Monday, March 30, 2015

That Conversion Rate

Hi! Or, Annyeonghaseyo!! I'm currently sitting here in a bubble tea cafe:


Yes, you read that right. It's a cafe where they sell all types of sugary tea with aloe or pearl "bubbles" in the bottom of the drink that you suck through the straw and chew. So addicting!


So in South Korea, the currency is won. The exchange rate right now works out to about 1,000 won=$1.00. (More accurately, it's about $0.95=1,000, but yeah. You get the idea.) So, the first bill you see below is about $5, then $10, then $1. Their bills jump from 10,000 to 50,000, so no "$20" bill in Korea.



Jeez! Some things are so expensive...like shaving cream. The 16,500 one is about $16! and the 7,400 is about $7! AND THESE ARE THE TRIAL/TRAVEL 2oz SIZEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! :O


Tea, especially herbal tea, isn't cheap here either. Below you see small-sized boxes for $6-$8 each! Since I took this picture, the cheapest I've found is a box for about $4.


In the mornings, I teach middle and high school. In the afternoon, I teach 2 class periods for 4 elementary aged boys. Below they are split into two teams earnestly seeking to win the coveted cow stickers. (They are literally stickers in the shapes of cows...they love them haha.) I think this video captures their sweetness and their love and affection for one another. Yes, I do teach English class, but they are speaking in Korean. They often listen and respond in English, but talk to each other in Korean about the activity. Oh well.


And this is how my washing machine lets me know that it is done! Isn't it so much cuter than an obnoxious buzzer??


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

One Month Later...

     Friends! Family! I can’t believe it’s been ONE MONTH today since I’ve been here. Obviously I’m the worst blogger ever…but I’ve been busy! I’m now in the midst of the third week of classes and feeling right in the swing of things. Most of you are probably somewhere on the East Coast reading this, or not too far away. Isn’t it amazing how I can be almost 6,000 away and communicate with you?
    Where to begin? My 14 hour+ flight was long, boring, and thankfully—uneventful. I arrived and had no problem getting through customs and was greeted at the gate by my boss and two new co-teachers (a married couple from Liberty). I had hardly slept or ate at all on the plane (the food was delightful…;), and was famished and tired. We ate in the airport Korean style and it was delicious. We drove to the restaurant which my boss also owns, and I was greeted enthusiastically by several former and current students of the school. When I saw all of them I must admit I teared up in gratitude and also sheer exhaustion. This is it. This is now home.
     Next we visited my apartment and dropped my luggage off there. It’s so cute! It fits me perfectly. We then visited “emart” (think=Walmart) and I got some essentials. I had a short orientation of the curriculum and school that night, and I fell asleep, extremely jetlagged, at 3am. The rest of the week was really chill because school was out and it was the New Year.
    Dave and Christina, my co-teachers, were especially helpful in showing me around and how to get to certain places. We did some shopping and exploring that week, and the next week was Bible camp! The camp went great and it was moving to see the students’ worship and prayers. The Word of God was read out loud in English and Korean. (I helped read out loud in English.)
    The first week of classes was an exciting one: filled with meeting lots of new faces, adjusting to the school schedule, and balancing 6 different classes each day. I must confess that adjusting to Korean culture has been difficult for me. Praise God the Gospel transcends culture and language! He has been breaking me of some idols…but every time He breaks me He puts more joy into my life. It’s often as simple as conversing with a friendly Korean in their broken English, or seeing a beautiful Korean baby look into my eyes. A dear friend sent me this video and I have made it my prayer:


     My phone plan allows me unlimited texting internationally but NO phone calls ($1.00 a minute! Eeek!). Skype me instead: mary.graves999
Holla at your girl! :D

Please pray for:
  • ·         The church’s upcoming retreat
  • ·         The students/teachers/student workers
  • ·         Our school’s health—some of us are sick or nearly sick! L