The Last Blog for 2012

Food story 

There are a many coffee shops and patisseries here - chains such as "Paris Baguette", "Tous les Jours" and Starbucks. Coffee prices are generally similar to Australia.  The hot drinks include sweet potato latte and green tea latte.  Green tea cake is also popular. The yellow sweet potato cake in the photo has thin slices of deep fried sweet potato as decoration.  Recently someone had a birthday cake to share at lunch-time.  It was covered thickly in cream and decorated with fruit.  Aileen decided to choose the piece with a big cherry on top.  The following conversation took place...
Aileen: " Oh, I thought that was a cherry but it was a tomato!'  Students: "Yes?"  Aileen: " But it's a tomato on a cream cake!"  Students: "Yes?"  Aileen: "But why is there a tomato on a cream cake? " Students (very puzzled): " It's a fruit."

Brilliant red with tomatoes and other fruit.

All I want for Christmas is...

 SPAM did not go away after WW II. It is available in the shops here and you can buy a gift pack of 12! Cost is approx. 30AUD.
Monty Python's SPAM song comes to mind.
SURVEY
In our small corner of Yeosu (population 300,000+) there is a main street.  In half of the street I counted 110 shops.  20 are mobile phone shops!
HISTORY

EXPO 2012 Site, YEOS

 World EXPO 2012 starts here on May 12th.  The city has a population of about 300,000 and they are expecting 10,000,000 visitors over the three months.  All public transport will be free during EXPO.  We have tickets for the opening weekend - we may never leave there alive!!!

The EXPO site.

We have blogged a lot about food - you've noticed?? Well here is a little on traditional dances.  One is a ladies dance originally under a full moon.  It's called Ganggang sullae. Look at the website.
 http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=G16A94hWrvk

The second is the farmers' dance.  It is strange that the cacophony of sound has become quite pleasant to our ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tae4Zv6cDJM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztGeP1wCSiE
US
We leave on May 15th for a week in Seoul and then home, arriving the 24th.  It has as always been a wonderful and inspirational experience. We meet and become friends with many people whose faith and commitment are a gift and challenge to us.
We would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and our family in Australia who we are looking forward to seeing again.
To all of you who have been following this blog - thanks.  We hope it has been interesting and perhaps inspired you to plan a similar involvement somewhere in the world.  Please keep in contact and visit us when you can.

Peace and Grace
Robin and Aileen

Farmer's dance Traditional Folk village

April 14, 2012 Robin and Aileen, Korea

True story:

It is local (Mayor and council) election time here in South Korea.  Just a wee bit different!

Local parties have names but they are also given numbers.  This is done to help the old understand who they want to vote for. So there are numbers 1 to 9. Some of these cards have Braille to help the sight-impaired.
Electioneering is done by flooding the area with ladies who are dressed in jacket, caps, gloves, shoes all adorned with the party number.  They bow low to everyone who walks or drives past.  They then proceed to give out cards with the member's photo and some brief details. There are also trucks. These are covered with posters and have loud speaker systems. The trucks blast (correct word) us with music preceding the short speeches.  Music is a campaign slogan to well-known tunes. These tunes include " Jesu Joy of Man's Desire", "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer"' and "Mary had a little Lamb" !!!!

While this doubtful music is assailing your ears, the ladies all line up and do dances to the music. Usually on a major road. If only the Australian Labor party knew about this method of campaigning they might have a "song of a chance" next election.
Korean Culture/history 
We are so impressed by the Korean people.  We have found them friendly, happy and polite.  It is a great joy to be here.  In many ways they are like Australians.  Like us they have a healthy distrust of politicians. Since the Korean war (cease fire 27/7/53) they have had 11 presidents. The history of these early Presidents is somewhat bleak. One was overthrown by a military coup, one assassinated  by his head of security, two imprisoned for corruption.  The prison terms they received were long - 17 and 22 years - but they were later pardoned.   Another was accused of bribery and committed suicide.  They are a people who rely on and trust their "group" be it home town, university or high school.

Us

We had a school outing, but it rained all day!

We continue to be involved in Sunday School and our EXPO English class.  There is the normal Korean church and an English language service so Sundays are busy.  We try to see as much as we can and usually go out for long walks during our couple of hours of free time in the afternoon, and try to go out somewhere sightseeing on Saturdays.  Some of our students are separated from their families (wife and children) and travel home Friday night (4-5 hours) and back on Sunday night.  Others struggle with where they are headed and where God would lead them.  Living in community with them and sharing meals means that we start to feel that they are like our children. 

Spring has arrived and last Saturday we were out walking (and climbing) for 3 hours in the wild flowers.  Wonderful.


Greetings to you all.  Our prayers are with you.

Peace and Grace
Robin and Aileen

Our walk to Youngchi Mountain to the wild flowers.  Absolutely stunning.

Hundreds of people hike up to see this display that lasts about 2 weeks.

April 1, 2012 Robin and Aileen, Korea

True story:
I was in the MTI office and one of the office staff gave me the small plastic package in the photo.

It contains concentrated apple juice from her father's farm.
"Does your father have a large apple orchard?"
" No.  It is not big just average."
"So does he do this with all his apples?  Is it a big operation?"
"No.  Many farmers do this in a small production for local people.  We do it a lot."
" Wow. Good idea."
"Yes we do it with apples, peaches, strawberries, onions......"
"Onions?"
"Yes it is very popular. We boil it until the ingredients are soft and concentrated.  We drink it for our health."
"Onions?"
" Sure.  Also dog, goat, black goat and ....."
"Okay. I guess you are correct. It must be very healthy"
"We use black goat as a drink after birth.  It's very expensive and tastes terrible but...."

Actually I have seen zero black goats but quite a few dogs in Korea so I guess "goat drink" is more popular than dog.

Korean Culture/history
Each day in class, as a speaking activity, one person talks about culture in Korea or some other place.
One of my students spoke of "high school culture" The final year of High School is VERY important as the results determines the university you will enter.  In brief she went to school at 7.30am and had classes till lunch.

After lunch more classes and then dinner at about 5.30pm plus 20 minutes cleaning the school.
After dinner more self-study classes and then school finished about 9.30pm.  She then attended a private "academy" arriving home at 12.30 am.

This is 6 days a week and usually Sunday as well.  Because she is a Christian she was allowed to miss Sunday lessons.   After the results of the final year are announced there are always a number of students suicideing.

She says that Uni can be described in one word, "booze".  Academically it's easy.  Everybody passes.  It seems that many pass out as well - regularly.

US

We have been busy with our classes that start at 8.30 am and finish at 9.00pm.  We have a couple of hours break in the afternoons, so it is a long day but not too bad.  The students are inspiring, their devotion and commitment encourage us to work our faith out each day.

Our Sunday School has quietened down somewhat.  We have about 70- 80 kids from grade 1 to 6.  It is meant to be in English, but many things have to be translated.  We have a lot of young people helping, which is great.   Aileen tells the story (with lots of actions and visual aids) and we organise games and activities.  The biggest problem is trying to fill in an hour plus with activities suitable for children with limited English understanding and with such a wide age range.

Our "English for EXPO" classes have started and meets on Friday nights.  You may recall in our last blog we told you we had 1 sign up.  The first night we had 18 starters with 7 apologies.  The second Friday we had 19 with 5 new people and it had been raining "cats and dogs" all day.  We also had CBS (Christian) Television turn up.  This venture has one primary object of out-reach into the community.  We do have quite a few church members but also people from the district.  We hope to expand each week.

Please remember us in your prayers.  Things go well and we are well.  Two teachers have not been so well and some students are a little ill. One of Aileen's students was a beginner and finding it difficult.  He went to the hospital with a cold.  The doctor gave him some medicine and wanted him to leave.  He refused as he felt he "needed time" in hospital. Five days later he is still there!

Every night there is a half hour " One to one".  Here individual students meet with a teacher in private.  They discuss many things including their concerns and worries.  Sometimes, it can be quite intense and we need some wisdom. 

We think of you all often.

Tea, tea and more tea made from a wide variety of vegetables, flowers and fruits

Peace and Grace
Robin and Aileen

Spicy "Kim Chi"

FOOD

These two strangers kindly shared their raw fish with us.

Yeosu EXPO 2012 CITY 18/3/12 Robin and Aileen

Greetings from South Korea.

We arrived here three weeks ago and have been busy. The students arrived two weeks ago and we are into classes.

So the same format as last year..!

A true/funny story.

Walking along the beach we came across a father and small son fishing.  Through our Korean friend we asked, " How is it going? Caught anything?"
" Yes we caught a fish 20 minutes ago" the father responds.
"How big? " I asked.
The hands go out and it looks like about 20 -30 cms.
"Can we see it?" we asked.
"Oh sorry we have eaten it already." the father replied.
???? Already??? I thought.  Of course they just cut it up and ate it raw, Korean style, but it was fresh! and father son bonding.

Some local news
You may not be aware that the Chinese do not consider any North Koreans who escape over the border as political refugees but as economic refugees and thus have no rights.  They are planning to send a few dozen back.  The new 28 year old (they are not exactly sure of his age) leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un has promised to jail or execute any who are returned plus all their relatives for three generations.  Like father  (and Grandfather) like son ... but perhaps worse. If this justice issue is of interest I encourage you to click on this link www.savemyfriend.org  and sign the petition.

Us
We have been busy with the start of classes.  We have also been asked to help with the new English Language Sunday School.  The Senior Pastor announced in church they were starting a new English Sunday School.  "You don't need to send your children overseas to learn English. We have native speakers at this new Sunday School"

Shock, horror - the coordinator had not expected a "beat up" like that.  How many elementary kids will come?? The photo tells the story - 122 on the first Sunday. We need to appreciate our Bridgey Sunday School teachers even more.
Aileen and I are the representatives of the world's 400 million native speakers!  It was fun ... but how many on the second Sunday?  Only 75!

S. School meetings can be a pain. An hour sitting on the floor!

We have also been asked to run a program of English language outreach into the community.  I recall that Peter Sweetman spoke of the need to be community minded in our faith.  This is a program for beginner and elementary English.  World EXPO is here in this city starting on May 12, 2012, so we hope people can learn phrases, such as "Hello", " Where are you from?"  etc.  So far we don't have many takers (2 to be exact).

We are well and involved.  We would appreciate your prayers for the two ventures above and our daily teaching. Our students are a delight. Aged from 19 to into their 40's they tell us their stories which range from interesting to amazing and miraculous ( I do NOT use the word loosely). The students find it very difficult to speak only English day and night, even in their dormitories. They need courage and encouragement.

Finally a food note.  We have eaten about 7 dozen oysters, 5 dozen mussels, a bucket (using the word loosely!) of sea weed, 2 buckets (NOT using the word loosely) of rice and many other "things".  Tonight at about 9.15 answering a knock on the door revealed the Director of the school with some eel.
" I know Aileen and you will enjoy this."
We did.
Peace and Grace
Robin and Aileen