world view of “success” has started to change. I won’t lie,
there have been MANY days where I wish I was teaching in an American classroom,
living in an American style house, and surrounded by American culture. I wish I
was “comfortable.” Sometimes I catch myself looking at pictures of family and
friends’ lives (through social media) and want the life they are living. In a
way, I feel that my “real life” has not started. I feel like I am living in a
fantasy world. My job is fun, relatively easy, my rent is free, I take trips
with my husband every weekend, and we've been to over 10 countries together
since we've been married… (August 2011) and I think my life hasn't STARTED
yet?? Just because it doesn't fit into the typical American Dream?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So… with all that
being said, I am trying to redefine what MY American Dream really is. First, it’s
not comparing my life to anyone else’s.
Rather, it’s a life full of experiences; chances to share your love,
kindness, inspirations, smile, and adventure with those around you; really,
just loving people and loving them fully. I absolutely love learning new things from
people around the world. I love experiencing new culture, because I truly
believe it’s making me a better person who sees the world and all the colors it
offers and gives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am reaching my late
20’s (dare I say, 30!) and I figure now is the best time to change my thinking of
success all together. If you would've asked me 10 years ago where I think I’d
be now… I would probably say married, kids, house, dog, teaching…etc. Typical Typical – and there’s nothing wrong
with that! But, I’m slowly realizing that’s not the life God has intended for
me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to focus my
life on working to live rather than living to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must admit… My husband
and I have been bit by the travel bug and our adventure is far from over. The
world is a big place and there are so many places we want to explore. This life
in South Korea has been the best thing that’s happened to us. And Guess what? Kids will come, career will come, and time
will pass. For now, it is time for adventure. It’s time to fully embrace escaping
the comfort zone that few experience with exploring the unknown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, my new “American Dream” starts today.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8vK6RyY8AuQ/U74UuKZaDXI/AAAAAAAAAkE/1G4Gq9BtZko/s1600/cory+and+michelle+travel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8vK6RyY8AuQ/U74UuKZaDXI/AAAAAAAAAkE/1G4Gq9BtZko/s1600/cory+and+michelle+travel.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband and I on one of our many adventures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-86633427298545289842013-11-03T01:22:00.000-08:002013-11-03T01:22:47.817-08:00Halfway done Halfway to go!<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello family and friends! Thank you for checking out our
blog. If you clicked on the link from my Facebook, you are probably thinking –
2 MORE years in Korea?!?! Yes, that is the truth and please let me take the
time to explain why we’ve come to this decision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1DKL8sBDDw/UnYSxDi8GeI/AAAAAAAAAa4/YT_djVJP_s8/s1600/101_0723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1DKL8sBDDw/UnYSxDi8GeI/AAAAAAAAAa4/YT_djVJP_s8/s320/101_0723.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Our first week in Korea!</span></td></tr>
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<u><b>Let’s start at the beginning:</b><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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So… exactly 2 years ago, my husband Cory and I anxiously
arrived in South Korea. At that time we <br />
were married for 2 months. We decided to
come to South Korea for a multiple of reasons.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The opportunity to work overseas for a
period in our life</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Make payments towards our student loans</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Experience a new culture</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Travel!</span></li>
</ol>
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Since I graduated with an Elementary Education degree and traveled
to 4 countries before Korea, I developed a desire to teach in another country.
When I was around 16 years old, I remember praying at a church retreat where
God gave me a vision of children all over the world coming to thank me for
impacting their lives. At that time, I’d never left the United States. It’s
amazing to see the faithfulness of God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Also, Cory felt a calling on his life saying he was, called
to the nations. He never truly knew what that meant, but also never forgot it
either. We actually never shared our “visions” with one another until we were
dating for over a year and a half. That’s when Cory’s friend told us about the
opportunity of teaching in South Korea!!! Everything all started to make sense.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We decided to look into South Korea more and everything with
our heart’s desires became much clearer. We went through the entire (long)
process of applying to teach in Korea (while planning a wedding!), got
accepted, and are now living out our callings. It’s an amazing feeling. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><b>The “Plan”</b><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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Our initial plan was to come and teach in Korea for 2 years.
After Cory and I graduated, we knew we would have a LOT of school loans, but we
were pretty SHOCKED when we found out just how much. Here we were…. Newlyweds
with a teaching degree and youth ministry degree…and now almost $100,000 in
school loan debt! Luckily we didn’t have any other debt… but still that was a
big chunk of change! <o:p></o:p></div>
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We realized Korea would give us the opportunity to really
make some serious payments towards these loans! In Korea, our housing is free
and all other costs are very minimal. Therefore, my entire paycheck and half of
Cory’s goes to these loans each month!!! I am happy to say that after 2 years
of being here, we’ve been able to pay off $27,000!!! <o:p></o:p></div>
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So with all that being said, we are very happy with the
amount we’ve paid off, but we really don’t think we’d be able to live at home
comfortably with $73,000 in school loan debt. Not to mention; an apartment
payment, car payment, insurance, gas money, electric bills, etc. We imagine
that we would both have to get 2 jobs and hardly ever see each other. Now, that
doesn’t sound like a very fun life especially because we love spending time
together. That’s when we decided a third year would be best. As of today, we are
actually in our 3<sup>rd</sup> year teaching contract! We are happy and excited
to start another year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><b>So why 4 years?</b><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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Another perk to teaching in Korea is when you leave you will
receive an accumulated amount of severance and pension pay. After our third
year, we really could move back home – but our ENTIRE severance/pension pay
would go towards our loans. It would bring us down to about $24,000 in school
loans and not a dime in our pockets. OR we have the opportunity to stay a 4<sup>th</sup>
year and move back with $0 in schools loans and possibly some money in our
pockets (fingers crossed!!!) After we figured out our math (and hopefully our
math is correct) we really had to ask ourselves what would benefit us more.
What would benefit our future family more? Getting $100,000 paid off in 4 YEARS
sounds unheard of, yet we have the opportunity. We kept asking ourselves, how
can we pass this up? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Homesickness has really taken it’s toll with living on the
other side of the world, but luckily both of our families are so understanding
and know that this is not an easy decision for us. I really believe that the
Lord is teaching us <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diligence</i> through
this experience. Slowly but surely we will meet our goal and what a happy day
that will be!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The reason why I am sharing all of this is to simply give
you an update on our lives and to ask for prayer. Prayer for homesickness,
peace, comfort, diligence, obedience, adventure, travel, safety, and making
memories that will hopefully be an inspiration to others! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you to all who’ve supported us and followed our
journey. I know we have missed out on so many things back home, but I promise
we will be reunited someday!! We are looking forward to seeing you on
our next trip home to the USA!!! January 28<sup>th</sup> – February 24<sup>th</sup>.
First 2 weeks in Iowa and second 2 weeks in Illinois, so mark your calendars!! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Love you all and thanks for reading! ~ Cory and Michelle</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DwU9J-60TAk/UnYRgCrhCuI/AAAAAAAAAas/gUK9SAaWowQ/s1600/DSC_8467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DwU9J-60TAk/UnYRgCrhCuI/AAAAAAAAAas/gUK9SAaWowQ/s400/DSC_8467.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some pics we took to celebrate 2 years living abroad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__aCIVuBKRU/UnYT4twKaZI/AAAAAAAAAbE/8dAO7YzcGVc/s1600/DSC_8303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__aCIVuBKRU/UnYT4twKaZI/AAAAAAAAAbE/8dAO7YzcGVc/s400/DSC_8303.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6LSHoavkLtA/UnYUBEoXEYI/AAAAAAAAAbU/zDmbQIqt_Uw/s1600/DSC_8613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6LSHoavkLtA/UnYUBEoXEYI/AAAAAAAAAbU/zDmbQIqt_Uw/s400/DSC_8613.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-48707810151466481992013-07-18T01:02:00.000-07:002013-07-18T01:02:09.675-07:00Highlights Throughout the Months - 2012 <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">September</span></u></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i1XLn5X3QdA/UeeeE0GSUvI/AAAAAAAAAYc/qbTc6JVmWEA/s1600/Miso+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>Well I can say this was
one of my favorite yet hardest months in Korea. My baby niece was born!! I
really could have dwelled on the fact that I wasn’t there, but overall I was
filled with so much joy for my family. Leighann Piper Bedford was born on
September 6<sup>th</sup>, 2012. She’s absolutely beautiful and it’s been
amazing to see my sister and brother in law turn into parents and my parents
turn into grandparents! This little girl has captured my heart and I can’t wait
until the day we meet face to face. Aunties loves you baby girl!</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SySU6OnjeOc/UeebMXPjs-I/AAAAAAAAAXM/wDOJoOkMh_U/s1600/Leighann+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SySU6OnjeOc/UeebMXPjs-I/AAAAAAAAAXM/wDOJoOkMh_U/s200/Leighann+1.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xPdPA5Z-0Sg/UeebQTHhUiI/AAAAAAAAAXY/80xATuBH9sI/s1600/leighann+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xPdPA5Z-0Sg/UeebQTHhUiI/AAAAAAAAAXY/80xATuBH9sI/s200/leighann+4.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9pjDbAB1YQ/UeebQZSEa5I/AAAAAAAAAXU/VOhLJg6BDAM/s1600/leighann+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9pjDbAB1YQ/UeebQZSEa5I/AAAAAAAAAXU/VOhLJg6BDAM/s200/leighann+3.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">October</span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>This month we celebrated
Cory’s 25<sup>th</sup> birthday! I embarrassed him at school throughout the
day. He does not like being the center of attention but I wanted to make the
entire day about him. I decorated his chair and desk with balloons and signs
that read, “Happy Birthday.” Also, I made him wear a birthday hat during lunch.
All the kids loved that! The teachers provided a cake for him. I put 25 candles
on the cake which they thought was very strange. In Korea they have different candle
sizes. A longer stick can be 10 years while the shorter ones are worth only
one. Here I swarmed the cake with 25 candles which was very humorous to them. I
guess I ended up teaching them a little American culture while I was at it. I
always love Cory’s birthday because we become the same age and he can no longer
call me, “old lady.” Haha, I love him to pieces and I will always be so
excited to celebrate his life.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rwJJRcr7QP4/Ueecv0uHjxI/AAAAAAAAAXs/_sZxrZYpT-Q/s1600/halloween+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rwJJRcr7QP4/Ueecv0uHjxI/AAAAAAAAAXs/_sZxrZYpT-Q/s320/halloween+2012.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Happy Halloween</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>
</u></b></span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">November</span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></u></b></span></span></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>This was also a very
exciting month in our lives. Cory and I were going through our regular routine
with school and home life. Until one day, I was walking to an academy I teach
at once a week. On my way there, I ran into one of my students. To my surprise,
she was holding a little kitten. My student said she found her in a pile of
garbage and simply placed her in my hands. I could tell this little kitten was
helpless and her mom was not around. I didn’t know what to do since I needed to
be teaching my class in 5-10 minutes. I thought I’d put her near a bush and
only hope she’d be there when I came back out. That didn’t work. As soon as I
put her down, she was on the move. I remember looking at her eyes and they were
infected pretty badly. I knew she would most likely not survive if I didn’t
think of something. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">I did have help from my two 5<sup>th</sup> grade students and we tried
a few more things, but she kept scurrying off. I almost called it quits. I
walked into the academy building and to my utmost SURPRISE, I walked passed a
closet filled with banana boxes! The supervisor was trying to organize the
boxes and I asked if I could have one. He had nooooo idea why I would need one,
but he confusingly handed one over. I remember SPRINTING out of the academy
building to save this kitten. One of my students was watching her thankfully
and we put her in the box. When I walked back into the building the supervisor
asked why I needed the box. Now, remembering there is a language barrier here…
he could not understand the word, “cat.” So, I had to mimic a cat… haha. He
understood, I went to class, and before you know it the supervisor came up to
my class and told me he found a better box for the kitten and brought her
inside the building so she wouldn’t get away. I was so relieved!! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">After class, I ran home to show Cory and he could not believe how small
this little kitten was. She clearly needed her mom still. Not knowing what to
do, we smashed up some crackers and warmed up milk (later we found out that’s
not a good idea) but she didn’t eat anything. We decided to take her to the vet
the next day and realllllllllly tried not to get attached to this little one. We
didn’t know how infected she was or if she’d survive. The vet took one look and
mentioned how sick she was. Bacteria infections, eye infections…almost
everything you can think of. We decided to go through with the shots to see if
we could save this kitten’s life. The vet was very moved and could see our
hearts towards this little animal. A few days passed and we took our kitten
back to the vet. He could NOT believe her progress! He gave us good news and
told us we ended up saving her life. After that, Cory and I have been attached
to this little kitten. We were NEVER cat people before this incident. But, I
can say now, we love her to pieces. We decided to give her a name; Miso. It
means “smile” in Korean. She always puts a smile on our face. She is our
fighter and we are blessed to have her apart of our little family.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqSUW0iqD4A/UeedkVTqBqI/AAAAAAAAAYM/q8m-NYqnyFM/s1600/miso+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqSUW0iqD4A/UeedkVTqBqI/AAAAAAAAAYM/q8m-NYqnyFM/s320/miso+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eY-ZymzQ4IY/UeedkYLupqI/AAAAAAAAAX8/MOsC3nGNSns/s1600/miso+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eY-ZymzQ4IY/UeedkYLupqI/AAAAAAAAAX8/MOsC3nGNSns/s320/miso+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--5_HPYyGikI/Ueedka5M8uI/AAAAAAAAAYA/T9RFkpcOKK0/s1600/miso+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--5_HPYyGikI/Ueedka5M8uI/AAAAAAAAAYA/T9RFkpcOKK0/s320/miso+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Miso the kitten </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 16.0pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 16.0pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">Decmeber</span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"><span> </span>The highlight of
December was celebrating Christmas. Cory and I had a very special Christmas
last year. It was our first one as a married couple. We wrote 10 favorite
memories/attributes about each other and put them in a box. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">However, this Christmas was a little different. Christmas Eve was so
fun. We decided to go to a coffee shop and have a little date night. I was so
excited for Christmas morning. It is by far my favorite holiday! I wish I could
say we woke up to happy joyful times, but it was the exact opposite. I indeed
woke up Christmas morning with food poisoning. Something I’ve never had before.
I guess this really isn’t a “highlight.” We still opened presents from our
families back home. That was a lot of fun. After that, it was back to bed – the
entire day. Hoping for a better Christmas next year! Thanks again to our
families for sending us gifts from many miles away!</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-75GGEIJ_ko8/UeeeBqSAH3I/AAAAAAAAAYU/Q8zgXituO5Q/s1600/coffee+date1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-75GGEIJ_ko8/UeeeBqSAH3I/AAAAAAAAAYU/Q8zgXituO5Q/s400/coffee+date1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i1XLn5X3QdA/UeeeE0GSUvI/AAAAAAAAAYg/8mcMtDDPVMo/s1600/Miso+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i1XLn5X3QdA/UeeeE0GSUvI/AAAAAAAAAYg/8mcMtDDPVMo/s400/Miso+christmas.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Miso's first Christmas </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-42966849223608840992013-07-17T22:09:00.001-07:002013-07-17T22:12:37.704-07:00471 days<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">My my my, I sure am behind on this blog. Of course, we’ve been doing
great! So many things have happened since I last updated. I hardly know where
to begin. Since my last post we’ve been to Singapore
and Australia
(amongst other places). Both were amazing trips. I will talk more about our
time there in another post. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Cory and I have been enjoying our time in Korea. We did re-sign to stay in Korea for yet
another year! That will make it a total of 3 years! Crazy. We have 471 days
left until we leave Korea;
November 2014. That sounds like a lot of days, but the last 1 year and 7 months
has flown by! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">A lot of things have changed in Korea for us. First, we really have
an understanding of our life here. At first, when you arrive in Korea you can’t
understand anything. At least that’s how it was for us. You can’t read anything
or talk to a lot of people. It’s pretty hectic, but... you’ll eventually figure it out. I like to believe that Cory
and I now have a true/better understanding of Korea. It’s a pretty cool feeling
when you can understand someone speaking Korean to you. I’m not talking
conversations by any means, but just phrases here and there. It sure helps a
ton! Korea
truly feels like another home to us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, Cory and I have met some friends over here that I believe we will
keep in contact with no matter where life takes us. It makes a huuuuge
difference having friends over here. It truly is an answer to our prayers. We
are planning trips almost every weekend to hang out. It’s been a blast! We talk
about how it’s so crazy how we all come from different paths yet we are here in
Korea
together. Some of us aren’t even from the same country! If you actually stop
and think about that, it’s pretty cool. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God
has been full of surprises our entire time in Korea. Only 471 days left, but we
are so excited to see what else is to come!</span></span> </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7t-ErimVuo/Ued376ogF7I/AAAAAAAAAW8/yAL6-ROB7GU/s1600/friends+in+Korea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7t-ErimVuo/Ued376ogF7I/AAAAAAAAAW8/yAL6-ROB7GU/s320/friends+in+Korea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-23343294496578732492012-09-04T05:42:00.001-07:002012-09-04T05:42:56.880-07:00What Korea has done for our marriage.
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wow! I am just realizing that I haven’t written on our blog
since April! I know most people are keeping up with all our adventures via
facebook, but just thought I would give a much more detailed update.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you can imagine, a lot has happened since April. We did
decide to sign another contract! We are now staying here until November, 2013.
However, I am sure we will sign one more contract to keep us in Korea for a
total of 3 years! Thank you to all who are supporting our journey over here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First off I want to say THANK YOU to everyone for “liking
our pictures” and following our adventures. I have had countless people tell me
how much we inspire them. Quite a few people say they are 'living their lives
vicariously through us.' It’s a great feeling to inspire others with something
you love to do. I have been getting many emails about people being
interested in coming to Korea as well. I am LOVING that! So, please if you have
any questions or are interested – do not be hesitant to ask. I have had close
friends to people I haven’t talked to in years ask me about Korea. I love
sharing this experience and wish more people would take the leap that my
husband and I have. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best thing Korea has provided for us is a <u>solid
foundation in our marriage</u>. Cory and I have never been closer. There’s
something about moving what feels like a million miles away from home that
causes you to really depend on each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I remember the first month we were here – Cory and I got
into a little spat. I ended up getting so mad that I left to go to a coffee
shop to cool down. Usually, at home I would go to a friend’s house (like all we
girls do) and vent! (Sometimes that is not the best option). However, there I
go stomping off to the coffee shop. As soon as I arrived, I ordered a coffee
and sat there for about 5-10 minutes just going over why I was upset. Then, it HIT me! “I have no one here.” I
thought. It was the first time I truly understood that it was just Cory and
myself (and all these Koreans) in this small town - out in the boonies no less. Cory was my only friend here, and if I don't have him... I really don't have anyone. Suddenly, I got up from the table and ordered my husband a coffee drink. I felt like I wanted to rush home and jump
into his arms! As I walked in, he greeted me with a smile and just simply asked
if I felt better. I apologized for my behavior and gave him his coffee drink which made him so happy. I
can’t even remember what our argument was about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, that was the first time I realized that
communication is key – and more than ever – in our marriage. Since then, we
have had a few spats here and there, just like any normal couple, but nothing
major. Like I said before, we have never been closer. We tackle obstacles as
soon as they arise. We communicate, learn from one another and move on. I can
honestly say that Cory and I are best friends. We love each other’s company and
truly enjoy doing things together. I am blessed to be his wife. This experience has been a wild ride for the
both of us! I love that we can laugh together and try to figure out all the
strange and peculiar things of this far away land. I think we will be talking
about this experience for the rest of our lives! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As well, this has been a major blessing financially. Korea
has provided stability and we are so thankful for that. We are FINALLY starting
to make serious payments on our student loans. It has been a little difficult
to fully understand how much we can live off and how much to send home. But, we
have it figured out. I am so excited that we are starting to pay around $2,000
a month towards student loans, and we are able to live comfortably and travel
Korea. What a blessing! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall, I love what this is doing in our marriage. We will
have endless stories to tell our children and grandchildren someday. Mostly, I
am hoping to inspire others to get out of their comfort zone and try something
new that could potentially change their lives forever. <i>It changed ours.</i></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R50hIKcO8e8/UEX1HJyG0aI/AAAAAAAAAUk/OkNnM5FOYg4/s1600/DSC_0714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R50hIKcO8e8/UEX1HJyG0aI/AAAAAAAAAUk/OkNnM5FOYg4/s320/DSC_0714.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Happy to say we celebrated our one year anniversary on August, 20th. Here's to many more!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oWU-qh2x5D8/UEX1QvvxgZI/AAAAAAAAAUs/Febx850ALm8/s1600/DSC_0367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oWU-qh2x5D8/UEX1QvvxgZI/AAAAAAAAAUs/Febx850ALm8/s320/DSC_0367.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-21912733569762723532012-04-04T22:29:00.002-07:002012-04-04T22:43:24.299-07:00Update on our lives<div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: windowtext;"></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">It has been a while since I last filled everyone in on our life here in Korea. There have been quite a few things that have happened since I last wrote. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">First, let’s start with our <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;">vacation</span></span>! Cory and I had the amazing opportunity of going to Malaysia and Thailand for 20 days. It was so wonderful. The warm weather, the people, the culture and the <span style="color: purple;">FOOD</span> were all great.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">Our first journey took us to <span style="color: purple;">Malaysia</span>. </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"> Cory and I did a home stay with a</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"> man named, Din (pronounced Dean).</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"> That’s where you rent out a bedroom in someone’s home.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"> Din was the most heartwarming, hospitable man I have ever met in my life. As well, the room was very inexpensive <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">($11 a night!)</span> Din showed us around Kuala Lumper (the capitol of Malaysia). He drove us to many places and almost seemed like our private tour guide. It was a great experience staying with him and I would highly recommend others to stay there as well. We stayed in Kuala Lumper for 4 days and saw the majority of the city plus more! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufk1ta8gsXk/T30hxgOQ78I/AAAAAAAAASs/XHFSfCM1fZg/s1600/malaysia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ufk1ta8gsXk/T30hxgOQ78I/AAAAAAAAASs/XHFSfCM1fZg/s320/malaysia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">^ Here we are at the Kuala Lumper Bird Park :) Having a wild time!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--72LrqEpWmg/T30h2a1WbQI/AAAAAAAAAS0/z2j9UEIAKS4/s1600/malaysia+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--72LrqEpWmg/T30h2a1WbQI/AAAAAAAAAS0/z2j9UEIAKS4/s320/malaysia+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Next, it was off to the Batu Caves. When visiting these caves you could literally see monkeys everywhere you looked. They were NOT afraid of people one bit. Cory and I LOVED this part of the trip.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PNUpZ889fL8/T30h3U5TMPI/AAAAAAAAAS4/CpvtuO1KkLM/s1600/malaysia+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PNUpZ889fL8/T30h3U5TMPI/AAAAAAAAAS4/CpvtuO1KkLM/s320/malaysia+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YtWMf-gT6EE/T30h4IsV9cI/AAAAAAAAATA/vcXLxYQD4z4/s1600/malaysia+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YtWMf-gT6EE/T30h4IsV9cI/AAAAAAAAATA/vcXLxYQD4z4/s320/malaysia+3.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Lastly, we visited the famous Petronas Towers. Below is a huge shopping center. These were amazing to see at night!</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">Next, it was off to <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Thailand</span></b></span>! Cory and I could not wait to get to there! We took an 8 hour bus ride from Kuala Lumper to Hat Yai, Thailand. We ended up playing <i>UNO</i> the entire 8 hours. It got pretty intense </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Wingdings; font-weight: normal;">:)</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;"> I recall winning 13 games in a row…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">When we reached Hat Yai, we stayed the night in a very low budget hotel. Let’s just say we were happy we were only staying one night! The next day, we took a 5 hour van ride to <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">Krabi</span>. </span>We absolutely LOVED staying in Krabi. We decided to stay in town for a few days because it was a little cheaper compared to staying close to the beach. Our hotel was $12 a night… not bad at all. With our room being so cheap, we were able to do <b>MANY</b> activities. While staying in Krabi we went: <u><span style="font-size: small;">elephant riding, jungle trekking, kayaking, snorkeling, white water rafting, and ATV riding.</span></u> It was AMAZING! My favorite by far was kayaking around some of the most beautiful islands in Thailand – absolutely breathtaking. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k8lDBdEUA08/T30sJ4jf5lI/AAAAAAAAATo/tfQg__McBfo/s1600/thailand+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k8lDBdEUA08/T30sJ4jf5lI/AAAAAAAAATo/tfQg__McBfo/s1600/thailand+5.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQfmZvUkZy4/T30sH2yTsXI/AAAAAAAAATY/9-doUjXN-1U/s1600/thailand+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQfmZvUkZy4/T30sH2yTsXI/AAAAAAAAATY/9-doUjXN-1U/s1600/thailand+3.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VQfmZvUkZy4/T30sH2yTsXI/AAAAAAAAATY/9-doUjXN-1U/s1600/thailand+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qJCe_0khehI/T30sHFezhwI/AAAAAAAAATQ/2Qf1z7vx0x0/s1600/thailand+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qJCe_0khehI/T30sHFezhwI/AAAAAAAAATQ/2Qf1z7vx0x0/s1600/thailand+2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulpINEbs950/T30sIuRHjMI/AAAAAAAAATk/7Bi5HQAATDs/s1600/thailand+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ulpINEbs950/T30sIuRHjMI/AAAAAAAAATk/7Bi5HQAATDs/s320/thailand+4.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--WX2DIdMHHY/T30sKmXPm-I/AAAAAAAAATw/3vQE4XxEEwA/s1600/thailand+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--WX2DIdMHHY/T30sKmXPm-I/AAAAAAAAATw/3vQE4XxEEwA/s320/thailand+6.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GvzMreKiIaU/T30sGOi9mEI/AAAAAAAAATM/6GnZ1irTwFM/s1600/thailand+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GvzMreKiIaU/T30sGOi9mEI/AAAAAAAAATM/6GnZ1irTwFM/s320/thailand+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4IIvNse9FVE/T30snSLx4hI/AAAAAAAAAT8/_raN9WyVYyw/s1600/koh+lanta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4IIvNse9FVE/T30snSLx4hI/AAAAAAAAAT8/_raN9WyVYyw/s320/koh+lanta.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">After Krabi, we decided to slow down the pace and head to <span style="color: purple; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Koh Lanta</span>. Koh Lanta is a calm island. There are still tourists there but not as many as the more famous islands in Thailand. Since it was a little calmer, we were able to rent a motorbike and go<u> motor biking</u> around the island. It was soooooooo much fun! Other than that, we relaxed and went to beach most days. One night we did end up going to a Muay Thai fight. It was so crazy to see 6 year olds to grown men fighting each other. I actually enjoyed it…and of course, Cory loved it! The greatest thing about Koh Lanta was the people we met. That’s the greatest thing with traveling: You meet people from all over the world. We made friends with this young couple from Sweden and a girl from Holland. Even though we only spent a few days together, we became good friends. It was so fun talking about our different cultures and life experiences. Koh Lanta was a fantastic trip!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">After 20 days in the sun, it was time to come back to our home in Korea. The vacation was much needed and we loved every minute of it! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-weight: normal;">As soon as Cory and I got back from vacation, we started planning our next trip! That’s the thing with traveling; once you start you do not want to stop. Good thing our school grants us one vacation a year. So we are looking forward to <b>February 2013</b>…. <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Australia and New Zealand!</span></span> Here we come!</span></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-87595732469253746602012-01-27T08:06:00.000-08:002012-01-27T08:45:41.424-08:00Getting Lost in a Foreign City!There is nothing quite like getting lost in a Foreign City! It may seem overwhelming at first, but in the end it always turns into great story telling!<br />
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Cory and I were so excited to finally have a vacation. Like I have stated before, we have not had a day off ever since we got here. Good thing Christmas was over the weekend - but we still had to go back to work the following Monday. We were needing a break. Therefore, we decided we would head to the second largest city in Korea - Busan! It's population is around 3.6 million people! Needless to say, it was going to be quite a change from little Gokseong.<br />
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Cory and I decided to take the train. We weren't really in a rush so we chose the train that took 6 hours to get there. If we were to take an express train, we would have gotten there a lot faster! 6 hours is a long time, so I think next time we will consider the faster route.<br />
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Anyways, when we arrived we really had no idea where we were going. I had found a few cheap hotels online and thought if I told the taxi driver he would know what I was talking about - he didn't. He ended up dropping us off in a downtown area and pointing to a hotel we might like. However, that hotel ended up being very pricey! We started searching and searching and finally found the perfect motel a few blocks away from the Happenin' Downtown. It was perfect AND the right price :)<br />
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Vacation was here at last!<br />
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<u>Day 1</u>:<br />
I think this was my favorite day because Cory and I woke up in a Foreign City, we had an agenda, but had NO idea where to go from there. We were in a big city. Were we suppose to take a taxi, bus...subway? No clue. Our main goal for the day was to get to the Busan Aquarium, the largest aquarium in Korea. First, we decided to get some breakfast, and to our fabulous surprise the college student that was working spoke crystal clear English! She really helped us out and said to definitely take the Subway! Therefore, our next mission was: Find the Subway!<br />
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There were signs that said Nampo Subway so we were pretty proud of ourselves when we found them. However, when headed down the steps we entered into an underground shopping center! We walked up and down and no subway! We were laughing and joking about how we were never going to get to the aquarium! Our next idea was to get in a cab and tell him to take us to the Subway. The taxi driver thought that was HILARIOUS and told us we were standing on it! We were so embarrassed but were laughing it off. Were we ever going to find the subway?!?! After about an hour or more of walking the streets of Busan we found another sign that said Subway. As we headed down those stairs we in fact FOUND IT! It was quite a humorous journey but at last - we were headed to the aquarium!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5_coAmTloiY/TyLINubmdoI/AAAAAAAAARI/GsGG2r_ARJs/s1600/102_1297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Busan Aquarium:<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5_coAmTloiY/TyLINubmdoI/AAAAAAAAARI/GsGG2r_ARJs/s1600/102_1297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5_coAmTloiY/TyLINubmdoI/AAAAAAAAARI/GsGG2r_ARJs/s320/102_1297.jpg" width="180" /></a>As MANY people know, I am absolutely terrified of sharks! I may be over exaggerating but I feel as if I have had hundreds of nightmares about them ever since I was a little girl! With this fear; I am deathly afraid of going in the ocean, seeing sharks on T.V. and yes...going to aquariums that have sharks! This was a big step for me. We gazed at all the sea creatures and finally at the end was the shark exhibit. I don't know what came over me but I was actually excited to take pictures with them. I felt like it was time to face this fear - I mean it's not like they were going to attack me through the glass... right?!?! Cory was very proud of me, but I must admit I did scream really loud one time in fear! After taking quite a lot of pictures, Cory asked if I would go in the boat with the glass bottom! It floated over the tank of the sharks. Of course I was nervous but I agreed. I had already come this far! When on the boat I was feeling very proud of myself. A few sharks swam right under the boat and I was smiling away. I know it may seem small, but this happened to be a big....huge...MONUMENTAL step for me. I just kept thinking that <b>God does not give us the Spirit of Fear</b>. With that, I was able to face mine. It ended up being a fantastic start to our vacation!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><u>Day 2</u>:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rkdlIJsYUHA/TyLJKi4oAwI/AAAAAAAAARg/b6a3NVXoXaw/s1600/3dmovie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rkdlIJsYUHA/TyLJKi4oAwI/AAAAAAAAARg/b6a3NVXoXaw/s320/3dmovie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This ended up being our relaxing day of the trip. Our initial plan was to go to the largest department store in Korea. When arriving we saw that all the stores were closed. Then it came to mind that it was the Korean New Year! Everything was closed besides.... the Movie Theater! We were pretty excited when we found out they had a few movies in English to choose from! We first saw a 3D movie Journey 2. It was some Disney family film with The Rock in it - but it actually turned out to be decent. After, we didn't know what else to do so we headed to a different movie theater and saw ANOTHER movie! We were just movie theater hopin'! It was relaxing and fun at the same time. We were perfectly fine with this low-key day :)<br />
<u>Day 3</u>:<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pEMcVsEXZTU/TyLJtQNUu3I/AAAAAAAAARw/dXx6EITQFfs/s1600/102_1413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pEMcVsEXZTU/TyLJtQNUu3I/AAAAAAAAARw/dXx6EITQFfs/s320/102_1413.jpg" width="180" /></a>Since the shopping centers were closed the day before, we decided to head back and make this our shopping day! We headed to the largest department store. We enjoyed walking around and people watching, oh and being stared at. The clothes were ridiculously priced!!! We are starting to see why foreigners love shopping in America. I was dying to find a cheap store like Forever 21. Scarves were priced at $60 dollars in Gap...sheesh maneesh! We bought very few things, after all we are not millionaires. But it was fun to explore! I ended up getting a new coat that was reasonably priced. That was our find of the day! After, we were ready to head back home and relax!<br />
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DVD room:<br />
A few nights after exploring, Cory and I would head to the DVD room a few blocks from our motel. You basically pick out a movie and are assigned a room to watch it in. When entering your room you find a bed and a few blankets. They shut the door and your movie appears on the wall. These DVD rooms are used for dates and "privacy," but I promise you Cory and I just watched the movie. It was a really nice place and a fun thing to do when winding down at the end of the day.<br />
p.s. We watched Memoirs of a Geisha - seriously SUCH A great movie!<br />
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<u>Day 4</u>:<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SnxSJkDL9IM/TyLKUX19Q9I/AAAAAAAAAR4/PvX11NN3jrM/s1600/102_1470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SnxSJkDL9IM/TyLKUX19Q9I/AAAAAAAAAR4/PvX11NN3jrM/s320/102_1470.jpg" width="320" /></a>When planning this day we thought of going to a Korean spa, aka a public bath. We have heard a lot of things about them. They were great places to relax with tubs, saunas..etc. However, we found out we would be split up for the day and had to be NAKED! That was not something we were comfortable with. I felt as though we were already stared at enough, the thought of being naked was like a horrifying nightmare. Instead, we decided to go to the Busan Tower.<br />
Yet again, we weren't exactly<br />
sure where it was so we went exploring! We finally found it and it was a beautiful sight to see. You overlook the HUGE port where you can see tons of boats. It was beautiful. After, they had tons of pigeons around so Cory and I bought chips to feed them. It was a fun and beautiful day.<br />
After, we headed to the underground shopping center. We bought a few art pieces for our apartment. They are awesome! We are starting our collection to bring back home with us :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOAp7263Gt8/TyLKbQwcseI/AAAAAAAAASA/KZL59q2FzFs/s1600/102_1504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XOAp7263Gt8/TyLKbQwcseI/AAAAAAAAASA/KZL59q2FzFs/s320/102_1504.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxsdmhGzc5w/TyLKhsFgaCI/AAAAAAAAASI/ZZM6RezY0gU/s1600/102_1511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxsdmhGzc5w/TyLKhsFgaCI/AAAAAAAAASI/ZZM6RezY0gU/s320/102_1511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wrapping up, this vacation is exactly what we needed! Even though Cory and I work together every day and enjoy spending time together, this trip brought us closer. We were able to unwind, have fun, and take a break from the routine. Cory was making me laugh the entire trip! It was a blast!</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now we are counting down the days until Malaysia/Thailand.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think we are ready for another adventure!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-12097402422741956282012-01-18T06:27:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:48:37.004-08:00Church in Korea<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yay! The day had finally come where we were going to church! I can not even describe how excited we were. We had to wake up super early – 7:30am, which is the same time we have to wake up for a workday, but it was totally worth it! After waking up super early, we headed to the bus station hoping for a bus that would get there in time. The service started at 11am. We were so happy to catch the 9:15 bus. We would be there a little early but it worked out perfectly! After the 1 hour bus ride, we arrived in Suncheon, and took a taxi to the church. </span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had no idea where to go really…so luckily we ran into a foreigner from India. He explained to us that we were in the wrong building and that the English church met somewhere else (that could have been bad). So, we followed him and immediately were welcomed into the church. We met so many people who lived in different parts of Korea and were also from different parts of the world! It was awesome. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The church/room was a small room with basic chairs, nothing fancy and could hold maybe 100 people max, but it was just what we needed. Worship and the Message were all in English so it was wonderful :) The most beautiful aspect of the day was sitting in a room and knowing that people were all from different parts of the world but yet praising the same God. I can not even explain how amazing that felt. It’s amazing to think that God has no boundaries. Even though we all knew English in the room… it’s awesome to think that God knows every language. As well, He created all of us. As you look around you see people from all over yet He made us in His image. How neat is that? :)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, church was inspiring in so many ways. We are so excited to go back!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Right outside of our new church! Reppin' Minnesota Twins all the way across the world :)</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-17935498740800595802012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T19:56:24.859-08:00Suncheon Orphanage.<div class="MsoNormal">Two Sundays ago Cory and I volunteered to help out at the Suncheon Orphanage. Honestly, one of the hardest things about Korea is not having a church family. We miss everyone from Crossroads! Shout out to all of you :) But seriously, it has been very hard.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzh0L_7ySNo/TxbRJxBCuUI/AAAAAAAAAQM/JgXH_CgzUCg/s1600/102_1188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jzh0L_7ySNo/TxbRJxBCuUI/AAAAAAAAAQM/JgXH_CgzUCg/s320/102_1188.jpg" width="320" /></a>With that being said, we knew we needed to make a change in our lives- we needed to find a church! It had been 2 months since we had gone and for those of you that know me – I HATE missing church. Sundays are my favorite day. We were told that there were English-speaking churches in Gwangju and Suncheon, both of those cities are about an hour away. We weren’t sure of the exact location so we continued to find out more information. Then, I saw a post on Facebook about an Orphanage in Suncheon! Cory and I have talked about volunteering in an orphanage over here…and I had a <i>hunch</i> we would find other Christians who would help us with our church search! Long story short- we signed up to help once a month at the orphanage! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOq1yz5WX7I/TxbRKwtqJNI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/_J5lnUsgKHA/s1600/102_1190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOq1yz5WX7I/TxbRKwtqJNI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/_J5lnUsgKHA/s320/102_1190.jpg" width="180" /></a>On the first Sunday we could not wait to arrive at the orphanage. We were meeting other foreigners which is always fun too! It’s great to see where everyone is from. So far we have met people from all over the world. (America, Canada, England, Scotland, New Zealand, India, Egypt, China, Thailand, South Africa...and I am sure there will be many more). It’s amazing learning all of these cultures. The kids at the orphanage were just precious. Our job was just to observe and play since it was our first time. There is usually a lesson for an hour and then you play with them for an hour. It went great! People donated hats and gloves for all the kids so it was so wonderful to see each child receive their own. We are so excited to go back again!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0Fq1V8zCZM/TxbRLwiycnI/AAAAAAAAAQc/xH6XanEjzjQ/s1600/102_1191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0Fq1V8zCZM/TxbRLwiycnI/AAAAAAAAAQc/xH6XanEjzjQ/s320/102_1191.jpg" width="180" /></a>Oh and about that <i>hunch</i> I had?? We DID happen to meet other Christians at the orphanage. A man invited us and actually drove us to the English-speaking church so we would know where it was. How nice! We headed there the next Sunday and already feel welcomed into a new church family!<br />
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God is good <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-73874485220199205472012-01-18T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-18T06:38:25.710-08:00Brief update.<span style="font-size: large;">To give everyone an update, Cory and I are loving our life here in Korea. Sorry it has been a little while since I have typed any updates. Basically we are wrapping up with English Camp. The students' school year ended in December - right before Christmas. They start back up again in March. However, we have been teaching Winter Classes. It has been very busy actually. We had to come up with our own lessons and they all had to be 80 minutes long. It was a lot of fun though! Cory was able to teach American Football and I was able to teach Juggling! They had never seen either one of those!!! We are so excited to share our talents with the students over here. </span><br />
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</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Other news: We finally have a vacation coming up! We have not had a single day off since we have arrived so we are pretty pumped! We are headed to Busan - the second largest city in South Korea, and maybe a few other places in Korea. I will make sure to update everyone with more exciting adventures as they arrive :) </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O40hvmMon_4/TxbI8Di-QdI/AAAAAAAAAQE/dfgU03sZsTw/s1600/juggling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O40hvmMon_4/TxbI8Di-QdI/AAAAAAAAAQE/dfgU03sZsTw/s320/juggling.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> here my students are learning the beginning stages of juggling. It is called wall juggling. I was so impressed! Proud teacher :)</div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-28485901167013349512011-12-29T21:45:00.000-08:002011-12-29T21:46:21.486-08:00Ormans 1st Christmas.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8PbJn5VqmoE/Tv1PNFYEc2I/AAAAAAAAANw/I2EMhJHVKtI/s1600/box+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8PbJn5VqmoE/Tv1PNFYEc2I/AAAAAAAAANw/I2EMhJHVKtI/s320/box+10.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: black;">As all of you know, Cory and I are many miles away from a "traditional" Christmas season. However, our Christmas turned out to be amazing! Since we are in a different country and we are not really "gift people," we decided to write 10 favorite things/memories about each other. This gave us a chance to reminisce over our friend, dating, engaged and now married stage. Cory kept saying I was like a child on Christmas morning, I was so excited to open my box! :) We took turns reading our memories and encouragements from one another. As we were reading, both of our hearts were filled with love and joy. There might have been a few happy tears shed as well (from both of us). It's just so amazing to see where God has taken us. Not only has He moved us across the world, but He has made us grow so strong together. I think we were both reminded of that on Christmas morning. It was beautiful - something so simple turned into a Christmas I think we will never forget.</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bVS1GdjndfQ/Tv1PX6yqNGI/AAAAAAAAAOo/Zudl86jpUDE/s1600/box+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bVS1GdjndfQ/Tv1PX6yqNGI/AAAAAAAAAOo/Zudl86jpUDE/s320/box+8.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gp49Y1elZQk/Tv1PZawTiDI/AAAAAAAAAOw/UCzO07fhhhE/s1600/box+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gp49Y1elZQk/Tv1PZawTiDI/AAAAAAAAAOw/UCzO07fhhhE/s320/box+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-okYcSH4_v1A/Tv1PfO-NmMI/AAAAAAAAAO4/FC2o-E25HeU/s1600/box+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-okYcSH4_v1A/Tv1PfO-NmMI/AAAAAAAAAO4/FC2o-E25HeU/s320/box+9.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-90684195370998305252011-12-22T21:48:00.000-08:002011-12-22T21:52:54.934-08:00Vacation plans - MADE!<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Yay! Cory and I just purchased our tickets for vacation! In Korea, school gets out in December and starts back up in March. From December until March, Cory and I will be working at English Camp. We work for 2 weeks, have two weeks off, work 2 weeks again and then 2 weeks off ~ and then school starts! Our working hours are from 9-5 even when we are at English Camp. However, English camp is only from 9am-12. So what do we do until 5pm!? We have DESK WARMING! Yes, my friends that's what it's called. Cory and I will be sitting in our offices until 5pm. We have the option of working on lessons, surfing the web, watching movies...etc. It's a little bit of a bummer, but a least we are getting paid for it. As well, we are getting a paid vacation, so we have decided to go to a few places! Check out the map below... </span></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Century; font-size: 14pt;"></span></b><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hIYH8y0gfrE/TvQUkIFZY6I/AAAAAAAAAM0/BcPtStbKcVc/s1600/malaysia+pic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hIYH8y0gfrE/TvQUkIFZY6I/AAAAAAAAAM0/BcPtStbKcVc/s1600/malaysia+pic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hIYH8y0gfrE/TvQUkIFZY6I/AAAAAAAAAM0/BcPtStbKcVc/s320/malaysia+pic.png" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"></span></div><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">From South Korea, we will be first heading to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia (you can see the red circle on the map). We decided to fly there because it was a lot cheaper than going straight to Thailand! Kuala is the Capital of Malaysia so therefore it is a big city. It has the largest twin buildings in the world and many sites to see! It is a very touristy place, but I think it will be a great place for us to check out. Plus, we are so close to the bordering countries. We would love to spend a little time in Singapore if we can figure out how to get there. Also, they have ferry rides to Thailand, so we plan on spending a lot of time there as well! </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Next, we will be heading to Thailand. This is the number one place we decided on visiting. Close to Kuala Lumpur, you can see Phuket, Thailand (green circle) Thailand is known for it's beauty and especially its beaches. We are so excited to unwind and relax there! Below I have a few pictures of places I would love to see while traveling! We will be leaving on February 18th-29th - it can not come soon enough! :)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Bg94JtivwM/TvQVqh1rZjI/AAAAAAAAANM/eyAM4wKBkRs/s1600/petronas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Bg94JtivwM/TvQVqh1rZjI/AAAAAAAAANM/eyAM4wKBkRs/s1600/petronas.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">> <u>Petronas</u><u> Towers</u> - At a staggering 452 meters in height the Petronas Towers dominate the skyline in Kuala Lumpur. The Petronas Towers are the worlds "tallest freestanding" towers in the world housing an assortment of office buildings, a contemporary concert hall and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in the Petronas Malaysia Philharmonic Hall.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u7B2JdrEAnc/TvQVS7gbgeI/AAAAAAAAANA/LG9hWhITvnA/s1600/canopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u7B2JdrEAnc/TvQVS7gbgeI/AAAAAAAAANA/LG9hWhITvnA/s320/canopy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">> <u>Rainforest and canopy walkway tour</u> -Take a walk on the canopy walkway which is suspended 30 m from the ground and is over 200 m long. You will enjoy a breath-taking view of the city and its greeneries. There are also lots of fun activities for the family like camping, picnicking at the waterfalls and jogging.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-altbeytjja8/TvQV9EedJyI/AAAAAAAAANY/K6Eq7V5e5_8/s1600/phuket.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-altbeytjja8/TvQV9EedJyI/AAAAAAAAANY/K6Eq7V5e5_8/s1600/phuket.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">> The beach. Do I need to say more?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Like I said, we can not wait for vacation! :) </span></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-15187844177315193492011-12-20T21:28:00.000-08:002011-12-23T00:23:41.283-08:00Lunch - always a surprise<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;"> The first week lunch was quite an experience. In Korea, teachers do no bring their lunch to school. You can, but they will definitely think you are strange. They want you to try their meals and they will watch to see your reactions. The first few weeks Cory and I only ate the white rice. Every thing else was either spicy (which Cory liked) or fishy. I definitely lucked out with my teacher being a picky eater though. She also does not like many Korean dishes, so she would not ask me to try them. By the end of our work day… Cory and I would be soooo hungry! Therefore, I challenged myself to keep trying the food. Then all of a sudden, one day I could not wait to get to lunch to eat <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">KIMCHI!</span> Kimchi?!? You have got to be kidding me?! But yes, I actually love it now; nothing like fermented cabbage in spicy red sauce for lunch. I can’t even explain it but I am now eating all of this Korean food and I actually like it! Before, coming here I could not even eat a hot Cheeto, and my have things changed. I am still not used to fish. I actually gag every time I accidentally eat it. I tell them I am allergic here… haha which I think throwing up in front of everyone kinda counts as being “allergic” ;) Some days lunches are amazing. We may have Korean curry, orange chicken, broccoli and cheddar soup, delicious fruit, beef, and of course kimchi. But, there are definitely the days when they plop a fried fish on your tray along with fish soup. Those are always the meals that the students love. Thank God for the white rice on those days </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span><span style="color: windowtext;"> Today I happened to eat a lot of my lunch and dare I say I am becoming a master at chopsticks! I have been getting quite a lot of compliments now instead of laughs and, “why don’t you just use your spoon.” Lesson learned – always challenge yourself to try new things!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qw1rVCFoFYA/TvQ6M3kMYqI/AAAAAAAAANk/7eGCPp_-csQ/s1600/korean+lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qw1rVCFoFYA/TvQ6M3kMYqI/AAAAAAAAANk/7eGCPp_-csQ/s320/korean+lunch.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> ^ typical Korean lunch</span></div></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-34563594438127989532011-12-20T20:52:00.000-08:002011-12-20T20:52:38.885-08:00Cultural Differences - Students in Korea<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="color: windowtext;"> Students RUNNING everywhere </span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;"> Another interesting finding in Korea is when you walk around the hallways in the school, you will ALWAYS see students running around – Never walking, ALWAYS running! It’s funny because as a foreigner, you are not sure if they are supposed to be in class. They are just running everywhere! I have observed other teachers and they just kind of laugh as the students run by – so now I have been starting to do the same. Of course, my Westernized teaching wants to tell them to stop or say “WALK” but it’s just what they do here. Kids fall down all the time, they bump into each other, they get hurt – but yet they hardly ever cry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><b><span style="color: windowtext;">Chores</span></b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;">As well, when walking the halls you will not only see students running, but they are usually carrying a broom! That’s right; the students are in charge of cleaning the school. They all run around with little brooms, mops and dustpans. Many times I see them smacking each other with them, so I am not sure how much cleaning is actually being taken care of. As well, the students clean the teacher’s classroom. I had a bunch of garbage in my office when I first got here. I asked my teacher where I could take it and she responded… “Have the students take care of it for you.” It’s so different than back home. I mean, it is kind of nice I suppose… but asking a little 10 year old to take my garbage out to the dumpster - I guess I haven’t had the heart to do that yet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><b><span style="color: windowtext;">Showing Love through "Violence" ?</span></b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;">This is probably the NUMBER ONE thing Cory and I first noticed in our school. The first week of teaching, Cory and I saw a boy lying on the floor while another boy kicked him in the ribs. Cory broke up the fight (between two 7 year olds) and one boy ran away! Cory went after him… but the boy just kept walking and would not listen. In our minds, it seemed very disrespectful. Right away, Cory told his co- teacher and she just laughed and said “they’re kids.” We were a little in shock… a 7 year old boy getting his ribs kicked – it sounded pretty serious to us… but no. You see, in Korea they tend to be a little more aggressive. I want to say the word ‘violent’ but I can’t because often times the person that is being “abused” is not crying – they are simply laughing! Often times you will see students that are friends just smacking each other! In one of my classes, 2 girls kept hitting each other the entire class period. They even took turns! “Okay hit me as hard as you can. Okay, now let me hit you.” – is what seemed like was going on. Or, a student will just come up to another and punch them in the back, head, kick them in the leg…the list goes on! Hitting in the States does not fly in schools but here it is okay. Plus, the teachers don’t do anything about because it’s just part of their culture. Even in bus terminals or out and about, you will see teenagers and young adults hitting each other. It’s like how they show love? I don’t know…something I don’t understand and also can not find myself getting used to. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;"><u><b>Student/teacher relationship</b></u> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;">This is VERY different compared to back in the States. I had a “freak out” moment the other day as one of my 6<sup>th</sup> grade boys walked into my very small office and shut the door behind him. Right away I thought, “okay this looks bad.” My thinking just went back to: You NEVER have a student alone with you, especially one of the opposite sex. Of course, nothing happened. He simply came in to see what I was doing on the computer and to talk to me in English. In Korea, students and teachers have a completely different relationship. Teachers are viewed in an extremely respectful way (even though it may not seem that way when teaching) but outside the classroom, students usually treat you with the utmost respect. It’s funny to see my worst students in the classroom giving me a complete half bow when they see me. As well, teachers will sometimes drive students somewhere, or walk with them places… it’s just not weird here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-83801603207333068362011-12-20T20:44:00.000-08:002011-12-20T21:52:22.070-08:00Cultural Differences - burning calories.<div class="MsoNormal"><u><b><span style="color: windowtext;">Temperature in school </span></b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;">One of the rather irritating/confusing aspects of Korea is the temperature in the school. Now, I sometimes can exaggerate but I made sure to ask Cory before posting this. Every morning Cory and I walk to school together. It is so wonderful that we are at the same school! However, you would think that when we reached our school we would be relieved by taking off our scarves, hats, and gloves… think again. One of the things Cory and I just can not wrap our brains around is the temperature in the school. As you walk around the halls, it is <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">45 degrees</span>! I am not kidding, 45 degrees INSIDE a school building! On top of that, the students like to run around and open all the windows… that have no screens by the way. One of these days, I fear a student falling out of the window! Every day I wear MANY layers! – including my fleece and winter coat. There are times when I see my breath in my office (which is not heated) and times when Cory has come to visit me and my lips are purple! We have talked to the teachers about it and they said the classrooms have their own individual heating but not the hallways. It is due to budgeting, and is found in every school here in Korea. Luckily, I have a space heater in my office now.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: windowtext;">Also, since we have to take our shoes off -many students are running around in just socks and get this…barefoot!!! They even run outside like that. This is just so interesting because I remember teaching Kindergarten last year in the States, and if it was a tad cold in the classroom…the students would cry! Therefore, you had to walk into the closet and press an “imaginary button” to “heat” up the room. Differences between cultures are so interesting to me. We are learning so much here! As far as the frigid school, we are getting used to it… but its still one thing I don’t know if I will ever fully understand.</span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext;">Hey- at least I am burning calories by shivering so much! ;) </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ksLHoT9LSI/TvFzpPd05iI/AAAAAAAAAMI/B2J1Djj6Ddg/s1600/space+heater.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ksLHoT9LSI/TvFzpPd05iI/AAAAAAAAAMI/B2J1Djj6Ddg/s320/space+heater.jpeg" width="240" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> My new best friend! The Space Heater :)</div><br />
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</style> <![endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Century; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: KO; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt;"></span></b></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-47252375632070806622011-12-05T06:37:00.000-08:002011-12-05T06:52:44.822-08:00.Too RiskAy for Facebook.This weekend Cory and I went to Suncheon! It's exciting that we are really starting to understand the bus system here. Our friends from orientation planned this trip to all meet in Suncheon, which is about an hour bus ride from our small town. There were about 15 of us so it ended up being a BLAST! It was so nice to just relax and talk to people normally. Cory and I have been a little nervous that our speech will be a lot slower when we arrive back home. When talking to Koreans all day, you need to speak slowly and use the most simple words. I give them so much credit though! I mean here we come in not even knowing ANYTHING in Hangul (Korean). It would be like a Spanish speaking person coming to the USA not knowing anything at all (and I mean anything) in English. And it's up to YOU to communicate to them in the little Spanish you may know. Seriously, I give them props! Anyway...enough with that tangent.<br />
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We went to Suncheon and checked into a "love motel." Now this explanation is a little too "saucy" to put on facebook, so I thought I would explain it here. In Korea, a love motel is VERY nice! It was $50 bucks a night and let me tell you, it was snazzy! Anyhoos, my teacher's friend explained to me that a love motel is where young people go to.. well I guess do "love things." Koreans live with their parents until they are married so a lot of times when they go out to the bars or on dates, they do not have privacy. So they check into a love motel! So with that being in my previous knowledge, we finally arrived.<br />
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The motel was called The Greece Motel. It was super duper nice. We opened up the door and were amazed. For $50 a night, I was expecting a single mattress on the floor that we would have to share.<br />
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BEST PART: We ended up looking around. The motel had free internet, a mini fridge, a flat screen t.v., hot and cold water dispenser and a shower with HOT water :) Then, I headed toward the bed and saw a remote control next to it. I am too curious to not push buttons when I come across them so I did. Right away I heard this strange noise. "Where is that coming from." I had never really heard anything like that. Then, right before my eyes I saw the middle of the bed moving UP and DOWN!!! There was a machine built into the bed! Cory and I were dying of laughter. We sure were at a love motel all right! Plus, they gave you a goody bag when you arrived with condoms...oh my. They are serious about these love motels.<br />
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I'm sorry if this post is a little too riskay but I could not pass up the humor! It was so hilarious, so I hope you got a laugh out of it :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_c2HvgN_Tyc/TtzabX8l_GI/AAAAAAAAALs/EriVRdnFgm8/s1600/101_1027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_c2HvgN_Tyc/TtzabX8l_GI/AAAAAAAAALs/EriVRdnFgm8/s320/101_1027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The view on the way to Suncheon.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIq84NfWlmE/TtzacSxVo8I/AAAAAAAAALw/FGeq5kB7YKQ/s1600/101_1029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIq84NfWlmE/TtzacSxVo8I/AAAAAAAAALw/FGeq5kB7YKQ/s320/101_1029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Greece Motel</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o5YBp5ie4Hk/TtzadLd-iNI/AAAAAAAAAL8/DKXVjsIEIPE/s1600/101_1030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o5YBp5ie4Hk/TtzadLd-iNI/AAAAAAAAAL8/DKXVjsIEIPE/s320/101_1030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our room :)</div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-76593989579816383492011-12-05T05:58:00.000-08:002011-12-05T06:15:55.646-08:00snapped at for saying "Thank You."Today was a funny day. I absolutely love Korea, but some things are just so strange. It's funny how in the States I took a lot of things people said to me straight to the heart. But, in Korea...I am beginning to understand how to take things more lightly. It's a good thing :) <br />
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For the last 4 days Cory and I have not had hot water or heat in our apartment. It's been 60 degrees in our apartment and our water feels like ice. For "showering" we have been warming up water with our kettle and taking "sponge baths." -well at least I have ;) It's been quite the experience. That's why we were so happy to visit our friends in Suncheon and stay in a motel for a night. At least we could have a decent shower!<br />
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Well, arriving to school on Monday, I told my teacher about the heat problem as soon as I arrived. She and Cory's co-teacher wanted to help us right away. They viewed it as an <i>emergency situation</i> which was very thoughtful of them! So, My teacher ended up calling the "boiler/heater people" to fix it. Cory's teacher took me to the apartment to check out the boiler, then she drove me to buy an electric blanket, THEN she took me to the Kindergarten (Yu-Chi-won) I teach at to discuss lesson planning with the teachers that do not speak English. Of course, all throughout the day I kept saying, "Thank you." I mean they dropped everything to help us! It seriously means so much. Well, after pulling back into the school parking lot, I sincerely told Cory's school teacher, "Thank you SO much, I really appreciate all your help." annnnd she said "Stop saying thank you!!" I was a little taken back at first, but as I know Koreans are VERY blunt, so you have to try not to take it so personally. I told her I was sorry, and then it was like the look-- dont say sorry! Oh man... Soon she explained though that in Korea, saying Thank You is a VERY honorable thing to do, and what she is doing is not honorable but it is simply her job.<br />
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I understand, but still how am I going to stop saying thank you!? I can't, and now I am SUPER self-conscious. She said I need to stop because she does not know how to respond. Remember, his teacher is a GEM! She is so sweet. It's just some things sound blunt because of the limited amount of English one may know. I guess it's just kind of awkward for them to keep saying "you're welcome," or "don't mention it."<br />
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So, I guess I learned a new lesson that I never thought I would - <u><b>stop saying thank you...?</b></u>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-3608326259152939492011-11-23T03:16:00.000-08:002011-11-23T03:20:22.194-08:00*Highlights of the Week*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi5psbSXaeU/TszP8itliAI/AAAAAAAAAKU/BwozSWQBpkU/s1600/101_0886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi5psbSXaeU/TszP8itliAI/AAAAAAAAAKU/BwozSWQBpkU/s320/101_0886.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We figured out the Bus system! Now this was quite the task. It's so funny living the life of having no idea what you are doing. Cory and I showed up at the bus station and we bought our ticket successfully. But, the whole not being able to read anything else is a whole other story! The best way to figure things out is to keep asking people until someone gives you an answer in English. Cory says I am pretty brave for talking to all these strangers. Well...I guess I am my Father's daughter :) So, we knew we had the right ticket but we did NOT know:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. Where the bus terminal was</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. What time the bus would be leaving</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. When the last bus came back to our town.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">At this point, we needed to figure out 1 and 2 so that's when the questioning began! To our wonderful surprise I recognized a teacher that works at our school AND she speaks English. We just stuck with her and she explained the whole process. We knew how to get to Gwangju... but understanding how to come back home... I guess that was something for Future Cory and Future Michelle to figure out... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">With that being said, I am happy to say that we did make it back! It was not easy and we ended up looking for hotels in case we couldn't understand, but we got on the right bus and were back home shortly! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Figuring out public transportation in a foreign city- Definitely a highlight!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DNw9QeO_gwA/TszP9hqC6LI/AAAAAAAAAKc/c5lXZxHSsdw/s1600/101_0887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DNw9QeO_gwA/TszP9hqC6LI/AAAAAAAAAKc/c5lXZxHSsdw/s320/101_0887.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">McDonalds! It's so funny how we crave McDonalds as soon as we know we can not get it. However, we found it in Gwangju! Just a 40 minute bus ride away- haha. For the record, this happened to be the best McDonalds we've ever had. All the wrappers said "made from 100% beef"... not sure if that's true or not but it was mighty tasty!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-remTGC7uwCk/TszP-uEmBlI/AAAAAAAAAKg/w8_IzWsMSbI/s1600/101_0891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-remTGC7uwCk/TszP-uEmBlI/AAAAAAAAAKg/w8_IzWsMSbI/s320/101_0891.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">^ T.V.s as you are riding down the escalators of Homeplus ^</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">HOMEPLUS!!! We finally found "Walmart"!!!! </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9GJ7oKarpo/TszP_teLAoI/AAAAAAAAAKs/807AveE9R9o/s1600/101_0892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9GJ7oKarpo/TszP_teLAoI/AAAAAAAAAKs/807AveE9R9o/s320/101_0892.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Homeplus- my my my what a breath of fresh air! Imagine living in a town where the closest Walmart or Target is 40 minutes away.... that's our life right now. I know it sounds bad, but you get used to it. It gives us the opportunity to take weekend trips to the city which is a nice break from the routine!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Seriously though- Homeplus... HUGE highlight of the week!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0yh_EiTo5dc/TszQA8zdZqI/AAAAAAAAAKw/voN5rfAtizg/s1600/101_0895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0yh_EiTo5dc/TszQA8zdZqI/AAAAAAAAAKw/voN5rfAtizg/s320/101_0895.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">One of the first things the teachers noticed when arriving to the airport in Korea was all the couples matching outfits! Seriously, you will see couples DECKED out in matching EVERYTHING! You will see guys wearing teddy bears and hearts because their girlfriend is wearing it. The new thing now...couples Underwear! hmmm might have to buy some ;) </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nKP2oglvdwc/TszQBSQ006I/AAAAAAAAAK8/Wloh1C1ii2I/s1600/101_0898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nKP2oglvdwc/TszQBSQ006I/AAAAAAAAAK8/Wloh1C1ii2I/s320/101_0898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Had my first Peppermint Mocha of the year! It was divine!!! Unfortunately, the lady taking my order did not understand the size I wanted and gave me a baby cup. Still it was sooooo good and reminded me of home :)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTG_p-lxw2o/TszQCmT3vbI/AAAAAAAAALE/Z3DUzmLjLhs/s1600/101_0902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTG_p-lxw2o/TszQCmT3vbI/AAAAAAAAALE/Z3DUzmLjLhs/s320/101_0902.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We visited the department stores which was an adventure in it of itself! Everything was tooo expensive but we had fun taking pictures of course :)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-txVeJXRx7Aw/TszQEhd3R_I/AAAAAAAAALM/s0EC6Lf2Bjc/s1600/101_0907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-txVeJXRx7Aw/TszQEhd3R_I/AAAAAAAAALM/s0EC6Lf2Bjc/s320/101_0907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> FOOD!!!! Other than fish :) Yep, we definitely purchased these. In Gwangju, we went on a huge grocery shopping spree. Even though we had to carry 2 heavy boxes on the bus and back home with us...totally worth it!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQ-HUzRY0Gc/TszQFXAaqAI/AAAAAAAAALU/DljUhWmtrIk/s1600/101_0912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQ-HUzRY0Gc/TszQFXAaqAI/AAAAAAAAALU/DljUhWmtrIk/s320/101_0912.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Fun in E-Mart. In the cereal aisle they had girls dressed up like "Post cheerleaders??" Well she helped me find the cereal I was looking for :)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8KyYyfgWDfk/TszQGapDzaI/AAAAAAAAALc/nhCfpSR7kNg/s1600/101_0914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8KyYyfgWDfk/TszQGapDzaI/AAAAAAAAALc/nhCfpSR7kNg/s320/101_0914.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Curtains! Yay, our curtains were put in today! I wanted something basic and I think they look great! Our school purchased them for us which is a BONUS! I am happy our apartment is turning into a home :)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IyXZG6x39F4/TszQH4cyQrI/AAAAAAAAALg/3iSMrgQg7g0/s1600/101_0916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IyXZG6x39F4/TszQH4cyQrI/AAAAAAAAALg/3iSMrgQg7g0/s320/101_0916.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-40453480950385965132011-11-23T02:42:00.000-08:002011-11-23T02:42:44.699-08:00.Funny Signs.This weekend Cory and I ventured to Gwangju City! It was about a 40min bus ride, so not that bad! We only have small shops in our little town of Gokseong so when we saw these stores/brands we were very amused! Enjoy :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4zlkG4O8j58/TszMv0BH8XI/AAAAAAAAAIs/L7E8kpIy768/s1600/101_0889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4zlkG4O8j58/TszMv0BH8XI/AAAAAAAAAIs/L7E8kpIy768/s320/101_0889.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have read it over and over...and still have no idea what it means.</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BMvN0Paj1Z0/TszMwiekG_I/AAAAAAAAAIw/CsGGjeazdLs/s1600/101_0890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BMvN0Paj1Z0/TszMwiekG_I/AAAAAAAAAIw/CsGGjeazdLs/s320/101_0890.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In case you were looking for the bathroom.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZoTuQNSaSM/TszMxGMR_-I/AAAAAAAAAI8/WpExRDmN8i0/s1600/101_0893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZoTuQNSaSM/TszMxGMR_-I/AAAAAAAAAI8/WpExRDmN8i0/s320/101_0893.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">???</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4FRwszde-ZU/TszMyIKQHqI/AAAAAAAAAJA/vbAS7zqZtQY/s1600/101_0894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4FRwszde-ZU/TszMyIKQHqI/AAAAAAAAAJA/vbAS7zqZtQY/s320/101_0894.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6TG9ZlJUpU/TszMy97QAlI/AAAAAAAAAJI/CVBtKZwmEFY/s1600/101_0896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K6TG9ZlJUpU/TszMy97QAlI/AAAAAAAAAJI/CVBtKZwmEFY/s320/101_0896.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ep6qnSiPf2I/TszMznbfl0I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/naG1Xi1RQTk/s1600/101_0897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ep6qnSiPf2I/TszMznbfl0I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/naG1Xi1RQTk/s320/101_0897.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Soup - a brand for lingerie. haha</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3yEZ6qjhMp4/TszM0pfAxaI/AAAAAAAAAJY/_FSgbHZ6-HM/s1600/101_0898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3yEZ6qjhMp4/TszM0pfAxaI/AAAAAAAAAJY/_FSgbHZ6-HM/s320/101_0898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">NOTHING funny about this one. SO happy we found one :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W5s_lvwg1Vc/TszM1EaRvhI/AAAAAAAAAJk/EIkF7PIQthA/s1600/101_0899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W5s_lvwg1Vc/TszM1EaRvhI/AAAAAAAAAJk/EIkF7PIQthA/s320/101_0899.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My favorite. The men here are tiny...what a perfect name :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-51X7D0g7v18/TszM2JDmtnI/AAAAAAAAAJo/dDYIiYOVbYs/s1600/101_0900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-51X7D0g7v18/TszM2JDmtnI/AAAAAAAAAJo/dDYIiYOVbYs/s320/101_0900.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">what's up with the islands??</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v7fHUsBR-Oo/TszM228BFvI/AAAAAAAAAJw/WJsLKXXJLJQ/s1600/101_0903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v7fHUsBR-Oo/TszM228BFvI/AAAAAAAAAJw/WJsLKXXJLJQ/s320/101_0903.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">this just sounds disgusting.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-12qwNvb5RSY/TszM4CMg4TI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/q-HNFr_m8TI/s1600/101_0904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-12qwNvb5RSY/TszM4CMg4TI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/q-HNFr_m8TI/s320/101_0904.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dunk me baby one more time. Brittany Spears meets Nike outlet store.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_upeRlIpY1k/TszM4zZD_uI/AAAAAAAAAKA/D1hgevyWyhY/s1600/101_0905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_upeRlIpY1k/TszM4zZD_uI/AAAAAAAAAKA/D1hgevyWyhY/s320/101_0905.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another favorite.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVVX3p4Dfbc/TszM52wYmLI/AAAAAAAAAKI/Fq2I8p6WlHI/s1600/101_0906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVVX3p4Dfbc/TszM52wYmLI/AAAAAAAAAKI/Fq2I8p6WlHI/s320/101_0906.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am sure we will have more to come! </div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-27802484792779178552011-11-12T04:19:00.000-08:002011-11-12T04:32:07.284-08:00Dinner with the Mayor!So today is finally Saturday :) We tried to sleep in but ended up waking up at 8am. We decided to have a lazy morning, and Skype with family. We showed them around our new apartment :) After Skyping, we decided to explore a little bit more. We walked around our small town. We went inside a few shops, bought a few groceries, and bought Pringles!! :) That made me happy. After we decided to see how far the road took us- it's a very small town. So we headed toward a sign that said Gokseong Train Station. We know our town in known for the train station so we thought we'd check it out! As we got closer and closer, we heard music and saw a LOT of people. It looked like some kind of festival going on. We weren't exactly sure but decided to go in! To our lovely surprise it was a Rose festival. There were roses everywhere! A lot of people were snapping photos and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Also, there was a concert going one so we decided to go check it out. After strolling around for a little while, and definitely being stared at, a man came running up to us! "You need to meet some people! You need to meet the Mayor!" We agreed and soon cameras were all around us, many people were asking us questions, they asked us to dance...it was just like WHAT IS GONG ON?!? People came up with cell phones bowing to us and asking if they could take our picture. It was crazy! Then, the Mayor asks if we want to have dinner with him. SUREEEEE!!!! haha he was soooo nice! So we headed to dinner with the Mayor, Vice Mayor, and about 20 other men. In Korea it's not like you order for yourself... so meals here are always a surprise. To our WONDERFUL surprise it ended up being our favorite meal! Beef, lettuce, garlic, sauce...all wrapped up. It was Divine! The men just wanted to talk to us, ask us questions and welcome us to Gokseong. It is amazing how hospitable they are here. It ended up being an amazing day! Plus we left with 4 melons which was a gift from the Mayor! haha. So much fun today! Now the Mayor considers Cory his new son and me his only daughter :) So sweet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbky6KZQIq4/Tr5nJB2cc3I/AAAAAAAAAIA/uRv_0sI24nY/s1600/101_0817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sbky6KZQIq4/Tr5nJB2cc3I/AAAAAAAAAIA/uRv_0sI24nY/s320/101_0817.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-juhC9khnK0A/Tr5nKP0BQVI/AAAAAAAAAII/c7M8E4WsKYY/s1600/101_0844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-juhC9khnK0A/Tr5nKP0BQVI/AAAAAAAAAII/c7M8E4WsKYY/s320/101_0844.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XRZCmhSfJk/Tr5nLAS7GCI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/g-1GFKsIEnA/s1600/101_0846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XRZCmhSfJk/Tr5nLAS7GCI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/g-1GFKsIEnA/s320/101_0846.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-imlIeLEQtlg/Tr5nLyvisdI/AAAAAAAAAIY/nmJZ6ItkVnA/s1600/101_0851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-imlIeLEQtlg/Tr5nLyvisdI/AAAAAAAAAIY/nmJZ6ItkVnA/s320/101_0851.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-46961343899885736422011-11-12T04:04:00.000-08:002011-11-12T07:15:11.623-08:00Our first work week!Tuesday we started teaching. We are so happy to be teaching at the same school- JungAng Elementary! Cory is in a place called English Town (one floor above my classroom). English Town is a little different compared to regular school. Monday through Wednesday Cory helps teach students from different schools, that come to our school. It's basically a classroom that only speaks English which gives the students a chance to be immersed in the language. Then on Thursday and Friday he teaches the students in JungAng Elementary all in English. He sees a LOT of students which is hard for him because you can't really build a relationship with them. The PLUS side is everyone that works with him speaks English! That is honestly like a breath a fresh air to be able to communicate with someone in the work place.<br />
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I on the other hand, am in a regular classroom. I am the co-teacher for 5th and 6th grade. My co teacher thus far has been preparing all the lessons. She just tells me to do "small talk" in the beginning of class. Which is like, "Hello. How are you? What day is it today? What month? How are you feeling?" Anything else, they don't really understand-yet :). Other than that, she has me read the power points so the students learn how to speak English with the correct accent. It's CRAZY though. Koreans can read and write English very well... but when they hear me speak it, because of my "accent" they don't get it. AND sometimes, my co-teacher doesn't understand so she can not translate. It's quite the challenge to figure it out, but fun and rewarding when they finally understand what you are saying. The good thing is I teach the same lesson 4-5 times a day. I know it can get boring but the day goes by so fast. PLUS, I have my own private office so my teacher lets me go in there a lot to just to hang out, go on facebook, make coffee, eat crackers, and of course plan lessons...haha. It's quite nice. The office has NO heat though so it is very cold. Soon we will buy me a space heater!<br />
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The first week went very well! We love the teachers we work with! It has been a lot of adjusting but always a good experience. We are so ready for the weekend though :)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Walking across The Bridge in the Sky</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YF7zzGTeJYM/Tr5mKf9EcbI/AAAAAAAAAH4/a2g__dvvU2w/s1600/101_0795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YF7zzGTeJYM/Tr5mKf9EcbI/AAAAAAAAAH4/a2g__dvvU2w/s320/101_0795.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The teacher picnic we went on our first week! This was their way of welcoming us to Gokseong :)The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-86161380541385688862011-11-12T03:38:00.000-08:002011-11-12T07:19:34.799-08:00Our crazy first day in GokseongMy oh My...again where do I begin!?? This is where the true CULTURAL experience sets in. On Monday it was our last day with all of the teachers we met. It was time to meet the Korean co-teachers, visit the schools, and move into the apartment we will be staying in for a year!<br />
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Monday ended up being one of the CRAZIEST days of my life. All I can say is at least Cory and I were together! The day was spent meeting our teachers which to our relief, Cory's spoke English really well so we had a lot to talk about. My teacher on the other hand can speak English but I can't really understand her accent, so it's a little more challenging. The great thing though is that she is the sweetest thing and tries so hard! We are blessed to have the co-teachers that we do because they either make or break the experience for you. So, our day was spent with them. They introduced us to all the teachers and principal (which is like a KING in Korea). They took us shopping for a comforter which was an experience as well. When we arrived at this little shop the women were showing us neon pink, purple, green, flowers, mushroom printed comforters. We didn't like any of them! We felt so bad we so we ended up buying the most relaxed pattern we could find. Finally, it was time to see our apartment for the first time! The moment we have been waiting for!!!!<br />
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We found out we were on the 3rd floor with no elevator. I was used to that with going to North Central ;) They warned us that our apartment was very old. But when we walked in we were very happy. Our apartment has 3 bedrooms, a FULL size fridge, an oven (which is unheard of here) A huge and extremely comfortable bed, 2 verandas (porches), heated floors, and an ENORMOUS closet! They must have known we would be living here :) We love it. Of course it has it's little quirks. After rearranging a little bit though and unpacking, it's definitely starting to feel like home. I will put pictures and a video on facebook soon!<br />
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So....after seeing our apartment for the first time they asked us to go somewhere with them.We locked our apartment and went to take care of a few more things. Finally, 8:00pm rolled around it was FINALLY time to go to our apartment and settle in. Oh did I not mention that they wanted us to teach the next day?!?! We were REALLY hoping for at least one day off...<br />
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So our teachers dropped us off and said "Goodbye, see you tomorrow!" As we drag our feet up the stairs and pull out the keys to finally enter into our apartment... the key does not work!!! We are completely locked out of our apartment, we have no cell phones, and no one in our town speaks English! Luckily, Cory's Korean teacher ordered us food that was being sent to our apartment. The delivery boy was our only hope! When the 16 year old finally arrived we asked him to help us, but he didn't know English! Therefore, I had to act out what our problem was! "Key not work." Horrible English but he understood! He knew to call the Korean teacher that ordered our food and she came to our rescue!!! Thank God. We were locked out for about 2 hours and thought we were going to have to sleep in the hallway..since we had our comforter with us! She called a locksmith and they fixed our lock! So THAT was our first night in Gokseong. Absolutely insane but a story to tell for the future :)The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-56912526078202746392011-11-12T03:11:00.000-08:002011-11-12T04:25:56.463-08:00Our first week in Korea!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKHcjWGCWzU/Tr5lMckluOI/AAAAAAAAAHY/VHK8iyxIHb4/s1600/101_0723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKHcjWGCWzU/Tr5lMckluOI/AAAAAAAAAHY/VHK8iyxIHb4/s320/101_0723.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-venKoPggG_k/Tr5lUQuVBRI/AAAAAAAAAHg/i9XLoTQtEq4/s1600/101_0753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-venKoPggG_k/Tr5lUQuVBRI/AAAAAAAAAHg/i9XLoTQtEq4/s320/101_0753.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hgFyFLpkN1g/Tr5lf2B6KtI/AAAAAAAAAHo/GrVzkEwpp0g/s1600/DSCN4030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hgFyFLpkN1g/Tr5lf2B6KtI/AAAAAAAAAHo/GrVzkEwpp0g/s320/DSCN4030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nfyVlxNiM8g/Tr5lorIxVSI/AAAAAAAAAHw/JPZktseazkQ/s1600/DSCN4017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nfyVlxNiM8g/Tr5lorIxVSI/AAAAAAAAAHw/JPZktseazkQ/s320/DSCN4017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Wow! Where do I even begin??? We knew it would be an adventure and that is EXACTLY what it has been so far! Our first week in Korea was spent with 40 English speaking teachers at orientation. That week was filled with meeting people from all over the world. There were English teachers from America, Canada, Scotland, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK! It was so wonderful to all be in one place and talk about the differences between our own cultures. Also, that week we woke up every morning to a very "Americanized" breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, cereal...etc. NOT bad so far...basically it felt like being in a Hilton :) Not much of a cultural experience so far. Therefore, we were all itching to get outside and actually feel like we were living in Asia. Our nights were spent checking out the "hot spots" downtown Gwangju! Gwangju is a lot of fun... it's a very young city and a lot of foreigners are around checking out all the shops. PLUS it's like shoe heaven, so I love it there. We visited some Noraebang (karaoke- my personal favorite!) night clubs, bars, and restaurants with the teachers. I was nervous because a lot of people in Korea like to drink but Cory and I prefer not to, but everyone seems to respect that about us :) phew! I was a little worried.<br />
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Also, that week we went on our first hike which was practically straight up the mountain that was right outside our hotel. It was about a 40 minute hike and being someone that hardly breaks a sweat... I was soaked. It felt good though to make it to the top and enjoy the AMAZING view! Later on in the week we visited Beosong which had the MIRACULOUS green tea fields. I have never seen anything like that in my life. Plus the green tea was amazing! After visiting the fields we headed to an authentic Korean restaurant where you sit on the floor. The meal was amazing. Our favorite meal so far has been a lettuce wrap with meat or pork, rice, onions, garlic, and sauce. You wrap in all up in the lettuce and put the whole thing in your mouth (or at least try to)..It's DIVINE! All of the other meals have been... okay. Lots of fish soup which just freaks the heck out of me. I am trying to get used to it though. That has been by FAR the number one thing we miss...FOOD. Hamburgers, french fries, sweet tea from McDonalds, but we'll survive :)<br />
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With all of our adventures we have met a lot of great people so far! I am a little sad that we will be living about an hour if not more from all the teachers we met. We all became like a little family, relying on each other... but now we are separated. The good thing about it is it gives us a GREAT chance to tour the country and visit everyone :)<br />
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I think that about wraps it up! The first week was AWESOME! We are so excited to see where we are headed next!The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9091178866558570997.post-90111606189684168362011-09-29T18:28:00.000-07:002011-09-29T18:28:23.768-07:00Packing has OFFICIALLY begun =)We are one month away from our departure date! Last night it hit me like a ton of bricks!!! I could not sleep at all. I felt like a kid waiting for the first day of school to start. (keep in mind that I loved school). I was chatting it up until 3 in the morning with my hubby as he was just listening away =)<div><br />
</div><div>So I thought I would post this pic and show that packing has officially begun.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><i>1 month from TODAY, we will be LIVING in South Korea!!!</i></span></div><div><br />
</div><div>*** If you have<i> any</i> <b>advice </b>about how to pack as if you are moving across the world or to a different country, please share. We need all the help we can get =)</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcSdDaPXZmY/ToUa9RWp9eI/AAAAAAAAAHM/pmTQMskmlC8/s1600/Photo+on+9-29-11+at+7.19+PM+%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcSdDaPXZmY/ToUa9RWp9eI/AAAAAAAAAHM/pmTQMskmlC8/s320/Photo+on+9-29-11+at+7.19+PM+%25232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>The Ormanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06266434335252364283noreply@blogger.com0