COMING HOME!

A big part of living life in another country is learning to deal with being separated-- by distance, and even time-- from so many of the people that you care about. This struggle becomes especially potent at times when you know that your loved ones are facing particularly difficult challenges in their lives. In response to these times, God has used this year to stretch my faith and trust in His love and provision for the people that I care for... and it has truly been a blessing, but it has definitely not always been easy.

It is mainly for this reason that I am very thankful to be able to come back home about five days earlier than I had originally planned-- this TUESDAY July 27th. Time is precious, and valuable, so I am really looking forward to having those extra days to spend time with my family and close friends. While I have grown to really love and appreciate Skype-- and even believe that Skype relationships and distance can in many ways grow and strengthen the bonds between people in unique ways-- I have always greatly valued physical presence and sought it out if at all possible. Whether we are celebrating, fighting, comforting or mourning, if I can be physically present with a person I care for, I want to be. Even if it is 2 a.m. and I need to drive an hour to get to them. Body language, touch and eye contact are powerful communicators for me, and they are ones that I can't wait to share (oh-so-soon!) with the people at home that I love most!

I have a post in mind to say farewell to my first year in Korea-- because I'm going to miss this place a lot!-- but I will have to save it for a little later. I will be without internet access from now until the time that I leave, so this will be the last that you hear from me until I am stateside!!!

With LOTS of love and EXCITEMENT,

Mary

Sweet tea, pecan pie and homemade wine

"In the South, the breeze blows softer...neighbors are friendlier, nosier, and more talkative. (By contrast with the Yankee, the Southerner never uses one word when ten or twenty will do)...This is a different place. Our way of thinking is different, as are our ways of seeing, laughing, singing, eating, meeting and parting. Our walk is different, as the old song goes, our talk and our names. Nothing about us is quite the same as in the country to the north and west."
--Charles Kuralt in "Southerners: Portrait of a People"

"All I can say is that there's a sweetness here, a Southern sweetness, that makes sweet music... If I had to tell somebody who had never been to the South, who had never heard of soul music, what it was, I'd just have to tell them that it's music from the heart, from the pulse, from the innermost feeling. That's my soul; that's how I sing. And that's the South."
--Al Green

This week, as I begin the process of preparing for the trip back home, I am finding myself getting downright giddy-- not at the thought of being back in the United States, but at the thought of being back in the South. This sentiment has come as a surprise to many of my friends here, who don't necessarily view me as a very stereotypically southern kind of girl. And truthfully, the extent of my longing for the South has come as a bit of a surprise to me as well.

But southern culture is COMFORT to me. Its what I associate with a sense of HOME. And there is nothing like travel to bring that appreciation and sense of belonging to light. Southern summers have grown idyllic in my memory. Nights spent under the stars on Carolina beaches, country music concerts on the lawn at Walnut Creek, barn parties, family reunions, and barbecues (the kind where you smoke a whole pig and gather everyone you know to help you eat it)-- where cold beer, smiles, and slow conversation are always available in plenty... my heart feels at home there.

My grandparents are currently in the process of putting all of their old home videos onto DVD. They recently sent me footage of the first few years of my life in a care package, and it brought back a lot of sweet memories. When he was younger, my granddaddy built a houseboat by hand, and I grew up spending the majority of my summers doing back flips off its front porch. In a movie of my life, this Craig Morgan song could easily serve as the theme song for my childhood summers.

During the month that I have at home, I have planned to cram in as many of these kinds of uniquely and stereotypically southern activities as I possibly can. These plans include a trip to the Andy Griffith museum in Mount Airy (aka Mayberry) and a Zac Brown Band concert. I only really know one of their songs well, but could any song be more southern than this one?

"What can be more Southern than to obsess about being Southern?"
--Elizabeth Fortson Arroyo

Summer Heat

Summer is DEFINITELY here. It is difficult for me to find words to express just how oppressive the humidity of a Korean summer can be. I step outside, my skin immediately feels wet and my hair rapidly grows to resemble some sort of creature out of a small child's nightmare.

Fortunately, Koreans have a number of tried and true ways to handle the summer heat, and, not surprisingly, most of them involve *food.*



1. Patbingsu
This was actually my first Korean dessert experience upon arriving here, and it made me want to STAY. Patbingsu consists of shaved ice loaded with sweetened red beans, various fruits, candies, and pillowy ddeok, and is often topped off with sweetened condensed milk or ice cream. Mix it up like bibimbap and enjoy!




2. Mul Naengmyon
A favorite in my household growing up, Mul Naengmyon is one of the most popular foods consumed during the Korean summertime. "Naengmyon," literally meaning "cold noodles," consists of buckwheat noodles in a cold beefstock broth. It is most often served in a big metal bowl and topped off with a few thin slices of beef, strips of radish, a hard-boiled egg, cucumber slices, and sliced Asian pear. I usually also like to add a dash of vinegar and some wassabi-like mustard to give it a bit of a kick. This dish is the perfect refresher for a hot summers day.



3. Oi Sobagi
This summertime kimchi is another favorite of mine. The cool, fresh taste of the cucumber with the spicy tang of the crushed red peppers that are hot enough to make you sweat is a surprisingly great combination on a hot summers day.





4.Bosin-tang
Also called gaejang-guk, this dish has a long history of serving as a restorative food during hot summer days, particularly among Korean men. It is the infamous dog meat stew, and I hesitate to post about it, because there is such a stigma attached to the idea of eating man's best friend. Since dogs are in fact pets and close companions to many Koreans, some, especially in younger generations, are very strongly against eating this dish. And even traditionally, while the men enjoyed this delicacy-- believed to increase a man's stamina and considered to be quite a rare treat in days when meat of any kind was scarce-- women often enjoyed a similarly seasoned chicken stew instead. While it may seem counter intuitive that stew would be popular in summer, these kinds of dishes are known for their restorative properties. Plus, it doesn't hurt that their heat induces so much sweating-- the momentary discomfort pays off as the body cools.



5. Mud Fest
The only non-food related item to make my list, the Boryeong Mud Festival takes place every year at Daechon beach off Korea's west coast. This weekend, hundreds of people-- and particularly foreigners-- will flock to the beach to roll around in the tons of mud shipped in especially for the event. From the photos, it looks like it would be the prime place for Girls Gone Wild Korea edition to film, but from what I hear it is actually a relatively clean and innocent, though thoroughly crazy, experience.


Trips to the beach, barbecues, watermelon and waterparks are all also to be found in plenty during Korea's hottest months. And, of course, it is obligatory for me to share with you a summer k-pop treat... this song was specially created as a promo for Korea's biggest waterpark, Caribbean Bay.

Happy Fourth!

Yesterday was quite an international 4th of July celebration for me. Two friends of mine threw a picnic to celebrate America's Independence Day, Canada's Independence Day (July 1st), and a Korean friend's birthday, all wrapped up in one! We enjoyed good company, good weather, and good food. After the picnic, a few of us stayed to play Apples to Apples, watch a movie, and, when it finally got dark out, shoot fireworks in the park. We definitely drew a lot of attention there; a bunch of Korean kids joined us in cheering and waving sparklers, and a group of Americans who saw us-- one of whom turned out to be a North Carolina native-- hurriedly bought some fireworks of their own to add to the festivities. It all made for a really great day full of friends and fun.

I would have to say that for me, though, the absolute BEST treat of the day was the amazing batch of red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing that one of our Canadian friends made to celebrate Canada Day.

So yummy!

I haven't been able to do any baking myself over the past year-- oven's are a rare thing in Korean households. So it makes me really excited to know that I will VERY SOON be back in the states and will once again be able to bake lots of sweet treats of my own! In fact, that may be one of the things that I'm most looking forward to doing, so I'll just give you fair warning now-- don't be surprised if this travelogue suddenly transforms itself into a baking blog in about a month's time... :)

Happy Birthday, America!
I can't wait to see you soon!

This guy is awesome

I tend to read a lot of news and other articles on China and North Korea these days. Given where I am living right now, and the current political climate, I guess it would be irresponsible not to. There are many daunting challenges to be faced in this region, and often, the news that I read is far from encouraging. Perhaps it is for that reason that I was so deeply struck by a certain article I recently came across in the Christian Science Monitor. It relays the story of an amazing man, formerly imprisoned by North Korean soldiers, who has now returned to build a university for his former captors.

On a Korean War battlefield in 1950, the young, patriotic Kim Chin-kyung, then just 15, lay limp on the ground, wounded by shrapnel. In the months leading up to that moment, nearly all of the 800 troops in his South Korean Army unit had been wiped out. He wasn't sure if he would make it, either. So he struck a deal with his creator. "I told God that if I survived, I would return the love to my enemies," he says-- his enemies at the time being North Korean and Chinese soldiers. [...Read the full article!!...]

And love them he did. Despite all the naysayers, this man has put everything he has into serving the North Korean and Chinese people. And they have responded favorably in return. Below I've re-pasted some of my favorite quotes from the article. Kim preaches a message of the power of love to change the world-- a message that to many may seem idealistic at best and completely false at worst. But there is nothing at all hollow or empty in what he has accomplished. His actions speak boldly and powerfully, and add undeniable force to his words.

Ask Kim about where he finds his inspiration, and he'll always say "love." The cheerful professor sees love as a force that stretches across borders, with education as a toolbox to apply it.

[...]"Their political system doesn't matter," he says, referring to his first project in China. "If you approach them with love, they will move their hearts."

[...] PUST is funded mostly by aid groups and through Kim's own savings, which he earned from running three small businesses in South Korea and Florida between the 1960s and 1980s and by selling his house and belongings. "I started the businesses to fund the universities," he says. "Peace has a price, and it should be paid by those who have money."

Money, however, was not the deciding factor in Kim's success. Rather, it was his passion for education.

"When I went to China and North Korea, I told them I was not a capitalist or a communist," he says. "I was simply a 'love-ist.' "

I am inspired by this man. His story is a tangible picture of the power in taking bold chances to live out real, passionate and compassionate love. And it has given me a much needed reminder of just how much one person motivated by love can do.

Global English Camp

Many of you reading this probably know well by now about my heart for the people of North Korea. Over the course of the past few months I've had the chance to participate in a number of volunteer opportunities and events that have helped me to learn more about their issues and have allowed me to become more involved in serving the community of North Korean defectors living here in the South. And as I have grown both in knowledge and in genuine love for Korea and its people, my purpose and vision for my time here have evolved, so that lately I have also been spending a great deal of time and effort to lay down the groundwork that will allow me to devote myself more fully to these kinds of efforts when I return next year.

This past week I had the privilege of serving as a lead teacher in the 2010 Global English Camp, an annual initiative of People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE). It was an experience that ranked high among the most meaningful and fulfilling that I have had in my time here in Korea. PSCORE is a NGO that was established as a result of the vision of a small but passionate group of young North Korean defectors, South Korean university students, and foreigners. The organization, now with offices in both D.C. and Seoul, advocates for the human rights of the North Korean people and strives to promote mutual understanding and dialogue about issues of peace and democracy between North and South Korea. They also work to support refugees from the North by equipping them with the skills and tools they need in order to build new lives in South Korea.

The Global English Camp is one program that serves these aims. For one thing, English is the language of success in South Korea, but in North Korea it is a language generally known only by the super-elite. Along with their year-round tutoring program, this English camp is one way for PSCORE to help lessen this gap. The camp was also an opportunity for the North Korean students to learn about the meaning of democracy and come to a better understanding of democratic processes and how they as citizens can participate in them. To this end, the camp held a mock presidential election, as well as offered a number of seminars related to democracy. These included a leadership seminar by a leading Korean university on the meaning of leadership and the definition a true leader, and a lecture about democracy and democratic election by two representatives from the U.S. Department of State. The students also all participated in a quiz-show style game that featured trivia about democracy around the world.

Another main purpose of the camp was to promote dialogue about human rights and reunification between all of the North Korean students, South Korean students, and foreigners in attendance. Two representatives from the Hanns-Seidel Foundation came and gave a talk outlining the successes and challenges of German reunification and how these might be useful in discussions about Korean reunification. There was also a seminar by PSCORE staff on the process of policy making and its role in protecting human rights. After each seminar we were able to break into small groups and discuss these ideas as they relate to the relationship between North Korea, South Korea, and the rest of the world. Though some students had much more advanced English than others, the South Korean students were able to help with translation and vocabulary, so that the language barrier wasn't an issue even in discussing such advanced and challenging topics. I was quite impressed with how well everyone worked together, and how earnestly they desired to understand one another's viewpoints.

One final aim of the camp was to increase global awareness, so there was also one evening where each group did an interactive cultural presentation on a country of their choice. Our group chose to present on Egypt and played a game of charades to teach about Egyptian "firsts." Our final first, meant to be unveiled at the end of the game, was belly dancing. We intended to close out the show with a fun video of some pretty impressive belly dancing, but the internet decided to quit working at just that moment. So, instead, I ended up putting all that time spent searching belly dancing videos to good use and teaching everyone a move called the "snake arms." I'd never even tried it myself before, so it was pretty ridiculous looking I'm sure-- but fun. And the other groups' presentations were all equally, if not more, entertaining. In fact, one of the highlights/ most surreal moments of the entire weekend for me was seeing a bunch of North Koreans line-dancing to "Boot Scootin' Boogie" as a part of their presentation on the American Midwest.

In addition to all of these activities (and other just-for-fun team building ones!), a great deal of our time was spent working in our groups for the mock presidential election-- essentially the central event of the camp. There were four groups who formed our English camp's 4 main political parties. Each of these elected one of their North Korean members to be their presidential candidate. Others had jobs such as head speech writer and PR rep. As a group they created posters, performed exciting and creative campaign events, and participated in a presidential debate. There was also one media group, whose job was to conduct interviews, write press releases, and share news about the presidential race. And lastly, there was the "Electoral Committee." I served as the lead teacher for this group. We were essentially in charge of running the business end of the mock election: creating rules and standards of conduct, designing and mediating the debates, evaluating the campaigning sessions, organizing the logistics of the election, counting votes, and conducting the inaugural ceremony. It was a ton of work, but my members pulled together well and made it all happen.

Our members were quite diverse, and included an assistant teacher from California, four South Korean university students, an international student from China, and four students from North Korea. One of these North Korean students lived in Georgia for two years and demonstrated a passionate love for beer and politics; another, though initially quiet and unsure, over the course of the camp revealed himself to be extraordinarily hardworking and brave; our third student was open from the get-go, loving to laugh, flirt, and engage in meaningful conversations; and the fourth, an aspiring teacher, had a reflective and honest spirit that was remarkably infectious. We all got to know one another surprisingly well in such a short period of time, and every single person was able to bring something unique and valuable to the group. What these students have overcome and the ways that they are adapting and striving to use their painful experiences for the sake of their fellow countrymen was beyond inspiring.

I learned a lot from the perspectives of my peers, and really appreciated the fact that everyone brought different ideas and life experiences to the table. Often in talks about North Korea it is easy for those of us who are focusing on the plight of the refugees to vilify certain outside groups or governments-- especially the Chinese. This is because the only means of escape from North Korea is to cross the border into China, but the government there views escapees as criminals and sends them back into the hands of North Korean officials to be imprisoned and often tortured (or worse) if discovered. The Chinese government also refuses citizenship to children born of North Korean mothers, leaving a number of these children stateless, orphaned, and without education. So, in light of this, I thought it was especially beneficial to our group not only to have the input of four refugees who had recently escaped via the underground route through China, but also to have such a thoughtful Chinese student among us who could share with us both her love for her country and her care for the people of North Korea, and who was willing to offer her perspective as a part of our dialogue.

It honestly was such a blessing and a privilege for me to be able to be a part of this camp; there is so much more that I could say about it. I was challenged and put outside of my comfort zone, and at the same time I really felt I was completely in my element there. The feedback from the students was very positive, and, as I said to all the camp participants during our candlelight vigil on the final night, being around such a genuine, caring, and intelligent group-- and having the opportunity to witness their passion and compassion-- gave me a lot of hope for the future of the Korean peninsula.

I know there has been a lot of gum flapping in the US media about North Korea and war lately, and I understand the fears that play into that, but to be perfectly honest, I really just long for the day when we as a world community become as concerned with the human rights violations in the North as we are with any potential nuclear attack. Thankfully, this camp and the people who participated in it are each in their own way bringing us a few small steps closer to seeing that become a reality.