I love my students. The end.

Another cutesy student story is about to come your way.  Get excited.

Last week, one of my students (JiEun) made a big production of asking me if I had seen a movie that she called [what sounded to me like] "Anger's Song."  She kept going on about how it was her favorite movie and had I seen it?  When my face drew an obvious blank, she and her friend wrote the Korean title for the movie and translated it to mean "I'm JoJi. Crazy Cat."  This left me even more confused so I promised that I would research it during my prep. and get back to her.  After a quick internet search (gosh I love Google!), I found that the movie about which she was talking, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, was adapted from a British teenage book series my pal Anne had me read in college called On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison.  There are several books that follow the same teenage girl going through typical teenage stuff. They are sooo cleverly written and sooo funny.  So anyway, the next time I saw JiEun, I told her that I found the movie about which she was raving and that I had actually read the book on which the film is based.  She was so excited that we could share a little piece of pop culture.  Hooray.

Also, (and this is what prompted me to write this post in the first place) during the last class I just had with her, I was kneeling down to help JiEun answer a question.  She reached up to her nose and measured it between the knuckles on her index and middle fingers (you know, in the who's got your nose?! kind of way...). Then, she did the same to my nose.  Homegirl actually touched my face - I was not prepared.

Never a dull moment in adorable-high-school-girl-land.

Thoughts.

Buckle up for a fairly stream of consciousness style post with an added bonus of a synopsis of my week. Hooray!

I read the most comforting, profoundish blog post just now. Read the whole thing here. Excerpts:

Sometimes we're standing with our nose up to the map and so we can't see where we are. But if we step back and take a look, everything is right where it's always been. We're trained to doubt and question and be critical - and they're the qualities that help us survive. But sometimes it's important to have faith in ourselves and know that we're doing the best we can and that's the best anyone will ever do . . . Every mistake is an excuse to laugh at ourselves, every wrinkle is proof that we lived and every disappointment is a reminder that we are still hopeful.

I read somewhere that my generation is the first generation in history that won't be better off than their parents were at their age. We've been brought up in an environment that changes seemingly at the speed of light and we're in the middle of an anxiety attack about how we're going to survive becoming responsible adults. We've never had to worry about how we'll survive because we've been attached to some kind of intangible security blanket and now that it's time to be adults, we're freaking out. I wouldn't say I'm freaking out per say, but I think it's interesting to read these observations about my generation and see how they are applicable in my own situation. I've been 24 for a whole week :), and I've been doing a lot of thinking (what's new?) about where my life is going. Sure, I've got a plan, a plan with which I'm super comfortable and about which I'm really excited. Buuuuut, that doesn't change the fact that sometimes (even though I love my current life dearly) I think I could be doing so much more. Sometimes my life feels like such an oxymoron. I know I could use my free time in more constructive ways than trolling the internet for interesting t.v. shows, good recipes and quirky blogs but in a guilty pleasure kind of way, I relish spending most Sundays sitting on my bed, basking in the last golden hours of the weekend as the sounds from the world outside come pouring through my open window. So anyway, this blog post felt like it was speaking directly to me and maybe every person in my generation. How delightful.

In somewhat related news, my pal Jill wrote an especially delightful little passage on our book club's e-mail thread last week that got me thinking:

I've been thinking a lot about being purposeful with my time. Reading instead of watching t.v. Running instead of eating a bowl of ice cream. Praying instead of Facebooking. And I'm trying hard not to wish days away. Sometimes I think... "I cannot wait for this day to be over." And well... that just seems silly. When I was running the half this weekend someone had a shirt that said "The best day is Today." And I think that is a really powerful statement. When I was at Marquette I was always looking forward to the "next thing" I had going on -- I can't wait to travel home in two weeks... I can't wait until finals are over... I can't wait for XYZ. And it seems silly that I was always wanting to be in a different place at a different time.

I am especially guilty of not appreciating each day for what it is. I'm always thinking ahead to the next thing, but rarely take time to appreciate right now. I mean, planning ahead is great, but not if you're not going to enjoy what you spent so much time planning in the first place. Think about it :) Since I read that e-mail, I've been making an effort to be more purposeful, take in what is around me in this crazy country and remember to enjoy now because the only guarantee you have is what is happening right now.

Today I was finally able to meet for coffee with Yeeseul at our usual coffee spot. We haven't been able to get together since before I left for my visit home, we so were long overdue. We had a delightful chat, and never seemed to skip a beat. And, it turns out one of my students works at the coffee shop now - homegirl makes a mean iced americano :)

And now, the recap of my week:

Tuesday, Desiree, Leah and I found an Indian restaurant in the Gwangj that was b.o.m.b. We had mutton curry, chicken biryani, samosas and an embarrassing amount of naan. Oh. My. God. We were machines and believe me, it hurt so good.

Wednesday, Dionne and I taught two classes and spent the afternoon making traditional Korean pottery with all of the public school teachers from Gwangju. It was a nice change of pace from our usual Wednesdays and it was fun to spend the afternoon with so many cool foreigners. I did, however, learn that I am no potter. I'll stick to elementary crafts like friendship bracelets :)

Thursday after school, I went to Seoul with Dionne and Scott to experience House of Prayer - a worship session they lead every Thursday night in Itaewon. HOP is completely different from anything else I've ever experienced - it's all very spontaneous feeling and set to music that evolves as the topic progresses. It was very, very powerful and, to be honest, a little overwhelming considering the worship style to which I am accustomed. Anyway, it was really cool to experience a more prophetic kind of worship. Different people's relationship to religion is intensely interesting to me and this just opened up a whole new can of worms.

After school on Thursday, one of my students gave me a surprise belated birthday cake. So, during her homeroom's class on Friday, we had a little cake party. It was so fun! The pictures I posted are pretty self-explanatory...

Friday night was a teacher's dinner to a delightful little out of the way fusion restaurant. From the road, it didn't look like anything special, but entering this adorable establishment felt like we were walking into a magical garden of sorts. At the risk of sounding utterly corny, its New England cottage decor with open windows showcasing a view of a beautiful garden overlooking the Han River felt like a bit of a fairy tale. They even had balls of twinkle lights hanging from tree branches. My kind of place :) Following our amazing dinner (every course featured their star ingredient: dotorimuk - a brown jelly made from acorn starch), we walked around the grounds of the restaurant engaging Mr. Shin in delightful conversation. It is especially enjoyable to spend time with the teachers in a non-school environment when they feel like they can let their hair down.

This week holds a full week of classes - nothing too exciting, I think. But then, the week after is midterms, which means no school for this kid. Who knows what kind of adventure I'll find :)

My Korean-style Birthday: Vol. 2

I am 24 years old.  Weird.  I had the most fantastic birthday for which an expat could ask. Allow me to explain:


Friday at school was absolutely fantastic.  I hadn't told many people, other than Dionne and a few students, that it was my birthday, so I was thrilled to even be wished a happy birthday. Dionne and I usually walk down from class together but after second period, she said she had some work to do so I came to my office without her.  On my desk was a beautiful plant filled with vibrant pink flowers.  The whole package was wrapped in cellophane that read, "I hope this special present makes you smile.  Smile brings you happiness and that's just my joy."  So Korean!  The flowers were waiting for me on my desk after class but there was no card, so I wasn't sure who to thank for them.  About 15 minutes later, Dionne came to my office with a cute homemade card with a sun on the front.  I asked her if she knew who the flowers were from and she told me just to read the card.  They were from my parents!  Dionne told me that she and my mom had been communicating over the last week or so, and immediately, I started crying and hugging Dionne.  This is the frist time I've cried (like, really emotionally let loose) since coming to Korea - I was so overwhelmingly touched, not only that my parents would go to the trouble to arrange for me to have such a special birthday surprise but also that Dionne and Scott would go to the trouble to make it happen.  I am one lucky lady!


After lunch, I always meet with three third grade students to discuss current events.  On Friday, they were running a little late, which is no different than any other day, except that I'm usually the one running late.  When I unlocked the classroom, I heard some chattering on the steps leading to the next floor, but I thought nothing of it.  I sat in my classroom for a few minutes and eventually heard people walking down the hall.  Then, I heard giggling and a small commotion outside my classroom.  Then, the students walked into the classroom wielding a birthday cake, cans of juice, and gifts, all singing me Happy Birthday!  I (quite literally) squealed with surprise and delight.  I later realized that one of the students, WonYoung, was taping the whole situation.  (On Monday, she showed the video to all of us in our gathering - it's on my Facebook wall, but I couldn't figure out how to download it in order to post it on here... So, I'm sorry if we're not FB pals, and thus, you cannot view it - trust me when I tell you it's one of the most adorable things I have experienced here!)  We took several self-timer pictures, talked about birthday traditions (it seems that American birthdays are a much bigger deal than birthdays in Korea) and, of course, enjoyed some cake.


I received several cute notes and little gifts from some of the students with whom I have developed a special bond.  Their notes to me are always adorable and these were no exception.  One of the students who wrote me a note (pictures above) shares her birthday with me.  In her birthday card, I had mentioned that I always miss my family on my birthday.  In the note she wrote to me, she told me not to worry because she and the rest of Kyunghwa EB are part of my family now, so I don't have to feel lonely.  The little lady warmed my heart!  Also, one class graffiti'ed Dionne's whiteboard with birthday greetings and whole classes sang to me upon realizing it was my birthday:

After fifth period, I was cleaning up my classroom when Dionne urged me to clean later because other teachers had to go to class and were waiting for us.  I walked into the English office to a beautiful chocolate cake and all of the teachers singing to me.  After Dionne and I cut the cake and divvied it out to everyone in the office, there was just enough left for us to savor.  Soooo good!  Koreans know cake.  That's for sure.


As I carried home all of my birthday loot, I reflected on how lucky I was to have such a special birthday experience at school.  From the extra work Dionne put in to make my birthday extra, extra special and the very special birthday party thrown by my current events pals, to the notes, songs and greetings from my students, it was a very special birthday, indeed.


The fun didn't end there though.  Not even close.  After I had been home for about half an hour, and heard Desiree and Diane come and go a couple of times, Diane knocked on my door, sat on my couch and recounted her day.  After a few minutes, she suggested we go over to Desiree's apartment to take a look at her new wallpaper (she had some mold issues so the school re-papered her whole apartment!) which I had already seen and thought she had also seen.  She urged me to come anyway and upon arrival to Desiree's apartment, I was greeted with a gorgeous cake and the vocal stylings of Chris Brown.  What a delightful little impromptu birthday party we had!  Those two really know how to make a girl feel special!  


Before long, it was time to journey to my birthday dinner at my favorite all-you-can-eat meat house.  Fifteen of us gathered for dinner, which really freaked out the proprietors, but whatever - they made serious bank from us!  We sat around one large table, talking, eating, drinking, laughing and enjoying each other's company for a good couple of hours until it was obvious that the owners were waiting for us to leave their otherwise empty restaurant.  What a grand time we had!  


We continued on to a noraebong (Korean karaoke).  I love, love, love noraebong and didn't waste any time warming up with a rousing rendition of Footloose.  This has easily become my favorite noraebong song - probably because of the serious dance moves I have concocted to accompany it.  SO FUN.  I love noraebong!  While noraebonging, we enjoyed cake number three, a delicious caramel-ly concoction.  Two and a half hours passed at warp speed and rather than continue on the noraebong path, the remaining seven of us decided to move on to our new favorite cafe - Cafe Swalo.  


Cafe Swalo, in and of itself, is quite delightful, but the company of my lady pals made it even more delightful than usual.  We ordered drinks and were shooting the breeze when the (perhaps?) owner asked us if he could show us some magic.  We obliged and the ensuing magic show was too adorable for words.  He refused to let me take pictures, but his magic skills were pretty good...  Thus ended my actual birthday.  Awesome, awesome day, to say the very least!


The next day, several of us met in Myeongdong for some shopping and dinner.  Desiree's friend Arisa was visiting from Japan, and it was so, so fun to meet and spend the day with her.  We were in one of my favorite stores for body products and I was talking to a saleswoman who recognized me from the last time I was in the store - she sold me one of the best hair products I've ever used and I wanted to let her know how much I loved it.  So, anyway, she recognized me from several weeks ago. Then, she was showing me some new products they just got in and she noticed that we were wearing similar bracelets.  Then, for some reason, I mentioned that the day before was my birthday and her eyes lit up.  The day before was also her birthday!  How crazy!  So, we took a picture together.  We're pals.  No big deal.


After a long afternoon of shopping, mostly fighting crowds, we were ready for dinner!  A delightful meal of grilled meat, ice cold noodles and adult beverages ensued.  That's all I have to say about that :)


What a fantastic birthday I had! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the correspondence!  It is so comforting to hear from people at home on any occasion, so it was extra special to have so much communication from so many people!  You all made me feel so, so loved!


And so starts my 24th year.  If it's anything like 23, it is sure to be a doozy :)

Third Grade Project

Dionne and I were told that for our third graders' final exam, they were to deliver a three minute personal introduction that they could then use for job or college interviews.  None of them were pleased to hear this news, nor were we excited to deliver it.  We knew it wouldn't be easy for them - it's no easy feat in your native language, but imagine, as a high school senior, writing a deeply personal account of your strengths, weaknesses, character traits and life experiences, in a language with which you may not be the most comfortable.  Yikes.  So, to take things a little closer to home, Dionne and I decided it would only be fair if we did the same thing and delivered ours to them as examples.  Writing this was really challenging, but the more I threw myself in, the more enjoyable it became.  I'm a total sucker for soul searching and sharing what I find:

My strengths are being positive, creative and hardworking.  I always try to look at the good side of a situation and I always put forth my best effort.  One of my weaknesses is that I have trouble saying no to people.  I often end up taking on more work than I should.  But, once I take on that work, I always do my best. 

I love learning new things and challenging myself.  While these things are not easy, I enjoy the challenge they present.  Recreationally, I enjoy cooking, reading and listening to music.  I love to travel, explore and experience new and different things and places.  I think traveling exposes me to things that bring out the best in me.  Problem solving, being out of my comfort zone and trying new things all help build character and make for a more well-rounded life experience, training me to do the same things in my everyday life. 

My dream is to be a pastor in a United Church of Christ church.  My dream will not come true for a long time because in order to become a pastor, I have to go to three years of seminary.  But, since there is no deadline for me to start attending seminary, I want to gain as much life experience as possible, which will help me better understand how to do my job once I do become a pastor.  To prepare myself for seminary, I am taking time exposing myself to many different kinds of people who experience faith in many different ways as well as exploring what my own faith means: what I believe and why I believe what I do. 

My childhood taught me a lot about what is important in life.  I grew up in a caring, supportive, active family who supported each other unconditionally as well as a close-knit circle of friends and mentors who taught me countless life lessons.  My parents have always encouraged me to challenge myself, both academically and through the choices I make.  They are patient with me as I explore where my passions lie and only want what is best for me.  Their varied life experiences have provided me with countless pieces of advice and examples of how to be a genuinely hard worker and good person.

Living in a small town has also been an important part of who I have become.  It has taught me a lot about what is important in life – building a sense of community, building strong relationships and providing a strong sense of support to those around you.  I find that no matter where I go, I crave the same sense of community that Clarence provided me.  When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to leave, and now I can’t wait to go back!

The people with which I surrounded myself and the experiences to which I have been exposed, both special and everyday, have all worked together to get me to where I am today.  I never thought I would have the amazing opportunity to live and teach in Korea at such a special school.  While I don’t see myself doing this for the rest of my life, it is setting me up for the rest of my professional life, teaching me lessons about myself, life, and people that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to learn.

So there you go: what has influenced who I have become in 550 words.  Believe me, I could go on for days.

AND, today has been absolutely fabulous.  I've had a beautiful, special, happily-tearful birthday, with more to come.  Details later, I promise!

Chuseok: Foodfest 2011

Yesterday, Desiree and I had the honor and complete pleasure of celebrating Chuseok with a Korean family.  A friend of Desiree's from high school and college (Faith) married a Korean man (Mark) and his family invited the two of us to share in their Chuseok preparations on Sunday.  What a fantastic day we had!

To preface, Chuseok is like Korean Thanksgiving.  It's a typical harvest festival in which people return to their hometowns to pay homage to the spirits of their ancestors by tending their graves and offering food, drink and crops to their ancestors.

When anyone visits another person's home in Korea, they bring a gift with them.  Often, people bring practical items like toilet paper or paper towels, and sometimes, food.  Desiree and I brought the family grapes.  Like, a box of grapes so big that the only comfortable way to carry such a box down the busy street in Gwangju was atop Desiree's head.  If it hadn't been raining (and we hadn't been running a tad late...) I would have taken great delight in snapping several photos.

Once we arrived at Mark's family's apartment, we jumped right in to making songpyeon, a traditional food for Chuseok - rice cake, filled with a honey and sesame mixture, chestnuts, or beans, etc., and shaped into half moons (or if you're Desiree:  hearts, cubes, candies, seashells and stars).  It took a little getting used to, but with tutelage from Mark, his brother, his uncle and Desiree, I was finally able to make some pretty respectable songpyeon.  Once we formed and worked them into smooth little half moons, we placed them on a bed of pine needles.  Later, the whole pot was steamed.  The pine needles kept the songpyeon from sticking to each other and they smell real nice too :)  It was so fun to observe all of the different techniques of making songpyeon.  Everyone was involved in the process and everyone had their own insights.  So fun.

Mark's uncle demonstrates his songpyeon technique.  Dude is way pro.

Next, it was time to eat lunch.  Before we had arrived, all of the side dishes had been prepared.  There were ten of us eating, so we spread out over two smallish square tables.  Mark fried up some delicious bulgogi that, accompanied by a fabulous spicy chicken and vegetable stew, was the main attraction at lunch, along with a couple kinds of kimchi, some mushrooms, some kind of soupy greens, bean sprouts, cucumbers, seaweed and rice.  I love Korean food.  The end.

After lunch, everyone pitched in to clean up and get ready for the next task at hand - preparing an ungodly amount of fried food - vegetable pancakes, (Mark's brother steadily fried three at a time in separate frying pans  for literally an hour or two) fish, vegetable bundles, meat and veggie patties, and HUGE mushrooms.  Don't worry.  I watched real closely so that, someday, I can attempt to replicate these dishes.  All of the smaller items were coated in flour, then dipped in an egg wash and fried until golden brown.  I cannot convey to you, dear reader, the sheer amount of food we prepared during the afternoon hours.  I can only assume that this was some of the food that would be offered to the spirits of the ancestors today as well as consumed by the family as they perform the traditional Chuseok duties (for lack of a better term).  I am still baffled by the amount of food we prepared (and consumed - let's be honest.)  

Once we finished making the food, Desiree, Faith and I played with Mark's five year old nephew Myong-Gyu.  He must have been pleased with our performances for the day because he bestowed upon us several gold, red, green and blue star stickers.  (I came home that night to find them all over my shirt, arms and back!) Later, we retired to a back bedroom to take a nap while the men played a traditional card game.  I didn't watch enough of the card game to understand what was going on at all, but by all of the whooping and hollering, it was apparent that they were having a great time!

As if consuming food non-stop all day wasn't enough, post-naptime, we moved to the roof to have dinner.  Dinner consisted of all of the leftovers from lunch, plus some of the food we had prepared that afternoon, plus grilled meat.  Like, more meat that I have ever seen in one place.  We all stood around the outdoor table, eating meat straight off the grill, complaining about how full we were, but not being able to keep ourselves from eating just one more bite.  Boy howdy, did it hurt so good!

On the way home, with more food in hand, Desiree and I commented on how special it was to be included in such an awesome (in the literal sense, not the overused-by-American-teens sense) display of family, openness, acceptance and community.  We all laughed, pitched in and thoroughly enjoyed each others' company, despite the language and cultural barriers.  This was one of the most simple, but special experiences I have had here and I will always remember it!  Beautiful.  Truly beautiful.

Something to Think About

I've been doing some thinking lately.  After reading the opinion column with which the above video was paired, I was strangely affected - almost in an epiphany-type way.  Whenever tragedy strikes, whether it's on a personal, community, national or international level, those affected have a tough time making sense of how to deal with its effect on their life.  While this struggle is part of the grieving and acceptance process, I think LZ Granderson makes a great point in his column..  He says that while grieving is important, it's just as important to think about what you can learn from the tragedy.  In the case of 9/11, he says the lesson could be not to take anything for granted - your loved ones, your freedom, and quite simply, your life.  You never know when it will all come to an abrupt halt, so it's important to relish the things that make you who you are today. In short, count your blessings.  In the video, Granderson said something that immediately struck me as not only a stroke a genius, but also, quite simply, beautiful:

Happiness is wanting what you have, not always getting what you want.

Think about it.

I know it's probably pretty easy for me to write this, given my gross lack of experience in dealing with tragedy and maybe I'll feel differently should I ever have to follow my own advice.  But, for now, the eternal optimist in me thinks this makes a ton of sense...

Teacher Training, New (and old) Pals, Another Funeral... the Usual.

The last week was busyyy, but so good.  I didn't get home until past 9:00 every night, which, trust me, is a rarity.  Here's a recap:

Monday and Tuesday nights were spent with the Husteds as Dionne and I prepared for a speech we were asked to give at an area native teacher training.  Preparing for the speech was fun - I so enjoy spending time with that family!  Many laughs and stories were shared (they keep telling me I should write a book about life in small town Iowa...), new music was discovered and we even got some work done...

A quick cute story from Tuesday after school:
YeaSeul - one of the students with whom I have a particularly adorable bond:  Teacher.  You have boyfriend?
Noelle: Nope.
Teacher: But Teacher why?  You so cute!
Homegirl warms my heart.

Wednesday was the day of our speech at the Gwangju Education Office.  Dionne and I shared our experience and advice for creating good rapport with our students with all of the teachers from Gwangju and the nearby city of Hanam.  It had been such a long time since I had done any public speaking - I had forgotten how much I enjoy those kind of things.  It reminded me of the days when I helped with college visit days at Iowa State - so, so fun.  After the training was over, we went out to dinner with our district coordinator, JK, and Kelsey, the other presenter at the training.  It was a great dinner - both culnarily and conversationally.  After dinner, I met a bunch of other teachers who had been at the training at a coffee shop and tagged along as they eventually went to dinner.  It was so fun to meet some new people, especially people who live in this area!  Such a delightful afternoon and evening.

Thursday night, Desiree and I went out to dinner with our friends Leah and Darren (also native English teachers from New Zealand and England, respectively, who live just across the street from us).  We had planned to go to an Indian restaurant in town, but when we got there and discovered it was closed, as were all of the nearby Indian and Thai restaurants, we settled on Chinese instead.  Ordering our food was quite an adventure as the menu was only in Chinese and Korean and our server wasn't keen on our confusion as to what some of the dishes entailed.  We ended up ordering three really great dishes (including some of the best sweet and sour pork I've ever tasted) and had an awesome evening of getting to know our new friends better (we had only met up with them one other time before this).  We had such a great time, in fact, that we decided to make it a weekly thing - Foreign Food Thursdays.  Every Thursday, we're going to try a new foreign (i.e. not Korean) restaurant in town.  I can't wait!

On Friday, I work a pink fitted t-shirt and a pink bow headband to school.  Several students and teachers (including the dudes!) commented on my ensemble.  One of my favorite interactions:
Principal Suh:  Oh Noelle Teacher.  I like your pink today.
N: Oh thank you!
PS: Today, you prettier than me!
N: Not true!
PS: No!  I serious!

That morning, we found out that Mr. Shin's mother passed away after a long sickness.  We were supposed to have gone to a big teachers' dinner that night after school was over, but it got postponed in order to make it possible for as many teachers as possible to attend the funeral in Andang, a city almost three hours away.  Dionne and I were in the group (there were 24 of us) that opted to attend the funeral that night.  So, during the last period (during which, we have no class) I went home, changed out of my pink get-up in favor of a black sweater, and a darker, less obnoxious headband.  As I walked back to school, a couple of students were walking down the mountain toward home.  As they grew nearer, they shouted out, "Noelle Teacher!  New outfit!  So sexy!"  Yikes!  That's the last thing I wanted to hear on my way to catch a bus to a funeral!  I think it was because I was wearing all black and had on sunglasses. At least, I hope that's what they were getting at...  Anyway, at 5:00, we all piled into a 24-passenger bus/van and made the long journey to the funeral.  It was a delightful ride, despite the reason for it.  Dionne and I talked and talked and talked (as per usual) most of the way while observing how much camaraderie there is between the teachers in our school.  Awesome.  We stayed at the funeral itself for about 45 minutes.  There was nothing new or different about this funeral in comparison to the other two I've attended - it's weird that this has become a familiar practice for me...

After I got home, around 11:30, I jumped on Facebook before heading to bed.  I saw that some Gwangju teachers had gathered at a cafe for the evening and I replied to the messages that I was sad to have missed it.  Not two minutes later, Desiree called me to say they were still out and would probably be out for awhile if I wanted to join them.  So, at midnight, I set off for the cutest little cafe with the most suggestive sexual theme I've ever encountered in a public place.  Ohhh Cafe Swallo.  We sat around for a couple of hours, swapping crazy stories and laughing way too loudly.  What a fun night we had!

Yesterday, Desiree and I went to Seoul to meet Diane for dinner.  We had one of my new favorite meals - budae jjigae - also called army stew.  It's a real salty, hearty stew - so, so good!  Get excited, Bob and Kris - we're totally eating this when you visit!  We met several of the same people who had been at the concert last weekend.  One of Diane's 2NE1 friends, Grace, is studying at Korea University this year - I anticipate several fun interactions with her in the future!

This week, there's nothing crazy or exciting going on (of which I am presently aware anyway...) but, on Saturday, Diane moves to Gwangju!!  WAHOO!  I am sooo excited for the impending year!

... And then I got kicked out of the 2NE1 concert....

Some pictures I pilfered thanks to a Google search - you'll understand why I had to pilfer later...

Sunday, I met Diane and a bunch of her K-Pop forum friends at Olympic Park in Seoul to attend the last of three concerts by the Korean girl group 2NE1.  This was the second K-Pop show I had been to and though I don't usually listen to K-Pop music, I was still excited about it because it is such a huge part of Korean culture and such a big part of Diane's Korean experience.

Just like the last show to which we went, we were in a standing section on the floor of the concert.  Instead of assigned spaces (because, how would that even be possible?!), we were assigned a number that told us how early we could enter our section.  So, obviously, the lower the number, the better chance of getting a good spot in the section.  We had pretty low numbers so we were excited to land really decent spots.  What we weren't excited about were the plethora of Japanese fan-girls vying for a better spot...  Let's just say I put my former boxing-out and elbowing skills to work trying to maintain our spots.  Christina (one of Diane's friends who, too, loves her some K-Pop) and I stood side by side, looking like bouncers in the section.  We were quite a sight, I'm sure :)

Once the concert began (almost an hour later), the crazy was unleashed.  There were four standing sections, broken up by a walkway that created the four separate sections.  We were in one of the back sections, so any time any members of the group came to the portion of the stage closest to us, there was a serious push forward in an effort to get closer to the group.  There was some serious boob to back action (a term we used in my sorority to signify standing WAY too close to someone).  If I had been anywhere but Korea, I might have felt violated :)

About halfway through the concert, we were sweaty, hot, tired of pushing and way thirsty, so we made our way to the back of the section in an attempt to spend some time outside, cooling ourselves.  As we sipped on grape soda and talked about how much we were enjoying the concert so far, I watched a handsome young Korean man walk down the adjacent stairs, accompanied by two bodyguards.  I figured he was famous and my suspicions were confirmed when both Christina and Diane said hello to a Taeyang, a member of the popular K-Pop male group Big Bang.  He was so nice, excitedly saying hi back to them and waving before being escorted backstage.  Delightful.  So went my first Korean celebrity siting!

We headed back into the show once we had cooled off a bit and decided to stay toward the back.  Toward the end of the concert, I was really wishing I could take a picture of what was going on, both to share with my students (who FREAKED OUT at the mere announcement of my attendance of this concert) and also to post on this blog post.  Photographs are strictly prohibited at all K-Pop shows and before the concert even started, it was announced several times that if anyone was caught taking pictures, they would be physically removed from the venue and their pictures would be deleted.  That was enough to deter me from even thinking about taking pictures, but as the end of the concert neared, I remembered that Diane had told me that many people had been taking pictures of the encore with no consequences.  Sure enough, during the encore, I looked around, noticing that several people were taking pictures or video of the song.  This was my chance, so I dug my camera out of the carefully planned hiding place in my purse and shot three pictures.  Immediately upon taking the last picture, someone grabbed my wrist and removed me from the show.  I had just enough time to wave goodbye to Diane as I was dragged into the lobby.  A girl approached me and took my camera.  She had trouble figuring out how to view my pictures, so I showed her.  She began trying to figure out how to delete the pictures and began just pushing buttons.  I tried to explain how it was done, but she must not have trusted me because she refused to accept my help.  After she figured it out and deleted my three (really crappy, I might add) pictures, she was confused to read a message on my camera screen about there being no images on my camera.  I tried to explain that the only pictures on my camera were the three I had just taken, but again, she didn't want to hear it.  Once she deemed it okay, I left the venue and headed for the subway. 

And so goes the tale of the time I got kicked out of a K-Pop show...  Wowza.