Korea make me Krazy

Okay, not really...but maybe sick!
(this is a photo of me with the tiny bras they have everywhere, and Hello Kitty at that!)

For the past two weeks I felt like crud off and on again. I know God wants me here, but my already weak immune system is having a heck of a time with the mass amount of people. When I think about it...I have 600ish students, all of which spit on the floors, cough without covering their mouths, touch each other, touch me, attempt to feed me (and succeed when I'm not prepared for it)...so of course why wouldn't I. We had our fall festival Friday and goodness knows how many hands were involved in all the food I ate there!

(These are 2 of the 4 girls that are in my posse...the little crew that comes to see me every day and they always make me fun things!)(And this is how I'm greeted every morning. Kids hanging out the windows screaming my name...it's cute and feels surreal!)

Not to mention riding on subways packed to the brim with people, and I touch the same hand rails, seats, doors, and the things that hang down to hold on to. Sooo many germs floating around here. Please join me in praying for 1) my immune system to grow a backbone and be tough 2) me to find a Korean momma who will take me to the doctor and translate.

I visited the local clinic today with very little communication due to the language barrier. I'm praying his medications will do the trick!

So the last few weeks I've done several fun things, intermittent with a lot of vitamins and rest.

I attempted to see a baseball game, but the Koreans are fanatical about their baseball and it was all sold out. Went to Dr. Fish cafe...you order a drink, something to eat, and a 15 minute dead-skin removal by a pool of hungry fish. Disgusting, I know, but what an experience. Of course I'm so freakishly ticklish I was screaming with laughter and the whole place was looking at me. Finally the last 6-7 minutes I was able to calm down.

I also have visited a noraebang (karaoke room) and sang for hours with my good friend Ashley. I ate my first Korean meal that I really loved and now crave. I've had a few doses of home by going to Costco twice and the movies to see Surrogate. Have been street shopping and bought some much needed hair bow headbands that are huge, but actually pretty darned cute! (The sales guy was just so convincing and cute..."Ohhhh, so beautiful! You look perfect!")

I've tried out several churches because the one I really love I can't get myself up in time to get there. Pray for me to find a church home too!

So, those are the recent adventures. Today I used a sick day to attempt to recoup from whatever it is that is ailing me...and hoping I don't catch swine flu while I'm already down because 6 students and a teacher at my school have it.

This may not be the best post, but I'm sick and my head is swimming!!

love from Korea :o)

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

So it doesn't feel like holiday time, but here in South Korea the biggest holiday of the year just passed. I've had a lovely 4-day weekend for Chuseok (Korean version of Thanksgiving.) Some friends invited me on a little trip up to the mountains and I had nothing else to do so tagged along. Here was my experience.

Traffic is really, ridiculously crazy when 14 million people are all trying to travel at the same time so in effort to avoid a bit of Friday morning traffic I treked up closer to the bus terminal the night before. The destination that night...a Korean sauna. Now, this was quite the experience!!! Saunas are super cheap...I think I left there paying less than $10. You can also spend the night in the saunas...so that is what we did.

As you walk in, guys and gals split off into their respective areas...which is good because once you enter your half you are face to face with nakedness. Korean women, ages ranging from 2 to 90 are all over the place wearing nothing but their birthday suits. When we entered I accidentally let an "Ohh!" slip out, thankfully not too loud. Next, we stop by the supplies desk and pick up any array of scrubs or cleansers you want, plus various grooming tools and your orange prison uniforms, I mean sauna attire. Knowing what was next made me cringe a bit, but what can you do...you're already in and paid up? So the dreaded strip down begins as I stow all my stuff into a locker and try for a few seconds to cover up a bit with the hand-towel sized towels they use here. After a few seconds I thought...what the heck?! Go for the gusto!!! I mean, every Korean stares at you the foreigner anyways, this time they just get to see all of you...ha! So onward I trudge with another foreign friend and our new Korean friend...into the bath room. I get many awkward stares especially since I have a piercing and a tattoo (not common at all here)...and two little children watching my every move. You select a stool and a water basin and sit in front of a sink/shower head with a mirror...do a light cleaning, then head for the tubs. Each tub is a different temperature...ice cold to scolding hot...along with several saunas of various temperatures of hellish heat...one litterally felt like what I picture hell being. We tried them all except the one the kids flocked to for fear of pee. Then you come back to your stool and begin the scrubbing. With a tough mit on one hand you begin to scrub your whole body hard to peel all the dead skin off. (You can opt for someone to scrub for you but it seemed a bit too personal for me.) After washing off, you actually feel like a new woman! Then you go out to the common areas with your uniform on...you can eat, watch Korean tv/movies, go to the library, the gym, massage chairs/tables, more saunas/rooms of different temps (I personally loved the ice room)...or you can sleep! At 1 a.m. I opted for the women's sleeping room....equipped with "beds" (bunk beds with a stoneish feel and a stone pillow to match). Not great sleep, but it worked for one night.

Next day we caught a bus to the mountains...headed North...little did we know about a mile from the North Korean border. Once arriving we grabbed a Korean-style lunch and headed for our home for the evening! Wood floors to sleep on...yes!!! Another great night of sleep! (We did have softer pillows and blankets this time, and the floors were heated.) Once settled we geared up for paintball...seriously, we were decked out! Full camo, chest and back plates, gloves, neck protectors and helmets with goggles. This was the worst part of the trip for me. I currently look like an abuse victim with massive bruses on my arms and back. But, next we got to go 4-wheelin in the mountains...beautiful and so much fun!!! We each got our own which was awesome! Plus we saw some spectacular views. Sadly, I didn't have my camera. On the final day of the trip we took a driving tour...got to view a beautiful river (on which was the chance to bungee jump), saw the North/South border complete with barb-wire fence that had signs saying "mine" on them, several old military bunkers, and a lot of beautiful country-side.

So...Happy Chuseok to me!!! It was a fun-filled adventure weekend!!!

Love from Korea! :o)