Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Interesting Read from today's class

So I am teaching one very small class on Tuesday and Thursdays. We are reading Charlotte's Web. I just finished teaching the class and decided I just had to post a brief quote from the book. Interesting to read and even more interesting to try to explain the meaning.

"'What do you mean, less than nothing?' replied Wilbur. 'I don't think there is any such thing as less than nothing. Nothing is absolutely the limit of nothingness. It's the lowest you can go. It's the end of the line. How can something be less than nothing? If there were something that was less than nothing, then nothing would not be nothing, it would be something- even though it's just a very little bit something. But if nothing is nothing, then nothing has nothing that is less than it is.'"

Talk about a confusing class. But so entertaining to discuss.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Another Week

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone reads these, so I have decided I'm not going to advertise updates. I'm just going to use this as a place to remind myself of what has been going on in my life. A good journal so to speak. Even if it is a public one.

Anyways, this week went suprisingly well. Teaching is going great. I cannot express enough how much I really enjoy my students. Seeing them learn something new is truly a gift. I've been having a few problem children who don't like to do their homework, but this week I saw drastic improvement in them. I made sure to give them plenty of praise for their hard work. I really enjoy my time with my youngest class. Friday is casual Friday so we spend the class time playing games, singing songs, and coloring pictures. Today they colored pictures of cowboys, butterfies, dinosaurs, baseball players, and parrots. Now one corner of my classroom wall is proudly displaying all the hard work they did this afternoon. It's amazing how something like that can liven up a down day.

Thursday was an interesting day. Went to the hospital for a check up. Good times. Haha! I hate getting up early in the morning, especially when its raining outside. Bummer. Anyways, good news was I lost another 20lbs so far. I have a long way to go before I reach my goal but I'm determined to get there. Anyways, I showed up at school at 2pm right on time only to find out that my boss was calling in sick. So myself, and the other teacher David had to run the school all day. We had our classes, plus the phone ringing constantly, and parents coming in to speak to us. Of course they were actually coming in to speak to the boss in Korean, not us in English. Haha! Good times though. We made it through pretty well I think. We toasted our good day over dinner and drinks at a local restaurant so that was fun.

Overall the week has been good. I have recently found some new furniture and I am in the process of arranging delivery. Bought a new kitchen table and chairs, and a desk and chair. My apartment is slowly but surely coming along.

I am very thankful for having a cell phone again. It has been great talking to everyone back home. My favorite part of having a cell phone this week was having my grandmother tell me, "Oh my it sounds like your right next door". Haha! I love you Grandma! I may not be next door, but I'm thinking of you everyday. Also have to say I am sorry for Grandma and Larry's loss. They lost Larry's nephew this past week. I'm praying for Betty and her family.

No big plans for the weekend, but I'm sure something will come up. Looking into going to the foreigner flea market tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be a little warmer which I will welcome with open arms! SPRING PLEASE! Where do I sign up? :)

I feel like so far Korea has been really good to me and I am learning a lot not only about the culture and location, but I am suprisingly learning a lot about myself. Sometimes it takes good and bad things happening to you to realize what you should have seen in front of your eyes the whole time.

Which turns me to a philosophical question. What do you see when you look in the mirror? What and who do you see starring back at you? What if you look deeper? What do you see?
Talk to me........

Long Trip Alone performed by Dierks Bentley

It's a long trip alone over sand and stone
That lie along the road that we all must travel down

So maybe you could walk with me a while
And maybe I could rest beneath your smile
Everybody stumbles sometimes and needs a hand to hold
'Cause it's a long trip alone

It's a short piece of time but just enough to find
A little peace of mind under the sun somewhere

So maybe you could walk with me a while
And maybe I could rest beneath your smile
You know we can't afford to let one moment pass us by
'Cause it's a short piece of time

And I don't know where I'd be without you here
'Cause I'm not really me without you there
Yea, YeahYea, Yeah, Oh
So maybe you could walk with me a while
Maybe I could rest beneath your smile
Everybody stumbles sometimes and needs a hand to hold
So maybe you could walk with me a while
Maybe I could rest beneath your smile
Maybe I could feel you right beside me til' I'm home
'Cause it's a long trip alone
A long trip alone

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

How are you living your life?

The question of the day. Can't wait to read your comments.

"Standing Outside the Fire" performed by Garth Brooks

We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned

We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always comes with getting burned
But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire
'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire

We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall

We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all

They're so hell-bent on giving ,walking a wire
Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire

Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire

There's this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can't abide
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire

Monday, March 16, 2009

Recent Thoughts

Hope all is well with everyone back home in Arizona, Tennessee, and Texas. So much has been going on here in Seoul. Teaching is going great. As always, I love my students. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching my little kids sing songs that I took for granted learning in Kindergarten. I especially enjoy watching my students as they actually gain more knowledge that they have never had before. It made me feel like I was actually making a difference when I had one of the Korean/English teachers come up to me today and tell me she was shocked recently because the students are talking to her in English now more than in Korean like they were doing before coming here. It may be something small, but it is still making a difference in someones life.



Recently I have been thinking of how short our lives really are, and how we should enjoy all that we can especially given the opportunity. I feel like many of you know me to be the cautious, quiet, kind of submissive person who just floats by in life, never experiencing much of it but just existing. My, how things have changed. At least, I personally feel like they have. I have done so much since I have been here this past month. I don't regret any of it, and I know with each step I take everyday my life is becoming what I want it to be, not what everyone else expects it to be. Recent thoughts have clouded my sleeping time, and I find myself having difficulty sleeping sometimes when I have so many things running through my mind.



Life is full of surprises and yet sometimes it can be filled with regret. I regret nothing. I won't, nor will I ever. Life is what we make it, and so far I think I have made the right choices. Though at times I doubt personal decisions, I know in my heart that I am doing what is best. Haha. I feel this blog becoming so philosophical, and yet not at all. I just feel like my eyes are really wide open right now and I am seeing people for what and who they are. I don't mean it in a good or bad way. I just mean it in a general way.



So, I feel with everything going on recently, I should pick a song to post lyrics for today.

"The Beat of the Heart"- Performed by the Warren Brothers and Sara Evans


Sometimes it's hard to don't wanna look over your shoulder
'Cause you don't want to remember
where you've been
There'll come a time you die,
If you could only hold her
'Cause I know that's where I am

So listen with all your heart
Hold it inside forever
You may find all your dreams have already come true
Look inside and find the part that's leading you
'Cause that's the beat of a heart

Sometimes you'll drown it out with all your rage and thunder
Sometimes you'll drown it out with all your tears
There'll come a time when you hear it and
you'll wonder"Where in the world have I been?"

So listen with all your heart
Hold it inside forever
You may find all your dreams have already come true
Look inside and find the part that's leading you,
'Cause that's the beat of a heart

No one can tell you how to get there
It's a road you take all by yourself
All by yourself
All by yourself

So listen with all your heart
Hold it inside forever
You may find all your dreams have already come true
Look inside and find the part that's leading you
'Cause that's the beat of
Oh it's the sweetest sound,
'Cause that's the beat of a heart

Thursday, March 12, 2009

For Grandma- Our song always!

(Performed by Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton)

When I get where I'm goingon the far side of the sky.
The first thing that I'm gonna do
Is spread my wings and fly.
I'm gonna land beside a lion,and run my fingers through his mane.
Or I might find out what it's like
To ride a drop of rain

(Chorus:)Yeah when I get where I'm going,
there'll be only happy tears.
I will shed the sins and struggles,
I have carried all these years.
And I'll leave my heart wide open,
I will love and have no fear.
Yeah when I get where I'm going,
Don't cry for me down here.

I'm gonna walk with my grandaddy,
and he'll match me step for step,
and I'll tell him how I missed him,
every minute since he left.
Then I'll hug his neck.

(Chorus)

So much pain and so much darkness,
in this world we stumble through.
All these questions, I can't answer,
so much work to do.
But when I get where I'm going,
and I see my Maker's face.
I'll stand forever in the light,of His amazing grace.Y
eah when I get where I'm going,
Yeah when I get where I'm going,
there'll be only happy tears.
Hallelujah!
I will love and have no fear.
When I get where I'm going.
Yeah when I get where I'm going.



- Nothing so magically as the day Sheena and I were in the car in Texas driving to the funeral home to start making arrangements and we were talking about you and we were both crying and everything was silent. Sheena said, turn the radio on. And this song began.............

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Just Because

So it is now Thursday night and 7:11pm. I find myself still sitting at the computer at school. Ask me why! Why you ask? (Haha) My principal seems that in order for me to fill my contract duties I have to be at school during the regular hours that school is in session. Mind you, I only teach two class on T/TH. My last class ended at 5:20pm and I have to stay here until 8:20pm. Now granted, if the Korean economy was doing better than what it is right now, I probably would have more classes to teach. Don't get me started on the economy here. One of the reason's I negotiated my contract for higher pay is because I planned on sending money home. However, it is just too depressing right now to look at my monthly conversion of won to US dollars right now. At least I know I'm rich in Korea, right?

Anyways, not much has been happening around here. I am really getting into a routine with my work week. My weekends still continue to remain up in the air, but it makes it easy to decide how I want to spend my time. Today it is cold and rainy. For those of you reading this, now would be a good time to send a care package. Haha! I need English books! If you need suggestions let me know. :)

I love hearing from all of you through your comments, emails, on facebook, and on myspace. It is hard to believe that I am one week away from having been here for a month already. Time sure does fly by when your having fun.

I do want to take a moment to write about something coming up next week. I know without even thinking about it too much that next week is going to be the hardest anniversary of my life. It doesn't matter if I was in the US or if I am here in Korea. March 13th (next Friday) will mark the one year that I have been without Grandma. Now granted she is in a much better place, and I still feel her around me. But, it just truly goes to show how fast time can go by. I no longer pick up the phone to tell her about my days. I simply bow my head and pray. I no longer write in a journal to her, because I know I can speak directly to God and he will pass the message on to her. It was around Sheena and Chris's wedding when I actually started dreaming about her and Grandpa. It must have been Sheena's special day that brought her into my dreams though because I have not dreamed about her since. I am ever thankful as always, for the time I was able to spend with her throughout my life. I know that a large part of the person I am today is because of her. If anything, this one year anniversary reminds me that life can often be short and its important to always remind those you care about how much they mean to you.

To my friends- Thank you for the way each of you have touched my life.
To my family- As I miss you everyday, I also know that I am at peace with our relationships and the love I have for each one of you.

Jesus says in the bible, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." I spoke this quote at Grandma's funeral. It is something I remind myself of daily.