Today was good. I met up with Grace in Seoul where we went to Costco and bought the makings of a Thanksgiving Dinner. This was quite an experience since the foods are difficult to find here. What we ended up with was a small ham, corn on the cob, broccoli and cream soup (Grace wanted it, even though I told her soup isn't a Thanksgiving thing), salad, and homemade mashed cheesy potatoes. Pretty sad as a T-Day meal goes, but it was shared with Grace and her mother; it was one of the best meals I've had here.
After dinner we went to see 2012, which I had heard had awesome special effects but was pretty terrible in every other aspect. I am here to confirm that statement. The big special effects were great, but the small ones were terrible (they must've been saving money on them). There is a scene where a man throws his child onto a ship, and the momentum carries him over the edge. He fell down the same way the crazy Indian guy does off the ladder at the end of Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom, just terrible effects. However, as things explode and balls of fire chase the characters, you could swear you were there with them.
The plot was the end of the world, I think everyone knows that, but the way the world ends is just the most crazy, fantastic way you could imagine. I mean, everything that could happen, does, and it all has one root cause. It's a little far-fetched with the whole Mayan calendar ending and there's a lining up of planets, whatever, but I guess I don't know enough about the science of it to really say it could or could not happen.
The scenes in this movie were easily, hands down, the most unbelievable ever. There were at least 4 scenes where an average, everyday car makes an incredible jump over who knows how many feet, and lands perfectly with nary a scratch. There were at least 5 scenes where a character says something, and then the event he just mentioned happens as he finishes his final words. As usual, your average Joe (an author/limo driver) saves humanity. Of course the hero has an ex-wife, 2 kids, and the ex-wife has a boyfriend who (no surprise here) dies and allows the exes to be completely reconciled a mere 27 days after he dies.
The plot also skips like crazy, and resolutions are not to be found. It starts in 2009, then goes to 2010 within a few minutes, then I think it skips 2011 altogether and gets right into 2012, with zero explanation of all the things that got us from point A to point B. There are one or two hints at what sorta happened, but you know nothing of the planning, etc. Loved ones die and no one even bats an eye, characters are left in a precarious position and you never find out what happens (I guess they die, whatever). Deus ex machina after deus ex machina save the writer from having to have a decent story (or rather, the writer implements the story so poorly that it comes off as deus ex machinas).
And then, to top it all off, a 5-year-old kid sitting two seats away from me with his mother between us stands up in the middle of the theater while his mother holds a cup, and he pisses in it.
However, I would still recommend going to see 2012 if you simply want to be entertained, and you can engage your suspension of disbelief button in a serious way. It does have great special effects, and is quite intense throughout. I do not regret buying the ticket, but I do wish so many other things had gone into the movie besides cocaine and special effects.
I am a heretic. I understand that. But it's ok when orthodoxy is wrong. Someone made a comment about the rapture, and how if our soul is going to leave our body to be with God, must we feel the experience of dying right before we're raptured? If they could only read the gnostic texts, and then read what John wrote to combat that heresy, they would probably pass out from the contradictions being held in their head. I hesitate to get into discussions over this because I know that I come off as being overbearing, pushy, and rude in a conversation. Of course, my reasoning for this is I'm right and I have lots to back it up with (of coures:) ). Gently (I hope) and within 2 minutes I explained to them how all of what they believe about that is wrong. Their response was something akin to, "Ok, but you can't know because you're not God." The go-to defense when you're standing on nothing but can't admit it or you'd go crazy from your world being shaken upside down. I know, I was there a few years ago. But truth sets you free, and nothing else does, and a secure life in a prison is no life at all.
I just wish that those of you who read this and believe that the gnostic rapture will happen, will enter a discussion with me. I do not want to beat you into submission, I simply want to state my reasons, you state yours, then let us chew on that. If you don't want to for any reason, that's fine, but make sure that "reason" really isn't the resistance to having your beliefs and faith shaken up (after all, our faith is in Christ Jesus, and Him resurrected, not in some tangential thing Paul said to a church in Thessaloníki. I'm sure this comes off (as usual) in a way I don't mean it, in a challenging, I'm-better-than-you, way, but I just want to show and be shown truth, and if our beliefs differ, then at least one of us needs truth.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thankfulness
Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Jesus the Christ. -Paul of Tarsus
For those of you who want to know God's will for your life, well there it is. I am truly thankful this Thanksgiving (even though technically it's Friday here). As all of you probably know, it hasn't been exactly easy for me living here because I basically have no friends outside of working hours. Something happened this past weekend, mostly Monday I think, and I just don't mind any more. I realized I was not being myself, I was trying to fit in, to not be a strange foreigner, to do what other people want me to, and I was doing all these things 1) to please them 2) and to not be different.
I have no idea how this crept up into me as you all know I am a different person, to say the least (I'm taking my shoes off the moment I land in America and not putting them back on for a long time). I think, though, that in knowing it I can overcome it. This week has been great because I've stopped caring, stopped thinking about it, and just lived. I didn't let things get to me, I didn't hyper-analyze everything others said to make sure I didn't offend, I did strange things (like sit on the curb [that's really strange and dirty in Korea]). My timing is back with my humor and conversation, I've started saying hi to random foreigners on the street, etc.
I can't really take too much credit on this turnaround in my life (especially since I'm still not altogether sure what the cause was and why I'm carefree now). I'm definitely thankful for our God and Father who looks out for us, who doesn't destroy us with our burdens, who provides us with escapes, second chances, love, mercy, and justice.
I'm also thankful for Earthcam, which allows me to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on a webcam at http://www.earthcam.com/events/thanksgiving/2009/. It's pretty cool, and if you love the MTDP, you can view logs of previous years.
For those of you who want to know God's will for your life, well there it is. I am truly thankful this Thanksgiving (even though technically it's Friday here). As all of you probably know, it hasn't been exactly easy for me living here because I basically have no friends outside of working hours. Something happened this past weekend, mostly Monday I think, and I just don't mind any more. I realized I was not being myself, I was trying to fit in, to not be a strange foreigner, to do what other people want me to, and I was doing all these things 1) to please them 2) and to not be different.
I have no idea how this crept up into me as you all know I am a different person, to say the least (I'm taking my shoes off the moment I land in America and not putting them back on for a long time). I think, though, that in knowing it I can overcome it. This week has been great because I've stopped caring, stopped thinking about it, and just lived. I didn't let things get to me, I didn't hyper-analyze everything others said to make sure I didn't offend, I did strange things (like sit on the curb [that's really strange and dirty in Korea]). My timing is back with my humor and conversation, I've started saying hi to random foreigners on the street, etc.
I can't really take too much credit on this turnaround in my life (especially since I'm still not altogether sure what the cause was and why I'm carefree now). I'm definitely thankful for our God and Father who looks out for us, who doesn't destroy us with our burdens, who provides us with escapes, second chances, love, mercy, and justice.
I'm also thankful for Earthcam, which allows me to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on a webcam at http://www.earthcam.com/events/thanksgiving/2009/. It's pretty cool, and if you love the MTDP, you can view logs of previous years.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
This is what a witch's teat feels like
It's cold here. Witch's teat kind of cold. Open a tin can with my nipples kind of cold. Don't sit down on the toilet kind of cold.
The wind chill here is -6C, or 21F. For you Charlestonians and MBers, that's colder than the coldest night in January...and it's mid-November. The average low in January here is -6C, with a light wind that quickly gets to -10C, or in the low teens. I started a fire in my apartment to stay warm. I then sacrificed small woodland creatures on it to appease some strange god. I then ate those small woodland sacrifices to appease my stomach. Nothing worked. I'm still cold.
Nah, it's not really all that bad with a few layers and the heated flooring in my apartment. But it is seriously cold on any exposed skin. I got here in late February and was generally doing ok with what I brought, but now the temperature is becoming even colder, and I have to walk further on a daily basis because of moving. I need to buy some thin sweaters to add another layer, and some wool socks and maybe some warmer gloves (pockets also work), but I'll be fine.
The wind chill here is -6C, or 21F. For you Charlestonians and MBers, that's colder than the coldest night in January...and it's mid-November. The average low in January here is -6C, with a light wind that quickly gets to -10C, or in the low teens. I started a fire in my apartment to stay warm. I then sacrificed small woodland creatures on it to appease some strange god. I then ate those small woodland sacrifices to appease my stomach. Nothing worked. I'm still cold.
Nah, it's not really all that bad with a few layers and the heated flooring in my apartment. But it is seriously cold on any exposed skin. I got here in late February and was generally doing ok with what I brought, but now the temperature is becoming even colder, and I have to walk further on a daily basis because of moving. I need to buy some thin sweaters to add another layer, and some wool socks and maybe some warmer gloves (pockets also work), but I'll be fine.
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Nature of Trust, Fear, and Relationships
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I guess it started while I was thinking about the employer-employee relationship: particularly the fear they may inspire (in a bad way). I am not talking about any unnatural, horror kind of fear, just the usual fear that accompanies the feeling of guilt that one has broken a rule, knowingly or unknowingly, or the simple fear of punishment, just or unjust.
Logically, I have nothing to fear from my employer. If I were to do something deserving termination, I could get a job probably the next day at another academy down the road, or even next door. If I were to break one of their rules that I feel doesn't apply to me, then why should I feel guilty, or fearful? I live by my own sets of rules, and within the realm of teaching my #1 rule is "what is best for my students." If I were to break one of their rules but remain within the boundaries of my own rules, then I should have nothing to logically fear. If I were to break my own rules, regardless of breaking theirs, I should feel a sense of regret and a desire to change it or fix it, without any outside "inspiration." Without exhausting all the possibilities, and the patience of everyone reading this, I've come to the conclusion that the fear of punishment or guilt has little to nothing to do with (my) fear experienced at the hands of an employer.
I then began to wonder about the fear we experience even in our familiar relationships. One may fear being insulted (knowingly or unknowingly) by a friend, or being rejected by acquaintances, or the fear of being misunderstood, or any number of fears. Punishment in this case is encapsulated in the act that one fears, namely the rejection, or the insult. Here it seems a very direct connection between fear and punishment.
But then I began to ponder about non-friends and the fear, or lack therof, they may inspire in us. It is almost certain that if your spouse were to call you a whore you would be offended in the utmost, but if a whore passing on the street were to call you a whore, you would likely laugh at him/her. Here there is no fear of punishment from a non-friend, except for a physical punishment (i.e. a good ole fashion beating), likely unjustly delivered. No man walks around with this constant fear from every non-friend, and if he does he lives in a straight jacket.
So the difference is only our relationship with the person, and there lies the rub. What is the nature of relationships, familiar or otherwise, that allows another person to hold sway over our emotions? I suppose the flip side of fear is trust, because to imagine fully trusting someone, and not being offended at their insult, or being offended at someone's insult but trusting them not at all, is difficult, if not impossible. And trust is freely given, freely received. Ergo, as we give our trust we also give the other person the ability to cause us pain.
For many, this is summed up in the cliche: "you always hurt the most those you love," and it's converse, "the ones you love always hurt you the most." But is it possible to give trust and yet remain free from fear and pain? This is what I have been wrestling with, and I find it's a difficult line to walk. On one side is the loner who has closed everyone else off from himself, and on the other is the one who is offended by every slight. Some may refer to the latter as insecure, sycophantic, obnoxious. Either extreme is undesirable, but so is the pain that comes with relationships.
I'm sure many of you are reading nothing new, and some of you may even wonder why I would waste time to type something that is so obvious. But for me, the "Aha!" moment came when everything tied together: that fear/pain and trust are two sides of the same dollar bill: that we needn't give our trust and allow ourselves to be hurt: that to do otherwise is to lead a lonely life: that a median may exist: that we mustn't give our trust to those who don't deserve it: that some do deserve our trust, and to withhold it would be detrimental.
Logically, I have nothing to fear from my employer. If I were to do something deserving termination, I could get a job probably the next day at another academy down the road, or even next door. If I were to break one of their rules that I feel doesn't apply to me, then why should I feel guilty, or fearful? I live by my own sets of rules, and within the realm of teaching my #1 rule is "what is best for my students." If I were to break one of their rules but remain within the boundaries of my own rules, then I should have nothing to logically fear. If I were to break my own rules, regardless of breaking theirs, I should feel a sense of regret and a desire to change it or fix it, without any outside "inspiration." Without exhausting all the possibilities, and the patience of everyone reading this, I've come to the conclusion that the fear of punishment or guilt has little to nothing to do with (my) fear experienced at the hands of an employer.
I then began to wonder about the fear we experience even in our familiar relationships. One may fear being insulted (knowingly or unknowingly) by a friend, or being rejected by acquaintances, or the fear of being misunderstood, or any number of fears. Punishment in this case is encapsulated in the act that one fears, namely the rejection, or the insult. Here it seems a very direct connection between fear and punishment.
But then I began to ponder about non-friends and the fear, or lack therof, they may inspire in us. It is almost certain that if your spouse were to call you a whore you would be offended in the utmost, but if a whore passing on the street were to call you a whore, you would likely laugh at him/her. Here there is no fear of punishment from a non-friend, except for a physical punishment (i.e. a good ole fashion beating), likely unjustly delivered. No man walks around with this constant fear from every non-friend, and if he does he lives in a straight jacket.
So the difference is only our relationship with the person, and there lies the rub. What is the nature of relationships, familiar or otherwise, that allows another person to hold sway over our emotions? I suppose the flip side of fear is trust, because to imagine fully trusting someone, and not being offended at their insult, or being offended at someone's insult but trusting them not at all, is difficult, if not impossible. And trust is freely given, freely received. Ergo, as we give our trust we also give the other person the ability to cause us pain.
For many, this is summed up in the cliche: "you always hurt the most those you love," and it's converse, "the ones you love always hurt you the most." But is it possible to give trust and yet remain free from fear and pain? This is what I have been wrestling with, and I find it's a difficult line to walk. On one side is the loner who has closed everyone else off from himself, and on the other is the one who is offended by every slight. Some may refer to the latter as insecure, sycophantic, obnoxious. Either extreme is undesirable, but so is the pain that comes with relationships.
I'm sure many of you are reading nothing new, and some of you may even wonder why I would waste time to type something that is so obvious. But for me, the "Aha!" moment came when everything tied together: that fear/pain and trust are two sides of the same dollar bill: that we needn't give our trust and allow ourselves to be hurt: that to do otherwise is to lead a lonely life: that a median may exist: that we mustn't give our trust to those who don't deserve it: that some do deserve our trust, and to withhold it would be detrimental.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Laughing
This is a vignette primarily about loneliness. I'm reading Chuck Palahniuk so it's somewhat influenced by his style.
And this guy walks out of a corner store laughing maniacally, staring right into my mouth as if lip-reading words that aren't there. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking. I see a billboard with a woman in a bikini. Over her head are the words "Testicular cancer?" and below her are the words "Call your elementary school." It's dusk--or dawn--they look the same, and the time is the same at this time of year, so my watch with it's hands that can't help, don't help. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking. A woman who is wearing a shirt with words on it holds a book with no words on it. She moves her book in front of her shirt to cover the words that I am intently reading, and for a moment I experience an optical illusion where the words from the shirt transport themselves onto the book, but it's only a moment and moments don't last very long, never last very long, won't last very long. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking, and the guy from the corner store comes out of another corner store, only this time laughing more maniacally but still staring into my mouth, hoping for words, praying for words, but I don't understand why, and I'm running, I'm running, I'm running, and then I see this young Korean student guy with long, dark, beautiful hair wearing a skirt, listening to his favorite song 416 times, with red wrist bands on.
Now I see this guy walking towards the corner staring at me staring into his mouth looking for words that aren't there, laughing.
And this guy walks out of a corner store laughing maniacally, staring right into my mouth as if lip-reading words that aren't there. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking. I see a billboard with a woman in a bikini. Over her head are the words "Testicular cancer?" and below her are the words "Call your elementary school." It's dusk--or dawn--they look the same, and the time is the same at this time of year, so my watch with it's hands that can't help, don't help. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking. A woman who is wearing a shirt with words on it holds a book with no words on it. She moves her book in front of her shirt to cover the words that I am intently reading, and for a moment I experience an optical illusion where the words from the shirt transport themselves onto the book, but it's only a moment and moments don't last very long, never last very long, won't last very long. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking, and the guy from the corner store comes out of another corner store, only this time laughing more maniacally but still staring into my mouth, hoping for words, praying for words, but I don't understand why, and I'm running, I'm running, I'm running, and then I see this young Korean student guy with long, dark, beautiful hair wearing a skirt, listening to his favorite song 416 times, with red wrist bands on.
Now I see this guy walking towards the corner staring at me staring into his mouth looking for words that aren't there, laughing.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Happy Late Pepero Day!
November 11th, known to the rest of the world as a little holiday called "Veteran's Day," is Bbaebbaelo (pronounced something like pepelow) Day. A Bbaebbaelo is a lot like a long, very thin, cookie, covered in chocolate at one end. It reminds me of an anorexic bread stick from Olive Garden. The irony of the day was not lost on my students as I explained to them what Veteran's Day is, and how silly it seems to be passing out long, thin cookies on that day.
Also, yesterday (today for most of you) was Friday the 13th, and my students also appreciated the fact that the killer's name in those movies is the same as mine. They were also very well-behaved that day after my numerous death threats were finally taken serious.
Also, yesterday (today for most of you) was Friday the 13th, and my students also appreciated the fact that the killer's name in those movies is the same as mine. They were also very well-behaved that day after my numerous death threats were finally taken serious.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Darn Daylight Savings Time
I'm a huge fan of xkcd. It updates on MWF at noon Eastern US time. That worked out perfectly for me for a long time because that meant 1pm here. I'd read my xkcd, jump in the shower, and go to work. However, thanks to the stupid Daylight Savings Time, it now updates at 2pm, which is the exact moment I am supposed to be at work. It actually took me all this week to realize what was happening. I just thought it was updating late, but after 3 days in a row it dawned on me, and now I've yet another reason to hate Daylight Savings Time.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Cheong Gye Mountain Part 2
I went hiking to Cheong Gye Mountain again this past weekend with my new friend Poppy.
How we met was pretty interesting. I was selling something on Dave's ESL Cafe (an international English teacher's website) and she wanted to buy it. This was over the summer, but she said she wasn't in Korea at the time and she was coming in August. By the time she got here we had already emailed a few times and I had answered a lot of her questions about Korea, teaching, etc. We tried to get together and hang out but it didn't happen, but lo and behold, a couple weeks ago at church I was talking to a friend when someone turned around and asked if I was Jason. I answered in the affirmative and she said she was Poppy, the girl I had been emailing! Turns out she lives just about a 10-15 minute walk away from my new apartment!
Anywho, back to hiking, I invited her and a few other friends to go hiking since this past weekend was the last nice weekend this year. She was the only one who could go so she and I went, and had a good time. Turns out she is a new Christian, just became Christian since she moved here. She's Persian, and her extended family is from Iraq (Iran maybe? She's from America, though), but there's a lot of persecution and Persians are forced to take Islam. As a result, her parents aren't really down with organized religion, but coming to Korea her coworker is a Christian so she was able to hear the Gospel. It was really encouraging to talk with her and hang out.
Here are the pictures from this past weekend, which was much better than the last time I went to Cheong Gye (both the pictures and the circumstances):
How we met was pretty interesting. I was selling something on Dave's ESL Cafe (an international English teacher's website) and she wanted to buy it. This was over the summer, but she said she wasn't in Korea at the time and she was coming in August. By the time she got here we had already emailed a few times and I had answered a lot of her questions about Korea, teaching, etc. We tried to get together and hang out but it didn't happen, but lo and behold, a couple weeks ago at church I was talking to a friend when someone turned around and asked if I was Jason. I answered in the affirmative and she said she was Poppy, the girl I had been emailing! Turns out she lives just about a 10-15 minute walk away from my new apartment!
Anywho, back to hiking, I invited her and a few other friends to go hiking since this past weekend was the last nice weekend this year. She was the only one who could go so she and I went, and had a good time. Turns out she is a new Christian, just became Christian since she moved here. She's Persian, and her extended family is from Iraq (Iran maybe? She's from America, though), but there's a lot of persecution and Persians are forced to take Islam. As a result, her parents aren't really down with organized religion, but coming to Korea her coworker is a Christian so she was able to hear the Gospel. It was really encouraging to talk with her and hang out.
Here are the pictures from this past weekend, which was much better than the last time I went to Cheong Gye (both the pictures and the circumstances):
 |
| Cheong Gye Mountain II |
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Church in Baghdad
I received an email from a friend about a church in Baghdad that was the recent victim of a bombing. I won't waste my words, I will let you read them from the source. This is from their blog. If you're interested in more, here's their website: <http://www.frrme.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=43>
Dear Friends,
I am very sorry to tell you that the two major bomb explosions in Baghdad this morning have done serious damage to the church compound, the clinic, the bookshop, the school rooms and the mothers' union buildings. The windows were replaced after the bombings on 19 August, but they have been destroyed again, and this blast hit the church much more powerfully. Even the window frames and the doors were blown out. All of the cars in the compound and the Danish Memorial were destroyed.
And the clinic? The St George's clinic provides free medical and dental treatment to people in Iraq, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. It is staffed by a team of medics representing each of the Abramic faiths: Muslim, Christian and Jew. It contained high quality medical equipment provided by charitable donations to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. In a moment, much of this equipment has been destroyed, placing it permanently out of reach of the Iraqi people who need it so desperately.
Outside the church, at least 132 people were killed and over 600 injured. Destroyed fragments of their bodies have been thrown through windows of the church, making the clean-up operation yet more unpleasant. Many of our staff and church members remain unaccounted for. Lay Pastor Faiz and I have been trying in vain to reach them by telephone.
Today was a terrible day for us. But even in the blood and trauma and turmoil, there are things for which we can, and indeed must, praise our G-d. The carnage was terrible, but it could have been even worse. At 10.30am this morning, when the bombs exploded, there was no-one in the church. If the bomb had been just a few hours later, the glass from the windows would have ripped through the congregation causing terrible human damage. Yesterday an enormous tree fell down outside the church, which prevented the suicide bomber from detonating his explosives where they would have caused maximum damage.
Some people ask us whether days like today make us want to give up. We have seen much of what we have worked for destroyed. We have seen people we love bereaved. But the truth is, it is days like today that remind us why our work in Iraq is absolutely essential. We must continue to provide a place of worship for Iraqi Christians. We must continue to treat the medical needs of Iraqi civilians. And we must continue to engage with the senior religious leaders from across the sectarian divides, working with them to challenge the belief systems that lie behind this terrible slaughter. We will not stop because of this.
Will you stand with us and help us to restore what was destroyed?
Blessings,
Andrew
Dear Friends,
I am very sorry to tell you that the two major bomb explosions in Baghdad this morning have done serious damage to the church compound, the clinic, the bookshop, the school rooms and the mothers' union buildings. The windows were replaced after the bombings on 19 August, but they have been destroyed again, and this blast hit the church much more powerfully. Even the window frames and the doors were blown out. All of the cars in the compound and the Danish Memorial were destroyed.
And the clinic? The St George's clinic provides free medical and dental treatment to people in Iraq, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. It is staffed by a team of medics representing each of the Abramic faiths: Muslim, Christian and Jew. It contained high quality medical equipment provided by charitable donations to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. In a moment, much of this equipment has been destroyed, placing it permanently out of reach of the Iraqi people who need it so desperately.
Outside the church, at least 132 people were killed and over 600 injured. Destroyed fragments of their bodies have been thrown through windows of the church, making the clean-up operation yet more unpleasant. Many of our staff and church members remain unaccounted for. Lay Pastor Faiz and I have been trying in vain to reach them by telephone.
Today was a terrible day for us. But even in the blood and trauma and turmoil, there are things for which we can, and indeed must, praise our G-d. The carnage was terrible, but it could have been even worse. At 10.30am this morning, when the bombs exploded, there was no-one in the church. If the bomb had been just a few hours later, the glass from the windows would have ripped through the congregation causing terrible human damage. Yesterday an enormous tree fell down outside the church, which prevented the suicide bomber from detonating his explosives where they would have caused maximum damage.
Some people ask us whether days like today make us want to give up. We have seen much of what we have worked for destroyed. We have seen people we love bereaved. But the truth is, it is days like today that remind us why our work in Iraq is absolutely essential. We must continue to provide a place of worship for Iraqi Christians. We must continue to treat the medical needs of Iraqi civilians. And we must continue to engage with the senior religious leaders from across the sectarian divides, working with them to challenge the belief systems that lie behind this terrible slaughter. We will not stop because of this.
Will you stand with us and help us to restore what was destroyed?
Blessings,
Andrew
Monday, November 2, 2009
My New Apartment
I moved Saturday, and all went well. There were a few minor hiccups, like the movers being 25 minutes early while I was at a restaurant eating breakfast. Or the movers not being told where I live and relying on me to get them there, in broken Korean and English! Fortunately, I assumed that would happen and when I was taken there on Friday I made some mental notes of how to get there. From start to finish, took about 1 1/2 hours, not bad. That doesn't count, however, putting away all the little things in my new place (just finally finished that about 5 minutes ago).
Compare/contrast: my new place is much bigger, and even has a separate bedroom. I never needed a couch because my old place was so small I just used my bed, but now I have nothing to sit on (other than the floor). My new place is in a neighborhood of sorts, so food is further away and there's less of it. I am, however, surrounded by places to shop for clothes and shoes that are usually too small for me :) My new place is right next to an elementary school, so no more walking around naked with the windows open :( My new bathroom is smaller and less conveniently situated. The toilet paper hanger is on the other side of the door, so now I have to shut the bathroom door to take a poo even though I'm the only one in the apartment (John, it's like our place in S'ville). My new kitchen is much smaller, but since I rarely use it that's no problem. It also bleeds right into the living room, giving the whole room a much bigger feel. I have a closet of sorts, instead of hanging my clothes on rods in the corner of the room. The washer in my new place is a top-loader instead of a side loader, which means it's bigger but also less efficient. Even though I have to take a bus to work now, I'm only about a mile from work and there are lots of buses that go from A to B. It will cost me about $1.50/day to get to and from, however.
In short, it's neither better nor worse; it's different. There has, however, already come over me a change in spirit since moving further away from work. I now feel as if I have a real job, and I am on my own. I don't know why I wasn't feeling that way before, and in truth I didn't know I wasn't feeling that way, but my guess is that my old place felt like a dorm. It was also a 3-minute walk from work, which would also resemble a collegiate atmosphere. Another possibility is that everything was setup and provided for my by Topia. While that is still the case, I had to pack and move everything they provided, and I haven't been shown the places to eat, how to get to the subway station, or what buses to take; these are things I've had to find out myself this past weekend, or were things I already knew. Perhaps it is that, most of all, that explains this new feeling. In other words, in a very real sense, I am finally "out on my own," out from under the eye and tutelage of Topia and my boss, even though they have only been bent towards helping me.
Anyway, enough rambling. Here're some photos of my "street" and of my building. Also, a video of my apartment is on Facebook. I tried to put it on here but it took about an hour to do nothing. Just look at my videos on facebook, I think anyone can view it.
Compare/contrast: my new place is much bigger, and even has a separate bedroom. I never needed a couch because my old place was so small I just used my bed, but now I have nothing to sit on (other than the floor). My new place is in a neighborhood of sorts, so food is further away and there's less of it. I am, however, surrounded by places to shop for clothes and shoes that are usually too small for me :) My new place is right next to an elementary school, so no more walking around naked with the windows open :( My new bathroom is smaller and less conveniently situated. The toilet paper hanger is on the other side of the door, so now I have to shut the bathroom door to take a poo even though I'm the only one in the apartment (John, it's like our place in S'ville). My new kitchen is much smaller, but since I rarely use it that's no problem. It also bleeds right into the living room, giving the whole room a much bigger feel. I have a closet of sorts, instead of hanging my clothes on rods in the corner of the room. The washer in my new place is a top-loader instead of a side loader, which means it's bigger but also less efficient. Even though I have to take a bus to work now, I'm only about a mile from work and there are lots of buses that go from A to B. It will cost me about $1.50/day to get to and from, however.
In short, it's neither better nor worse; it's different. There has, however, already come over me a change in spirit since moving further away from work. I now feel as if I have a real job, and I am on my own. I don't know why I wasn't feeling that way before, and in truth I didn't know I wasn't feeling that way, but my guess is that my old place felt like a dorm. It was also a 3-minute walk from work, which would also resemble a collegiate atmosphere. Another possibility is that everything was setup and provided for my by Topia. While that is still the case, I had to pack and move everything they provided, and I haven't been shown the places to eat, how to get to the subway station, or what buses to take; these are things I've had to find out myself this past weekend, or were things I already knew. Perhaps it is that, most of all, that explains this new feeling. In other words, in a very real sense, I am finally "out on my own," out from under the eye and tutelage of Topia and my boss, even though they have only been bent towards helping me.
Anyway, enough rambling. Here're some photos of my "street" and of my building. Also, a video of my apartment is on Facebook. I tried to put it on here but it took about an hour to do nothing. Just look at my videos on facebook, I think anyone can view it.
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