marc hogi's blog.

Recent photos. May 2010

2010-05-31T00:09:00.002+09:00

Strange to see

2010-05-30T23:48:00.003+09:00

I gave a quiz to some Korean students asking about their impressions of foreigners. Here are some of their responses:

So big!
Big eyes
When I saw a foreigner, first I had a horror as I looked the ghost.
Foreigner is very nice. Because they are kind and smart. Specially, American is Christian!
When I was meet the foreigner I think 신기하게 (new, amazing)
I scared, help me
Foreigner is very good, they are no different
두려움 (fear)
mysterious
Big and long and nice smile
handsome
I think good. Because speak English very well
Very big. Good face
When I see the foreigner, I'm envy foreigner, I think they are all "handsome," "beauty"
I saw a foreigner is very very scare, and surprised
Strange, get near hard
gentle!
Good handsome very very zzang (짱, stylish)!
I think and see foreigner novelty
Pretty and handsome. Big eye
wonderfulness, surprise
I'm scare. because I don't know about their language
Wow...big eyes and handsome and we are friend not special
Very handsome, beautiful...very...tall!! Wow--but now so so... :)
I have some foreigner friend so I feel exciting when I see the foreigner
Something strange for us
Foreigner is very handsome and tall and small face
Just men and where are foreigner from?
I'm want talking with foreigner. Because interesting
Scared cause strange to see
My sister's husband is foreigner. His name Daniel. Daniel's first impression is very handsome. But I think "Don't talk to me!"
I thought that foreigners are scared (scary) people first time, but now I think they are very good people because they respect the will of the individual

Throwback.3 + Jay's wedding

2010-04-21T23:58:00.003+09:00

From 2008, probably late summer or early fall. Jay (a former student of mine from my previous job) invited me to his "wedding" at a hotel near Express Bus Terminal. Actually it was more of a reception, as Jay and his wife were legally married before this event. I did an acoustic cover "Love Me (The Way You Do)," a little-known ballad originally performed by gospel group Anointed from their album "Spiritual Love Affair." A third of the way into the song, the microphone fell over and hit my guitar. Someone nearby immediately adjusted it and I only had to stop for a few seconds. Strangely, it didn't seem to be much of a distraction to anyone. I didn't know anyone there and it was overall a slightly awkward experience, but worth it for Jay.

Throwback.2 + Cycling in Jeollabuk-Do

2010-04-17T08:15:00.005+09:00

In February I joined Il-Hoon and Professor Yoo on a two-day cycling trip in Jeollabuk-Do. We put our bikes on a bus and rode from Seoul to Buan. Once arriving in Buan and eating lunch, we biked from Buan to Kyeokpo. We ended up taking a dirt road through the mountains. Not a big deal, except that it was wet and overcast for the whole trip, which meant a lot of mud. At one point my bike was completely covered with mud, which for the first hour or so was fun, but quickly became really irritating. Upon arriving in Kyeokpo, we took a ferry to Wido (Wi Island), about an hour off the coast. As far as I know, Wido is a tourist trap but at this time it was almost deserted. The weather was overcast, which was a little disappointing but made for some cool photos. After riding around the island for a little while, that evening we crashed at a minbak, which is a kind of homestay for travelers, similar to a bed-and-breakfast in the West. We ate a delicious duck dinner. It was so good I still remember it two months after the fact.

I'm an amateur cyclist and this trip definitely pushed me to my limits, but ultimately it was a good experience. I remember doing a long, challenging ride with Il-Hoon and the professor about a year ago. That experience was actually a little traumatic for me. A lot of that trip involved me seething and the two of them laughing at me. However, when it was all over I missed the experience and longed to do it again; so this time around, I resolved not to grumble or complain. It was hard. The weather, while not freezing, remained a little colder than I would have liked. I wore heavy clothes, but the weather made it difficult to dry off. The slippery roads were a challenge as well. I really hate this kind of weather. I wanted so badly for the sun to come out. After arriving back in Buan, I was surprised to find out that overall we covered more than 100 kilometers. After getting back on the bus, we stopped off in Cheonju to visit a pastor friend of Professor Yoo's. It was a good night. Since then my cycling has improved significantly; I don't get tired as quickly as I used to. So I'm grateful for the opportunity, even though next time I may wait until spring.

Almost the same

2010-04-11T20:45:00.003+09:00

I went back and looked at my first blog entry from November 2005. It's interesting to compare stuff.

In 2005 I wrote: "If you already know me, you’ll know that I sometimes live a kind of interesting and unpredictable life."
2010: This hasn't changed so much.

2005: "Some potential employers may be looking at this blog, so I’ll try to keep it coherent. Can’t promise, but I’ll try."
2010: "My current employer may be looking at this blog, so I’ll try to keep it coherent. Can’t promise, but I’ll try."

2005: "I do a lot of different things, but the main thing I do for a living is working as a freelance proofreader and copy editor in the metro New York-New Jersey area. When there’s a lot of work, this can be a cool gig. However, when it’s slow, it’s really slow."
2010: I teach English as a foreign language, as a university lecturer in Seoul. "Cool gig" still applies, "slow" not so much.

2005: "I was also able to get in some Spanish practice. On days like this, much of my practice involves walking around Manhattan with an AM/FM walkman and listening to WADO 1280, the local Spanish station. At least the one that’s talk radio. It’s a curious discipline, sometimes entertaining, sometimes frustrating. Some programs are easier for me to understand than others. Whether or not this is the most effective way to improve my listening comprehension remains to be seen, but I’ve seen some progress and that has encouraged me to press on until something better comes along."
2010: Almost the same. Replace "Spanish" with "Korean," "Manhattan" with "Seoul" and "walkman" with "iRiver."

2005: "(I have to) finish my application for a recruitment organization so I can pursue teaching ESL in Asia."
2010: Done.

2005: "(I have to) query the school in Medellin, Colombia that a friend recommended about ESL teaching opportunities. Even though now it’s uncertain whether I’ll be able to travel to Medellin this winter."
2010: Still uncertain. Ha ha.

2005: And now I’ve got some work to do. After I take another walk around midtown before it gets really cold.
2010: I’ve got some work to do. And I have a cold.

Throwback

2010-04-10T21:06:00.005+09:00

So as part of my attempt to do something more with this blog, I'm initiating something called "throwback." I got the idea for the name from the title of a Boyz II Men album with the same title. It's a recording of old Motown covers, hence the word "throwback." What that means for this blog is that I'll start posting older pictures; mostly from my time in Korea, though I may also include a few from my hometown in the U.S. and trips elsewhere.

Basically Korea has been pretty good to me and I'd like to share some of that with the world. I started this blog mainly for family and friends. Honestly I don't expect a huge amount of traffic, although new faces are always cool. If you're reading this right now, chances are I asked you to check out my blog or I stuck a link on my Facebook page. That said, I really desire to make this blog something useful that's actually worth looking at from time to time. I get annoyed by Web sites that are rarely updated. With that out of the way, I'll begin the first installment of "Throwback":

Sinchon Starbucks, August 2006, shortly after arriving in Seoul. At the end of every month at my hagwon, teachers and students often went out for drinks, coffee or dinner. This class was a lot of fun to teach, and introduced me to some important aspects of Korean culture. I remember specifically the group asking me to sing. Kind of a cute moment. Jeong-Hwan (the guy on the right) remains a good friend, and we've hung out several times. Jeong-Hwan has also served as an informal consultant to me when dealing with certain challenges related to this culture and to teaching, for which I'm quite grateful. We were supposed to go cycling at the Han River tonight, but I cancelled because of some unexpectedly chilly weather and also catching a cold...aargh.

The year in pictures. Kind of

2009-12-26T00:45:00.006+09:00

OK, this is not exhaustive...these photos only cover the last three or four months, but I like them a lot. Locations include Chuncheon, Palbongsan, the Banpo Bridge, Namhansanseong, Guri and Sahara Coffee Shop near Soongsil University. (Although not in that order.) Activities include cycling, hiking, a September church retreat and hanging out. More to come later.

Hello, my name is Marc, I'm an English teacher, etc.

2009-12-13T00:45:00.004+09:00

I haven't updated this blog for some time...although you probably haven't noticed. If you're reading this post right now, chances are it's because I told you that I've resumed blogging and I asked you to stop by and increase the traffic so this thing doesn't languish in cyberspace. At least I've been active with Facebook and my photo page on Flickr. Anyway, instead of trying to recount all of the events of the last few months, I'll give you some current stuff and maybe work my way backward if I get inspired.

The semester has finally ended. Difficult to believe that I'm halfway into my third year of lecturing at the university. I gave final exams this week and, unlike previous semesters, I've actually started grading early. I have two weeks to turn in all of my paperwork to the university and enter the final scores. This time around I'm not doing the mad dash where I try to tackle everything in a few hours. I'm spacing it out over a period of time. It's a little less stressful and less tedious than the previous semester. This semester has been more challenging because the overall workload has been heavier. It's nice that I've developed a good reputation around campus and more students are registering for my classes, but the downside of that is more work for me. I've never had as many students as I did this time around. Many students still struggle with motivation. There were some definite highs and lows. I feel much more comfortable in the classroom. Studying Korean and spending time with students have gone a long way toward affecting my teaching style and trying to understand students' needs (and wants). I lecture mainly in English, but incorporate Korean where necessary. Recently the head teacher observed one of my classes and gave me some useful suggestions but also some good feedback. I'm very aware of my weaknesses as a teacher, but I also know my strengths and I feel more confident in them than I ever have before.

This afternoon I attended a teachers' workshop on teaching multilevel classes, which I will be doing next semester as my department is eliminating most of its levels for the English classes. The expected turnout was about 20 teachers, but three times that number showed up. Many of them were working in public schools, although universities were also well represented. Most of the teachers were foreigners. It's always fun (and sometimes entertaining) to meet with other foreign teachers to talk about our common experiences in Korea as well as to trade suggestions and teaching methods. There was a good amount of spontaneous discussion, more so than the presenter expected. It became quite emotional and, at a couple of points, borderline nasty. There was also one teacher who got into a laughing fit, perhaps causing the rest of us to wonder if his work had gotten to him.

After the workshop I sent a text message to invite Jin-Young to dinner and coffee, but accidentally sent it to Jong-Min. Jin-Young turned out to be busy and Jong-Min, who was on his way to meet some friends for dinner and coffee in Pyeongchon, invited me to join him. Although I visited Pyeongchon briefly when buying my bicycle earlier this year, tonight was the first time I walked around it. Although there were several stores and franchises, the area was unusually quiet for a Saturday night, with very few people. Jong-Min explained that many people preferred to go to Seoul, which boasts a more active nightlife than some of the surrounding smaller cities.

Jong-Min is going to help me with Korean study during the vacation. Actually last night we met to discuss some of my goals and current study methods and also to chat in Korean for the first time for him to get a feel for my level, which I would consider low intermediate. Anyway, I wasn't planning to meet with him the following night, but the timing turned out to be pretty good. We spent the entire evening chatting in Korean with the occasional break into English for words or expressions that I couldn't figure out. Many Koreans default into English when talking to me and although he did the same, he would always catch himself and switch back to Korean. Which I really appreciated. After samkyeopsal for dinner, we went to a charming cafe where one his friend Kwang-Eun served as the barista. The cafe's interior design and quietness of Pyeongchon made for a comfortable, intimate atmosphere.

As some of Jong-Min's other friends showed up, it was fun to watch their reactions to me. The common reaction of many Koreans to foreigners ranges from shyness to irrational fear. The most common reason (as Korean friends have explained it to me) is self-consciousness over their English ability or lack thereof. Besides English, some Koreans have had little to no interaction with non-Koreans. In some situations, a few people deal with this by complete avoidance of the non-Korean. In this situation however, with me being there by invitation of one of the Koreans, no one had that option. While my Korean is not fluent, I've seen a definite improvement in my ability to have a conversation. It's amazing to watch people's mental walls slowly come down when they realize that I can say more than just "Hello, my name is Marc, I'm an English teacher, etc." One of my goals for winter vacation is to try to have at least one conversation in Korean each day. In a normal day, probably 75 percent of my conversation with people is in English. Realistically I may not be able to completely reverse this (not in my profession, anyway), but I have been seeking out Korean conversation opportunities more aggressively. This is in addition to increased daily input of the language through listening and reading. I've always enjoyed the discovery process involved with learning a foreign language, and I'm thankful to have met several people to help me along.

I have developed a reputation in some circles for being the foreigner who studies Korean hard. "He studies hardly," as some Koreans put it. Studying is a hobby for me, much like sports or video games for someone else, and I don't really consider it as hard study per se. To be honest, I would much rather be known for my Korean ability than my study habits. Although if I can be an encouragement to a Korean studying English, it's all good.

Sunday morning I'll meet Juhee at Caffe Benne near Samkakji (which has become one of my favorite hangouts as of late). Juhee's English is excellent, but she seems to prefer Korean conversation most of the time. Unlike many people, she doesn't simplify her speech for me, which is a little difficult but then again it's nice to see that she believes in me enough to understand her despite several "Huh?" moments. Afterward it's off to church in the afternoon. I've been avoiding any serious ministry involvement for a long time, but recently I've felt a stirring to do a little more. I've been considering joining the worship (music) team for some time, and I may finally give in next month. After church I'll head to Sangdo for another get-together, hopefully in Korean, with Hong-Woo and some of his church buddies. From Monday I'll be meeting various Korean friends, as well as doing my grading at Caffe Benne and a couple of other cool places. Life is good.

Draw me

2009-04-24T00:31:00.003+09:00

Recently I was asked to write my Christian testimony for a ministry application. Thought I'd also put it up (slightly edited) for those of who may be wondering if I'm still alive. If you have comments or questions, hit me up at marchogi@yahoo.com.

Although I had a fairly religious upbringing and I didn't live a blatantly immoral life (at least not compared to my friends), Church and Christianity were relatively boring to me and I had no assurance of salvation. However, my father was a strong Christian and because of this I was constantly exposed to the Word of God through church and Christian radio. Although this was not by my choice--my father made me listen to it--I can look back and see how it served as a good foundation for me. When I graduated high school and left home for college, I was not yet a Christian but there were certain truths related to the gospel which I knew and believed. I didn't need to be convinced of them.

At my university in 1993, I became friends with another student who, after an extended conversation in a restaurant, introduced me to Jesus. Up until this point I believed in the trinity, the second coming of Christ, the need for repentance of sins and several important doctrines, but this time the gospel became personal to me in a way that I hadn't known before. I believe the evidence of my conversion was that things in my lifestyle and behavior began to change without me having to force anything. Also, God no longer seemed to be a distant, cosmic force; He became a real person with whom I could communicate whenever I wanted.

Since that time my walk has involved various forms of ministry and outreach, especially in the area of music. I've also been introduced, in various ways, to worship and the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I was also blessed to be discipled by several pastors, leaders and lay people who were sensitive to my needs. I'd like to say that I've been passionately devoted to God all the way, but honestly I've gone through some extreme highs and lows. I've experienced a crisis of faith on more than one occasion. I've also made decisions for which I am still paying the consequences. However, I'm always discovering more about how the Lord calls people into intimate fellowship with Him, and also their our lives should reflect the example set by His Son Jesus.

More recently as an English teacher in Korea, I view myself as a kind of cultural and spiritual ambassador. Although I currently teach at a Christian university, previously I taught at a secular institute where I interacted regularly with non-Christians. I remain in touch with several of those people. I view such relationships as opportunities to reflect the character of Jesus Christ. Recently I've been seeking more ways to "rediscover" my faith and further reflect that character.

My life verse is Song of Solomon 1.4, which says: "Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers. We will rejoice in you and be glad; We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you." My constant prayer is that the Lord would lead me into the place He's called me to be and to make me into the man He's called me to be. I also understand that He has to do it and that there's nothing in myself.

Recently

2009-01-19T01:00:00.007+09:00

Recently I've gotten in touch with several friends whom I haven't spoken to in a really long time. So for those of you who fall into that category, here's a history of me since 1996.

I graduated the University of Alabama in 1996 and moved back to my hometown of New York. My career has taken a strange path. Highlights include a yearlong stint as a production assistant at Fox News Channel and three years as a copy editor in the American Kennel Club's editorial department. After my layoff from the AKC in 2001, I also went through several temp and freelance gigs, not all of them editorial. Some were awful, but there were a few bright spots. Those include working as a press officer in the United Nations' press department, copy editing a children's reading/math currculum for The Princeton Review, and proofreading for some cool ad firms around New York. I also did a lot of work for American Lawyer Media.

Work aside, I also spent about 10 years heavily involved with ministry stuff at Times Square Church in New York and even worked as a part-time staff member for about a year and a half. Lots of ups and downs. I had the privilege of visiting several foreign countries on ministry trips, which did a lot to shape the way I am now. I did a lot of stuff, most of it music-related. The highlights were trips to Guatemala and Argentina, where God graciously allowed me to fulfill long-held dreams of leading worship in Spanish. In particular, doing a live music showcase and TV interview in Spanish in Rosario, Argentina. Everything lasted for almost 45 minutes. I have a DVD of the show and it's really embarrassing for me to watch, but it remains an experience I'll never forget. I've described some of those experiences in Argentina in earlier blog entries.

As some of you have just discovered, I've been in Seoul, South Korea for the last two and a half years teaching EFL (English as a foreign language). Basically I got sick of everything back home. My career was in a rut and, high points notwithstanding, I was burnt out on ministry stuff. I was unhappier than probably many people at church knew, and actually quite angry. Although to my closest friends this stuff wasn't much of a secret. Ha ha. Add in personal struggles and failures and you could say a lot was going on in my life. The common wisdom is that one shouldn't move to another city or country to escape one's problems, but in a way that's exactly what I did. However, upon arriving in Korea the Lord surprised me with a relatively fulfilling career and several good relationships. My problems have followed me here--it seems as if they arrived early and waited for me at the hotel--but I'm in a situation where I'm surrounded by several needy people and every day I have an opportunity to try to meet those needs. Ostensibly many of those needs are physical, intellectual or, in the case of many Koreans, linguistic. But closer examination reveals some profound spiritual needs. I don't consider myself a missionary per se (ministry was definitely not my goal in coming to Korea), but maybe a kind of cultural/spiritual ambassador. Being a Western foreigner and speaking a little Korean have given me a lot of open doors into people's lives. And so I have to care for other people and forget about myself for a while.

My current hobbies include listening to music. Especially gospel, indie, jazz, alternative and metal. I'm also a ballad/slow jam freak although I avoid the sexually explicit stuff. Exercising, studying Korean and reading...mostly articles on the Internet. My Spanish has been on hold indefinitely. I study Korean quite obsessively. Don't know far I'll go with it, we'll see what happens over the next few months. Korean aside, other recently developed interests include Western pop culture and contemporary Korean culture. Amateur photography. I also like politics and current affairs, although you'll hear more about those from me in person than on the Internet. During my college years I was really hung up on racial issues. I really wore that stuff on my sleeve. Racial issues are still important to me, but not like before.

Occasionally I get asked about cartooning, which I actively did until about 1993 or 1994. Since then I've done a couple of projects but nothing serious since 2003, when I worked on an in-house children's curriculum for Times Square Church. I miss drawing and I hope to return to it someday, but so far other hobbies have taken priority. I've discussed the possibility of doing some cartooning for my curriculum where I teach and my head teacher loves the idea, but so far I haven't done anything. Although recently I befriended a coffee shop owner is also an artist and interior designer. Last week he asked me to do a drawing for him. Having a black writing pen in my mind (which I always used for drawing, I rarely used artist pens) and using it to do a cartoon sketch awakened a long-dormant feeling that nearly brought me to tears. I haven't yet decided if and how I'll pursue that further. Several people are encouraging me with that, so we'll see.

My Christian faith has gone through several phases since 1993. In the current phase I try to show a lot more patience and understanding with people I don't understand or agree with. I don't mean an ecumenical type of understanding that says "all roads lead to heaven, Jesus is just one way." I mean a practical, day-to-day way of trying to relate to people. Some of my non-religious friends may not understand this or even be put off by my remarks. All I can do is ask you to hear me out even if you don't agree with it. I don't think "fundamentalist," in its proper context, should be a bad word. Hopefully I can be focused on heavenly things but not with my head too high in the clouds to be ignorant of people's needs. I've rubbed shoulders with hundreds of Christians in several different kinds of environments. I've seen things that have inspired, encouraged, discouraged and repulsed me. I've made some good decisions as well as decisions that have hurt not only me but the people closest to me. Lately, the most important things for me are that in my life I'm becoming more like Jesus and that my witness is one that makes him seem approachable and accessible. All of which may seem obvious, but for a long time I didn't really care that much.

I'm in the middle of a two-month long vacation between semesters. Sleeping late notwithstanding, I've kept myself busy with several activities. Those include working out on a more regular basis, a Monday night Bible study, studying Korean and practicing "free talking" with several Korean friends, getting ready for the spring semester, and socializing more than I probably have in my entire life. Recently I spent a few days at my friend Byung-Jin's home in Busan, a port city in the southern part of the Korean peninsula. It was a quiet, relaxing weekend although it was freezing and I mostly stayed indoors. I enjoyed spending time with Byung-Jin and his wife. Lots of laughter, gorgeous scenery and good food. And jokes about my height and eating habits and so on. It was also interesting to observe his life as one of the pastors of a small church down the street. Much of our conversation was in Korean, which was a much a surprise to me as anybody else. The night before returning to Seoul, I stayed up all night on Bying-Jin's computer surfing the net and catching up with friends. I listened repeatedly to the Mississippi Mass Choir's "Having You There" on YouTube. I first discovered this song while DJing at a small radio station in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1993. I remember that time vividly, but this night in Korea of all places, it was incredible to see where the Lord had brought me 16 years later. Having more free time and reconnecting with many older friends has caused me to reflect more on my life beyond my usual navel-gazing process. And I'm good at navel gazing. Having Him there has truly made the difference in my life.

Happy Christmas.

2009-01-05T11:20:00.003+09:00

I'm a little late. Ha ha.

Expect my New Year's greeting near the end of February. Ha ha.

How do you feel?

2008-11-13T23:01:00.004+09:00

Many people, mostly Koreans, have asked me about the U.S. presidential election. Although I do enjoy discussing politics--usually more in person than on this blog--as a rule I never tell people who I vote for. I mailed my absentee ballot and I followed the election closely through online news. I'm relieved that it's over.

Last week I read a column in The Economist that said a vote for either candidate would be a gamble. I agree with this. I had concerns about both candidates, and now I feel optimism and caution at the same time. I think the financial crisis was a good test for both of the candidates.

I vote because I can. Years ago my mother reminded me that we (black people) didn't always have that right. For me it's more of a civic responsibility than really expecting the candidate to change everything.

The race issue has come up several times. I like how this election has forced people to talk more about race.

A column by Albert R. Hunt for Bloomberg News says: "With Obama's presidency, racism and racial inequities won't disappear. Today, blacks earn less than two-thirds the income of whites; the black jobless rate was 11 percent last month, almost double that of whites, and 7 in 10 black babies are born to a single mother. Under the best-case scenario, that will improve only on the margins over the next four years. Nonetheless, the election of a black man facilitates discussions of these issues for people of all races."

I've been amazed at how closely Koreans in Seoul have followed this election as far back as the Clinton-Obama battle for the Democratic nomination. Even more amazing is how many people have favored Obama. Earlier this year several people were asking me: "Do you like Hillary or Obama?" (No one called her "Clinton.") After Obama won the nomination, the question became "What do you think of Obama?" As if John McCain was not a serious option. I had a very surreal experience two months ago when I was chatting in Korean with a taxi driver. He asked me who I was planning to vote for. After politely telling him it was a secret, he went on to tell me how much he hoped Obama would win the election.

And It wasn't until I got out of the taxi that it hit me: I'm in South Korea. I just had a conversation in Korean with a taxi driver who spoke no English. And he shared with me how much he wanted Barack Obama, a black man, to win the election. It was freaky.

The election has received so much media coverage here that the day Obama won I felt as if I was home. Several Koreans, including a couple of total strangers, have congratulated me on his election. I've gotten a few well-meaning (albeit laughably ignorant) comments. A kind Korean professor at my university said to me: "Now you can become a governor." A couple of students have asked me if I was from Africa and seemed a little surprised when I told them I was born in America.

I think all of this is significant if only for the reason that stereotypes of black people have captivated Korea. The election of a black man has made a strong impression on some of my Korean peers. I don't have an insecure need to prove my blackness to people here. But Obama's election has definitely freed up several people to discuss race issues much more comfortably. Race has been kind of a taboo subject for me over the last few years (at least since my more radical high school and college days) and even now I don't want everything to be about race. However, in some conversations I don't even have to bring it up; the other person will do it for me. Yesterday I met my good friends Sang-Yoon and Bong-Seong for lunch and the race issue came up although it wasn't what I planned to talk about. We ended up talking about the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, but it wasn't strange or uncomfortable.

In a strange sort of way race is sometimes a prominent topic of discussion here because of Koreans' own experiences with racism outside of Korea and oppression by other nations, as well as their own ethnic consciousness.

In a recent New York Times column, Maureen Dowd humorously explored the new phenomenon of whites asking blacks: "How do you feel?" To that end, I've become a kind of spokesperson. It's a little strange and I don't feel vindicated, but it's kind of fun.

Some recent pics

2008-10-15T22:32:00.013+09:00

완전한 문장 + Complete sentences

2008-06-12T22:28:00.002+09:00

The following is taken from an online chat with my friend Jin-Bum. I've included some translations in parentheses.

Me: I have a Korean question...which is the best word for "phrase"? 숙어 or 성구?
Jin: What kind of phrase do you mean? Give me some examples.
Me: Well, just "phrase." For my 초급 (beginner level) class, I've been trying to teach the importance of speaking in 완전한 문장, or complete sentences. So I've been giving them phrases to turn into complete sentences...for example, the phrase "where from" should become "Where are you from?" When I introduced the idea of "phrases" in the last class, some of the students didn't seem to understand. I know the word "expression" is translated 표현, but that's not what I want to give them. There's a difference between a correct 표현 (expression) and an incomplete 문장 (sentences).
Jin: What's 성구? You just wrote this and I don't think it's a right word.
Me: I got it from Naver's online dictionary, along with 숙어...흔하지 않는 것 같아요. (I think it may not be common.)
(A couple of minutes pass by)
Jin: Wow. It exists
Me: Yes...I guess what I'm trying to express is an INCOMPLETE phrase...they need to understand this.
Jin: But you know...Do not use 숙어 to explain this.
Me: Yes...How would you express "incomplete phrase" in Korean? Maybe the word "phrase" by itself can't be implied to be incomplete in Korean.
Jin: 숙어 is a set of 단어 (words).
Me: I think 숙어 is best translated "idiom"
Jin: In this case a lot of Korean grammar teachers are using 절...so like noun phrases are 명사절 and adjective phrases are 부사절, but you need to use 불완전한 문장 (incomplete sentence) to explain things you mentioned.
Me: 아...So 불완전한 is "incomplete"...that's perfect.
Jin: was that what you were trying to figure out? 불 means "in" or "un" in front of some adjectives or adverbs.
Me: 맞아요 (correct)...Many English words have implied meanings, but that's less common in Korean. In Korean it needs to be very specific. In English the word "phrase" is OK to describe an incomplete phrase, but in Korean I have to specify that it's incomplete. I think that's why sometimes there's confusion with my students...I recognize the 불 from 불규칙 (irregular), which I had to learn a few weeks ago to explain irregular verbs to another class.
Jin: But "what from" is not a phrase.
Me: In English it is.
Jin: Isn't it just an incomplete sentence?
Me: "Incomplete sentence" is correct, but "phrase" is also OK in this context. If you showed me a Korean verb and subject without the proper markers--for example, 저 수업 계획 짜다 (literally "me class plan put together")--I would understand this as a phrase. It's an incomplete sentence, but I still understand it as a phrase that needs proper markers and conjugation--so the 저 수업 계획 짜다 becomes 저는 수업 계획을 짭니다 ("I'm putting together my class/lesson plan"). So if I give some Koreans something like "where from," I usually introduce it as a phrase that needs to become a complete sentence like "Where are you from?"
Jin: Oh...then here is a point. Most Koreans understand "phrase" as a piece of sentence...so like a subordinated concept of sentence. What you just explained is a phrase can developed to a sentence. So it's just not a set or series of words. So when I saw "where from," I didn't see that as an arrangement of words--a sentence missing something it needs.
Me: That's a good point. Although I wouldn't explain it that way to a group of beginner-level students. But then again, I've noticed that many Koreans seem to understand English grammar rules better than native English speakers.
Jin: Hahaha

Turnover

2008-05-11T09:02:00.006+09:00

A challenge I've faced for most of my life is cherishing my relationships but at the same time holding them lightly enough that so it isn't so traumatic if they change; for example, a friend may move away and so we can't communicate as easily. In some cases, the person may just disappear or just become unreachable for no reason, which has happened to me a few times.

As a teacher of English as a foreign language to adults in Korea, particularly young adults, I've had several opportunities to meet and get to know people. As a foreigner who sometimes lives in a state of perpetual culture shock, this is a good thing. However, many of those people are university students, which results in a lot of turnover. Some of those people are already working and they stay put, but others graduate and move away for work or study abroad. I've experienced this at home in the U.S. as well as Korea, although it's probably a little more common here. Most of the time I'm OK with this, although in a few cases the separation is difficult. Last Friday I said goodbye to my good friend Son Wan-Ryeol. Wan-Ryeol, who just graduated from Hongik University, is off to the Philippines for a few months to work on his English. After that he will study in Europe. As far as I know, that will be an indefinite venture. Wan-Ryeol was one of my students in February 2007 at my previous job. That month I had an unusual schedule in which I only had two classes in the morning and all of the others were in the evening. After my second class I began going to a cafe for breakfast and I would invite students to come with me. Wan-Ryeol, who was in my second class, joined me and we began eating almost every morning that month. Sometimes a couple of other students would join us as well. Most of the time we went to A Twosome Place in Shinchon Rotary and we usually spent a couple of hours there. Most of the time the guys tutored me in Korean and taught me some key expressions.
After that month, Wan-Ryeol and I remained friends and met several times in the Hongdae area where he lived (and only a 15-minute walk from where I lived). We often went to cafes and did language exchange. Later I discovered he liked jogging and so we began to run regularly at the Han River. After I left Shinchon, we continued to meet for dinner, Korean study and sometimes jogging. I often return to Hongdae to work or study in a cafe, and I would often call him up and say "Hey, let's hang out." Over the last year, he's become one of the closer Korean friends I've had.When he informed me a month ago that he was leaving, I decided to try to meet him a few more times to go jogging. So we got together for the last three or four Fridays (cancelling once because of rain). Actually I didn't realize that he was leaving the first Sunday of May; I thought he was leaving in the middle of May. So two Fridays ago we jogged along our usual route to Mangwon, stretched for 15 minutes or so and returned. We met a little earlier than usual, around 5:30, and it was unusually beautiful spring evening. Afterward we ate dinner at a Korean fried chicken place we often went after running. I didn't realize until the end of the evening that in two days he was moving back to his hometown down south. It was probably good that I didn't know this until the last minute, otherwise I think our time could have been melancholy and emotional for me. Of course, I was melancholy and emotional afterward. I almost cried on the way to the subway.

Monday I met Ho-Jun and another friend in the Hongdae area. We went to Sangsabyeon Cafe, which is almost around the corner from Wan-Ryeol's old place and where we often hung out. It felt a little strange to walk around the area and realize he wasn't there anymore. We plan to stay in touch through e-mail, but it's not the same as having him here.I know other people to whom I'm going to have to say goodbye at some point because they're going to move away or I'm going to move away. Some of the people I've befriended at the university are going to graduate and move on. Several people have asked me how long I'm planning to stay here and I really have no idea. If I married a Korean, that might provide me more incentive to stay. If the university offered to renew my contract next year, that would definitely provide me some incentive to stay another two years or so. But it's also possible that I may just get tired of everything and decide I want to go home. Actually turnover has been the theme of my life. My living and work situations have changed constantly ever since I graduated college. A few of those situations I chose to walk away from, however in most cases I was pushed out. All of this causes me to wonder if my long-term life purpose is to be a missionary.

Hi.

2008-05-07T17:27:00.010+09:00

Homesick

2008-02-25T04:27:00.010+09:00

Jet lag has caused me to go bed around 9:30 or 10:00 p.m. (which I almost never do) and wake up at 2:30 a.m. (which is normally the time I go to sleep). Friday night I returned to Seoul from a three-week vacation in my beloved hometown of New York City. I don't get homesick often, and when I do get homesick I don't like to admit it to people. However last Christmas in Korea, as wonderful as it was, I began to ache to walk the streets of New York and to eat in its restaurants, among many other things. So when I discovered that Chang-Woo was planning to travel to New York in February to study English for six months, I decided it would be a good idea for us to travel together. It was three of the shortest weeks of my life. Thursday I left Chang-Woo to stay at my mother's place and explore New York.

Much of my vacation consisted of hitting my favorite restaurants and cafes around town. I also walked around downtown and snapped pictures like a tourist. New York's architecture has taken on a new significance for me after months of looking at identical, nondescript apartment buildings and ultra-modern office towers around Seoul. (I generally don't like either.) I took advantage of the opportunity to buy clothes I can't buy in Korea, as well as several books, CDs and DVDs. Actually I spent way too much money on shopping. My consolation is that some of the stuff I bought I intend to use as resources for my students. I visited my church as well as a couple of the discipleship groups I was once involved with. I greatly miss all of these, even though I know it was time for me to move on. I also visited a few of the offices where I used to work or freelance to say hi to former editors, managers and co-workers. Everyone I spoke to seemed very happy for me. I'm quite happy for myself.

A few weeks ago in Korea I went with Chang-Woo to his hometown of Daegu and spent some time with his parents. It was a lot of fun to have him in my hometown, introduce him to my family and take him to some of my hangouts downtown.

Probably the trip's funniest (or most awkward) moment came when I went to buy some music at Librería Cristiana Esperanza de Vida, a Spanish Christian bookstore I used to often go to when I lived in New York. I had to communicate in Spanish, but I found it quite difficult. Instead of saying "Estoy buscando el nuevo CD de Gadiel Espinoza" (Spanish for "I'm looking for the new CD by Gadiel Espinoza"), I wanted to say "Gadiel Espinoza CD를 찾아요" (roughly the same thing in Korean). When she didn't have it in stock, instead of "Oh, ¿no está aquí?" I wanted to say "아, 없어요?" And so on. It took every last bit of my mental energy to speak to her in Spanish and not Korean.

I met my good friend Eric T. one night at 11 p.m. and we drove around the city until about 2:30 a.m. His mother and uncle were with us. Incredibly his uncle, who was visiting from Puerto Rico and hadn't seen me in almost 20 years, remembered me. I couldn't believe it. Eric took us around the South Bronx, Yonkers and East Harlem, where we attended high school together. It felt strange to ride down East 116 Street, where I walked countless times from the subway to the school building. Although 65 to 70 percent of my high school memories are not positive, this was a very nostalgic moment for me. I do remember my fourth year of high school being much more enjoyable than the previous three and part of me wants to relive those experiences. We stopped at a local cuchifritos place for yellow rice and grilled chicken, among other stuff. It was good to reminisce with Eric. Also, I understood much of the Spanish conversation between he and his family members, which made me feel a little better about my apparently diminished Spanish skills.

I also had a chance to eat dinner with Matthew S. downtown. Matt and I were born two days apart in the same hospital, and our mothers shared the same hospital room. It's not an exaggeration to say I've known him my entire life. Perhaps because we grew up together, it's always a little surreal for me to see him as an adult and chat about stuff like work, travel and relationships.

I didn't study very much Korean, but I did do a little study with Chang-Woo. We spent a lot time at Think Coffee, a really cool cafe I discovered near NYU downtown. I also spent a little more time than normal memorizing vocabulary and phrases, which usually I avoid because it's not much fun. However, riding the subways in New York (which have more delays and less frequent service than Seoul subways) provided several opportunities for spontaneous study. Other than "Are you married yet?" the most common question people asked me was related to my Korean ability. I don't need to rehash where I stand with that, but I had a handful of enjoyable study times. One night I went to Think Coffee alone and studied for a couple of hours. It was one of the highlights of my trip. I showed a couple of friends at church how to write Korean script, and they actually got it. Now that I'm back in Seoul and having to use Korean more often, the relative break from Korean in New York seems to have been good for me.

Aside from seeing family members and old friends, I also saw several friends who work as teachers or professors. It was great to compare our experiences. I also saw several people I met in Korea, including Katie R. (one of my co-workers from my first teaching job who came to New York to be with her fiancee), Yunhee (a former student from last summer, backpacking around the U.S.) and Lian (a Burmese brother who served as a lay pastor at my church in Seoul last year and is now studying at a seminary in upper Manhattan).

I wasn't able to visit with everyone I wanted to, but I was able to enjoy some significant conversations with the people that I have managed to see. It will take some time for me to process everything. And now it's around 4 a.m. and I'm wide awake.

You can see more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastcoasttiger/sets/72157600957035360

Love Me

2008-02-18T15:37:00.003+09:00

Here's a link to a video of a song (not mine) I did last October. A little after the fact, but better late than never. Ha ha.

http://myiwe.com/iTV/?id=911

After you click on "Marc Hogi," it may take a minute to download. Unless you're on a Mac, in which case it won't download at all. Sorry.

Outside of Christ

2008-02-11T13:49:00.001+09:00

"Is there beauty in death? For most, somehow I doubt it. But for One, I know there was beauty—beauty in a defining three-day moment that changed everything. Outside of ancient Jerusalem’s city limits, Jesus’ horrific slaughter on the cross became the center of time and eternity. His death satisfied the demands of God’s holy justice and appeased His holy wrath by serving as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of all humanity, including mine. He did what we could not and lived in flawless rhythm with God, His Father, perfectly obedient and sinless. This means that Jesus’ sacrificial blood is the red carpet leading into the relational presence of God. In God’s eyes Jesus’ perfection becomes ours … and that is beautiful...

"Death outside of Christ is never beautiful. At times this truth haunts me when I relive the heart pounding terror of looking it in the face, peering into an agonizing, fear-centered eternity without love, light, peace, comfort or hope for a better tomorrow. In eternity tomorrow never comes...

"May all humanity see His life giving light, a light that never goes out. We will continue our work until the whole world knows."

Drew Clark, "Crossing Oceans"
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god_article.php?id=7491

Get into it

2008-01-26T02:23:00.000+09:00

For those of you curious about what I do here, the following is an edited version of an e-mail conversation I had with Myung-Ki this week. I polished up some of his grammar, although I left some of the Koreanisms because they make the conversation more authentic. I also made a couple of edits to my own writing.

My exchanges with Koreans aren't always this conversational or detailed; in Myung-Ki's case, he's a good friend and his English level is better than many of my Korean friends and students. But it's still a good example of what I do on an almost daily basis, in and out of the classroom.

The ^^ symbol is the Korean equivalent of the :) symbol that Westerners use. Koreans also use the ~ symbol instead of a hyphen (-) or dash, sometimes liberally.

I didn't plan for my response to be as long as it was, but hopefully you'll find it interesting.

Myung-Ki wrote:

Hi Marc,

How are you?

Since last December, I don't know why I have been so busy. Now it's almost 18 months that I have been in the company. I am sorry for not having time to meet you. Understand me... ^ ^

Actually, in Korea you made lots of good friends on account of your sincere attitude and behaviour. I also like that about your character. ^ ^ I know you also want to meet me. Don't you? Hahaha~~

Anyway, I would like to meet with you before your trip to New York. I wish you will make my dream come true. ^ ^

From February, I will learn Chinese at XYZ Language Academy. It could be challenging for me, but it seems that I am quite happy. ^ ^

It is my lifelong goal, as I mentioned before, to speak four languages.

Even though it takes a long time to get this and I am in a difficult situation, I will deal with this...

What am I saying...hahaha...too emotional...

Anyway, keep me posted regarding your news.

Keep in touch.

Good day friend~

MK

I wrote:

Hey MK,

Good to hear from you...I was actually thinking about you this week.

I have a book on learning 250 common Chinese characters. I can lend that to you if you're interested in checking it out. I'd like to get into it myself, but I've been too focused on Korean and other stuff. Maybe later this year.

Would you like to get together this Saturday afternoon before you go to your salsa class? My friend Kyoung-Ha and I will be hanging out Saturday morning. If he's still with me in the afternoon, we can come to Shinchon and meet you for lunch or coffee.

If Saturday isn't good, let me know about Monday night after you finish work. I've still been spending a lot of time around Hongdae lately.

Talk to you soon.

Myung-Ki wrote:

Please lend me your book. ^ ^ I am really a beginner, I will definitely need this in roughly two months.

"I'd like to get into it myself" was one of the sentences you wrote me.

Is it common? I know the meaning of all of the (individual) words, but this did not come home to my heart.

I think there are lots of meanings about that and the meaning is different (according) to the situation.

Please let me know about that or explain this on Saturday. Bye~

I wrote:

"Get into (something)" is a common expression.

It has different meanings, although they are similar:
Beginning something that you've been ignoring or avoiding (usually a book)
Getting involved in an activity, sport or trend
Becoming interested in an activity, sport or trend

I said "I'd like to get into it myself." That means that you're going to study the book. I'm not studying the book, but I wish I was. YOUR studying makes ME want to study.

People usually say this when a friend tells them about doing some kind of activity. For example:
MK: I've started taking salsa dance classes on Saturdays.
Marc: Really? I'd like to get into that.

My statement means that I'd like to learn salsa dance. Your interest in it makes me interested as well.

Sometimes people express some interest in an activity but do not do it. This is because they don't have the time (or the money) or because their interest isn't strong enough. For example, if my friend does a certain sport, I may say to myself "I should get into that" and never do the sport because I don't have the time or money or because other things are more interesting to me.

For example, I'm interested in getting into dance, public school teaching, fashion design, sewing, graphic design and many other activities. I know I could do these things well and enjoy them. But here are the reasons I don't do them:

I don't have the time. As you know, I already have too many hobbies.
I don't have the money. For some of these activities, such as design or dance, I would have to pay a lot of money to learn them.
Other things are more interesting to me. For example, my language study is more important to me (and my career) than learning graphic design. Tae kwon do is better for me than dance.

If I have a chance to do these activities (in the future) I will, but right now it's not possible. But I still have a general interest in getting into them someday.

Other examples:
My father got me into jazz. (My father helped to get me interested in jazz music, or my father introduced me to jazz music by playing it on the radio.)
I got into tae kwon do as a university student. (I started doing/got interested in tae kwon do when I was a student.)
I didn't get into political cartooning until I was older. (I started doing/got interested in political cartooning when I became older.)

By the way, all the above sentences are true about me. ^^

You were right when you said that the meaning depends on the situation.

A similar expression is "to be into (something)." For example:
I'm really into jazz. (I really like listening to jazz music. For some musicians, this statement means "I really like playing or performing jazz music.")
I've been into tae kwon do for a while now. (I've been doing tae kwon do for a long time, maybe a few months.)
How long have you been into salsa? (How long have you been doing salsa dance?)

Both of these expressions are a little bit informal, but very common. I use them all the time. Many English speakers, especially younger people, use them often.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions.

See you Saturday.

More random thoughts

2007-12-25T09:32:00.000+09:00

Christmas in Seoul has some similarities to Christmas in New York. The lighting and decorations here are over the top; absolutely nothing subtle about them. I've always had a soft spot for over-the-top Christmas decorations (excluding fake trees), so it's pretty cool. However, gift-giving is not common here. Also, Christmas here is considered more of a friendship holiday along the lines of Valentine's Day. To be sure, there are families and wide-eyed children everywhere, but also numerous couples.

I don't have a lot of Christmas traditions, other than listening to Vince Guaraldi's jazz soundtrack for "A Charlie Brown Christmas." There's something about hearing the familiar piano strains of this recording that just puts me in a good mood. Also, in New York I spent a lot of time walking around the city and admiring the sights, and I do the same thing here.

I finished grading Friday afternoon. It was crazy. I set 12 p.m. as my deadline for finishing everything and I only missed it by about 15 minutes. Immediately afterward I set out to celebrate for the rest of the weekend. I spent the rest of that day with Kyoung-Ha, who had the day off work. We did numerous things, among them shopping in Insadong, eating lunch and dinner in Jonggak (which has become one of my newest favorite hangouts), doing language exchange in two different cafes, and checking out the Christmas lights at the Chunggye River in the middle of downtown Seoul. Saturday I also spent time with some other friends including Seung-Bum, whom I haven't seen in a while. I ended up going with him to the river, again. The atmosphere and the crowds at this time are comparable to Rockefeller Center. Saturday night it seemed as if the entire population of Korea showed up.

Last night Chung-Eun, Barry and I attended a performance of Handel's Messiah at the church. It was quite an intense experience, and fascinating to watch as it was all in Korean. Afterward, Kyoung-Ha joined us as we went to a cafe and chatted about cultural and linguistic differences. In the background, young couples sat at tables taking countless pictures of each other. It was really funny to watch. We were there for at least an hour and a half, but it didn't feel that long at all. After saying goodbye, Kyoung-Ha and I realized that we were both hungry, so we went to the 24-hour haejangkuk restaurant near the university before dropping me off at home. I went to bed about 2 a.m. It was a good night.

It's a relatively quiet Christmas morning. Around this time of year I often reflect on the year and my Christian life. I've been rethinking the Lord's calling upon my life on numerous levels. My biggest challenge is keeping Him central at a time in my life when I want to accomplish everything while I'm still in my 30's. This season tends to attract a certain amount of excessive sentimentality and superficiality, much of it on a religious level. Having spent previous years participating in various Christmas cantatas and musicals, this season for me also tends to lend itself to a certain amount of stress. But I also like Christmas to be a time when I renew my vows, so to speak. I've been thinking about the love of Jesus Christ toward man and toward me, and my proper response to that love, which is surrendering my life unconditionally to Him. I don't want to write too much about this until my thoughts become a little more coherent than they are right now. All I can say is that if you don't read more about this soon, please pray for me.

I Celebrate the Day

2007-12-25T08:31:00.000+09:00

I Celebrate The Day
(Performed by Relient K)

With this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know
How much You've touched my life because
Here is where You're finding me
In the exact same place as New Year's Eve
And from the lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I wanna be

And the first time that You opened Your eyes
Did you realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did you know that it would change this world forever
And the first time that You opened your eyes
Did you realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare
The things I've felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back
And think that
This baby would one day save me
And the hope that
That You give
That You were born so I might really live
To look back
And think that
This baby would one day save me…

And the first time that You opened Your eyes
Did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever
And the first time that You opened Your eyes
Did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And I
I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day
Pray for You to save my life
Pray for You to save my life
Pray for You to save my life

http://www.purevolume.com/happychristmas

Random thoughts

2007-12-08T19:17:00.001+09:00

Right now I'm in my apartment, but I began this blog entry on the laptop in a classroom while my students silently grunted and sweated their way through the final exam. In Korea, universities follow an unusual grading method that amounts to a kind of quota system. A certain percentage of students are expected to receive A's, a certain percentage of students are expected to receive B's, and so on. Following the head teacher's advice, I intentionally made the exam difficult so every single student doesn't pass with an A. I've also done it to determine who's actually been listening to me the last few weeks. In a way it feels like revenge. Ha ha.

This has been a good semester, but I'm exhausted from this semester. People often ask me to compare my current job to my previous job at the private institution. The students represent the biggest difference. At the private institution, students paid upwards of $100 a month to take intensive English courses, so there was a certain amount of focus and dedication to study. However, many university students, outside of those majoring in Elementary English Education, didn't come here to study English. The courses that I teach here are required courses. In some cases, students have ended up in my class as a result of failing some kind of English exam. Further complicating the situation is the fact that most of my students are freshmen who, after a lifetime of being worked to death in schools and private institutions, are experiencing their first true taste of freedom. The result of this is that even some of the most intelligent and gifted students are unmotivated and, in some cases, behave like children in the classroom. This description doesn't represent the majority of students here, but it remains a significant enough percentage to make me feel culture shocked all over again. For me, teaching here has amounted to a crash course in classroom management. At times, it feels more like a high school than a university, and at times I've had to be stricter than I would like. I've actually lost my temper a few times, although I'm careful never to yell at students. Although I find that I can get their attention quickly with a surprise quiz or a speaking activity in which I randomly call on students (usually the ones that chat with their friends while I'm lecturing).

I mentioned in a recent post that many students here speak much less English than I'm used to. On a good day, this poses a unique challenge and even affords me a few opportunities to practice my Korean. On a bad day, I feel helpless and lonely and wonder what in the world I'm doing here. Ha ha.

Classroom management and administrative issues aside (I'm not looking forward to grading 120 students next week), I've enjoyed what I do here. At this university there isn't much oversight from the administration other than the dreaded teacher evaluation forms that students fill out, which apparently just can't be escaped in Korea. There is definitely less pressure in the classroom here, and I have a lot more freedom to do what I want. I have several Korean friends and former students who have given me invaluable insight into the Korean student's perspective in an English classroom. They have also helped me adapt some of my lessons to the Korean language and culture. This includes, but is not limited to, translating selected materials for students.

I've had a little time to get to know some students here, among them Hwang Sang-Yoon, not to be confused with my good friend Shin Sang-Yoon. Mr. Hwang and I have gone jogging together a few times including this morning. He's a much better runner than I am, which is actually good for me. It's cool to have someone who's as crazy to jog in this weather as I am. I've also visited his church across town. Mr. Hwang is a theology major, and strikes me as one of the more solid Christians I've met in a while. He being 29 years old and me being 35, I relate to him to a little better than the typical 18-year-old college kid who's never lived away from home. However, Mr. Hwang speaks so little English that generally I have to communicate with him in Korean. He's invited me to visit his hometown over the winter vacation. This will be an opportunity for further immersion in a culture I feel I'm just beginning to discover.

When I first arrived in Korea, I underestimated the linguistic and psychological difficulty that English causes many Koreans. While I believe that anyone can master a foreign language with enough diligence and practice, English and Korean are as different as two different languages can get. I have met a few foreigners who have mastered Korean and a few Koreans who have mastered English, but these are definitely the exception to the norm. In many of those cases the foreigners have done intensive study and the Koreans have lived abroad. I know many Koreans who have great vocabulary skills and can have an extended conversation in English about any topic but still struggle with correct grammar or pronunciation or both. It's not uncommon for Korean friends to ask me something along the lines of: "How is my English? How would you rate me?" Until recently, Korea's educational system has focused solely on rote memorization of words and grammar rules in classes taught by Korean teachers whose own English ability or pronunciation are sometimes substandard. What this all means is that many Koreans who have "studied" English upwards of 10 years can barely have a conversation with a native English teacher and are often fearful of the opportunity. Some Koreans are so locked into a certain way of learning that they actually don't remember error corrections. Korean students aren't stupid, and I've seen people make significant progress, but these are formidable obstacles. In spite of my difficulties with the Korean language, some Koreans have commented that I've acquired the correct pronunciations of their native language much more quickly than they've done with English.

On a few occasions I've gone to a restaurant or cafe with a Korean friend who brought along another Korean friend, and the third person wouldn't address me in English, or would make minimal conversation with me. This is sometimes due to a lack of English-speaking ability, but sometimes it's due to a lack of confidence. In some cases the third person heard about me previously from his or her friend and, anxious to meet the foreigner, asked to be invited--then would clam up or just chat with the inviting person in Korean. I don't think I'm the only foreigner who has experienced this, and it happens more often than it should.

Of course, I wouldn't even bother to mention Korea's educational system if so many Koreans didn't complain bitterly to me about it. At my previous job, I would often tell students: "You're doing fine, you speak well, don't worry about it." It took me almost a year to realize that though my words were well meant, I was actually trivializing a years-long struggle.

On a very small scale, I've experienced a similar frustration with my own study of Korean. I've studied on and off for roughly a year and a half. I can have small conversations in Korean and there are many grammatical concepts and sentence structures with which I've become much more comfortable. I've tried to study and practice a little more aggressively the last few weeks, and I'm a little bit happier with my progress. However, by and large I don't think my Korean ability reflects the amount of time I've spent here. I've often chided Korean students for comparing themselves to one another, but the truth is that it's almost disheartening to me to meet other foreigners who have made much more rapid progress than I have in the same amount of time or less. Many Koreans have complimented on me how well I'm doing when I speak. Sometimes this strikes me as superficial, because when a foreigner in Korea orders food or introducing himself in Korean, I think most of us can agree that it is a rare and unusual sight. Other times I believe the comments are genuine, particularly when they come from those Koreans whom I've had time to get to know and talk with. I do appreciate the progress I've made and I don't think all of my work has been in vain. I have a handful of Korean friends who support me and take my study as seriously as I do; sometimes more so. I tend to be a little self-critical and it upsets me that I'm not closer to my goals. Linguist Steve Kaufmann rejects the idea that language acquisition is affected by a person's age and I agree with this, although I also know that some people are a little more gifted than others. But hard work ultimately beats out talent, and I always try to let other people's progress inspire me.

Namseong is a very different area than Shinchon. It's a little more local. I'd like to say "rural," but that wouldn't be correct because it's not the country. However, it's a little less Western and there are fewer foreigners here. That means that fewer people speak English here, which has afforded me a few more opportunities to practice my Korean. I've also found people here to be quite kind; this is the case with most Koreans anyway, but this area is a little bit different. It's not always exciting, but it's very likeable. I enjoy greeting the familiar people at the local restaurant, supermarket and bakery. More often than not, there's a significant language barrier, but smiles are universal.

That said, I'm still quite attached to the Shinchon/Hongdae area, and I return there at least twice a week to meet friends for dinner or language exchange. Monday night Do-Jin and I met in Shinchon to brave the cold and go jogging by the Han River. It was the first time we've run together since last winter. Our run wasn't over the top but it was decent, and the weather didn't kill our momentum. Today I met Chang-Woo in Hongdae to go to one of my favorite cafes and study Korean. I actually thought of calling Wan-Ryeol to see if he wants to meet in Hongdae tomorrow night to go jogging. I could probably do this kind of stuff every day and not get tired of it.

Koreans often ask personal questions. The most common I've gotten are: Are you married? How old are you? Do you have a girlfriend? What do you think about Koreans? How about a Korean girlfriend? What do you think of my English skill? Does your other Korean friend speak better than me? I generally don't mind them, but sometimes they become annoying. My favorite response to some of these questions has become: "Why do you ask?" This sometimes throws the other person for a loop, as they obviously don't expect that kind of answer. Last weekend Kyoung-Ha and I went to the Mongchontoseong/Olympic Park area (as we've made a habit of doing the last couple of months) to eat dinner at Outback Steakhouse and then to do some language exchange over coffee at Starbucks. This time he invited one of his friends, a grad student in political science. His English was quite limited, but he seemed very excited to meet me. Having already talked about the situations in which the third Korean freezes up and can't talk to me, I was impressed with his repeated attempts to make conversation with me before defaulting into Korean and asking Kyoung-Ha to interpret for him. He asked me some pointed questions about my opinion on the Japan-Korea conflict and other political topics. In Korea I generally don't discuss these kinds of topics with people I don't know well, and I avoided giving him many straight answers. He was passionate about some of those topics despite a disarming smile. At the end of dinner, he made a comment about my neutrality; actually he compared it to walking a tightrope. Which I thought was really funny.

Announcement

2007-12-08T00:29:00.000+09:00

I have a quick announcement for my high school buddy Jeff J. who left me a message recently; your Blogger profile is closed. Please send me an e-mail directly at marchogi@yahoo.com so I can get in touch with you. Your name is too common to find on Google...unlike mine, ha ha.

An update is coming soon for the rest of you. Sit tight. Until then, enjoy the pics.

If he hath called thee

2007-10-20T13:19:00.000+09:00

"If he hath called thee, nothing can divide thee from his love. The wolf of famine cannot gnaw the bond; the fire of persecution cannot burn the link, the hammer of hell cannot break the chain; old time cannot devour it with rust, nor eternity dissolve it, with all its ages. Oh! believe that thou art secure; that voice which called thee, shall call thee yet again from earth to heaven, from death's dark gloom to immortality's unuttered splendours. Rest assured, the heart that called thee, beats with infinite love towards thee, a love undying, that many waters cannot quench, and that floods cannot drown. Sit thee down; rest in peace; lift up thine eye of hope, and sing thy song with fond anticipation. Thou shall soon be with the glorified, where thy portion is; thou art only waiting here to be made meet, for the inheritance, and that done, the wings of angels shall waft thee far away, to the mount of peace, and joy, and blessedness, where 'Far from a world of grief and sin, With God eternally shut in,' thou shall rest for ever and ever. Examine yourselves then whether you have been called!"

Charles H. Spurgeon (1859)

My new gig

2007-09-19T12:24:00.000+09:00

My life has always been unpredictable, but not so much as it has been in the last few months. I'm in the third week of my new assignment as an English professor at Chongshin University in Seoul. It's still difficult to believe that less than a month ago I was still teaching at my old institution. My time there ended on a Friday evening, and the very next Monday I was standing in front of these large classes of college students with different levels of English ability. On a small scale I've experienced some culture shock.

Some people have asked about my previous job. I enjoyed my first teaching assignment a great deal. I got some very good teaching experience and I was able to learn some important things about Korean students and culture related to a classroom setting. I also became friends with a number of students and a few teachers. I still keep in touch with many of them and hang out with them regularly.

However, my institute didn't renew my contract for various reasons, some with which I agreed and some with which I disagreed. My job performance, while good, was not over the top. Also my teaching style may have been too Western for some students. I'm quite aware of my weaknesses as a teacher and I take responsibility for those. But I'm also proud of my strengths and I'm disappointed that I wasn't given another chance. I've had great feedback from many students and I hoped that that would count for something, but it didn't. The other reasons were more abstract and I don't need to go into them; suffice it to say that it was time for me to move on. My managers did recommend me for a different division within the same company, but that turned out to be a dead end. I left on relatively good terms and everyone was excited about my new opportunity. I have great memories and the hiring manager even left open the possibility of hiring me again in the future.

The short story with my university job is that it came through the help of a teacher friend who works here. After doing an interview and a 15-minute "presentation" before some faculty, I was worried that they wouldn't like my teaching style, but apparently they believed in me enough to award me a two-year contract. The timing of everything was so crazy I still don't completely believe what has happened in the last few weeks. I was actually planning to go home in September and start work at a different institution in October.

A friend in New York asked me in an e-mail if I'm happier now. Interestingly, I'm not necessarily happier, although I definitely like my new work schedule and living situation. Actually I've been quite stressed out for the last three weeks. Many of my friends have told me recently: "You look great!" This surprises me because I don't feel great. The transition from Shinchon to Namseong and all of the other transitions have left me exhausted. However, I know that the Lord has been leading my steps and I rejoice in that.

My classes have gone well for the most part. Another teacher friend told me that university students don't always behave, and I'm finding that there's some truth to that. I had to bring down the hammer on a listening class Monday afternoon. Also, the some of the students' English levels are much lower than what I'm accustomed to; at my previous institution, I would normally send a student like that to a class with a bilingual Korean teacher. Here, I'm still responsible for that student; but I'm discovering that teaching these guys is a formidable but fun challenge. I didn't realize how much I was enjoying it until I was describing one of my classes to Myung-Ki while hanging out in Yeouido last night. Whenever I'm talking to people about English or language stuff in general, I tend to raise my voice and talk faster. It's really funny to watch.

Next week is Chuseok (Korea's three-day national holiday, similar to America's Thanksgiving) and I cannot wait for the chance to relax a little more.

Many have asked about my progress with Korean. My Korean has been coming along. My progress hasn't been as rapid as I'd like it to be, but I do have what I call "surprise moments." Yesterday I called Sang Yoon to ask about something and we had a short conversation in Korean before I ran out of things to say and had to switch back to English. I've had similar moments with JeaDo and Wan-Ryeol, who don't always speak to me in English. I surprise them and I surprise myself. Lately I've been worrying less about sentence structure and focusing more on listening practice and memorizing vocabulary. I'm also learning not to stress over my limitations. I've also picked up enough vocabulary and grammar stuff that I can use some Korean in the classroom; although it's not expected or required of me, students love it.

Today is my day off and I'm in the office right now catching up on some administrative stuff. I actually have my own desk, which is also kind of a shock. Later today I'm meeting Ki-Hwan for lunch. The last time Ki-Hwan and I hung out together, we were in a cafe in Shinchon and I was really depressed about my work situation. He's been a great encourager and I'm looking forward to seeing him today. It's raining outside. I'm listening to Jim Chappell's solo piano release "Laughter At Dawn" on my Mac book. Life is good.

Lately I've been updating my photo page a lot. Here is a link to my favorite photos:

http://flickr.com/photos/eastcoasttiger/sets/72157600957035360/

Also, here are links to videos of me singing "My Wait Is Over." There are two different versions of the song, one at the 10 a.m. service and the other at the 3 p.m. service next week. I was nervous on both of them, ha ha. Michael Kang Jr. did a great job learning the song from a raw cassette recording. (Note to Mac users: For some reason these videos don't appear on Macs. You have to watch them on a PC.)

http://myiwe.com/iTV/?id=893
http://myiwe.com/iTV/?id=895

Back to work.

I'm still here.

2007-07-17T14:06:00.001+09:00

At a recent conference at World Cup Stadium commemorating the Korean revival of 1907. This youth group performed David Ruis' "Every Move I Make" and Darrell Evans' "So Good to Me" in Korean. It was pretty cool.

Sang-Yoon Shin. Probably one of the closest Korean friends I have.

I met Chang-Wook a few weeks ago at the Han River and discovered that we both enjoy stretching. For the last few Saturdays we've been exercising in World Cup Stadium Park. Sometimes it gets funny because he speaks very little English. I have an electronic dictionary which we both have to use often, but we've also been able to teach each other a lot of useful phrases.

A few of my many students at Starbucks, celebrating the end of the month.

Another couple of students.

Flowers by the Han River.

So it's been a long time since I updated this blog. I have a lot to talk about, but right now I also have some work to do. However, I recently opened an account with Flickr and I now have a photo page that I have been updating regularly. It's easier to update than this blog. Check it out here:

www.flickr.com/photos/eastcoasttiger/sets

In the meantime, hope you enjoy the random photos. Talk to you soon.

I apologize for the sloppy spacing and formatting. This is a problem with Blogger that I haven't been able to control.

If you're interested in teaching

2007-04-12T08:02:00.001+09:00

I've been back in New York for my vacation, and the in last few days I've met a few people who are interested in teaching in South Korea. Here are a few questions I've been asked and my answers.

This may be of interest to you even if you're not looking to teach, but just want to know a little bit about what I do. Keep in mind that I've only lived eight months in Seoul, therefore my knowledge and experience are limited at best.

So far, how has your overall experience been teaching in South Korea?
My experience has not been easy, but the positives have outweighed the negatives. I recommend it to anyone that is open-minded and flexible. If you're not open-minded and flexible, don't go to Korea.

What do you like/dislike about it?
Likes:
*Living in a foreign country is just cool. I don't often get tired of looking at the people, sights and foreign-language signs. It's fascinating to me. Experiencing another culture is good for your resume and it's good for you.
*Although there is some anti-U.S. sentiment because of the American military presence and the US-Korea free trade agreement (also known as the FTA), many Koreans admire Western culture and will treat you with a certain amount of respect. Some people will be unusually nice to you because the sight of foreigners is exciting to them. Some Koreans I've met are quite ignorant of the world outside Korea (you can expect stereotypes, and you can't be offended by them), but they are genuinely concerned about the impression they're giving outsiders. A group of students were shocked when I told them that some foreigners get frustrated with Korea and end up leaving.
*Opportunities to make friends with Koreans. This may vary depending on where you work, but if you can make a few good Korean acquaintances, they'll do just about anything to make your life easier, whether it's showing you around the city, teaching you Korean phrases, or interpreting for you as you run errands.
*Many teaching jobs have decent salaries and benefits, and the cost of living here is bearable. I've been able to pay down a good chunk of my debt in a shorter time than I expected.
*Because you're a foreigner, many Koreans are quite interested in listening to whatever you have to say. I've discussed everything from politics to religion to social events in the classroom. I've played every kind of role, from talk-show host to motivational speaker to career counselor. Knowing that I'm having a positive, long-term effect on students' lives is very gratifying.

Dislikes:
*Constantly feeling like an outsider. Although I have made some wonderful Korean friends who do the best they can to accomodate me, there are times when under the best circumstances I just don't completely fit in. It's at times like this that I find myself retreating more toward my Western friends.
*The constant staring. Most of the time it doesn't bother me, often it's amusing, sometimes it gets annoying. Many Koreans don't understand that we consider this rude, and you just have to deal with that.
*Not always knowing what people think of me. Many Koreans are not always direct about their feelings or problems, although some will speak more directly once they become comfortable with you.
*Depending on where you work, Korean-foreigner interaction is not expected and is sometimes discouraged. It's accepted at my school, but it's still considered unusual by some (on both sides of the fence). Koreans have a well-deserved reputation for separating themselves and only hanging with other Koreans. Even some Korean friends and students have ashamedly admitted this to me.
*The language barrier. Life in Seoul is quite doable without knowing Korean--there are enough bilingual people and signs to help you with most things--but sometimes it's a little frustrating. I'm studying Korean and making some progress, but it's slow. I can sometimes communicate in Korean and understand what people are saying to me, but there are times when my understanding completely fails me--and it always seems to happen at the most inconvenient times.
*In addition to the language barrier, sometimes when you are eating or drinking coffee with a group of Koreans, they may all begin speaking Korean with each other--effectively shutting you out of the conversation. This happens especially with lower-level students. They usually don't realize that this can be offensive; they do it because sustained English speaking can be difficult and exhausting. For Koreans whose English is extremely limited (for example, my friend Sang Yoon), this doesn't bother me. In most other cases I hate it and sometimes it makes me very angry. I all but rebuked a group of upper-level students after dinner at a restaurant a few weeks ago for yakking away in Korean the whole time. However, this is a part of the culture I have to deal with sometimes, and I try not to take it personally. In some classes, if the students are talking excessively in Korean (which they're not supposed to do), I begin addressing them in Spanish. It initially freaks them out, but they always get the message.

How does it differ from teaching in the US?
This is hard to answer because I haven't taught in the US. However, Korean students tend to be shy and need a lot of motivation to talk. In American classrooms, we are taught to actively engage in discussions, answer questions, smile and make eye contact with the teacher. In Korean culture many of these things are considered rude. When asking a class something like: "Good morning, how is everyone today?" it's not uncommon to be met with an awkward silence. The same applies when asking for a volunteer to read a textbook passage out loud or answer a question. Although some classes are better than others, this is something you will always face. This is where the flexibility part comes in.

Are your students receptive to your teaching style?
It varies from class to class. Some students are afraid of me. Some students have told me that at first they were put off by my voice, because I tend to be a little soft-spoken and monotone--although later they started to like me because I also laugh and make jokes. I use a lot of humor to make them comfortable. I also allow them to ask me all kinds of personal questions. Occasionally I do impersonations of Korean and American pop stars. It's silly, but students love it. Recently a class was able to convince me to sing a few lines of Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush." There's a long story behind that. I've generally gotten more positive than negative responses. I've been able to turn a lot of stereotypes upside down.

What is your teaching style and what training, if any, did you have prior to going to South Korea?
In addition to the above, I encourage students as much as I can and I constantly remind them that they are already English speakers and are simply improving the knowledge they already have. (Koreans are extremely self-deprecating about their English ability.) Pep talks aside, I focus on conversation and I ask lots of questions, especially introspective and philosophical ones. My students sometimes complain that my topics and questions are too "heavy," but I like to make them think. Many of my students are extremely intelligent, even more so than me-- but few of them seem to be accustomed to thinking critically and independently. I don't try to westernize them, but I do like to make them think and express their feelings in English.

I had no training before Korea, and even after starting work I didn't have a lot of training. You just have to be spontaneous and ask lots of questions of other teachers. Teaching came naturally to me, so this hasn't been a big problem for me. Although I'm not very organized and I'm a lousy administrator. I hope to improve this in the future.

Has it been particularly difficult for you to adjust to the culture there?
Yes and no. It just depends on the day.

Are the students interested in knowing about your culture, not just American culture, but your African American culture as well?
Sometimes. It depends on the group. It's interesting to them as long as you keep it simple.

What do you do in your spare time?

Exercise, read, walk around Seoul, hang out with friends and students and other teachers, play guitar and sing, study Korean, contemplate my existence. I used to surf the Internet a lot, but I've cut down on this in the last few months. That's one of the reasons I haven't updated this blog in such a long time.

Do you see yourself doing this again, maybe in another country?
Yes, I do--although I've become quite comfortable in Korea and I hope to hang there for a while. I'm already planning to stay at least a second year after my contract expires this summer. If I could choose one other place, it would probably be somewhere in Latin America.

I've also been asked about racial discrimination in Korea. This is something I will address shortly in a subsequent post.

어디에서 왔어요?

2007-02-19T22:53:00.000+09:00

Sadly, it's the end of a three-day weekend. This weekend Korea celebrates its lunar new year holiday. What that means for a Westerner like me is that we have Monday off work and Seoul is unusually quiet, as many people have gone back to their hometowns. Lately my weekends seem to go by a little too fast. Yesterday and today I went on a 24-hour retreat with my church. It was too short and I didn't get to go mountain hiking like I had hoped, but I still had some fun. Pastor Bill did a great devotion this morning on the Christian life. I've made a few good friends at church in the last few weeks (in addition to Eddy, David and Pastor Bill), and that makes it feel more like home. Life in Korea has not gotten any easier, but I'm feeling much more settled. I hope that makes sense.

I've had a few more opportunities to do music stuff at church. I'm still not ready to do anything on a regular basis, although I feel I'm moving (or being dragged) in that direction. Part of the reason for this may be that in the last few weeks I've become friends with Chung-Eun, the church's music director and a very talented pianist and violinist. He's been an encouragement to me. Part of the reason may also be that I just like playing the guitar and singing, and I'm getting tired of not doing it as much as I used to. Which still wasn't enough, but was more than it is now.

After months of wishing I was exercising more, I have finally been getting back into a semblance of a routine. Two weeks ago Do Jin invited me to go jogging with him on a Sunday night. We met at the Sinchon subway station and went to the Han River which, to my surprise, is closer to where I live than I realized. The weather has been unseasonably mild, which made for a gorgeous night. We crossed one of the numerous bridges across the river and then went by to Yeouido Park to relax and stretch out. I almost died trying to keep up with him, but we had a good workout and a good conversation. We met again last week and it was an awesome workout. By the river we stretched out and Do Jin showed me a few tae kwon do moves. I studied a little tae kwon do in college. Some of what we did was familiar and it brought back some warm memories. I really had a lot of fun. Slowly I'm getting my exercise groove back. I've gone jogging to the river a few times by myself (since Do Jin has been busy with exams and doesn't have much time to run), including tonight since I got back early from the retreat and it was a very nice evening. I'm quite tired tonight, but in a good way.

My Korean study has been getting more interesting. I still don't expect to be able to take any classes for a while, but I have continued with my textbooks and I have met with numerous Korean friends for tutoring--six or seven so far, most of them former students. The most recent was Seung Bum, who actually offered to tutor me on a weekly basis without my asking him to do so. Saturday night we met for dinner and then went to Holly's Coffee. It was a very humbling experience. Here I was in a cafe with a guy that I often used to pick on in class and push to give more detailed responses to discussion questions. Now he was the instructor and I basically let him rake me over the coals. After we went through one of the lessons, he began spontaneously asking me questions in Korean related to that lesson. It was so hard. We went at it for about two and a half hours. I was exhausted by the time we got finished. Actually I'm exhausted after most of the Korean lessons I do with people.

Saturday night with Seung Bum was an awesome and encouraging experience. Afterward we walked around Sinchon for a little bit and sat down and talked at the Sogang University campus. We will probably meet again next Saturday. He gave me homework, and I've been studying away so I can answer his questions a little more coherently the next time around.

Since I've been studying with Koreans and basically letting them teach and drill me, I have a lot more sympathy and patience with my students in the classroom. A lot more.

Some music you should check out

2007-01-07T12:20:00.000+09:00

I had a chance to sing my song "Open My Eyes" at church on the day before New Year's. You can check it out at the following link: http://myiwe.com/iTV/?type=10%20AM%20Worship&id=817&action=display. When you get to the page, click "Offering Music: Marc Hogi." It usually takes a minute to download.

Also, I promised to include a link to my newer version of "Yes, You Are" from November 12. I'm much happier with this version. You can find that here at http://myiwe.com/iTV/?id=801. I've been trying to stop making funny faces when I sing, but I'm not always successful. So you may get a good laugh in addition to a good song. Ha ha. (Note to Mac users: If you have a Macintosh, you may not be able to view these videos.)

I've been listening to a lot of music online, particularly on MySpace and PureVolume.com. Right now I'm listening to Sean Feucht's "Away." This is an incredible song, especially the last two minutes. His bio says that his personal mentors include Jason Upton, and man does it show. You can check out "Away" and three other songs at http://myspace.com/seanfeucht.

I've also been enjoying the alternative bands Turn Off The Stars and Future of Forestry. The latter band includes the lead singer and guitarist from the now-defunct Something Like Silas. You can check out those guys at www.purevolume.com/turnoffthestars and www.purevolume.com/futureofforestry.

I've also been listening a lot to an independent urban gospel singer named Juanita Wynn, whom you can check out at www.myspace.com/juanwynn. "Never Knew Love..." and "What We Need 2 Do" are definitely head-bobbers, while "Where Would I B..." is just a cool old-school soul jam--the kind that makes my heart smile every time I hear it. Check out them horns... I've also been stuck on Fred Hammond's "Keep On Praisin'," which you can hear at www.myspace.com/therealfredhammond. "This Is The Day" is also pretty cool. I've also been listening to a number of worship artists on the soaking.net Web site. I will write more about these later.

My sixth month

2007-01-05T13:30:00.000+09:00

I have somehow found myself in the sixth month of my teaching gig here. In the short amount of time I've been here, I can say without much pretense that I love my job. I also love living in Seoul. That's not to say that life and work have been easy for me. It seems that every two or three weeks I experience another personal crisis. However, this is not necessarily related to the fact that I'm in Korea. My issues exist in spite of Korea, not because of it.

Toby's work schedule has changed and so far it doesn't look as if we'll be able to meet much if at all this month. Fortunately, I've learned how to type in Korean (it's actually much easier than you would think) and we will be e-mailing each other with our language questions. In the meantime, I continue to seek out ways to improvise my Korean study.

A couple of weeks ago I was able to make small talk in Korean with a kind old woman on the subway. It made me feel like I'm actually getting somewhere with all of my studying.

Much of my life here, in and out of the classroom, continues to be a delicate exercise in figuring out Korea's unspoken cultural assumptions. One significant insight I've learned is not to panic when I encounter silence and hesitation in the classroom. I'm learning to better appreciate how difficult it is for students to speak in English in front of a foreigner in a classroom setting. I've discovered through numerous conversations with Koreans that many of them are quite intimidated by speaking with foreigners. This sounds like an unfair generalization, and I wouldn't have written if so many Koreans hadn't told it to me.

The New Year's holiday weekend was particularly nice for me. I was able to spend some enjoyable time with some old and new friends. Sunday afternoon at church I became friends with David, who teaches English in Japan but was visiting Korea for a weeklong vacation. After service we hung out for a couple of hours, and had a very enjoyable conversation over dinner at a restaurant in Myeongdong after church. Unfortunately we got ripped off at the restaurant with a sky-high bill (which doesn't usually happen), but we still enjoyed ourselves. Later that evening, I went to Pastor Bill's apartment for a low-key get-together with a few other folks from church. I took my guitar and a few of us shared songs with each other, some serious and some humorous. We also watched a video of the joint English worship service from Christmas Day (it was more like a concert actually) and a DVD of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I don't watch much TV anymore, and I sometimes forget how much I like certain cartoons. I was laughing hysterically at the rehearsal scene involving Lucy and Snoopy. Everyone else was laughing at me laughing.

Then we watched the countdown on TV just before midnight. Normally at this time of year I'm at a get-together with friends in New York and we watch the countdown in Times Square on TV. It was interesting to be watching it here and hearing a screaming audience counting down in Korean.

Monday I went out to Suyu to visit Samuel (his English name), the music director for my church's 3 p.m. service, with whom I've recently become friends. It's been a long time since I've just relaxed, and I got to do just that at his house. I had a great time out there. A few people have asked me about my New Year's resolutions. I avoid resolutions that I can't keep. I prefer to set goals and make determinations. I guess these are like resolutions, but somehow they seem more attainable. They are many, but the ones I'll mention here are becoming a better teacher, improving my Korean, exercising more and updating this blog more often.

Hello, I'm back

2006-12-17T21:46:00.000+09:00

Life here has been slightly crazy. However I'm loving my job and I've been able to build some good friendships here with Koreans and foreigners. It feels strange to be the immigrant instead of the citizen. I have more respect for immigrants that travel to North America in search of better work opportunities. And I understand a little better why they sometimes tend to keep to themselves to the exclusion of other groups. That's a temptation I try to avoid.

Today I received an e-mail from my friend Steve who is currently teaching in China. He asked me if I had hit what is commonly as the "second phase" of culture shock. Yes, I have definitely hit that second phase. The stares that I receive on a daily basis are now less uncomfortable and definitely more irritating. Sometimes I think I'm really getting settled in and then something happens that frustrates me and makes me wonder what's wrong with "these people." It's difficult not to give in to the temptation to think in terms of me versus them.

It's hard to believe that only a few months ago Steve and I were driving home from a Jinny Kim concert, talking about all of our respective plans for China and Korea, and now suddenly we're out there doing it.

I mentioned that I've met a lot of great people in Korea and I've become friends with a number of students. These types of relationships make this place feel more like home.

Because it was relatively easy for me to get my job, I underestimated the amount of work I would actually be doing. Also, I have never had very good organizational skills and I'm learning on the job how to be more organized. It's a painful process. My performance evaluations have been very good. I've actually had students tell me how much they've enjoyed my class and would like to have me as a teacher again. This means a lot to me.

My Korean has been coming slowly. Studying Korean is difficult because many Koreans are anxious to use whatever English they know. Actually, under the best circumstances Korean is just a difficult language. Fortunately, Koreans are quite flattered when foreigners show an interest in their language, and are eager to help them out with certain things. Many people have complimented me on my pronunciation and penmanship.

Last week I finally began my first formal Korean lesson with Toby, one of my advanced students. When I discovered two weeks ago that he used to be an assistant to a Korean language professor at Sogang University, I was not shy about asking him to do a language exchange with me. He is a scientist and his approach to language learning is methodical but more practical than many Koreans I've met. We use a couple of Korean textbooks that Steve Kaufmann recommended me couple of my Korean textbooks, and we also do some spontaneous stuff. I help him a little as well. So far we've met three times. It's going so well that I often ask myself why I didn't start doing this earlier.

Part of the problem with my language study was trying to do everything myself. This is not inherently bad, but I realize now that I was not spending enough time on the basics and although there is some method to my madness, it definitely needed a little more structure. Basically I've been doing many of the things I criticize my students for doing. Ha ha.

2006-12-02T10:05:00.000+09:00

Hello all, I still love you even though I've been quiet on this blog. I'll post some updates and new photos soon, as well as a link to a better version of my song "Yes You Are."

Keep those e-mails coming. I do read them even though I don't always respond.

"Yes, You Are"

2006-10-30T11:23:00.000+09:00

Lord You are my sufficiency
and you are everything I need.
Lord You are, You're the One
who sent Jesus to die on a cross for me.

And you made me to live
when You breathed upon me
and these dry bones came to life.
And You are my life.
You're the number of all of my days,
I know You are, yes, you are.

Jesus You are, You're the One
who once died on a cross so I could live.
Jesus You are my salvation,
the One who has bought me with Your blood.

And You are the One who shines
brighter than the sun and the stars.
And the day will come
when I will see You face to face.

I'm slightly hesitant to include this link to a video of me singing my song "Yes, You Are" at church yesterday. Fortunately, the lighting is bad on this one, so you can't really see my funny faces--just a silhouette of my lanky self. However, I wasn't crazy about how the song came out. I played a couple of wrong chords, which most people probably didn't notice, but I did. I also tried unsuccessfully to hit a high note toward the end of the song. I should have left that alone. I don't sing as much as I used to.

Anyway, people loved it and so hopefully it will also be a blessing to you. Copy and paste the link below:

http://myiwe.com/iTV/?type=10%20AM%20Worship&id=796&action=display

There is a small mistake on this Web page. You'll have to click on "Hymn 512" instead of "Offering Music: Marc Hogi." Also, a note to Mac users: You may have to find a PC to view this video. For some reason the videos don't seem to appear on Macs.

I also recommend checking out Pastor Bill's message. It was pretty intense.

"Yes, You Are" is what I like to call my "post-9/11" song. After September 11, 2001 it seemed like lots of artists had post-9/11 songs. On that day I was actually on a mission trip in the Philippines, and because of the time difference, I didn't hear about what happened until Wednesday morning (when it was Tuesday night in New York).

Because I was so far away, 9/11 has affected me a little different than the people who were actually in New York, and particularly the people who had to watch the towers come down. I haven't experienced the same sort of shock, although to this day I look up whenever I see a low-flying airplane.

9/11 was confusing for me not only because of the shock at what happened, but also because I was wondering: "Why am I here in Manila and not in New York right now?" I still don't have an answer to this question and I'm content to live without it. However, this song came to me almost immediately while I was hanging out in the sanctuary at Christ The Living Word Church. It was really a song to myself. I had to remind myself of what was most important. Who God is and what He has done are the most important things.

The monthly semester is drawing to a close, and things are slowing down. October has brought some formidable challenges, but it has been one of my best months in the classroom. I'm looking forward to November.

A few of you have asked me about my progress with Korean. I will discuss this soon in my next installment of "Frequently Asked Questions."

More museum pictures

2006-10-22T22:10:00.000+09:00

The above pictures are posted a little bit late, they're from an excursion that took place two weeks ago. For those of you who know my linguistic tendencies, I hope you'll bear with all the Korean script images. Ha ha.

Frequently asked questions.2

2006-10-20T19:01:00.000+09:00

What about North Korea?

I have received a few e-mails from friends and family members asking things like things like "How is the situation with North Korea, are you OK, how are people there, etc." I commented briefly on this in my October 9 "North Korea" post if you want to check that out.

I have some very strong feelings regarding the situation with North Korea. Some of you already know how I feel. However, because this is a public blog, I want to avoid extensive commentary because I don't want my remarks to be misconstrued as political in any way. Of course, most of my opinions are always meant to reflect my Judeo-Christian ethics. I may comment on it from time to time as things develop.

I will at least say that I don't plan to leave South Korea unless foreigners are ordered out. I doubt that it will come to this. If it does, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. In the meantime, I'm trying to enjoy myself and get the most out of my time here.

Me in front of the National Museum of Korea

2006-10-19T15:49:00.000+09:00

Frequently asked questions.1

2006-10-12T15:52:00.000+09:00

I've had a few new visitors to this blog lately, so I thought I'd write some answers to "frequently asked questions." This is not really formal and today I only have time to answer a couple of questions, but here goes.

Are you the tallest person there?

I am not the tallest person here. I have seen many Koreans that are as tall as me and sometimes taller. That said, most Koreans tend not to be as tall as Westerners and so I do stand out in a crowd. Not just for my skin color, but my height. Many people assume I'm a basketball player and I have been called "Jordan" by children on the street. I'm not sure if it's a joke or if they actually think I am Michael Jordan. Other people have admitted to finding me a little scary. One student recently admitted to me that my height scared her. Interestingly, the turning point for her came on a Friday (the teachers' casual day at the school) when she spotted me wearing a Charlie Brown and Lucy bandage on my elbow. After that, she decided that a guy that wears a Peanuts bandage couldn't be all that scary.

So far, clothes here in my size have pretty much been nonexistent, except for neckties. Some people have told me that in the Itaewon section of Seoul I can find clothes and other products for Westerners.

The tables and seats here in restaurants, churches, cafes, trains and various public places are pretty small. And that makes me feel like a giant.

Do you miss New York?

This is a difficult question to answer, because some people who know me may read this blog and think to themselves: "If he's homesick, good, maybe that means he'll be back soon." Ha ha, sorry Mom. Let me put it this way. Recently one of my students showed me a computer slideshow of his trip to New York City. It seemed as if he visited and took pictures of most of the places where I normally hang out, including Central Park, the World Financial Center and even the corner of 51st Street and Broadway (where my church is located). It was an emotional experience. I get emotional every time I see a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge or a subway train.
I visit the New York Times Web site regularly. I listen to a lot of Western (read: English) music online, especially on MySpace. I sometimes listen to sermons online from my beloved Times Square Church. I also keep in touch with friends and family through constant e-mail and, every now and then, phone calls.

However, when I was in New York my career was in a rut and I was very unhappy about it. When I start to miss home too much, I remind myself how unhappy I was a few months ago. There's certainly more to life than career--loving God remains the most important, although I don't always treat it as such--but having a job that I like has provided a certain sense of stability. Living in a foreign country is also a very exciting feeling. One of the most incredible parts of my experience here has been the increasing sense of familiarity.

North Korea

2006-10-09T19:35:00.000+09:00

Hello all, I've been kind of preoccupied for the last few days, even though South Korea just had a national holiday and I had some time off work. I just wanted to post a quick note about the situation with North Korea for those of you that are wondering.

My feelings about the current situation and North Korea in general are pretty complicated, but the most important thing I can say is that I believe God is in control of the situation. I know that's oversimplifying everything, but it remains the most important truth above every other fact and argument and opinion. The Korean peninsula has undergone dramatic social and political change in the last few decades, and that change has not slowed down. I was aware of this before I came here and I didn't let that scare me off.

That said, the thought that nuclear warfare has been tested so close where I live is a little unsettling. But I have no regrets about coming here. Before I left New York a few people asked me if it was safe to travel to Korea. Since I've been here some Koreans have also asked me my feelings on this knowing that many Westerners are panicky over North Korea. I usually respond to everyone that there is no true safe place on this earth. I don't consider myself any less safe here than back home in New York. I commit everything to God knowing that He is directing my steps. Some of you may think of this as overly spiritual, but this is practical.

I will try to update again soon.

A couple of more pics until I write again

2006-10-05T00:31:00.000+09:00

Rest

2006-10-01T23:22:00.000+09:00

Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure
in Him, in Him
For He shields them, all day, all day long
With His love, with His love

And the one the Lord loves
Rests between His shoulders
I can rest, I can rest

My heart is glad, with my mouth I will sing
Of Your love, of Your love
For You will fill me with joy
Joy in Your presence
I am filled with Your joy

Because I'm one the Lord loves
And I rest between His shoulders
I can rest, I can rest

"Rest," by Cindy Rethmeier

Today I had the privilege of doing my arrangement of the song "Rest" at church today. I first heard this song in 1998 off of Vineyard's "I Want to Thank You" CD. It has been one of my favorite songs to sing. After a stressful week at work, this song means that much more to me. You can check out the video here:

http://myiwe.com/iTV/?type=3%20PM%20Worship&id=787&action=display

It's a little bit raw and I messed up a few chords. Once again I had to play J.'s guitar (although this time around I wasn't angry about it). Once again the song didn't come out the way I wanted it to. I also unknowningly made some funny faces. But some people at church told me they were really touched by it. I hope you are too.

Green grass

2006-09-25T13:45:00.000+09:00

Friday morning, another student admitted to being afraid of me for some time because of my height. However, the turning point for her came a couple of weeks ago when she saw me wearing a Peanuts cartoon bandage on my elbow. So the images of Charlie Brown and Lucy did it for her.

Last week was quite busy, not so much because of work, but because I have spent more time with various activities with students and friends. This included dinner with a German gentleman I met last month while visiting Sarang Church. He's married to a Korean, and we had an interesting conversation about Korean culture from a Western perspective. Of course it's all getting old, but we still had a good time. JeaDo and I met in Chungmuro and after lunch at a Chinese restaurant, he took me to Namsan Park. Located on top of one of the many mountains upon which Seoul is built, it offers a spectacular view of the city, even on a hazy day. Sang Yoon took me to a violin/piano recital at a local performing arts center. I'm not generally a fan of classical music, but this was one of the most intense musical performances I'd ever seen.

I also ate lunch Tuesday with a couple of more students, which I always enjoy. Many students that invite me out to eat end up paying for me. That's always a cool thing.

Friday Won Jo, another student, took me to Yoido Park, which I had heard about but not yet visited. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and around lunch time, so there were many businesspeople walking around or relaxing. There were also many children, apparently on day trips. One child pointed at me and said: "Michael Jordan." It was very cute. Won Jo and I sat on a bench and had a long conversation about language learning and other things. This was one of the more enjoyable experiences of the week for me. He recently spent 10 months in the United States and it shows in his English skills although he, like many of my students, tends to be self-deprecating when it comes to his skill. He actually told me that he envied me because I was a native speaker. I have heard this remark from more than one student, and it always amazes me. I envy some of my students for being bilingual, which to some extent I am but not in the way I'd like to be. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, ha ha.

Won Jo agreed to make me some MP3s of him speaking in Korean that I can listen to for practice. I am looking forward to receiving these.

Yesterday I began taking a course at church called "Missions Perspectives." The accompanying textbook, "Worldwide Perspectives," has been a heavy read, but I'm enjoying it greatly and learning about my purpose here. I will write more about this later.

I have been spending a lot of time by the Han River, and I have returned to Seonyudo Park at least three times. The fall weather has held out for a little while, and I'm enjoying as much as I can. Today I'm headed that way again to read he "Perspectives" book and play some guitar.

A couple of pics.

2006-09-22T22:17:00.000+09:00

What am I doing here?

2006-09-17T12:21:00.001+09:00

The Han River (and the Yanghwa area) has become one of my favorite places to hang out. The autumn in Seoul is gorgeous, and I have been trying to enjoy it as much as I can before it starts getting colder. Last night I enjoyed a long walk along the river, but this time I decided to walk north instead of south. People's stares have, for now, become less irritating and more amusing, so I really was able to enjoy myself. Eventually I came to the Seonyugyo pedestrian bridge, which I might have bypassed if not for the fact that it was buzzing with people. I crossed this bridge to a small island containing Seonyudo Park. I think I can say without exaggeration that it was one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen in my life. With it being so close to where I live, I plan to return there as much as I can. Because it was nighttime, many of the visual details were obscured, despite most parts of the park being fairly well lit. I am looking forward to seeing it in the daytime, and I hope to post a few pictures of it on this blog soon.

One of my students threw me a curve ball Friday morning. After we went through a reading passage in conversation class, I proceeded to go through the "language points" list of 10 or so vocabulary words before breaking them into pairs for discussion of a topic. One of my students stopped me and told me that the vocabulary list was not neessary because she knew most of the words. This comment surprised me, because teachers at my school are supposed to go through as many of the language points as possible. I didn't even do all of them at first, but now I've made a habit of trying to go through all of them quickly but thoroughly, which means that sometimes I will use three or four examples to reinforce the meaning of a word or expression. This comment also surprised me because in my performance evaulations from last month, many of my students gave me good overall ratings but felt that my classes didn't follow the curriculum closely enough.

Of course, the most obvious reason for me doing the language points is that not everyone understands all of the words. And unfortunately, when I ask a class if there are words they don't understand, people are often slow to respond if they respond at all. Yet it is obvious that they don't understand everything. This behavior is largely due to the face-saving element of Korean culture. I don't mind skipping the language points if I feel that the students understand all or most of the words. However, this is not always the case. After the student's comment, I asked the rest of the class (about seven or eight students) if they agreed with this remark and they all responded yes. I then said: "OK, if you guys don't need me to go over all of these, I can just narrow it down to the ones people don't understand. Are there any terms on this list you don't understand?" There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, then everyone began to laugh.

The whole experience was disorienting (and a little frustrating) for me, but it has helped me to better understand the highly technical approach that many Koreans take with their study of English. The positive element here that after having encouraged my students for the last couple of weeks to give me feedback, they are beginning to respond. But sometimes it's difficult to figure out exactly what they want.

I have mentioned on this blog how I occasionally wonder what I am doing, in South Korea and in my life in general. Last Wednesday I had one of my more intense moments. Shortly after waking up I began to wonder: "What in the world am I doing here?" By the afternoon, I felt as if I was going to snap emotionally. Sang Yoon and I went to a traditional Korean restaurant, the kind where patrons take off their shoes and sit on the floor. I have really come to enjoy this, despite the fact that sitting cross-legged has never been easy for me. As we chatted, outwardly I was calm but inside I was screaming. As an English teacher and foreigner that is closely watched by locals, I can't wear my emotions on my sleeve as easily as I could back home.

I think one of the reasons Sang Yoon and I have hit it off so well is that we are both Christians. Though our backgrounds and, to some extent, worldviews are radically different, there are some areas where we can relate as if we've known each other for years. I told him that sometimes I wonder, "What am I doing here?" Sang Yoon gave me a response that would help get me through the rest of the day and the rest of the week. He said: "I know how you feel. I asked myself the same thing when I studied in Japan."

Please understand us

2006-09-08T17:34:00.000+09:00

Although I'm working fewer hours this month, I am just as busy as last month. There are two main reasons for this. One is that I have been taking advantage of much of my free time to study Korean and, thankfully, I am seeing some progress. It will probably be at least two or three months before I attempt a basic conversation. My knowledge remains limited to phrases such as "How are you," "Do you have milk," "What is your name," "I want [insert unpronounceable restaurant dish here]," "I am an American," "I want a green tea frappuccino," and the like. However, Korean sentence structure has taken on a new coherence for me, which is very exciting. In some ways, it is similar to Tagalog. My limited knowledge of that language has actually helped me greatly with the Korean. I know that my progress is the result of intensive study and a method that linguist Barry Farber calls the "multiple track attack"--receiving language input from multiple sources. For me, this includes a handful of textbooks and audio CDs. In his "Linguist" book, Steve Kaufmann's Mandarin Chinese study was quite aggressive--perhaps even maniacal by some standards. I have been trying to do the same with Korean insofar as it doesn't interfere with my work or other responsibilities. It's a work in progress. I often set unrealistic daily goals for myself that I don't meet.

The other reason is that I am now taking care of much of my administrative stuff for classes early. I am proud of myself for this and I hope you are proud of me as well.

My classes are going well this month. In one of my conversation classes, a number of the students (some of them a little older) are either involved in mass communication or education. It's exciting to have communication majors there, since I studied journalism. And having teachers there (at least two or three of them are teachers) is a humbling experience for me. I have always had a great deal of respect for teachers.

Sometimes we as Westerners tend to think of foreigners as "extras"--people that only serve to fill the backdrop. Many of my students have strong passions, diverse interests and lofty, sometimes unrealistic, expectations. Yoon Young is a fan of classical music and although his major is very scientific, he has a strong creative streak and has done Web design. A sweet young girl in another class told me that she was a fan of heavy metal music, and expressed disappointment at not being able to attend a local Metallica concert because of work commitments. An older student of mine is a businessman and has given me some fascinating insights into Korean corporate culture. Monday night I'm scheduled to meet another young girl and her friend for a mock job interview in English. She is treating me to dinner. People buying me food is always pretty cool.

I have really been impressed with many of my students, for better and for worse. Some are lazy and undisciplined. Some will apologetically but bluntly admit that they missed a class because they got drunk at a party the night before. Some are only there because their parents have forced them to be there, and they can hardly hide their indifference to the class. Some are accomplished visual artists. Many are wonderful, highly intelligent people. The only reason I am in a classroom in front of these people is that I am a native speaker of English and they aren't.

My school's recruiting director encouraged me in a recent e-mail to think more critically about the students, and I have been learning to do this. This includes checking up on students with attendance problems. This also means being more receptive to their suggestions and expectations.

The staring here from Koreans is relentless, and it is becoming slightly less amusing and slightly more uncomfortable. Sunday night after church I took the subway east to go walking along the Han River, which for me serves as a nice substitute for the riverside walkway at Battery Park City. It was a beautiful fall evening, and it was the first time in a long time I was able to take a relaxing walk in some kind of park area. But there were many people walking or biking around, and the amount of looks people gave me was ridiculous. It was unsettling.

I shared this with Sang Yoon over lunch today. He told me in his broken English that Koreans are "one blood" and have had little contact with foreigners. Therefore, "please understand us."

Me in concert, kind of

2006-09-03T21:16:00.000+09:00

Thought you all might like to watch a couple of video clips of me singing at church recently. Sorry, no Korean...

"Beautiful"
http://myiwe.com/iTV/?type=3%20PM%20Worship&id=688&action=display

"All I Need to Know"
http://myiwe.com/iTV/?type=10%20AM%20Worship&id=687&action=display

On both pages, click "Offering Music," and be patient if it takes a minute to download. It seems to be working on most computers.

For those that are wondering, "All I Need to Know" is an original. "Beautiful" is a Vineyard UK jam written by Sam Lane. One of my all-time songs to sing.

Sorry to scare you

2006-09-03T20:36:00.000+09:00

OK, OK, OK, I'm updating my blog now--for those of who have reminded me that I haven't done so for a few days. (Sorry, Mom.)

Last week was significantly slower. This was a good thing, as I was grateful for a chance to breathe. Thursday was the last day of class for the August semester. Typically teachers take their students to a cafe (usually the Starbucks next door) or a restaurant. I went to the Starbucks with two different groups of students. Both times I drank an extremely overpriced green tea frappucino. One of my students paid for the first one, which made the second less painful.

I mentioned in a previous post how I was surprised at the opennness with which some of my students speak under the right circumstances. One of my writing students admitted to being afraid of me at the beginning of the semester. Ha ha. Not the first time I've gotten a comment like this. What's funny is that comments like these are not limited to Koreans. I've been hearing this for years from people who have gotten to know me. They tell me the truth once they're comfortable enough to tell me so. Recently I've become friends with Sang Yoon, a Korean who teaches Japanese at my school. (There are Japanese classes in addition to the English classes.) Sang Yoon's English is quite broken. A conversation with Sang Yoon is often a humorous case study in improvised communication on his part and mine. However, over dinner last Wednesday he was able to tell me, in so many words, that his initial impression of me was that I was, surprise of all surprises, "angry."

I'm sorry that my appearance scares people. Fortunately, there is hope. One of my students sent me the following e-mail (which I have edited a little bit):

"First of all, I really enjoyed your class this month. Thank you! :) You are so gentle and a nice teacher. I'm sure that you will have a good time in Korea as an English teacher.^-^ I'm a Christian and I was very proud of you in our class. You were very nice to all, you showed a sincere christian to us. I was impressed with you. I wanna have a great influence as a Christian like you!"

I make it a point not to preach at students in the classroom, because I'd rather people see my faith through my example. What encourages me with this note is that people can see that in me.

Right now I'm listening to the live, piano-only version of "Life Worth Living" off of Antonio Neal's MySpace page. It is absolutely incredible. I will be upset if he doesn't make it available to buy someday.

Beautiful

2006-08-28T13:07:00.000+09:00

After a hectic week, things are slowing down and the semester will be over by the end of this week. Friday afternoon I was chatting with some students and explaining American perceptions of Koreans and Asians in general.

For example, I explained how the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul put South Korea on the map for many people. I was a teenager at the time and, probably like many Americans, I had never heard of South Korea. I also explained how many Americans knew nothing of North Korea until President Bush referred to it directly in his infamous "axis of evil" remark in a 2002 speech.

Although these were fighting words and, in my opinion, not well thought out, it's probably a good thing that a few more people throughout America and the world are a little more aware of North Korea's existence and, hopefully, its humanitarian abuses. Personally, this concerns me more than the nuclear threat (which I don't deny, but which I think is wildly overplayed). The thought that I am living and working less than an hour's drive from the world's worst authoritarian regime is very unsettling. I sometimes look at the gorgeous mountains that surround Seoul and I think of North Korean refugees braving the elements to make it to the South Korean or Chinese borders.

I've read that it's not wise for expatriates to discuss political issues with the locals, and I try to follow that rule. I didn't share with the students what I just wrote in the previous paragraph. But it does amaze me how many South Koreans seem indifferent to what is happening in the north, while giving credence to the concept of all Koreans on the peninsula as one race. Some of my students have confirmed this.

I also discussed foreign languages with the students and explained how foreign languages are slowly gaining in popularity in America due to globalization, immigration and travel. However, languages with different character systems (like Korean, Arabic or Chinese) are often imposing. These languages look more art to a native English speaker than actual text. This was a totally new concept for my Korean students. One of them said to me, in so many words: "So to an American, reading Korean is like reading code." That's a great description.

I also discussed how Americans tend to lump most Asians in the same category. This is less common in coastal cities with larger Asian populations, like New York and San Francisco, where people have more contact with Asians. However.
One of my students traveled once to New York and met a gentleman who asked her if she was Japanese or Chinese. She was hurt that not only did he not recognize that she was Korean, but the possibility of Korea hadn't entered his mind. (Although, to be fair, this particular student actually could pass for Japanese.) When many Americans (myself included) think Asian, the first country that comes to mind is China, with Japan a close second.

Yesterday I sang for four separate services in different part of Youngnak Church. Youngnak Church almost functions as a compact office complex, with numerous services taking place simultaneously in different rooms and buildings, so I sang in three different locations. Two of those services were with Korean youth congregations. The Korean song I sang came out better than I thought it would. Afterward, giggly Korean teenagers were approaching me to shake my hand and try to chat in broken English.

The English service, in the last location, was a humbling experience. My guitar is somewhat and the built-in amp is broken. Because of this, I usually put a pickup in the sound hole when I'm singing in a church or building where sound amplification is needed. However, because of a lack of equipment this particular Sunday, there was no place to plug in my pickup--which meant I had to play someone else's guitar.

I've read that an unfortunate side effect of culture shock is the occasional outburst of anger over trivial matters. I generally do not like playing a guitar other than my own. J's guitar, which I ended up having to use, was a round back model. Round backs have their loyalists, but I am not one of them. For me, playing a round back is like being punished for my sins. Additionally, J's English is not that great, so we had some mixed signals as far as how to plug in my guitar and, eventually, using his. The short story of all of this is that by the start of service time, I was very angry. I was smiling and laughing, but I was not happy. I struggled throughout the service to get myself in the right frame of mind. When it came time for me to sing following Pastor Bill's sermon, the microphone stand I was supposed to use decided it didn't want to stay straight anymore. So for 60 eternal seconds Pastor Bill and I fumbled with it and eventually ditched it for another one. When I sang the song, Sam Lane's "Beautiful," I sang it with as much heart as I could, but I did not like the sound of the guitar at all. The strings didn't ring the way I expect strings to. They sounded muted and I thought I was going to pop one any moment. I didn't like the way the guitar felt. I don't like round backs. I will never like round backs. The day I begin to like round backs is the day that the world is coming to an end, because it will truly be a sign and wonder. It was a moderately uncomfortable experience, and the song came out differently than I had intended it to.

The humbling experience came after the service when people, most of whom had never before heard me sing, approached me to tell me how much they loved the song. Pastor Bill told me he was in tears. Apparently the only one who noticed the wrong guitar tone was me. I thanked J. for letting me use his guitar and asked him how it sounded from the congregation. His response: "It sounded beautiful, and I thank God because of the beautiful Jesus in you."

Administrative work

2006-08-24T22:32:00.000+09:00

I don't have much time to write, but I just wanted to say hello to all of you who pop by this blog. This is the third week of my school's monthly semester. The third week is typically the busiest, as exams and grades are administered. I will be up very late tonight grading papers and taking care of some other administrative stuff so I'll actually be able to enjoy my weekend. This week has shown itself to be an emotionally difficult time, as I (and all of the other teachers) have had to fail the random student that has performed poorly or skipped too many classes. A couple of teachers have reminded me not to get too attached to the students.

Being 34 years old, and most of my students being college age, I tend to view them as children. I treat everyone like adults, but I often observe the younger ones and I am reminded of my teenage and college-age years. I then realize what an indifferent, wasteful, self-important moron I was during most of that time. I sometimes find a strange sort of paternal instinct and concern for these students rising up within me. Which is no doubt a sign that I need to get married and have some kids.

I'm learning very quickly that administrative work is less a matter of difficulty and more a matter of time management. A Korean friend today asked me if my job was difficult. My job takes up many hours a day and sometimes the workload is insane, but in a practical sense it's really not a difficult job. I'm not always a big multitasker, but I am learning a lot about time management. This is part of the "learning curve" I described previously. My mother has gotten on me recently about time management, or my lack thereof. I am going to have a long list of things to do differently when the next semester rolls around in September. I am actually very anxious for this time. It will make the difference between me working endlessly and having some free time to study Korean, build friendships and enjoy my life here. This semester is going to drive out many of procrastinator tendencies. I'll spare the details as my director may stumble upon this blog. Ha ha.

I've been surprised by how much I've missed New York the last couple of weeks. When I go to sleep at night, I often wake up thinking I'm still in New York. I sometimes have visions of walking around Central Park or singing in the choir at TSC. I miss doing chores at home that I despised. I almost miss dealing with people that annoyed me. I miss the frenzied pace at which many New Yorkers walk. For the most part, Koreans don't walk very fast. They walk quite slowly. This has been a surprise to me, considering the size and bustle of this city. (Although a notable exception to this is the Korean old lady that aggressively pushes you out her way in a geriatric sprint toward a closing subway or bus door. My Korean musician friend Koo Chung warned me about this before I left New York. Everyone here seems to be used to it, and I don't take it personally.) Also, many Koreans tend not to watch where they're going in crowded areas. At least in Shinchon. The result of all of this is that I often bump into people and sometimes I almost knock them over.

I have become resigned to the homesickness, although I hope it goes away soon. A few friends who have lived or studied abroad have told me by e-mail that what I'm experiencing is normal and that it can be overcome. I often have to remind myself of how unhappy I was a few months ago. I also remind myself that for the first time in years I actually have a regular job. And that makes me a little bit happier.

Eyes on the prize

2006-08-19T13:47:00.000+09:00

I'm sitting in the library at Aviation University, about a 20-minute bus ride from Shinchon. This campus is small and isolated. This area is quite rural, though it's such a short distance from the city. The quiet location reminds me of Morrisville College, which I attended for two years in upstate New York. The buildings are very modern, so this may be a relatively young insitution. I've come out here with Yoon Young, one of my students, who is a chemical engineering senior and has a pretty busy schedule, including 10 hours of study just for today. I'm using his laptop while he's attending a two-hour English resume-writing class in the next building.

The Korean workaholic concept is more than just a stereotype here. Many of these folks work like crazy, whether they want to or not. One of Yoon Young's friends just told me over lunch outside that the TOEIC English exam, which virtually all Korean students wanting a good job must take, focuses strongly on the technical aspects of grammar but does not function as a accurate measure of the student's actual English-speaking ability. He said, in so many words, we're studying, but we're not having enough opportunities to speak. I agree with this young man (whose spoken English, by the way, was impressive), but how do I begin to respond to something like this?

Yesterday after one of my writing classes, one of my favorite students told me very plainly how she found the writing assignments cumbersome and boring and, subsequently, was having some difficulty motivating herself to do the work. Her remark surprised me as she is one of my best students and her essays are better than most of those I've had to grade. I don't know if I agree that the assignments are that difficult--then again, being a native English speaker, I might not have an accurate concept of how difficult the assignment would be for the students. I do agree that some of the assignments are not very exciting. However, being a representative of the school at which you teach, you have to watch you say and what you agree with. I told her that the best way to motivate herself was to remember her goals of English fluency and to always be mindful of those goals when having to walk through the rudimentary elements of learning a language, which are seldom exciting for most people. This is the way to motivate myself with Korean, which frustrates me on a regular basis. Steve Kaufmann has written about the importance of visualizing oneself communicating fluently in the target langauge, however far off that day may be. It's basically keeping your eyes on the prize. That works for me.

I find that I often refer to my own Korean study in my classes--for example, I'll say, "When I'm studying Korean, I do ABC and XYZ, and in same way you should do ABC and XYZ with your English study." My students, who are often shocked that I would even have an interest in learning Korean, really respond to this type of thing. It's not that I necessarily want to talk about my study and my activity all the time with students, but it definitely seems to motivate them.

Right now I'm supposed to be grading papers and I'm still typing away, ha ha. The reason I started this blog entry was because while checking my e-mail I was pleasantly surprised to receive a message from a family in Pennsylvania with whom I haven't communicated in a few years. A mutual friend of ours informed them of my venture, and they visited this blog and responded to my post yesterday about my crisis. It was such a wonderfully encouraging message that I'd like to reprint part of it here. Much thanks to the Hageman family...

"The crisis thing is thoroughly understood. The best way to combat this (I've found) is to exercise faith in (the fact) that you're walking in the Lord's will for your life, and that's all that He requires.

"You can't look around at what others have or are experiencing at your age or it'll cause some emotional suffering. Keep your eyes fixed on what the Lord has provided! It's what He wants you to have right now.

"Another weapon to use against this type of crisis is to keep in mind that this life is only a temporary thing--much like your stay in Korea (unless the Lord's will would be ultimately for you to stay there). Our real home is spending eternity in heaven, so your labors of love for the Lord are going before you and your retirement plan is truly OUT OF THIS WORLD.

"We'll be praying that the Lord will help you rest in His will for your life. Keep your eyes fixed on Him! He's the same yesterday, today, and forever!!!"

Wonderful. Back to work...

Random thoughts

2006-08-18T15:03:00.000+09:00

Listening to cool music online has been a good coping mechanism for me here. Some of my regulars have included Sufjan Stevens, Underoath, Becoming The Archetype, Zao, David Clifton, The Burn Band (featuring Vineyard UK's Sam Lane, one of my musical heroes) and Mary Alessi. Some of you may be scratching your heads and wondering how this Marc Hogi guy can mention folk, metal, emo, modern worship and gospel artists in the same sentence. You'll get used to it.

Currently I'm listening to "Breathing New Life" off of Todd Benjamin's MySpace page. A very simple song musically, but man has it gotten hold of me. Benjamin sounds something like a baritone version of Jason Upton. I can't stop listening to it. Unfortunately, "Breathing New Life" is the only song there and the page doesn't offer much information about him or his ministry. I hope this guy releases a CD soon.

Not all things in Korea represent a culture shock for me. The most obvious is city life itself. I am a city kid, so walking and taking public transportation are very normal to me. This is not so with some Americans who come from areas where everyone owns cars. Having spent two years in upstate New York and four in Alabama while in college, I certainly understand the necessity of a vehicle in an extra-urban context. However, when I hear the occasional expat complaint about having to walk everywhere or take the subway, inwardly I'm rolling my eyes and saying: "Puh-leeze."

Even the housing manager at my school apologized for my apartment being a 15-minute walk from the school. As if I'm supposed to have a problem with that. Although the humidity here makes things relatively miserable, I appreciate the sights and sounds of my walk to school. I also appreciate the exercise, as I have to climb a steep hill both ways. I particularly appreciate this after dragging myself out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for work. Maybe it will bother me more when winter rolls around.

The learning curve at work has caused me a great deal of stress. I take comfort in knowing that thousands of other teachers have walked this road before me. There's also a distinct possibility that I'm overreacting again. When I share some of my problems with the other teachers here, it doesn't seem to be a big deal to them.

I can't believe my August 12 birthday came and went so fast. How is it August 18 already? Anyhow, birthdays tend to inspire reflection and introspection, two things I'm very good at. However, I've found myself in the middle of another emotional crisis. I experience an emotional crisis every two to three weeks, but it's not usually as intense as has right now. I'd like to share all of the details with you right now, but I won't be able to do so without babbling incoherently. I suppose I can say that being almost halfway through my thirties, I often struggle with the feeling that my life is passing me by. The sense of responsibility for my life has become overwhelming. Yesterday I went by the church to meet with Pastor Bill for what I thought would be a hourlong conversation. Our talk very quickly became three hours, and I'm still reeling from much of our exchange. Even though he doesn't know me that well, he was still able to speak some very relevant concepts into my life with regard to many areas, among them spirituality, accomplishments, goals, shortcomings and career. It was an enlightening experience. It was also very painful.

I don't speak of "taking responsibility" in the sense of not depending on God, but more in the sense of fulfilling my God-given responsibilities instead of making excuses and waiting for someone else to do it for me. One of my responsbilities is learning total dependence. What has happened since I've been here is that my habits and worldview have not changed much. There are positives and negatives to this, and those of you who know me will know what I'm talking about. I wasn't under some delusion that flying over here was going to change who I was, but sometimes I sit back and think: "My goodness, am I this unchanged?"

I've had a couple of opportunities to eat with some of my students outside of class. Tomorrow I will be joining one of my students to go to the library. He will be studying all day. I don't plan to be there all day, but I will be studying as well. And getting caught up on grading papers.

I've had a revelation with the Korean language. If I study regularly, after a while some of this stuff actually begins to make sense.

I've gotten a lot of cool e-mailed comments from friends and family since I've arrived here. I may copy and paste some of them here sometime. I don't always have time to respond, but I do read everything. Keep them coming.

Hi.

2006-08-16T11:00:00.000+09:00

Yes, I'm still here. I'm just a little busy today.

Pentecostals, Presbyterians and progress

2006-08-13T20:48:00.000+09:00

Sometimes my progress in Korean, though not as rapid as I would like it to be, is a little better than I've thought it to be. I have been making a habit of writing new words in a notepad in hangul. Before I came here, a Korean-speaking colleague advised me to just learn the hangul and not rely on English romanizations of Korean words. I've found this advice very useful. Since I can at least read hangul and pronounce words, as opposed to not understanding it at all, I actually find it more convenient to learn a word. The only time I really depend on romanization is when I'm looking up words in my Korean-English dictionary, and even then I try to keep that dependence to a minimum. Also, having a chance to read hangul here in so many different types of fonts has helped me "discover" my handwriting. It's been freeing to not have to write hangul exactly as it appears in my textbooks, which I have found difficult and actually not very enjoyable. I can now write more simply and know that my writing will be understood. Once I write the words, I show them to Korean friends to make sure I've done them correctly. I don't consider my Korean penmanship very good, but everyone has complimented me and some have gone so far as to say that I write better than they do.

One of the teachers got me a copy of a textbook that follows one of the many local Korean courses at the universities here. I would write the title here, but it's in Korean and I may butcher it by trying to romanize it here. Though I plan to focus on self-study for a few months before taking formal classes, this textbook is excellent. It’s exciting to have access to materials that I wouldn't have been able to find back home. There are some aspects of Korean sentence structure that are slowly becoming coherent. This could not happen at a better time. Nothing gives me momentum like a little progress.

Today I visited the 10 a.m. IWE (International Worship in English) service at Youngnak for the first time. All of the services I've visited so far have been at 3 p.m., which is more "contemporary." 10 a.m. is more "traditional." Pastor Bill preached a powerful message about imitating the character of Christ. Being in a Presbyterian church has amounted to a strange cultural shift for me after being in a more charismatic church setting for so many years. Pastor Bill's hospitality and help have played a great part in me joining myself to IWE/Youngnak. At times it's a little quiet for me, but as I sat in the back while the group sang out of hymnals, I had strangely warm memories of my teenage years when my parents dragged me to a Presbyterian church in New Jersey every Sunday. If my father was alive today, he would probably be overjoyed to see me attending a Presbyterian church instead of one of those crazy Pentecostal fellowships. Ha ha.

Connecting

2006-08-11T13:21:00.000+09:00

Yesterday I had a semi-formal meeting with the CEO of my school in Kangnam. It turned out to be relatively painless, and she and another administrator seemed very impressed at my interest in learning Korean. Afterward I stopped by the recruting director's office to say hi. He asked me how my teaching experience was so far and I told him: "Pretty good." His response: "Pretty good? Not fantastic?"

The reality is that my first few days here have represented a steep learning curve. Fortunately Monday and Tuesday are vacation days, and I'm looking forward to getting caught up on the administrative end. I am also learning to get more sleep. My good friend Cesar C. in New York, who once taught ESL at an Asian refugee camp, got on me in an e-mail this week about my sleeping habits. Those of you who know me may chuckle when you read this or shake your head, or both.

In spite of the learning curve, I seem to have connected fairly well with my students, which was one of the most important things to me. With a couple of exceptions, I've had very positive experiences with my students, much more so than other teachers I've heard about. I think my appearance and background definitely work in my favor. Koreans are star struck when I tell them I'm from New York City. They are also amazed when I tell them I don't play basketball. They are even more amazed when I tell them I don't drink. Drinking is a big thing in Korea. I think in a general sense, the students find me somewhat intriguing. A couple of students have invited me to lunch or dinner. In turn, I have started to invite students out for additional English tutoring, language exhange or other activities. I hope I don't get in over me head as I begin to do this.

Some of my experiences have been quite humorous. My favorite from this week occurred in a lower-level class when a very sincere student asked me: "Teacher, you don't drink at all?" No, I don't, I told him. He then pointed to my hand and, referring to my skin color, said to me in so much broken English that he thought that all people like me drank alcohol. He then commented how "gentle" I was.

Though the environment at my school is much more socially progressive than I thought it would be, Koreans' contact with outsiders remains limited and so stereotypes abound. I didn't travel here with an agenda to change the world, but I think I have turned a number of stereotypes and perceptions upside down. A student asked me this morning if I carried a gun in New York, presuming New York to be an extremely dangerous place. I explained to her and the rest of the class that people outside of New York view New York as a very dangerous place the same way that people outside of Korea view Korea as a very dangerous place. South Koreans generally do not worry about what's happening in the north, and most New Yorkers, though jittery over the threat of terrorism, don't obsess too much over their personal safety from day to day. It's very gratifying to explain a concept to students and watch their eyes light up as if to say, "Oh yeah, that makes sense."

I teach approximately 50 students a day, which represent seven class sessions and three curriculums. This has proved convenient, as I can do a lesson with one class and then improve upon that lesson in the next class following the same curriculum.

I've also become much more comfortable with speaking in front of the classes. When I'm forced to improvise a lesson, no one seems to notice. I've also learned not to fear the "silent times" when students seem quiet and unresponsive. This occurs most often with the lower-level students, and reflects the influence of a culture in which excessive speaking is viewed as insubordination. After pairing them up for discussion and conversation, it's not too hard to get them talking. And I have been surprised at how openly my students will discuss politics, economics, stereotypes, relationships, parental pressure, and the things they dislike about their own country.

I turn 34 on Saturday, and today one of my classes surprised me with a birthday cake and a box of cookies. I've been asked my age a few times and people are surprised when I tell them I'm 33 (or 34 in Korean age). I would think that the prominent gray hairs in my goatee would give me away, but apparently they don't. That's pretty cool.

A couple of giggly adolescent students have not been very shy in showing their infatuation with me. One particularly giggly student found me "cute." I find this sort of thing simultaneously flattering and unnerving.

HELLO.

2006-08-07T15:51:00.000+09:00

Good grief. I've only been here two weeks and already I have an insane workload. But it makes the day go by faster. I teach a lot during the day and then I have to prepare lessons and grade papers, and then all of a sudden it's 11 p.m. and I haven't eaten dinner yet.

I went back to the immigration office in Omokgyo to pick up my alien registration card. I didn't get lost this time, and I'm very proud of myself for that. However, I still get lost when trying to take a shortcut from my apartment to the school. And Sunday afternoon I almost got lost in the subway station at Euljiro on my way to Youngnak Church, even though I've been there five times already. The subway stations here are humongous, and it's easy to miss one's exit amidst the jumble of signs.

Speaking of signs, there are a lot of them everywhere I turn. Though a few are in English, the majority are not, and that can become very disorienting after a while. Even though I don't know what most of it means, I can at least pronounce the hangul script. So I'm learning to fight the confusion by reading every sign I see out loud. It's a good coping mechanism, and educational too.

Saturday night I met with Pastor Bill at the church and we had a good conversation. Afterward I took the subway to Kangnam to meet my friend Ed C., another newly arrived teacher, for dinner. On the fairly crowded I was standing and reading a Korean grammar book one of the teachers lent me when all of a sudden a 6-year-old came up from behind, stood in front of me, and said in a loud 6-year-old voice: "HELLO." He then went back to his parents, then came back a second time and said: "THANK YOU." He then went back to his parents, then came back a third time and said: "I'M KOREAN." Everybody on the train was cracking up. I came close to cracking up too.

Slowly I'm making friends here, including some musicians. After repressing my musical sensibilities for a couple of weeks, I feel like I'm ready to get back in the groove.

2006-08-03T22:42:00.000+09:00

Bilingual

bl, true Christ is the ultimate expression of "hardcore". but blast beats and breakdowns are what i'm talking about. i just want something to keep me awake while i work. law firms can be pretty dull

--From the "Comments" section of Relevant TV's Web page, referring to Christian hardcore music

Today I got lost again, this time in an area near Euljiro. I was looking for the park that Grace took me to Sunday evening, and I wanted to attempt a more direct route than the roundabout way we took. It wasn't pretty. I rode the subway to what I thought was the nearest station. But as I got out and walked around, I noticed that I was in a neighborhood I had never been in before, and Namsan Mountain was far away. Too far away. I had to ask directions from three different people along the way. I had to get back on the subway and take it to the stop by Youngnak Church. I came out of a totally different exit, and so I was still lost. The last guy that helped me, I approached him and asked him in broken Korean where the church was, that being my only landmark. He responded to me in broken English. Turned out I was two blocks away. I ran into Pastor Leon and another gentleman who apparently didn't speak much English. However, he offered to buy me an ice cream bar at a mini mart next to the church. That was pretty cool. I listened to spoken Korean in my headphones to try to redeem all of this time I was spending walking around aimlessly. By the time I got to the park I was a little bit tired and ended up not spending as much time there as I had planned.

From my observation most Koreans are not bilingual. Many Koreans I have met do not speak any English. There's a street vendor near the school that sells fried seafood, and I've stopped by a couple of times to buy my lunch. I order in broken English and point at what I want. I also hold up four fingers to indicate that I want four of those fried thingies. The woman at the stand speaks no English, yet barrages me with questions as if I'm supposed to understand her. I though my hand signals were simple enough, but apparently she needs all forms of clarification. I look forward to a day when I can actually understand her. She looks annoyed when we try to communicate. I just continue smiling and saying "Ne" ("Yes") until I get what I want.

Monolingual Koreans notwithstanding, I've been impressed at the number of people here who speak at least some rudimentary English. Even the lowest-level students at my school can express themselves fairly coherently, if not eloquently. It amazes me because Korean and English are radically different languages. My study of Korean has been an uphill battle. It's sometimes hard for me to imagine so many Koreans exerting a similar effort to learn English.

It's 10:46 p.m. I'm in a "PC bang" ("PC room," or Internet cafe) getting ready to type out my syllabi, which I realized should have been done already. I also have to do some lesson plans. My first three days represent a work in progress. I have a steep learning curve. I seem to be connecting well with most of my students. I think my height and general appearance have really surprised some people. The most difficult thing. I'm teaching three different curricula a day, spread out among seven classes a day. Fortunately I don't have to assign homework for all of those, and my school's curricula are pretty straightforward. But I've underestimated the workload and now it's crunch time. I actually shouldn't even be writing on this blog tonight. My move-in date has been postponed again, but Friday (tomorrow) seems to be the day. I'm going to be kind of crazed for the next 24 hours.

This morning was the first time I woke up so tired I had to drag myself out of bed at the sound of the alarm. In other words, I'm over my jet lag and it feels just like home!

2006-08-01T10:29:00.000+09:00

Myongdogi issoyo?

There are adventures that are fun and there are adventures that are not so fun. Yesterday I had a couple of adventures that were not so fun. My subway ride to register at the immigration office was straightforward enough, but but I got lost on the 10-minute walk from the station to the office. And then after leaving the office I got lost on the way back to the station. It was embarassing because I normally have great sense of direction, and I usually retrace my steps very well. The rainy season has ended and it's nice that the sun is finally out, but now it's incredibly humid and wandering aimlessly on a humid afternoon does not make me happy. Fortunately I had a map (in Korean, of course) and a couple of people helped me out. I'm having lots of practice stopping people and asking them for help in Korean. My other adventure took place when I set out to find an adaptor for my 120-volt electric shaver so I could cut my hair. I like my head shaved and I usually cut it myself every two to three weeks. I spent at least two hours attempting to find someplace to buy it. I had to take the subway to Kongsam, which apparently is the electronics mecca of Seoul. The subway transfer from line #2 (my line) to line #5 was a little complicated and I almost got lost again. And I did a lot of walking. Which I normally don't mind, but I was getting a little tired and I really wanted to be able to shave my head early in the day and spend the afternoon studying Korean and getting ready to teach on Wednesday. It was getting later and later (and very crowded on the subway) and this part of town was a little bit different demographically, which meant more people staring at me than usual, which was a little amusing but not so good since at this point I was kind of cranky.

When I finally got the adaptor home, I anxiously entered the bathroom and plugged everything in, anticipating the gentle buzz of my shaver. Unfortunately, the adaptor almost blew up my shaver. It didn't buzz gently. It roared. If I put that thing on top of my head, it might have taken off my scalp. And so I had to figure out a plan B, since I have to cut my hair sometime over the next year that I'll be living here. After some more suggestions from some of the teachers, I decided to just buy a new shaver at a nearby department store. I went to the store and came out with a rinky-dink, bluish lavender, girly-looking shaver that I bought for 49,000 won (about $50 U.S.) and guess what? It works. After shaving my head I was a little bit happier. Last night it got cool and I ate chicken on a stick again across the street at YooSoo's food stand. That made me really happy.

In New York I had a collection of about 300 to 350 music CDs. No, I'm not planning to buy an iPod, so please don't ask me. When planning to move to South Korea I had to figure out how to narrow it down. I ended up buying a 200-sleeve CD wallet from Staples, and then taking almost 200 CDs out of their jewel cases and putting them in. Of course, it was difficult narrowing them down and now that I'm here on the other side of the world I can't stop thinking about the ones I wish I'd brought.

I finally got in touch with JeaDo this morning and we're going to hang out later today. Tonight I may check out the weekly meeting at Helping Hands Korea, a Western-founded nonprofit that helps North Korean refugees. Once I get my work schedule, I don't think I'm going to have my evenings free for a while. It's been cool to have enough time to get over my jet lag. I spoke to one teacher who found himself in a classroom the same day he got off the plane a few years ago, not an uncommon occurrence in some schools. I'll be glad to begin work as all of this anticipation is making me a little crazy.

2006-07-30T23:04:00.000+09:00

Excuse me, Sarang Church?

The above date and time are wrong. It’s actually 9:30 Sunday night. But the general controls on the computers here are in Korean, and it may be a while before I figure out how to change the settings.

This season in my life has been a season of firsts: My first teaching assignment, my first trip long-term trip abroad, my first serious attempt at learning a language with a different alphabet, my first experience eating with chopsticks. Tonight marks another significant first: My first case of indigestion from the spicy Korean food. I did actually enjoy what I ate, but now I’m paying for it and I can only hope that my body will adjust soon. In his fascinating book "The Koreans," journalist Michael Breen, who splits his time between South Korea and the UK, describes the withdrawal he has come to experience when he's not eating kimchi in Seoul. I hope that will be my testimony someday. I have found kimchi to be edible, and I will sometimes eat it over dinner even if I'm not asked to do so by my Korean host, but if it disappeared from existence I wouldn't be very sad about it. Tonight I actually passed up the kimchi, but what I did eat was no less spicy.

I've met a number of English teachers here, both from my school and from other places. Some are as newbie as I am. Some come off as cynical or unprepared, or both. However, I've been humbled by more accomplished teachers whose international and foreign language experiences far exceed my own. One of the teachers at my school previously did two years in the Peace Corps and is fluent in Spanish. Another teacher at a different branch, an African-American from New York like myself, speaks French and Italian, has been teaching successfully in Korea for two years, shoots over to Hong Kong every now and then for hanging out with friends and modeling gigs, and is currently studying Russian for a trip to Kazakhstan with a friend next year. The gentleman with whom I did a training session Saturday morning is a Canadian who has taught here for nine years or so, and speaks about seven or eight languages. I've met people here who are more adventurous than I ever imagined I would be, and these are not even trailblazing Christian missionaries. I'm not envious of anyone (I don't think), but it's really caused me to think outside of the box and to not rule out these types of accomplishments in my own life if that's what the Lord wants to do in me. I have no issues with starting near the bottom of the ladder. Just making it out here has given me momentum.

I attended three church services today, the first two at Sarang Church’s New Harvest Ministry and the third at Youngnak Church’s International Worship Experience with Pastor Bill and the gang. I met some cool people in both churches, including the gentleman at InterVarsity’s local branch who originally put me in touch with Pastor Bill. Once I begin work I expect to be super busy, but if I have any free time left there will be some great opportunities for all kind of activities here and some relationship building.

At Youngnak Chris and his Korean wife Laura ministered a medley of "Give Thanks" and "Lord I Give You my Heart." Although I am generally tired of these two songs, Laura had a gorgeous voice (it was the first time I’d heard her sing) and Chris performed sign language as she sang. It was simple yet beautiful. By the end I was already starting to have ideas of asking him to sign along to me singing one day.

Which brings me to the "ministry" issue. When I came to Korea, I intended not to do a lot of ministry stuff. I felt as if ministry activity consumed my life in New York to the point that it was affecting my devotion toward the Lord. I have been thinking about taking the guitar and hitting some of the local clubs around Shinchon. I also want to learn a few Korean songs to sing here and there. Pastor Bill has not been shy about asking me to do some special music during the services, and Grace is already talking about getting me in the church's choir. However, for the most part I've wanted to kick back and just not to do anything.

However, through every service I sat in today, I had an incredible ache to be singing with my guitar. I was surprised at how strong this desire was. It was actually distracting. I also wanted to sing at the top of my lungs, but I held back because I didn't want to blow away the people standing in front of me. And when I'm not at church, at home I jump around and do air guitar, or at least I get the foot stomp and/or head bob going when the radio is going. More often than I'd like to admit.

After service I joined Grace and a couple of friends for a walk in Hanok Park and dinner. The monsoon (rainy) season is ending, and the constant fog and clouds are slowly giving way to some sunlight. The mountains surrounding the city are coming into view, and they are spectacularly gorgeous. The park and the surrounding area were surprisingly quiet, even though some parts buzzed with visitors, many of them--interestingly--Koreans with large cameras. Grace's English is competent, but I gently corrected many of her expressions, which she appreciated. We traded vocabulary words and grammar rules. We visited Seoul's time capsule commemorating its 600th anniversary in 1994, as well as a beautiful fish pond and some other sights. We passed by two guys practicing martial arts in a semi-isolated spot. I'm looking forward to bringing a couple of books and spending more time here once the rain stops.

Dinner (the one that gave me indigestion) was a humorous experience. The silver chopsticks gave me a tough time for the first five or ten minutes until I finally found my groove. I think it was mildly entertaining for the wait staff as well as Grace and her friends, and one of the servers brought me a fork without my asking for it. However, I'm less embarrassed over this kind of thing and I finished out my meal, even the slippery noodles. I feel like a better man for it.

Almost as soon as I was beginning to be overwhelmed by the Korean language, it has slowly but significantly taken on a new coherence. The conversation around me, although I don't understand any of it, sounds less like gibberish and more like actual words. Also, I'm finding that my limited vocabulary is much more useful than I thought. I have literally become like a child. A child has a limited vocabulary, but he knows what he wants to say and he communicates it as best as he can without worrying about how he sounds. On the way to Sarang this morning I accidentally passed the left turn I was supposed to make after the subway exit, thinking it was further down. After realizing I went too far, I stopped a couple of guys and asked them in Korean: "Excuse me, Sarang Church?" Not eloquent, but I got my point across and they pointed me in the right direction. Many Koreans are very responsive to hearing a foreigner speak in the local language, however fitfully it may be. I’ve noted the same thing in Brazil and Argentina. I am looking forward to communicating effectively in Korean. At Sarang I became friends with a German brother who has lived in Korea for the last nine years for business, and he and his Korean wife are planning to move to Seoul at the end of August. He told me that Korean is a difficult language and that one can't passively "pick it up"-—one must aggressively lay hold of the language. That's what I intend to do, and the realization that I've already been able to communicate effectively (albeit on a limited scale) has greatly encouraged me.

I've been sitting in this Internet cafe for a long time.

I've read that the expatriate "honeymoon" period lasts for about two months. I'm certain that some difficult and maybe even negative experiences lie ahead. But my initial impressions of life in Korea, at least in the city of Seoul, have been largely favorable.

2006-07-28T20:58:00.000+09:00

Finding my groove

Tonight I taught my first class, actually a practice class. I was allowed to pick the lesson from the school’s curriculum. The class was a random sampling of students of different levels, which means that one of the administrators grabbed them at the last minute. There are students milling about everywhere in this building. One of the teachers and a staff member sat in with the other four students in my class. I was surprised at how nervous I was in the beginning but, mindful of a training session I attended this morning in Kangnam, I attempted to do it by the book. No one seemed to notice my nervousness, and I got a good evaluation from the students at the end. Don gave me some practical advice on teaching technique. The key thing is making sure that the students are talking most of the time. I did most of the talking. I’m not normally a talkative person, but under the right circumstances I let myself go. Afterward Don and I went outside for a quick bite of chicken on a stick from one of the many street vendors here. I almost remember the Korean name for chicken on a stick, but I won’t butcher it here.

I’ve met probably 10 to 12 other teachers here, and I’ve been surprised at how much people seem to be established in their jobs and routines. Everyone has been here for varying amounts of time, but each teacher seems to have found his or her groove. Tonight I feel a little bit like I’m finding mine as well.

I had a couple of awkward moments yesterday. I spent a couple of days starving because my current level of Korean is so limited that trying to order food in one of the numerous restaurants here was very intimidating. Yesterday afternoon I was so hungry I went out and walked around, passing by different restaurants and trying to decide if and where to eat. I passed up the Western-looking franchises because I didn’t travel here to eat American food. I finally entered one seafood place where a very unhappy looking waitress informed me that the restaurant was not yet open. At least that’s what I think she said. Because I couldn’t understand a word she was trying. I determined it wasn’t open because there was no one else in the restaurant and the fish tanks were empty. The only phrase I could utter in Korean was “Do you have octopus?” And she didn’t seem to understand me. She obviously didn’t want me to be there, and the feeling was mutual. I almost left the place unhappy like her.

I’ve noticed that people here tend to eat lunch later in the day. At 11:30, none of the food vendors on this street were open. I thought it was because of the rain.

After leaving the seafood restaurant, I began to experience a type of withdrawal and I started wondering why I came here. I decided to go upstairs to hide out in my room for the rest of the day and read. However, after 10 or 15 minutes upstairs and a quick prayer for focus and strength, I came to my senses and went back downstairs with a new determination to engage this culture a little more. I ended up having a profitable time of reading and Korean study in the teacher’s lounge. I also asked the administrators to let me observe a couple of more classes even though I wasn’t on the schedule to do so.

Last night I finally met Chris, with whom I’ve corresponded the last couple of months, in person for the first time. Chris was another influential person in heloing me to decide to apply directly to a school instead of going through an agency. We ate dinner at a Japanese place right next to my school. My use of chopsticks is improving, and somehow I managed to eat a bowlful of extremely slippery noodles. Also ordering turned out not to be so bad. The key is finding a restaurant with lots of pictures in the menus. I felt proud of myself.

After the training session in Kangnam this morning, I took the subway north to meet Pastor Bill and Leon for lunch. I was able to hear a little bit more about his experience in Korea over the last 20 years. We had a nice meeting.

After four days, this city is a little less intimidating. And the subways are just a lot of fun to ride. I have to force myself not to grin from ear to ear so people don’t look at me. Of course, a few people do look at me--like I’m a giant space alien. Well, maybe “giant space alien” is a little dramatic, because no one has run off screaming at the sight of me. But there’s nothing Asian-looking about this dude. I’ve found most people to be courteous and laid back. Older people have even invited me to sit down on the train, if there’s an empty space seat next to them. People are also very helpful when you ask them for directions, however broken your Korean may be. That’s pretty cool.

2006-07-27T10:57:00.000+09:00

I'm here.

I am sitting in the teachers lounge at Pagoda Academy in the Shinchon section of Seoul. I’m in front of a window and it is raining furiously outside. It almost feels as if the rain followed me here from New York. Everyone says that it’s monsoon season and it will end next week. My temporary housing is on the 11th floor of this building, and much of the view is obstructed by the fog. Hopefully it will clear up before I move out so I can get a better view.

It should be noted that it is about 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Korea. Hopefully Blogger will reflect this and not say 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. All of the computers’ general controls here are in Korean, so I may not have control over some formatting aspects of my blog entries for a while.

Last Sunday was an incredible sendoff for me. Pastor Carter had the church formally pray for me and commission me. I was very humbled by the congregation’s response. The choir and others actually gave me a standing ovation. I had a chance to thank the pastors and everyone else, as well to say that I felt this would be a time of my life in which I would go deeper with the Lord. It was overwhelming. I get nervous speaking in front of crowds and this day was no exception, but somehow I was able to hold the mic and speak without falling apart. It was also very humbling to be introduced as a “missionary.” That’s not really how I’ve thought of myself, but I can’t go off to another country and pretend not to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ. Shortly after that, I sang my last solo with the choir. After service I ate lunch with the tenor section. Throughout the day I had some emotional goodbyes with a number of people. I also continued running errands and shopping, as I am so gifted at waiting until the last minute. Sunday night Ji and his wife Myung-Soo took me out to dinner at a Korean restaurant on 32nd Street. Late Sunday night while I was packing and exercising my gift of procrastination, my high school buddy Eric stopped by for another emotional goodbye. When it was all said and done, I was emotionally and physically exhausted. Sunday was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. It is very vivid in my mind and probably will be for a long time.

The most difficult goodbye was with Mom at the airport Monday afternoon . I didn’t think I was going to cry, but I did. Our comfort lies in knowing that the Lord has opened this door for me and so He’s leading me. She has totally supported me in this endeavor, which has really been cool. It minimizes the drama.

I had a surprisingly pleasant flight on Korean Air. It was 14 hours, but it only felt like half of that time. I was able to get an exit-row seat. It was kind of narrow, but I had lots of room to stretch out. I don’t get that often, so when I do get it I enjoy it for what it’s worth. I sat next to a newlywed couple on their way to a honeymoon in Cambodia and Vietnam. They were kind of lovey-dovey with each other, which normally annoys me, but I was very happy for them. The wife offered me Starburst candy. It’s hard to dislike people that offer you food. I watched a couple of interesting documentaries and the first half of the film “Hoodwinked.” I gave up after that because my unit began having technical problems and the movie would freeze up every five seconds. It was also kind of a stupid movie, although I’m a big animation fan. I also spent a lot of time practicing Korean script in my notebbok, and a few surprised Koreans complimented my writing as they passed by. That was pretty cool. I don’t think my script is that good, but at least it’s legible to a Korean.

So why am I here? This is a question many have asked me in New York and Seoul. I have numerous reasons for being here and I won’t list all of them, but I will say that for years I have longed to be able to spend some time in a country on a long-term basis. For the last 10 years, I have attended an evangelical church that puts a strong emphasis on going abroad for missions. I’ve had the privilege of being able to travel to about seven different foreign countries on missions and outreach trips. I like to tell people that during that time I caught “the international bug.” I also enjoy studying foreign languages, although I am familiar with some and fluent in none. Which brings me to another one of my goals, learning Korean. Prior to deciding to travel to Korea as an English teacher, I was focusing on my Spanish. A few months ago I had an opportunity to travel to Rosario, Argentina, where I had many opportunities to practice since very few people there spoke English. I felt I was making some good progress, but I’ve now decided to put it on the back burner for the sake of Korean, little of which I speak or understand. Although I find that learning the written script has not been very difficult, and I can generally look at Korean and pronounce it out. Just don’t ask me what it means.

I am also hoping to gain some good ESL teaching experience here. For a long time, a handful of family members and good friends have told me that I should be a teacher. I’ve tried to avoid this for a long time, but I became unhappy enough as an underemployed freelance copy editor and proofreader to begin seriously considering other work options. With my current assignment, so many things have fallen into place that I know that God has led me here. I’ve always been full of ideas and even teaching English abroad was something I decided to do on a whim, but now it feels like much more than that.

People have asked me how long I plan to stay in Korea. That’s a little bit like asking me if it will rain in September. I’ve signed a yearlong contract with the school. I intend to fulfill that contract even if I end up hating this place. At the end of my time, I’ll have a better idea of whether I want to stay or move on to another school or another country. What is certain is that I want to teach for a while. I’m beginning to feel a passion for this, and I haven’t even gotten in front of a classroom yet.

So I know some of you are itching to know what I’ve actually been doing since touching down Tuesday night. To my surprise, my jet lag hasn’t been that bad. I’ve observed a few classes at the school. After months of wondering how and ESL class is actually run, it’s fun to observe it in person. I felt like this when I observed ESL Jennifer’s class at LaGuardia Community College last week. It’s also fascinating to watch the students (in this case, college age) grasp vocabulary words and grammatical concepts we take for granted. It gets humorous sometimes.

Yesterday Rockie (Pagoda’s housing manager) showed me four studio apartments. Korean apartments are not very big, and I was hoping to at least a place with a high ceiling, which is a personal preference of mine. Eventually I settled on a place that was a little more spacious than the others I had looked at and located in a very nice building in a cool backstreet neighborhood. It’s a 10-minute walk from the school. The bathroom was kind of gross and I’m going to have to do some major spring cleaning when I move in next week. The ceiling is not as high as I’d like, but I’m happy with the arrangement for the most part.

Last night I went to Pastor Bill’s weekly English Bible study at Youngnak Church. I took the subway for the first time, and all I can say about this experience is that I was very grateful that the signs are in English as well as Korean. If not for a landmark and help from a couple of kind Korean gentleman, I could have easily gotten lost wandering the streets of Seoul. Although I’m a city boy, Seoul’s streets do not follow a uniform grid pattern like Manhattan. Also, I generally don’t understand Korean, so it puts me in a very vulnerable position. Pastor Bill was very glad to see me walk in the door, as I was very glad to see him. During the fellowship and food time afterward, I found out that most of the people had already heard the story of how we met. I also met another ESL teacher from Harlem who arrived three weeks ago. My use of chopsticks is improving, and the Koreans in the group complimented me. This made last night all the more enjoyable.

Seoul is a visual spectacle, and a walk around this area is stimulating and overwhelming at the same time. Of all the countries I’ve visited, I have never seen anyplace like this, and I have become a wide-eyed tourist. There are three universities in Shinchon, and so most of the people here look twentysomething. Although I have gotten some staring, it hasn’t been as much as I thought it would be. In the classes I’ve observed so far, I’ve found the students to be very courteous. When I bow and say “Annyonghaseyo,” the standard Korean greeting, many people cover their mouths and giggle.

One of my less academic goals in Korea was to lose weight. This already seems to be working, as I’ve been eating significantly less food here and my brand-new slacks are now sagging considerably around my waist. All I need to do now is ditch this dress shirt and tie for an oversized white T-shirt and do-rag.

I promised many of you that I would update this blog regularly, and I will do my best to keep that promise. Your prayers and support are felt and appreciated.

2006-07-12T04:33:00.001+09:00

Good afternoon all,

Just a quick administrative note. I'm very glad to know that people are reading this blog and I enjoy your comments. However, some of you write me anonymously. I am not a fan of anonymous comments, sometimes they are wonderful but they're difficult for me to take seriously. (It's kind of like anonymous testimonials for a book or an event. I generally don't like those either.) I understand everyone's desire for privacy, I have it too and on some discussion boards I may only leave my first name or a nickname. But if you indentify yourself somehow, I would appreciate it. Sometimes I'd like to respond to a person and I can't because I have no idea who it is.

I recently received an e-mail through Blogger asking my advice on a particular issue. Thanks for identifying yourself, and I'll be glad to give you my thoughts, but please send me an e-mail address where I can actually respond to you.

This is not a major problem and I'm not mad at anyone. I just want to advise those of you who drop by this blog from time to time. Come out, come out, wherever you are...

Komapsumnida. ("Thank you" in Korean)