A Second Childhood... but Different??

So I haven't necessarily gone back to those days of tent-pitching in the backyard, or rollerblading lemonade stands, or even the gymnastics performances in the front yard, but I have discovered a new sort of childhood bliss in having a roommate.

My friend Whit and I have now spent just over a week in our new place and there have been those moments of incredulity at what living with someone does to you. Such joy and joy-ness.

Case One: I came home tonight with the apartment, yet again, rearranged. And love it. Whit's on a week break from work and has proceeded to tinker. She is an excellent tinkering. With Red Chair and William in conversation, guitars facing off across the room, and precariously balanced paintings - consider yourself tinkered Obelisk 1717.

Case Two: Two nights ago we decided to have a slumber party. Isn't that every night, you might ask? Well yes, yes it is. But this was better. For, you see, we stayed up til 3 am watching DQMD (for those of you not down with DQ, your loss - actually, really interested to know your guesses), and slept on her bed of yos (mats that Koreans lay on the floor to sleep on) as she has not yet found a bed. It was reminiscent of Futon Days of Yore (you'll get that Sisters).

Case Three: The morning after. Woke up at 10, of course. Had to. Imagine if you will - Whitney making whole-wheat pancakes in the kitchen, because she makes me eat healthy (and I secretly love it), and me reading aloud from none other than Jane Eyre. Does life get better? Why yes, yes it does. Sarah Jane comes over (or up, depending on how you look at it- she lives on the 14th floor) and we proceed to devour pancakes and sip Tim Hor(not Mor)ton's Coffee - the taste of Canada, listening to Oh Happy Day from Sister Act. What a morning.

I'm sure there will be much more ridiculous awesomeness (because that's what I know you all are describing the aforementioned Cases as) to add to this presentation, but, alas, I have another blog to write about William, and so must leave them for other times.

We're All in the Mood for a Melody

Rosy: My red guitar.
Red Chair: My red chair. Obvi.

Now, what does one name a piano (though not red, sadly) that one gets in Korea?

Here's the thing.
So, the thing is.

I'm getting a piano. And I can barely contain my excitment. There is a little sadness over the fact that I don't have any of my music from home, as, let's face it, I didn't really expect to be in possession of a piano in Korea. But one has fallen in my lap (not literally, ouch), and by fallen I mean I am buying it for 250 and don't feel bad about it because I make money and more importantly - I'LL HAVE A PIANO.

Having a piano doesn't just mean - "oh, I'll have something to play." No no.

Having a piano means - "Ugh I can't take the stress of teaching today!!!" or "My kids were beautiful, this subway ride is beautiful, life is beautiful!" or maybe even a "It's been raining for ten straight hours" as I've heard it does in June. I always feel like playing the piano when it's raining. Sometimes its "I need to think through this puzzling thought" and I'm sure I'll have several of "what am I going to do with my life after Korea?"

Whatever your name yet shall be: my piano.
Can't wait.

A Gem Found Yesterday Morning....

...while sitting in Red Chair by the window and drinking my coffee. Best ever.

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself;

The Lord hears when I call to Him.

Tremble, and do not sin;

Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the Lord.

Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?"

Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!

You have put gladness in my heart,

More than when their grain and new wine abound.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep.

For you alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:3-8

5 Months and Counting...

It's been a roller-coaster, for sure.

And now I need advice. I've realized, after teaching English as a second language for the last 5 months, that I don't like teaching English as a second language. At least under the specific conditions as I have been, i.e. to younger children and with a pretty set teaching structure. Question is: where do I go from here?

I know I've still got quite a while to consider another country, a new place, and new life, or remaining where I am, but time seems to go by quicker than that and I have absolutely no clue what life will look like 7 months from now.

Cambodia? Working with a missions organization there? An adoption agency? Teaching - if God desires that of me again?

America? Grad school - my Masters in Teaching, hoping that teaching English as a literature will be way better than as language (a 'hoping' that costs a lot of money and two years)? Some other form of school?

Korea? Could I do another year here? Maybe with an international school, teaching drama, or English lit? Is that even possible without a TESOL certificate? Do I get my TESOL?

Overseas? Grad school - some unknown major that would be beneficial to a future career and well worth the money? Teaching again? Torchbearer's Bible School?

Any opinions, suggestions, ideas?

Thailand and Cambodia

Sorry it's so long. Shut up, Kel.

December 25-26

So we were supposed to arrive in Bangkok at 2 pm. By we, I mean Katie, Tay and I. Well, we did. But I have to say that this is the only part of our Christmas Day trek that turned out the way it was supposed it. We then took a bus to the Eastern Bus Terminal that took 45 minutues. Wrong. Supposed to. Ours took us 2 hours. No worries, we'll just catch our bus to Rayong to meet up with some friends for the night. Bus leaves at 6. Perfect, it's 6:05.

Since Rayong wasn't really an option any more we decided to head down to Trat for the night before catching the ferry to Koh Chang where Kelly and Charissa were waiting for us. 5 hour bus ride later. Arrive at the creepiest bus terminal in all of Thailand. I'm not making this up... the stranger we made friends with told us so. But he also told us of Jane's Place where we could spend the night. So, after being dropped at JAME PLACE (close enough right?), we decide that we should just sleep our troubles away. No door. Pretty sleepless night.

We awake to realize that the world actually doesn't have a personal vendetta against us. We had a door all along. It was just hiding. With a cockroach in the toilet and a dollar fruit smoothie to send us on our way we headed to Koh Chang. And we were there... minus the 2 hour wait about 10 minutes from our resort, as we had to wait at the second ferry landing for more taxi passengers. Then we were there. Finally.

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December 26-31

2 scooter rides around the island.

5 dinners on the beach.

7 fire dancers in love with Jana.
2 nights dancing at an empty club.

5 new friends. The best.

1 whole day snorkeling, 4 different islands, 2 South African friends, 0 anenome attacks.

2 hours on the back of Milo the 9 year old elephant.

3 times I was afraid Milo was going to drown me during our swim.

4 roti desserts. So good.

50 helpings of pineapple for breakfast with Dr. David.

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December 31-1

Cambodia

I will never be the same
So broken, yet so hopeful

I'll be back

To love in any capacity

I can't wait

I spent the first part of New Years Eve dancing around a table with the Cambodian people, falling in love with the sweetest 2 year old who ran into my arms, eating vegetables, and realizing that I never want to leave.

The second part of New Years was a little crazier. Meeting Katie, Tay, Chris and Jordan at Pub Street, which was so full you could hardly walk through it. More dancing, more eating. Lots of laughing. We came back about ten minutes before midnight but I wanted to go back out because Katie, Chris and Tay had stayed out. Maurie, Simone, and some other people were heading to cara-kay (which after some discussion I realized to be karaoke), so Jordan and I had them drop us off at Pub Street again. Proceed to shout Happy New Years with everyone, and not find our friends. Oh well, Jordan goes home and I hop on the back of a taxi-scooter. Side-saddle of course because that's how ladies ride.

I arrive back at Ta Som Guesthouse only to just meet Katie, Tay and Chris coming to meet us. Perfect. Back to Pub Street for some 3 hours of dancing. So fun! (which also happens to be the name of one of our guesthouse friends - Sofun).

Hop in a Tuk tuk on the way home. Easy enough right? Apparently I shouldn't trust people as much as I do. Whoops. Scared my mom with this story. Let's just say I made it home after some persuasion. "I'm a very strong-willed girl."

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January 1

After 1 hour of sleep, and a very cold tuk tuk ride to Angkor Wat, we are there finally watching the sun come up over the temple. The best start to a new year if you ask me. Hard to beat the entire day actually. 13 hours later, after exploring ruins, swinging on vines, getting lost on the TOP of a temple, talking with the Cambodian children, lots of pineapple, and singing the Indiana Jones theme song who knows how many times - on the top of the hill watching the sunset over miles and miles of Cambodian beauty.

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January 2-3

Head back to Bangkok. Exploring, finding Chinatown, sitting in the street, eating amazing food, having great conversations.

Stay up all night in the airport - "this is the worst idea ever." Too cold to sleep inside. Sleep on the pavement outisde. Hop on the plane back to snowing Korea.

So much change in 10 days.

God IS Love

I'm reading this book called "Incomparable: Exploring the Character of God." There have been so many things that God has revealed to me about Himself, me, and my relationship with Him over the last 4 months in Korea. But the most prevalent thing He has been pressing on me is the truth of His overwhelming love. How I can feel Him loving me through others. How I'm able to love others better because He loves me.

The chapter "God is Love" was just so good that I wanted to put a big chunk of it up here. Here goes.

"... Come to a cowshed in the Middle East in 4 BC. Love is not a fuzzy feeling, but a self-giving commitment that results in action... It involved sending the Son, from his position in heavenly glory and sinless perfection, to earth, to become flesh. ... It involved the Son laying aside his majesty and becoming an infant who fell over and vomited and soiled his nappy and grazed his knees. It involved walking a mile in our shoes, facing temptation of all kinds, misunderstanding, bereavement and rejection. 'In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.'

Now come with me about ten miles north of there, to a rubbish dump outside Jerusalem, 33 years later. Much has changed. The infant, the most powerful symbol of the love of God that could ever have been given, has grown up into a man, but a man no longer physically recognisable because of the welts on his face and the ripped flesh across his chest and back. The sky above him no longer has bright stars in the night, but dark clouds in the day. The two people next to him are not loving parents, but common criminals; the crowds have changed from saying 'Hosanna in the highest' to 'His blood be upon us and our children'. His earthly father has died. His closest friends have abandoned, denied or betrayed him. His enemies have mocked and humiliated him. The government has stripped, tortured and crucified him. And the wrath of God at all our lies and lusts and pride and envy and greed is being poured out on him, breaking utterly the fellowship with the Father and the Spirit which he has experienced and exulted in since before the foundation of the world.

If that doesn't explain to you what the love of God is, come closer to the cross, and listen to what Jesus is saying. The only one who matters is thinking of his mother, his friend, and even the criminal next to him. The God who created water is asking for a drink. The God-man whose presence had never borne any sin is crying out in anguish at being forsaken by his Father. The man with nails through his wrists and feet, his lungs slowly filling with his own blood, is crying out, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' Astoundingly , the one who decided to allow man to make his own choices, is now fully experiencing their consequences, is shouting triumphantly that those consequences have been dealt with, finished - a victory cry which still resounds across history, affirming once and for all that the love of God is a love of both power and passion, both perfection and propitiation."

Oh, how He loves us so.

Ballad of an Almost Christmas

As it is finally the week of Christmas I want to take this time to say... it doesn't seem like Christmas at all. Don't get me wrong, I've had a great December - God has blessed me so much with friends and love. What I miss though, is family.

I miss my sisters. I miss our crazy Christmas skit tradition.

Every year, we would wake up our parents and tell them to come out to the living room in 5 min. Then we would get in our places. Guess which one I was:

1. a. Mary, b. Joseph, and c. a wiseman

2. a. Santa, b. his elf, and c. the reindeer

3. a. 1st present, b. 2nd present, c. 3rd present that had to wrap itself after wrapping 1st and 2nd.

If you guess c for all, you were right! Congratulations. You got a look into my childhood.

I miss my parents. I miss the perfect gifts they would give. Even last year when we didn't get home til Christmas night from being snowed out of Seattle, my mom had a book by J.M. Barrie and my dad had a book by George MacDonald. Perfect.

I miss the house. The Christmas village on top of the piano, the REAL Christmas tree (though I guess right now I'd take a fake one with all our ornaments). The different ornaments mom got us every year, so we have a collection all our own. The Christmas music playing constantly from the moment I got up til I layed my head down, throughout the month of December. Watching movies every night (Muppet Christmas Carol, White Christmas, The Santa Clause, Jingle All the Way, It's a Wonderful Life). A Christmas puzzle a day... at least it seemed like.

Of Decembers, I've had the best. But I miss Christmas.