China Town and Jayu Park

One Saturday evening we had a friend from our orientation group, Makeeya come and visit us. She knew we were leaving and plus she wanted to visit Chinatown! We are located just a few subway stops from the only Chinatown in Korea. So after sundown we went out on the town!




This is one of our other teachers Ruth. This was still shortly after surgery so I wasn't sure if I should go out so late, but I am glad that I did.




Because it was late and our stop was the end of the line, there was hardly anyone on the subway.
Me, Matt, and Makeeya...M. M. M.




We took advantage of the empty subway and did what we'd always thought about doing...







Eventually we came to China town...



Most everything was closed but we were heading to the park so it was okay.



We have become very friendly with sea creatures/seafood






After walking up many stairs we got to a stopping point (before we climbed more stairs) and celebrated a bit!











After "hanging" around (get it?) we climbed the rest of the stairs and walked around the park.




The water looked so clear that Ruth wanted to really see if there was water (I wasn't so sure there was any the way the lights looked on it) so she stepped into it, and lo and behold, her shoe got wet.




We're glowing!



Getting some refreshments. Nestle Ice Tea.



The infamous exercise swivel things.




I don't know why, but these guys made me laugh.




At the half-way point we met this awesome dog.



So cute and friendly! He was obedient too.

After playing around some more it was time to head back. It was really late by this point (probably past curfew...hehe) and we ended up taking the rapid train and passing our stop and getting off and going back. All in all it was a good time and a pretty little park. I was kind of sad we only found it as we were leaving!

Last Visit to My Favorite Place

As our days started to disappear, and the time came more and more quickly upon us to leave Matthew and I talked about what we wanted to see and do before we left.

I said I wanted to go to Insa-dong one more time. Maybe because it's a "tourist" spot I like it most, or because I enjoy looking at the traditional items for sale, or because there are more languages there than Incheon, but no matter what reason, I love it. And so we went for our last visit there. We didn't buy anything, but just walked along looking at items and enjoying our time.



One of the many shops, you can see all types of nationalities there and hear many different languages.




It's a busy place to be!




More shops.





This is one of their "musical" instruments. I've posted videos with them banging on these things.




I wanted my picture with this awesome Tin-man.

More street views.

Snack stand...mmm. Unidentifiable sea creatures to snack on. mmmm.

It started to rain at one point and while we took shelter I saw this "paper dump". There are lots of elderly people that we've seen collecting paper on these cart things that they push but I've never seen where they go. Apparently this is one such spot. As they dump it off, I assume they get some money for it. Recycling of sorts.

Starbucks =) It was nice just to see it.

Me by the sign showing the map of Insa-dong.

Matthew with the sign.

Then we traveled back home. Transferring from stop to stop and making our way home. Strange how things like that became so familiar. Even with a foreign language.

And finally our walk back home. Through familiar ally ways and concrete walls.

Maybe someday we'll go back.

Broken Mirrors and other stories from Korea

So these next few blogs will be catching up on our time in Korea. It's hard to believe we've been back in the States since the beginning of June.

Here is a close up picture of my prescription medicine. Each day had a different package.





Here is me with the long line of my daily medicines. After my appendix surgery I was happy to have help with the pain meds, but eventually they had to stop.



As I recovered, people from the church and school were so sweet. This package of cookies is from on of my students Hany.

When I started to go back to work I only worked part-time. One afternoon I was ready to try and get out of the house. So Matthew suggested we go back to Juan station and see a store he'd visited while I was in the hospital. Also, we went to eat at the restaurant Joony had taken Matthew to the day of my surgery.



It was getting hot and capris were in season. Boys more-so than girls.

The restaurant was wonderful! Dolsot Bibimbob. Mmmm.









My favorite, favorite Korean food.



Little fishies for salt! I did not use them.



On the way back, we treated ourselves to a warm waffle with chocolate creme inside. Again: mmmm. I do miss those.



More man-capris. I was fascinated.



On our walk back to the apartment I had Matthew take this awesome shot on top of a wall around a housing area. These glass pieces are there to deter others from climbing up the wall. I think it might work better than barb-wire.

During our last days in Korea we broke our mirror. Well. It broke itself. We were peacefully sleeping at night when we heard a huge BANG! Which we both woke up to with a feeling of fear. We had no idea what it was, so Matthew got up and went out to see what the noise was. As we opened the door, there was the mirror. Face down. We decided to leave it as it was and clean it up later.



7 years of bad luck =) But maybe we got to leave the bad luck in Korea!



Cleaning up!

Mission Day came again and we had an awesome talk about science and the Bible from Hetani, the junior coordinator at the Academic Office.

The students were really impressed and talked about how they wanted to read the Bible. It's exciting to hear them stay that.

After mission day we usually go out to eat. Usually Ashley's. But we were tired of Ashley's and so begged Deaconness Jang (who we called Jip-su-nem) to cook for us. She created a feast.





AND haystacks, special request of the foreign teachers. It was her first time and it was great...she forget the beans but that's okay. We made do with rice.

Typing posts about Korea, from the United States is weird for me. I miss the people there. I'm so happy to be home, but I miss my Korean family.

Thank God we have heaven.

I read this verse in Philippians and it reminds me of my students and those I love in Korea.

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."

Philippians 1:9-11

It is my prayer that they will learn and grow in Christ and that we can see each other in heaven. All part of God's family.