Diving Headfirst

Sonata of Clinton Close

2012-01-20T04:03:00.003+09:00

The first movement begins as the sun's fat fingers stretchbeyond the precipice of the hills. Mosques shatter the subtle hum of nocturnalinsect ensembles with insistent calls to prayer: reminders reverberate likeping pong balls, reflecting across valleys and over wire-clad walls, to theears of restless sleepers. The morning curtains raise and reveal bleedingoranges and pinks that signal the entrance of the sunbirds' delicate chirps.The whir of trucks speeding down gravel, the bleats of moving herds of cattle,the rapid footsteps of work-goers, and the honks of half-filled mutatus quicklyjoin the tune.

By midday, the key shifts and the cacophony crescendos intoa muddled din. Dogs bark sharplyat wandering goats. Boda bodas chastise swerving cars. Laughter trills; anothercouple is reposed under the shifting shadows of my overgrown ficus. Tires flingpebbles as cars announce their arrivals with echoing horns; metal peepholesrattle open and close; sandals slap the pavement as escaries pull at squeakygate hinges. Radios atop vehicles or bicycles blare Lugandan tunes. Children 'sfalsetto voices call "mzungu, how are you?" as pale men amble towardsQuality Shopping. Squawking turacos add their staccato jabbers to the dissonantchord. My dog and cat scutter about, a duet of screeches and growls as theywrestle; dry leaves crunch as the cat escapes under a bush. An ibis proteststhe hoopla with angry cries as it abandons the scene in search of more peacefulgardens. The tempo of this afternoon medley is fast, its fortissimo tune brokenonly by momentary pauses as life frantically grasps for air.

By sundown, a nearby bar's bass serves as a metronome. Itspersistent rhythm keeps time for rounds of impending car alarms, off-key choirrehearsals, and rambling 1 AM wedding speeches. The syncopated jingle of mycat's bell signals a gecko hunt in progress. There is a harsh grating of nailsas she scales the door's mosquito screens. The wire sags under her cumbersomeweight. A generator purrs in the distance. Meanwhile my inverter struggles tocompensate for Umeme's failed promises; it groans as it fights to protect myduty-free chocolate in the fridge. Strays report their locations; my dog liftshis voice to join the canine glee club and my scolds banish him to the yard.Crickets commence their enthusiastic all-night minuets.

Poco a poco the volume decrescendos. The celebratoryululations from various churches decrease in frequency. The tinny voices of aguard's radio prod him awake. My cat concludes her nightly stalks, her bellsilent at last. The relentless drip from my faulty bathroom sink patters intime. The bugs continue their steady nocturnal strums, their high-pitchedbuzzes forming a seemingly infinite fermata. Even in these wee hours, the droneof life and movement persists. Pianissimo, a term Uganda does not know.

A Year in Review

2011-12-31T06:04:00.001+09:00

EveryDecember, I reflect on the moments that have composed the last year of my life.A few snapshots/sentiments in "top five" format:

Top 5Amazing Nature Moments 2011

1. Christmas sunset inSouth Africa

2. Up closeencounter with a leopard in Uganda

3. Lounging on beaches in Zanzibar

4. Walkingbeside week-old giraffes (that were already way taller than me) in Kenya

5. Watching abandoned two-day-old puppies grow into dogs that people were able toadopt!

Top 5Strangest Issues to Problem Solve in 2011

Every day in Uganda I am asked to flex myadaptability muscles. Just a few of the year's odd predicaments:

1) Problem: Howto get Harriet and Loveline out of a cement/metal barred room when an old lockcompletely jammed... twice.

[Solution:saw through the metal lock and pry the frame from the door, of course! Time 1:colleague's husband, time 2: locksmith from a nearby market]

2) Problem: Howto complete online applications when the electricity was out for 4 daysstraight!

[Solution:charge multiple computers/batteries at school and then borrow from all myfriends when my collection of charged tech ran out... thanks for the people whostepped in!]

3) Problem: Howto identify the cause of a week without water/deal with a week with no water

[Solution:fill cans with water for toilets/washing on other people's properties and moochshowers from friends; call National Water repeatedly to hear that they have"men working on the fault"... they "have been working on it forone month"!! Finally, discover that there is a leaking pipe in the yard--plug it with a maize cob and a plastic bag until a plumber can get there to fixit]

4) Problem: Howto find an alternative route through Ugandan mountains when a huge rainstormclosed the main road and our map only included 4 (out of several dozen)villages along the path

[Solution:stop in every village and ask for directions... not an efficient or directapproach, but we got to our desired destination in the end]

5) Problem: How todeal with a stream of safari ants that crawled up my leg while we loaded thecar in the dark (and were not discovered until several minutes later when they beganbiting my legs as I drove)

[Solution:slam the car into park; throw my pants off... on a public highway; and do aliteral ants-in-my pants dance until I was free of the pesky buggers]

Fivethings I am proud of from 2011

Some of the experiences that stretched methe most this year:

1) teaching25+ new books in one year and re-working curriculum to give kids a morebalanced/rounded approach to literature!

2)encouraging students at ISU to respond to global issues

3) copingwith the challenges of living in a developing country

4) takingthe risk of giving up a job I enjoy to apply for graduate school

5) learninghow to be a compassionate boss (it has been a whole new experience havingnumerous people completely dependant on me!)

Six 2011moments of worlds converging/reunions!

I couldn't cut one, so this will have to bea top six list

1. Reunionin Toronto with friends who I worked with in Korea who are now scattered acrossthree continents!

2. Sarah Yu(friends since 9th grade) sat in one of my ninth grade classes.... in Uganda!Then we had the chance to travel the country together! She was in East Africafor nearly a month.

3. Goodfriend from high school, Mori, hosted good friend from grad school, Lauren, andI in Seattle and Vancouver. He was an amazing host and it was fun to bring twoworlds together.

4. Weekendin Kenya with friends who I worked with Korea (one flew in from the States, two families live in Kenya)

5. Highschool reunion for Gail's wedding. It was the first time we had all been in oneplace in years!

6. Trip toHawaii with the entire immediate family! Great to spend time with all of us inone place distraction-free.

Five Aims for the New Year

One might call these resolutions.

1)Prioritize people. In the end, people are way more important than myever-accumulating stack of marking.

2) Learn tobe more comfortable being uncomfortable. Press my boundaries-- take a new classor try activities that I have little experience with.

3) Expand myglobal knowledge through travel, reading, conversations, etc. I have started anew mission, one that will undoubtedly take years to actualize, to read a text(fiction or non-fiction) about every country in the world. I have already readbooks from 43 nations... I hope to raise my count to at least 60 in the nexttwelve months!

4) Act on mybeliefs: serve regularly, seeksolutions for problems, encourage, and love.

5) Seekbalance. This is a consistent area for growth for me amidst the business oflife!

Well, if you make it this far, I'mimpressed. Happy New Year!

Testing Navigational Skills

2011-12-17T05:26:00.001+09:00

Is a flight that takes you southwest to Kigali, Rwanda, then northeast (over Uganda) to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, followed by a flight southwest to Johannesburg, and a final leg further west to Capetown classified as "excessively indirect"? [Note: departure time is 2 am, landing 6pm... clearly ideal travel times] Perhaps the amazing deal is not as amazing as it seemed at first...

Just remember: Christmas with penguins, Christmas with penguins, Christmas with penguins!

Fling, flung

2011-12-14T16:40:00.001+09:00

To "fling" implies a sense of acceptance, a willingness to embrace suspension, an intentional movement beyond the secure present. At this juncture in life, I fling myself into the unknown once again. I propel myself into to the void of subjectivity and hope to fall on soft ground.

The realm of international education is a strange one. My friends in the U.S. maintain stability through long-term jobs, perhaps considering promotions or divergent tracks within reasonably contained spaces. Meanwhile, my friends who are international educators reconsider the gut-wrenching question of "where do I want to be in life?" annually as contracts are renewed and benefits revised.

Sometimes international educators chose to stay another year, two years, in the communities they have acclimated to. They learn a new language, refine curriculum, relish friendships, or explore community offerings. However, equally often, international educators eject themselves into the black hole of job fairs, resumes, and Skype interviews. They uproot themselves and restart their lives on new continents, in new cities, amidst new people. They transition towards familiar. Towards foreign. Towards challenging. Towards ease. Towards unknown.

All international educators know the dizziness of dropping, the uncertainty of parachutes as the world sprawls before you. I am now in the midst of that terrifying free fall stage: I have relinquished a position I love at The International School of Uganda and have released applications for doctoral programs to the whims of admission boards. No degree of grasping at air will reverse my trajectory or maintain my job vacancy until March. Instead, I can simply hope that one of the programs I have applied to will embrace me with my academic interests (the intersection of human rights and education).

When I went skydiving a few years ago I nearly fainted as we flew up to the 12,000 ft drop point. As I watched the trees below me shrink to miniscule dots, dozens of scenarios (many less than desirable) bombarded my mind. Fear clenched my hand tightly. However, when my tandem buddy shouted "Now!" and we propelled ourselves from the plane, a surprising sense of peace transcended. I can't honestly say that I have that degree of serenity yet. But I am eager to see which metaphorical pasture I land on. I have flung myself towards new opportunities and my free fall will be over before I know it.

What is at the end of the rainbow?

2011-11-14T01:01:00.001+09:00

The answer, I have found, depends on your cultural frame of reference. In the US we suggest that you will find a creepy green man with a pot of gold. In Uganda, I learned today, the rainbow's end points at a white ship (that has a pesky habit of vanishing into Lake Victoria when pursued). Or, to some Ugandans, the rainbow is a message from a higher being that the looming storm will not show its full wrath on the people. Or to the abundant Ugandan Christian masses, it is a symbol of a promise from God. Who knew those technicolor arches held so much lore and symbolism?!?

Exploring Western Uganda

2011-10-25T17:11:00.003+09:00

We drove amidst herds of buffalo and lounging baboons, successfully evaded the greedy hands of corrupt traffic cops, and navigated a wide array of potholes, mud pits, and meandering goats. We successfully deciphered webs of unlabeled dirt roads and improvised solutions to road closures. In the end, the views, animal sightings, and stories were worth every safari ant bite and every stretch of shock-eroding gravel! We visited three areas in Western Uganda: Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth National Park (including Ishasha), and Fort Portal. The landscape was stunning and, by the end, we viewed nearly all the major game that Uganda has to offer: lions, a leopard, a hyena, chimps, zebras, mongoose, hippos, crocodiles... truly an amazing trip (made even better by the company-- Sarah all the way from California and a co-worker, DJ). Chimp trekking:

Our room at Mihingo (in Lake Mburo National Park)

10 yards away from a leopard!

One of three male lions we saw in Queen Elizabeth!

Zebras in Lake Mburo area

Chimps!

Crested Cranes doing a dance (Uganda's national bird)

Breakfast views from Ndali Lodge (near Fort Portal)

2 ÷ 2= 1

2011-10-03T01:01:00.001+09:00

2 chickens ÷ 2 eggs in one week= only one egg per chicken per week. Not sure what to make of that. My online research has indicated that they should be laying 1 egg each every day! Perhaps I do not have a career in egg harvesting...

Keeping busy

2011-09-28T01:09:00.005+09:00

Fast for Famine
I mentioned in my last post that I've been busy. Well, one of the things that has kept me occupied recently has been the handling of logistics for ISU's recent service campaign. I am so proud of the turnout! About 60 students and faculty members joined together to fast to raise money for the World Food Programme and support famine victims in East Africa. In the end, we donated about $5000 as a school which is enough to feed about 10,000 adults! Pretty exciting stuff! It is fun to watch momentum for service and global issues grow in the community!

Kicking off a New Season
I've also been busy coaching soccer! We have a young team this year and so we are still working to get our feet under us. We had our first game last week and have numerous others before our big international tournament in Zambia in November.

Chickens?
I am also trying out a new thing (cause if not now, when?)... this week I bought two chickens and added them to a vacated coop in my backyard. So far, they have laid one egg and managed to avoid the dog's greedy grasp. Meet Kim & Chi, the newest members of my compound:

Plagerizing myself

2011-09-18T14:42:00.003+09:00

I have been too exhausted this week to think about writing (I'll explain why at some point). Instead, I'll copy in some writing I had to do for an online course I am taking. The assignment: describe the view from your window. Without further ado... my view:

The mosquito screens that frame my window deter Malaria-laden insects, but ignore the warm Ugandan breeze that freely flows through their tiny braids. As I peer out my bedroom window, I can hear the bleating of cattle and the persistent honks of half-filled mutatus. I watch two sunbirds playfully shake droplets from the vibrant green bush beside my porch. The scattered water drops are feeble reminders of the heavy downpour that unleashed its emotion on the thirsty red roads this morning, the storm that sent the slums downhill into panicked flurry, the same precipitation that announced its procession from Lake Victoria with a heavy drumming and urgent cracks of thunder, and the same rain that accelerated the growth of my tomatoes.

I watch as my cat, always the feisty one, swats at my dog's tail before sprinting across the lawn and diving headfirst into the brush. I notice, with a smirk, that an agama lizard taunts her as it suns on the compound wall-- just beyond her nimble reach. She stalks slowly and crouches in the flowers, ready to pounce should the lizard forget her presence. I sigh, knowing it is only a matter of time until my restless puppy-of-a-dog capitalizes on this moment of kitty indisposition and grabs her tail. I know this dance for dominance far too well.

I turn my eyes towards the valley and scan the hills. I love the crisp clarity of the air after a good rain. As I watch the sun begin to dip into the red roofs and banana leaves, I wonder if electricity will return tonight and unravel the cloak of darkness that will soon transcend.

Portion Control

2011-09-01T03:48:00.003+09:00

Today yet another visitor to my compound asked if my cat, Scout, was pregnant. Now I know for certain that she cannot be (as I literally watched a vet disconnect her lady parts on my front patio last year). Perhaps it is a sign, then, that Kitty Weight Watchers time should begin. Sorry, cat, you're being rationed.

In the words of Sarah, "We live in different worlds!"

2011-08-31T02:45:00.002+09:00

Sunday I got a knock at about eight pm. It was my night guard, Jaqueen. He shared with me that Harriet and her daughter were trapped in their house (on my property). Thus began the four-hour attempt to free the two from their virtual prison. Their only door had closed rapidly with curtains jammed in the springs and somehow the release mechanism malfunctioned. The result? Two humans trapped in a cement block with metal barred windows and doors and no way out. Talk about things that I never expected having to deal with!?! Several sets of benevolent friends and a gamut of broken tools later, my friend's dad succeeded in sawing through metal to release the cheaply constructed (yet somehow highly indestructible) door.

Monday, I had school as usual and then my first soccer practice of the season. One of the girls on the team is coincidently the owner of one of the puppies I raised last spring. She showed me a picture that proved that the puppy did in fact grow into a normal-looking and apparently quite sweet dog (quite exciting stuff). Then I went home to watch the sky and the Ugandan internet news sites for signs of the moon (and the resulting declaration of Eid). The first task was aided by the complete lack of power (courtesy of regular load-shedding), the second impeded by it. In the end, I discovered through text messages from friends in town that I would get a holiday on Tuesday and that the Muslim population in Uganda would join the rest of the world in celebrating the end of their fasting.

Today, during my holiday, I walked my dog through the nearby fields with Lindsay. As usual, half-naked children greeted us with smiles and bubbling enthusiasm. Then I did a bit of grocery shopping and considered buying a giant oversized hat from a boutique to wear with my stilettos and cocktail dress for the weekend's upcoming charity goat races (picture Kentucky Derby style attire while goats are prodded around a ring by a mattress). Finally, I spent the evening grading papers on my porch. That is, until I discovered a swarm of termites flying from a mound that had gone unnoticed in my yard. Thousands of bugs were flying free as my dog and cat swatted and consumed. Harriet explained that these ones were too small to be pleasingly edible. A bit bigger, she explained, a bit bigger.

Tonight, a new night guard begins patrolling my house. The security company my school employs sent him. His name is Godfry and he has a kind smile. However, I am really going to miss having Jaqueen around for his nightly stories, his fatherlike presence for Harriet's daughter, and his amazing ability to catch my cat for her nighttime house arrest. Jaqueen has a new, better job; I am happy for him. I am going to have to get better at this cat-catching business, though.

Semi-Familiar Territory

2011-08-28T20:10:00.007+09:00

I still do not know all the back roads to dodge traffic or how to convince my landlord to actually bring me a key to my back door. It might take me three days and five trips to maintenance to get 8 nails in my cement classroom wall. I may still get scammed by muzungu prices. And yet, life is so much more familiar.

I have a house with animals and people who welcome me home every day. I know the neighborhood guards and the patterns of the birds. I am well versed in my inverter's capacities. At school, rapport is no longer work: students know me along with my passions. I have watched momentum build for both global issues and soccer. Most of my classes are familiar and I have a classroom of my own. I have friends who know my stories.

I am especially struck that all the novelty of a new school year is so much more fun when the work of starting afresh is past!

And with that, my new kids:

Photo journey of North America visit part 2

2011-08-10T01:40:00.007+09:00

"Moment of magic" (Hawaii)

"One might note a distinct genetic likeness" (Hawaii)

""Moderately strenuous," they say" (Hawaii)

"Taking Artistic Measures" (Seattle)

"The Curious Incident of the Gum in the Ally Way" (Seattle style)

photo journey through month 1 at home

2011-07-18T16:36:00.013+09:00

My muse is officially on holiday. In the meantime, please accept a postcard journey through my last few weeks at home instead:

"The spastic family dog during apple season"

"Toronto is in fact quite green"

"I, too, believe I can fly"

"Friends without borders"

"In lieu of socks"

"Reasons it is nice to be in the country"

"Life's still more fun when you're a Sarah"

"Laughter and a bit of caffeine"

"Note to self: cement slides do not yield"

"Even the pigeons in San Francisco like to be different"

More moments to come...

the bags under my eyes are bigger than my venti latte

2011-06-19T12:33:00.000+09:00

I have already travelled 45 minutes by taxi, waited 4 hours in Entebbe for a delayed departure, flew 3 hours to Addis, sat on the runway in a hot plane for an hour, flew another few hours to Dubai (landed at 2 am), navigated myself through Dubai transfer area, slept 4 restless hours on the floor of the airport, and found a Starbucks to take a bit of the edge off. As I sit at my departure gate awaiting boarding for a 16-hour flight, I am conscious that I am only about 1/3 of the way home. Times like these, I ask myself why I live so bloody far away from home?

Death by Giant Cattle or Agama Lizard?

2011-06-13T05:35:00.003+09:00

I think my animals have death-wishes. Today I took a walk with my dog. It is not unusual for us to encounter a wide array of animals as we walk the neighborhood: goats, chickens, birds, squirrels, stray dogs and cats. Benvolio likes to chase chickens and tests the power of his leash if a goat gets within pouncing range. However, he is usually smart enough to leave the cattle alone, especially the cattle with horns that are longer than any of my limbs. Not today, though. We were walking by a few grazers when suddenly, Ben decides to initiate play…. with a 1,000 lb cow! Luckily I was able to ward the cow off and get my dog away before we got mauled. Gee whiz! Who know walking could be so treacherous!

Check out a picture of a typical Ugandan cow (stolen from Wikipedia):

My cat also seems to want to die. This week she took on an Agama lizard and lost a chunk of her nose in the process. I understand when she chases geckos, but Agamas are half her size. Well maybe not half, she's a tubby cat. At least, proportionately, the lizard was a better match for her than the cattle was for my dog.

An Agama lizard sunning at ISU:

Trusting life vests

2011-05-29T21:51:00.008+09:00

In January, I went rafting in the Nile at Jinja. On several of the large rapids, our boat flipped or I was flung into the currents. Years of having asthma have taught me to relax in such moments; panic yields little, instead, stay calm and trust that oxygen will eventually come. Sure enough, my life jacket buoyed me up to the surface often enough to gasp for air and the rapids eventually spit me out into peaceful waters. After each bout, I remounted myself at the head of the raft and waited to be catapulted again.

The last month has felt like I’ve been ejected into another category 5 rapid. The bustle that comprises the last month and a half of a school year has submerged me below the surface and I have had to simply trust that adrenaline will carry me; that a respite from the chaos will indeed come. That the grading, planning, extra events, million and one obligations and expectations, comment writing, proctoring, and meetings will eventually slow down. That I will eventually bob up into the calm of summer break.

Many good things have happened in the last month: my IB grade 12 students have finished their exams and have graduated. I have watched the new Global Issues Network group at my school grow from 0 to approximately 45 kids. My garden has finally started producing vegetables. The puppies I fostered have settled into new homes. My car is finally back in working order and ready to tackle Kampala's potholes. I have successfully written all my exams and semester comments. I have gone to Jinja again (this time just to relax… no rafting). The Ugandan walk-to-work protests have de-escalated from burning tires, flying boulders, live bullets, and tear gas to synchronized car honking and pink tinted water.The bill proposing the death penalty for people who are homosexual in Uganda was dismissed. I have created unit plans and syllabi for classes next year. Several potential new IB books have been finished and considered. I have relinquished control over things in my school that cannot be changed. I have celebrated friends who are moving on from Uganda. I have made new friends within the Kampala community.

All-in-all, it has been a month of many positive and productive steps. Yet, I cannot stress enough how much I am looking forward to surfacing for oxygen. June 18th cannot come soon enough!

Taking Puppy Steps

2011-04-27T03:31:00.007+09:00

It feels like ages ago that I agreed to take home two little foster pups that were no bigger than potatoes. The first sleepless nights of 3-hour bottle-feeding shifts and assisted puppy toilet functions thankfully feel eons ago. Now, as I sit with one puppy snuggled in my lap while the other runs through my living room, I am amazed that the three-day-old little rat-like things I brought home have grown into five-week-old dogs; that the inventive homemade milk mixes I made due to a lack of puppy formula in Uganda have not completely failed; that both the puppies and I have survived thus far. There were moments I doubted that any of us would make it.

In the beginning, the puppies were so fragile I was terrified I would break them. I am sure this is a normal new “mother” phenomenon. With every cough, paranoid flashbacks to online articles about puppy pneumonia crossed my mind. I browsed dozens of dog-owner sites and memorized the steps of puppy development. I simulated a mamma dog’s presence with hot water bottles and socks filled with rice that, electricity permitting, were heated in the microwave. I eagerly anticipated the opening of eyes. I stressed at milk consumption fluctuations.

Yet, before long, one puppy voraciously ate her way into the stable category. This tubby puppy quickly gained weight and began tottering around my bathroom floor. As she beefed up, my fears about her fragility subsided and became replaced by concern for the well-being of my shoes (which she manages to find constantly).

The littler one, though, had challenges from the beginning. Early on, she developed skin issues that only subsided with the aid of a vet and some vigorous orange topical medication. Once she passed her skin scare, a persistent eye infection began to plague her. The poor little one’s slow growth and struggles to overcome health issues have been accentuated by the rapid growth of her sister. However, in the last few days, she has finally started to seem more stable. While she still has visible reminders of both health struggles, the little one is starting to wobble her way back onto a more typical developmental track (just a few weeks delayed).

I, too, have had moments where I was unsure if I would survive the experience. After several weeks of sleepless nights, I strongly questioned my decision to foster these puppies. Now, I more often wonder how I will manage to give these little guys up in a few weeks to new homes. I will, don’t worry; four animals in one house is way too much work to maintain full-time. I am going to miss these little peanuts when I give them up, though!

(little one is snuggled in my make-shift puppy sling; tubby one is a ham and likes the camera)

Global Issues Service Summit 2011

2011-04-11T18:21:00.004+09:00

Enthusiasm is contagious. Put 200 students and teachers together who are all global-issues advocates, and inspiration is bound to arise. Pool resources and ideas from 18 schools around Africa and watch innovative solutions mold and expand. Build relationships that transcend nations and sustainable partnerships surface; support networks weave themselves into place. Look to students as leaders and they rise to the responsibility.
I just returned from the 2011 African Global Issues Service Summit in Maputo, Mozambique. Along with my colleague, Johnny, I brought 4 students to this international gathering. For four days students swapped stories, ideas, and visions. We watched guest speakers like the former first-lady of Mozambique/South Africa, a 17-year-old who started a plethora of aid groups, the minister of Education in Mozambique. We listened to expert panels on disease within Africa, trafficking, water conservation, education for all, and the digital divide. Groups gathered to seek solutions and build communities. Students participated in a day of service alongside local organizations. Teachers gathered to swap successes and learn from each other’s mistakes. In short—it was a jam-packed week of learning, growing, encouraging, and planning. I came back to Uganda full of ideas and eager to make positive changes in my community.

My Stinkin' Bleeding Heart

2011-03-27T02:02:00.003+09:00

Sometimes I wish I wasn’t such a sucker for sob stories; that I could proceed with my life when faced with strays, tragedies, or apathy. However, in the same way that I cannot hold back tears when faced with emotional situations, I cannot restrain my desire to do something when presented with problems.

This is not a good thing when I live in a land where stray dogs traverse the hills in large packs, where men, women, and teenagers knock on my gate weekly asking for jobs, where children are put in prison because they have no parents to care for them. Or maybe it is.

Let me set the stage. In any teacher’s life, the dreaded time of the school year is the week or two surrounding the turn of a quarter. This is when reports must be written, a million and one assessments must be marked, new units planned, and parent-teacher conferences navigated. I am in the midst of such a time. Add to this the chaos of planning an international trip (in a week and a half I am taking 4 kids to Mozambique for the Global Issues Service Summit). Plus I am getting training in peer mediation for four days next week. And don’t forget to add all my usual time-commitments including a writing group and Bible study to the busy backdrop my life.

Commence Act 1: Last weekend I showed up at my friend’s kid’s birthday party. I was planning to pass along a gift, give hugs, and perhaps stay long enough for a piece of cake. I had no intention of bringing home incredibly time-consuming animals. However, when another friend arrived with 15 abandoned puppies, each only about a week old, I quickly found myself sitting in her car trunk coercing tiny creatures to suckle from a bottle. In a country with far too many strays, puppies of this size are nearly always put to sleep. I found myself disconsolate at the thought. And so, on an utter bleeding-heart-whim, I asked my housekeeper if she was willing to split the duties of caretaking for three of the tiny needy creatures until they are adopted. She was. And before long, three of the smallest dogs I have ever seen were nestled into a plastic bowl in my bathroom. Three little cuties who require feeding every 3 hours. Who cannot go to the bathroom without help. Who are still blind and deaf. Who make me feel like I have newborn babies to care for.

Act 2: Also in the last week, I have been unable to pry myself away from headlines about Japan. Eager to do something, I plastered posters around school, urging students and teachers alike to join me in brainstorming possible contributions. Finally, we settled on a grade 6-12 fashion show with ticket sales benefitting the Red Cross. Alas, I now find myself responsible for facilitating large numbers of students as they create costumes made from recycled materials and sell tickets for our very own ISU Project Runway show. The show is set to run a day and a half before I fly to Mozambique.

It is one of those weeks where sleep is under-rated and I wonder if my bleeding-heart syndrome is going to spur me towards collapse. Hopefully at least I’ll help a few causes in the meantime!

The Power of Words

2011-03-20T22:07:00.002+09:00

Making metaphors is easy. At least when you’re an English teacher and you pepper all your feedback with niceties; you dust all your encounters with layers of connotations; you dissect intentions innately, holding filaments discretely in the tweezer-hold of linguistics and carefully gliding them into the light. I’m certainly not suggesting I fold every paper I receive into a dainty origami. Nor do I sand wood down until corners transform into smooth arches, or bury cars one snowflake at a time. Yet I am overcome by the power of language. To change. To heal. To accuse. To minimize. To justify. To exploit.

About two years ago, I crawled slowly through the galleries of the peace museum in Hiroshima on a cold February day. In a numb state of bewilderment I absorbed photographs of houses obliterated into nothingness, tiny melted shoes, subtitled documentaries of siblings lost, drooping spoons found beside plates of food unfinished, outlines of vaporized people blasted into cement walls, and factual displays outlining horrific side effects of radiation poisoning. With each memoir, I felt tides drag me deeper into a muddled sea of loss, guilt, and helplessness. Before me, the sores of humanity lay raw and oozing; I felt incapable of even swatting the metaphorical flies away.

After I finished wandering the main gallery, I decided to peruse the lobby’s basement, an exhibit of misfit items, while I waited for my friends. I found a wall of crayon drawings that resembled children’s doodles. I soon discovered these rudimentary sketches were painfully etched by the wobbly hands of old men and women, years after the atomic bomb incinerated sisters, bosses, mothers, sons. They were snapshots of unspeakable horrors, representations of nightmares, of realities.

I edged down the line. The only other person in the room was an elderly Japanese man. He too shuffled from picture to picture. From time to time, he let out a low moan and muttered to himself in Japanese. Every few pictures, our eyes met. Mine questioned the man: Did he lose someone? Did he see that infamous cloud? Was he one of the distraught kids ushered out of tottering buildings? Or was he lucky enough to be on foreign soil? Could he be old enough to have fought in the war? Would he fight again? His damp wrinkled eyes merely smiled at me knowingly. I nodded and averted my eyes, refocusing on the stick figures’ tears. My own tear ducts stoically sealed, awaiting solitude.

When I reached the corner I allowed myself to glance around the spacious hall. A few haphazard cases in the center beckoned me with their dim florescent lights. Beneath the beams I discovered newspaper clippings from August 6, 1945. Familiar images greeted me, mushroom clouds ballooning out of cover creases. I skimmed text that relayed known statistics. And then I saw the headline, the one that broke me. It was from an American paper: “Giant Golf Ball Dropped on Japan.”

The crayon depictions? Just reminders of another day on the greens. That man with charred skin? You could say his day was equivalent to a few strokes over par.

I staggered to a bench, emotions cascading from my eyes. For a few moments I floundered between pity, responsibility, shame, and anger. Images swirled at the forefront of my mind. I shut my eyes, attempting to regain equilibrium. Then I felt someone take my hands. I looked up into the face of a man whose country suffered at the hands of my own. I looked directly into his eyes as he spoke reassuringly to me in calm Japanese. His grip tightened as he continued his speech. Slowly my breathing settled and my shoulders stopped heaving. I found my lips muttering in apology, in appreciation, in understanding. Eventually, I rose and we parted.

To this day, his words are as illusive to me as I am sure mine were to him. Yet I am certain that on that afternoon, sitting on a stone bench in a deserted museum basement, we made a vow of peace and responsibility.

It is now over two years later. I sit at my desk in Uganda and scroll through digital headlines of radiation leaks, tsunami evacuees, beaches lined with hundreds of bodies, and vanished trains. Thousands of miles away. The images look nothing like the Japan I traveled. I skim the pictures and do not find his face. My eyes go back to the headlines. Again I find myself wondering at the words and at their power. Is the media amplifying aftershocks? Is anyone tipping the figurative caddy this time? Or instead, are words lifting the rubble, one piece of plywood at a time?

Kenya escapes

2011-03-16T04:51:00.004+09:00

Reunion with friends in Nairobi. Walking safari at Lake Naivasha. Driving safari at Amboseli. New friends. What a fabulous 4 day weekend!

In honor of my birthday...

2011-02-25T03:21:00.002+09:00

my dog brought me a screeching half-murdered bat that flapped around pitifully on the ground. I got to smash its head in with a hoe to put it out of its misery. Talk about an un-welcomed gift. Well, that was a first for me.

On a lighter note, I got dozens of loving messages, a nice BBQ, and a relaxing happy hour with friends. This was definitely more than a birthday of smashed bats. Thanks for the love, everyone!

Election Update

2011-02-14T00:14:00.001+09:00

Many of you have sent me concerned emails lately regarding the upcoming presidential elections in Uganda, so I figured I would update everyone.

I have accumulated enough groceries to last me weeks on end, extra candles and kerosene lamps, and spare gasoline for my car. I have also planned weeks of lessons that my students could complete from anywhere in the world. We have started dismissing early from school and will be closed for about a week beginning this Thursday. However, it seems that (hopefully) none of these precautions will be necessary. A series of political rallies have been completed peacefully. Security has made its presence felt on street corners and major roads and extra military reinforcements have been brought in to quell any potential uprisings quickly. So far, things have gone very smoothly indeed.

Everyone is hoping that peace will persist for the next week here. Presidential elections begin on Thursday and a series of other elections take place in the week after that. The turmoil in Egypt has made everyone a bit more jumpy than usual, but it seems that everything here is under control.

If you are the praying sort, please pray for stability in Uganda in the next few days! Please know also that I am in a suburb (Lubowa) a good way out of the city center and am highly unlikely to be directly caught in the middle if any potential chaos.

What’s in a Hiring?

2011-02-04T02:28:00.004+09:00

Every month, at least 5 people knock on my gate begging for employment. However, when I first moved to Uganda, I was not sure how I felt about hiring someone. American friends jokingly teased me from afar about considering servants. While I knew that they were kidding (and that many of them would employ someone to cut their lawns if they had a lawn to mow), I had to admit that the idea of paying someone to regularly clean or cook for me seemed oddly similar to slavery. As my friends in Uganda told me about their hired caretakers, cleaners, gardeners, cooks, and drivers, I found myself cringing, subconsciously assuming that there was an element of elitist oppression involved. But what I have gradually come to realize is that by responsibly employing someone in Uganda, I can actually help free rather than oppress.

When I met Harriet, she was a guard for the company securing my school. The only woman manning the front gate, she stood out with her big smile and her welcoming words. Every time she saw me, she would leave her post to come give me a big hug greeting me with “Good morning, madam,” a sign of respect, or “How are you?” At that stage, I was living in a small manageable house, was sharing a day guard/gardener with my compound companions, and was still ambivalent how much “help” I felt okay with. Harriet was simply a welcoming face each morning.

I found out I was moving into my current home in October. With more rooms and a huge unattended garden, the prospect of hired help seemed more alluring. I had gradually warmed up to the idea of someone else living in the roomy boys’ quarters on the property and was beginning to think about options. The day my move seemed cemented, I was walking to school and found Harriet taking the same path. As we commuted to work together, we chatted about life. While mine was heading upwards, Harriet’s was at a desperate standstill. She urged me to consider passing her name along if I knew anyone who needed someone to help work for them. It all seemed like too much of a coincidence.

Before Harriet worked for me, she started her life in Kampala a shack smaller than my current closet with a dirt floor and a roof that virtually collapsed with any drizzle (needless to say, it did little to ward off the frequent tropical downpours). She gradually upgraded to a single 8x8 ft room, but it was hard for her to advance quickly on a guard’s salary. Working 7 days a week for 12-hour shifts, Harriet was lucky if she made 60,000 shillings a month (or about 30 USD). Harriet could not afford to have her daughter live in the city with her and had to leave her in the village to be raised by her grandmother. Harriet could not attend church on Sundays because she worked 7 days a week.

Alternative employment offered Harriet a new life. Working for me, she gets a sizeable salary, a 2 bedroom house with running water and electricity, a day off a week to go to church, a reasonable boss (if I do say so myself), and probably the most noticeable difference: the ability to have her daughter live with her and go to school nearby.

Two weeks ago Harriet returned to her village and brought her five-year-old back with her. I do not think she has stopped smiling since. While Loveline speaks no English to express her sentiments, I think her laughter and constant enthusiasm speak for themselves!

A bit of a predicament

2011-01-27T23:49:00.005+09:00

I can drive. Yet I cannot take a shower. Or wash my hands. Or flush my toilets. Or clean my dirty feet. City water has been out and my tank has been dry for three days now. I have been told the water "is coming" multiple times, but am yet to see anything that resembles liquid from my faucets. Baby wipes are my new best friends.

Things I do not love about this country.

What it takes to buy a car

2011-01-27T04:39:00.002+09:00

Just a few things I have come to appreciate about American car shopping vs. Ugandan car shopping:

Car owners must disclose basic things (like doors or windows that don’t open). Or holes in windows, worn down tires, spewing exhaust pipes, jammed locks, missing gas caps…

Car lots tend to keep their cars clean and filled with sufficient gas for test drives. Or at least to turn them on to check that the engine starts! (No kidding, there was a car I was interested in that they would not put petrol in so I could check that the engine worked before buying it. I was told they would retrieve gas “after I agree to buy it.”)

Paperwork is clear (or more-so) and traceable. A dealer checks to make sure proper transfer forms exist. And they certainly don’t bring you a completely different car at work without asking (that is “better” of course, with proper documentation) rather than drive across town to get the original papers.

Car vendors have working telephone numbers that do not change every day. Now is that too much to ask for?

You are not usually forced to cough up thousands of dollars of cash on the spot.

When you finally buy a car and it is delivered, car dealers always ensure you have enough gas to get to a petrol station before refilling!!! Nothing like filling my new car tank through a funnel made from a water bottle in order to take my first drive as its owner.
*****
Alas, even with all these hurdles, I successfully bought a car this weekend. My new 1995 RAV4 was delivered to me on Tuesday. Today I took my first solo drive into town and successfully navigated through the traffic, potholes, pedestrians, goats, bodas, cows, etc. Driving here is going to be a new challenge, that’s for sure. However, I am stoked for the new freedom I am sure this car will afford. And I am slowly adjusting to driving on the left hand side of the road from the right side of the car.

That’s right, people, I am now an official Ugandan driver.

Hesitancy

2011-01-19T01:43:00.003+09:00

I have frequently considered the mysterious disappearance of my blog muse since my arrival in Uganda nearly six months ago. I transitioned from chronic blogging in Korea to sporadic forced posts. Life in Kampala is far from mundane and I have long since passed the “I have no power for my computer” excuse. Though, ironically, the power is really out yet again as I write this. Luckily, an inverter purrs contentedly in my kitchen and inside my closet rests the extra insurance of a spare battery pack (that miraculously made it un-stolen in a labeled box from the States).

This week I joined the first writing group I have been in since my time in university classes. As I shared a work-in-progress, the inevitable questions of audience and purpose were asked. And that is when it hit me--- I have been carefully editing my blog for the sake of my audience. My muse has been paralyzed by a fear that there are many things in my new life that might rattle people I love: the baby snake I helped my friend carry out of her compound, the class five rapids that chucked me into the Nile, the financial canyon my school is trying to scale out of, the puppy castration that took place on my front porch. I have been so scared to taint the already tedious perception many of my loved ones have about my chosen home that I have been hesitant to share life. The good and the bad.

I am coming to the realization that the vast majority of the people who read this blog are about as likely to visit me in Uganda, as I am to sit still for a week straight. This might be the only account they ever get of my daily triumphs, observations, and surprises. I think it’s time to let my reluctance go a bit and release my stories from hibernation.

Reflections on 2010

2011-01-01T08:24:00.000+09:00

Ten goals for 2011:
1. keep pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone
2. cook more often (and better)
3. serve others regularly and inspire kids to care about the world
4. continue to develop my faith and trust God’s plan for my life
5. find more balance between all the things that pull at my time
6. see a new place (or two… or three…or four…)
7. date more—I gotta get out of my married friend bubble and put myself out there from time to time
8. learn to drive in Uganda
9. write, design, and create more often
10. make time for family and friends

Ten things I never imagined I would have done in 2010 but did do:
1. taught with amazing people from all over the world: the UK, Colombia, Italy, Holland, Kenya, Germany, etc.
2. took a Ugandan dance class and then danced in public
3. coached multiple championship soccer teams (it does not really matter who won the games… both teams made it to finals!)
4. saw a leopard in a tree! Leopards, giraffe, hippos, crocodiles... more reasons I am excited to live in Africa!
5. was a chaperone on an international service trip with my mom ☺ Pretty neat to serve alongside both students and my momma in the Philippines!
6. hired a night guard with a giant gun to protect my three bedroom house--- what!?!
7. taught 7th grade—while I am doubtful that I would intentionally do it again, it has been a good learning experience. I do appreciate the hugs, notes, and plants ripped out of the garden complete with roots that come along with my eager to please 7th graders.
8. acquired a puppy and a kitten. I never really pegged myself as a cat person too, but I have loved having both little guys!
9. held my puppy’s legs down while he got castrated on my front porch… vet services are a little different in Uganda! If only I got to drop him off at the vet’s office and return when they were done like I would have in the states!
10. walked beside a family of rhinos

Ten things I did in 2010 I am proud of:
1. got hired. In today’s economy, that’s no small deal.
2. consistently went to a home church in Korea and have joined a Bible study in Uganda
3. made decisions I knew people wouldn’t all agree with about what to do job-wise this year. I am proud of myself for doing something I felt was right even though I knew other options would be much easier.
4. moved to a country where I knew no one, and a developing country at that. This move, more than any other, has really stretched me!
5. maintained mentor relationships with some of my students from Korea even when I moved a continent away
6. spent quality time with family and friends
7. learned to cook more (thanks to the Lubowan social crew for the expert modeling)
8. dealt with power outages, a lack of hot water, mosquitoes, holes in ceilings, etc.
9. managed to teach 4 grade levels at the same time (grades 7, 9, 11, and 12)
10. got actively involved in a variety of service opportunities in Korea, in the US, and in Uganda.

Synonyms

2010-12-02T21:59:00.003+09:00

Tired. Worn. Weary. Fatigued. Depleted. Sapped. Knackered. Drained. Whacked. Flagging. Exhausted. Fried. Overworked. Beat. Petered out. Spent.

They look the way I feel these days:

I can't wait for a Christmas break in a few weeks!

Habitat for Humanity

2010-11-28T13:33:00.003+09:00

Last weekend I went with a group of 12 high school students on a Habitat for Humanity building trip to a village near Mayuge (South-Eastern Uganda). It was a short but meaningful trip.

As I ventured further and further from city life, I became overwhelmed by the number of children I saw. There were children in the trees, children picking crops, children cooking food, children running barefoot down roads, children asleep under trees, and children selling fruit at stands. There were children caring for children, caring for children.

According to the CIA World Factbook, the mean age in Uganda is 15 and both the rate of growth and birthrate second only to Niger. Last weekend was my first real encounter with those statistics.

In Mayuge, so many beautiful and young faces smiled at me as I passed by. So many curious small hands reached out to pat mazungu skin. So much high pitched laughter echoed as we played games in the road. So many eyes traced our every move. So many little beings, just eager to be noticed.

I am very thankful that I was able to spend a few days experiencing a different life. I know our building efforts only make a tiny contribution to a much larger cause. However, I hope that we gave back as much as the people of Mayuge gave to me.

Oh the Things You Can Do!

2010-11-15T01:11:00.005+09:00

It feels like it has been months since I last posted; the three weeks that have passed have blurred into a mélange of emotions and experiences.

First of all, I have been in the midst of housing chaos. Three weeks ago, I thought I was moving all the way across town, then I was not moving at all, then I was moving down the street with one week’s notice, and finally I was set to move one block away with just two day’s warning (at the immediate close of my girls’ first major soccer tournament)! As if two days to pack my things in the midst of teaching, coaching, and general living wasn’t enough, I also had to consider things like hiring/firing of guards, logistics of moving, etc. Needless to say, my move was a bit stressful, but eventually it was worth every ounce of anxiety I experienced. I upgraded… big time! I transitioned from a relatively small place with a shared compound to a gorgeous three-bedroom house with a huge kitchen, a wrapping porch (I have been coveting a porch since I lived in Tennessee), a bathtub (and 3 bathrooms), a large seating area, and a spacious yard for the dog to play in. My animals are relishing the extra space to run, tackle, hide, chew, etc and I am loving the counter and closet space! I hired a lovely Ugandan woman named Harriet to live in the extra two-bedroom house on my compound and act as a day guard/property caretaker. She is ecstatic over the new job/home and I feel so safe having another woman constantly around the compound. I have also settled in with a new night guard named Jaqueen. Check out a few pics of the new place:

While moving has been a central focus, coaching has been as well. We have had two major tournaments in the last few weeks, one with local teams, and one international. The local tournament was relatively low-key, packing just one weekend full of games and BBQs. The international tournament was quite a big ordeal, though. Six other international schools from South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe flew their teams to Uganda to compete in the ISSEA football tournament. There were three full days of games (each team played 8-9 games), four days of connected events, and many opportunities to interact with other coaches and students from around Africa. These events are always exhausting but so much fun. The ISU girls ended in third place and the ISU boys’ team took the title this year. Pretty exciting tournament to host!

Apart from moving and coaching, I have also been trying to keep my focus on teaching. In the last three weeks I have submitted grades, had a parent-teacher conference day, survived the added stress of a school accreditation visit (with three different accrediting sources at the same time!), started 5 new units simultaneously, and have smoothed out a variety of student meltdowns. Good thing I love my kids!

And who would I be if I didn’t also pack in a bit of social? I hosted my first party in my new house this weekend. I encouraged my friends to wear something that they look at and wonder “why on earth did I waste packing space for that!?!” I had about 25 friends show up at different points in time in winter clothes, formal wear, obscenely high heels, odd hats, dresses from the 80’s, kilts, robes, cow suits (oh wait, that was me), fake mustaches, light-up glasses, etc. It was a night of laughs. I also participated in a quiz night where I successfully avoided ending up last (out of 20 teams) by a whole point and a half. What can I say, I am one smart woman!

Man, it is even tiring to write about all the things I have done in the last three weeks. I need a vacation! If you made it to this point in the blog, congratulations! I will hopefully have less to share in my next posting.

A week of discovery

2010-10-23T04:03:00.009+09:00

This week I have been on vacation. There’s nothing like a few days off and some time out of town to reflect on life and progress. I spent my first three days on a safari to Murchison Falls in the northeastern region of Uganda. Then I went on an overnight trip to Bulago Island to lounge by a pool in the middle of Lake Victoria. I left myself three days to settle back in before starting work again. While vacationing, I have contemplated many things and have made numerous deep and not-so-profound discoveries in the last few days. A few such discoveries:

*Giraffe are the coolest creatures ever made. I can’t believe they live in the same country I do!
*It has officially been almost 3 months since I have watched any television (I am not counting the downloaded versions of Glee that I have my kids pay for and bring in for lunch-time viewing parties. They aren’t on a TV when we watch them, so they shouldn’t count).
*I can now get myself in and out of Kampala successfully using public transport all on my own. Hello, Freedom and Flexibility, my name is Sarah.
*My kitten can (and does) sprint up and down all the mosquito screens in my house whenever I am not looking. My puppy eats my shoes. Grrr.
*Warthogs look surprisingly like lions when they shuffle in the brush (and you desperately want to see a lion).
*Lakes can sort of feel like an ocean. For this land-locked beach junkie, that is a good thing indeed.
*It is worth paying for a guide on a safari. They can spot leopards in trees in the distance (a very rare spotting, I am told).
*Once I sort out my housing situation, I would like to acquire a goat. They are just funny and idiotic creatures. When I move I will happily donate him to the kid who walks the herd of goats down my street.
*Generally, I am feeling much more positive about this place. I like that.

Just for fun, a brief photo journey through my last week:
Murchison Falls:

Bulago Island:

Does vacation have to end?

This week I danced

2010-10-09T19:52:00.010+09:00

in front of the entire ISU community (perhaps 700 people?) for Ugandan Independence Day...

I watched monkeys leap from trees in the botanical garden...

I coached...

And watched my animals grow...

...just another typical week in Kampala.

walking with rhinos

2010-09-28T01:32:00.002+09:00

I went with about 15 of my coworkers and their spouses to a rhino sanctuary just a few hours outside Kampala. It was great fun and a nice escape from city-ish life. I walked within about 50 feet of a family of white rhinos and watched the mom nurse the baby. I scanned trees for monkeys (and managed to spot a few). I laughed at the Guinea fowl that failed to swerve off the road and tried to outrun the car instead. I pet a baby bush buck and was woken up by an oversized lizard scampering along the tin roof. I saw a massive snake sunning on the road. I successfully avoided acquiring any new mosquito bites.

Not a bad way to spend a Sat. night/Sunday morning, if you ask me!

Like an obsessed mother...

2010-09-28T00:13:00.003+09:00

…I would like to post my fourth post about my animals in a row. They are doing well, thanks for asking! I just came back inside from my favorite pet parent time: every night I take Benvolio out and wind him down by throwing tennis balls across the yard. He mostly gets the idea of fetch and it is fun to watch him bound back and forth between the fruit trees. Scout, who is normally an indoor cat, get to come along (but isn’t allowed to wander). She stays safely tucked in to my sweatshirt and we get some quality snuggle time. Recently she has taken to sneaking down one of my sleeves to watch as I throw the ball with my other arm. She purrs and acts strangely calm (a sharp contrast to the spastic kitten she is in the house).
Isn’t she cute?

I am also happy to report that my babies survived their first night without me at home (my capable guards took care of them) when I went away to a rhino sanctuary for the night. Benvolio may have sulked a bit when I got home, but they will live without me from time to time (this was a whole 16 hour trip).
Look at his pitiful sulking face:

Walks

2010-09-20T03:59:00.008+09:00

Benvolio and I took a long walk today to a produce market down the hill. He is an energetic and obedient walker, so I thought it sounded like a good idea. As we exited the nice compounds that comprise Lubowa and wandered our way into the lower wetlands, I began to doubt myself. I quickly discovered that I was not taking my puppy on the beginner's walking loop. [I should note that this was my first time taking this route. Numerous people had told me that it was a safe but interesting shortcut to Zana market. And interesting it was!]

As birds called from the brush, I remembered that people told me there were chimps living in this area. I'm not really sure how Benvolio would react to a chimpanzee, but luckily we did not have to see. Giant estates transitioned into buzzing shanty towns. People and animals abounded. Women looked up from open fire cooking to smile and exchange greetings. Children balancing water bottles on their heads darted out of allies to shout excitedly in Lugandan about a white woman... with a dog! Goats and chickens meandered into the road. Stray cats skittered under stools and cows lumbered down water-logged dirt paths. Shirtless boys and men played barefoot soccer on litter strewn fields and shopkeepers rearranged their ware. We dodged puddles, boda-bodas, disoriented cattle, and families walking home from church. We slowed to answer every single "how are you?" and heard dozens of "I am well/fine" replies.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my usually fearful puppy did quite well heading to the market. He walked beside me and only cowered a couple times (when stray dogs came too close). We even crossed a major road and fandangled our way through a crowd to barter for fruit and vegetables. All the while, my little guy followed obligingly. He occasionally looked up at me with a note of hesitation, but overall, did well.

Did well, that is, until we saw a sickly looking turkey. Let me revise: a sickly looking turkey plus a very normal looking guy selling plastic chairs and bowls. I don't know what it was about this seemingly non-threatening pair that set him off, but Benvolio froze. He crumpled to the ground and completely refused to move. I had to pick him up and carry him about a block. Now, he may be a puppy, but he ain't a small dog!

After a bit, he let me put him down. Then he proceeded to drag me as quickly as he could back up the hill.

While I found it quite fun to see a new side of life here, perhaps the usual Lubowa route is more Benvolio's style at this stage of the game.

Cats and Dogs

2010-09-14T03:20:00.003+09:00

Who said that cats and dogs can't get along?

Let's be honest, half an hour ago they were chasing each other. But here's the picture that gives me faith they will be friends in the end.

Home Improvement

2010-09-11T02:55:00.002+09:00

If these two faces aren't going to make me happy when I come home, what will?!?

Meet Scout. She is super spunky and completely fearless. I am going to have my hands full with her, I can tell. But I am hopeful that like her namesake (Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird), she uses her feisty enthusiasm for positive things… like making me smile! Or killing bugs/lizards! Scout is one of my favorite characters ever. As my first cat, my Scout now has big expectations to live up to.

Meet Benvolio (yes, I'm a total English nerd, another literary reference). Benvolio is the most docile, sweet three-month old puppy ever. He is like a constant shadow following me around. Like his namesake, I hope he distracts me from things that might be dragging me down (Why should I cares about a lack of power or planning for 5 classes, anyhow?) and serves as a loyal friend. I have no doubt he will succeed at both.

I know there are all sorts of movies and stories about how cats and dogs hate each other, but for now my new little ones are getting along splendidly! What a fun way to spend my Friday (many thanks to the Muslim church and the Ugandan government for the last minute declaration of a public holiday: Eid).

Things that sound the same but aren't...

2010-09-07T02:15:00.001+09:00

Every time I drive down Entebbe Road I notice something new. Today it was a rickety wooden box with “Rollex” painted in red letters that caught my attention. I laughed to myself (and my friend, Aura) that I wouldn’t trust the brand of any watches coming out of that box only to learn a new term: a Rollex is actually a Ugandan food. It is a chapatti (tortilla) with something rolled inside. Can you guess what it is? Give you a hint… the name sort of sounds like it! Roll(ed)…

That’s right: rolled eggs = rollex! Haha. Love it! Will have to try one some day soon ☺

Ugandan Victories

2010-09-06T03:22:00.003+09:00

I had heard that the Uganda vs. Angola match was going to be crazy, but nothing prepared me for the 10,000ish people piling through matatu-jammed dirt roads and highly disorganized pedestrian entrances into Mandela National Stadium yesterday.

Along with 17 co-workers and friends, I traversed the chaos that comprised the stadium vicinity. Vevuzales sounded, tattered hand painted flags fluttered, and hundreds of whistle-blowing Africans pulsated in a flexing mass of frenetic excitement. With my purse tightly clenched in my left hand and my friend’s hand firmly secured in my right, I laughed and submitted to the current of people surging towards the gates.

About 20 minutes of crowd surfing and about 50 excited cries of “Muzungu! Ya Uganda!” later, we surfaced on the inside of the ticket counters. The large group I was attending the game with slowly reassembled on the inside of the security check where was finally enough room for our flag capes to wave freely and our voices to carry to each other. Then we made our way over to the VIP section (tickets were only $10 for front/center seats!).

Despite menacing grey clouds, we opted for prime, exposed seats in third row. Within minutes of kickoff heavy droplets were pinging down, adding their excited drumming to the bleating horns and zealous shouts. We were also graced with the presence of President Museveni, whose seat required him to walk through the VIP section. He was greeted with cheers, waves, and a giant collection of security officials. I was about 100 feet away from him and managed to snap one blurry picture!
The game itself was invigorating and SO much fun. Uganda scored early in the first half and a celebratory air surged through the stadium. The crowd went nuts: singing, dancing, shouting, When the Ugandan team scored their second goal, flares were lit and cheers persisted for minutes. Goal three was just icing on the cake.

While driving home amidst throngs of Ugandans celebrating the country’s victory, I couldn’t help but get excited for adventures to come here. Saturday was just a brief glimpse into a few of the excitements this country has to offer!

Top 5 moments of the day:

2010-08-27T04:19:00.004+09:00

1) When I realized that my boxes did indeed arrive and that the contents were by and large intact! (only 4+ months of transit later)
2) When I played soccer for the first time in Uganda... in my own cleats (they were in the box I was afraid would never make it)!
3) When I discovered that BOTH my power AND my water were running tonight! Meaning I could use my new microwave to heat leftovers AND wash my feet :) Ah, the small things I am learning to appreciate!
4) When I hung a few things on my walls (again, from my shipment) and realized that my place finally has a tiny semblance of being settled!
5) When I watched my group of grade 9 students debate definitions of multiculturalism and identity. Call me a nerdy teacher if you like, but it is fun to observe kids' minds at work. Especially when they are grappling with big issues!

Some things I am thankful for:

2010-08-19T04:08:00.004+09:00

This has been one of the most challenging weeks of my life for many reasons, but it has also given me many things and people to be thankful for:
Amber and Aura for acting as advocates and ceaselessly seeking solutions,
Mark and Tina for giving me rides and letting me use their washing machine,
Rob for making me laugh always,
Lynda for giving big hugs,
Elizabeth and Cathie for calming me down when I lost my keys,
Bryn for giving pep talks,
a teacher whose name I can't remember for thinking I was British (I am prone to accents? She has a British one...),
Jamie and Lindsey for being my neighbors and so much more,
Tony and Gracious for working so many hours to keep my compound safe,
all the kids today for reminding me why I teach,
Casey and Nicki for inviting me to social events,
all 20 people who showed up to my first attempt to gather for making me feel like I might have friends,
Emily and Bre for Skyping and reminding me I do have friends,
Sue for explaining many many IB things to me,
Mom for encouragement,
dozens of people for taking the time to remind me through Facebook that they care,
TCIS students who sent me sweet messages and made me smile,
the people who restored the power long enough to charge my computer (and do my laundry),
Sara for attempting to resolve many issues,
the mosquito that snuck into my net last night but resisted biting me for giving me a few moments of peace,
Kathleen for her constant optimism,
Stella for letting me keep my classroom key,
the guards at the school gate for always greeting me so warmly,
the children selling sugar cane on my walk home for never giving up and inspiring perseverance,
the colored birds everywhere that remind me that nature is pretty sweet,
and of course... God for seeing beyond today.

Tonight, I am going to bed exhausted but grateful. Thanks to everyone who helped my fluctuating attitude swing back towards the positive side.

TIA

2010-08-17T00:49:00.004+09:00

This is just to say that I hate power outages. Yes, already. I have had power for all of about 6 hours in the last 4 days... combined! I need to do tons of work, but my computer dies every couple hours because I can't charge it (courtesy of the power outages). And I have not gotten strong lanterns yet, alas I am stuck with a few candles that can only cast their meager beams so far. The dark was a good excuse not to do anything and sleep early one night... but four nights in a row?!?

I guess I just need to shake it off and adopt the acronym everyone at school recites with a laugh when things don't go as planned (which seems to be often): TIA... this is Africa!

Adjustments Round 1

2010-08-15T17:49:00.005+09:00

I have now been in Uganda for exactly one week. I can’t believe how long/short this week has been! I really had no idea what to expect, but life here has still managed to surprise me immensely!

I am adjusting to so many things: applying bug repellant every few hours, endlessly killing flies/mosquitoes/ants, talking to every single person I meet on the road and asking them how they are in Luganda (it is considered rude not to exchange this question and appropriate responses), turning on the lights at night (when the power is working) to scare any large bugs/lizards, and similarly, not pouring anything in the dark (I have heard horror stories of frogs/bugs in unexamined glasses). I now assume it will take 20 minutes to walk to school and another 5-10 to make it across the sprawling school campus, sleep through the daily song beaconing devout Muslims to 4:30 am prayer, ignore the honks of every vehicle passing by (they honk to signal a free seat), and anticipate obscene traffic going back/forth to Kampala. I am more accustomed to having my compound patrolled by both a day guard and a night guard (complete with a gun), watching birds of every shape and color dart about, sleeping under a mosquito net, boiling water to do my dishes, locating candles every time the power goes out (usually at least once a day), and waiting about 5 times longer than I would anywhere else in the world to do anything (a 4 person line at the bank might take an hour).

These are a few of the adjustments I have been making this week. Not to mention all the new things that come with working in a new school, interacting with a new community, making new friends…

Honestly, I am exhausted. But, I am also really excited for things to come. Each day life feels more natural here. I am excited for the day when things really start to feel like home!

A few snapshots of my new life (there is a full album with many more on my facebook page if you are interested):
My house (the smaller one):

My school:

Kampala:

Things Unknown

2010-07-28T15:43:00.002+09:00

I am sitting in an armchair in my parents’ living room and contemplating the fact that by this time next week, I will be in Africa. I have read many country profiles, talked to friends who have lived in Kampala, browsed East Africa guides, perused a variety of articles related to security, read the info packet provided by my school, looked at pictures, and yet… I still do not really know what to expect.

Sample things I do not know: what I will eat on a daily basis, whether I will get a car, cook, gun (Peter’s idea), or dog, how fast (or slow) my internet will be, how I will get home from the airport or to my work, when (if) I will get the boxes I shipped from Korea, what my new coworkers and students will be like, who my friends will be, which church I will go to, how I will fare as an IB teacher, where I will have a chance to travel to, how I will avoid crazy terrorists, whether I will be able to find towels that are affordable, if I will love Uganda as much as I hope I will...

Insecurities, doubts, and fears tend to creep in when unknowns cloud the forefront of my mind. However, I know that this is part of God’s plan for me. And when I relax in that faith, I am pretty stinking excited.

Life is about to change. I am about to change. A week has never felt so short/long.

On Being American

2010-07-06T04:06:00.004+09:00

As an American who spends the majority of the year abroad, I find my stance on nationalism to be ambivalent. So often I find myself flabbergasted by political decisions and ashamed of egocentric and ignorant actions Americans take that profoundly impact other nations/people. The U.S. does not have a positive face in much of the international sphere and, as I have learned more about social justice issues, I have grown more sympathetic towards foreign perceptions of us as a nation. Accordingly, I was a bit surprised when, sitting in an completely over-done parade of red, white, and blue in my American church on the 4th of July, I was hit with a profound wave of unfiltered warmth for my home country.

It was not the recitation of the pledge of allegiance or the bell rendition of “God Bless America” that got me. Instead it was some of the faces that I watched singing that choked me up: powdered, wrinkled, freckled, scarred, Chinese, Filipino, Caucasian, Democrat, Republican…even at a mostly middle/upper class church in a ritzy Californian suburb the diversity of the American people struck me. It reminded me of the things I love about the United States.

I love the plethora of cultures that comprise each community. I love that this is a nation where multiple religions, stances, affiliations, and interests are not only tolerated, but legally protected. I love the warmth of people. I love that no two Americans share the same experiences because this nation has so many sub-cultures and differences: geographical, philosophical, and political. I love that people can both protest and praise. I love that I grew up in a community where fear was not a prominent emotion. I love that individuality is encouraged.

My 4th of July celebrations were characteristic of my American experience. I went for a run through my parents' neighborhood and watched flags wave from manicured houses. I sang “Amazing Grace” at a highly patriotic church service where the Boy Scouts served as color guards. Then I joined one of my best friends for lunch at a vegetarian Indian restaurant for lunch and followed it with a Korean desert from a shopping center where everything was written in Hangul. I sat on my parents' couch and talked with them while I drank a diet coke with added vitamins (what could be more American than that?!?). Then I joined my brother and his friends (4 friends, 4 different ethnicities) for a San Francisco-style holiday celebration. We drank organic beer and ate arugula and artichoke pizza on the edge of pier. Then we watched fireworks over the bay amongst crowds of people representing every culture imaginable. We ended the night in a diner (because our organic meal #1 was not particularly satiating) before driving back to the South Bay. All-in-all, a good holiday—one in which I claimed my American identity proudly.

Highlights from a week at home:

2010-06-25T10:03:00.000+09:00

10) Reading. Mostly books that I will be teaching at this stage, but still. It’s fun to have time to read.

9) Purging old books, clothes, shoes, purses… my room is so much cleaner!

8) Discovering, after years of believing that dresses look awful on me, that they can actually look good! I may have bought one or two… or 7 dresses in the last week. I am done shopping.

7) Eating lots of delicious food that is hard to find abroad: spicy shrimp, salads with fruit and fancy cheeses, gorgonzola and spinach ravioli, lotsa sushi, Maryanne’s ice cream, good Californian wine, Yougurtland fro yo, Peet’s coffee, Mom’s French onion soup, pearl tea, grandma’s cooking… California is the best place in the world to eat! Yum.

6) Sorting clothes at a homeless support center with the high school kids from church (I started volunteering with the youth group). InnVision is a cool organization!

5) Eating kinchee-chigeh, sporting my dae han min guk temporary tattoo + teeshirt, and cheering on the Korean team at Strike. It was fun being one of the only non-Koreans there… I felt like I was back in Daejeon again!

4) Spending time on the beach. I LOVE the ocean.

3) Donavon’s goal in the 91st minute. So fun to be a part of that moment cheering alongside my fellow Americans at the Brit ☺

2) Seeing Wicked in San Francisco with my mom, my brother (gasp), and my brother’s girlfriend (the only reason my brother considered going… way to go Marina!). One word: amazing!

1) Spending time with people. Highlights are always people. Got to spend time with many quality people this week. It is nice to be closer to them (geographically speaking). Reunions rock.

That's my Dad!

2010-06-25T08:54:00.003+09:00

I'm a proud daughter! My dad won a leadership award for his work with Kaiser Permanente. He has worked hard as a doctor and also an administrator. He recently helped design a new hospital (Kaiser Santa Clara) and has helped oversee his hospital's transition into the new building. This link talks a bit about his accomplishments. Pretty cool. Go Dad!

http://xnet.kp.org/ncal/tpmgawards/cutting/awardee/lillo/index.html

What's in a name?

2010-06-19T01:49:00.000+09:00

It has been a week since I left Korea and returned to California. Among other things, two topics spin in the forefront of my ponderings: 1) names and 2) my current transition point. For the last three years, my blog has been called “Sarah’s Korean Adventures,” a literal label correlating with my experiences abroad. However, as numerous individuals have pointed out to me, this descriptor is no longer accurate. As I re-acclimate to California, a familiar, yet surprisingly foreign, English-speaking community, I find I am often greeted with friendly questions like “Are you from around here?” or “What do you do?” To such questions, I fumble to find an accurate and comprehensible response. My muddled replies are often as discombobulated as my transition, fragmented into boxes being shipped around the globe and scattered into shared memories with people continents away. I struggle to articulate the significance of my experiences, the differences between cultures, and the whirlwind of emotions that accompany me along my move to others, and even to myself.

The title of my blog suddenly becomes especially symbolic. As I reflect upon my time in Korea, readjust/reconnect to my American community, and anticipate my transition to Africa, I must redefine my own conceptions of myself. I find myself asking deep questions about my purpose, plans, and goals. I grasp for the words to express my faith and my trust that each of these seemingly random communities are a part of God’s plan for my life. I search for a label that somehow captures the deep continuity that transcends continents; that describes my philosophy of living in many respects.

I am not fully satisfied with my blog title. It is a work in progress. But at this present point in my transition, it begins to encompass a bit of my outlook on my international experiences.

Reminiscing from my California bedroom, upon returning home from Korea

2010-06-10T23:54:00.000+09:00

Since the start of this blog 3 years ago, I have travelled to 17 countries, taught 15 classes, taken 56 flights (spent goodness knows how many hours in planes), helped build 2 houses, and have sold about $1500 worth of original earrings to raise money for various causes. I have had SO many interesting and stretching experiences!

At work, I have survived my first full time teaching job and have honed my teaching skills (shout-out to LeeAnne with the use of the word “hone”). I have directed Shakespeare plays, let my students stand on desks and do poetry slams, dissected poetry, led a teacher book club panel, and have acclimated to a 1-1 laptop environment. The acronyms A1, A2, TOK, MYP, CAS, OCK, RBB, AA, ESLR, PLC, and MK mean something to me now. I have head coached my first soccer team (and we made it to a championship match!). I have chaperoned 5 international trips with groups of students. I have learned what it looks like to share my faith with students. I have organized the first English department birthday parade ☺

Beyond school, I have lived in a country where I did not know the language (sadly, this is still an apt description of me… my Korean is not nearly as good as I wished it would be) and have acclimated in many ways to a new culture. Sorting garbage and freezing my food garbage has become second nature. The cycles of yellow dust seem a natural part of my life. Random dancers in the street, people dressed in giant soju costumes, ajumas sporting rhinestone animal print coats with plaid pants and a floral visor hardly get a second glance. I bow at everyone I meet. I occasionally complain that my food isn’t spicy enough for me and have distinct kimchee preferences.

I have flung myself into the world: I have spooned tigers, jumped out of an airplane, climbed Mt. Fuji, descended into an Egyptian pyramid, floated in the Dead Sea, tasted a scorpion, and held a koala. I have collected 3 piercings, one tattoo, dozens of sand-flea scars, and 4 surgery incisions. I have taken every form of transportation imaginable: trains, planes, bicycles, camels, canoes, rafts, elephants, tuk-tuks, jeepnies, motorcycles, subways, taxis, hydrofoils, zip lines… Many social justice issues have come to my attention and I have tried to become an activist for those in need (especially for women trapped in the Thai sex industry).

In my own community, I have learned to articulate the subtle differences between Americans and Canadians. I have (unwillingly) adopted some of the Minnesotan vowels (thanks to Emily and Bre). I have joined a home church. I have friends from every continent except Antarctica… does anyone actually live there? I have frequented rooftops, Click apartments, a dozen different coffee shops, and a variety of neighborhood restaurants. I know the KTX and bus schedules well. Thousands of people have seen me naked (at the jimjilbang… don’t worry, I haven’t become an exhibitionist or anything). I have refined my pottery making skills under the tutelage of a skilled Korean potter.

But most importantly, I have made lasting and deep relationships. I have grown in my faith and have listened to students question, seek, and discover God. I know and am known by my kids here. My friends in Korea have been my family, my church, my travel buddies, and my rocks. I am so incredibly sad to part with them.

Letting Go

2010-05-23T19:59:00.003+09:00

I think my month’s hiatus from blogging represents my denial of my upcoming transition. Subconsciously, I have been refusing to acknowledge that a chapter of my life is coming to a close. Perhaps, by abandoning my blog, I thought I could postpone the inevitable. But alas, I find myself in a two-thirds empty apartment, having already said tearful farewells to some, and nervously anticipating many more goodbyes in the upcoming weeks… I might as well kick-start the blog again.

Last week, my move became especially real. In the same day I shipped most of my clothes, shoes, books, and household items to Uganda (with the help of a fantastic packing man at the local post office) and I got my new teaching assignment for next year (grades 7, 9, 11, and 12 MYP and DP English). The next day, I had the entire soccer team over for our end of season banquet and awards ceremony. All the girls wrote incredibly kind notes of appreciation and well wishes that were assembled into a book. As I sat on my couch reading their letters, the realization that these girls would no longer by in my life began to sink in. The nervous anticipation of distance has also begun to seep into my social life. Two times in the last week, typical conversations with friends have spiraled into collective crying over departures. Whether I want to deny it or not, in 2 weeks I am going to be leaving the country and community that has been my home for the last 3 years!

There are so many things and people I am going to miss! What will life be like when some of my closest friends no longer have their classrooms besides mine? Or when my coffee buddies and Thursday night supper club crew are continents away? Things just won’t be the same without Click girls, soccer logistics, Home Church, dorm kids, pottery class, rooftop BBQs, or the best students anyone could ask for!

While I want to revel in every moment, the grieving process has begun. I know that home will be meaningful and Uganda will be a new adventure, but I am not quite ready to let go of Korea just yet.

2nd Place!

2010-04-19T14:33:00.004+09:00

Last week I announced an open tryout for my girls' varsity team, just 2 days before the start of our large international APAC tournament. With half my team severely injured or sick with the flu, I never would have guessed that we would make it into a championship game. One can never underestimate the power of determination and heart, though.

Five other teams travelled to Daejeon for the APAC tournament: Hong Kong International School, Shanghai American School- Puxi, Shanghai American School- Pudong, Brent International School, and Western Academy of Beijing. My girls fought with such perseverance that they ended the round robin portion of the tournament in 1st place and finished the championship game in 2nd. I was so proud of them and their positive attitudes! Even with injuries and brand new players, I have never seen them play with such determination! I am one proud coach.

International Chicken Appeal

2010-03-31T09:48:00.003+09:00

When Emily, LeeAnne, and I discovered that there was a Museum of Chicken Art in Seoul, we were immediately intrigued. What would a chicken art museum hold? Bronze busts of chickens past? Scrawlings on canvas resembling chicken scratches? Plastic replicas of famous poultry food dishes? Paintings drawn by renowned cowards? It was a combination of boredom and curiosity that lured us in its direction.

When we arrived at the tiny musée, we were greeted by three older women sitting in a room surrounded by hundreds of miniature chickens from around the world. An entire floor of polished international chicken figurines glared from behind glass windows, carefully dusted wooden hens rested on benches, proud paintings of roosters atop fences, trees, and farmers watched our bewilderment. I am quite certain that the first floor must have belonged to an obsessive and eccentric grandma who forbid her relatives to dispose of her "valuable" collection. We climbed the stairs and found an entire floor of traditional Korean chicken funeral statues. Apparently chickens were known for holding all the zodiac signs in their feathers and thus, were important symbols on graves.

Talk about a random experience!

My Thai vacation.

2010-03-29T22:18:00.003+09:00

6: # of days in Thailand,
5: # of books I read,
4: # of massages I indulged in,
3: # of hours I spent in cooking class,
2: # of friends I travelled with,
1: # of nights I stayed up after 11:00
0: # of moments I thought about work

The Plight of a Thai Jasmine Bud

2010-03-29T21:56:00.005+09:00

A single jasmine bud pirouettes from the tree
to skip along the pool’s surface,
it dances in the ripples of the couple’s wake.
Dark fingers laced around a white bristly neck
and caress a shoulder stained with sagging tattoos.
The faded face of an old flame,
gone or continents away
peers from beneath her fingers.
Farang fantasies enshroud the embrace
Hope, Desperation, and Fear braided into invisible handcuffs.
Together they float in the luxury hotel’s pool.
Sloppy kisses, tokens of lives promised.
Stability nodding blindly
as children paddle by.

The blossom bobs silently,
cascades suddenly:
the pull of the drain overbearing,
the dainty petals useless parachutes
against irresistible currents.

www.nightlightinternational.com
www.rahabministriesthailand.org
http://homeofnewbeginnings.com

Thailand is...

2010-03-22T12:26:00.002+09:00

beautiful, relaxing, and most importantly... WARM.

That is all I have to say for now.

Seriously?

2010-03-18T08:35:00.004+09:00

The Californian in me is flabbergasted that the refs did not call yesterday's game on account of weather. It was like no game I had ever experienced. Perhaps I am a baby when it comes to cold weather, but a snow capped field transforms soccer into some mutant sport that is more like a combination of ice skating, snow wrestling, and football than soccer.

Yesterday, our teams drove up to one of the base schools near Seoul just in time for a relatively heavy (unanticipated) snow storm. Their turf field, one lacking the rubber gravel necessary for traction (even with fair weather), was under about one and a half inches of snow at the start of the game and several by the end. Heavy snow reduced visibility and drenched everyone/everything. Not exactly the dream turf we were hoping to finally get to play on.

Kick off sounded about 2 hours into the storm. With each revolution the soccer ball made, it gathered snow and expanded into giant snow mounds, only to shatter into powder in the faces of receiving players. The damp snow collected into solid masses between the spikes of cleats, forming slick blocks of ice for the girls to tediously balance on. Bodies were flying everywhere! It became common for both opponents to run in the general direction of the ball and miss it altogether as they tumbled together in a giant snow-wrestling mass. At half time, our talk consisted of strategies for sprint and sliding, getting up off the ground, and persistence.

We tied the game 1-1. I am looking forward to seeing what real soccer looks like the next time we play them.

I couldn't feel my feet for about an hour after we got back to Daejeon. Thailand in 3 days is continuing to look better and better! So is the weather in Uganda!

P.S.

2010-03-14T23:50:00.003+09:00

Soccer update: 4 wins, 1 loss, 2nd place in the league thus far (out of 8)! Not bad :)

It's supposed to be spring!!

2010-03-14T23:31:00.003+09:00

This California girl has finally adjusted to long johns every practice and a general lack of feeling in her toes. The sunny sand shores of Phuket for spring break have never sounded so good!

Running on fumes...

2010-03-06T21:58:00.004+09:00

This has been a very good, but long week filled with seemingly ceaseless icey rain, emotional face-painted girls, and plenty of exciting moments. The girls team has now played 3 soccer games (2 wins and one very muddy loss). Add my soccer roller coaster of a week to a full teaching load, a pottery class, an online IB class, a mountain of marking, and a variety of other commitments, and you have one exhausted woman! I have completely refused to step out of my pajamas until church tomorrow morning! I would imagine some of my girls feel the same way.

Starting on top

2010-03-03T23:59:00.004+09:00

Today marks the first game of the TCIS girl's varsity soccer team's season. It also is the first game that I have ever head coached. All in all, I think it was a strong start to the season. The girls had fun, won 8-0, and I had the opportunity to give all my subs substantial playing time. While the game was hardly flawless, the girls all improved and worked out many of their early season kinks. I'm proud of their solid start.

(photo taken by Christine, one of my team managers)

Reviving my blog

2010-02-26T12:50:00.006+09:00

To say that I have been busy in the last month, since the job fair, would be quite the understatement. I returned from London to Korea just in time for soccer tryouts. This year I am head coaching the girls' varsity soccer team and was excited to see quite a few new faces on the field. While weather has not worked in our favor for our pre-game practicing, I am optimistic that the girls will do well this season. Our first game is on Wednesday. Wish us luck!

A week and a half after the fair, my mom flew to Korea (for the second time) to see her baby and join my school's lunar holiday short-term mission trip to Borocay. Six adults and 10 students travelled from Korea to the Philippines to join with a ministry based out of Borocay. We spent our mornings building a community center/medical center/Bible School. Then we spent our afternoons at various feeding sites around the island. We cleaned wounds (so they would not get infected), ran mini Bible lessons, sang songs, played with children, distributed vitamins, and eventually helped pass out food to the children. Borocay was an interesting island of contrasts: ritzy touristy bars and hotels lined the beach front just a short walk away from poor local villages. As I have been with other mission trips as well, I was struck by the warmth of the Filipino people and the responsibility that I must take to share my resources with those in need. I was also incredibly proud of the kids from TCIS on our trip-- they worked very hard, supported each other well, and showed respect to everyone they encountered. I couldn't have asked for a more fun-loving, positive, and genuine team! I am so happy I was able to share the experience with my mom!

I'm moving to Africa!!!

2010-02-04T22:30:00.005+09:00

I think I will have to change the name of my blog soon! I just signed a contract to go to the International School of Uganda next year and while June will mark the end of my Korean adventures, August will mark the start of my African ones! I am going to be teaching at a highly diverse school in Kampala, Uganda. I am incredibly excited!

This has been an interesting week indeed. Thursday, I flew to London for a job fair thinking I was likely going to accept a job in Europe. Friday, Sat., and Sun. I had whirlwind interviews with 8 schools on 3 continents. Monday, I signed a contract to teach IB and MYP English at the International School of Uganda. Tuesday, I flew back to Korea (landed on Wednesday). Today, Thursday, I have began talking publicly about my move with people in Korea and abroad! My goodness this has been a bit crazy (or maybe more than a bit)!

I really feel as though ISU is the right fit for me for next year, but I can't help but smile at the wide array of reactions I have encountered as I have shared my news: excitement, tears, bewilderment, etc. One kid today literally open-mouth gaped for about 20 seconds before muttering, "You're going to Africa?!?" My favorite reactions, by far, were those who tried to act suave, but clearly had no idea where in the world Uganda was situated. I loved watching their faces contort and their forced smiles while they asked questions that indicated they did not know whether I was moving to the Middle East or Africa (neither of which were acceptable locations, in their modest opinions). At the same time, I have also been comforted by the surprising volume of connections that surfaced: Ugandan medical trips, teaching jobs, volunteer opportunities, hosted choir children, etc... this is really one small world! I have heard SO much positive feedback about Uganda, each day I feel more confident that I am going to love it!

I know the hardest part in any move is the people and things you leave behind. I already feel a bittersweet sadness for the communities that I will depart from and feel the voids of those whose proximity will no longer be minimal. However, I can't wait for the adventures that will come.

If you are ever in Uganda and want to take an African safari (or want to relax in a temperate winter-free climate), shoot me an email. I am happy to be your host!

The link to my school's page: http://www.isu.ac.ug/
A few pics from the school's webpage:

I, too, could star in Dead Poet's Society

2010-01-20T13:03:00.005+09:00

First, I made my kids roar as loudly as they could.

Then I made them stand on a desk one at a time, on a teacher's desk to be precise, with the neon blue light of my overhead projector illuminating their faces and a yellow flashlight casting dramatic shadows from below.

As each student stood at the podium, towering over the rest of the cheering class, he/she belted out an original poem. Some students railed against mosquitoes, homework, small communities, poetry writing, unrealistic expectations, or the English language. Others questioned norms, money, or stereotypes. Students cheered each other on as rules were re-negotiated or the SATs mocked.

I finished my day with the resounding conviction: poetry slams with teenagers are really fun :)

Jetlag, how I hate you.

2010-01-17T21:23:00.005+09:00

I have been intending to compose an eloquent post detailing my escapades around Turkey for about a week now. However, jetlag has rendered me completely useless. Never in my life have I experienced such intense after-effects of crossing just 7 time-zones. I still (7 days later) find myself waking up at random hours in the middle of the night. I feel as though I have been a walking zombie for days on end!

I swear one of these days my energy will return, and hopefully my ability to string words together into coherent phrases will accompany it. In the meantime, my trip in brief: amazing!

Links to my facebook albums:
Turkey: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182664&id=4702163&l=e6bec73663
Israel: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182663&id=4702163&l=c59e69393e
Jordan: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182544&id=4702163&l=68aac52afd
Egypt: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2182545&id=4702163&l=44ecd8bace

Exploring Israel, Egypt, and Jordan

2010-01-03T05:19:00.006+09:00

As my time in Israel is coming to a close, I am pausing to reflect on my two weeks in the Holy Land. While in Israel, I've traversed the deserts, bobbed in the Dead Sea, shared Shabbat dinner with a table of rabbis, welcomed in the new year with a room full of wildly-free-spirited dancers, snorkled in the Dead Sea, walked miles up and down stone roads, and prayed in the sites of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. I've had the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem, Ein Gedi, Masada, Bethlehem, Eilat, and Gaililee with my friend and former co-worker, Elizabeth. My longtime (high school) friend Gail has hosted me and helped me understand some of the nuances of this place. Along the way, I have also met many people who have each added a new brush stroke on my mental picture of this complex place: Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, agnostics, a French-speaking Russian, Brazilian siblings,an Argentinian underwear model, Canadian missionaries, Mexican-American Catholics, American tourists, British couch surfers, Dutch pilgrims, 21-year-olds and 57-year-olds, amusing bus drivers and gruff drivers who curtly slam doors on waiting customers, hostel owners, Arab pastors, and Nigerian tour groups.

I've been struck that Israel is a place of layers, both literal and figurative. In the Old City of Jerusalem, new homes and stores rest atop the remnants of ancient roads and shop facades. Muslim mineretes greet Christian worshipers exiting famous churches. An Ethiopian village sits on the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Jewish seminaries dwell blocks from Armenian monasteries. On a more figurative level, history and the present are merged and patched togetrher into a complex multicultural tapestry. This land maintains a tedious balance of tolerance and religious fervor. Words cannot fully capture the odd yet beautiful juxtaposition of faiths, sites, and people in this place.

During my two week trip, I also had the opportunity to make brief jaunts into both Jordan and Egypt. I marveled at the expansive canyons and intricate craftmanship of Petra in Jordan. I rode a camel beside the pyramids in Cairo and heard volumes of Egyptian history and lore from a licensed Egyptologist. I saw King Tut's tombs, stood inches away from real mummies, and sat in the shadows of the Sphinx. All-in-all, fantastic excursions.

Monday I depart from Israel and head to Turkey for 4 days. Gail will explore Istanbul with me and I will take a one day whirlwind trip to explore Ephesus with a tour group.

As always, I am struck that I live a blessed life. While it has been sad to be so far from family during the holidays, these experiences will stick with me for life. I am so grateful for these opportunities.

Using my hobby for a good cause...

2009-12-15T21:32:00.004+09:00

I have been making jewelry now for almost 5 years. I really enjoy it and have had the opportunity to create for good causes several times in the last few years. Last spring I had a jewelry sale to raise funds for North Korea. This year, the proceeds of my Christmas auction are going towards the Home of New Beginnings, one of the ministries I visited in Thailand last summer. In short, this awesome organization meets bar girls in the Bangkok sex industry and offers them an alternative. While many girls have compelling reasons why they feel they must remain in the sex industry, others are able to get out thanks to groups like Home of New Beginnings. Dedicated to living Christian ideals, the workers at Home of New Beginnings love broken women and help them gain vocational training, education, and healing. See my posts from June to learn more about the sex industry in Thailand.

I am very proud that the proceeds from this auction totaled 740,000 won (approx. $700)!

Therapeutic Art

2009-12-14T23:09:00.005+09:00

One of the things that I have discovered while living in Korea is that I LOVE POTTERY! I love buying it, looking at it, imagining how I could design it...I just love it. And no one knows my love of pottery like Annette. Annette is my Korean-Canadian friend who has patiently taught me art, Korean, and tennis :) She invited me to join her and another art teacher (did I mention Annette is a high school art teacher?) to complete the trio in private weekly pottery lessons. So now, every Monday, I have 2-3 hours of clay play to look forward to after teaching 4 classes and sitting through PD sessions. Yay!

Today marked the last session for the semester and I am quite sad that it will be another month until my next art therapy session! I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekly opportunities to create and clear my mind. So far I have made an odd coffee mug (not my favorite creation), a star shaped candle holder (much better than my first piece), and a large earring holder (now this one I am finally proud of). While any new endeavor comes with moments of insecurity, it was nice to end my first chapter in my new pottery career on a positive note. I walked away from this session with an art piece that genuinely looked similar to the vision I had imagined in my head. I can't wait to see what it looks like fired! Pictures to come after firing :)

Below:
With Seon Young Baek, the talented potter who leads our class:

Annette working on a creative container... my favorite thing she designed this month by far:

Modeling the Christmas gift that my teacher, Seon Young, designed for me!:

Overcoming the Distance

2009-12-07T11:22:00.002+09:00

While the miles between my family and my Korean life may be vast, distance will not hold us back. Today I brought my grandfather in to my 9th grade classes via Skype. As an avid poetry reader, my grandfather is a great example for my kids of a person who is genuinely impacted by poetry. My grandfather can recite poetry by memory for hours on end, and this morning he recited a few of his favorites for my class. He also read aloud "The Cremation of Sam McGee," a humorous poem my students analyzed in advance in preparation for his reading. My students asked him questions about the poem and also enjoyed the opportunity to ask about their teacher's childhood. Grandpa took advantage of the opportunity and showed pictures of me, age 5, in a tutu, leotard, and hardhat. Grandma poked her head in for a moment to tell a story as well. All in all, a very special experience indeed :)

Belated Thanksgiving Post

2009-12-05T17:44:00.000+09:00

Just a few things I am thankful for this November/December:
1) A God who has watched me get things wrong so many times, and yet still loves me.

2) A family that supports me, makes me laugh, humors me by doing video skype...even at 6:30 am CA time, reads my blog, listens to my rambling stories, and loves me, no matter what

3) Dear friends on 6 continents (no friends in Antarctica yet) and countless shared memories with these beautiful people. I have so many mentors, encouragers, adventurers, thinkers, givers, teachers, and

4) I have never had to worry about having enough food to eat or a place to sleep... the more I see poverty face-to-face, the more I realize how unusual this privilege is.

5) Health. There were no complications from my gallbladder surgery; even though I've had a fall full of colds, stomach issues, the flu... I have still been spared from any long-lasting or debilitating health issues.
6) I work in a community where kids openly care about their teachers, each other, and the world. I really teach some amazing children.

7) Technology: it has really enabled me to stay connected with so many loved ones! Skype, Magicjack, Facebook, Gchat...I am grateful that these things help me feel a bit more in touch with the lives of people I care about around the globe.

8) Creativity. I am so glad that I was wired to design jewelry, write, make pottery, compose out of the ordinary lessons, invent strange uses for ordinary objects, and live a colorful life.

9) Travel. I have had the opportunity to learn so much about myself and the world through travel.

10) The endless depth of knowledge in the world. In the words of Socrates, "The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know." I love that! So much out there to discover. My God is one crazy smart dude.

Eat, pray, travel.

2009-11-23T13:52:00.012+09:00

My Bible study group members took a weekend expedition to Ulleung-do, an island situated off the east coast of Korea in the middle of the East Sea. While the weekend was filled with far more time travelling than I anticipated, it was still great to get away and spend some time in a beautiful place with six good friends.

Friday my Bible study booked it out of school and jetted over to the bus station to catch a 3 hour bus ride to Pohang, a coastal city known for its steel and its seafood. We settled into our waterfront hotel and then ventured out to the fish market to experience the raw chaos of bartering vendors, brimming aquariums, and tubs crawling with crabs. We had a tasty meal of sashimi and king crab and reveled in the fresh seafood experience.

Early Saturday morning we boarded a ferry and rode for 4 tumultuous hours out to the tiny island of Ulleung-do. Nature did not grant us easy passage, and most of us were at least partially seasick by the time we made it to shore again. Thank goodness I had taken Dramamine to ease the symptoms! Some of my friends were not so lucky.

We had exactly 24 hours on the island before our return ferry. We probably slept for about 14 of those hours, all sandwiched together under blankets in our chilly cliff-side cottage. The remaining 10 hours we wandered the sunny coastline, pausing to take photographs besides scenic rock formations, to hike winding mountain paths up to ocean overlooks, and to marvel at the lines of squid drying EVERYWHERE. When, I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. Parking lot? Let’s hang some squid! Rooftop? Perfect location! Stairwell? Street side? Rental car store? Dry that squid! Squid! Squid! Squid! We ate island specialties like garlic leaves, squid (duh!), and bibimbap made with mountain vegetables and soaked in the fresh sea breeze that glided through the tiny coastal villages. It was great.

I have to admit that I was secretly hoping the one daily ferry would be cancelled and we would be forced to stay on the island an extra day. Alas, no magical freak storms at sea detained us and we all made it back safely for Monday morning work. Oh well, we had fun while it lasted!

a wonderful warm winter day

2009-11-15T21:38:00.006+09:00

As far as I'm concerned, today was the first real day of winter. While I am sure I will be ready for the sun again in several weeks, today I ushered in a new season with open arms.

This morning, my alarm sounded and I had the luxury of snuggling in my bed a few extra minutes before stepping onto my heated floor (something I love dearly about Korean apartments). I made myself a cup of tea and lingered in my pajamas as I gathered my things for the day. As I glanced out my window, something I rarely do with a college dorm 5 feet away, I was pleasantly surprised to find snow flurries dancing about busily in lieu of the glare of my neighbor's television screen. I quickly dressed for church and rushed outside, afraid the moment of winter fun would pass. The Californian in me still gets giddy about snow, even when it melts on impact.

For the last few months, I have been attending a new church group. There are about 15 of us who gather weekly at a coworker's apartment and hold a church service together. I love the family atmosphere and the genuine desire for spiritual growth in the group. This morning the Willoughby kids had prepared a drama to go with the message and Heather had made us delicious homemade cinnamon rolls. Both were wonderful touches to an already positive morning. Follow up church with a bowl of one of my favorite Korean soups (duk-gook) and conversations with two of my closest friends here...a perfect morning.

I spent the afternoon doing things around the house I had been putting off all week (like cleaning). While these tasks were not exciting, I was glad to ignore work and do some things for myself. I made it outside to play soccer for awhile and laughed to myself as I put on my winter hat that the girls always tease me about. While I was disappointed at first that no one else showed up for our usual Sunday scrimmage, perhaps lingering indoors instead of embracing the sudden onset of winter, I enjoyed working out for an hour on my own in the crisp winter air.

This evening I decided that the morning's snow flurries justified putting up my Christmas decorations. I pulled out my tree, fixed my ridiculous reindeer's broken leg, dangled ornaments from the doorways, and strung lights. I also downloaded some new Christmas CDs and blared them through my apartment as I danced about between the rooms, adding little holiday touches here and there.

Now, I get to sit on my heated floor, drink yet another cup of tea, and soak in the Christmas cheer of my cozy abode. Ah, winter. Welcome ^.^

Happy Pepero Day!

2009-11-12T14:52:00.004+09:00

Yesterday was Korea's version of Valentine's Day. The result: mounds of chocolate, four foot tall stuffed animal versions of the candy, sculptures of cookie boxes, giant baguettes dipped in chocolate. Happy Pepero Day everyone!

Excited for Christmas

2009-11-11T11:46:00.005+09:00

As the semester gets busier and busier and my ever-growing mountain of grading becomes increasingly daunting, I am becoming more and more eager for a respite. Whilst the pull of family and home are always present, this Christmas I could not pass up the alluring opportunity to visit a friend in Israel (at least I get to see Mom in February). When I found cheap tickets with a free 5 day layover in Istanbul, my Middle East trip to visit Gail become a reality. Even better, my friend Elizabeth (who used to work at TCIS with me) has arranged to meet me for most of my Israel adventures and we are planning to spend a few days in Egypt and Petra, Jordan! My worlds are going to converge in just a few weeks! SO excited. I am also stoked to be spending Christmas Eve in Bethlehem and to have several days for solo Turkey exploration.

The countries I get to visit:

Some of the places I am excited to see:

The friends I get to see! (pics shamelessly stolen from their facebook pages):

Playing with photos is way more fun than planning units or grading essays.

Don't let me watch Project Runway.

2009-11-06T17:14:00.004+09:00

When I do, I feel the need to go make earrings out of ridiculous things... like clothespins, buttons, or Rubik's cubes!

At least this pair serves a dual function: they act as unique accessories AND provide entertainment for my students.

PS- my kids love nerdy American eighties paraphernalia. There is a Rubik's cube club at my school Cracks me up :)

Easily bored.

2009-11-01T17:32:00.004+09:00

I stopped coloring my hair in Korea when I finally accepted that I am more likely going to get purple or orange locks than the desired highlights. I still get a bit restless, though...

Exhibit A, Seoul addition:

Cultural Fridays

2009-10-30T22:34:00.011+09:00

"I cannot express to you my love for pigs feet and tendons," said my Korean-American friend Janey on our ride out to the pottery village. While the thought of a pig's tendons made me squirm, Janey's zealous sentiments aptly set the tone for our Friday afternoon adventure: relish every possible ounce of culture in this day... and relish we did!

Directly after school I piled into a van with my friends Brian, LeeAnne, Angela, Janey, Annette, and Wendy and headed out to a village about 30 minutes away that is occupied by a community of potters. As trees started outnumbering people and rolling mountains replaced high-rise apartments buildings, I felt the strain of work dissipate and the comfort of fall began to seep in. We drove through tiny villages guarded by angry statues, weaved past brooks, and cruised by ambivalent orange and green trees. As I laughed with friends and watched the scrolling scenery, I could tell it was going to be a good evening.

When we arrived at the pottery village, our host (a local potter) greeted us and ushered us into his studio. We sat and watched him work his wheel. A potter and a professor of art history, Mr. Kim explained the evolution of pottery in Korea. He guided us through some basic skills and then set us lose on our own creations. I made a wall hanging that will house a candle. I am excited to see how it turns out! After we finished our projects, we explored the studio displaying Mr. Kim's creations. Then we sat and drank green tea out of his homemade tea set for about an hour. His 2 year old daughter danced around, fixated with my nail polish and Brian's wallet. She was our evening entertainment as the adults lounged and enjoyed a bilingual/broken English/Korean conversation.

After we departed Mr. Kim's studio, we went to an interesting little restaurant nestled into a nearby mountain village and there we ate like kings. Our meal seemed never-ending. As an appetizer, we shared mushroom and egg pancakes. Next, we ordered the house speciality: duck. I was not particularly excited because I had not had positive duck-dining experiences. However, I was pleasantly surprised! The duck was not nearly as greasy as its Chinese counterpart... in fact, it was crispy and absolutely delicious. It was served with cabbage, cucumber shreds, asian pears, and a tasty wasabi sauce... sounds like an odd combo, but the medley was absolutely divine wrapped in a giant lettuce leaf. I also enjoyed kimchee, roots, and garlic-spiced spinach pan chan (shared sides) throughout the meal. The dish was shortly followed by a spicy chicken and potato stew that made my lips tingle with its red pepper kick. Next came an earthy soup made with green-tea noodles and a miso-like broth. Finally, the meal ended with hot tea and sweet cereal puffs (yes, a bit strange to end with fruit loops).

All in all, a wonderful cultural Friday!

Showing us the ropes:

He makes it look so easy!

Mr. Kim's daughter loves my toe-nail polish

Some of my favorites from Mr. Kim's studio:

Tea time:

Angela showing off a duck wrap at dinner:

Pimped out Puppy

2009-10-24T20:39:00.006+09:00

Oh, man...I think this pet store took their puppy styling a bit too far. What do you think?

Eighties bangs up front:

Party in the back:

I'd be a bit downtrodden with this look too!

Queen of Lists

2009-10-21T18:06:00.006+09:00

I guess I am in a top-ten kind of mood these days. Forgive me for my writer's rut. This week's top ten... I’ve had many little moments in the last few weeks where I have smiled and loved my children. I teach some amazing kids, that’s for sure. Without further ado, ten examples (in no particular order) of my students being awesome:

10) Yesterday, I put up a Facebook post: “I love my students,” and immediately one of my students, in my honor, changed her Facebook status to “I love my teachers”

9) One of my 9th grade classes has a running joke where one person will start singing a Disney song and then it gets stuck in everyone’s heads for the rest of the day. To cheer my up when I was recovering from surgery, one of my students sent me a link to a Disney song. While it did get stuck in my head, it made me smile every time it began.

8) One of my students from 2 years ago came up to me during lunch about a week ago to share that his Youtube video he created in my class about anti-pirating has been viewed by thousands of people around the world! Fun to see my kids really making a difference (and proud of it too!)!

7) I am too lazy to wear make-up these days. I finally wore eye-liner this week for the first time in awhile and got told I was beautiful at least 10 times. Okay, so this one is a bit superficial, but who doesn’t like being told they look nice?

6) I played pick-up soccer with some students and staff a week ago. All the former soccer girls were really protective of me. Every time one of the high school guys would charge me too hard, they would scream “surgery!!!!” Then they would laugh and call me “Lillo and Stitches”

5)Today a student randomly started playing “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” on his computer and another one of my freshmen did this adorable little bouncing dance for about a minute before he got self-conscious and stopped.

4)Speaking of dancing, I love watching the dance crew kids practice their break dance moves in the hall near my room. My students are so talented... they can study calculus and balance on one arm!

3) Several former students were genuinely excited when they discovered today that I am going on the same service trip as them. They were even more excited when they heard my mom was going too.

2) Beware, this one is more English teacher nerdy: I watched one of my students find a quote on the internet and automatically make an MLA citation for it. WITHOUT prompting!! Some of what I teach does gets through to them!!!

1) Hugs, high fives, waves, hellos, and cheery notes on my whiteboard: I get these frequently! Man, I love these kiddos.

Two of my five classes pictured below (others will come):

This week's top 10:

2009-10-13T21:59:00.001+09:00

Ten signs I’ve been too busy playing post surgery catch-up/English teacher at the end of a marking period/student teacher’s mentor/coach/friend:

1)I haven’t blogged in almost a month. I did not even post anything about my trip to Hong Kong!
2) The dishes in my sink are overflowing and I haven’t been cooking at home at all (see #3)
3) I haven’t grocery shopped since before my surgery (sometimes I wonder how I eat!)
4) I have a carefully calculated estimate of exactly how many more minutes it will take until I finish grading my students’ expository essays (approx. 330 more minutes if I keep up the same pace… the end is in sight!)
5) The plant in my bedroom was completely dead before I realized I had not watered it. I don’t even remember the last time I checked on it.
6) I get excited about 10 minute breaks in my work.
7) I have not turned on my television, even as background noise, all week. For that matter, I haven’t picked up a book for fun or listed to music either.
8) There has only been one night in the last 8 days that I have gone to bed before midnight.
9) I can’t remember what I did last weekend and it’s only Tuesday.
10) All the usual procrastination techniques (redecorating, laundry, etc.) have been done.

Thankfully, I think by this upcoming weekend my mountain of grading should be complete. Then I can start addressing the issues listed above (I think #2 is becoming a health hazard).

Strange Indeed

2009-09-23T17:02:00.004+09:00

I just saw my new belly button for the first time. What a weird thing... it was one shape a week ago and now it's a different shape. I'm impressed that they made one of my incisions there, though. Way to minimize the scars, Dr. Choi! When he took off the bandages, he asked if I liked "my new umbilical cord?" Took me a minute to realize what he meant. Hello, new belly button.

I also had my staples removed today and all my incisions "look good." I was pleased to hear that my gallbladder's biopsy came back clean. They discovered my inflammation was chronic (as opposed to acute), but no other surprises!

The best news of the day is that I get to take a normal shower tomorrow morning! I am SO excited! :)

Unexpected Korean hospital adventures

2009-09-22T20:06:00.011+09:00

Oh the adventures I get myself into. If you had asked me 11 days ago what I expected my next week and a half to hold, never in a million years would I have guessed the health expedition that I was about to unknowingly venture upon.

I guess it all began about 4 weeks ago now. I started having stomach issues (see past blog entries) and visited a variety of healthcare providers in search of answers. While my condition persisted, it seemed that the source had been identified (a presumed stomach infection). I was caught completely off guard when my symptoms accelerated a week ago Friday. I could not stop vomiting, had severe stomach cramps, and had a fever. Thankfully, I had two good friends around who took my to the ER right away; there began my Korean hospital adventure.

Almost immediately I surrendered my freedom of mobility and my ability to eat/drink with the insertion of an IV. Doctors ran a million and one tests to isolate the source of my symptoms: urine samples, a battery of blood tests, X rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, liver function tests, physical examinations.... After 15 hours of being poked, prodded, drained, and dyed the doctors were quite sure of my prognosis. They determined that I had an inflamed gallbladder with at least one sizable gallstone. They also found infection in both my gallbladder and my colon. The treatment they proposed? Heavy rounds of antibiotics followed by laparoscopic removal of my gallbladder (4 smaller holes in lieu of a full-abdomen incision). Since Koreans do not typically perform surgery on Sundays, my surgery was scheduled for Monday morning and I spent the next 2 days fasting, receiving visitors, Skype-talking with my nervous (and far away!) family members, and anxiously awaiting the scheduled procedure.

Monday morning at approx. 5:45 am the head nurse came in and got me prepped for surgery (i.e., she put my hair in pigtails so my head could lay flat, changed my shirt into a surgical gown, and confirmed for the umpteenth time that did not have on nail polish or jewelry). About 7:30 my friend Emily arrived to keep me company. By the time I went in for surgery, I had talked to my parents about 5 times, my pastor had arrived, and I had spent about 5 hours on an adrenaline high.

Surgery went well. Evidence #1: my gallbladder on a green platter (yes, it was carried out to my friend in the waiting room). Evidence #2: a bag of gallstones that was waved above my eyes the first time I opened them in the post-op room.

I feel the need to pause the story and describe some of the many random things that I experienced in the hospital. But how does one chronicle a week like the one that I had? For example, every night I was woken up about 4 times: 3 am for an IV change, 4 am to have blood drawn, 5 am to describe my bowel movements the previous day, take my blood pressure, and check my temperature, and 6:30ish to go take X rays downstairs. Why they could not combine some of those tasks and wake me up fewer times, I am still unsure about. None of the nurses spoke English, so I quickly learned important medical terms in Korean and used lots of body language to communicate my needs. My favorite nurse made little whimpering noises whenever she thought something might hurt (even though my first new Korean word was "pain," I appreciated the extra warning). I tried to take walks regularly and loved frequenting the curb outside the hospital. In Korean hospitals, patients can walk their IVs down the block to grab food or out to the street corner for a smoke. Cracks me up!

Jumping back to my recovery timeline: I got out of surgery Monday and was in a ton of pain for the first 18 hours. However, with each subsequent healing day, the pain decreased substantially. Tuesday afternoon I was allowed to eat food for the first time. Thursday I sat up by myself. Friday I was released from the hospital and went to stay with a friend and her family for the weekend. Monday, I went back to work (well, I taught about half the day from a couch). My recovery has supposedly been on the faster end of the spectrum, but I have been a bit shocked at home much time it is taking me to get back on my feet. I have always been one to push myself to recover quickly... patience has never been my strongest virtue. While I get my staples out Wed. afternoon, I know that full recovery is going to take awhile.

Throughout the entire process, I have been overwhelmed by the support of my friends, family, and community. I probably had 40 different visitors in the hospital (many came multiple times). I had a coworker who was also admitted to the hospital around the same timing and we kept each other company most days. My friend Emily spent two nights in my hospital room and acted as my official "other" during the surgery. My room was lined with flowers, cards, stuffed animals, etc. Coworkers helped cover my classes during my absence. Friends and family members called regularly from the states. I got countless texts, emails, and notes encouraging me through the process. All this to say, I am blessed. Thank yous do not do justice to the kindness that was showered on me in the last week and a half.

For fear of being overly verbose, I feel as though this must conclude this epic tale. However, I can't conclude without a final thank you. Thank you to all of you who prayed for me throughout the process. Thank you for those of you who called, wrote, visited, or checked in on me. I am very grateful.

For the first time in 2 1/2 weeks...

2009-09-08T22:27:00.004+09:00

my stomach feels normal. I went to french toast fest at the Pinho's and felt like I could eat real food. I took a walk with Jen. Life is just splendid!

On a more serious note, if you are the praying type, please pray for my friends' new daughter. Little Alina was born 10 weeks premature and has had quite the adventure already in life. My friends update the following site regularly on Alina's progress: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alina_jayde_adams

Seoul Inspired

2009-09-06T12:16:00.008+09:00

I was feeling a bit restless after 2 weeks of being confined to my home (stupid stomach!), so I went up to Seoul for a day this weekend. It was great to free myself from the bubble that is my TCIS life. I got to see Lauren, do a bit of shopping, and stop at one of my favorite places in Seoul: the 5th floor of Dongdaemun shopping center (otherwise known as the place I find my jewelry supplies in Korea). I wandered the stalls and acquired enough quirky materials to pull together 7 pairs of new earrings (1 is still pending). Check out my newest designs:

First, the simplest (funky materials but easy construction):

Some that were a little more complex (painting and/or balancing required):

Finally, my personal favorite, the most Korean pair of earrings I have made to date. Love the randomness:

Missing real food

2009-08-30T20:31:00.005+09:00

For the last week, I have been having stomach issues. I only seem to be able to digest bland soft foods. The $8 doctor gave me $8 medicine on Friday and laughed as he told me my "unhappy gut" equaled an "easy diet." While I am always happy to shed a few pounds without working out hours a day, I would much prefer to be able to eat across a range of food groups without volatile reactions. I am trying to be patient as I wait for my digestive system to regain its strength. But this is not easy for me! Patience has never been my forte!

Dear Iron Stomach,
Please return to me quickly. I miss you dearly.
Yours truly,
Sarah

Unexpected

2009-08-18T23:08:00.006+09:00

This afternoon my school officially closed (temporarily) as a precautionary measure against the spread of the H1*N1 virus. Korean Health is really trying to isolate the virus and those affected by it!

Pray for those who are sick and for all of us who might have been in contact with the flu.

First 2 Weeks Down

2009-08-16T20:47:00.018+09:00

I have been back in Korea for 2 weeks now, and boy have they been busy! I guess the easiest way to recap is to go more or less day by day.

Sunday Aug. 2- got on a plane in SF, waited on the runway 3 hrs before taking off (thank goodness my friend, Emily, was on the flight), flew for 11ish hours, waited 1 1/2 hours in the Incheon airport for the TCIS crew to come together, took a 3 hr bus ride back to the warmest apartment ever! Arrival time: midnight Mon

Tuesday- 7:30 am back to school- about 7 pm... caffeinated my way through the jetlag; exhausting. but fun day catching up with all my friends! It is so nice to have a community of people around me who I love and who care for me. It really felt like coming home in many ways.

Wednesday-- I had work all day and then went with the gang to a jimjilbang for an awesome scrub down that night.

Thursday-- Day 3 of work. This was the first day of registration for the kids and I spent a lot of the day hearing about former students' summers. After work on Thursday, the chaos of soccer camp began. Somehow I got convinced last spring that it was a great idea for the girls to come back early for camp (even though I had work all day and the dorms were not open yet). The result? Double days after work and 9 girls sleeping in my apartment. Sounds crazy? Well, it was a bit. But it was a lot of fun.

Friday- Sunday-- soccer camp, soccer camp, soccer camp. Here's a pic of the girls finding creative ways to use my space and lack of plates: one mixing bowl + a whole box of cereal + a few spoons, take a bite and pass. I thought it was absolutely adorable.

Every day we played soccer for about 5-8 hours. It was blazing hot and completely exhausting, but a lot of fun. Evenings we ate out together. One night we went downtown and then had a crazy night of norebang (karioke). 6 pm Sunday the girls returned to their dorm worlds and I finally had a chance to get ready for the first day of school. Would I do it again? I don't know. But it was a great adventure with some wonderful girls.

Monday-Friday-- This year I am teaching Writing 2 (grade 10) and English 9. So far, my kids seem great. At this point, I really feel like I know most of the kids in the school (I've taught the vast majority of both the 11th and 12th grade classes and have about 1/2 of the 9th and 10th graders currently). It's nice to feel so comfortable teaching.

Friday night- For her birthday, my good friend, Jen, wanted to have a Star Trek party. Accordingly, about 25 of us did our best to dress in Star Trek fashion and played a variety of nerdy Star Trek games. Good times.

Sat-Sun-- I went up to Seoul and Suwon and met up with Lauren! I am so excited to have her in Korea and can't wait for her to experience the joys of international school!

And that, my friends, is my first 2 weeks in sum. Hope you enjoyed the play by play.

Technology, collaboration, and classrooms of today

2009-07-31T04:56:00.001+09:00

I am only 2/3 of the way through my conference (Building Learning Communities) and my brain is already on overload: Wikis, Twitter, blogs, Ning, archive.org, easywhois.com, Diigo, blurb.com, Moodle, Chatz, Gallery, cell phones, iPods, De.li.cious, podcasts, google docs, digital storytelling, 2.0 Technology, Facebook, transmedia, ... so many great ideas and tools! So many concepts swirling in my head! What do I do with all this knowledge?

This is when I wish there was someone else here from TCIS to brainstorm with. That was such a nice luxury at the Professional Learning Communities Conference in Denver a few weeks ago! I guess I will have to wait just a few more days to discuss when I return to Korea on SUNDAY! Where did this summer go?

One lingering thought- for better or for worse, 2.0 technology has opened so many networking doors and has changed the landscape of global communities forever.

Reflections

2009-07-29T06:32:00.001+09:00

When I am in Korea, I expect to experience new things all the time. However, as much as the rational side of me knows that life goes on without me in the states, I am always a bit surprised. Perhaps is an egocentric thing, or an oblivious thing. Either way, it has been interesting to see my friends living grown up lives. While I have been navigating the transition period commonly known as one's 20s, my friends have also been changing, meeting people, learning, developing, and growing up. I have loved all the moments of interaction I have had with loved ones who have known me at different stages of life. Like mirrors, I think we reflect back to each other the selves we once were. We help each other realize the subtle ways that we have changed. Most of the changes are good, I think. Yet it is always a bit surprising to learn how much you have grown over time... and how much your friends (and family members) have matured as well.

Deep thoughts. Deep thoughts.

Where, oh where, has my little muse gone? Where, oh where, can she be?

2009-07-20T10:29:00.003+09:00

On vacation I guess. Alas, I will resume writing when the inspiration finds me.

Subtle Significance

2009-06-29T05:45:00.002+09:00

In contrast to dramatic storms, deeply unnerving stories of oppression, giant lizards, high school students’ drama, and the multitude of novel situations I have faced this spring, life has been incredibly non-radical since returning to the states. However, it has not lacked important moments. Nightly walks with my parents, lefsa making with my grandma, coffee with friends who I have known since high school, my grandfather’s birthday, debates in the hot tub with my brothers, beach strolls with my mom, and phone dates all remind me of the importance of relationships.

My time in California has been extraordinarily uneventful. I have mostly kept loved ones company: doing laundry (yes, I’ve been to laundry mats in 2 cities already), assembling beds, photocopying documents… you know, the thrilling stuff people write blogs about. Yet, I would not trade these times for a cruise or world trip (well, you might be able to tempt me with the right trip). Either way, I have to say, my friends and family are pretty great.

I survived a monsoon at sea!!!

2009-06-16T13:38:00.001+09:00

Okay, so it might not have been quite a monsoon. But, in the words of Lucy, our flamboyant lady-man tour guide who refused to swim because it was his “time of the month,” our boat was in the middle of “vely vely stwong lain” that resulted in massive waves and a very turbulent ride home. As one of the world’s biggest poor weather wimps, I can safely say that it was a big storm.

The day started out sunny and nice. Along with about 20 others, I took a speed boat from Phuket to Phi Phi Island. For the hour long trip, I sat on the front of the boat and laughed with the others when we hit occasional big surf that sent us bouncing in our seats. Once we arrived at the island, I stood amidst some of the most spectacular cliffs I have ever seen, strolled pristine white sand and waded in turquoise tides, swam in the cove where one of the James Bond movies was filmed, shoved other tourists aside to feed monkeys bananas on the beach, and ate a decent buffet lunch by some touristy marina.

However, after lunch the tone shifted. About 5 minutes into our ride from the main island to our next destination (an island about 45 minutes away), the wind picked up, the rain started to fall, and the waves echoed the increasingly tumultuous elements. It didn’t take long before I decided to move back into the main part of the boat, but the last remaining seat was one that was only partially protected from the now vicious elements. For the next 45 minutes our boat leapt its way through massive swells as ripping winds tore through the boat and heavy rain pelted the decks and slammed through the doorways to punch lowered faces. With two hands I clung to the bar beside me and shivered in the rain as we roller coastered our way across the sea. With each pounding impact, I promised myself a thai massage when and if we made it to Phuket.

When we finally made it to the island for a brief respite, I happily shivered on solid ground while my stomach and head grasped for equilibrium. Despite the fact that the rain lapsed for a few minutes, I held my ground. I was a bit baffled by the nonchalant way that some of my fellow boat-mates were laughing off the storm and parading the tiny island (and when I say tiny, I mean you could walk the whole thing in about 5 minutes at a leisurely pace). However, when we re-boarded for our last 25 minutes of the trip, I suddenly understood their laughter.

This time when we boarded, I made sure to situate myself snuggly between two people near the center of the ship in a real seat (oh, did I mention that the first time I was sitting on a crate on the floor?). I ensured that I was both under the cover and blocked by the front windshield (again, my first seat was neither of these things). As though God was laughing at our adventures, the moment we stepped back on to the boat the storm recommenced in full force. This time lightning and thunder added some special effects to our quest. However, as we rolled out, I realized how much more manageable the swells were without storm winds ripping my clothes or rain attacking my arms. I could actually raise my face without feeling like my skin was about to rip off! And what the difference that made! As a unit we gasped at the big drops and laughed as we rose up again. I suddenly saw the adventure in the trip and found myself actually enjoying the end of our memorable ride.

When we landed in Phuket, we clapped, laughed, and fled the ocean with happy dreams of dry clothes (and in my case, massage).

Quite the adventure.

Unfortunately, the rains have persisted. My last day in Phuket, I am eyeing the palm trees from rain-streaked window panes. I guess that’s what I get for visiting Thailand during the monsoon season!

Some Startling Stats/Facts for Pondering

2009-06-13T21:48:00.006+09:00

As I have been meeting with various missionaries in Thailand, I have learned the following:

Approx. 60% of foreign males flying into Thailand will seek out the sex industry. Think about it: 6 out of 10 men on every single plane are going to exploit women (or occasinally "lady boys")!

In the foreigner districts of Bangkok, there are about 12,000 bar girls working every single night. Remember, this is just in Bangkok and only in foreigner districts.

Only 10% of the sex industry in Thailand is aimed at foreigners. The rest of the sex industry services Thai men.

60% of Thai 16 year old males have been with a prostitute (many of them went with their fathers for the first time)

90% of Thai college aged males have been with at least one prostitute.

Most bar girls are very poor women from the northeast regions of Thailand. These young women are often responsible for supporting kids and families. They are occasionally trafficked, but more often their situations have forced them into prostitution.

If a young woman worked a "normal" job in Bangkok for minimum wage + overtime (say a 60 hour work week), she still could not afford to live and eat in the city, let alone send money home to her family. Prostitution pays well.

It is not uncommon for girls to be sexually abused in Thailand (outside of the sex industry). There is minimal enforcement for rapes or other sexual crimes.

There is a very high rate for husbands leaving wives in Thailand (often leaving behind numerous children to support).

Even though there are tens of thousands of girls in the sex industry in Thailand, in Bangkok, all the outreach ministries of present are reaching no more than about 400-500 girls.

Thailand here I come!!!!

2009-06-06T14:58:00.004+09:00

Finals marked: Check
Comments complete: Check
Grades in and verified: Check
Keys returned: Check
Money exchanged: Check
Passport/VISA up to date: Check
Apartment cleaned: Check (well, checked enough)
Money & keys passed off so my apartment can be REALLY cleaned before I return: Check
Thailand e-tickets printed: Check

Time till I head to Seoul: 37 min

Thailand: T minus 19 hours

So ready. So excited. So nervous. Pray for me and all the people I will be meeting with :)

Maybe I'm just missing psychology...

2009-06-02T09:41:00.002+09:00

Somehow, the topics of personality types and preferred love languages have seemed to come up in conversations ALL THE TIME these days with people in my extended community. A bit random, yes, but important (and of course fascinating!).

As I have conversed with my friends, I have realized how an understanding of these could dramatically shift our friendships. For example, I had a friend who I was surprised to discover preferred gifts as her love language. I realized I had never given her a gift (though I had given her a lot of quality time, my own preferred love language). It makes me want to ask all my friends and family members about their preferences! I wanna make sure I’m loving people in the most effective ways 

Similarly, I have been realizing how important it is to understand my own preferences, approaches, and needs. Reading descriptions of ENFJs (my Myers-Briggs result), almost all of which are dead-on, I can understand so much better how my personality both affects me and differs from others’ personalities.

So, my results (in case you are wanting to show me some love or psychoanalyze me):
Myers-Briggs: ENFJ (I'm sure the E for extrovert is a total shock to you all)
Love languages for both giving and receiving: 1) quality time, 2) physical touch 3) acts of service

Celebrating Sally

2009-05-28T22:19:00.003+09:00

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" better than an 80's workout party followed by a cake fight. Good times for one awesome woman's birthday!

Thinking 'bout Thailand

2009-05-22T12:02:00.003+09:00

Thinking ‘bout Thailand

I am getting really excited for my upcoming trip to Thailand. The primary reason that I am going is to meet with other missionaries and organizations that are already working to help fight against human trafficking. I am contemplating ways that I might be able to be aid victims in the future. In particular, I have a big heart for women escaping the sex industry and am thinking about ways I could actively help this ladies.

I will be staying in 3 cities in my short trip. I will be spending about 4 days total in Bangkok. In my time there, I will be visiting with four organizations: Home of New Beginnings (http://homeofnewbeginnings.com/about_us.htm), The Well (http://www.servantworks.com/well), Nightlight (http://www.nightlightbangkok.com/), and Rahab (http://www.rahabministriesthailand.org/). All four of these groups are already doing amazing work to help women escaping the sex industry. They each approach the issue in slightly different manners. I am excited to learn more about each ministry.

Next, I will be in Chiang mai for a few days. I am looking forward to my stay at Juniper Tree, a Christian retreat center. In Chiang mai, I plan to meet with a representative from International Justice Mission (http://www.ijm.org/). IJM is an inspirational organization that works to find legal justice for the oppressed. I am also hoping to see the New Life Center (http://www.nlcfoundation.org) with an interpreter while I am there.

I spend my last few days in Phuket. I have no big plans for my time there. I am really looking forward to relaxing near the coast. I am sure by then I will need some serious processing time! I can’t think of a better place to do it than a Thai beach.

Just one week of classes and another week of final exams between me and Thailand!!

Doing Nothing

2009-05-17T15:50:00.006+09:00

It’s no secret that I have a ridiculously hard time staying still. Yet this weekend I had a wonderful time sitting on a floor for two days straight doing absolutely nothing.

Friday after school, I went with 8 of the other teachers to a cabin about 4 hours northeast of Daejeon. Three of our original singles group (that came to TCIS in 2007) are leaving to return to the States or Canada in just a few weeks, so the weekend was an opportunity for us to spend some quality time together before the end-of-the-year rush.

The weather was not ideal: nonstop drizzle. So instead of hiking or lounging by the lake, we laid in a giant mound on our living room floor. From morning until bedtime we talked, affirmed each other, and laughed, laughed, laughed. I’ve never had more fun “doing nothing.”

The view from our cabin:

Liz visits Korea :)

2009-05-15T14:51:00.003+09:00

Last weekend I got to show off Korea to another visiter-- Liz!! It was so fun to get to see Liz again (it had been about 2 years) and bring two of my worlds together. We wandered Seoul, went Salsa dancing with some of my coworkers (well let's be honest, I didn't dance much), sat in jimjilbangs, belted in norebangs, let tiny fish exfoliate our feet, and talked for hours. It was a wonderfully refreshing weekend. So sad to see Liz go!