My First 2 Weeks: A few pictures...

Hi Friends! Welcome to my blog. Here are a few pictures of my first two weeks in Korea :

1) New Connexus teachers by a sculpture on King Seojun (famed inventor of Hangul, the Korean alphabet). 

This was during a "Seoul Scavenger Hunt" made for us by the returning teachers, Sarah Wilson and Michaela Payne, as part of our orientation week.






Left to right: Ben Mast (Indiana), Matt Mayers (Edmonton), Karen Jantzen (Nebraska / Edmonton).

2) Eating out is a big thing; everything's pretty cheap. This was again in Seoul. The Bibimbap was really good (hot mixed rice and veggie dish seasoned with sesame oil and hot pepper paste). 

A cultural note: when you eat out it's customary to take turns treating for the meal. And often everyone eats the same thing from one dish…one of the things that'll take getting used to for this frugal / independent mennonite gal :)




3) There's a cemetery behind our apartments! Apparently, many Koreans think it's bad luck to live near a cemetery but I welcome the greenery and quiet.

4) Teachers take turns making weekday lunches for the Connexus staff. Sarah and I made Manduguk (a dumpling soup). Here we've just strained out the anchovies and seaweed that are the base of the broth.

5) One of many public exercise stations. This was early morning... most of the time it's in use.

A cultural note: Many people stay up very late and sleep in ("work hard, play hard" mentality). It's common to work late into the evening and eat supper at 9:30 or 10pm. Most public service places (e.g. banks) only open at 10am.

6) Right outside our apartment's front door: drying hot peppers on the cement, clothes on the railing…It's so humid here but outside is still the best way to dry things (no drying machines).

7) Just past the cemetery and hill, over the creek, heading toward the Connexus office. These I-Park apartments are where lots of our students live.

8) My classroom. We met the kids on Friday (group activities outside) and regular classes begin tomorrow!!

9) Yesterday's wedding! Donguk and Hyesun, two KOPI (Korea Peacebuilding Institute) staff were married yesterday. Connexus and KOPI staff sang a Korean pop song and "Give Yourself to Love" by Kate Wolf.