An-nyong ha-se-yo!
The 6 month mark has come and gone, and I am realizing more and more each day why it is that I am staying here for an entire year. If I had lived in Korea any amount of time less than 6 months, I never would have experienced the friendships, pure joy, happiness, excitement, and LOVE that I currently have for my life and this place. I finally feel like I am home. I have an amazing group of friends, I feel completely comfortable in my work environment, and my walk with the Lord continues to grow and change in ways I never could have imagined. But the most exciting news I can share with you after 6 months of living in Korea is that I can FINALLY use the word LOVE and something related to Korea in the same sentence. It is in indescribable feeling to sense that I am not longer just satisfied and happy with my lifestyle, friends, and faith...but I absolutely LOVE it. Let me tell you- it gives me a huge sigh of relief knowing that when I walk away from this adventure in 6 months from now I will be leaving a piece of my heart behind and this place will be forever part of who I am. Here are just a few things about Korea I have grown to LOVE over the past 6 months (in no particular order)...
1. The FOOD! For almost 4 months, I completely hated it! I never believed people when they told me that a time would come when I would crave it---they were right:) Some of my favorites include...
Ddok-pok-ki: squishy rice cakes cooked in a spicy red sauce.
Kim-bap: there are many variations of kim-bap but it usually is steamed rice wrapped in seaweed, with pickled radish, egg, ham, carrots, and other vegetables.
Man-du: dumplings that come in many shapes and sizes
Sam-gak-kim-bap: Rice triangles filled with many different meats and sauces. My favorite ones have tuna inside:) Sometimes they are wrapped completely in seaweed, and sometimes they are covered in wonderful seasonings.
Bi-bim-bap: rice, vegetables, meat and an egg made in a hot pot (a stone pot that cooks it right before your eyes). You can add your own red pepper paste to make it taste just the way you want! Just stir it all together, and it is delicious:)
2. Traditional tea houses: My favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon following church is to find a tea house with good friends; reading, writing, and chatting while sipping a hot cup of tea.
3. Accessible Public Transportation: I could easily live the rest of my life without a car in Korea. You can get absolutely anywhere in the country in a timely fashion without ever having to do any work- it's fabulous.
4. Skin Food: my new favorite store filled with beauty supplies. It is not just a store settling with to get by the year- I will be stocking up before my return to the states!:)
5. Chopsticks: I may never go back. Eating with a fork is now awkward and not enjoyable. I can't even picture what my life used to be like without them.
6. K-Pop: short for Korean Pop, this is one part of the culture I have proudly started to LOVE. On a Friday night when I am getting ready to go out with friends I am no longer rockin' out to American bands- Korean pop groups are my music of choice:) I have learned a lot of the songs from my kids, the gym, the television, and now from listening to songs over and over on you tube! Here are a couple links to my favorites...
7. Noraebong: heading to a Noraebong for some karaoke on a Friday or Saturday night (or even in the middle of the week) with great friends will NEVER get old. This is probably the thing I will miss the most when I return home! There is nothing like staying out all night with great friends, singing your heart out at a Noraebong.
But it must be said that as much as I LOVE living here, I miss you all deeply and cannot wait for the day when we will be reunited!
An-nyong-hi kye-se-yo (good-bye)!
Sa-rang-hae-yo (I love you)!
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