Switching over to Wordpress.com

Well, I've moved from xanga to blogspot and now I'm moving again to wordpress.com.There are more options and it's easier to use. Here is my new site: okraboats.wordpress.com

I write because I remember. And I treasure our memories.

Over the Christmas break I saw the movie, The War Horse, with my Grandma and then my Granny went to go see it as well.

Upon returning, my Granny was thrilled and said, "I felt like I was really there. With the surround sound I was ducking every time I heard a gun go off!" Seeing the movie brought about a serge of poems in her mind.

My Granny's brain is like a treasure chest of meandering thoughts, facts, poems, ideas, and stories. Somehow she remembers them all and saves them for just the right time when she might need them.

Watching the movie had triggered her memory of poems. I was sitting at the computer and she started spatting off lines to an old poem she once taught to her English class, "The General came in a new tin hat..."

I started typing it in the google search and found it right away. Before she could finish saying the second line I read it along with her. She was so amazed! She then, as she always does, demanded (but really was just asking) me to read the poem.

I began to read aloud... about half way through the first stanza I remembered that my Granny doesn't just play with poetry, she lives and breathes it. After all, she taught it for many years and she considers herself to be a poet of sorts. I grew up with her teaching me how to read poetry with enthusiasm. I'm not sure that I learned very well. But, it was always fun to have her teach us a thing or two about reciting poetry.

So, I read the poem, forgetting to be enthusiastic. She went along with me by memory... Then I said, "Till the Sergeant whispered, “Third-line trench!”" Not thinking about how to read poetry, I just read it normally. Then I heard my Granny shuffle and get ready for the next line and she whispered, “Third-line trench!”

I laughed out loud realizing that she was making a point-- the line was to be whispered-- to be kept in tact for its original meaning and impact. How disgraceful of me to not whisper! But really~ it is necessary for this poem when being read aloud!

She continued citing the poem from memory, adding emphasis and whispering when called to do so.

I'm not sure I have a point to this story-- except that reciting poetry with my Granny has always been something that is like a precious treasure. You never know when she will open up that treasure chest of hers and pull out some poem she has hidden away~ I'm not sure every grandchild can say that they spent time reciting poetry and catching fish with their Granny. I'm fortunate enough to have a Granny who has taught me so much about life-- the depths of life, the joys, the sorrows, and the humor of life.

If for anything, I write because I remember. And, I treasure our memories.

======

Here's the whole poem for reference (it's actually pretty funny):

Pershing at the Front

by Arthur Guiterman (1871-1943)

The General came in a new tin hat

To the shell-torn front where the war was at;

With a faithful Aide at his good right hand

He made his way toward No Man’s Land,

And a tough Top Sergeant there they found,

And a Captain, too, to show them round.

Threading the ditch, their heads bent low,

Toward the lines of the watchful foe

They came through the murk and the powder stench

Till the Sergeant whispered, “Third-line trench!”

And the Captain whispered, “Third-line trench!”

And the Aide repeated, “Third-line trench!”

And Pershing answered- not in French-

“Yes, I see it. Third-line trench.”

Again they marched with wary tread,

Following on where the Sergeant led

Through the wet and the muck as well,

Till they came to another parallel.

They halted there in the mud and drench,

And the Sergeant whispered, “Second-line trench!”

And the Captain whispered, “Second-line trench!”

And the Aide repeated, “Second-line trench!”

And Pershing nodded: “Second-line trench!”

Yet on they went through mire like pitch

Till they came to a fine and spacious ditch

Well camouflaged from planes and Zeps

Where soldiers stood on firing steps

And a Major sat on a wooden bench;

And the Sergeant whispered, “First-line trench!”

And the Captain whispered, “First-line trench!”

And the Aide repeated, “First-line trench!”

And Pershing whispered, “Yes, I see.

How far off is the enemy?”

And the faithful Aide he asked, asked he,

“How far off is the enemy?”

And the Captain breathed in a softer key,

“How far off is the enemy?”

The silence lay in heaps and piles

And the Sergeant whispered, “Just three miles.”

And the Captain whispered, “Just three miles.”

And the Aide repeated, “Just three miles.”

“Just three miles!” the General swore,

“What in the heck are we whispering for?”

And the faithful Aide the message bore,

“What in the heck are we whispering for?”

And the Captain said in a gentle roar,

“What in the heck are we whispering for?”

“Whispering for?” the echo rolled;

And the Sergeant whispered, “I have a cold.”

i don't understand

I'm not sure I could go through life without laughing. Or even a day.

I LOVE laughing and I espeically love people who make me laugh. Or movies or comics, etc. I'm glad that my roommate makes me laugh.

In Korea there are always things that make me chuckle, mostly because I don't want to be upset, because I don't understand it or it's just so different. Here are a few...

Korea is a night culture. Wake up early in the morning and you will not find any businesses open-- espeically coffee shops! They only open around 10am. Yup. Only after you need the coffee!

During the day, I looked out my window and all was quiet, and all was still here in our little neighborhood. Come the setting sun and suddenly there is bustling in every direction. Lights, sounds, movement. The night culture of Korea.

I call it the city that never sleeps. Because, really, it never does. But, it is most certainly more of a night culture than a morning or even day culture.

The pitter patter of children's feet in the apartment above you at ten to midnight is very telling... or the little children sitting at a restaurant or the GS 25 (a little convenient store with tables outside) at 10pm while their parents drink Soju (the korean alcohol)... or the Adjuma playing tennis with her grandchild in the park at 11pm... or the kids getting off of the bus after 10pm... And we wonder why the kids are falling asleep in class the next day... hmmmm.

I always laugh when we get the apartment announcements-- it's a little scary the first time you hear it. You wonder who is in your house and talking to you, but then you realize that it's over the speaker.

Or how about the fully covered women walking by the river-- not an inch of their skin is showing-- gloves, hat, long sleeves, pants, face mask... and even when you travel you can always spot the Korean with her high heels, umbrella and long sleeves by the beach (at least Semy and I could!^^)

Or the toilet paper freebie attached to a box of cereal. Free with purchase. Hey, it's weird, but I'll take free stuff.

Or how not washing your hands after you use the bathroom and sneezing and coughing without covering your mouth is acceptable but not picking up a piece of paper off the floor or wearing your shoes inside.

Or the pickles that come with the pizza... or the corn that is always mixed in with the sauce and cheese (and salads and sandwiches).

High heels all the time: ice, snow, beach...it doesn't matter.

It's okay to wear short skirts that almost show your butt, though it's not okay to show your shoulders or anything below your neck line.

Or how a simple thing like an oscillating fan can become a death trap. And that they're not even joking. Really, I promise I won't die if I sleep with my fan on.

Or how Kimchi some how prevents all sickness, including H1N1-- but only for Koreans.

Or how rain in the Spring can make your hair fall out.

And the 4th floor means death.

Or how you can NEVER change the menu (like asking for something extra or exchanging something for something else). The menu's perfect; of course we can't change it.

hmm,... the little idiosyncrasies of Korealand.

These are just a few of the things that make me chuckle, and sometimes ask, WHY?

I don't always understand the things that go on here or why they happen the way they do... but it does keep my day interesting at least. There is always something new to learn or witness.

"Smiling's My Favorite!"

I love simple gestures of kindness.

I always get so surprised in Korea when someone is kind to me. You see, I'm used to being stared at, told to "shhhsh", pushed around, nearly spit on, yelled at by Adjashis and Adjumas... It could also be because I'm a Southern Bell who comes from the land of manners and being sweeter than honey. I was never one of those "refined" types necessarily, but definitely more kin to manners than this sort of thing. I feel like a lot of my polished manners have become unpolished since being in Korea. Southern culture clashes with city culture and Korean culture all at once. It's been an interesting mingling of the two.

You see, manners are not viewed the same here. Good manners can be considered smacking when you eat to let people know you're enjoying your meal-- for example.

I guess you adapt over time to certain things. Some things you never grow accustomed to; you just learn how to tolerate it if you know you can't change it.

Well, I am always so happy when someone does something kind to me in this country. A lot of places love to do little things for "service". When I went to the Pharmacy yesterday, the lady handed me a warm bottle of herbal tea. Now, I know that she was giving them to everyone, so you could say that it really wasn't that kind, rather just the way it was done. But, nonetheless, it was nice to receive it.

I love when people offer their seat to me or do their best to speak English (even though I should be trying to speak Korean!). Or when people smile at me from time to time (a rare but precious occasion). One time when I was on the subway with Semy and Melody, coming back from grad school, there was this sweet old man who was just smiling so big at us, as if he was so pleased to see us there. It wasn't that uncomfortable stare or lustful stare that you usually get, it was a genuine, sweet stare and smile. Those are the kinds of gestures that make me smile and make me remember how much I love people.

A smile can go a long way. When I was running by the river a few years ago, this old woman smiled real big at me-- like she was so pleased to see a foreigner out running. It was during a time when I was hating Korea. That was just the smile I needed.

Sometimes I miss home where everyone smiles, even if you're a stranger. It just spreads joy. I wish people smiled more here. The wrinkle cream market in Korea would thank me. ;-)

Next time you're out and about, remember to smile at someone. One smile can go a long way.

As my good buddy , Elf, says, "Smiling's my favorite!"

Korea: not the land of prevention.

The meds I've been taking for the flu are making me higher than a kite. Not really, but it is the weirdest I've felt in a while. I've never done drugs, nor do I plan to. I've been told that I "lived a boring life" because I didn't have a rough past or a past party life. I suppose that's one way to look at it. I disagree strongly, however-- and feel sad for people that would say that or think that. I'm glad I'm walking in my identity and know that I DO NOT have a boring life.

Anyhow-- In Korea there is no concern for prevention on a lot of accounts. Any kind of prevention. Laws and protocols are only made once something bad happens. And even then, nothing might be done. Hence, why I am sick right now. There is no preventative measure for keeping sickness out of the school.

This week I had several students go to the nurse, were told that they have a fever, and then were sent back to class. Seriously? I mean, I know they believe in Kimchi being like a god and keeping you healthy...but come now. This is the 21st Century. Let's be real. If you're really sick, you shouldn't be at school or work. So, by Friday, I got sick. I don't get sick very often, but when your students come to school with a fever, it's hard to avoid-- especially when they are four years old and break all kinds of personal boundaries.

At my last school in Korea, there was one classroom that became infested with lice. Yes, that's right-- the creepy bug that lives in your hair and sucks your blood. Ewww. You could see live bugs crawling in the infected child's hair... yet, the school would not send the child home!! Instead, they came to class and guess what-- the entire class, including the teacher, got lice!(and if you haven't seen my video of a Korean mom picking lice out of her daughter's hair on the subway-- you should track it down-- I'm not kidding! it really happened!)

Also, at my last school-- when there was the H1N1 scare, the school shut down for a week (surprisingly!). The foreign staff was asked to be quarantined and stay at home because they "did not eat Kimchi so they could catch H1N1" (even though I ate/eat plenty of Kimchi) while the Korean staff was allowed to leave their home. Now, I'm no doctor, but that doesn't make any sense! Call me rebellious-- I left my house that week.

Or how about at my current school-- this is the first year we've actually had a real fire alarm-- and you know what-- it's all in Korean, even though we are an English speaking school. The first time it went off I thought that we were being invaded by North Korea. It did NOT sound like your typical fire alarm.Of course I thought we were being invaded on other occasions as well, like the time there were loud fireworks going off down the street from me for no certain reason.

When the country does it's routine drills just in case N. Korea invades, our school NEVER participates.

I'm just sayin'...

So, here I am, at home-- taking medication that honestly I have no idea what it is. Five pills in a little bag. It's amazing how much you trust simply because you don't speak the language. I will say, I LOVE the medical care system...it's easy, fast, and cheap! My visit to the doctor cost me about 4,000krw (or $4) and my medicine cost 2,800krw (roughly $2.80). I didn't have an appointment and I didn't have to wait in a long line! It's fantastic, really!

I'm thankful that it's so cheap and all. But I sure wish that I could enjoy my Lunar New Year without the flu.

O Korea... do your teachers a favor and keep your sick kids at home please!

O Wise, Silver Strand

How is it that different periods in our lives can feel so disjointed, almost as if they were in another life time?

I wonder what it will feel like when I'm old and have grandchildren or great grandchildren... Will I feel as though I have lived many lives or will it all seem as if life had passed me by quickly?

I think about how my grandparents are feeling now, as they are reaching their old age and facing the physical fate of consequence and time , a sad but real and in your face reality that sizes up to life choices-- and aside from choices, age and time are not on our side. Her mind is in tact but her body is slowly decaying.

I suppose that we are all slowly decaying, waiting our eternal fate on the other side of this world. It makes me think of when I am at the beach with my Granny-- she always says,

See the line where the sea touches the sky? That is where we walk over to step into eternity and meet God.

I always liked thinking about this as a child and even as an adult it's a nice image to ponder.

I had my first gray hair this year and it was a mild crisis. Yes, I know beauty if fleeting. But when you're still single and starting to get gray hair it makes you care a little more about just how fleeting that beauty really is! Haha Thankfully I'm one to value inner beauty more. Or so I hope that to be the case.

I was in the bathroom and saw it shimmer-- that silver strand of hard earned wisdom. I held my hair back and ran to my coworkers who were also working late that day. I was a little devastated. I'm not going to lie. I'm only in my twenties. Since when does your body start falling apart in your twenties? Yes, I'm being dramatic... but No one told me I would start getting gray hair and have back problems and struggle to lose weight in my twenties! Ha! I pulled out the gray hair and haven't seen any since (thankfully!).

But, that gray hair really made me begin to think about my life and how I'm living my life, where I'm headed, what I value, what I love, and what I stand for. Why am I in Korea? What am I doing?

You have a few forks in the road in your lifetime and the path you choose makes all the difference, or so one poet once said. And in your twenties, you have a few forks that help choose the path you'll go down in the next couple of decades.

I suppose we can always look back and wonder if we chose the right path. I wonder sometimes how I ended up here in Korea. The token white girl among Asians. In a land where being Asian is preferred. Where Kimchi is like a food god. Where pushing and not holding doors is acceptable. Where tall building overshadow the mountains. Is this what I imagined ten years ago? No way! But, I always look at the fingerprints of God and know that this has been a blessed journey from the Lord, no matter how challenging it has been along the way or may be in the future.

I have dreams. Big dreams. Sometimes I want to turn them in and choose something easier. But really, is there an easier way? Life is just hard sometimes. I guess we all want "easier" sometimes. I mean, it couldn't possibly be that I'm in the thick of grad school while being a working professional in a foreign country. No. That's not stressful at all. Haha

I mean, I wonder if people like MLK or Steve Jobs or Einstein ever considered not pushing forward. I'm not saying that I'll do something as amazing as them. Though, I could, maybe. You never know what lies ahead. God uses the commoner. God chooses the foolish to shame the wise. But, the truth is, we're all human and struggle with the same concerns, feelings, thoughts, and struggles at some point or another. Even Jesus asked his Father if there was any other way, if his cup could be taken from him. When he got the answer, he was faithful to walk out his calling.

Baby steps. I will take baby steps and trust HIM.

I'm not one to give up. In fact, I like the challenge. I like to laugh through the hard times (and cry of course). I know that there is so much to behold. This is not a cry for encouragement or a pity party-- rather a stream of thoughts provoked by one discolored hair. I'm just sayin'-- this one gray strand of hair really made me think. A lot. About life. About my future. About what I value. About my past. About who I'm becoming. About the legacy I'll leave. About the people I love. About my relationships. About the path I'm taking. About the promises I'm holding on to and believing. About the things I'm living for. About my relationship with God.

So the next time you get a gray hair or the first time you get a gray hair, just know that it's one hair closer to the other side of eternity. It's one hair more of wisdom. It's one hair closer to God.