เกาะพะงัน Thailand!

During my time in Korea, yoga was a tool for stress relief and physical well being. I regularly attended classes on weekdays and found myself enjoying the many benefits that consistant stretching and physical activity can bring. I began to see how the positive outlook on life and the physical strength could be an aid in the rehabilitation of victims of trafficking (we all know most things in my life often relate to this work).

Seeing how these things could go together, I applied for a Yoga Alliance Certification program. This means I will be certified to instruct yoga anywhere in the world. Not only did I get accepted, I was offered a scholarship! The picture is of my Korea friends and I celebrating after hearing the news. A special thanks goes to Autum for helping me edit my application! The program is called Love.Spiral.Yoga http://www.lovespiralyoga.com/ is there site if you would like to check it out. We will be practing the physical movements of yoga, learning the anatomy, and studying it's origins. During the course I will also be taking my own time to develop a yoga therapy curriculum to use with those who have encountered trauma. The program itself is two months and immediatly following I am going to dive right in and volunteer at an aftercare facility either in Cambodia or North Thailand. (The details of which will come later.)

I leave for Thailand January 3rd, make a quick stop in Cambodia (to meet with the founder of an aftercare facility) and will begin my program on the 9th. Please pray for opportunities to challenge those around me, as I presume many will not have the origins that I do. Also that I would have an open heart for my peers and for the things that are to be revealed.

Thank you all for your emails, prayers, love and coffee dates while I have been home. You all have refilled my life and refuled my passion for those who are oppressed. I cannot wait to share more with you all from the land that has my heart and the people who will not let it go. ^_^

See you later Korea!

One year, well almost, three hundred and sixty days have passed of this Korean life. It has been a rough journey yet it has taught me many lessons about life, self, and others. Though I will be returning in July to teach summer school for two months, it is time to say goodbye to Korea and hello to the crazy month to come at home.
This week has been one of goodbyes. Saying goodbye to the beautiful people I have met over this past year seems surreal. Friendships made overseas help you to carry on semi-normal life, despite the surrounding foreign culture. Most of the time they are people completely different then your friends back home. It is a wonderful chance to gain new insights and stretch your perspective of life. I am so thankful for all of those fantastic people I met here in Korea, specifically for G Buckman, the Stewarts, and Karin B. They all have shared the highs and lows of this experience with me and I am so blessed to have known them.

Farewells also have been extended to my students. Something I think many foreign teachers forget to do/say. Rather then leave my classes wondering: "Where did she go?" "Why did she leave?" "Did she hate Korea?" I am filling them in on the reality of the situation. My contract has ended, my sister is getting married, and it's simply time to go home. Though this has helped my students to gain understanding and a bit of closure to the matter, it has also evoked tears and begging for a reconsideration of my decision. To be honest it has been nice to see how they did care and that they will miss me. I will always treasure the notes and the gifts they gave me, yet the smiles, corney English jokes, and "Goodmorning Nikki teacher"s will be missed the most.

Thank you Mabuk and the best to every teacher and student! As for all of you friends and family back home, I will see you in two days! ^.^

Field day

Just like America, Korea too has a field day. The kids from different classes purchase matching colored t-shirts and compete against eachother. It's a day they all look foreword to because it means a whole day of no studying! Quite a welcome break for the fried minds of the stressed out students. But not today... and in fact they even get one whole day off on this coming Thursday (to celebrate the Asian holiday of Children's Day).

So to all my little students, all you work weary ones, soak in today!

An Accidental Museum Trip

Living abroad always has it's surprises, yet for the past few months life in Korea has been quite predictible. Go to work, teach class, go home or to a yoga class have dinner and repeat. Sure there are those occasional days where class has been cancelled or a student gets all of us teachers sick but beyond that life has been easy. So last week when I heard we had to go hiking, I was not so happy to have my simple routine shaken up. "But that's going to mess up my schedule," I whined to myself. The other coteachers said that I should participate since it would be the last group thing we would do together since I will soon be leaving. I acknowledged the truth in their statements and agreed, but only this one more time. (Last time I had a school dinner, I got stuck next to the crotchety old principal that poked my face and rambled on in Korean about me. Would I like to repeat anything like that? No thank you!)

So the day comes, I even came to school prepared. Tennis shoes, NorthFace fleece, and a snack for after school. But I was informed that the hike had been cancelled, on account of the slight drizzle of rain we received that morning. I was extatic... then I was told we could go home early...EVEN BETTER!

Yet, I should have remembered, things are never as simple as they may sound [here in Korea]. So just as we were packing up to go home, my coworkers told me we had to say goodbye to the vice principal. "Why," I asked. "So we can show that we are doing what we said," they replied. "But wasn't the hike cancelled?" "Yes but everyone is going to a museum," said Ms. Lee. "But we want to look at cars this afternoon, are you free," said Ms Kim. At this point I was getting upset, I thought that it was unfair that I had to be dragged into this in the first place. A hike, ok I had agreed to that, but a museum that was another story and looking at cars well where did that even come from? Certainly I was above attending!

At this point, my pride needed to be realligned and I am thankful that God is gracious in teaching us lessons of humility. Ultimatly what it comes down to is that I must respect the authority of my school. In Korea, I must also respect the idea of saving face and making appearances to appease the principal and vice principal. Once my pride was back in check, I was able to laugh the 15 minute pit stop to check out new Hyundai cars and smile and wave at the kids that said "Hello" to me at the museum. In fact, I enjoyed the exhibits of hanbok (traditional Korean clothing), the cavemen models, and the pottery that was exhibited. Oh my pride... This is just one of the two lessons the I continually learn while in Korea, pride must fall. (The other lesson is with work, patience can too be my virtue.)

The following are pictures of the random museum trip. Picture one is of the kids at the museum who shouted hello to me. Two is a bride in traditional hanbok (korean clothing). Three is of a cave man exibit. Four is of Korean pottery. And the fifth is of ancient buddha statues in seated pose.

South Korea Video!

Hey all! Back in December, Dutton films released an absoluteally amazing video on all the best that South Korea has to offer. It shows the fall leaves, hiking, city lights, fish markets and tons of other great images. If you really want to see some highlites of the country that I am currently living in please go to http://www.duttonfilms.com/2010/12/do-you-know-south-korea/ Hope you enjoy it!

Spring and all it entails.

Finally, after many rainshowers, windy gusts and fridgid mornings Spring has graced us in Korea with her delicate presence. The flowers are bright and bold against the normally bland khacki color of the cellblock housing. The sky is a deeper shade of clean and fresh blue. The wind carries with it the scent of the blooming cherry flowers. The birds (yes, there are birds) have picked up a refreshingly cheerful melody. Children dash around in the golden rays exhaling screams of delight, thankful for the release from a long winter indoors. Even the rounded lanterns to celebrate the day of Buddha's birth add a dash of color. For all of this, I am thankful to the wonderful Creator. May you all soon welcome in warm sun, fresh air and smiling faces too!

A Seoul Sunday

Last Sunday Jin and I trekked around Seoul. We visited Insadong, a street lined with tea shops, art galleries and scrumptious treats. You can buy anything from tea and porcelin, hand pressed Korean writings and Buddhist statues to silver & jade. At one point in history it was the largest market for antiques; yet now a days I would question the authenticity of such relics. It is the perfect spot for tourists to pick up souvenirs and one of the only Starbucks in the world that has the name written in the native language.
Our next stop was the statue of King Sejong at Gwanghwamun Square. This Confucanist king is most known for emphasizing education, something highly prized to this day in Korea. He pressed justice and righteousness. In addition, King Sejong recognized that a good government required men of broadranging talent and education. Under his rule Korea grew leaps and bounds culturally and intellectually, spurring the name The Golden Age. Jin and I pictured below at the King's Palace Gate.
Once our monument tour was over, we headed for a stroll along the iconic Seoul Cheonggye Stream; the stream once divided the poor located south of the stream from the nobility of the north. Fascinating to be in a place with so much history and culture! Thank you Korea for showing me your sweeter side and thank you Jin for being my tourguide.

Zach's 12th Birthday!

Most likely the coolest 12 year old ever, Zack (in the crown) joyously celebrated his last preteen year with fourteen 20-somethings. I believe this might be a world record for any 12 year old. :) We all celebrated the tow head's last trip around the sun by digging into mexican food at On The Border in COEX mall, a foreigner friendly mall that boasts 4 levels for shopping, eating and yes even gambling. We just kept it clean with some songs, virgin margaritas and cake. It was a wonderful evening! Happy Birthday Zach!

Feb Madness

The month of February started off like no-other from the warmth of Thailand's sun I traversed back to the cold of Korea. A new semester began as the last of the ice was melting from the sidewalks. Students returned with a bouncy vigor and I tried to keep up with the new Korean heavy English curriculum. It was a rough start but lots of fun was had along the way.


Thailand: Climbing, the lake, moto-cy-roadtrip, strawberry fields with a view of Burma, old friends and lots of smoothies. Chats of economic-proportions with Bianca and Adele ;)

Once back in Korea I welcomed a visit from my friend Joe, dinned on a tasty dinner with wonderful friends for Valentines Day, took time for sightseeing, admired Korean gun-twirling skills, mused at 3D art galleries and sang at my first karaoke joint.

The stories of each are better sold in person... so get your $5.oo ready and I will tell you a tale or two or three.

Winter Camp!

Hey family and friends,

Since I last updated the months have flown by... New Years, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and now President's Day. Only three months are left now before I return to the PNW! So here are some photos of life in Korea of late.

I taught our Harry Potter themed winter camp for three weeks during December and January. It was broken up into three days a piece per class, with the exception of two extra 3rd and 4th grade classes. The students learned words that related to magic,such as: wand, potion, witch, wizard and broom. Of course it was a hit!For the week, each student was assigned to a house just like in Harry Potter: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. They learned how to make potions by mixing various soda and fruit juices and adding fun things like gummi worms (of course this was for the Belch Potion). Owl posts (post cards to Nikki Teacher) were written by the students to cement the new vocabulary and to rate the activities. In addition, we played numerous games where they used their home-made magic wands to command their fellow students to "freeze, dance, sing, or jump." The photo of the kids all sitting down was a partner game. A cross between musical chairs and freeze tag, they students had to walk in two circles until the music stopped. Once it did they had to listen for the English command (shouted out by my little helper) and the partners had to pose together as the command stated. The first pair won 50 points for their team. The team that had the most points at the end of the week was given a prize (competitions always increase the attention span of the students).

Cold Cold Days

The winter months in Korea have been long and cold. Every morning one must layer up or loose toes. It all starts with the tights/leggings (layered over with ski-socks), followed by some long john's and then a pair of loose jeans (both loose from the layers beneath and the lack of a Korean dryer) once the lower half is nestled three layers deep the top half demands a tanktop, tshirt, longsleeve, a wool sweater, (possibly a fleece) and then a down parka that reaches mid-calf. Once these steps are complete the snow-boots go on, a hat is placed atop the curly cues, and gloves are pulled on (one or two pairs depending on wind chill). The last step is the Korean scarf. "How is this scarf different," you may ask. Well a Korean scarf is almost a mini-blanket of sorts. It is long enough to wrap around your head twice and wide enough to cover from the chest to the eyes (scarf pictured is the American style). As unattractive as it may appear, it does the job of keeping one warm in -17*C (or 1*F).

새해복 많이 받으세요, สวัสดีปีใหม่, Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Make 2011 one to remember.

Crazy love & silly faces from Korea.

(Zack, Lia & I after too much sugar.)