Merry Christmas from Seoul

Here I am, in Guro-dong, in Seoul, on Christmas Eve. I have never spent Christmas away from home before, and I feared that part of me would become really sentamental. And I guess part of me is. I've got so many loved ones and friends back in the States, and I miss them all. I want to open presents around a Christmas tree. I want to go to a Maple Glen or Grace Baptist Christmas Eve service. I want to do all of the things I've done every year. But I can't now, so what do I do?...

Here is Guro-dong, where I live, tonight on Christmas Eve:

As you can see, things are packed. There are traffic jams everywhere. Everyone is trying to get home for the holidays.

People have been shopping non-stop for the holidays, and I've definitely done my part in that shopping madness as well. One really cool area in City Hall is called Myung-dong. It's always so crowded and so hip:

To anyone reading this from Geneva, or anyone who's seen my film "Twin Dragons", you'll recognize my good friend Youn Chi Young ("Chi" for short) in this picture. We went to a restaurant in Myung-dong that is famous for a noodle soup called "kal-gook-soo." It's so famous that after we finished eating, there was already a line of over 40 people waiting to get some of this soup. It definitely reminded me so much of that Seinfeld episode.

Here's Chi:

and here's one more random picture of me at the Cheon-gye-cheong ^__^:

So yeah...what am I doing this Christmas? Well, I'm spending it with friends this year. It's kind of weird. Usually, when I think of Christmas, you just automatically think family. But in Korea, Christmas is very different. Most people spend it with someone they're very close with (like boyfriend/girlfriends). So a lot of people kind of hang out on Christmas day. I'll be spending my night at a Christmas party at my church. It should be fun.

Today at school (Christmas Eve) I dressed up like Santa Clause and got to give presents to every kid. It was a lot of fun, but so tiring. And even though most students knew who I was, it was still nice to have so many kids look so happy to see me.

I was afraid of feeling alone this Christmas, but I know I have so many people thinking of me back home, and I also have so many people that care about me here in Korea too now. God has truly blessed me so much with many great people here in Korea. Have a great Christmas everyone, with much love from Seoul,

Mark

Long time no read...

I saw a Korean Woody Allen today... it was a good day.

It's been so long since I've talked to everyone from back home. There are so many people who facebook me and stuff asking, "How's life in Korea?" It's so hard to know what to say to that? Part of me wants more people to ask me, are part of me wants to just not answer them. And so far it's been the part that doesn't want to answer that's been controlling my life.

I'm really not sure why I don't keep in contact with people. Part of it's laziness I'm sure, part of it is just that it's hard to say how life is in a simple message. Life is complicated. It always is. Being in Korea has so many levels to it that it just seems impossible to start explaining how things are here. In some way, it's obviously totally unique and different from anything else I've ever experienced. In another sense, I feel like this is just like home, just in a different country. Maybe that's because even if you leave everything you knew behind, you're still the same person no matter where you go. And God is also the same God here as He is in the States.

I'm very confused about this though. I've historically been bad at keeping in touch with people that I'm not in direct contact with. When I was at college, I never called friends from back home, and when I was home, I never called college friends. Why? I don't know. I love all you guys. Please forgive me for this. I truly miss all of you guys so much. You are the people who made me who I am today. You, my family and friends, are with me here in Korea because you have shaped who I am in so many ways. And I apologize for not keeping you guys more informed about everything.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. I'm missing you guys more now that the Holidays are coming up. Much love from Korea goes out to everyone in Philly and Pittsburgh (and any other random places that people maybe ^__^)

City Hall, what a sweet place

So on Chuseok day in the afternoon I decided to check out what City Hall was like in the day time. Well since it was Chuseok, it was a happening day. I got to check out some good traditional music, dancing, and performance. And I got to go into a temple in the middle of City Hall for free. Here's some pics to show you how beautiful this place really is.
I just love how you can see these beautiful mountains right in the middle of the city.

This is the Cheonggyecheon, a creek that flows right through the middle of the city, and is supposedly amazing during Christmas time.

This is the grassy area (one of the few you'll see in Seoul, where all the performances took place. It was a a really beautiful day, but also really really hot.

The entrance to the temple.

No explanation needed for these next pictures. Just sit in amazement at the beauty, and also at the perplexing contrast between old temple structures and high rise skyscrapers in the background. I think it's pretty cool.

Happy Chuseok Everyone!

I've got a 5 day weekend now because of one of the biggest holidays in Korea, Chuseok. The American equivalent to Chuseok would be Thanksgivinng. Everyone travels to see their family and has huge meals. At school on Friday, every single kid, and I mean every single one of them dressed up in traditional Korean clothing called Hanbo. It is some of the most colorful clothing I've ever seen, and I got to take pictures with many of the kids in their traditional clothes. We played traditional Korean games, had a tea ceremony, and I got explain the history of traditional Korean masks. It was a lot of fun.

I just got back from a two day trip to Busan, which is aboutt 5 hours away from Seoul, on the opposite side of the country. I went with my good friend from New Zealand Ivan, and it was great to just see the country side of Korea and a different city as well.

This is in Seoul Station, where we caught the KTX trainn to go to Seoul. It was a very nice train, and the seating made me feel like I was back on an airplane. I read an entire book on the train their and bus back called "teusdays with Morrie." A very very good book, that I'd definitely recommend to anyone. That's also probably the fastest I've ever read a book (with maybe the exception of Jayber Crow).

This is a picture I took from the train. Most of South Korea is mainly mountains, but also a ton of farmland as well. It reminded me of my trips from Philly to Pittsburgh.

When we first got to Busan, we had pretty cool view of the mountains in the background. Unfortunately for the first half of the trip, I was having digestion troubles from some very spicy chicken from the night before. Eventually, the pain subsided though, and I had a great time.

We first went to a place in Busan called Haeundae, where we went to a beach that was pretty cool. Unfortunately it was so windy that it was like a sandstorm there.

Then we went down to city hall where we ate a Vietnamese place. It was really nice food, prolly the best I've had in Korea so far, but it was haha, a little more expensive than we thought.

So now I'm back in Seoul and we've got 3 more days of vacation woot!!

Where I live

Alright, I don't have much time to write stuff, but I just have so many pics I just gotta put some up. So heres some photos to get an idea of where I live in Guro!

My apartment!:

Outside my apartment and work:

Downtown Guro:

About a week and a half in

I'm lovin' it in Korea right now. I've been teaching for 4 days now and I really enjoy my classes. I'm teaching 7 classes total. 3 seven year old classes, two 8 year old classes, one 11 year old class, and a 6 year old class. The kids are all so nice and affectionate. The first day I got there they were already happy to see me calling me "Mark Teacher!!"

Seoul is incredible and massive. Coming from Philly where you can be in and out in 20 minutes makes Seoul seem like a giant. It can take up to 2 hours (subway) to get from one part to the other. The place is huge. I've live in a nice, somewhat busy area of Seoul called Guro, and it's not the flashiest place, but I live right next to the subway, and all the great places to go are only 20 minutes away at the most.

The food in Korea so far has been amazing. Half of the restaurants I've eaten at are called "galbi" restaurants. At these places you fry up your own meat right on the table. It's pretty sweet!

Public transportation in Seoul is also incredible. It's so cheeeep and soooo efficient. The subway and buses are always on time, and you'll never wait more than 5 minutes for another train to come by. The picture of the subway station here is at like 12:00 PM, right when the subway is about to close. We caught the last possible train. Usually the subway is JAMMED. People fight tooth and nail to get off at the right stop, but it's fun!

One night, after some galbi, we saw some street performers that were pretty cool. It was all interpretive dance. But it attracted a pretty big crowd!

I've already made a lot of great friends through my co-workers, and I've also reconnected with some old friends! It's been only a week and a half and I already feel like I've done so much. Oh, and I just got back from an ice show of the Nutcracker! Pretty fun.

And just for fun, here's a picture of me singing my heart out at a Norebang (kereoke room)

A Preview of Things to Come

I wanted to upload this photo b/c I was so proud of it. But many more photos to come once I get a good selection:

A Preview of

Finally here

I've been in Korea for about two days now, and there's just so much that's already happened that I can't organize my thoughts right now to even begin to tell you everything. I'm gonna take my camera with me when we go out tonight, so once I get some pictures, I'll get you guys updated. And trust me, it'll be a long one because I feel like I've already been here for a month with all of the stuff I've already experienced. It's been very difficult in many ways, but it's also been so exciting and fun that I'm very glad I'm here right now. Aight, that's it for right now, many, many, many more details to come.

Some thoughts before leavinng

I officially have less than a week before I leave for South Korea. And I’m starting to get nervous. Real Nervous! But I’ve been excited for so long about this, and never really nervous about it, so I guess it’s only fitting that the nervousness is finally kicking in.

I’m sitting in my den with my new laptop watching my #2 movie of all time: “Millennium Mambo.” One of the things I like so much about this film is that it’s all about this girl leaving her bad situation, and struggling to find a new life. Now don’t get me wrong, I love it in Philly. I always have. I’m going to miss it so much. I’m going to miss my family, my friends, my work, my school, everything. But at the same time, a see a bright future ahead of me and I’m trying to take hold of it.

At this point, I really couldn’t justify staying in Philly. I don’t want to get into the film industry at this point in my life (maybe later). And there’s no other jobs I’d want to have in the area. I also don’t want to keep living with my parents (even though their great), but I couldn’t afford to just rent an apartment right now either. So this job in Korea seems like the best thing for me right now.

And more than anything else, I know it will force me more than ever, to rely on God. It already has in so many ways. I’ve had a lot of hassles trying to get everything worked out for this trip, and it’s made me just totally rely on Christ to get me where he wants me to go. And I’m ready. I’m ready for a change.

But I will need everyone’s prayers! I know this job will challenge me in ways like never before, and I’m sure at times I’ll be incredibly home sick. That’s why I’ll need all the support I’ll get. Please pray that I like my job and am halfway decent at it. Pray that I find a good church there. And pray that I stay strong in Christ and represent him well wherever I go.

Here’s a pic I took with my “new camera J ” of some great guys I’ve spent this summer with. I’m excited to post many more pictures with new friends I make when I get there, and hopefully with old friends as well that I meet up with in Seoul.

What this blogs about

Hey guys, just wanted to let you all know that this blog will consist of pictures, videos, and hopefully many exciting stories for me to tell. I'll definitely get a video of my apartment, since that is like the thing to do on youtube (So many videos of people's aparmtents in Seoul). I'm so close guys to leaving it's scary.

Time for a change

Alright, this blog will be dedicated to my stay in South Korea. Hopefully you guys will enjoy reading this and keeping in touch with me!