Mark The Samurai-in-Training

Warm Moments

2011-01-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in the midst of freezing weather I like to think of warm weather. Of course, people would respond, "well when summer hits you will be thinking of wool sweaters, hot showers, and hot cocoa, so you just wait!" That's true, so I try to take stock in all the blessings that four seasons bring. Like, in the summer time, I notoriously sweat more liquid than one NBA team combined so it gets my clothes wet and all that, winter time, I never have to worry about that.

Through it all, though blessed with a roof over our heads, I like to think of warm moments to warm a heart.

I was teaching an extra class in 2008 at the ladies' high school in Korea. I remember the class was from 6:30PM to 8PM, and I was given free reign to teach whatever I wanted, so I thought I introduce American culture through a film called "Finding Forrester." The kids were intrigued since they were viewing life through the lens of a talented high school student named Jamal, so it was a film they definitely liked. Yet I remember, watching that film in the English Zone, looking outside the windows...the sun setting, the rest of the school virtually silent (enforced study time), warm night coming out, and good discussion afterward about the film. I am still amazed of how I traveled halfway across the world to teach in another country's school.

Teaching an extra class in 2007 at the guys' high school in Incheon, South Korea. Same class time as previously mentioned, but with guys, you can relate to them as a big brother type of person in their life. Also, sports. After we finished extra classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, we used to grab the basketball, go out there, and shoot some cord. It was really fun. Don't let the stereotype fool ya, Asian brothers can ball. Some of them showed me up! With the sun setting those nights, the cool night flowing in, crickets chirping, bouncing noises of a rubber ball, and sounds of Korean commands of "pass-shoot-get him!" running across the night sky, you just have to thank the Lord for a moment like that.

I remember as I finally started to get used to my surroundings in my city in 2007, I started to branch out more and explore at nights. Yeah, cities in America are fun to explore, but sometimes a major turn off is the actual safety of a place during night hours. In Korea, safety is a proud feature of their society as many can walk around liberally at night without fear of malevolence. An added bonus is that exploring in Korean cities is a dynamic thing, meaning that there are always neat things right around the corner. Their people are very dynamic and energetic: restaurants buzzing at night, people still working in the streets, students returning from academies and clicking on their cell phones. Neon lights everywhere, seafood restaurants with "free aquariums" selling their wares out front, people chatting it up late. So one night, with much time to kill, one of my favorite things to do was to pop in my iPod and walk around new districts of the city. I love people watching, seeing new parts of the city, watching life go by. That particular summer night in 2007, I was listening to a band called MuteMath. A very good rock band with laced electronica to their sound. At the end of their self-titled album, they have a song called "Reset." The track has no lyrics. Its simply a filler song/instrumental. Its just beats with great rhythms and ambient sounds. It was THE perfect exploration song. That night I just walked! When "Reset" came to an end, I came back and re-played the track. It was such a fun night to just be free after taking all that time to get adjusted to my surroundings.

Its warm moments like these that were made courtesy of the Lord God Almighty...who paved the way there for me to explore.

Holiday Treason

2010-12-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 5:11:

"As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?"

A take on the Holiday Season. It doesn't even deserves the title "Christmas." Really. People spend thousands of dollars using plastic credit to please people with gifts they know they can't afford. Running from store to store with a list in hand to check off the people that you think need a gift in order to appreciate. Customers shoving and pushing each other on Black Friday for videogames, DVDs, and clothing like they were playing defense against LeBron James. People acting out of goodwill towards one another because green and red tell us to be nice for one month. Green and red are our colors that tell us to be good.

That's like South African president Jacob Zuma telling South Africans to be good for "one month" during the World Cup this year. (Which he did, due to South Africa's notorious crime rate)

People guard and protect the tradition of Christmas like that itself will make people feel joy. I see a flaw in that, because last time I checked the season is about Jesus Christ Himself. His Grace and Mercy by emptying Himself of Glory to become human like us. A baby. We think its cute that Jesus is a baby...but it blows my mind to think that our God, YHWH, Elohim, Jehovah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the One who made you, came down as a baby! A helpless baby! Think about that...

Now, I don't think there's nothing wrong with remembering our Christ's birth. There are legitimately good things that come about as families gather together to have good ol' fashion family time, because frankly, we don't do it much in American society anymore. Yet we can all legitimately say that Christmas was and is hijacked. To be honest, most people don't have fun. Its pack the van, go to the stores, get the gifts, and endless holiday preparations. Christmas may bring some time of actual bad memories, because of events that gone awry with family, friends, work-related problems, the Great Recession, and self-esteem.

I just want to challenge the notion of Christmas to those who are tired of the cliche themes of "peace on Earth, goodwill to Men" if people don't know why He came.

1. Look at the Real Jesus - what was His Mission? What did He come here to do? Read the story of the Nativity with your family, or to yourself. Share the Gospel with one another to flesh out the end result and ongoing story that is going on now!

2. Give gifts that matter. Does someone need something? Need help due to the Recession? Give them gift cards or cash. Give them something they lack.

3. Write legit cards. Write how you really feel about someone. How has she or he impacted your life? Send the card to them. Don't just buy a Hallmark and sign your name on the bottom. They know Hallmark wrote it. One of my biggest petpeeves. Can you encourage that person somehow?

4. Tell your kids (or nephews, little nieces, cousins) about others in the world who don't have the gifts they get (i.e. the children of Asia, Africa, and South America). Just let them know to appreciate and have fun with the gifts they get. But don't forget to tell em' about the greatest gift we have, The Son of God, given by the Father.

5. To see the impact of how Christmas affects the lives of those who actually trust and believe in Jesus, type in for example, "LeCrae testimony" on YouTube (LeCrae is a famous Christian artist whose life was radically changed by Christ). I think that's one way to keep Christmas legit.

6. Don't talk about stupid, fluffy stuff at Christmas dinner. "Hey Harold, how about that Doopers' football game?" How about "we know somebody's going to win anyway?" Talk about funny family memories, share the Gospel, share your testimony, talk about the past year, talk about something you learned. Brain food is good for the Holidays.

7. Go for a walk. Don't be cooped up inside (of course, weather pending). Take a cousin, a friend, or family member out for a walk and enjoy the outdoors. If its one thing I really take pleasure about America is the fact we have lots of space. Space to just move. And we are a nation that is obese! Wow...

8. Watch a fun, Christmas movie. Pick something. Hallmark Channel has a bunch of cheesy films to watch. Play a game, like mute the volume and put your own text into it.

9. Play boardgames. Videogames if its fun for everyone (fighting games where one person remains supreme does not count).

These are just ideas. Not a solution to Christmas woes. The only human solution to Christmas woes is to look to Jesus and see why He came. Everything else is peripheral. Jesus makes Christmas fun! Makes us reflect. Makes us be filled with joy to be reminded why we are here. I hope you, my friend, enjoy with Christmas, and reflect on His love and power to save us from sin. From a little baby...to the King of Kings.

Bunch of Bums

2010-10-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Something cool I'm realizing about the Bible is how the Grace of God manifests itself through a "bunch of bums."

I grew up admiring our forefathers of old in the faith...Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. I have intense respect for the New Testament brothers who held down the faith...John and James, Peter, Paul, Stephen, Silas, Timothy, and Titus. There are countless others. I've read about the major and minor prophets whom the Lord used to be His mouthpieces...Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others. The kings and judges of old who through the Lord's power did some major conquering and defending in the nation of Israel while maintaining worship to the Lord: David, Hezekiah, Deborah, Josiah, and Asa. Foreigners who followed God rather than their own people like Rahab, Ruth, and Namaan.

I look up to God because of them. They had faith in God and God used them to bring glory to His name. Sometimes I think that I personally can't be on their level because God elevated them on a whole another level. They just had "it" when it comes to faith in God.

But as I look at their lives more intricately, I started seeing more of how God was using people who were simply flawed and sinful. Yeah, its like we think these faith warriors were sinless so God chose them instead: they had the talent like a spiritual LeBron James or Ronaldinho. But, just take a look at how much these guys biffed up in their sin, yet our Lord was still faithful to finish the work that He started. He used these ordinary people to do His work.

Moses killed an Egyptian man who was abusing one of his fellow peoples (Exodus 2). David committed adultery and murdered the lady's husband through manipulation (2 Samuel 11). Rahab, who helped the Israelite people into Jericho, was a prostitute (Joshua 2). Abraham lied about his wife being his wife to the Egyptians, which brought calamity on them (Genesis 12). Jacob deceived and cheated his brother Esau...twice! (Genesis 25 and 27) Judah, one of the forefathers of our Savior Jesus, had relations with his daughter-in-law (Genesis 38). King Hezekiah ended up showing envoys of Babylon, potential thugs from the outside, his vast treasures and riches that he had stored, a huge mistake (2 Kings 20). And there are many more, because as Isaiah so aptly puts it: "I am a man of unclean lips!" (Isaiah 6:5) In God's presence, we are in big trouble.

I was just thinking about this phrase from rapper Stephen the Levite before begins his song "Stained Glass Window:"

"I'll never understand it man, a Holy God, not just allowing, but choosing sinful men, to represent Him, its crazy man..."

So, if you ever feel like God's grace is not sufficient for your sinful baggage, regret, pain? To magnify God's glory forevermore, read the Word and see how He uses and makes holy sinful people for His glory; to draw people to Himself. You'll find that a person like King David is more similar to you than you think. That's what the Bible is all about...God's Power, Glory, and Magnificence through human history, yet using ordinary, sinful people to be His vessels. And He does it all through His son, Jesus Christ, who took our sins to make it happen on the cross.

Chris Brown Teaches English Better Than I Do

2010-10-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

This is a hilarious story that shows how pop culture can influence people better than real people.

While teaching Class 1-11 at my high school in Korea in 2009, I decided to play some music while they were doing an individual activity. I start off each class with a lecture and then some kind of activity where they have to do something on their own so they won't have to be bored all the time. I would usually play music from my iTunes library, music they never heard of, just to set the mood while they were working.

Earlier that week, during a free period at the office, I looked up YouTube videos of Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. I am a casual fan of the boy wonder from Portugal, and I enjoy watching his footwork on the ball. This one compilation video of his football acrobatics was accompanied by a really nice R&B song that was quite catchy. I didn't know who it was at the time, being that I don't really listen to pop music in the States.

Commenters on the video were asking what the song was for some of them too did not know. Then the ominous came in the form of "Chris Brown, With You." Chris Brown is the infamous pop star who abused his girlfriend Rihanna, another famous pop star in the States. He received a lot of flack and charges for it.

Now, to anyone who reads my blog or has read this blog, I have portrayed what its like to work in the public school system of South Korea. It is a system of intense, rigorous study yet with no practical real life applications. So English is an off-target program where they have the goal to learn English but they miss the shot by a mile. Most of my kids study intensely daily, but have hardly any chance to speak, therefore, a good majority do not speak it well. Many kids know grammar well, but sentences are often broken. I'm not blaming them, I blame the system.

So how did Chris Brown teach English better than I did that day? During individual work time, I played his song in the middle of class. I had two girls in that class whose English really wasn't that good. One girl in particular never participated and she always looked off towards the East Sea in boredom. She even wrote one time in her notebook that my "Soni's class is not fun." Hey, she's honest. Speaking English to the both of them was like speaking English to fish..."huh?" Okay, I'm exaggerating, because one of the girls was decent, but the East Sea-staring off to space girl had hardly no English.

Yet, when Chris Brown started singing...I heard more voices.

It was the two of them. Not only singing the choruses, but ALL the verses by heart. Flawless. I asked them if they knew who this was..."Yeah teacher! Chris Brown!" And they sung the entire song by heart.

Chris Brown bested me that day. Teaching English by pop songs is a good method. But Chris Brown? Give me a break. I would never teach them to abuse others.

The Source of Evil

2010-09-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/connecticut/jurors-cry-at-connecticut-home-invasion-trial-newscore-20100916

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invest ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." - (Romans 1:28-32)

I became very horrified and depressed about this story of a trial of a home invasion and massacre committed in the state of Connecticut in 2007. Read the article above, because I will spare you the details as you read the gruesome account of man's wickedness and its capability to destroy life.

How man can be so diabolical? How can man do such things in all parts of the globe?

"When the question of evil is brought up, it is raised by a person or about persons. If the question is of any value, its only of value if a person is of value, and the only way a person can have value, is if there is a transcendent being of infinite worth who has given you that intrinsic worth, not given to you by state or law, or by any other fiat, will, or something else. " - Dr. Ravi Zacharias

Even in an increasing-secularizing society of America, where man tries to deliberately separate life apart from God, people in the hearts still KNOW there is God. They just deny it with their sinful lifestyle, while God, not denying free will, allows man over to his depraved mind. We make excuses that people are evil because they were reared wrong, they are messed up mentally, or that only a certain select population are capable of evil because there is something wrong with them.

Yet, looking at this saddening story, it drives me into honest depression and analysis of how man can do such things to other human beings. I look at the Bible, and it clearly outlines that its man's wicked heart...as looked at in my last blog. God is not the author of evil. He cannot be. He is Holy. But man wants it his way, and since God cannot violate the free will of mankind, He allows them into their sin. Its man wickedness and sin nature that violates other human beings and is capable of destroying.

People who do not believe in God and are vehemently against the notion of Him who created all things have a quandary in their thinking. If God is not the author of life, then naturally man is the creator of all things and he makes the rules. Man can do what he pleases outside a moral authority and he sets right and wrong, whether by socially or individually. That's why people are capable of doing such wicked things; with no referent to the value of life in God and Christ Jesus, someone can selectively choose whose life is valuable or not. Man can then choose what is pleasurable at the expense of someone else's sacred life. Outside of God, man seeks what is good and pleasurable to him, but has no regard to the person who is violated, even to the point of death.

My whole point is...man is lost not because we are are ignorant, but its our original nature. When people cry at trials and people are horrified when they see news like this, that's just another indicator that intrinsically KNOW that life has value. Its one evident proof that they do know God exists, because in order for life to have value, there must be a creator infinite worth who had a design in the beginning for creating man in God's image. And I believe that God is the God of the Bible, The Old and New Testament, the Alpha and the Omega.

"In atheism, its all oblivion, without God there is no moral framework." - Dr. Ravi Zacharias

No God, then people will just do what they want to do, and they die. No judgment, no justice, no love. We die, that's it. Just do what you want now and then you go into oblivion.

See what Paul was writing up in Romans? That this is not a new problem. Its old. The scary thing is, a person like me is capable of all those things he mentioned in those verses. To simply say those criminals are the only selective evil people capable of such acts is missing the point. God's Word outlines that anyone is capable of evil. Yet in seeking justice and the answers behind man's evil, we must look to God's Word, not our own standards. Our own standards just lead to more sin and sidesteps the real issue of who is at fault.

Next time, when you see a brutal massacre and violence in Guinea, warfare atrocities, robberies, rape, and everything listed in Romans 1:28-32, don't be surprised! Instead, I hope you are broken-hearted to realize evil is not a peripheral (outside) problem. Its an internal problem of mankind, old as Adam and Eve themselves. Yet evil attacks the peripheral world, because we are the source of it, in choosing us over God.

Yet the good news is that God's Son, Jesus Christ, died for people like Mark Soni and everyone else because as the Creator realized how hopeless as we are, He loved us still to send a Savior. And not violating our Will, we as human beings can choose His son to give us a new nature, one away from sin and evil. Life here is already doomed here. Let's choose True Life in the Son. And someday, the One who died for us will return with a vengeance: to eliminate evil and to establish His rightful throne here on earth. (Revelations 19)

Look Into A Mirror

2010-09-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

Matthew 15:19-20: "For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean.'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"

Last night, while watching the premier episode of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, I flipped through other channels to see what's on. I came onto VH1's "Top 40 Celebrity Scandals." I stopped to watch, and surprisingly, I knew most of these scandals that broke out. The reason I knew that they broke out is that our wonderful national news coverage tends to cover controversies and scandals as their top headlines rather than important, global-covering crises in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It really is a product of national-centered news coverage that leaves Americans very oblivious of other true problems in the world today; that we should be hearing about the mishaps and sinful behavior of celebrities who have a lifestyle that none of us should not dream about.

Yet my main piñata-beating point for today is the hypocrisy of the show. Hypocrisy upon all of us. The show would do its countdown, covering old scandals from former politician Mark Foley's racy comments to his congressional interns, to sportscaster Marv Albert's lewd behavior in a hotel room and his criminal charges. The first reaction from any person in viewership is shock and laughter, shock from the bizarre sinful behavior, and laughter to see how silly they are in getting exposed. The most bizarre and funny incident involved a former NFL player, Eugene Robinson, who received the Bart Starr Award for high moral character, only to be arrested that night for soliciting a prostitute. Ridiculous.

After describing each scandal, there is a segment where comedians make fun of the incident and journalists who give analysis and insight to each scandal...how shocking it was and several jokes to complement it.

But I found something very interesting, an assumption as we the audience and the comedians/journalists have about these celebrities when it comes to moral behavior. Its very subtle, but very true: "We are better than them, only celebrities goof up and we expect them to do it." Since idolatry is prevalent in American society, we either expect these people to do these things anyways since they have access to a lavish lifestyle , or we become so shocked that these people of "higher standing" fall so fast.

Time to look into the mirror. Look at the verse above. Jesus outlines and blasts the Pharisees' hypocritical maintenance of traditional laws in religion (Matthew 15) as their basis of remaining clean in their life, presenting themselves as moral people. But Jesus exposed their hearts as they nullified the Word of God for the sake of tradition while showing that they spiritually were far away from God (verses 6-9).

So we point the finger and say, "celebrities are just doomed to fail and they are always going to be in situations where they will fall." We look at the analysts and comedians as they break down the moral failures of their life, with us assuming that "yeah, uh huh, we know that we would never get into outlandish situations like that." We feel as if celebrities are the only people who are capable of such sin.

Yet I love how Jesus exposes and convicts our hearts. The whole point is, you and I are just as capable of committing sin as someone in "high stature." We assume we live humble lives as middle-class or lower-class citizens because we don't have the means to get into "clever sins." We think that by going to church and steering clear of doing stupid stuff like this and not getting exposed will keep us clean before God and people. We won't get humiliated.

But if we truly look at what Jesus is saying, if someone really examines the Law (The Ten Commandments) and how our Savior came to fulfill, we should be humiliated anyway, because we are all sinners!

Another way to look at it, just imagine all our thoughts, especially in line with the sins Jesus outlined above, were exposed on television. You and I as regular Joe Shmoes were on a TV show called "Top Sinful Thoughts of Regular Citizens." Yet you might protest "but I never committed the act openly." Yet in the book of 1 John 1:10 says, "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him (Jesus) out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." Its a heart issue, and God is Holy: no defect, no contradiction of truth in Him, and no tolerance for sin. Being good people doesn't count it. If we believe we are better than celebs in God's eyes, then all that is left in us is pride. In other words, you might not commit the act openly, but your heart exposes your sinful behavior anyway, committed or not. You can easily murder someone in your mind, or cuss out a person in your brain, or think lustful thoughts. You and I just committed sin when we cross that barrier.

To wrap this up neatly, we know that God's judgment falls upon all of us. Yet Jesus died for the ungodly (Romans 5:8). That means He died for celebrities and everyone else. Died to give us a new life through His resurrection. To those who believe, we should have broken hearts for those who are exposed, but also should serve as a warning not to forget where we come from. To those who do not believe in Jesus, it is a call to see that your life is not perfect, no matter what you hide, God still knows about your sin. Yet how much more did Jesus pay it all.

Korea-stalgia

2010-07-28T13:53:00.001-07:00

Today was one of those "I miss Korea days." I do recall coming home with a sense of mission and satisfaction after finishing a three-year stint in East Asia.

I remember one of the more funny "reentry shock" periods was that while getting fixed for a tux...I felt like Americans were speaking English "too much." I wasn't really comfortable speaking in English after being abroad for so long. I spoke carefully and I had to listen carefully to many conversations. It was honestly hard!

More and more memories knock on my mental door, asking to come in.

I allowed two of them to come in today for tea. One for today, the other for another day.

"The Quarantine" - Korea faced the oncoming H1N1 epidemic like the rest of the world. They were right to do it. It scared everyone. However, one unique thing about Korean society is that when they face fear from the outside, they overreact. Since the disease of 2009 opened up in Mexico City during the spring, the disease started to gain ground in America and other countries, slowly traveling the globe. Pestilence was knocking on East Asia's door, from Japan to Korea to...

So I had to go home towards the end of July 2009. My grandmother would be passing away during that time, so I did the right thing, canceled my vacation, and went home for a week to say goodbye to her. It was a sad time in my life, because I never experienced death in a family from my dad's side before. I was satisfied to see my grandmother one last time, say goodbye, and share some thoughts with her. I didn't get to share the Gospel as I liked to, but I know that it was through His timing that I knew she wouldn't be without excuse.

I returned on a Sunday...to be exact, a Sunday night. The flight was long and ridiculous. I took United Airlines (masked for Nippon Airways) to Tokyo, which wasn't exactly for their comfortable flights and good service. Then, I took the best flight in my life when I boarded Asiana Airlines for Seoul/Incheon. Asiana Air is literally rated the best in the world for its in-flight service, cleanliness, and hospitality. Their stewardesses are rated high and trained well.

Finally around late that night, bleary-eyed, I got off the plane to step into the last half of summer. Awashed with emotions from meeting my grandmother for the last time...I knew that I had to keep going and get ready for the new fall semester. I had to go into work that Monday, so no rest for the weary. The only good thing was that kids were still on vacation, so I could show up, but not really show up mentally. Summer is the only big down-time for teachers, who usually come into the man the fort to answer phone calls, get paperwork done, teach an extra class or two, or surf the Net.

In comes the pestilence. The Korean government calls for a massive quarantine of anyone who has been abroad, especially from countries that have been hit early by H1N1. My school, realizing that I could be a threat, immediately lets me know by text that I shouldn't come in tomorrow. Just for a few days.

I am elated because of the fact that I got a bonus vacation on two false grounds: 1. How do they know if I have the disease? 2. Wouldn't they screened me at the airport if I had a high temperature?

So I'm chilling in my apartment (which I brag, was one of the best for single people). For days. Doing nothing but eating, sleeping, watching my new Blu-ray discs, playing videogames all day, while getting paid. I am told "to stay in your apartment." But how do they know that? Do they have spooks on me detailing my moves?

Then my activities extended: going to the bathhouse and getting a hot bath in. After all, what better way to kill disease then to take a hot bath? Then, even though my Korean teacher at Inha University knew I was on quarantine, told me to come anyway to study (the more, the merrier). Being lazy, I opted not to go to Hapkido lessons for that week (excerise? No way). My quarantine extended to the start of school, where I missed two days of classes on government time.

The story ends with a rumor. Students suspected that I got H1N1 because I didn't show up to school, and they were asking me about it. What I wanted to reply to them was..."what a poor man I was for one week, what a blessed man I am!" I pretended to have the disease anyway.

By the middle of Fall, with the disease starting to take its turn, the Korean government discourages quarantines because by then it started to take hold on the civilian population, because control. I just got in at a good time.

Play The Right Way

2010-06-18T17:53:00.001-07:00

• What is it with the counting of titles as a measurement of a player's greatness? Shouldn't it be on how important the player is to his team when it is winning? If the number of titles was the defining factor, wouldn't Robert Horry be the greatest power forward of all time?
-- Sam M., Helsinki, Finland

I tend to agree with your second question, Sam. You're right, Robert Horry should not be up there among the greatest ever. But when it comes to separating the players at the top of the list, their ability to make the biggest difference and complete the ultimate championship goal has to be an enormous tiebreaker. The players themselves view it that way. (by Ian Thomsen, CNNSI.com basketball correspondent)

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/06/17/countdown.lakers.celtics/1.html#ixzz0rFvLFJYo

My viewpoint: I disagree with with Mr. Ian Thomsen. After watching a dazzling 7-game series between bitter rivals the Lakers and the Celtics, reporters jumped to all sorts of articles and reviews of the series and then to their own conclusions about the next season, even though the Lakers just lifted the golden flask. I always love how reporters ask about next season when they just got the darn piece of metal in their hands. Let the players enjoy the moment!

People always define success as achievements. Whether it be a promotion at work, a championship, an award, a certificate, or a high GPA. We all want it, and keep in mind there is nothing wrong with success as a motivator, unless that becomes your idol. Success, from a secular point of view, is what drives people to excel at their art or job so they can put out the best possible product. Its good incentive to work hard so people can watch the benefits and improve on them.

Yet, does success define a good player or worker, especially in sports? I like Sam M.'s question, especially about Robert Horry. I believe the underlying implication of his question is this: does success really make a person a quality player, worker, or individual? Or does playing well and helping others win more important?

We know the greats of basketball like Jordan, Bird, and Dr. J. Winning championships are part of their resumes. We recognize greatness because they reached the pinnacle of it. Kobe Bryant got his fifth last week. We know these guys play phenomenal basketball, established in the annals of peach-basket history.

However, looking at that alone, does that mean everyone else who didn't win a championship "unsuccessful?" Does getting a piece of medal mean "you did it the right way?" Or, to better put it, do players like Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, or Reggie Miller, who never won a championship, are they "failures?"

The answer is a resounding no. Ian Thomsen says, "even players themselves view it that way," referring to that players see that between completing a championship and just doing well enough separates the "gods" and the "boys."

Let's face it, winning any championship at any level is a difficult task. Teamwork, practice, individual workouts, recovery etc...the investment takes years before someone gets there. Someone ends up on top, they achieve success for doing all the right things that earn them a championship. So competition weeds out the best from the better, better from the average. Only one gets there, the chances are few.

Yet what makes a successful player? Who do you admire more? We admire Kobe because he works hard. We admire Derek Fisher because he is a leader. They won championships.

So what about basketball players like Steve Nash? Dirk Nowitzki? (No championships) Or soccer players Luis Figo? Eusebio? Edwin Van Der Sar? (Footballers who never won the World Cup) Are they unsuccessful? I believe Ian Thomsen's answer is flawed because it bases on the assumption that its how others view their career, but not based on a more important standard of success: 1. did they play the right way, 2. did they play fair and respectfully, and 3. did they do it consistently.

In my opinion, Robert Horry, a former player who was won multiple championships with multiple teams, is one of the worst power forwards in the history of the NBA. But he has multiple rings, so he deserves credit for being a team player. But comparing his play in the regular season vs. play-offs, I saw one major problem: no consistency. In the regular season, he simply is listless, idle and gets a few shots. Finally, when the playoffs came, he "suddenly rises" up to play and hits downtown shots that lift this team, hence his nickname, "Big Shot Rob." See, he only came alive because that's where "games supposedly count." I think Robert Horry was a poor player because he just came alive only when he wanted to. He just makes big shots because he can.

For playing the right way (#1): you have John Stockton. John Stockton was the former Utah Jazz point guard wizard who could pass the ball really well. Most nights and regular season games he played well and helped his team win alot. He connected the passes with his teammates, including the most famous quarterback-wide receiver connection, "Stockton to Malone." He played his heart out and "sadly," never won a championship. Yet some things you forget is: he won a gold medal for the U.S. Olympic team and he won the Western Conference championship (the prelude to the NBA Championship). People overlook such achievements. But he is a hall of famer because he played the right way and people will always remember for passing the like no other.

Now about the consistency part (#3). If I were to teach my son basketball, or a rec-team how to play ball, who would I use as an example to teach how to play power forward? Charles Barkley or Robert Horry? Of course I would use the big southern forward from Alabama (Barkley) to demonstrate how to play. Robert Horry chucked shots, while Barkley wrecked defenses, scored, and helped his team. For playing defense, I would use someone like Ron Artest as an example how to hound defenders, stop the other team's leading scorer, and teach how to move on defense like Artest. Even though Artest won a championship recently, I still thought he was successful before because he knows how to play defense.

Back to #2, talking about playing fair. Who is more successful in terms of playing fair? Steve Nash? Reggie Miller? Derek Fisher? I look up to all these guys, two of them who never won a championship (Miller and Nash) because they play hard and don't behave like wild men on or off the court. They were classy guys, played fair, and receive the respect of the fans, the press, and their colleagues and opposition.

I remember in an article when a reporter asked Steve Nash about this recent elimination to the Lakers this past summer in the Western Conference finals. Nash responded to an inquiry about getting to the NBA finals and if he felt remorse about not making it yet. Nash responded along the lines of "how successful they were this year" because of the fact that they got this far despite the press' low expectations of their season. He also mentioned for himself, personally, that getting this far goes beyond his expectations. He mentions he came from a modest school (University of Santa Clara), while coming this far with his Phoenix Suns and the trials they have been through as a team; he is satisfied with his career. His team also swept his hated nemesis this season in the 2nd round of the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs.

To wrap this up, I think what is important is to be look at the whole spectrum of the definition of success. Being successful is not just looking at the person who hoists up a trophy in the end. Trophies glitter and shine, but I believe players shine with or without them. Basing someone's career on material achievements demeans someone's effort and character if they fall short. I'm not saying competition is unfair and that some players deserve championships than others, because that's why we have sports, there's got to be a winner.

Yet it is more fruitful to look at a player's career in any sport based on how they play, they played it well, and they played it consistently. A championship is basically the fruit on top of their career...not the meat of it. Finally, the irony is that players don't win championships and are successful on their own...the teams do. People used to criticize Kobe Bryant because without "Shaquille O' Neal, he would never have won any championships on his own." Yet I could use that same argument for Shaq: without Kobe, he wouldn't have a wingman to put the ball in the net.

Do You Miss Korea, Marky?

2010-06-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

So its been two months since I have arrived home from the Republic of Korea. Going from one culture, the U.S., to the ROK was obviously not easy during a three-year period, but through the Lord we conquered it together and along the way, He revealed some interesting things about myself.

Now, try the reverse culture-osmosis process: going from a second homeland, the ROK, back to Obamaland with the mindset of now you are not here for a visit, but for good! Its a more difficult process, but through Christ Jesus He equips through His word to get the work done.

But for now, for a short blog, here are things I miss and don't miss about the ROK with details attached.

"I'm Missing You 대한민국..." List

1. Korean Bathhouses: I get a lot of flack for this one from my fellow American friends. You get the picture...don't need to describe the situation. Yet from a cultural and health point of view, the Korean bathhouse was a special way for me, whether alone or with a few friends, to kick back and relax in the hot bath and sweat it out in the sauna. It was also a place, especially during times where it was the least busy, I would bring my Bible and have some prayer time with the Lord. I loved it...praying, confessing my sins, getting the gunk out of my wicked heart and replacing it with a fresh one, all in the while my skin is being refreshed...

2. Public Transportation: Best in the world. Cheap, could get to one end of the country and back. In America, you need a car. You have to figure out roads. In Korea, they figure it out for you.

3. Korean food: healthy, invigorating, and good...oh so good! But my mom is one baaddd cook! Shut yo mouth and do the dishes Marky!

4. Korean people: how can I not miss my mama's people? Sure, they're hot-blooded and sometimes they live too fast...but Koreans, once you get to know them, they are loyal for life.

5. My students: boys and girls alike...they were so kind and sweet, well most of them. But the ones I developed a good relationship with, had fun jokes, shared the hard times and bad test scores, or triumphs of joy, I felt my students were like little sisters and brothers to me. Forget students...they were my siblings. I miss em' alot dude.

6. My Church Fellowship Back In Seoul and Incheon. Real fellowship and prayer. Real talk. American churches need a real lesson on fellowship. Its not "did you watch the Lost series finale?" Bump that, I want "what have you been reading in the Word? How can I pray for you sister?" No fake stuff, but genuine believers who love the Lord coming together and getting it done because He is able.

"Oh Bump That..." List, Things I Don't Miss!

1. No More Social Obligations for Work! "Let's go to dinner after work." "Let's get a drink after work." I don't want to! I appreciate the fact that in America we work and leave work behind once we clock out. Having dinner with co-workers is fine, and I understand that its Korean culture to "co-worker" bond, but in the end it was more of a burden for me because I rather connect with friends or with the Lord rather than waste an entire evening watching others drink too much. No sir.

2. The Anglo-Korean Hypocrisy: "Yeah, we love English-ee, but don't ask me to speak it." "What?" "Don't ask me to learn it for real and use it with REAL people, sorry, just be a cool teacher and don't make learn anything..." Then why did you hire us? The irony to that last statement is, the Koreans' love affair for English English created an entire new economy of jobs for young (or old) expatriates who wanted an opportunity of a lifetime: see a new country, live abroad, learn a new language, try new things and learn new customs, learn a new history, make new relationships. It was the ultimate draw but the experience for some is a mixed-bag. Don't get me wrong, I loved the work that the Lord entrusted to me during my time at the boys and girls' high schools. He did as much more and beyond than I know during my time there, some of the effects I will never know until eternity. With that said, in real life, a love affair without communication or desire to communicate causes friction. It causes pain and awkward situations. Now, the Korean public school system is so stuck in turtle mode as it gets more defensive and lockdown mode as their method of teaching suffocates my students into test-taking machines. Parents these days are stuck in paying massive amounts of money on tutoring and after-school programs with the recession hitting people hard. To solve this problem, as I have been saying all along..."choose the right people for the job." Choose the right students who want to learn English, and you'll make the learning easier.

3. Kim Jong-il and his government. May the Lord deal with him severely, or perhaps he will come to know the Lord and His grace.

4. K-Pop. Yikes. "Nobody, nobody but you!" "Bo-peep bo-peep." "Listen to my heartbeat." The likes of G-Dragon, T-ara, 2AM, Shinee (even though I taught one of the members of that group), and other manufactured pop dolls suck away the true creativity of music. And the American Music Machine doesn't help. Most of my girls, I still love em, were pop-culture clones who never listened to what they were told on the radio.

5. Pollution. Its nice to breathe easier.

There you go...what I miss and don't miss.

Gotta Go With A New Look...

2010-06-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

I revamped this whole blog set-up. Well, not totally, just a few new pics and a new theme. For three years, I've been the "transformer." Now I'm the "samurai-in-training." That might change too, or tweaked. I felt its time for a change.

Just some qualifiers and notes of why the theme change:

1. I admire samurai rhetoric and discipline, but not their history. They are warriors who live devoted lives to their master and follow his way to the end, no matter the cost.

2. I like the idea of samurai in the context of serving the Ultimate Shogun, Jesus Christ, who rules all. He has also given us the katana of truth...the Bible, to fight the attacks of the dark world.

3. I always like Japanese culture to a degree, but I love God's Truth more. (I still have my love for Korean culture fam, don't worry!)

4. Its time for a change.

My goal for this blog from this new era of my life is to catalog the new direction that I am going. Lord Willing, I hope to reveal what the Lord is showing me on what I need to do next to serve Him. For summary, my life so far can be categorized in a few phases:

a. Military kid-life (1990-1997)
b. Civilian teenage life (1998-2002)
c. College and Career Stage (Off to Maryland state universities, 2002-2006)
d. Self-imposed exile to the Republic of Korea (3 years)
e. Return to the Soni Shogunate Imperial Palace, ruled by Korean empress 박인희. (My mother, who makes all decisions for the household, my dad is a figurehead ruler and has limited power ㅋ ㅋ)

Part "e:" after exile to the Republic of Korea to experience life on my own, guided by the Heavenly Shogun, I learned more about the work of the Lord and His grace. Now I am back with no job, no clear goal, no work handed to me by Kami-sama ("Jehovah" in Japanese) just yet.

I wait, patiently wait, and learn to appreciate and use this time for the next assignment.

Its back to the castle, to train, to meditate on His Word, and to complete my duties here until I get a new job and mission. Get it done...

The American Dream: The Mission for the Hopeful

2010-05-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I watched a disturbing segment on CBS News with Katie Couric. For once, instead of showing the disastrous story about the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Couric and her news cronies turned to the deepening pessimism about the direction of the United States.

The U.S. has been rocked for the past three years as it has been mired in deep recession, corruption, and debt. In this headline story, Couric goes into details about how many Americans presently are doubtful and upset about the state of the nation. Many distrust the government to handle the current economic crisis, while many have doubts about if their futures are secure. (BTW, how many Americans are distrustful of the government, always have, always will be, think Colonies-era my friends)

It made me think. I told this story to my dad, who responded, "the system is corrupt." Indeed. Financiers and big bankers run our country. They always have. Throughout history, its those "with the gold that make the rules," or at least they can manipulate for their favor. Rule of law set the rules for fair practices, but those with greedy hearts can and could always jump hurdles to finish ahead of others.

So, here we are, listening to people discuss the uncertainty of the future. It really has been tough. Many are unemployed, many are lost in their direction for their lives. People are empty. Recessions are part of economic cycles, but the corruption and depravity of how greedy we Americans can be, despite our claims to be fair, intelligent, and wise in making good decisions, show how sinful we are (greed is sin). It has made the economic crisis even more hard-felt.

People in the interviews repeatedly kept saying that they do not feel the government is not doing an adequate job.

As citizens, we have every right to question authority and its policies. If government cannot do its job, we must do the right things, like vote em' out of office (Happens every Election Term).

What about citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven? Aka the Church? What is our role? Simple, just keep preaching the Gospel and sharing it with the lost. Simple! One of the major lessons I learned during my sojourn in South Korea was becoming more aware that this place, earth, is not my home. It is in heaven.

If we are doomed to die bodily, what is next for the believer? The spiritual...the sanctification that goes on while our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the only one who saves us and makes us more like Him. Eternal life. It starts now.

Americans are becoming more distrustful of authority, and in this context, they have every right to be. Money was wasted, people are in debt, and the government puts more priorities in spending ourselves out of recessions without seeing the root problems of doling free loans, while keeping financial institutions afloat.

In turn, as believers, this is a grand time to be living more for Him. For many households, money is tight and the citizenry are very watchful of their cash flows. People are suffering because their number one fallback was their assets, cash on hand, and their families. But as we have seen in this recession, those things are slowly slipping. Even people who have worked their whole lives have been hit by the careless decisions of others. Fractured this society it may be, American believers and missionaries to this country can do more:

1. Pray for the American citizenry that many would turn to Christ, and not possessions for their safety and security.

2. Pray for the churches who adequately preach the Gospel. That includes us individual members of His body who are out their, whether unemployed or working, to become friends with our neighbors around us and share the Gospel.

3. Be wary of the American Idol: one of the more dangerous trends of American life is entertainment. This is a warning for myself, as television, sports, videogames, and idle time becomes more of a leech that drains spiritual time with the Lord. I recall how the Roman Empire was a nation of petty entertainment ploys that distracted the citizenry while the empire became more disjointed. Worse, the entertainment on a moral scale became worse (Gladiators and Circuses anyone?) Hedonism and free-for-all pleasure are advocated on TV shows, which we take into our minds.

4. Consider the plights of other nations. One sermon I recommend to anyone as a believer in Jesus is John Piper's "What is the recession for?" A great one to put into perspective on how as Christians we can respond during this doubtful and burdensome time. I remember my pastor, Pastor Wayne Kempson, said "many nations would love to have our recession." (Paraphrase) Oh how would a nation of Niger or some of the townships in Jo'burg, South Africa would love living situations like ours despite the recession.

5. Consider the plight of other Americans. Don't forget, America is poor. How can we support other churches who can reach out to the lost in other parts of the country?

6. Be thankful. Its not even a situation of "oh, Greece is having riots in Athens, or Bangkok is going ape," so I'm thankful! I think "comparison thankfulness" has a place in the family home, especially when your parents bombard you with the "I didn't have food" lecture, which puts into perspective of how thankful we should be. Yet comparing your situation with others can be limited because it can lead to pride and ignorance. Yet just be thankful to God that He allows us to have breath in our lungs this day. Being thankful to God (The Trinity), Baruch Hashem, puts everything into perspective. Sin is rampant so things like greed will wrought our finances and people will get away with thievery, but we know that this place 'AIN'T' our home. Yea.

7. More Bible please! Don't get swayed by hopeful philosophies the world offers. CNN's pragmatic "this is reality but it is what it is news stuff, economic forecasters giving their hopeful forecasts that provide nothing but dooms-days watches." Let's face it, the world is going down. Jesus will return...so get more Bible please, let it be nutritious for your soul, mind, and heart. Memorize it, keep it active so we can stop sinning and start winning souls.

There you have it, my take on the current situacion en Los Estados Unidos. Adios.

Re-Entry Shock: The American Nightmare

2010-05-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, I have finally returned to the United States (well, four weeks ago that is) and by God's Grace I am home and safe. Its definitely a different feeling now, knowing that this time around I just don't get to stay, greet a few friends, go to my home church, eat mama's food, and enjoy communicating in my own language for a few weeks then head back to my second home of Korea. This time I'm parking it and I don't get my car back. Its definitely taken some adjustment this time around.

Finding a new job, well, it is what it is, its slow and time-consuming, and I'm not really sure what I want to do with my life. Whatever the Lord leads, I shall follow. Yet at the same time staying put is quite unusual, but I quite like it. I really can use this time to read and pray more.

Being in America, there are some cool things that I enjoy: the trees, the fresh air, the food, and the quietness compared to the hustle and bustle of the Korean machine. I enjoy seeing my parents and the wonderful home that our Lord has given us for the past ten years. We are truly blessed. My brother and sister-in-law will be giving birth to a new baby boy in late August. What a joy. Its really cool to add to the family, and I pray that my brother and sister-in-law will be Godly parents and that I can be a Godly uncle. I hope they see Jesus in us.

Its good to see old friends and how much they have changed. For instance, tonight, I went to my good friend Charlie's 29th birthday party. It was nice to have a nice, simple party where Christians can gather and have clean fun. None of this Korean, you-gotta-drink-till-you-die parties (which I never participated FTR), but just good ol', sit down and let's catch up parties. But this time, I counted four children in one room! People who've I have known for years are now parents, or some who are getting married, or some who are starting their marriage careers. A couple are expecting in the future. Some have new careers or got new homes. Its amazing how much I've missed and how much has changed. Its crazy! I didn't hit the pause button when I was gone!

We experienced a huge storm today, with storm-watch tornadoes in the mix as massive, golf-ball sized hail shelling most of the Metro Area this evening. The sheer rawness of tornado season does make you more fearful of the Lord! The weather has been living up to its American mantra.

However, on a side note, there are some things about the American experience that really make me wonder about the state of this nation. In short, I believe that this nation is going down.

More than ever, as I watch TV or other outlets of media, go out into public, or see the different trends that represent America these days, I am very disturbed. For example, American television is surprisingly just saturated with..."stuff." Its easy today to get a Comcast box or DISH Network, and then the media menu filled with burger and fry programming comes at your doorstep, with a charge but cheap to get. DVD and Blu-ray discs are accessible in the mail, no more just going to a videostore and renting anymore.

For TV, you just choose your programs, TIVO it (record it to watch later), Pay-per-view it, plan your day around your favorite programs, its right there for the taking. Commercials sell you the things you need, while other commercials guarantee you should not miss this next episode of "this, that, and the other" because it will be the highlight of the season.

I believe that American television programming for some people has become straight up idolatry. Many families in America today revolve their life around the entertainment box. It feeds us, we glorify it, and we need it. "Did you see that TV show last night?" "Oh, did you see the season finale of so and so?" No thoughts about the real issues of life in conversations.

How about me then? Yeah, I also like to watch TV now and then, but I'm very surprised how much less of it I watch or care for it since I came back from Korea. Since I couldn't really comprehend Korean TV in the first place (due to misunderstand-able content and language barriers), I simply turned off TV when I came home from school and replaced it either with videogame or reading time, and going to Hapkido classes. Now that I am back home in the States, I do like to watch some programs: including NBA basketball, the news, mixed-martial art action shows, and the only TV drama I do like which is being canceled (Law and Order), but I find myself not as intrigued to every drama and sport that comes before my eyes. Wait till World Cup time though. For the record, I hate commercials...

Another thing that really disturbs me and shows where my country is going is the cheapening of the sacred bond of sexuality. In other words, I am shocked how cheap and twisted sexuality and purity have become in the United States. No, I'm not talking about prostitution. I'm talking about how easily one can show their bodies in this country and no one blushes. Its outrageous. To be pure and virtuous as women, and strong and honoring to the Lord as men, is an idea that does not exist in the United States.

The most shocking incident in the news lately has been a viral video called the "Beyonce 5." As we know, Beyonce is the worldwide phenomenon singer who is known for her beauty, her dance moves, and her strong, powerful voice. She has a recent music video called "Single Ladies." The video itself, which I recommend no one to watch, is her and her two fellow dancers dispalying not-so-good dance moves that make you go, "Oh just stop, you are showing too much." Now, try seven-year olds. Yikes! Alert! Yes, there was a video where five seven-year old girls at a recent dance competition did the exact same raunchy dance moves in front of a live audience. They were wearing next to nothing. They are shaking their stuff in ways that are just...wow, sinful. News outlets and newspapers were on it.

Now media critics and bloggers are left and right accusing, "what were the parents thinking?" and "this is so wrong to be allowing seven-year-olds to be baring their bodies in front of who knows what kind of people!" "What kind of outfits are those? Those parents are at fault!"

In all honesty, and I'm very forthcoming to say this, but this is the result of sin! This is not just a "moral failure on the part of the parents, or that Beyonce is at fault for inspiring this dance routine (even though its a start to penetrate the problem)." What do you expect when man worships his or her body instead, while Almighty God wants Christians to treat our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)? Sin is exchanging God for a lie, while man worship created things rather than the Creator (see Romans 1:24-25). People become suddenly shocked that we see videos like these on the news, and cry the pain because of pedophilia in this world, or pornography, or any media influence that encourages sin.

Yet there is nothing new under the sun. Look at the tribes of people that surrounded Israel before they entered the Promised Land under Joshua (see Joshua and Judges in the Old Testament). Some of them worshiped gods in which they imposed heinous worship rites that included child sacrifice or hellish sexual acts. God ordered the Israelites to wipe those people out, because He is a righteous Judge and strictly warned them to never follow their gods and worship the only True God. God knows once His people, if they ever stepped into sin, there would be death...

Now back to the issue at hand. How much more as sin peeps out into our American sensory avenidas will people realize that its not society's fault that we produce bubble-gum, sex-cheapening, violent-glorifying pop, rap, rock music, or searching for joy in the next American Idol, or see wanton acts of revenge as we violence on CSI that its not "the other person's fault," but its OUR fault. "Wait, wait Mark, I didn't tell those kids to dance like that..."

And no, its not even an argument, "just don't buy the music" or "don't watch the programming." Its not even an issue of "we need to teach our children the right things." We need to teach the righteous standards of God's Word! Bam! What makes me upset is the futility of the anger towards these methods of displaying sexuality in the media and we cry "foul." I believe its only natural that when man exchanges God for idols that as objects of His wrath we only continue to do what we do best as sinners: sin! This is the result of glorifying singers and sexy dance moves rather than God. You put value into Beyonce, this is what you get! We are all believers that if only society got its act together we can go back to the "good ol' days." Mister or Missus, there were never any good ol' days, especially under God's Standard and His Word!

So I close it up like this. I hope my writing will challenge you to think about something: when we see the sin of the world before our eyes, should we really be surprised? I say no. Instead, as believers in Christ, we should run from it and pray that the Lord will protect us from temptation. As believers, we need to share the Gospel and share that need for a Savior is not because Jesus wants us to be nice and so we can get on God's good side. Rather we as Christians we need to share it because of the Love of Jesus Christ, people will continue to exchange their lives for lies...leaving people hopeless and empty. People will cry foul when they see seven-year-olds gyrating or other displays of heinousness on TV, but why do the cry foul? Show'em why.

Don't Waste Your Life: Lecrae Interview (Part 1)

2010-05-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a little testimony with one of my favorite Christian rappers, LeCrae. Born LeCrae Moore, he discusses how he met Christ and how his life was radically changed by Him. Very good stuff. This is part one.

Los Guatemaltecos

2010-04-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

In our tour group, we were like an international UN with the different theme countries represented in that tour bus: Indonesians, Chinese, Koreans, Americans, and Hong Kongians (right?). It was a fun mix, and we all used the international language of English to communicate. It was fun.

We toured another five places today, with an eclectic mix of a museum, natural sites, and a garden. The natural beauty on this island is amazing, its got palm trees and today the weather really cleared up. At Hallim Park, seeing the flowers bloom, the cacti spiking out, the parrot screaming "hello" in Korean, to the emus, the wild birds, the bears we saw yesterday, and the bonsai trees, were all a testament to God's Glory. I was amazed to see the rock formations after centuries of cooling after a major volcanic eruption occurred on Jeju Island centuries ago. There was only divine design imprinted on this. The sea was beautiful.

During this time, I happen during these two days to meet and know two people of an unusual region that I have never encountered before: Central America.

I've met Salvordianos during my time at the Chick Fil A in Maryland, but I never met anyone from the Central American republic of Guatemala.

These two people: Zoher and Susana, are two friends who for vacation are travelling around the Asian powerhouses of Korea and China. They started in Seoul before heading to the island paradise of Jeju. We met on the tour bus. What a blessing it was indeed, because they are believers in the Lord.

In the span of two days, we got to know one another and had the major privilege of being friends with one another. What made it even more special was that we came to know that we are believers through casual conversation. Jyea!

Another special thing during our interactions was something I haven't used in such a long time: Spanish. It was through my middle and high school classes, one enthusiastic teacher named Mrs. Beierle who learned her Spanish in the city of Salamanca, and hours of free practice at the Chick Fil A with my Salvodorian friends, I finally came to learn the Spanish language.

However, coming to Korea, I had no use for Spanish. Now and then, I would meet a Spanish speaker, but slowly I came to realize that I was starting to lose it. As Korean started to naturally take an importance in my life, I suppressed the languages of Spanish, Russian (which I learned for one year), and English (now and then, I'll forget words or expressions and get made fun for unusual spelling mistakes).

Yet, I remember in 2008 a meeting in Incheon with a pastor from the country of Macedonia. He speaks several languages, and I told him about my situation of learning Korean, taking the prime importance in my life as I am finally living in a country where I have to use it daily. I was worried I would lose my considerable investment into Espanol (Spanish) and what was left of my marginal profit in Russian language education stock.

He said (paraphrase), "you don't lose information. Basically, your mind locks away information, what you don't use. When you start learning again, your mind finds the information and brings it out again. You don't simply lose information, its just resting. It will come back."

So back to today. Susana speaks English fairly well, but at the same time she was allowing me to speak Spanish to her and Zoher. Zoher, a fairly young guy, speaks hardly any English but understands it very well. He too, allows me to speak my "prison, locked-up" Spanish to him while we build a relationship over the course over two years.

My two friends, "los guatemaltecos," (the Guatemalens) helped me with words I forgot, and when they replied, I had my "I knew that" moment in my mind as I became more comfortable speaking la lingua again. For me, something I realized early on when I go travelling, is that in speaking multiple languages you can get easily confused. I wanted to say "Mi Chingu," a mix of "my" in Spanish and "friend" in Korean, or substitute vocab for Spanish. Then there's the whole English thing. Try mixing three languages into one sentence. My goal when I learn languages is to share multiple convos without missing a beat. Through Christ's strength, I can do it!

So the highlight was tonight, when we got some good Mexican food at a place called "Zapata's," (my second time, he he), and eventually through the Holy Spirit we got into some mad fellowship about the Word of God and how to receive salvation from Christ alone and His redemptive power. It was bananas! Like, Zoher asked not only if my father was a Christian, but how did he become a Christian. We got into a discussion about rules and regulations and religion, but more importantly we get salvation because of His grace. It was good, real fellowship, beyond just, "oh, God is good...yeah. Ya ha." Nah, deep stuff in Spanish about how to read the Word and live and grow in His grace. I mean, to steal from C.S. Lewis, it was more than just mere Christianity.

We ended up praying for one another before we parted ways, but we exchanged contact info so we can keep in touch and perhaps meet in the future. I am loving it, yo!

So, to top it off I have to ask this question: how in the world did, through my father, one day before my first class at John Hanson Middle School, after we just moved to Waldorf, Maryland, how he encouraged me to enroll in a middle school Spanish class, would end up using Spanish again halfway across the world to meet and pray with Christians from Central America? Only the Lord can bring such things together.

Oh, the surprises of life that only Christ can bring. Zoher was telling me how thankful he is to be living and knowing the Lord. The same with Susana. I was sharing the power of what I saw during my time Jeju, from the animals to the tulips that were screaming "glory" to God our Father. We all nodded in agreement, I mean, how could you not?

I hope they have a safe trip to Beijing now, their next stop. I hope someday to travel to Guatemala and visit them someday, Lord Willing. I was meant to come to Jeju for a purpose.

And I am also going home for a purpose. My family doesn't need me...but I need the Lord.

Who's the Foreigner?

2010-04-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

So its my second day in Jeju Island and to much of my surprise, even though the wind was blowing hard and it was really cold for a spring day, it was a good day.

Through my host family in Seoul, Korea, I signed up for a tour group where its pretty much a hands free experience. Usually tours can be hit or miss. One, some tours are dominating and you have pretty much no free time to yourself, and you simply move on with the group like lemmings. Two, some tours trap you by conveniently leaving you at tourist shops or home industry shops so you are tempted to buy something.

Yet my tour group has been a very smooth experience. No gimmicks where they try to sell you something or rush you through a site, and really no explanations about each site's significance. We have a Korean tour guide who speaks English and simply gets us from site to site. When we arrive at the site, he writes on a dry-erase board what time we have to get back, points at the entrance, and says, "have fun."

He also tags along and talks to the various tourists in our group. He doesn't need to explain what the site is, but more or less, just strikes up a convo about our feelings about that particular site. His attitude as a tour guide is splendid simply because he wants to be your friend and doesn't seem to burdened in doing his job. Props to ya my man.

One of the funnier stories today was the experience of a being a foreigner. Now, most of you know that as a Korean-American I do not attract much attention. In my three years in South Korea, unless I am actually with foreigners, I never get stared at for my looks. I blend in, to a degree. When I go to the bathhouse or shopping, now and then I get a stare because of my darker skin or non-Korean features, but its not an issue with me.

Today was very unusual. Usually, I feel bad for my "typical foreigner" friends who get "hello'ed" at constantly or get beaten with the Konglish stick (Korean + English) a few times, I know it seems awkward for them to be randomly approached in public by strangers shouting random English phrases. I usually escape unnoticed.

Now, Jeju Island this time of year attracts an unusual group of tourists: high school students.

Korean high school students usually come to Jeju Island as part of their curriculum, during their 2nd year. They come in flocks and they are not hard to miss: girls' high schools groups are distinguished with their shrieks, constant picture taking, and their usually girly stuff such as whining about the weather or the fact that they have to use their feet. Boys' high schools are filled with short-haircut boys who are all talking the same: that rich, wonderful sound of adolescent boy shrieking that usually cracks when they hit that puberty stage. They are always hitting and horseplaying. Nerds.

This morning, while touring the coastline by myself, I came across an American military family who were coming the opposite direction. I asked the Air Force guy what was ahead. He mentions more coastline with some good views and a used set for a Korean drama. Behind me, a group of four high school girls were behind me and noticed me speaking English. One of them walks up to me and says, "hi. Where are you from?"

Now keep in mind, usually no stranger Korean has ever approached me in ENGLISH. Its usually in Korean, so I'm kinda nervous. Of course, it was natural at my school all the time when my students yelled "hi" at me. But this is different.

I carry a 5-6 minute conversation with these girls, and found out they were from Jeolla Province, which is the southwestern province known for its rich food and twangy dialect. They were very nice. We talked about their school life, blah to the blah to the blah, the usual banter. As I walked on by and they said goodbye, one of them says to me, "Goodbye. You are very handsome!" Thanks.

At other sites, even ALONE, some high school girls said "hi" to me. Some said to our group "hajimemashite," or "nice to meet you" in Japanese. I was like, "are you kidding me? Are we Japanese now?" I thought it was my students but in disguise. I never got this attention at all during my three years here. Was I on camera or something?

Then there was the bathroom incident. I'm about to leave a bathroom at our last site of the day, and there were a bunch of boys who were from a high school from Korea's eastern Gangwon Province. They ask me, "where are you from?" I say mildly: "Washington DC." One of them proceeds to hug and shake my hand while "oohhs," "ahhhs," and even a cell phone photograph was taken. I was just blown away with the foreign superstar treatment.

I am standing outside with these guys, peppered with questions for like 5 minutes about my life, I was "dang! Am I that different looking to them?" Meanwhile, my Guatemalen friend, who was harrassed earlier to take a photo by some high school chicks, is laughing at me through the bus window. They are trying their English with me and here I am, being cool, just entertaining them and having fun.

As I head to the bus, like a superstar soccer player, I wave goodbye. One of them screams (and this is a guy student) "call me!" and there is laughter. I joke to our tour group the only fans I attract are guys, and my tour guide smirks, "sorry, they are too young for you and its illegal." Laughter all around, props to the tour guide for that one.

So I have come to one conclusion: I blend in well. With foreigners, I blend in well. With Indians, I blend in well. With Koreans, I blend in well. With Japanese, Israelis to a degree, Palestinians, Filipinos, or wherever my travels have taken me, I always managed to blend in to a certain degree. Its one of the funny aspects of being mixed-race.

And by the way...God made me that way. Its worked out for some unique situations: funny and touching alike. Let's see what day two of the tour brings tomorrow.

My Last Korean Trip: Jeju Island

2010-04-13T04:13:00.000-07:00

So this is my last full week in Korea before I head back to my home country. Its been a hectic month with packing, goodbyes to be said, taking Korean classes (and not preparing for that exam, sike!), and mentally checking myself out of my 2nd home. So I am in Jeju Island for my last Korean hurrah trip, and its been really good. No rain, but it is cold for spring (and there's no global warming?). Even though this is Korea, it sometimes feels like another country.

So I get off the airplane, grab my case, and head into a taxi. After fiddling with the address for a few minutes and calling up my guesthouse for directions, the ajosshi (Korean for "uncle") hits me up with a deal to take me around the city for really cheap. Just out of nowhere. After settling in, he picks me up and takes me to five places in less than three hours, and he got a free dinner out of it (my shot).

Instead of figuring out buses or taking various taxies for more cash, I got a deal in one day on my first day in the island, and made a new friend. We tried Jeju Island's famous "black pork," made out of black pigs, and for two servings they hook you up! I ate so much I thought I would be next on the slaughtering block because I ate like a black pig! He also explained the history of the island when we went to museums, some of the folklore, the culture, and Jeju Island's unique language. To get a tour by a local is very neat thing. Also, the certain joy, even though I'm not fluent in Korean, to converse and discuss cultural things in another language at a high level, I felt like my experience here in South Korea is being completed as we speak.

The weather is very cold, brisk, and windy, but I'm thankful to the Lord because it is not rainy. I'm going to try to enjoy these last days in another Korean region, and next Monday, I'm outta here.

On a sad note, my grandfather passed away a few days ago. I will go home and pay my last respects to him someday. Rest in peace.

God Bless fam.

My Last Round

2010-03-31T04:52:00.001-07:00

So, I was recruited to teach this camp for boys. Middle school boys. Oh yea!

They are absolutely nuts, but an absolute joy to teach. I have been working that the Incheon Foreign Language Training Center (IFTC) at Yeongjeong Island this week. I worked here several times in the past as a replacement teacher for their permanent staff who had maternal leave, vacation, or this time around, car accidents.

My friend Evan got into a car accident, but he will be okay. In order to earn his insurance money, he must stay in the hospital. Don't ask me. But I was recruited by my old boss, Jenny, who worked at my previous girls' high school. She called me last minute as a sub teacher, and I was more than ready to help out an old friend.

So, its nice to have some pocket money while having one last shot at teaching. I must say, I have had a good bunch of boys, some of the best since teaching here. I was worried I would have knuckleheads galore, but instead, I have some very sincere and hard-working kids.

And this time around, my teaching is more refined and I feel like I could really connect and get to the kids. It was fun.

Activities including the usual core English objectives: writing, speaking, reading, and listening. Also, we threw in country lessons, club activities, and even goofy stuff like quiz games and English Olympics. The kids are supposed to take a break from their schools and have a chance to use English.

My homeroom class, Class 2, I nicknamed "Los Gatos," or Cats in Spanish. They are surely smart and funny, as well as slick like cats. I started out really slow my first day...especially since I haven't taught in several weeks. My class captain is Antonio Ahn, a young boy, with his loyalty and his hard work ethic, will become someone special in Korea.

Other kids include "Johnson," a pip-squeak kid who makes me laugh, and Jason, a very sarcastic but well-spoken kid. "Moon," is very sincere. "Sun," his counterpart, participates in my club activities well. Tony goofs on in class. Jimmy doesn't be quiet, but he makes me laugh. And there is Tom, a tall kid who will probably become a ladies' man.

Wow, it blows my mind that in a few weeks, I will be leaving one environment of Koreans to the land of Americans. I'm going to miss this alot. So many memories. Right now, I'm just enjoying watching them play "Mafia Wars," some kind of fun game, while they are argue all about it.

Wow Lord, I was a teacher for three years. But in this time period, I was taught more things than I could ever imagine.

Oh My

2010-03-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Corey Brewer of the Minnesota Timberwolves tells Robin Lopez..."no way, Jose." He got posterized!

Ouch. Next time, if someone discourages you and puts you down, tell them "I'm created in the image of God." Then unleash some scripture on them, and the word of Truth hits them hard like being dunked on. It hurts that bad!

Sock it to em!'

Goodbye

2010-02-23T18:32:00.000-08:00

So, I said goodbye to the students at a Farewell Ceremony.

In these ceremonies, they introduce the outgoing teachers, such as myself, and then they introduce the incoming teachers who come from other schools. The girls were "oooing" and "aweing" about who was leaving and who was going.

I was genuinely sad today as I walked out the gym, three my years of my life in a foreign country...yet life goes on.

What impact have I made on this school? Have I done anything special for this school? Who knows. I can't tell.

Yet I am reminded of one verse...John 3:30.

"He must become greater, I must become less." This is in reference to John the Baptist, who paved the way for the Savior to come. Jesus was on a mission, John was his messenger. John had absolute joy (verse 29) that He was coming.

Even though I'm was not the perfect teacher to begin with and made many mistakes as a person, I hope that Jesus Christ was represented in my time here. I hope the students understand that English is the way not to a prosperous future. Rather, English should be a tool to communicate with new friends.

My father told me to never look back in life, bu to keep moving forward in Christ. I will not dwell on the past, but being reminded of the past is not a bad thing. I hope and pray that I'm being shaped into His image more and more. I had a fun, grand time here. Its the perfect time to leave.

The memories, the hopes and dreams of my students, the fun times...I will never forget. The pain and the struggles of being a foreigner in my mother's country...priceless. The conflicts with myself and with others only to discover what God wants me to do in these situations...great. The total mission of being a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven...eternal.

If you want to see how I want to be remembered, check out this song by Steve Green.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRK2Y1cZaME

You'll get the point.

The New Look Washington Wizards

2010-02-19T22:14:00.000-08:00

My favorite team in the world, the Washington Wizards, recently blew up the core of their team to make way for a new start and new era.

Out is one of my favorite players, Antawn Jamison, the captain and leader of a franchise who made the Wizards come back to respectability after being mired in the NBA doldrums for untold decades. He is now going to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a chance to play for a championship.

Caron Butler, former Heat and Lakers player, and third option to captain Jamison and former franchise face and non-stop prankster Gilbert Arenas, is now with the Dallas Mavericks. Butler, known for his toughness and going strong to the basket with bull-charging drives and mezmerizing dribbling skills, is now having his chance to play on the NBA radar again.

Then there is Gilbert Arenas, who was given a $111 million contract two seasons ago who was busted on gun charges after pulling an ill-fouled prank on a fellow teammate, Javaris Crittenton. Both players are suspended for the rest of this season, and Arenas is in danger of losing his contract and possibly his career.

So General Manager Ernie Grunfeld knew it was time for a change. In sports, Grunfeld is a man that I like and respect. He was the man who brought Antawn Jamison to our talent-depleted franchise to help us move back into the playoffs. It was he who locked in Jamison and got Butler to make a trio of scorers. They made it to the playoffs from 2004-2008 and the city was loving basketball again (before that, Marylanders enjoyed rooting for the Terps for DC fans loved the Georgetown Hoyas). Grunfeld is known for bringing in players who can contribute immediately, without spending time on draft picks who take years to develop.

But he also knew it was time to a put a halt to proceedings when the whole gun scandal went down with Mr. Arenas. Gilbert, "Agent Zero" as he is called, is an all-star caliber player who puts up points and can bring fans to the seats. Yet, his arrogance and lack of prudence for his actions plus consequences forced me to re-think about his importance to the team. He may be back, and I hope he learned his lesson, move on, and focus on basketball as a mature man.

So, we bring in through trades players like Josh Howard, defensive specialist and former all-star, Al Thornton, all-around decent player with loads of talent, Quinton Ross, a journeyman player, and James Singleton, the tough man, and we got a motley bunch.

These were four players that matched the talents of Caron Butler and former captain Jamison. You would think that fans would just sit back and let the season continue to go downhill, as Grunfeld said that the previous group of players were "stale."

Yet our team has won two straight games in a row! Now a reader would think, "hold up Mark, its just two wins buddy, they are only 19-33."

But hey, if they continue to work hard and put their talents together with the remaining talent on the team, we could make some noise for the near future.

So I continue to be a long-suffering fan of the Wizards. Its easy to be a fan of the Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs, winning is part of your formula. Yet for the Zards, its a matter of patience and building, or sometimes, rebuilding a formula for a winning attitude. For me, I love these kind of re-building franchises. I love watching the final product (unless your a LA Clippers fan).

Go Wizards!

More Memories

2010-02-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Continuing with some funny and cool students from the past year:

1. The Sacramento Queen, Seo Ji-min, 3rd year, Hanyang University

"The Sacramento Queen," the infamous joke that Shaquille O'Neal once called the rival Sacramento Kings during the Lakers-Kings California Shootout years (2000-2004), I apply to my girl Ji-min, one of the only few girls I have taught who is actually talented in sports. We spent time out there on the court with her two friends, Ji-won and Ji-sun (aka, the "Ji Unit"), and we went over basic drills such as dribbling, shooting, and the basic pick and roll. She has it all: smarts and a kind heart, and an affinity for sports. She's a rare student because in Korean culture, only certain femalions are chosen for sports and cultivated. Most girls are just geared towards study and becoming a future Korean lady. Don't get me wrong, many Korean women keep in good health in terms of fitness: jogging, walking, badminton, health clubs, and martial arts. Yet it was rare for me to encounter a student who was good at ball sports at a girls' high school. I taught her the basics of defense and running off the ball...and later she ended up beating me at my own game. Miss ya girl, go study hard, and keep balling with the best of them boys!

2. Yang Ah-young, 3rd grader, Inha University

Absolutely one of the most grand girls I ever met in my teaching career. By the way, you like my Kobe Bryant smile? Ah-young never, EVER complained in front of me and always had the brightest attitude one teacher could wish for. A hard worker, she is now entering one of the top universities in Incheon, South Korea. She was always smiling, always greeting me "hi teacher!" and never complained about her life. Even though she disclosed to me some tough things about her life that would really hurt her personally, she always kept positive. Maybe its the faith inside her that gave her joy.

3. Terry, Lee Yun-ju, 3rd grader.

Terry is a soft-spoken girl with a good heart. Fiercely loyal to me and my class, she attended my extra classes since junior and senior year. As a junior, she could not have my regular classes, so she signed up for the one they offered me. She was always polite. Many of my girls are very loud and always screaming at me "HIII!" in the hallways, or not saying anything at all because of the shyness disease that they catch and spread to other students...Terry was right in the middle. She wasn't too shy, but at the same time she was brave enough to come and visit my office and try her English. She was humble enough to be taught. Sometimes I had problems with the students who had a high level of English because they thought they were "too cool" for my class and they thought they knew enough. So I always enjoyed having students like Terry who know their limitations and at the same time were confident with what they did know and used it.

4. Kim Da-hee, 1st grade, Class 1-9.

This girl NEVER talked. She was ALWAYS scared of me and my class. Every time I would approach her and her friends during activity time she would cower in fear, literally. She would hide behind her hands. Perhaps I was the scary foreigner she heard about on TV...or perhaps I was ugly? OH NO! I remember one time saying hi to her in the hallway she recoiled in trepidation! Ha ha, despite her shyness, I always try to help and encourage her to try English. Sometimes, even during class time, she got a boost to raise her hand and give the answer, much to my pleasure. Yet other than that, she was extremely shy and never talked. Then came her sister's graduation (whom I also taught briefly in 2008). I was just walking around, glad-handling the kids who I taught, and then all of a sudden, up pops Da-hee! In Korean: "I want to take a picture with you." I was surprised, because no where near once she made the initiative to talk to me and or greet me. Yet at the same time, perhaps finally she knew this was her last chance to talk to me since I'm moving on. A very low "thank you" in Korean, and I proceeded to take pictures with both girls (her and her sister). It was a nice surprise from a student who hardly said anything at all. Perhaps inside she wanted to say, "I want to talk to Mr. Soni." Or perhaps, "he's not that ugly." :-)

5. My "student" parents.

As a part of my teaching schedule, I taught a free class to the parents of the students or anyone who could participate from outside of school. It was free. Free English you say? Yeah, so from the outset, about 20 people signed up from 2008. Then the numbers dwindled, and then Gideon dwindled (read the book of Judges for that reference). Why? Because some of the parents' realized that English ain't that easy, yo! They dropped like flies. By the start of 2009, my numbers petered out to 10, then 5 loyal parents. Some people at this point are like..."well, Soni, you must have stunk up the joint with your goofy teaching tactics." Nope, these ladies can vouch for me. Parents, with their busy schedules as well as depending on their English ability, came and went from my class. But these ladies in the picture (plus a few more who couldn't make it to my final class), were always coming out every week for their dose of English. We had such a good time: not just fun classes and having good conversations with one another, but lunch and dinner outings. We became real genuine friends, and they being on the outside of school, I could share some things about my school life that I can't normally share with teachers. They also sympathize with the burdens of a native English speaker among hordes of Korean students who rather watch their P2P joints than take shots of English vocab to the brain. When I was tired of teaching goof-ball boys and girls, these parents were consistent and gave me the joy of teaching again. With them, I could REALLY teach because they ate it up. It was like an MC at a hip-hop club with real hip-hop heads.

6. Mindy, Kim Min-ji, Class 1-6.

I was telling my parents' class today that you can't really know what happens to a student until years later. How will the fruit of my labors begin to bud forth? Honestly, I try to think about the present and do the good work that Christ has placed in me. One of the great perks about this job is when a student appreciates the work in the work you do in their life. Her name, "Mindy," spawns from an incident where I heard her announce her name, but instead of "Minji," a common Korean name, I thought she said, "Mindy." Laughter dies down, her colleagues spew out their mwa ha has, "your name is Mindy you butthead" and the name stuck. Mindy it was. She genuinely likes English. Not because its fun grammatically. Its just fun to her. She did well in my class and she was always polite. One day, as I was walking to Hapkido practice, this girl was waiting for her ride at the school gate. After exchanging pleasantries, she mentions to me that her English score went up. "Good for you girl," I say. Then she replies: "Well, thank you to you, because of your class I became more interested in English and my score went higher. I want to study hard." Man, that just made my day, that made my week! In a culture where praise and encouragement is lacking (because oddly, that raises self-awareness and pride), this is one of those statements that God was telling me: "you know what kid, I'll continue the good work in you, and I'll be faithful to complete it boy." (Philippians 1:6)

The work is done.

An End of an Era: Good Students

2010-02-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

"If you love truth, everybody say Ahhh yea! Ahhh yea!"
Mr. Soni raps at his last, ill-fated rap show of 2010

So, I officially finished taught my final class for the year and for my final campaign of 2009-2010. To be honest, my last classes were mainly a presentation of my time in the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In classes where no co-teacher was present, I actually did my best (of course, I "biffed" it a few times in my lecture) to present the lecture in Korean. My pronunciation was not the best, but I hoped my students understood about my time in the Middle East and that this could be a stepping stone into making presentations into foreign languages in the future. It was actually a huge achievement from where I have come from to make statements in Korean.

Here are some students I would like to brag about for their accomplishments this year and them making my year much more memorable:

1. Jung Yu-jung, Class 1-12: Happy-go-lucky, she never complains or whines. She has a funny sense of humor and is at the same time a receiver alot of jokes from her compatriots in class 12 (she was called "Willy Wonka" by her mates). Always helpful and participating, she does a good job in class to try the English provided to her and participating in every activity. A healthy smile, a positive heart, and a 'can-do' attitude, teaching her and her class was easy and fun. Good for her.

2. Hillary (Chun Hye-yeon), Class 1-5: one of the most intellectual minded ladies I've met at this school. Highly talented in English, but she has an aptitude for other subjects as well. One of my fondest memories was when during exam study period I actually had the chance to actually use my major, economics! The students were studying the basic foundations of trade and production, and so in came the famous economists David Ricardo and Adam Smith, two English pioneers of trade and economic thought. Dusting off that old store-self book from my mental library, I had the chance to tutor Hillary and her friends about when it is appropriate to trade between two countries. Result: her social studies' grade improved. It was real cool for me to actually affect their studies outside of just conversational English. She was so sweet that she sent me a Christmas card filled with thanks taking the time to tutor her and her friends. What shocked the students when I was lecturing about topics like trade and inflation was that I wasn't one-dimensional in being the typical English monkey. Sometimes we're boxed to just speaking English, and that's not a good thing. This was a show that I have a thought life outside English. Hillary and her friends responded to the challenge.

3. DJ Ju Min-hee, Class 1-10. Actually, I didn't like her at the beginning of the year. Nope. Her class was notoriously loud and she was one of the ringleaders. Then throughout the year, she started to change. Even though teaching her class was not so successful, at least I started to understand their humor and I started to match their loudness with mine. Since I taught their class at the end of Mondays (great job, Mrs. Schedule Fixer Lady), that's the only option I had as my yelling, Southern Gospel-preaching style was the only way I could get their attention. Min-hee and her gang (girls Ari, Nam-hee, and Kyung-min) were always goofing off...until one day I played hip-hop music. They were just grooving and jamming to my iTunes selections, especially with my Holy Culture Radio DJ podcasts, with head bobbings, DJ air-cuttings, and fist pumpings. These girls were just a riot and hilarious! Using that, I remember using my semi-pro hip-hop skills to do a rap for the girls as a listening exercise. Min-hee and her crew were very appreciative. As a result, from one girl I always had to yell at to be quiet became a very useful ally and friend.

4. The Little Fox (Kim Hyun-ha), Class 1-13

Nicknamed "the Little Fox" by her class 13 crew, she was tough to handle at first when I first met her class. Her class was notorious throughout the 1st grade to have bully girls with strong personalities. She was one of them. In my first day of class, she displayed a little bit of an attitude problem, thinking my class would be a pushover (if they figured out there was no grade, I would think it would be a pushover). My co-teacher and I were concerned that she could be a headache to deal with along with some other girls. Yet two cool things happened that changed the whole dynamic of her class: 1. I broke three of her colleagues when one of them tried to be cool and make fun of me, 2. Little Fox developed a crush on me. Now, not bragging I'm one of those charming, cool teacher-types, its usually a high school girls' emotions thing combined with a lack of a pool of good Korean gentlemen that you have no choice but to like me. (Sigh*) Yet, through "love letters" program that our counseling department encourages students to write to their favorite teachers to express their emotions more expressively, Fox wrote to me how she liked my new style and way of teaching. I appreciated that. So from the Month of May to the end of this month, I never had one more problem with her. She tried, practiced, and did well. She expressed that she was hoping that I would stay till her graduation in 2012...but the Lord has other plans, and I pray that the Lord has His way with her to draw her near the Truth.

5. Korea's Top Model, (Lee Song), Class 1-5. In general, Koreans are short. I'm an example of one of them. Yet what is phenomenal these days is that the stereotype of Asians = short is slowly changing. I had the privilege of last year teaching a future model. She was tall, I would say probably 6'2". We had a girl in the 3rd grade last year about 6'4", I'm not kidding. Her head almost touches the bus roof. This girl here in the picture, is about 176 cm (don't ask me to convert that), and she just towers over the entire pack of kids, who are average around my height. I always make a joke: its got to be the new-powered kimchi that's producing these giants (even at the boys school there were some future b-ball players). This girl, named Song, typifies a Korean girl as well as the difficulties of standing out for being tall: shy, reserved, but kind. When most girls are usually the same height, she feels awkward and speaks very shyly to me. I always encouraged her, not in a stereotypical way, to be actually be a model. I tell her now and then that she is "pretty." Usually saying such comments are very taboo in a girls' high school because a teacher can usually draw the ire of students. Yet now and then, because girls in this society don't get much encouragement for their appearances, or praise from that matter, so I'll drop a "you look nice today" or "you look pretty." I think its good because some students usually tell me they wish they were more this, that, and the other. So while Song has this sheepish smile, an awkwardness to her step, yet I always try to tell her to be confident and kind. She is very popular among her friends, and ironically, her best friend is one of the shortest girls in the class. It makes for a good team.

So, this is one of the first sets of blogs about my time wrapping up my period of teaching here in Korea. Its been real fun.

Derrick Rose Is My Favorite Player

2010-02-07T16:28:00.001-08:00

Derrick Rose, a 6'3" guard from the University of Memphis, is officially now my favorite new NBA player. Usually, I have favorite teams, which will always be the Washington Wizards, but with Gilbert Arenas' fondness for guns and internal strife that was the fallout of the incident, I have lost some faith in my Zards (even though they pulled a miraculous victory against the Magic on Caron Butler's last second shot last Friday).

Derrick Rose has slick handles (he handles and dribbles the ball with Spider-Man-like hands), a great shot, and he penetrates the paint with ease and with reckless abandon.

But my favorite thing about him is, for a guard (in NBA standards a relative small player), he can flies with the rest of the United Airlines fleet.

One of his greatest feats in his young career was to carry his young team to almost upset the former World Champions of 2008, the Boston Celtics, in last year's playoffs. If you want, you can order one of the most exciting NBA series on iTunes. Many pundits deem it as one of the most exciting in a long time.

But for now, check out this jam he did against the Atlanta Hawks. I was so stunned that I leapt back in my seat...and I'm not even at the game! Check out the Rose bro!

Jerusalem

2010-01-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

City of faiths, the Holy City, the center of the world, whatever you want to call it, its definitely something you have to make a right judgment for yourself if you come here.

This is where the stomping grounds where King David took the throne after stomping the Jebusites (a Biblical peoples). This was the city in which many prophesies were made. Then after the expulsion of the Jews and the destruction of the temple, the Jewish people were spread worldwide to create the Jewish Diaspora. It would be a long time before the Jews would come back and establish their own state, the State of Israel, in 1948.

Until then, wars, occupations, Crusader vs. Muslim antics, the Roman Empire, Mamluk and Ottoman control, and a certain ambiguity about true control over the Holy Land was a theme throughout the history of Jerusalem. All people laid claim based on political and especially religious grounds.

The Roman "Cardo:" an old street during Roman Times

For myself, coming to the City of David was a huge culture shock and exciting at the same time. There is the Old City and the New City. Obviously, the Old City is where all the historical and Biblical action is at. The Old City is the city of antiquity, containing walls and architecture of different eras and the streets looking like the past. The New City is where all the commercial and shopping districts are.

It would take days to truly check out the place. There are so many sites that its best to choose what fits your needs and stick to them.

A view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

I stayed at the Mount of Olives Hotel, so every night I could get a fantastic view of the city. Amazing. A survey of the Old City, you can see sites such as the Dome of the Rock, which is the 3rd most holy site for Muslims, from a far distance, as well as a number of other churches and buildings.

Yet what struck me during my time in Jerusalem is the diversity of the people and the sections of the city. The Old City is split into four quarters: the Armenian Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, and finally the Jewish Quarter. Throughout the years and after much tussle and bussle, this is how the city got laid out and to each his own made their own style and set-up.

The Armenians, from the nation of Armenia, are supposedly one of the first Christianized nations in Christendom. They came to Jerusalem to set up shop and have stayed ever since. One of the coolest aspects about the Armenians was that they were very adaptable and versatile in living among the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Many could speak Arabic, Hebrew, and whatever language that prevailed at the time. Though insular, they could be unique among the communities.

The Old City

The Christian Quarter contains most of the Christian holy sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the place Jesus died and was buried. It is a more quiet area with nice shops. Well, Christians can be anyone, so what specific ethnic groups live here? Mainly pilgrims or priests from other countries who take care of the Holy Sites, and many Arab Christians.

The Jewish Quarter is where a majority of Jews live. It is a newer part of town with newer buildings. To me, the Jewish people, very religious and conservative, are very quiet, endearing to one another, and reserved. Life in Synagogue and study of the Torah are prevalent in this quarter. Many of the Jews are Haredim, or ultra-orthodox Jews with old pig-tails and dress. They are old school of the old school in Jewish thought.

A Haredi Jew getting ready for Shabbat, or Sabbath

The Muslim Quarter is the most boisterous and most tough to get through as a tourist. Very energetic and filled with shops, you are zeroed like a plane target as you walk through, getting manhandled and harassed by shopkeepers left and right ("come and buy"), or from Palestinian youths who come up to you asking where you are from. The Arabs, who live in East Jerusalem, tend to be a loud, fun, and family caring community. Greetings include kisses on the cheek from man to man and a strong, firm handshake. They are a very touchy and close-knit. One Bedouin I met in Jordan reminded me that Arab communities are like "one hand:" we are just extensions of one hand and we get each others back.

The Muslim Quarter

At first, I was like, "why do they keep asking me for money or want to always talk to me?" I was hoping to not be noticed because I was a darker-skinned foo, but the Arabs can easily tell who is not part of their community, it was hilarious. I remember one cat ("cat" in hip-hop English means "a dude") just coming up to me on the street, putting his arm around me and just randomly asking my name and country. I guess I was really that unique to him? Or I was cute? I hope not. It threw me off, but later I started to really be cool back and got to me a few Arabs just through random encounter. They are a really interesting, outgoing people.

With all the diversity and various sections making up one city...I was asking myself, what is Jerusalem? Is it truly the Holy City? Is it a place where many peoples can live in "peace?" What then is the definition of peace? By peace, is it just co-existence and tolerance? Or is it a city in which there is a unity of truth? I choose to answer the latter question, a city in which God has chosen, through the Jews, to bring salvation to the world through the One who walked through its streets and died there, and later came back to life through God's power...Jesus Christ. In him there is peace.

The Garden of Gethsemane

As historical and beautiful, unique are the buildings, the city of Jerusalem represents many ideas, faiths, and within those faiths, denominations and sects, and of course, ethnic groups. Who claims this Holy City? Battles and blood have been spilt for this piece of land for thousands of years, one of the more recent being in 1967 when Jewish paratroopers stormed the Old City and reclaimed it from the Jordanians. Saladin, the Muslim warrior, took back the city of Jerusalem during Crusader times. The British had occupation of Jerusalem for a while.

In the end, I think about the book of Revelations where in Chapter 21 will come the New Jerusalem. A new city that descending from Heaven (verse 2), from God Himself. It is through Christ and from God that the New Jerusalem will come. It will be a new city of hope for those who trust in His son, and we can finally be in the presence of God with no more sin in the city. That is the New Jerusalem I want to see and I can't wait to visit in the future.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Until then, Old Jerusalem was pretty cool too!

The West Bank: Reality Check(point)

2010-01-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I am on a trip that was probably one of the most eye-opening in my life. For the past few days, I have been staying in one of the most cities of anitiquity, the City of Zion, drumroll please...Jerusalem!

I took a very nice tour of the Old City yesterday, seeing the old style pavement mixed with the walls of past ancient eras of the Kingdom of David and Solomon, the Crusader Kingdom, Mamluks, the Kingdom of the Ottomans, the British, now the Israelis. History is rolled up into one ball you just gotta see it for yourself.

Yet yesterday, I went on a trip that was one of the most thought-provoking in my life: the West Bank.

If you aren't familiar with this area of Israel...its the area that is most highlighted on NBC News for all the violence, unrest, fights between Jews and Palenstinians, and fights over land. Its where all the stuff between Yasser Arafat and various prime ministers of Israel went down and the fight where Zionists (those who want to reclaim all of Israel, even by force) face off with Palestinians who have been forced out of the rest of Israel and in here.

It was a difficult place to see but a reality check if I needed one. I went to see two distinct cities, Hebron and Bethlehem, which are in the West Bank ("West" meaning that its west of the Jordan River)

Bethlehem was not as quite shocking as I thought it would be, but the stark reality kicked in when passed the first checkpoint. The wall that separates the West Bank and the rest of Israel, like the Berlin Wall, is very funny. Funny as in one side there is beautiful pictures of Jerusalem marbled on the wall, and then on the other side, the Palestinian side, there is mass grafitti with one poignant sign saying: "to exist is to resist."

Tour groups getting in and out of Bethlehem is more easy because that's where one of the most respected spots in Christianity is at: the Church of the Nativity, where Jesus was born. Our tour was part of "Alternative Tours Inc." This company provides political tours to show to tourists the other side of the politics of what goes besides terrorist bombings, Zionist attacks, and the stark distrust between Jews and Palestinians. Its very biased for Palestine, but that's the point of going on a tour like this, to see their point of view and try to make a judgment for one's self.

What's even more was the trip to Bethelem's "Deja Refugee Camp." (Spelling is very wrong, but that's how it is sounded) Going to a refugee camp, I thought it would be simply a place of tents like the ones you see in Darfur or something. In reality, its a very poor place of buildings piled on top of one another. We were briefed for a long time about how at the camp there is hardly any access to basic services and the aid is very minimum, even though it is free. The rep from the refugee camp called the United Nations' aid the "United Nothing." Nice. Walking through the camp, you see and hear about stories about "martyrs," or innocent people who were shot up by Israeli troops who violated curfew. Their pictures were painted on various walls of the camp. You could seeother Palestinian kids milling about saying hi or asking for money. Their existence is not good.

Hebron was a different story. That city experience hit me hard yesterday. Regardless of the horror stories we heard from our tour guide as he explained his version of the events, I didn't really need to hear them because just seeing the city itself was a huge reality check. There were many checkpoints at tourist and Holy sites which separated Muslims and Jews. Stories about a massacre at a Mosque by a Zionist idiot. Stories of stonings and trash thrown at Palestinian homes. Yet actually seeing a checkpoint that separated one Jewish settlement and a few steps the Palestinian quarter was really weird. What made it more funny was the checkpoints. Each checkpoint is housed by a few Israeli guards, age probably just 18-20 years old. These soldiers are kids with guns. That's what hit me hard...kids. They probably didn't want to be there and probably bored out of their minds. We watched them check various Palestinians for I.D.'s and at times it got testy between the guards and them. I mean, imagine what you were doing at 18? I was working at Chick-Fil-A scooping up fries. How about the Israeli youth? "Oh Shimon, what did you yesterday?" "Oh, I just ran a checkpoint with my M-16 on me." Instead of going to the prom, even female Israeli soldiers have to keep the peace as they serve from age 18 to age 20.

Hebron was a city, even though of Biblical importance (we visited the Tomb of Abraham there), was a city that was dilapidated and very poor. No one gets out. All the kids just play in the streets, peddling you as you walk by, saying stuff like "we don't like Israel, buy this key chain," and many don't have basic access to many services. Security is so tight you can't probably fart without someone knowing it. We visited one poor woman's house who her and her nine kids live in one room, and it smelled like urine. Yikes. Above her house was another Jewish settler's house, who on top of his house was an Israeli soldier protecting it. We heard stories of intimidation and rock throwing at her house. Even then, these Palestinians still treat each other like family and do their best to survive. They try to protect one another.

So, my first trip to the West Bank was something else. It challenged my thinking alot. When I was a kid, being a Christian and all, I was like, "Go Israel, take the land!" But its not that easy of a situation to discern. God loves His people, whom He called in Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12. They deserve a homeland. However, a one-state solution? A two-state solution? These were the many questions and debates we had yesterday in the van among our 6-person group. I know for sure no political solution will bring peace. Man is sinful, there will always be violence. That I conclude Biblically.

Yet when I read about a New Heaven and a New Earth, and a New Jerusalem (the book of Revelation)...that I count on for sure. Jesus is the only one who can bring that about, a land for those who trust in Him for their salvation and the forgiveness of sins. We can definitely live there together... with no checkpoints. The only checkpoint then is when God judges those and to see if their name is in the Book of Life. That's the scariest checkpoint of all.

P.S. Quote of the Day

I met a fellow Marylander named Bill Rhea on this tour to Hebron and Bethlehem. We watched the Shabbat (Sabbath) begin at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. We saw hordes of Israeli soldiers make their way to say prayers at the wall, all of them carrying their M-16s or M-1 guns with them (they are required to). Bill looks at me as we leave and says...

"More people should carry their guns to church."

Israel and English

2010-01-11T07:22:00.000-08:00

Its been an interesting day in my second day about in Tel Aviv, Israel. Today I had to pick up my visa for the "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan." According to my Lonely Planet guidebook, it takes a few hours to get a visa at the embassy. It took me less than 30 minutes. Take that bureacracy and guidebooks.

Besides the fantastic weather (70 degrees in Israel vs. 0 degrees in South Korea, you know which one I'm loving), today was a nice walk about the city. Its nice to observe people and their lifestyles here. Like I mentioned in my previous blog, Israelis are a very animated people. Its in their blood.

I had a nice conversation with a taxi driver from Morocco. A Moroccan Jew, this guy and I talked a mouthful about our lives and current situations around the world. His English was very good. See, I can hardly speak a lick of Hebrew, and why should I? I'm not going to live here. Its good to have a phrasebook and practice, but phrasebooks don't have the luxury of teaching you the actual language.

I think its interesting how certain countries speak excellent English and some are really poor at it. I think knowing English has alot of benefits in our world today. Its a lingua franca, or a language that is fairly known throughout a given area.

For example, back in Roman times, people would converse with one another in a tongue coinae Greek. It was a language of exchange and medium of conversation for two people from two different areas of the Empire.

In the Soviet era, a Hungarian and a Lithuanian could conversate in Russian because their native tongues are too different (I'm not condoning the Soviet era). In East Asia, Chinese characters, even though not spoken, were fairly understood between countries like China, Korea, and Japan.

Thinking about my time in Korea and the mission I was given to do (to help improve English conversation), and just getting around Tel Aviv with basic Hebrew, but mostly using English to ask for help, I was wondering how Koreans could really improve their language skills. I heard about 80% of Jews can understand decent English even though its not their first language.

So why not Koreans, especially with the drive to learn it? Not beating a dead horse, I already explained why in my past blogs why its so difficult for them to learn English in a system of education that promotes memorizing facts rather than disseminating them and putting it together. But, being in this country for only a few days I noticed some things about learning a language that this country does not REALLY need to survive, but they learn it anyway:

1. Tourism. Do you want to promote your country? Learn English. Many Europeans know English as well. Many Africans know English. More increasingly, Latinos from Latino America are also studying English. Koreans would do well to help other countries' know about the mighty power of small Korea...and I'm not kidding, Korea is powerful. Even the taxi driver admitted how good Korean cars are.

2. Political situation. Israel is surrounded by Arab nations. I'm not sure how mutually intelligible Arabic is with Hebrew, but it would certainly help to learn English as a medium of communication. Same with Korea, China, and Japan. Learning each other's language and English is a good combination for clear dialog.

3. Learning a foreign language does not threaten a country's culture. I think one underlying "beef" that Korea has with learning English is that it is consuming so much of Korean students' time and effort studying it that it threatens their native culture. You got Konglish, or Korean and English mixed, for example. Also, students don't naturally want to speak it because they get sneered for knowing something above the crowd (group think). There is also an atmosphere of "English is weird." Trust me, its hard to explain. But, I remember one of my teachers in the office using the OMG swear loudly, and everyone was like, "OHHHHHH! He used English." When speaking English in public, sometimes I get stared at for being different.

Here in Israel, its not a big deal to use a language outside their culture. Two girls helped me today when I was lost. It wasn't like, "Oh crap, here's a non-Israeli, what do we do?" In fact, the girl beckoned me when I was lost. That was nice of her. It didn't kill them to use it. They went back to speaking Hebrew after I left. It came natural to them as all Israeli kids learn English in school to a certain degree. You don't have to be perfect. Heck, my Korean is horrible and I even managed to help some Koreans with buses! (My aunt was shocked how much of the bus system I knew, and she has lived in Incheon more than I have)

4. If the language is too hard...work backwards. My biggest teaching philosophy about teaching English during my time in Korea is to use their native langauge and work it into mine. I don't believe in "English Only," anymore. No, I'm not talking about using Korean the whole time. Basically, I would handle communication like I would if I were in a foreign country (and I am living in a foreign country): use the most I could to bridge gaps. Make an effort to get something back. Sometimes, Koreans are so enthused and passionate about learning this language they forget how to introduce it slowly for a student and make it practical. Now, for a teacher who doesn't speak a lick of Korean, the biggest advice I would give is to take it slow and speak slow. For the Israeli's, I doubt there are hardly any similarities between English and Hebrew, or for Arabic in that matter. Its all about communicating backwards.

5. Have fun with it. I always wanted to make sure my students understood it was a way of life, rather than something to be grasped for survival. My friend Jason wisely pointed out as Christians none of our degrees or skills will be valuable before God on judgment day. So, with the situation we are given, like Korean students who pour themselves into self-study over verbs, nouns, expressions, and awkward pronunciations...just have fun with it. You never know who you going to meet.

Back to Israeli time, I'm off to the City of God tomorrow. I'm excited to see the differences between metropolitan Tel Aviv and switch it for the religious and history city of Zion. I will be there for a longer period of five days.

Praise be to God through whom all blessings flow.

Mark

In the Holy Land

2010-01-10T04:47:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, I dropped in on the Holy Land on January 9, for a two-week excurision of the nation of Israel. To see the land of my Savior is a pretty big deal for me. I got in late last night to a round of questioning from security (seeing that I came alone, oh boo hoo hoo!) and now I am here in the port city of Jaffa.

I'm so tired. But today, I woke up somewhat refreshed (jet-lag), so I took a stroll around the sea in Jaffa and near the port. The sounds and the people are fresh, so are the smells, the sights, and the landscapes, everything is back to square one. Not knowing the language and trying to order something is quite intimidating, but the cool thing is that most Israelis know English.

Its definitely culture shocking to begin with. Every trip I take its culture shocking. From Japan to Taiwan to China there are some nuances to be noticed and the unfamiliar can always be daunting. Yet this is Israel, nowhere near the Far East. The energy of this place is very different from Asia. The Jews here are a very animated and experssive people. Their hand gestures, the volume of their voices, and their behavior seem much aggressive. However, they seem very genuine and heartwarming to one another. Coming from a nation where people are naturally reserved, its definitely tough when I experience another new culture.

See, this happens to me every time I go to a new country. I come off the plane, I am exhausted, I'm culture-shocked (I miss Korea), then I after a few days I get used to the pace of life of the new country and get into a groove. That's how I roll. I guess travelling alone it will have that effect everytime I go somewhere new, but going solo does have its benefits as you can spend more time in reflection and peace at certain sites.

Today, I went to Simon the Tanner's house. Do you remember Simon the Tanner from Acts 10? When Peter invites the Roman centurion Cornelius after the Lord revealed Himself in a vision to him? Simon hosted Peter during that time when Cornelius and Peter discussed how the Lord brought them both together. It was neat that this would be the first Biblical site I would see in Israel, as this event paved the way for Christ's message and salvation to be spread among all peoples who feared the Lord and wanted to walk in His ways. It was cool. I read the story in my Bible while I sat in front of Simon the Tanner's house. Too bad I couldn't go inside.

Other fun events today was I saw a camera crew shooting a music video for an Israeli music artist. This 17-year old Jewish kid might become a pop idol. The kid was really nice as I got to see them produce some of the vid.

Another sign I was in Israel was when a platoon of young Israeli Defence Soldiers (IDF) came round yonder, M-16's in tow. These Jewish homies don't play any games! Its pretty amazing that 20 year olds, both female and male, have to join the military. Talk about patriotism and serving your country. Many of us in the United States don't want to serve.

So I will be in Jaffa/Tel-Aviv for a few days before moving on to the City of Zion to see places where my Savior preached, died, and rose again. In the meanwhile, I need to take a nap.

Soni Declares For Free Agency

2009-12-16T06:35:00.000-08:00

25-year old Kingdom of Heaven player Mark P. Soni has opted to become a free agent this upcoming offseason.

Soni, who has averaged in 5.5 Making Girls Cry Points Per Class (MGCPPC), has opted to go into the free agency after not signing with his current school, Hakik Girls High School.

"Its time for a change, the Lord is willing it on this one. This is one of the more hard decisions I have to make, but at the same time its the obvious one," said Soni.

Asked for particular reasons on his decision to go into the free agent pool, Soni reiterated its not the program, but a time for someting new.

"Its not like I have something new to do after I'm done. In fact, no teams have been calling me to sign me up. I'm taking the market slow because the market is actually slow. I think its time for a new voice to come to Hakik Girls High School, because I believe I done the best I can for this school. I will miss my students, my teachers, and the great people who supported me in this effort."

Mark has cited numerous achievements during his time as a full-time teacher on the HGHS team. One of his students is going on to Koryo University next year, as well as successful teaching year, and of course, the free-agent signing of Fae (정별) to the Kingdom of Heaven squad.

"Only the Lord knows how many seeds been planted. I know I'm not always the perfect teacher. In fact, I'm not a trained teacher. I just know people. The Korean people need something fresh when it comes to the English language. I hope that I brought that to the table and they ate from it," contemplated Soni. "Its going to be sad to move on, but His Will keeps me going."

Soni To Apply For Free Agency

2009-11-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

Maryland native Mark P. Soni will apply for free agency at the end of his contract with Hakik Girls High School, which ends in 2010.

The 25-year old kid has been in the Incheon Native Teachers' Program for three years after making a big move to his mother's native Korea in 2007. The free agency looms for Soni as he will most likely opt out of his current contact after it expires in 2010.

"Its time to test the free agent waters and see where I'm going next," said Soni, during an interview at a local PC Cafe where he was not giving away turkeys to local people, because the birds do not exist in this country.

"Its pretty daunting because I was pretty secure in this job and I felt I could do the best at the highest level, but I know its time to move on...but to where to next? Who knows."

For Thanksgiving, Soni will spend time with local expat teachers in Incheon in fellowship.

On Sunday, the mercurial player from Maryland will have a speaking engagement at a local church, emphasizing highlights from his career here in Korea and how God changed his life.

"My testimony is important to me, and since Christ changed my life, its time for me to share with the community how God saves souls from sin," said Soni, nothing that this will be his first speaking engagement in the Korean language. "Its pretty scary, doing it in Korean, but I know that He was willing to help out young Moses when he faced the Egyptians, so I know that I walk in confidence in Him."

As we head into the winter season, Mark Soni will be testing the Free Agent waters soon. Who will we sign with next? Time will tell for the young man hailing from the state of Maryland.

Marcio Silva
Reporting from Incheon, ROK

The Beautiful Game Has a Black Eye

2009-11-25T07:30:00.001-08:00

With all the hype coming up for the World Cup next year in South Africa, one might become excited as the final teams finish out the qualifying stages to see who is going to the Prom of Soccer.

Los Yankee Boys will be joining their Mexican and Honduran qualifiying partners as they take on the rest of the world in their next World Cup Challenge. We have a great and talented team this year, considering they almost defeated the Brazilians in the Confederations Cup this past summer and upset defending Euro Champs on their way to the finals. We got some evidence to back it up.

Heck, the All Whites, aka New Zealand, a country known for its fearsome rugby thugs, the All Blacks, will be joining their Down Under cousins the Aussies in WC 2010, and both Koreas will be in the same competition, adding more spice to the Footballing Stew.

Then there's the French. O Boy. Their November 18th qualifier will be probably one of the most controversial in history, a huge "*" goes on the side as the Hand of Thierry bats the ball...twice...to help keep the ball in play and narrowly escape defeat at the hands of the Irish. No luck of the Irish on this one, they got a load of garbage on their doorstep for this one.

The Irish fought hard both games, but they came up short. For their efforts, they got robbed, like someone passed GO on Monopoly and not only took $200, but they busted open the jail and got everybody out robbed. And those thugs took everybody else's $200. It must be really awful how the Irish got robbed on that one.

See in professional basketball and in American football, refs can look at the plays and they can check if someone goofed up. It's not that hard. Its called "pause," look at a camera and do your best to make a call. Its pretty blatant when THE ENTIRE WORLD can see a handball and the whole Irish team are in your face if they saw something.

Its like if someone told me that I had a big zit on my face the day I have to give a press conference to release my new CD, and they are pointing to me and showing me exactly where to crush the manifestation of oil and skin suicide. But I refuse to look at a mirror. Because someone says something to me, I don't have to believe them. They can make all the hand motions they want and say I have a zit, but I can ignore them all they want. But doesn't make sense if there are a whole rack of people seeing a target market on my face, wouldn't I want to check?

Henry, I felt bad for the guy. I probably would have batted the ball with my hand too. But I would also expect the referee and his team to do their job and make the right call too, and Henry wouldn't have been in this predictament.

Thanks to this incident, even though I am big fan of soccer, I am a little bit sore at FIFA and in the game in general.

This plate of "missing the point" mixed with unfairness feels like the game that people can get away with stuff.

Until the WC, I'll be paying attention to the NBA for a while.

Invictus

2009-11-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

I finished reading this awesome book by John Carlin named Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that made a Nation. It is about democratic South Africa's birth and how Nelson Mandela emerged as president of a nation that was divided and almost on the brink of civil war after his election. To sum up this interesting historical novel that is now being made into a movie named Invictus, Mandela cleverly uses the power of sport to unite a nation where there are 11 official tongues and a myriad of races that have clashed throughout the RSA's tumultuous history. A rough man's game of rugby and the nation's victory at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa brings delirium and a sense of identity to its conflict ridden people.

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison as leader of the African National Congress, then a banned-political group which was deemed "Communist and terrorist" during the Apartheid-era. Apartheid was a political and social policy constructed by the all-white Afrikaner government of South Africa, a policy that means "separateness" in the language of Afrikaans. It was designed to protect white power while keeping the majority blacks and other minorities at bay with clear social policies and boundaries where no interaction would occur between the races. It was a humiliating time for black South Africans who had no ability to climb out of their poverty and were constantly being put down by their white overlords.

In this book, Carlin cleverly paints a portrait of how Mandela, from his time of being released from prison to his rise to power in 1994, uses his charm and innocent trust to gain the respect of Afrikaner officials to start building a new concensus for his eventual new government. The Afrikaners realize that with the riots, violence, and constant pressure from the outside world concerning their Apartheid policies, they will soon become more vilified and not be able to govern if social chaos continues. They knew that time was not on their side and that this Apartheid was digging their own graves.

Enter rugby. I particulary never cared for this game until I came to South Korea. When I met a few compadres from Australia and New Zealand in my teaching program in 2007, I started to learn about this game from them. They were absolutely big fans of this game, as we Americans are about football. In fact, both games are very similar but have an entirely different approach on how to play. It was not until the Rugby World 2007 in France that I started to learn and follow the game a little bit more and more. I learned about Rugby culture and history, a game that focues on brute power and quick ball movement, combining the elements of American football and soccer. Its actually a pretty neat game (the South Africans won that World Cup too).

For the Afrikaners, a race of peoples descended from Europeans during the migrations to South Africa in earlier centuries, this was their game. The Afrikaners enjoyed rugby as these young white boys grew up with the rough hussle and tussle of knocking each other and trying to score points through field goals or "tries," the equivalent of a touchdown. Meanwhile, soccer was the sport for blacks, who were mostly poor and all you need to play is a small ball to kick on your feet. Both races were worlds apart. In fact, the book mentions that blacks in South Africa would cheer for any opposing team that scored against the all-white "Springbok" teams (an African deer which is the iconic mascot of the national rugby team).

Yet Mandela had a plan. He had many choices at his disposal to gain power in the new government of 1994: why not take revenge and oust every Afrikaner politician who has brought hurt and pain to the African majority? Or perhaps violently oust the white minority like Robert Mugabe did in Zimbabwe (and look what happened there)? Or being a man of pragmatic nature and a forgiving spirit, why not reconcile and build all things new?

Mandela, instead of using the usual, sometimes backfiring policy of political reconcilation (because you can't please everybody), tried his hand at using a game that the South Africans were good at and uniting his people through sport: rugby. However, there was a problem: they were banned playing internationally due to the sanctions against them from the outside world. So Mandela gave the sport back to the Afrikaners and allowed them to take it on again, much to the chagrin of the blacks and other minorities who thought it was risky to give the Afrikaner minority a sense of legitimacy again.

Through meeting the players as they prepared for the 1995 World Cup, and with team manager Morne du Plessis creating a nation unifying team motto of "one team, one nation," Mandela constructs a plan to bring a new way of thought to bring both sides down on one issue: towards victory through sport. With their pragmatic captain, Francois Pienaar, a giant of a man who grew up in a more humble environment than other priveleged Afrikaners, the players and staff started to change their attitudes that by only through getting the support of the entire nation they could not only achieve victory, but also bring a violence-battered, politically-failing apart nation together. Meanwhile, Mandela throughout the book is meeting with political enemies left and right and simply appeals to their heart that violence is not the answer.

The upcoming film is set for a December 11, 2009 release date and directed by Clint Eastwood, a renowned film director and starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as SA's rugby captain Francois Pienaar. It is something I look forward to seeing in the near future. The story I read in this book by Carlin was inspiring because a man used not further violence to make things right, but reconciliation to put a ripped-nation almost on the brink of civil war to become a new democracy where Africans of all colors could me made.

On a spiritual note, how much more does Christ reconcile us with God, when "all of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." (Ephesians 2:3) We could have been dead...forever. But Christ reconciles with God through His death and resurrection.

The Masked Men

2009-11-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

So, its fall season, and today it plunged almost towards freezing. They cancelled classes for our 1st and 2nd grade ladies for three days due to the pandemic we all know as "swine flu," or how my friend Michael calls it, "Pig Flu." My friend Ryan's school shut down for a week last week due to several kids and staff catching the dreaded disease. Michael's school has a whopping 160 students out of action, and they still haven't shut down the school. Worldwide, people in many countries are stocking up on TamiFlu and going to their clinics to put needs into their arms.

Rewind three months to August. I just returned from the United States. Reports in the media circulate worldwide for an upcoming pandemic. "Get ready for the worst." The U.S., England, Spain, and other countries monitor patients who catch the disease early with the closest degree while the WHO tries to figure out ways to prevent the worst. Its something to keep their eyes on for sure.

But the funny thing about this tiny Indiana-sized country is that when a media report circulates, its usually inflated to degrees that are not necessarily true. Its only August.

Go back to last year, 2008. Reports come around this country that American beef is tainted and is prone to mad-cow disease. Some Koreans claimed that there was evidence that Koreans are suscepitble to "infection" of mad-cow than other races. Give me a break.

Since I came back from a country that had few cases of mad-cow disease, I got the best gift possible: an extra week of vacation, oh I'm sorry...a "quarantine." Which meant staying home, playing videogames, sleeping all day, going to my Korean classes, going to the bathouse, eating some more, and enjoying the hot summer sun. The problem is, who is checking my quarantine? Nobody was. I had a good time visiting my aunts by the way.

Thanks to the Korean government, I got TWO weeks of vacation, hot dog! Thanks to the scare, our school festival was delayed permanently. Thanks to the scare, I slept in all day.

Kidding aside, the panicky attitude of the Korean people got them into this mess, because when the real infections started happening late this Fall season, they were sitting on their hands and looking at each other and saying, "what do we do now?" Especially with the scholastic aptitude tests coming up November 12th, several of my senior girls are out cold because of the virus. If they were aware that infections pick up in the Fall, they should have focused their efforts for treating the disease and preventing it now rather during a time when hot weather kills diseases better.

So, I'm sitting in my office with classes cancelled. After several of my girls were hit by the illness, they decided to do the right thing and shut the place down. Let's put it this way, 37 girls in one room, and with Korean girls very touchy of one another and sharing each other's food...its about time they shut it down.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting in office, with lots of valuable time on my hands. Let's use this time efficiently. Time to pray and ponder about the future.

My favorite moment of the Pig Flu scare is when one girl was walking with two of her friends. She is fanning her notebook in front of her, outwardly, not inwardly. Not because she was hot. "What are doing?" I asked. "Swine flu, I'm trying to blow it away." I could only laugh.

USA Is Going to South Africa 2010

2009-10-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

Team USA is going to the World Cup in South Africa next year.

In spectacular fashion, the Americans went to the politically-embattled nation of Honduras to take a 3-2 victory in a hostile country.

In my opinion, after the Americans' disastrous campaign in 2006 in Germany, the Yankees have chances to make noises in Africa next year after doing well to reach the finals of both the Confederations Cup and the Gold Cup (losing in both).

New players like Charlie Davies, a speedy forward who plays in France and Jozy Altidore, another fast and skilled forward who plays in England, along with defender and captain Carlos Bocanegra and speedy forward Landon Donovan, we will have a great team ready for next year.

Its time to make some noise down south in the world. I'm just relieved we qualified in that tough group.

The Coolest Summer Ever

2009-09-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

And I mean that literally. F'real. I didn't do anything special this summer except return to my homeland to pay respects to my grandmother, who passed away August 22, 2009. Miss you grandma.

Despite that turmoil in my life, I wanted to thank God for a "cool summer." Weather wise and terms of relaxation and ponder.

Summers in Korea are brutal. Since Korea is a peninsula like the state of Florida, surrounded by three side of water, you would think the sea breeze would be nice for the Land of the Morning Calm? Sike! It gets real hot in the summer, especially in August. The humidity slaps you like a child that talks back to his mommy!

But there were two factors that helped me fight the summer heat as the summer passed me by with hardly any suffering:

1. America
2. The Jjimjilbang

Going to America, I was blessed to see my wonderful family (especially my family in Jesus) and during my stay there I was blessed with awesome weather. It was a nice break from the humidity back in Korea.

The "jjimjilbang" is rougly translated to "bathhouse" in English. These establishments are everywhere in Korea. They are mostly 24-hour centers of baths and sweat rooms where Koreans congregate, shower, and get a profuse sweat on and come to get their stress out in the midst of their fast lives.

I was a little way of these places throughout my time here in Korea, but it wasn't my experience of bathhouses in Japan that I became more comfortable in visiting these places back in my 2nd home (o the irony!).

So I have been an aficionado of these joints for a while. I go in, undress and take a shower, then put on a special "jjimjilbang" uniform where you go into the sweat rooms of various kinds and sweat it out.

There are several of them: from the "salt rooms" (filled with salt rocks), to stone rooms (where the floor is filled with smooth, hot stones), and to ice rooms (to cool off).

Throughout the summer, going to these places has helped me become more sweat resistant and more tolerant of sweating. So, when I step outside, my body became not a heat pump as it used to be.

Sweating is an awesome thing because it gets the toxins out your body. It makes your skin healthier and more vibrant. And, it helped me get through the summer without being plastered by salt throughout the day!

A great summer, thank you Lord.

MMA

2009-08-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this video of MMA and UFC, commonly known as Mixed-martial arts, which is used to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. UFC is a huge sport in America now, making lots of revenue using the medium of pay-per-view. I used to not be a fan of this stuff...I thought it was just too violent and bloody (yeah, even some guys are sensitive to this real-life stuff). Just too dangerous, ya know? Yet all of my American friends back at home watched this stuff in intensity and mimic the workouts that are associated with it.

After a lot of rule changes and an added structure to the sport, UFC has become safer (albeit the blood is still there) and has become popular with alot of young men around the world. My friend Jordan Jackson learns this stuff and he even showed me a few moves at home which I know is painful. Many men learn it not only to learn how to fight, its a great workout and regimen. Even women these days are getting into this stuff, as there is a women's competition now.

Maybe if I have the time and motivation, I would like to learn something like this. Watching this stuff brings out the gruff man in me and makes want to bulk up. Maybe I can learn hapkido now here in Korea and mix it up with MMA in the future.

A good, healthy body is not a bad thing.

Changed and Transformed

2009-08-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

I just got back from America to visit my family, in particularly my grandparents who are currently ill. It was a sad period to be coming home, but at the same time the sudden realization of how life is so precious, especially in a broken world made me enjoy my time there. I had such a good time back at home.

Living a fast-paced life here in South Korea has got its benefits and of course its cons as I'm always doing something: whether it be teaching them girls English, studying Korean, hanging out with my friends, going to Bible study groups, or studying Hapkido, its hectic but fun.

I was called back home to Maryland this past week to visit my ailing grandparents and to pay my respects to them. To see them in their states was saddening and a stark reminder about how I need to take my life seriously and live it for Jesus Christ. Yet at the same time I am thankful to God that I had a chance to spend time with my grandparents and get to know about my Indian (from South Asia) heritage more. Not that being Indian enhances who I am and that brings a wholeness to my life, but it was neat to see where my roots came from in my other-half of my racial make-up.

During this time period I was really blessed to spend time with everybody who was dear to me during the past five years of my life. These people dear to me also have a trusting, loving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ and they take their redeemed lives seriously, unlike alot of American Christians who are church-goers but aren't Gospel-touched over-floers.

My boy Jordan Jackson, my best friend, was unfortunately cut from the DC Capitol Police academy program. He passed the initial boot camp training and graduated from his training down in Georgia, which was a huge praise. What was remarkable was his faith through this whole time, in fact he was encouraging my father who was sad for him when he heard the news! My boy Jordan knows that Jesus has a plan for him during this time and it was remarkable to see my boy's child-like faith in Jesus continue to outpour in this time of his life.

My friend Jon Soule was blessed with his first child. To hold his new little life in my hands was a special moment, being like an uncle seeing that Jon and I have been friends since 1997. It was unreal but another huge blessing in my life and of course, his. I know that despite his funny, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Republican, gut-toting Conservative exterior he's aiming to be a Godly father.

My brother Sean was blessed with a wonderful new home. His wife Catherine and him have worked especially hard these years to make this happen while this whole time maintaining their trust that the Lord has got a plan for their lives; He opened up a new sale to build their new home in. I was the first guest to christen the home and stay in their guestroom.

My parents are rocks of faith in Jesus. Caretaking for ailing grandparents is no easy task and requires patience and love. Being witnesses to them is even more difficult, but Christ's love conquers all and it was so comforting to see how much love my parents invested to spend time with my grandma and grandpa despite their ills. Only the Spirit of the Lord can do that.

My friend Paul Brown is going to be another expecting father. He's about my age and he's already striving and getting ready to be a Godly father. And now he's going back to school to get some training in computers. A solid, all-around Christ-loving guy.

My boy Charlie is a wonderful dad and he too loves the Lord. It was so cool to see him and his wife take care of their young one at the dinner table Friday night and giving her the care she needs.

What about me? The theme of change has just rocked my world last week. Some of my friends haven't changed at all, and some people I know my life are still stagnant. Yet I think back about my wonderful trip last week and thinking about change...and not Obama's Hope for Change (which he is struggling with back home). I'm talking about people who love the Lord and being honored for that.

One of my fave Bible verses, from Romans 8:28, "In all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." He works, we have faith. Works is an outpouring of faith in Jesus. This past week was a time of seeing that display, while enjoying the company of those whose lives are transformed by the Lord.

Its still a broken world, but we as Christians know that the Lord is still in control and continues to love His bride. Its a great relationship.

So, I'm back in Korea and I am also quarantined due to the swine flu epidemic. Trust me, its not that bad. Its an extra week of vacation and I pray that it'll be a time of rest, prayer, and getting to know the Lord. Its the best quarantine ever.

My goal this final semester at Hakik Girls High School to bring the message of Jesus Christ to my students. Whether it be through my actions and living my life in Him or straight up Holy Spirit-led conversations with students and teachers about my faith. I just want to trust in Him and look at Him, nothing else. Thank you Jesus.

Enjoy them hot days of summer ya'll!

My First Solar Eclipse

2009-07-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

On July 22, 2009, I saw my first solar eclipse in my life.

Awesome. More later.

Pajama!

2009-06-27T00:08:00.001-07:00

So, I was teaching about Latino Culture and English this past week.

We were discussing the various countries of Central and South America, and up comes my list on the PowerPoint:

Sp___
Me____
P___guay
El S_l_vador
Pa_ama

Look at the last one. Very obvious? Well, to my 1-5 class student Hyun-ha, it was obvious...

"PAJAMA!" she screams out.

I've never laughed so loud in a long, long time.

Thanks Hyun-ha...thanks girl.

Spiritual Warfare

2009-06-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Word up! My friends on the Internet and back at home.

I haven't blogged in such a long time, I forgot to keep my peoples informed about my activities.

Here I am, approaching my third summer in South Korea. Teaching has been alright, its the same, no real breakthroughs, as kids are slogging it out towards the end of the first semester.

My new freshmen are more eager and enthusiastic to learn about English, but I now I can see them struggling.

We approach the summer days, it gets hot, the girls get antsy, exams approach, dark eyes like owls appear, the irritable meter rises, the initial drive to have fun with English gets shifted into lower gear and sometimes goes into neutral.

Sometimes kids fall in asleep in my class, partly because I'm boring (at least that's what I think), and mostly because these little girls go to sleep around 1 or 2AM. Its ridiculous what the Korean public school program puts these adolescents through. It saddens me and I feel so bad for them. Life is the same for them day in, day out as they are supposed to become adults.

The problem is, when they become adults (i.e. college), they go into a world where the pressure when the valve is released can sometimes become too great. Now they have to make decisions when they were always told what to do. Its the Confucian mindset. Do what you're told. Be a good study soldier.

Meanwhile, I got my own battles. In my life, I'm starting to realize more than ever that spiritual warfare is upon us as believers. What is spiritual warfare? It is battle between the principalities of the spirit-realm, its your personal battle as a believer in Jesus Christ and the dark forces of the spiritual realm that want to hinder your walk in Jesus. Its more real than you think.

You go to the Word not just to get your fill of the Holy Spirit, but to also equip yourself for battle. You don't do quiet time to make God happy, He wants a relationship with you not only because He loves us but He wants to equip us to fight in a world where everything is just...wrong...and sinful.

We encounter depression, frustration, anger, mindless thoughts of evil and lust, hatred, and random thoughts that are not holy. I struggle with this daily. I'm not a perfect saint, but I'm a sinner saved by Grace.

The devil is not just some goofy cartoon character you see trying to make you do bad things, he's capable of doing more. He is trying to take every single human being that doesn't trust and believe in God down with him.

He can't touch the saints' salvation. But he can attack them.

He's a schemer, the Bible calls him a liar. He tries to do many things to get to his ultimate goal, to distract you from focusing on the prize...Christ. He sews the seeds of doubt when you question, he pounces on impurity when you let unwholesome thoughts into your mind, he tries to fuel your anger into sin when someone is pushing your buttons, and piles paranoia onto your anxiety about certain situations.

1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxieties onto Him, because He cares for you." This word of Truth helped me fight some thoughts of anxiety today. Wow, I became lifted up. That's the Word of God. Its not about making God happy, God doesn't need anything from us. What He wants is us...all of us.

I have messed up this week. All now I can I do is make things right and give my life to Him, so He can clean house and the Holy Spirit can work in me.

The devil? Can be squashed with one pinky by God. To battle, there has got to be a mindset and faith that is set on Christ himself, to be like him and to consciously keep him at that forefront of your daily decision-making and interacting with people, as well as your thoughts. This is not easy, but God gives us His Holy Spirit to make it.

Why is battling not easy? Because we battle our old sin nature while we are being set apart for His glory, called sanctification. Another part of successful spiritual battling is prayer. I'm learning that prayer is like a Samurai's fighting technique, if the Bible is like a Saint's samurai sword, cutting into the world of lies. Lifting up our anxieties and fears about the future, as well as giving Him the praise for His daily gifts and Grace, is getting to the heart of the matter and putting God first.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18.

Look at the highlighted words. There is a stress on constancy...of consistency. I used to be one of those type of Christians who would read my Bible and pray, then I would think my work was done and I expected God to give me a good day. I was such a selfish Christian back in high school. When I had a bad day, in my mind I would think I didn't do my quiet time right or something.

But look at this letter of the church of Thessalonica...always, continually, and all, I mean who in their right mind would be joyful when you got a bunch of haters at work who don't appreciate your hard work? Or when some student punks you in the middle of class and you're embarrassed? Or when a teammate gets mad at you for a play that you didn't mean to make? Or when a loved one is going through a terminal illness?

That's what a Christian is being about. We're supposed to be so radically different from the world that the world would have no excuse or choice BUT to see Christ in us. But everytime, in spiritual battles, we give the devil a foothold, we can put ourselves into dangerous situations where we can right into sin.

A consistent Christian life is not fulfilling duty, its about a lifestyle of honor to the Lord. Its about keeping Him first in our lives at all hours. That's the continual hard part about this new calling in Jesus. We have to give up our old selves and reject the old ways of dealing with things. Is "joys always" meaning we have a big smile everywhere we go and laughing it up because that's what the world calls "joy?" Forget that...I personally am one of those guys who has joy most when I'm alone or when I'm just straight up calm. For another sister in the Lord, she may be just on fire and loud for the Lord. Or for another brother, he could just keeping it chill while enjoying the moment of peace from the Lord. Always is, always shall be.

"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." 1 Thessalonians 4:7. We're just a bunch of bums saved by Grace. We're lambs led by the Shepherd Jesus Christ.

But equipped with truth, with Grace, and by giving our anxieties and fears to Him...that holiness that oozes from our bodies will contaminate the people around us and they too will see a changed person in us, in the form of Jesus.

Oh Lord, forgive me for being selfish and losing control of my life. Let's try this again my Savior...that's what Grace is all about.

Ephesians 6:15-19:
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Time for some battling, but remember, we already have the victory...in Jesus!

Hapkido

2009-06-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

So in April, after coming back for a third (and possibly final stint) in teaching, I needed something new in my life.

Last year, I was content with just doing my job, connecting with friends when I had time, and leading a normal life. But with the advent of gaining weight while in Korea and America (hey, bears gotta hibernate, right?), and leading a doldrum-filled existence of yelling English at unsuspecting high school girls, I thought that a physical outlet of unleashing the Soni dragon would be good for my google-loo cheeks (my grandma's Indian terminology for "chubby") and my waistline.

I get my co-teacher, Joanna Son, to contact the local hapkido gym to apply for a spot in training for this martial art. I enter this Hapkido Jang ("jang" means "place" in Korean) with virtually no experience in martial arts, the grand master helps me into my uniform, a black garb with a white belt.

Fast forward a month later, and I passed my first hapkido exam. Its just one step on a long road to martial excellence.

However, what is hapkido? When you usually think of Korea, you think of the land of Tae Kwon Do, the land of fast kicking, furious roundhouse kicking youngsters like my cousin who would be formidable foes on the streets of Seoul. Nah, hapkido is an unique martial art.

A Korean dude a long time ago went to study martial arts in Japan, during the colonial era when the Japanese controlled Korea (1910-1945). He studied various martial arts like jujistu, brought it back to Korea, and produced an eclectic artform what is now hapkido.

Hapkido incorporates lots of locks, grips, and defensive schemes that utilizes an opponent's energy against them. Someone grabs your collar, force them into a hold where they have to submit. Someone bear hugs you, hit em hard below the belt and kick em! Somebody grabs your wrist, get out and put them in a tough position.

Of course, there is the kicking element, but unlike tae kwon do, which uses a series of fast and speedy kicks to surprise the opponent, hapkido places emphasis on power. Hapkido is about combining energy and unleashing it, while using your opponent's against theirs.

I have studied the art for a month and some change, and its really invigorating my physical and mental life. After a rough day's work, I enjoy going to the place and getting all the nerves and energy out of my system by getting a new workout in.

I lost weight, toned up a little, and my goal is to become more mentally and physically sound. Now I got my South African friend Jonathan to join me for his first session tonight, I have a sparring partner to practice my moves with on a more consistent basis. Its not about fighting, its about health and defense.

Thank you Lord for the opportunity to learn martial arts. Its cool to move and move freely and learn something new, something that will impact me for the rest of my life here on earth.

Random Thoughts

2009-04-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

1. "Scream It!" - I picked up the martial art of Hapkido recently. A Korean martial art, its an eclectic style that combines kicks and short range attacks with a lot of defensive locks and throws to disable your opponent. Its only my third week, but the workout is intense but very invigorating. One of my favorite parts of the art is the guttural scream that you are supposed to do before a kick, a roll, a stance, or a punch.

"Yah!" "Aigh!" I scream and attempt a kick...and barely pass muster. But, the release is good and gets alot of energy out of your system and towards your opponent and barrier. I was watching one of my favorite basketball players in the NBA, Carlos Boozer, and I love it how he just roars when he gets a basket while getting fouled. He yells in success while slapping a teammates hand...invigorating.

Screaming, not in anger, I believe is great for letting out energy. You don't have to be the Karate Kid, but yelling like Carlos Boozer when you get the job done or trying to kick has its uses.

2. Teaching - its cool. The kids are getting more stressed as mid-terms near, but I try to give these test taking robots some relief with my class, because learning should be fun and more experience driven. This year's freshmen class is a bit different from last year's class; they're a bit more laid-back and more active (an oxymoronic statement), so classes, thanks to our Lord, have been more smoother this year.

3. The Weather - its been up and down. Two weeks ago it was warm and the cherry blossoms were out in full bloom. This week has has been frigid and windy. Well, that beats when the humidity turns up to 90% and I'm sweating enough salt to supply Mickey D's for the week.

4. Trip to China - I'm headed to China for the first time in my life, and I'm kinda excited to take it to the Middle Kingdom and experience the culture there. We'll see what Shanghai has to offer. Three day road trip starting next Saturday.

5. 9th Wonder - the name of this hip-hop producer who takes old samples and just absolutely kills it with some wonderful snares and melodies. Just how hip-hop should be. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2OtuN-JkbQ&feature=related.

6. Rice and kimchi - Korean food is a miracle food. Good for my mind and body, keeps me invigorated throughout the day.

7. In the midst of troubles, I can be a light.
Economic pains, seasonal rains in the midst of life,
A little girl's father lost her job,
While people running amuck, savings lost,
They just got robbed,
While ouncing to make a living,
I sit here pondering what I could be giving,
My money, my time, my talents, my skills,
I sit selfishly trying to pay my own bills,
It kills me to see a fake world gone wrong,
A little girl sits her in chair, her face so long,
Hope living in me, shine forth Holy Spirit,
If you ain't living the life, no one will hear it,
They put on a smile, yet looks so sad,
Cuz no one will ever listen to them about their dad,
Who drinks, and curses in the middle of the night,
While their little brother needs help from pain n' strife,
A helpless omma sees no hope,
A child broke, no one to cope,
"Step into the game my young one,"
I hear God call to me, I the adopted one,
"I put you here for a reason, get it done,"
I talk to this girl for one night, moment number one,
Next thing you know, through God's Spirit I hear,
"Well done, have no fear..."

One.

Marky

He Has Risen Indeed!

2009-04-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick shout out to my brothers and sisters in the Lord out there, whoever will be reading this blog.

I woke up in South Korea to a sunny spring day. After spending some time with my Lord through prayer and Bible study, and after listening to an Easter Sermon by Stonebriar Community Church Pastor Chuck Swindoll, I woke up with more vigor and energy than I usually do on a Sunday morning.

This is because this is the day calendar day we celebrate the rising of our Savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ. Not just physically, but spiritually we are alive because of His death and resurrection.

Swindoll in his sermon points out in story form about the gut-wrenching torture our Savior went through so that we may have true life. He describes (paraphrase):

"From a little carpenter boy, he became a prophet and became the Messiah, the Savior of the world."

From a little Jewish kid, He stepped into His role to take upon our sins, our sorrows, and our burdens, things that we are ashamed of and that would eventually bring us to death...for eternity. Instead, He gives us...eternal...life.

If you don't know Jesus today, I encourage you to find Him, because He is waiting for you. Get your life right; know God and His grace, because He loves you.

As the beautiful spring rolls around with the gorgeous cherry blossoms springing about near my school, I'm reminded of His grace which gives me energy and life, especially through the dark times of my life. Jesus paid it all, and He knows what we are going through, that's what I call true friend, that's what I call a true Lord.

When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, invades your life and does a little bit of housekeeping in your heart and soul. He helps you clean up your life and live a Holy Life, one that honors God, who rules the Universe. The Holy Spirit protects you and gives you direction in your life, because He speaks the words of God to you...what an amazing Spirit!

I like that term, "invasion." The Holy Spirit and you as a believer have a battle each and every day to fight against the sin in this world and the spiritual attacks we face on a daily basis.

But...and as my friend Jon Neufeld says, "but is a great contraction when it comes to Grace," BUT, WE HAVE VICTORY IN JESUS!

He has risen indeed!

"Just Been...Loving Mr. Soni"

2009-04-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

I decided to write something more lighter with all the economic issues, mass killings, hopelessness, worldly views, and despair in this world today. Here's something sweet in the midst of the sin that's in the world.

I'm teaching one of my favorite and more effective conversation lessons at my high school lately, called "High School English." I call it that because the PowerPoint addresses more trendier language usage such as "what's up" rather than "hi," and "how's it going" rather than "how are you."

Well, one of the questions in the lesson is "what've been up to lately?" Its a common conversation starter to see what the other person has been doing this past week. For a Korean learner, its important to give them a structured answer or formula to keep their answers to the point but at least allow them to maneuver for more answers.

The answer is, according to my PowerPoint, "Just been + Verb + ing." Insert any verb of choice to tell your listener "what've been up to lately."

I choose different kids in the classroom to present their answers to me, or practice the dialog with a partner in a different part of the classroom. They can earn $oni Dollars for their participation.

While teaching class 1-8, I ran out of volunteers as the main active girls already raised their hands and got the ball rolling. I needed more participation, so I decided to choose a girl of my own to keep them on their toes. "Jeong...Ji...Na. Who's Jeong Jina?"

Jina bashfully raises her hand and stands up. The girls are giggling at her.

Mr. Soni: "What's up, Jina?"
Jina: "Nothing much, what's up Mr. Soni."
Mr. Soni: "Nothing much, how's it going?"
Jina: "I'm cool."
Mr. Soni: "What've been up to lately?"

(Pause)

Jina: "...just been...LOVING...Mr. Soni!"

There is a huge roar of laughter and "ahhhhhs!" I'm quite embarrassed myself but being at a girl's high school, its natural to have a crush on the male teachers. Its part of Korean girls high school culture. So with her participation, I have to give her a $oni dollar for her efforts, but this time around, the girls see it as a "love gift," and as I hand the money to her the classmates around her "ahhh" in admiration.

One classmate, Kye-rin smirks at me, "I am going to cry now."

"Just been loving Mr. Soni."

School Begins

2009-03-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

For the third year, I began teaching English in the Republic of Korea.

This time around, there's not as much hype going around this one, which is a good thing.

I wasn't introduced in the "starting line-ups" of teachers at the opening ceremony this past Monday (the 3rd of March) because now I am not a rookie, but a veteran.

So to my new freshmen class, I'm a virtually unknown quantity, and I am guessing many didn't know that they had a native English teacher. (Many high schools in Incheon still do not have a native teacher for their English classes) I walked into their classrooms with surprised looks on their faces as they were saying in Korean, "who's this guy," or "he doesn't look Korean to me."

I actually enjoyed last week. I was introduced to any fanfare so I was out of the spotlight. In my first two years in Korea I was at two different schools, so there was a lot of raucous about me being the new foreign teacher. It was fun. Yet this time, instead of being a celeb, I could focus more on being a better teacher and stay out of the limelight.

Speaking of "walking into their classrooms," that was one of the first few changes I've made this past week. In past years, I usually taught in my class in the English Zone, a special designated classroom built in many schools to encourage an English Only environment. It's a special room with many colors and gimmicks, and is very advantageous for giving good lectures on the huge projector screen and has seating designed for group activities.

Even though the English Zone serves its purpose well, it sometimes can be tougher to work in. The reason is mental. Most students study hard in their regular classrooms and are mentally geared to work hard in that environment. So there were moments last year when students would come to the English Zone, see the funny colors and collages of pictures of world leaders on the wall, and become relaxed.

For the first few weeks, I will teach in their regular classroom as a way to bring legitimacy and a sense of order to the class. So far its working. After introducing the classroom rules and enforcing them while allowing them to get used to my teaching style, then I will bring them to the English Zone for further instruction. If the plan will work, who knows, but hey, I got to get the ball rolling right this year.

Teaching the new freshment will be nicer for one major reason: the class sizes. I have 36 students per class, average. That's down from 44 average last year. This means it will be easier to control on some levels as well as getting to know the students' faces more. Last year it was tough at times to maintain control while helping students understand the material at hand.

As for life in general in Korea, the transition back has been tougher than last year. I spent an awesome four-week vacation in the States, so coming back here and getting adjusted has taken a toll on my body, because I have to get adjusted to my work schedule as well as Korean time. This is not like for most people who go on vacation to a nearby ocean or another state and come back to work. For me, its fighting off jet lag in the States while adjusting to the peace and quiet, then coming right back into bright neon signs, buses going out of control, mayhem in the streets of Seoul, and the fast-track life.

But God is faithful and He has been ever so helpful in getting my mind and body adjusted.

Bonus: Funny quotes from this week's "Q & A Time With Mr. Soni" during the first week of classes:

Q: "Mr. Soni, do you like Korea?" (in which Mr. Soni has been living here for two years)
A: "Yes." (awkward silence, then laughter)

Q: "Mr. Soni, which one [of us students] is the most attractive?"
A: ......(looks over at Ms. Lee, Mr. Soni's co-teacher)
Student: "NOOOO! Not her!"

The Return Of...

2009-02-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

Yea, yea, so it would seem like Mr. Soni likes Korea. Just a little.

He likes travelling, learning the Korean language, connecting with people of his mama's tribe and learning about a new culture. In many ways, after living here since 2007, Mr. Soni has developed Korean tendencies himself. Just don't tell his parents that...

After an extensive and refreshing vacation back in the Washington DC/Metro area, Mr. Soni has returned to his school for another signed contract. He's going to dog-fight it in classroom trench warfare for another year. You would think after 2 years of teaching in mostly a non-productive classroom set-up that he would close shop and return home to the United States. That is not the case. The little man of 24 years has other plans.

"At first, I thought that I would do this for maybe 2 years at the most. You know, get some language acquisition, travel East Asia, earn some quick cash, then go home and re-start real life," said Mr. Soni on Saturday morning at a PC Bang in Incheon. "But God has allowed me to stay because I felt we just scratched the surface of what He can do through me this year."

Being a tough decision that it was, he knew that he would have to delay a permanent return to the United States. Yet confidence was the theme as he detailed what's the plan this year.

"Its really interesting. I really prayed about it and decided in freedom that this is where God wants me to be. There's alot of work to be done. I enjoy this opportunity to share the Truth with these students and to be a constant in their lives," remarked Soni.

Continuing the English teaching trade, he knows by now that through the limitations of the job there are certain holes of penetration where God can use the little boy teacher to give his students more brain food this year.

Mr. Soni outlined his plan for this year's curriculum, stating that most of last year's plans will be included in the Free English classes, with slight changes to reflect difficulty and more transparency. He also has planned reforms to the rulebook and to the mission statement of his course.

Rulebook changes include an emphasis of a easy punishment enforcement system so the students can understand when they are crossing the classroom rules' lines. In 2007, when Mr. Soni started his tenure at Yeonsu High School, even though grabbing the attention of the boys was very difficult at times, his soccer-based yellow/red card system was effective to letting them know that they pushed the teacher's buttons. In 2008, switching to a girls' school, Mr. Soni underestimated the way girls tended to push the rules, resulting in confusion of authority due to a lack of a foundational discipline/reward system.

According to the Soni Administration, the goal for this school year is to take the lessons from the first two years to combine for a final, "rounding-out" completed teaching project where he combines elements of fun classes, interactive activities, challenging intellectual moments, and more transparency in discipline and respect for the native teacher, all culminating from his brief 2 years of teaching.

"Its not overall too ambitious, because you can't really push the tape on ESL teaching in this country. Its just wisdom pulled from the teeth from two years of struggle and joy. Its a more practical approach to maintain a balance, from making sure that my new students understand that I'm serious from the get-go, but I let up on the pedal to ease things up as we get more into learning more conversational English," remarked Mr. Soni.

As for the mission statement, Mr. Soni credits his former boss and section chieft from last year, Mrs. Son (pronounced "sohn," not "sun"). Mrs. Son remarked how students at Hakik Girls High School became more interested in the English language last year. Even though the students overall proficiency did not improve last year, she left Mr. Soni with a personal report that she sees the potential for Free English to be a motivator for future English studies.

"After a huge debriefing with Mrs. Son last week, she came up with the wonderful conclusion that Free English, since it is not graded, should be more about getting students more interested in the English language. After much more thought about that, I 100% agree with her. Because most of the time the issue in Korean high schools is that there is no motivation to study a language that at times seems robotic and automatic at best," analyzed Soni. "Our mission statement for the class this year is to motivate and encourage students to study the English language. "

Adding to this, Mr. Soni sees that his role is more free and less demanding than before. "I felt as if I had to produce some kind of English miracle where students at the end of the school year would be holding debates or at last carry decent conversations. No doubt some of my students improved, but nonetheless language acquisition takes years, and having this kind of mission statement makes things much easier to conduct class."

The semester for the new school year starts Monday, with a new class of freshmen girls rolling into the school with bunches of new teachers and staff on hand, ready to teach the intense courses necessary for college preparation.

Holdovers like Mr. Soni will be an awesome benefit for the school, especially since almighty God will use him some more. If this be our teacher's final year in this country, than he knows that there's alot riding on this year.

"I talk big about my ambitions going into the school year, but let's keep one thing clear. If I don't do this for God's Glory, than this whole talk and act of becoming a better teacher just goes out the window. He's the one who gave me this job. He's the one who should be getting the Glory, hence others should be pointed to Him. I'm his ambassador and I got this awfully big responsiblity of being a teacher and a role-model in their lives. Than again, all we needed was grace, so to my kids I will do my best to give it to them, especially when they start struggling with the rigors of high school life. As God breathed life into me through His Son, Jesus, I want to be a fresh breath for these young individuals called Korean students. "

With so many ambitious plans for teaching and for other God-called purposes in his future life here in Korea and around the world, Mark Soni has one thing to say how to wrap up this 09 School Year Plan: "Matthew 6:33...seek ye first the kingdom of God..."

09 is Year of the Divine, yea ya'll.

(Article written by Anono Mus)

America: Land of the Free

2009-02-15T21:29:00.001-08:00

Washington DC at Night

This blog is going to be real short, maybe not.

I'm leaving for Korea tomorrow for year 3 in my Korean teaching tenure. My school has graciously allowed me to sign another contract with them. I enjoyed my time teaching there and its been awesome to be in this situation.

My school was also really cool to allow me to go home for vacation, and I spent a good amount of time here in the USA. I got to catch up with my family, old friends, and made some new friends. It was really awesome.

I got to eat my Taco Bell, Mexican food, hamburgers, my mom's food (the best), and all the good foods that America has, including some good ol' fashion BBQ from the South. My face is evidence that I tasted all those good foods.

I saw many neat things in America as I landed, from the Inauguration of a new president to some of the coolest sights the city of Washington DC has to offer. Its really awesome to be living in this area of the world.

My Washington Wizards suck, but that's the pain of rebuilding. They'll be back next year. The Wizards are 11-42. Ouch.

The economy in the US is not doing so hot, with jobs being lost everyday. Its getting really bad here. It hasn't been this bad since the 1930's. People are looking for work and families are being uprooted because of lost jobs. Its really bad.

Even though we face this economic crisis monster, life still seems the same here on many superficial levels. We're still a nation of entertainment, fine dining, HD television, videogames, and pleasures. We work hard and we want our fun.

Its been really nice to home, to see the cool aspects of our country, and at the same time be at dismay with some things that are poking holes in our society's fabric.

Everyone is talking about the economy, which is going to affect alot of our lives. Yet at the same time we are society that struggles with holding families together, crime, and meaninglessness. It is sad. Even though we are rife with economic issues and it has forced many to save and re-evaluate our lives, there are many who are struggling with their marriages, families, and maintaining whole relationships.

The Supreme Court

As I go back tomorrow to the Republic of Korea to continue the work the Lord has given me, I hope that my friends and family in America stick to the Truth in God's Word and be ready for a battle on their hands.

My pastor was talking about in the passage of Acts where Paul and Silas (Acts 16) were arrested for doing the Lord's work and getting a spirit out of a woman who kept yelling at them. In the midst of their trials and beatings...which were pretty severe, in verse 25 it talks about how they "were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." In the midst of their pain and persecution they were still being a light to the other prisoners around them.

We as believers are going through tough times ahead because the world's problems will affect us in some way. The world is going to moan, whine, and complain and try to solve these problems the way they know they can...through own their strength and human reasoning.

We as believers however, don't have to be affected by the world's problems because we trust in a God who is bigger than 10 million economies. He alone is our provider in these situations. We need to be the song for those to hear in a dark, dark world who don't see any solution in sight.

I go back to Korea with great passion for its people and especially for my students at Hakik Girls High School. These dark times are going to force me and my brothers and sisters in Christ to fight a more difficult battle ahead as we desire to be Children of God (see John 2:28). Yet there is a great hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

I grow older, stronger, wiser, but ready to learn some more. And ready to fight. We need to be Children of God, because no one else will provide hope. Only Jesus Christ can do that for this world.

It was a great time in America, yet its time for the return...of the Boy Teacher.

People and Animals

2009-01-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, back in America, I sat down to watch the CBS Evening News tonight. It was nice to catch up and watch the news with CBS' Katie Couric, who took the job after long-time anchors Dan Rather and Bob Schieffer hanged up their suits.

Tonight's stories ran through the usual headlines about politics and world affairs, while detailing the massive lay-offs that many companies are forced to make due to the economic crisis that is sweeping the world. The news usually brings the more negative side of life, which in turn makes many Americans ignore the news or turn it off altogether.

Usually, to brighten the mood, alot of newscasts will end the show with a humanitarian story. The whole point is to bring a smile to the viewers' face after they usually watch a half-hour of events that deal with stories that are not optimistic. Economic depression, war, murder, scandals, the list of the effects of sin goes on.

Humanitarian stories usually have two distinct goals when presented to the TV viewer: 1. to show that humans have potential good, 2. to brighten the mood.

So tonight's story was about...cats.

Cats are my favorite animals. I think they are some of the cutest creatures on this earth: with their round heads and whiskers and the way they pounce, purr, and sleep their way through the day. Their small little noses, and of course, their distinct "meow" always brings a smile to my face. When I see a kitty cat in the room, my disposition changes. I love cats. The irony of this blog is that I am allergic to cats.

So I'm watching this humanitarian story about cats, about a man named Jonathan Rosenberg, a successful Internet businessman who has made millions of dollars throughout his career.

Then he gives it all up...for cats.

Check out the story at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/26/eveningnews/main4754449.shtml?tag=topStories;secondStory.

He creates this shelter for cats called Tabby's Place, in honor of his 15-year old cat who passed away from cancer. He loves cats so much that he created his own shelter to house and treat cats of diseases and put them up for adoption. So, you would think this is just another animal shelter for cats...big deal. "Awwww...look at the cute little kittie, let's adopt him."

Yet what is unique in this story is the kind of cats that Mr. Rosenberg and his wife takes in: cats with really funky dispositions and illnesses. One cat, Tashi, cannot even use his hind legs. One cat is allergic...to humans. One cat flips her disposition...friendly one moment, then tries to swipe at you in the next. Another cat does not want to come down. One poor cat is missing an eye and an ear. Its really sad to watch these poor cats.

He takes in all cats, but he has a fondness for cats that are really messed up, the cats that nobody wants.

Now, to most casual humans, people would think this guy and his wife are just being nice. Some people who don't really care for animals would probably be like, "why did he spent so much money on dumb cats when he could have donated that money to organizations that help humans? Who cares about these messed-up felines?"

What one person must realize however, is that humans have a special responsibility to take care of animals while we are custodians of the dominion called Earth. It says so in the Bible:

"God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" (Genesis 1:28)

To rule gives us the right to subject the animals God has created to be under our supervision. Yet sometimes people will take the word, "to rule," as saying, "we can do whatever in the world we want to animals and no one can stop us." We eat certain animals while we have subjected some to be our pets, while to help us in labor, or some to help us keep warm. Its the power God has allowed us as human beings. We can subject the animals to our will, but we have to remind ourselves one thing from the passages of Scripture:

(Colossians 1:15-17): "He is the image of the of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Who is He? Jesus of course. All things on heaven and earth, whether be angels in heaven, to skunks, and for this blog, kitty cats, everything was made by him and for him. Everything that has been established here on the dominion of earth was made for God's Glory, and He has entrusted us with the power to subject animals. Jesus is the ultimate reason why things were made, for His glory and all things are held by him together. We should become like Jesus is: to our fellow man with love, and to take care of his creation, and ultimately, to love the Lord our God.

So, looking at the Genesis and now the Colossians' scripture, to rule does not mean we can do whatever we want to animals as we see fit. We have to understand by looking at the Scripture that we are stewards of his creation. We must not only love another in Christ (John 13:35), but also acknolwedge his awesome creation.

Sometimes, we overlook animals. Of course, Christ came to save mankind from sin. Yet, one of the joys of being a born-again believer is to see the beauty of his creation. In this case, this humanitarian story taught me some really neat lessons about caring for God's creatures and the lessons that it brings. I don't know if Mr. Rosenberg believes in God and His Son, but I think he's on the right track of realizing how delicate life is. He takes in the cats that no one hardly cares for: the socially awkward and physically ill cats.

Some of the cats don't respond to Mr. Rosenberg's love. Some hiss at him. Some he has to spend alot of time and money to fix up some cats who have serious medical issues. Some cats are lonely. Yet some cats make it and finally have a place to live in when a loving family comes by and adopts one.

"Wouldn't it have been more rewarding for you to take cats that are easier to adopt out?" Schlesinger (the reporter) asked.

"No," Rosenberg said. "It wouldn't be because my heart really goes out to the cats like these, that I shouldn't say no one else wants, but for the most part no one else wants."

When we take care of animals, it should be a reminder of the awesomeness of God and his power to create these animals, for His glory. Also, taking care of His creation should remind us that we have a loving God who always takes care of us with tender care and love, because we are created in His image.

So the next time you cuddle with your cat, your dog, your pet gerbil, or whatever goofy pet you have your in house and how that pet responds to your love and care. Remember how much more of our God cares the pride of His creation...us. In turn, let us not forget those other people in our lives who are down and out and in the world's eyes is not desired.

Just like these messed-up cats, humans who have serious issues in their lives can be the most surprising people who might turn from their life of sin and go to a powerful God who can change them, transform them, and love them. From down and out cats to adopted ones in loving families, when we turn from our life of wicked sin, we became wanted creatures in God's Kingdom. Adopted by the King of Kings.

It all starts with Him. His creatures are just a reminder of that.

Return to America

2009-01-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll. I officially finished the year at my school and I will be returning to America for a few weeks. I can't wait.

I return the 20th of January, the same day Barack Obama will become the 44th president of the United States of America, right in the nation's capital, which is not too far from my home.

Our country is getting rocked by the economic crisis, a loss confidence in the health care system, a war in Afghanistan (while Iraq is improving), no money in the government coffers, and a total loss of direction for our people.

I hope this will be a time not of depression, even though economically it seems to be heading that way. But where our people can get out of this depression in the spirit, to seek the Lord. Only the Lord can bring security in times of need.

Mr. Obama, I respect him alot, even though on some major issues I disagree with him. He is bi-racial like me and a very intelligent man, and I will continue to pray for him that he makes the right choice. God allowed him to be in power, so I hope Mr. O in part will revere God and seek His wisdom in choices, just like King Solomon did.

He's got alot on his hands, and he's going to be under alot of pressure to deliver.

Yet I think, after his inauguration is over and his administration kicks off, the onus will be more on us, the Americans. Our families are breaking down, savings are down, we spend more on entertainment than time with our families. We spend time eating more than we exercise and playing outside.

Pleasure is the name of the game, rather than the search for Truth. Kids lack direction from their fathers and mothers, and instead get it from their peers. Authority is breaking down on every level, and we need to get back to the basics of respect and observing who is higher than us.

So, its going to be a great and intersting time in our history. I don't expect anything new, because like it says in the book of Ecclesiastes, "there is nothing new under the sun." Obama is not going to change people's lives. He can change the political environment and help spur the economy with his policies. However, what people need is change...not from the top, but within.

Jesus is the way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). That's it. That's what America needs. Hope for Change...within.

I can't wait to go home!

Did You Eat Your English Turnips Today?

2008-12-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." - 1 Corinthians 8:1b

This will be a rant blog, and sometimes criticism is not always a bad thing. If done properly, criticism can lead to some interesting conclusions about a subject and and a write can be able to provide suggestions to the issues at hand. However criticism, if only done just for the sake of attacking something and leaving most viewpoints out, can be quite depressing.

With that in mind, let's take a look at my experience about how English is served up in the land of Korea, some of the positives and negatives, and some possible conclusions on where this whole English main course is going...to true global awareness or utter repugnance. Did you eat your English turnips today?

South Korea's sole mission statement in learning the English language is to become a "global player in a globalized society; to prepare our citizens to become global-minded people in the midst of globalization." (Paraphrased mission statement from various orientations I went to)

South Korea, a world economic player, is trying to capitalize on its export economy by becoming more international business-minded, in hopes of achieving more economic growth and wealth. More wealth means more image improving; the eventual goal to become a great nation on this earth. Wow, it sounds like global domination, but from the impression I'm getting after seminar after teacher conference about Korea's push for English education, it seems like their sole goal is improving its image and flexing its economic muscles more. In theory, its not a bad goal. Every nation should utilize its human capital and invest in the next generation's education to prepare for a productive future; to benefit and enrich the lives of Koreans.

So, here I am in my classroom at Hakik Girls High School. Everyday, my ladies have to learn this language called English. I walk in, set my materials on the teacher's desk, and verbally fight for five minutes to get my girls to calm down while I try to explain the day's lesson. For 50 minutes, its either a struggle or a cake walk to get the girls' to practice their English in some way or form: either through writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Since my actual class is not graded (why should it be? I'm not a licensed-teacher), getting the girls to focus can be a struggle, but through God's Power and the cooperation of my ladies', most of the time it has not been so bad (see my interview in my previous blog). In fact, there are some classes where I am like, "wow, God that was you teaching in the classroom...not me."

My class is called "Free English" (영어재량 in Korean), or a weekly class that I teach to every single homeroom class in the 1st grade (9th grade in America). The purpose of this class is to allow kids to receive instruction from an authentic native speaker and have a chance to practice English freely in the classroom. Sounds great on paper. I'm loving it so far. Having a native speaker is the next generation upgrade to their English program: to have a native speaker bring the cultural flair to their program and to allow their kids to have a chance to speak English for fluency purposes and to bring the outside world in to their classroom. This is so cool.

Moving on, based on their level, all the kids in the school receive English instruction from various Korean-English teachers, who teach from a strict curriculum where they are taught listening, reading, and grammar.

In general, most teachers never teach speaking or writing the actual language.

The way the kids learn English here is astounding. Especially my 2nd graders (11th graders in America), the students have to memorize whole chunks of English vocabulary and grammatical structures. Kids have texts and lists dedicated to wholesale memorization. I see my girls, from little freshmen to my mature junior girls, pouring over text after text, practice test over practice test, and book after book trying to "memorize" my language.

"English to become a globalized society." Incheon, the port city where I live, was recently designated an "English City," with the goal of becoming a city able to communicate and help support the international community within a certain period of time. Good stuff. They are in fact building the "Songdo International City," a Hong Kong-like replica metropolis designed to support an international trade hub for the future. With South Korea's location in East Asia, this is actually a good idea.

One of the first warm-ups I give to my students at the beginning of every school year (from my exhaustive two-year career here in Korea) is a questionnaire about them and their reasons for studying English. Like they have a choice (it is a required subject for all children, like in most countries). But for the fun of it, I try to test their mettle to see what they say when I wrote the question, "why do you study English?" Most answers are pretty much the same: "because we have to," or my favorite, "to become a global citizen."

My students pour over almost 13 or more hours of study everyday at school or at the Hagwon, or private academy (not to be confused with an actual school, but an academy where businesses set-up privately-run programs that teach individual subjects such as English, Math, Korean, or Science). My students go to school, learn 7 different subjects a day, where they cram themselves to oblivion, especially in English. However, the decision to learn this language starts from the top.

The Korean government is insistent that in order for Korea to grow, they should improve their English program to improve their competitiveness because of English as a global language today. So, the national government and city governments have invested vast amounts of cash to get native speakers from the Big Six (US, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Australia, and South Africa) to come to teach at the hagwons or public schools to let their children grow in the English language. Again, I'm presenting all these facets of English instruction and Korea's response to improve their programs, and it sounds good so far. Globalization for growth as a nation, global-mindedness to help Koreans integrate into a new world where people are travelling at will and where information is being exchanged at fast-rates thanks to the Internet and telecommunications.

However, we run into some problems. One place to start is in the Korean mindset: Confucianism. Confucianism has a huge powerplay in all aspects in Koreans. It defines relationships, respect, order, power, and education. Not being an expert on Confucianism, I cannot quote to you his wonderful licks of philosophical goodness. However, from what I do remember from my Korean teachers and other foreigners I run into and the informal education I receive on Mr. C's ideas on how to run the game, it doesn't surprise me that English education runs into its first problems in the classroom here.

In Confucianism, everyone's got a set role in relationships. Student respects teacher, son respects parents, 1st son gets dibs on everything, sisters respect their brothers and whatever is at the bottom only gets to look up. No horizontal equality going here, like in most relationships in the West. Earlier, I emphazied one characteristic trait about Confucianism from earlier, order. In Korean society, which is really tight at its core in terms of relationships, order is the essence of bringing harmony to society. Everyone, especially in the career ladder, has their dues to pay in terms of seniority and prestige. You wear the badge, you got the part, you're the sixth man from the bench, just do your role. Even Korean Christians still run into Confucian thinking from time to time, and its hard not to when you are reared in Korea. (As Christians, are thinking should be upgraded with Christ, see Romans 12:2)

Okay, so its time to lasso this tangent so I can can pump some truth into this blog: English can be a challenge to teach with the Korean mindset.

Imagine you are in a class with 44 ladies or boys in one classroom (as I have described in the past). Imagine you got an education abroad in the United States for a year, a golden ticket set up by mommy and daddy to study in an American school so you can take advantage of Korea's push for English turnips. You meet a whole slew of new friends abroad, but its time to come home and contribute to the Motherland by finishing your education here.

You get this new native teacher in your school, and you're excited because its another opportunity to practice your English and keep it sharp for your time in high school. He or she comes in, but then you realize you are not allowed to speak English in the class. What? Class rules? New policy of modesty and respect?

No, Confucianism. No one likes a show-off. You try to speak English to the new teacher, then everyone starts going "oooooohhhhhh!" "Wah, Jin-mi can speak English!" "Oh, she's trying to flirt with the new teacher," or "what a showoff, she can speak English." Jealous is a natural by-product of advancement.

To actually teach conversation in class can be very challenging. Anyone with real English skills will be viewed with jealously and sneering, or even teasing. Then the kids who do not have much English skills struggle with confidence to try speaking.

Then, with the actual classroom size, its very difficult to do an activity where productive, actual free talking can take place. It can frustrating at times.

Alot of my classes this year were actually good, but the majority of the time I have to take advantage of a large class by using the chorus-style repetition to get participation. It can actually be more fun this way, because many of the girls in my class have a good sense of humor.

But as for actual investment and dividends in my classes, only a few get the material and some of them actually remember it. The whole idea of obtaining education for yourself is a very different concept here in the East as in the West, meaning that most of the education is uniform and all the students are educated in the same fashion. Individual thought is hard to come by, with only the most exceptional students from time to time giving me an opinion about their lives or about the world around them.

So, is my goal in 2009 to smash Confucian-thinking? Of course not. Its built into the culture. You can't stop that. Cultural mores are something to be respected, especially as a foreigner. However, it should not be a liability in the classroom when it comes to practical learning of foreign languages.

One of my goals this upcoming year is not to bring a revolution in the Free English classroom. One of my goals is that the Lord can use me to inspire my students to desire to learn English by making classes that show the human side of English. Meanwhile, instead of focusing on so much of the problems that plague this education system, perhaps I can starting putting my teaching skills to the Lord and allow Him to make things work in the classroom. Sometimes, its easy to feel helpless when you are given a situation where many of the girls have no interest in your English or don't have a real incentive to try.

For English to be effective in this society, I think its not just real, good instruction that will allow Korea's students become more fluent. Its got to be a change in the mind-set and exposure to outside cultures. I think one major advantage of bringing in foreigners is that we can bring the world to them without them travelling. English is seen as a language of the oppressor, but it should be seen as a tool and weapon for not survival, but for connecting to the outside.

Even though education is a right, it should always come down to choice.

Its my students choice to either talk to me and practice their English. And its my choice if I should follow the world's thinking and think that this class is not going to affect my students. Or, I can choose to follow God and seek His wisdom in turning turnips to...sweet fruits of truth.

As I crash into 2009 at Hakik Girls High, and perhaps my final year in Korea, I want to finish this campaign on a great note...that I did a good job, and that my girls learned something. Glory to God in the Highest: anything I do, from busting raps to teaching English to learning the Korean language, 2009 is not the Year of the Dragon, but the Year of the Divine.

Interview with Mr. Soni

2008-11-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

By Anono J. Mus

The Holy Warrior News Network

2nd-year "professional" native English teacher Mark P. Soni is working hard. Working late. Working hard into the night. Giving English-laden sentences and gobs of new English expressions and words, Mr. Soni knows this job takes hard work. But its fun. Loads of fun. Its so much work that its fun. What kind of job is that fun?

"Working at a girls' high school is probably going to be one of the most unique experiences in my life...it still blows me away to this day that I have such an opportunity to do this, and I only have God to thank for it." A girls' high school? A young man at a girls' high school...in Korea?

Mr. Soni, after starting his career at Yeonsu High School, requested for a transfer at the end of his contract, and signed with neighboring Hakik Girls' High School in Incheon, South Korea. The experience has been nothing but exceptional for the 24-year young lad out of Waldorf, Maryland, and yesterday we sat down for an exclusive interview in his apartment to discuss his time at the ladies' school and for his future:

Q: Mr. Soni, thanks for taking the time for this interview. Your home seems quite cozy.

A: No problem, I enjoy interviews. Keeps me on my toes and keeps mentally ready.

Q: Okay, let's begin. Why the sudden transfer to this school in 2008? Were you content at Yeonsu High School? Did they make you an offer for another contract? Or was it purely your decision to become a free agent and seek out a new school?

A: Of course they wanted me back. Being a rookie in the ESL game, I went out there into the classroom to work hard and make a great first impression. I literally had no experience outside of my stints as a College and Career Bible Study teacher back in Maryland and being a head coach (of a kids' soccer team), so I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to win the hearts and minds of both the student body and teachers. In the end, I won both. What I lacked in actual teaching experience was made up for the fact that I tried hard and became more friendly with the students.

Yet in the end, there was a desire for more. After falling out with my supervising co-teacher (yet resolving it at the end), and desiring for a change in my experience in Korea, I requested a transfer. Since most high schools in Incheon are either boys or girls school, I tried to test the free agent market and get in at a girls school. Later Sera Hyun, the liasion for foreign teachers at the Incheon Department of Education, hooked me up with this school which had a vacant teacher.

Q: Didn't you have a previous stint at Hakik Girls High School? More like a trial run?

A: Actually yes, and it was no coincidence. It was January 2008, and I was sitting in my office at Yeonsu High School preparing for winter camps. My boss comes in and proposes me to work an extra camp...at a girls' high school in Hakik-dong. Their native teacher prematurely left the job and they needed a camp teacher, and I answered the call. I felt like it was a great opportunity to test that market and see if I could make the change from a boys' school to a girls' school.

Q: Now, its November 2008, almost nine months completed on this contract. How do you feel now about the situation and where the Lord has brought you so far? Tell us about the overall feeling about being in this English program compared to last year.

A: Totally different experience. Last year's experience was great, but this school experience has been a total step up and simply amazing. Like, I feel really like I am a part of a team here at this school. Last year, I was never invited to demonstration classes to observe and give input, but this year, they really wanted me to give them input about how teachers performed in the classroom. Also, the teaching staff has given me virtual freedom on how to conduct my classes, and that is a good thing. They seem to get the fact that these students, compared to their Yeonsu-dong counterparts, don't need to be thrown English at them at every point of the day. They realize they simply need exposure to an English-native speaker and a chance to speak.

Plus, teaching girls has been different, in a good way.

Q: Tell us about that, how different was the transition from teaching those gangster boys to the girly girls?

A: 100% opposite. When I first arrived at Yeonsu HS, they were not at all that enthusiastic in meeting me. Then, over time, the boys and I became more closer and more enthuasiastic in my class. At this school, I would say the girls were super enthusiastic in meeting me (partly because I'm a young boy in a teaching suit) and trying the class out, but over time, sometimes their enthusiasm fizzles.

However, as language learners, they are much better to teach. Since girls are more mature and detail-oriented than boys, they seem to pick up the language much better.

Q: What are some difficulties from working at the school? Positives?

The biggest difficulty is dealing with the "girl" barrier. As a man, especially a foreign man, they are extremely shy to talk or try. Sometimes it was frustrating because they wouldn't respond.

So I tried a hands-off approach and get them to be more comfortable. Even though they saw me as friendly and tried to take advantage of that...I'm trying to find the right balance of being strict when I need to and when to be friendly.

As for positives, girls can be sweet. Since they are emotional, they know when you are emotional or sad and try to connect. Sometimes, they can be more funnier than the boys. They sometimes act like boys and do some crazy things in the classroom, such as sing, fight, or groan just like them. Also, the maturity factor is very key and helpful when it comes to teaching time. Given the right amount of kids, like in my extra class, where I teach about twenty of them, its easy to get their attention and get them to settle down. In a girls' school, the worst most girls do is just be chatty, for boys, they are rambunctious and cannot sit still.

Also, girls high school has a more student diversity to it. You got the typical teenage girls who are into boys and make-up and fashion, and you got some girls who are strictly into studying. Then, you got some girls who are tomboys, who are some of my favorites. They are not as pressed about themselves as some other girls are, and they more friendly and more relaxing to be around. Then you got the shy girls, then you got the "Power Girls," who kinda exert more power and more authority over their group, then you got the goofy girls who are clueless but funny. Its a really interesting make-up in the classroom.

Q: Any future plans? What's the situation like for you in this stage in the game?

A: After much prayer and thought, the Lord has allowed me to stay one more year to continue the work that He has entrusted me. I enjoy teaching here and the opportutnities to teach and help students grow...and not just in the English language. I think, especially for my style of teaching, the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus Christ in the classroom and out is just a great thing at this stage in my life. I know I won't be doing this for the rest of my life, so its a real honor that God has allowed me to be here for such a period of time and to be a role model for these young kids. I enjoy the work He has given me.

Q: What are some other things the Lord has taught you throughout this year?

A: Humility, trust, and consistency. At this school, my behavior has been more scrutinized than ever before, and I think that's a good thing. It kinda makes me more careful of the words I speak and how I behave in and out of the classroom. Keep in mind, I am a male foreign teacher, so its a two-edged sword. I'm a male, so the girls will retain some interest in me, and being a foreigner, my behavior will be looked at even more because I'm not the typical Korean in their lives. I believe it is a great opportunity to represent Christ at the school because they are watching me more. And then again, I have to watch myself and how I live more carefully. As for the trust factor, getting the girls to trust me as a teacher took time. At first, they saw me as a cool foreign teacher, but I wanted them to get to know my life more...and God told me to wait. Over time, especially with certain students, I have had the grand opportunity to share about my life more to these kids.

See, I have an Avery Johnson mentality when it comes to teaching. You know, AJ was called "The Little General" by his peers, for the fact that he was a little guy who commanded a huge presence on the basketball floor. He was tough on his players, but gained their respect. For me, the critical thing I admire about his leadership-style was the fact that he wanted to connect with the players outside the court. That's the thing for me. Given the fact that I only teach these kids only once a week, I hardly get to spend anytime with the students. I try to make up for that through the extra classes I teach and inviting certain kids to the English Zone during lunch time for roundtable talks. It gives the opportunity for kids who really want to learn English and to learn about the outside world a chance. I just wait on God's timing to see who He wants me to mentor and speak to about my life...which is changed by Him in the first place!

Q: Anything else you want to comment about your life so far?

A: Well, that even though I am getting older, there's alot about life I need to learn. How to be responsible, grow up in the Lord and in His favor, and to be consistent about my life. I hope to try new things in the future to expand my borders and Lord Willing, when I go back to the United States for good, I can reflect on my time here in Asia as one of the most beautiful times in my life. All I have to say is...wow.

Q: Thank you so much for your time, we hope and pray for the best of you in the upcoming year.

A: No problem, thanks for having me.

Dedicated to My Students, Part One

2008-09-26T07:37:00.001-07:00

Hakik Girls High School Life Series

"What are we supposed to do? I don't understand Mr. Soni at all!"

I want to take sometime to recognize some of the students at my school who give me joy and continue to work hard in my class. Just like my school experience last year, I met some incredible students who teach me as much stuff as much I teach them. With no further fluff of an intro, here are some of my ladies who I am proud to say "I teach these ladies:"

Hakik Girls High Uniforms: Spring on the Left, Winter on the Right

1. Kim Kyung-eun, Class 1-5: She's something else. Always positive yet playful, she always a good student to have because she has a drive, but she also has this edge about her. She is obedient to what I say but always likes to tease her teacher, me. A short, pumpkin-head of a Korean girl with a round, cute face and a very monotone, low voice which makes her sound like an android. When she speaks English, she sounds like a hesitant captain of a Federation vessel unable to choose her words, and sometimes it seems she is talking with her nose. Yet she speaks English well; she just needs more confidence. One of my favorite memories during class time was earlier this year. She, having a huge crush on me earlier this semester, turned out also to be a dangerous weapon. One Wednesday, before our class started, I walked out the classroom to get something from my office, at a brisk pace. Oblivious to all students as I rushed by, I returned back to the classroom to start class. After the usual remarks after the bell, I proceeded to pass out the class' materials to every single table.

Su-yeon, Kim Kyung-eun, and Hyo-jin

Kyung-eun ignores me as I urged her to pass out the papers. I kinda shove her a little, as she still played listless. "Kyung-eun, what's wrong!? What are you doing?" I asked her friends Li-ra and Hye-yun what's the deal. They said they didn't know. After a minute of trying to cajole her, Kyung-eun is resolved to ignore me. What did I do? I finished the class, with one of my best students mad at me for something. Typical Korean high school girl.

Spring Time at Hakik Girls High

Fast-forward to the end of the day. Its cleaning time, and girls are busily cleaning my English Zone while I review the day's progress. Enter this goofball. With one smooth stroke, she brings out this English dialog book, and reads, with her monotone voice (think a female robot from the 60's): "Soni, the reason I was upset today was you...ignoreeed...meeeee..." expressing her sentiments with some glum on her frown. Yet you could see the playfulness: "You didn't say hi to me in the hallway! Grrrr!" I apologize and told her I was busily running back to the office. "Hmph!" she replied as she walked away.

To this day, I never ignore her in the hallway, lest I feel the Wrath of Kyung-eun/Angry Korean School Girl, a "hi" must be given. By the way, she's still one of my fave and best students because she actually gives a hoot to what I have to say. Keep it up girl.

Having a laugh at Summer English Camp

2. Jung Byol, Class 1-1: Jung Byol is one of the handful of Korean students who does not have three syllables in her full name. "Jung" is her family name, "Byol" means "Star." She's the class captain of her homeroom. A small, little girl, her English is very advanced for a half-pint. She uses her voice to help me in class when her fellow students are too loud. What makes her unique is that she's a good team player, always willing to help me in class and does a great job of communicating. Its a pleasure to have her in my class, because she's very wise and mature for a girl her age.

Sometimes sporting a white cardigan over her school uniform, she resembles a mini-version of a grad student. Hence her nickname, "The Graduate." In class, when Mr. Kim or I cannot get the class quiet, she'll step in and yell at her friends to "be quiet" and her friends shut their mouths quick. She has been really helpful in my class and is quite intelligent for age. I believe she'll be a super-super star in years to come.

Mr. Soni and His Yeonsu Boys Re-Unite at the Festival!

3. Hwang Yu-na, Class 1-7: Yuna is this chubby, happy-go-lucky girl in class seven. She is also their class captain. Since day one, she has been ever so receptive of me and active during each class we have together. Any activity, no matter how menial or boring, she'll do it with gusto. Slightly taller than me, she has a round face, chubby cheeks, a small nose, and a very short hair-cut, so she resembles a cat. Everytime I see here, she's always greeting me with a smile and asking me, "What've been up to?" a phrase that I've taught since day one. What makes her special is that she is a Christian. She's told and shown me what God is doing in her life, including her recent mission trip to Cambodia, where she had the opportunity to help many people in that country.

Mr. Soni and Yu-na before her big performance.

The biggest gift she ever gave to her teacher, me, was a song. A love song at the school festival, which I will post in the near future. Its something worth seeing.

4. The "Hana" Girls and Da-hae, Class 1-1: These girls are always together. Always together, never apart. They are the "Class One Angels." What is more unique is their personalities, they are perfect complements of one another. First there is Lee Hana, a small but fiesty little girl who has a very narrow face and serious eyes; she is very friendly at the same time a "don't mess with me" kinda look is always on her face. Then there is her partner in crime Cho Hana, who has a more soft face, shiny eyes, a button nose, and is very laid-back. What's unique about the both of them is that they are the same height, so they could be sisters in many ways, as they trade barbs with one another. Finally, to round them out is their friend Da-hae. What makes her unique is that she is taller than the other two, so she would seem to be the ringleader. Yet she is the most shyest of the bunch and most bashful. In fact, she never spoke in my class. Then during our annual Speech Contest, up comes in Da-hae with this eloquent speech about plastic surgery! So I asked her why she never spoke up in class..."the other kids would make fun of me." Basically, her shyness combined with her good English skills made her a silent Sally for the entire first semester.

Yet everytime I see these girls together, they are all holding eachother's hands (perfectly okay in the SK), laughing together, telling each other stories and goofing off. Their friendship and sisterhood just make you smile...again, they are always together. In God's Realm, one of the most beautiful thing about life is our camraderie and friendship...God never wants us to be alone.

My girls do an ad for "DemiSoda," a lemon taste, fresh fo yo'mind!

So that's part one of my fave students. Some students I chose because they make me laugh. Some I chose because they are highly intelligent and insightful. And some I chose because they represent the sheer humanity of life.

Added throughout the blog are some class pictures past and present of students from my school.

"Gonna Carry It Home"

2008-09-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a funny story, an end to a excursion. I just returned from a long, two-week business trip to Yeongjeong Island, which is the island where the Incheon International Airport is located. At the island I taught as a substitute teacher at the Incheon Foreign Language Training Center, teaching secondary English teachers and helping them refine their English skills, giving them teacher training for their return back to the Korean public schools program. It was a great break from teaching high schoolers; it gave me an opportunity to speak at a higher level while I was able to give more insightful knowledge to the topics we discussed. A give-give situation, I had a great time doing this program as a temp and the secondary teachers had positive vibe for the program so far (even though I taught for two weeks, their actual training runs for six months). We did various activities like book study (on George Orwell's Animal Farm), listening activities, writing essays, speaking and culture, and pronunciation practice. It was intense, most days I taught 7 classes!

I finished my last day today, and I was exhausted. This weekend is Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving, which I celebrated in full for the first time in my life last year. So, alot of the office staff at this training center left early to go travel to see their relatives in far off hometowns all throughout South Korea. The Korean staff, out of appreciation for the work we done, gave small gifts to us international teachers, such as wheat bread snacks, wrapped in a box and put into a small bag. Then, my homeroom class, out of wonderful appreciation for my brief stint as their teacher, gave me a brand new dress shirt to wear to school, wrapped in a small box and put into another small bag. Then, the President of the Training Center gave each international teacher a nice case of canned tuna, spam, and cooking oil. Put into a bigger box, and put into another bag, this one big.

I had so much stuff to carry home! I was already packed for a two-week trip, and upon departure for home my sports bag was filled to the brim so tight that if the thing was a living organism, it seemed like it would puke all of my clothes out! And I had three bags of goodies to carry home, as well as my small backpack. I'm shipping out for military camp? Maybe...

I had two options at this point. Mrs. Choi, one of the IFTC staff, allowed me the option of staying Friday night and travelling home Saturday morning, telling me to give my apartment key to the security officer on the way out. This would be a nice way to start my weekend, because the temporary apartment I stayed at was spacious, clean, and I had cable channels like CNN and BBC News, a rare treat for me. It was nice to stay on top of what's going on in the world.

Yet I had plans for tomorrow, to meet friends and then going to a relative's house tomorrow night in Seoul. A trip from the island, back to my apartment in Incheon, then going all the way back out to big, but empty Seoul would be a really straining trip. Especially with the fatigue I've accumulated all this week through overteaching, hot weather (especially for September), lack of sleep, mosquitoes, and an unusually warm apartment which caused my lack of sleep, a double trip would not be the best way to start my Chuseok weekend, a weekend dedicated to rest.

I figured at this point the better idea would be to gung-ho it all the way on Friday night, sleep in mad tomorrow morning, and be refreshed for a new weekend. So my co-worker Saleha (from sunny South Africa), and her husband Shabiri went back to my temp apartment, took out the stuff that she loaned me for those two weeks while cleaning out my fridge of excess food, cleaned up the place, while I packed up everything, including my new goodies, and we went to Incheon International Airport for a final dinner with them before I bid adieu.

I've hauled heavy stuff before...but this I thought I was going to be the mother of backbreakers and haulings. However, God assured me tonight that it was not going to be bad...just "carry it home, I'll be there." After an enlightening chat with my South African friends, who graciously accompanied me to my transferring station, it was time to depart and carry the load home.

From the island, I took the AREX (the Airport Subway Line) to the Incheon Line, and from the Incheon Line, then to the KORAIL Line One and back to my home station...Juan (pronounced "ju-an," not the Spanish "Juan"). Just one more stop and off onto the main streets. This whole trip back to Juan Station took about one hour. Cool thing that many people are on the road for their journeys home so I could find a seat for the long ride.

Getting through the ticket get at Juan Station was tough. I basically had to slide my stuff through the gate and under the turnstyle one-by-one while pressing my subway card onto the scanner with this mutant-formed sports bag on my shoulder, like a strange creature enveloping my arm. It was a funny looking scene and this one Korean guy was giving me eyeballs for it.

For some reason, the bags seemed heavier because I was sensing home more and more. I walked around the station's underground shopping center walking towards the goal...exit #4, the bags hurting my arms and leg. I turned a corner, and lo and behold, who was there? Several of my lady students, whom I've haven't seen in two weeks. They first didn't see me, as they were giggling, goofing off, and "eye-shopping." Then they turned a corner as I began walking on the other side.

They saw me, shocked and surprised, where they bellowed a "hi!" towards their MIA teacher. In one swift, brilliant motion, I immediately beckoned them towards me...and I made them carry my bags out the station! Whatever providence I found in the situation, I think God sent those students to help me. Compared to their American counterparts, Korean students are much more respectful and obedient, so I got one of my students, Mina, to carry my tuna/spam/oil case, while my other students Hye-yon and Dong-hee carried my other bags.

Unlike my Yeonsu guy students, whom I can fraternize with easier since we're guys, seeing my lady students outside of class is a much less frequent occurence, and a more careful venture. Even though not written, there is a less interaction code between genders in this country, so my girls, even though giggly to see me, were very shy to try their English around me, so I tried to speak to them in Korean to break the ice. Only Mina talked to me, and her friends were giving her stick for that one, "flirty, flirty!" they said in Korean. And the whole time they were carrying my stuff, they tended to follow me rather than walk with me, a sign of seniority, I guess. Goof-balls.

They helped me carry my bags out of the station, I hailed a taxi, and I went all the way home without much fuss, relieved... my students yelled "Bye Soni!" "I love you Soni!" (Yeah, they "love" me, how original!)

I was worried earlier about how I was going to haul those bags home, but God opens the doors like that, it was so cool. I recieved help from a platoon of my fem-bot students to help me carry the load, and it was good.

So remember next time, when you have a friend or family member who is carrying too much of a load in their life, whether it be stress, an exam, co-worker problems, family issues, life goal problems, or doubt, please be sure to help them carry it, so they too "can get out of the station." Just remember our Lord who meets us at the station and helps carry our load out to the exit...only if we ask.

"...for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:30)

One of Favorite Years in My Life: 2003

2008-08-22T06:54:00.001-07:00

2003 was a great year in my life. It was my first year in university, where I briefly attended UMBC in Baltimore. I was on my own after working hard in high school and getting where I wanted to go, with God's Grace behind it all and my parents working hard to get me to college. I have so much respect to my parents.

I just remember 2003 with fondness. Being on my own for the first time really helped me focus on my interests and a person. I started to feel out what kind of person I was and the sort of talents I had.

Being mixed race, I found being in the university environment was quite refreshing. I had some really cool friends in high school, but my high school was not the most fertile environment to feel a sense of belonging in terms of racial apprecation.

I remember doing some cool things in college such as meeting Christians from other countries and church backgrounds, so it started to open my mind up to other people's journey in their relationship with Christ. It wasn't just about Christians from "suburbia" gathering together on campus, it was an international community from Africans to Asians to Arabs to African-Americans rocking the house in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I met some cool peoples like my friend Stanley, a Haitian-American who was cool and mellow, and for the first time, I got to really get down with somebody who I had some really common interests: international soccer, politics, economics (my future major that year), and of course, faith. I felt like I could unleash my tongue in discussing these topics for me as I did not have much of an opportunity to do it before.

I got to be in a cool college environment where I met people from diverse backgrounds and areas of life. Sometimes I felt like a "kid among giants" because I was a freshmen among juniors in some of my classes. I really enjoyed the challenge of meeting people older than I am and trying to listen to what they have to say, while trying to impose myself as an individual.

I met people from Albania, Lithuania, Russia, the Ukraine, and many other countries, and I felt more at ease meeting these people because I was interested in their backgrounds.

I also started to feel my own self when it came to what kind of person I am and I became more comfortable with it, I felt like God was leading me to a place where I did not have to force myself to be a prototype person of what people wanted m to be, but just be me who God created me to be, with room to improve for more.

I started to realize I felt more comfortable in a certain zone in my multi-faceted personality: I am very gentle in dealing with people but very passionate when it came to things like my job and tasks given to me. I am people person when required to be, but most people find me very calm and relaxed when alone. At a party I'll be loud and outgoing when I'm up to it, then on the way home in the car I'll usually be the one listening to the other's people topics with intent and attentive focus.

I'm a very submissive and loyal, but not a whipping boy. I think that's one aspect where God is working on me now, to become more stronger.

I started to hone my interests: world affairs, social issues, languages, cultures, international sport, and hip-hop music.

I remember C.S. Lewis talking about what happens when you accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior in his book, Mere Christianity, "you get your true personality." I'll find that quote again, but I'm sure its there.

Even though I struggled with sin in 2003, the victories over that sin brought me closer to God and more closer to someone I want to know...myself.

Is It Worth It?

2008-07-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

My senior year of high school. 2002. Just one more year of high school madness and it will be all over. I finished taking the SAT's last term and ended the summer on a high as I scored enough to apply to the schools I wanted to. It was time to wait..and finish high school.

I started by waking up at 6AM from Monday to Friday. School started at 7:30AM, so I had to get up, shower, eat a good breakfast, and drive to school. I had eight periods (including lunch) to eat as much brain food as possible. I took important subjects like English, Spanish, and Trigonometry to prepare for college. School ended around 2:15PM. I was on the high school soccer team in 2002, so we had team study hall until 3:30PM, and it was off to practice. Practice was two hours, and on Mondays and Wednesdays, I had to go to work right after practice. Coach was nice enough to let me go a little early so I could make it work on time. I had to get into uniform at work (Chick-Fil-A), and I worked the night shift from 6-10PM. My boss was kind enough to let me have a sandwich for dinner for five minutes since he knew I came from soccer practice. The store closed at 10PM, and even though I could leave at that time, sometimes one of my bosses asked me politely to stay and help clean the store. Being a team player, I usually obliged.

I drove home, where my parents usually did not fall asleep until they knew that I was home safe, being loving as they are. Then I would hit the books, because I hardly touched my homework throughout the day. Trig equations (sin, cosine, and tangents), the intricacies of the Spanish language (college-level Spanish), to my hardest and most rewarding class, AP European History with Mr. Shaffer. And don't forget wonderful English and its poetry, short-stories, and their papers you had to write with them. This self-studying time was crucial if I wanted to maintain good grades while keeping my life balanced. I would arrive home around 10:30PM and would not finish my homework until 1AM, or at the latest, 2 AM. My mother sometimes would come out in the middle of the night because she noticed the light in my room still turned on...and would ask me to go to sleep. Being half-Korean that I am, there is no stopping until I got my homework done.

Then I would get up at 6AM, bleary-eyed and weary. I would do it again. Oh so tired. Yet the cool thing was, I didn't have to work every night, so I would at least get my homework done in the early evening so I could go to bed at a decent time, meanwhile I could on the Internet, chat with friends, or play videogames. Also, I would hang out with my friends sometimes throughout the week. Or, I would attend Wednesday Bible study at my church. Despite the rigors of school, I had fun things to do. I did not have to be so tired every single day.

Now imagine the aforementioned schedule, except you have to do it every single day. Yes, every single day. Except without soccer practice or games (which are fun) or a part-time job...all you had to do was study. Get up at 6AM, go to school by 7:45AM, and essentially don't leave school until after 9PM, and then go to all-night "cram school" (private school businesses called "hagwons") where you get supplemental education until the wee hours of the morn, and then do it all over again. It would make you insane, right? Where in the world would people commit to such an atrocious, physically and mentally demanding schedule?

Welcome to Korean high school. I have talked extensively about my life at the high school before, mentioning some of the joys and lows of working in the Korean public school system, getting to work with energetic young Koreans who are force-fed English grammar nuggets most of their days. I mentioned the really animated and fun Sports Day at Hakik Girls High School and some of the fun aspects of working with these smart and clever young ladies. I mentioned just being a foreign teacher at a Korean high school is an honor and a cultural experience that I will never forget.

For all the unique aspects of this job, its still a job, and it has to be done. And just like any job, no job is perfect. Jobs are performed daily so that society can benefit, and then even the problems within the job are just small stepping stones to achieve perfection. At my job, I see a system where my students are merely going through the motions and not producing what is most necessary: knowledge.

In the grand scheme of things, sometimes I see a merciless school system that beats down on my children daily, a major competition vortex where there are losers and winners, just like in any society. Yet in Korea (and in many other East Asian nations), what's sad to see is that the throes of competition and selection are thrown at them at an early age, and its a debiliating thing. It makes for very mentally-fatigued and sometimes frustrated children.

I remember my student from class 1-6, Min-jung. Min-jung is a tall, elegant girl who usually has a smile on her face during my class time. Then came mid-terms. While she entered my classroom and sat down, I stopped by her table and said hello to her, where she just stared at me back with an expression of an owl. She literally dark circles under her eyes. Her friend Yun-young fired at me, "She has dark circles, so tired!" Min-jung was studying until the wee hours of the morning to prepare for the midterms. Normally a healthy looking girl with bright skin, she looked like a ghost this morning.

Now you might say, "Well, anyone would study late hours to get some knowledge in there, right? What's the big deal? Many high school students do that anyway." What makes Korea's system strikingly different is the competition. What's the prize? University. In two years time, they have to take what is called the "Ssu-neung" Test, or Korean SAT's. In Korea, more so than America to a degree, university names are sort of a price label in value. So each student is aspiring to get into the top colleges in Seoul, which makes competition strikingly fierce. Students in your own classroom, even your own friends, are potential rivals in getting into the best schools in Korea.

Korean competition in schools can sort of be read in this Korean proverb: "Five hours of sleep, you fail the test, four hours of sleep, you pass the test." Wow. You see where this going. So Min-jung was just being in a cog in a system where one less hour of marginal studying could cause her to fall behind. It was only natural for her to study more.

Do you know about yaja shigan? Yaja shigan is a Korean shortenized word for "self-study." Well, its natural to self-study, right? Well, this is how it works, because the Korean high school day gets better with this.

School ends in 7th period at 4:20PM. Students have to clean up the school. Then, there is an extra supplemental class at from 4:40PM to 5:30PM. Then from 5:30PM there is a dinner (served by a contractor food company) until 6:20PM.

From 6:20PM, you must do yaja. Basically, its mandatory self-study. In your classroom until 9PM. "Well, you got to study, right? It must be the Asian way of doing things." A supervising teacher from each grade walks around the hall with a stick in his or her hands making sure they are studying. No slacking on this one. Kids who fall asleep are given very unusual physical punishments or are harshly reprimanded for not keeping focus. "Well, they're kids, they're young. Back in my day we studied x amount of hours, so they can to."

So let's go back to the beginning of the day then. Imagine being grilled and drilled on Korean grammar, English grammar, Japanese grammar (if you are a junior or senior at my school and if you choose to learn it), math formulas, ethics (an unique subject taught in Asian schools), English vocabulary, the history of the Three Kingdoms and the Joseon Dynasty, chemical and biological equations, gym, home economics, social studies, and let's not forget other creative subjects like art and music. And being with fellow students of the same gender all day and with its unique Korean social environment, you can see this situation as a pressure cooker.

There are only 10 minutes of break time between classes, with lunch and dinner the only real major times they can play or socialize fully. At my school, there are literally bars on the windows on the lower level classrooms on the outside, sort of a psychological re-conditioning symbol of saying, "no one escapes."

So as I write this, Semester 2 begins at Hakik Girls High School in two weeks. My 3rd levels (seniors) have the Korean SAT's in 100 days. That day will either break them or make them. They have no choice. Study less than your competition, and you fall behind. The school system suffers from the "anything you can do I can do better" syndrome. Everyone else does it, so I must too.

Yet there is hope. For the pressure that these girls go through, I do see some nice things about the system. Korean students in general, despite the competition, seem very loyal as friends and share many joys and downs with one another, sometimes more than their American compatriots. Also, some girls refuse to be battered by the system and make the most of it. For example, one of my best students, Hwang Yu-na, a class captain, goes home after school is over. No forced self-study. I suppose that her parents see that the self-study will not be beneficial and that she should do it on their own.

Other students and teachers as well are becoming more critical of their system. My students, Lee Yun-young, always tells me what's messed up with her system in perfect English. Some girls I know, see the cracks in the system and someday they know it will have to change.

Finally, there's me. I hope that I can bring hope to some of my children. My teaching style is very different, I use different techniques in the classroom, and I hope that I can inspire my children to think on their own because of the experiences that my young life has given me already. To think outside the box. I'm bi-racial, I'm created in God's image, I have friends from most spectrums of life and pathways, and I've traveled to many cool parts of the world. Finally, I'm saved. Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

I'm not the light. Christ is. I think education can go hand in hand with the truth. The reality of this world can point us to God if we search for it. If these girls of mine can see some glimpse of the truth in me...that we are created, perhaps I can inspire them to search for it. "...for anyone who serves Christ this way is pleasing to God and approved by men." (Romans 14:18)

Is it worth it? For me and for them, it always is.

Trip Back in Time: Baekje Dynasty

2008-07-13T03:37:00.001-07:00

Korea has a rich history, even though at times a very troubled one. As the peoples on the peninsula started to organize themselves into small societies 5000 years ago, the first nation-state to emerge on the western part of the peninsula was a small kingdom called Baekje. The capital once situated in present-day Seoul, the kingdom displays to this day remants of a wonderful and intricate culture. As Korea was divided into three kingdoms in its early history, Baekje was defeated by the northern Goguryo kingdom and forced to move its capital to Ungjin, or today's present day city of Gongju. That's where I went this weekend.

After a month fresh from my wonderful excursion to Taiwan, I have been working non-stop at my high school and just keeping a low profile on weekends. As the summer heat started to turn up its dial here in sauna-ready Korea, I felt like I wouldn't be going anywhere this term. However, after finishing up 4 straight days of extra conversation classes and getting ready for two summer camps, I needed a break! I opened up my Lonely Planet Korean guidebook, took a turn of the page, and after a friend's recommendation, I took a bus and headed to the small city of Gongju.

Gongju, while being one of the capitals of the Baekje Kingdom, has a special significance for my Korean family. My mother's family comes from this region of Korea, not Seoul. My mother was born in this province (Chungcheonnam-do), and her sister was born in this city I went to. Its a small city of 150,000, so the feel is more relaxed and quiet. The people don't seem as bewildered to see foreigners, but look on with a subtle curiosity. Unlike their Gyeongsang Province counterparts, the people have a more country-bumpkin hospitality like Americans in the South.

I trekked and visited some of the coolest sites from that period of history: the Tomb of King Muryeong, where these tombs were built in the style of huge burial mounds with immortality being the theme. The treasures and artefacts recovered from his tomb displayed the intricate style and detail from that time. From his royal diadem to his headrest, including all of his queen's ornamentation (am I Bush-ifying that last word?), these people knew what it meant to render services to their king.

What makes Baekje a special kingdom was their role in Northeast Asian affairs. They were the prime conduit of culture of China, taking and adapting Chinese properties of learning, political theory, and art while passing them on to the first peoples of Japan, called the Wae. In the video at the Baekje National Museum, you could see that artefacts discovered in places near Osaka and Nara (which I visited last summer) have a direct correlation with goods found in Gongju and Buyeo (which is near Gongju). Copy cats? Well, let's just say the Baekje were just sharing the knowledge.

I proceeded to the mighty Gongsansong Fortress, which displayed its fortitude over Gongju. A huge, and pretty much intact wall, this fortress was a Baekje defense aimed at thwarting future attacks by the northern Goguryo forces.

It was a beautiful sight to see as I surveyed my kingdom as the sun started to set. With the main gate in view, I imagined myself as a warrior defending the castle within just like the warriors of Rohan and the Elves were fighting the Uruk-hai in Lord of the Rings. It was like being a kid again.

I also read a passage in Psalm 91-2: "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust." (KJV) Human fortresses get breached from time to time, and whole kingdoms fall. But the Kingdom of God is never penetrated as long as we taken refuge in Him. It was really assuring to read that passage at that exact time and place. Divine inspiration anyone?

The rest of the weekend was really hot but just peaceful. A small town gives a sense of quiet and I took it to my advantage to enjoy it.

I came back refreshed, and I kind of labeled the Baekje Kingdom "my fave kingdom," for their bravery as the underdog against the bigger kingdoms while being survivors. They were very instrumental in spreading culture among their neighbors while retaining an unique culture for their own.

They fell in 660AD after holding off onslaught after onslaught of troops. Problems, inner fighting, and overwhelming odds took their toll.

I'm still standing, in a Mighty Fortress.

Girls' Sports Day...is the Coolest!

2008-06-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Stade de Hakik YoGo: The Colors!

So it was Sports Day last Thursday. At a girls' high school. Girls' in Korea, compared to other Western nations, hardly play sports during their school tenures. The only student-athletes you see at the high school level are carefully selected boys or girls who have that gift, and they basically cruise through school without having to really study that much. The rest are geared toward studying for that dreaded college entrance exam or studying a tradecraft, while these selected few are groomed to be future athletes for club teams or university teams.

Jump it up!

So sports at a girls' school is hardly a huge thing. I see girls going to gym class, but the things I really hear (yes, that's right, "hear," because you don't see them outside doing any of this stuff) them do during PE class is learn to dance or jump-rope. Yeah. I am very lonely man during lunch time as I practice my jumpshot. I have had, however, the pleasure of tutoring some curious girls who came out to play ball with me, and even taught some of the tomgirls how to set a pick and shoot a J. "Computer blue."

My Class 1-3: Parasoling It Up!

I thought this Sports Day would be a joke. Just let these girls go in, do some jump-roping and do some silly games, put some make-up on, and look pretty for the big chiefs of the school. I was wrong. Ohhh boy, I was wrong. Let's just say that yours truly was getting in on the action and rooting for the girls as they poured their hearts out over the whole thing.

There were relay races: ones with obstacles like hurdling over hurdles, diving under v-ball nets, and the leg anchor having to put her face into a pan of flour, or something like it. It was absolute madness. It was cute to see the girls who cannot run properly chug around the track with poor posture.
Soni Representin' Wit Dem "1-3" Ladies (Man, Soni is dark!)

Then there was the homeroom race where 38 girls position themselves as one long pathway, as one girl, positioned in the middle, is led by two adjoining girls who guide her down the path as she treads on the backs of her fellow girls. I saw some girls tumble off really bad because they went too fast. Some girls got injured! Thankfully, Nurse Joy (I forgot the ladies' name) was on had to put some ointment on the boo-boos.

"The Dash on Backs Race"

Then there was the regular relay race, old track and field style. 1st level students had prelims, as well as did the 2nd levels, and just like track and field, had the 1st leg run it all the way to the anchor leg. Some of the races got so heated that some girls were elbowing each other to get position at the end of the track, because the track was so small (Sports Day was held in the gym because of bad weather). Your teacher Mr. Soni saw one girl literally elbow another as they were going on the final turn. The latter fell hard as the former finished the race, but our male VP was on hand to slap her DQ papers on her forehead. I liked how he took charge and made things right.

There was also the classic tug-of-war game, as these girls really put on some weight to tug away. Very spirited indeed.

Then, there were some events for the teachers to get their sports on. Mr. Soni was in the "Love Game," where a teacher is paired up with a student, usually a teacher outside the student's homeroom, as they run a relay race with their feet bound together. Their goal is to keep a balloon between them as they reach the end of the track and pop the balloon together. I was paired up with a 2-2 girl, a very smart girl, named "Aerie." She is in my extra English Conversation Class, and she is just a grand of a student. She and I struggled to get down there because our rhythm was off, but she and I got the job done. We paced ourselves by counting our steps, "1...2...1...2." Our team ended up winning the race. I was laughing really hard as girls screamed in jealously as Mr. Jang (the school dubbed "hottie teacher") ran down the path with a girl student.

Soni and Aerie Prepping for The Love Game...oddly named indeed.

Since the gym was at full capacity and filled to the brim with screaming teenage girls, the atmosphere was like a mix of being at a boy band's concert and the NBA finals. It was that loud. Girls can scream. They can sing and they can get crazy. They were singing all sorts of Korean pop and traditional (like, real old traditional) Korean faves as they cheered their teams along. Also, 1st level students supported their "sister" students in the 2nd grade, if their homeroom number corresponded with theirs. For example, my 2-3 girls cheered on the 1-3 girls when they did an event, and vice versa. It was a really unique atmosphere and it was fun to be in. In fact, after finishing neck-in-neck in the teacher/students' relay, Mr. Soni ran down the track and pumped some fists in the air to get the crown going. I did the signature Hulkamania/WWE ear call (where I circle my hands and put them on my ear to hear their roars of approval), to get them to pump me up for my next event. I figured, "I don't think I'll be in the state championship anytime soon, or even the World Cup Finals, so let's have fun now and just bask in the moment." The American side of gyrating my hands and pumping my fists, Allen Iverson style, was a huge hit with the ladies.

Then came the parade. Each homeroom went out there, dressed in crazy costumes, displaying some kind of theme about school, Korean life, or dreams. For example, some girls in 1-7 dressed as "bad students" who drank too much soju, while the rest of the class dressed as good students. Then, in front of the whole audience, the good students literally blew away the bad students, who fell in unison. Laughter erupted with a mix of applause.
The Parade: 2nd Level Girls Dressing It Up!

Some homerooms were really creative, and some were so-so, but the award of best production had to go to class 2-7. This is Mrs. Lee's class, who is an English teacher. Their girls went all out and did a wholesale mini-drama of stages of a Korean girls' life. From singing little kids' songs at their primary school age (where students dressed as baby kids), to a few of the girls dressing as "ajumma" and doing a crazy dance in which ajumma do at a certain age at dance halls, it was sarcastic but hilarious. It brought the entire house down.
Athletes, Doctors, Goofy Girls Oh My!

One highlight of that skit was one of the girls' in the class, dressed as an elementary school student, literally skipped to me as her production came to a close and gave me her lolly pop "prop" that she used, as a gift. I was filming their parade this whole time, so I got this student running up to me on tape to hand me her lolli, while I give her a thumbs up for her nice gift. I was very touched by her kindness.

Finally, after all the games, came..."the dance." Oh boy...I thought it would be one of the goofy dances where everybody does a group dance like in anime series, "AzuManga Daioh," (okay, if you don't know the reference, its all gravy), but no, it turned into almost like an American High School dance. Pop music started to play over the speakers as students rushed to grab our lady principal and forced her to dance.

I was dead before I could even move. One by one, each homeroom who had the chance to see me persistently grabbed me by the arms and pulled me into their class circle like I was about to get pummeled like a gang inititation. "Dance!" they cried!
Party Time!

Now, I'm no dancer. I like to dance on my free time, but that does not mean I can dance. There is a major difference between having the skills to do so and just doing it to do so.

Since I had such a fine time, I figured I give them a laugh riot and did whatever crazy moves I had within me. Various roars of approval, laughter, and screaming literally turned my eardrums into mush.

In fact, all the popular male teachers like Mr. Jang or Mr. Kim (2nd level teacher, not the English teacher), were forced to dance. The popular Ms. Han Bora, the darling lady teacher of the school, was dancing to the approval of her 2-5 students. Everyone got in on the act. I didn't know that Koreans had the "Bust A Groove" Syndrome in them.

Meanwhile, I sweated so hard because the room started to get hot, filled with the heat of screaming and crazy teenage women. The AC units were blasting right after the music stopped. Then came the awards for the winners...but I could not stick around to see them...I was off to the airport.

In the end, this was one of the craziest but most memorable events during my career here in South Korea. I remember last year's Sports Day at the boys' school, where it was very simple. They simply played competitive sports such as b-ball or soccer. They had a tournament with simple champions to be chosen.

Here, to get the girls to do something, they got creative, and the creativity sure paid off. Zany games, competition up the wazoo, and just having a good time by all was simply pure joy to see.

Seeing the singing, and the dancing (no offense, my fellow Baptists), I thought to myself about what heaven is going to be like. The room echoed with the chorus of fun and bouncy Korean music, with claps, drums, and PA microphones going off in many directions.

I thought, heaven will be like this, but way, way, way bigger. And we will be praising the One who gave us all the instruments of praise in the first place.

Wow! That was fun. Now off to Taipei...

Life at a Femalions' School

2008-05-29T05:04:00.001-07:00

Yeah,

Its overrated. Yet it is uniquely different and brings its own advantages to the table. The ladies indeed have their challenges to address when you teach them, especially as a male.

For example, in the beginning, they were happy to have a young, foreign guy come into the mix and fold, which was very exciting to them. Curious stares, random giggly Q & A's in the hallway, to the straight out "I love you's" and "Teacher you handsome!" comments. Its all exciting for me. What got me was random notes of "I love you" on the school playground where I shoot ball or on my chalkboard in my English Zone classroom.

Teaching them as well is a much more easier task. At Yeonsu High, the real challenge wasn't necessarily delivering the material, it was more just fighting them to get the job done! Here, the Korean girl student is at least a little more docile and obedient, so they play ball whatever style you want them to play it.

Yet at times, as a male teacher, you are more isolated from the student body. You can never get close with these adolescent girls, there is always is a drawing bottom line to which how much you can get close and get to know them. Its something God has put in my heart not to touch, but at the same it has given me wisdom on how to approach our teacher-student relationship in another way.

For example, with Hakik Girls' High Class 1-3, I use a dialog journal with them to write to me in a free way. I give them a topic to write about, give them a notebook to write it in, and away they go. The class brings me the notebook every Friday, I review it for errors, and send it back with a few comments and a new topic to talk about. Its a cool way to get to know my students better without really getting too close to them.

In the end, I believe the job that God has placed within me is noble and honoring. I never thought in my wildest dreams I would be working at an all-girls' high school. Its a humbling in a way, that God has allowed me to work with young femalions at such a tender age, and its real cool to somehow be a masculine role-model in their life, and one saved by Christ, in that matter. I hope and pray that they can see the Christ in me and see that I am a changed man, not a typical man.

Other than that, life is good as I prepare for a weekend trip to Taiwan. What new adventures will Soni experience in a land where they speak three/four languages? We shall see as Mr. Soni goes to the land of former Prez Chiang Kai-shek.

Also, Sports Day is next week. Will Soni score 2 goals like he did last year at Yeonsu? No. Because there is no soccer at a Femalions' academy.

Perhaps I can embarrass myself in some other way next week...

Until then, "zaijan."

Rock On!

2008-05-17T06:28:00.001-07:00

So, I'm back to the thick of teaching my ladies for the second half of this semester. Its been a fun experience.

So we did a class on "characteristics" recently, and one of the games for our vocabulary building is to have the kids post the new words onto the board to the right category. For example, "button" goes with "nose," and "slender" goes with "face." So, why the kids at each table were anticipating where each words goes, I blasted some Relient K music to get them going.

Relient K is a famous Christian rock band, which also has garnered much success in the mainstream culture. They are known for their stand for Christ's Truth, their discussion of emotional and life issues, and of course, their driving, powerful, fun, and absolutely great rock music.

I played the song called "Pressing On," a lead-off song from their 2001 album. It has a driving guitar melody, and a great set of lyrics that help motivate you to get off your chair and "press on."

I used the song for each class to do the activity, and one student, Ji-yong, from class 1-10, personally asked for the song title and band. She really liked the song. Then I used the song as an English tool for my after-school class yesterday, and it was such a huge hit. The ladies absolutely loved it. I taught them the phrases from the song such as "Pressing On" and "Keeping My Head Straight." It had a real positive theme about dropping your stresses of life and just to keep going, also with the idea that God is there for you every step of the way.

After we did our English conversation exercises, they asked to listen to the song again. Even better, I let them watch the music video online, which they really liked (cuz the ladies were digging the lead singer's looks, figures). But they just liked the concept of giving up the weight on your shoulders and doing what you have to do to make things work in your life.

So, I want to say thank you to Relient K for being a great ESL tool. They worked well last year when I taught my boys during the after-school sessions, and now my ladies are a fan of this hit Christian group. My strategy throughout the year is to use more of these Christian hits that use truth to let them know that there is a Savior that loves them.

"Pressing on, pressing on, my distress is going, going, gone..." (Pressing On, Pressing On)

The next song I'm going to use, which is perfect for a discussion on fashion, is "Picture Perfect," by Michael W. Smith. Talk about an oldie...

School Daze 2008

2008-05-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, its back to school with the kids coming back from their dreaded mid-term exams.

The kids seemed much more rested after a long weekend, but getting their minds to work today was a hassle. Yup, its good to be busy and be teaching again, but getting their brains to get back into the groove of things will be a challenge for the next few weeks. There's got to be some way to get them to study harder in my class...

I'm about to see the famed Iron Man film. I heard its big here in Korea and obviously back in the homeland.

We shall see how this another adapatation of a Marvel Classic fares...

Weather here lately has been cooler and damp, which is good. We've been getting a taste of early summer here, but the rains today kind of cooled off things.

In huge news, and sadly, news of disastrous proportions...China suffered a major earthquake in Sichuan Province, with an estimated 12,000 dead.

In neighboring Burma, another 100,000 passed due to a major cyclone.

An impending food crisis threatens many people through parts of the world.

"Only the birthpains..."

Life is precious, do your best in whatever you endeavor, for the Lord will judge every deed, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes)

The Game of Their Lives - Live Blog

2008-05-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Hawks. NBA perennial losers, has-beens, and a rebuilding headache case. National Basketball Asssociation's long-term project and outside the radar. Now on the verge of one of the biggest basketball upsets in history. In fifteen minutes, back in the United States, the Atlanta Hawks are going to begin a struggle of epic proportions...game seven against the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics begin this 2007-2008 season as the favorites. They have three all-star players in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and their long-time captain and one-team franchise player, Paul Pierce. They are written in the papers as shoe-ins for the NBA finals

As we speak, the Hawks are getting pummeled 44-26 at halftime. I'm listening to the radio after spending hours failing to find an Internet channel that would broadcast the game. Its 3AM in the morning here in South Korea; that's how big of a fan I am for the NBA.

Even though my favorite NBA team is the Washington Wizards (who sadly got trounced by the Cleveland Cavaliers in game six), I enjoy following underdog, rebuilding teams because eventually, they will go over the hump and start winning. The Wizards went through that rebuilding phase from 1997-2003, and the results after include four straight play-off appearances. Now, the Hawks, who haven't made the playoffs since 1999, not only squeaked into the post-season dance with a horrible record, they pulled off the improbable of actually tying the series, heading into today's games.

Put short, the Hawks are in a huge whole. A big whole. They've lost every away game this series by huge margins. Its hard to win on the road, it takes character to win against a hostile crowd.

To win today, the Hawks have to play the game of their lives. Josh Smith mentioned, "the better team for 48 minutes gets to move on. That's our mission. 48 minutes man, its all on the line for 48 minutes." (Paraphrase from ajc.com)

The Hawks have been perennial losers. They've picked bad players, had bad coaches, and some organizational issues. There was an infamous court case in which the team owners bickered over ownership, with the main issue about signing off for the trade for budding superstar Joe Johnson, who was brought over to Atlanta from Phoenix in 2005.

Their head coach, Mike Woodson, who has been with the team since 2004, has seen the lows. He inherited a losing franchise with his first year only finishing with 13 wins. Awful. They had a bunch of rookies in Josh Smith and Josh Childress who had no clue what to do. The rest of the players were utility men whose careers were already spent, like Tom Gugliotta (aka "Googs"), Kenny Anderson, Antoine Walker, Bobby Sura, and Kevin Willis. They had dysfunctional team play which resulted in many conflicts between players.

Tragically, in October 2005, Hawks big man Jason Collier passed away. He was a friend to many on that team, and losing a teammate had a major impact on their season, finishing 26-56 with many teammates shocked to see one of their own pass away so young and tragically.

The 2006-2007 season saw them improve and build on the previous year, raising their games in the win bag to 30. Mike Woodson was given one more year to build on this small success, lest he be axed. No pressure indeed, right? His goal: make the playoffs or he will be given his pink papers.

So, here is the young team, with a core of Josh Smith, the high flying shot blocker, Josh Childress, the utility wingman, Joe Johnson, the captain and franchise player, with gritty center Zaza Pachulia, and throw in new additions Al Horford (almost rookie of the year) and Acie Law IV (rookies), veteran point guard Mike Bibby (received in a trade), and they started to take off this year.

Through ups and many, MANY downs, this team finally has given the city of Atlanta it deserves...a winner. ATL is a famous city in America mainly known for its famous baseball franchise, but a b-ball team, there has not been hype since #21 Dominque Wilkins led the franchise.

If they win today, wow. If they lose, still wow. The success story of these Hawks is still amazing to me because they have built on each season since Mr. Mike Woodson took over these bumbling fools. He whipped them into shape, gave them an identity and guided them towards playoff glory. From 2004-2008, Woodson has guided his team from 13 wins to 37 wins. Not a bad job for a guy who had doofuses with oogles of talent but no guide.

Isn't amazing how our God can do the same, except on the maximum level considering our talent as human beings, which He created and LOVES to this day?

Just like the ATL, building our lives takes time. We truly all have talents and skills that God has instilled in us. Its time for us to listen to our coach, go out there, and play the "game of life." Whether you are a teacher, a nurse, a fast food worker, business owner, or fixing cars, God has put you in that role for a reason, its your turn to play it.

As we speak, the ATL Hawks are getting pounded 62-32 in the third quarter, so let's just say, it was a great run. Time to go to bed...just got back from Busan last night anyway.

Fond Memories of Japan Trip 2008

2008-04-19T19:43:00.001-07:00

I haven't really talked too much about my second long trip to Japan. The second time I went to Tokyo, northern Japan, and Osaka once again. The experience was rewarding as usual.

It was cool to be in the country again and make comparisons. I saw some really neat things and we (my friend Dave and I) ran into some neat people, Japanese and foreigner, as well as had some interesting experiences.

From seeing an awesome Japanese castle, while it was picturesquely snowing, to going to an onsen, or Japanese hot bath on the outside while it was freezing cold was really an awesome experience. Touring Tokyo, even though in many ways is similar to Seoul, was still awesome because this is one of the most important cities in the world. The sheer monstrosity and design is something to behold. Its like the city of the future.

Japan is truly an unique country. They are so special in that they have taken everything modern and "Japanicized" it. Cars are inherently built with a Japanese work ethic and flavor. The food is distinct and has its own quality and prepared with pin-point precision. Etiquette is done and spelled to the dotted "i." Everything from animation, games, schools, to government policy has a Japanese tint to it. To me, Japan equals order and precision, everything is done in a certain way.

One special memory of Japan was our fourth night in Tokyo. We had to switch hostels as we were preparing to leave Tokyo the next day and head to the Samurai village of Aizu-Wakamatsu. Unlike our previous foreign-friendly hostel, which was big and had many visitors...this one was really small. Each floor had a few rooms, but were really clean and had tatami floors. There was a small meeting room where travellers could gather, mingle, and use the Internet. There was space for a table and a TV for everyone to gaze at the wonders of Japanese television.

So it was night time, and here are us "gaijin" ("foreigners" in Japanese) just sitting around swapping our backgrounds. Its me and my friend Dave, two other girls from America, an European, and two Taiwanese girls.

Up comes this Japanese drama on late night TV, inspired by the famous manga called "Death Note." Death Note, even though very sinister and gloomy at its core, is quite actually intriguing. Long story short, a boy has the power to predict and write how people will die. He simply writes the act in a notebook, and bam, the victim is gone. Yet another boy, reluctantly paired up with a team of investigators, tries to stop him before he gets his next victim.

We all stopped talking and just started to watch the drama. The room is dimly lit as there is a curfew for nighttime, so it made the room a little more relaxing. We have no clue what they are saying, as there are not subtitles and its all in Japanese, but pictures count. The acting and filming were actually quite well done, as Japanese is a very dramatic language. There were some really intense moments of suspension where we just watched without talking. It was like a family of us were watching a movie together.

It was a fond memory because to me, we all stayed in for the evening just to relax. Dave and I were really worn out by the day's hauling around Tokyo. Just to do something mindless and simple such as watch TV was something new in our activity-filled trip.

Japan Part II was a cool trip because we covered alot more ground. I had some really fond memories of the place. You really learn about yourself when you are an environment that is not in your comfort zone, and the lessons from travelling with a partner, and sometimes, on your own show your true character at times. All for purpose, Romans 8:28.

A Waiting Period

2008-04-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about the story in Genesis 29:15-30 tonight. Its an unique story about Jacob, one of the patriarchs of the Jewish race. Jacob at this point in the beginning of time is on the run from his brother Esau, whom he tricked to give him both his birthright and his rightful blessing. Talk about having a grudge against your brother, Jacob booked it out of there to get as far away from his bro as possible! Esau was piping hot!

Well, this particular story is about Jacob's first two wives. Jacob is living with his Uncle Laban. Laban has agreed to give his youngest daughter, Rachel, to Jacob in marriage only if he works for him for seven years on his property. Jacob likes this because he has a thing for Rachel, who is supposedly a bombshell (verse 17).

Jacob puts his work in. He gets married, and he believes the wife given to him in marriage is Rachel. Yet for some odd reason, after lying with her on their wedding night, he wakes up to the face of Leah, who is Rachel's older sister! Is this some kind of cruel joke?

No. Laban, probably in a non-humorous manner, explains how in their culture they do not give the younger bride first; the oldest goes first. Laban does not even apologize (verse 27), and goes on to tell Jacob if he works for him another seven years, he gets Rachel as a bride too. Jacob, with no choice since he loves Rachel more, goes on to agree work for another arduous seven. The Trickster is tricked. The following week after he marries Leah, Jacob receieves Rachel as wife too, but is bound by this new contract.

Where am I getting at? I've lately been comparing last year with this year. The experience so far has been totally different compared to last year, sort of like a waiting period like Jacob's. No, its not like I tricked anyone to get this job, yet it was more of enduring a few things to get where I want to be in my career here in South Korea, and God has provided nicely.

In March 2007 I touched down in South Korea to begin my job at Yeonsu High School. Everything came at me in a shockwave: the new lifestyle (no more driving to lots of walking), adjusting to the language barrier, figuring how to do EVERYTHING, learning about Korean schools and their teaching environment, and just absorbing everything. It was like eating a huge plate full of enchiladas when I've been eating salad my whole life; everything's different. Sometimes to this day I remark how amazing it is how God got me through that time of adjustment to the culture.

To be honest, my first few months in Korea started rough. My apartment had nothing in it, so I started from scratch. It wasn't funished as advertised. It was small, and there were a smattering of problems with it (too much to go into detail). Learning how to adjust to living on my own was difficult at times, but thanks to our Lord for being faithful and introducing my family and some expats who really helped me out, my place because a personal sanctuary for me.

As for school, I had to learn how to do everything on my own. No one at the school really gave me a teaching guideline on what to do. I made up all of my lesson plans and I taught them with no revision by my co-teachers. I did everything solo and even though my teachers gave me suggestions from time to time, I picked up alot of training just by failing. Yet on a professional level, I had teacher friends like Bobby, James, and Dave whom we shared joys and troubles of teaching "Engrish" to little Korean kritters.

Another neat insight I learned today is the present situation at Yeonsu High School. I learned from the new native teacher at the school, Michael, said his freshmen class is a really nice crop. Former teachers of mine detailed to him that my class had a bunch of bullies and tough boys. They are right.

One of last year's bigger struggles was there were an odd smattering of boys who were just rough. Even some of my smarter boys had an edge to them. Not like they were hostile to me, but they had to be broken. The first few months of getting a few of my homeroom classes to pay attention was just outright difficult. Adjusting had to take its due course. Thankfully, by month four there was a grand union of understanding between us and I even made some of the rough boys get on my side. Teaching became easier from there on in.

I finished my Yeonsu experience on a good side. I finished strong. Now onto year two.

Just out of curiosity and a desire to get away from the boys, I've always desired to teach girls. From what I've heard from other native teachers, they are an easier bunch to instruct, even though, like I mentioned in my previous blog, they have issues too.

Now, its kind of not objective to compare this year so far to all of last year because I just got started. Yet I can make some observations on how different things have started.

For one, I've already gotten experience at my new girls' high school. Last winter, they were devoid of a teacher because the man had to attend to his ailing father. They called our school (Yeonsu High) to ask me to volunteer for their winter camp. I gladly accepted. So I was exposed to a smattering of students who would be entering their senior and junior years in high school. I already met some of the school staff beforehand.

It just so has it that there were two openings at two girls' Incheon high schools at the time: Incheon Girls High School and this one, Hakik Girls High School. I was actually slated to go to the first one, until a circumstance came up where they had to change my position, and the coordinator slotted me at HGHS. It turned out for the better.

My transition period to the school has been relatively smooth and without too many hitches. Its all about growth which makes seeings things in a quicker manner. The invaluable lessons I learned last year have made it so easier to start off well here at this ladies' school.

On a superficial end, I brought all of my old lesson plans with me. All I do lately is adjust them to fit their English level and make it more detail-oriented (girls love details), so instead of working long and hard producing lesson plans, its all about fine-tuning them.

Also, I know the flaws of the current teaching system for the Native Teacher Program (EPIK), and try to adjust to it accordingly. No more struggling with the system, I just do what I can within the current one and do it to God's Glory.

Finally, girls are docile. Guys, including myself, struggle with pride and egos, so some of them were too cool to be nice to "Mr. Foreign Teacher." One distinct advantage, of course this varies case by case, is how the lady students were quick to receive me, compared to the first few months at my guys' school. Like I mentioned before, I met 20 of the girl students at the previous winter camp. So, these ladies really helped me out by spreading the word about me (whether its good or bad, thats up to them) when they got word that I would be at their school this year.

So really, I'm in a situation that has been an outright blessing. The school, compared to other high schools, has a more humble background because some of the students come from poorer families. I teach a few mentally challenged students and one deaf student. Some of the girls come from broken homes. Hence, the mission and the challenge are greater this year. Yet like Jacob, even though he had to wait to get his desired bride, I got the perfect scenario in which God can continue to use me even more on a scale that I never imagined.

Finally, in some way, I am intrigued by ministering to students who are from broken homes or have a tougher streak. It'll kind of give me an edge too, to be strong to challenge them to be more and not settle to just be an average student.

Communication

2008-03-29T09:40:00.001-07:00

My second year here has brought new goals and ambitions. One of my major obvious goals is to improve my Korean communication. That's a given, simply because as I discussed before in previous blogs, I love languages and I believe God has given the gift of language to share my life with others.

Yet last year, there were moments of struggle because I put too much pressure on myself to learn the language. This is due to my unreasonable goal setting in which I believe the only way I could truly learn about my Korean heritage was to speak the language at a high level. I gave that up a long time ago. Well, not that I "gave up learning the language," but I dropped the serious tag about how to learn it. Since I'm learning the language as a "pay as you go" method (basically, get what I can from everyday conversations with fellow Koreans), I cannot necessarily get too serious about language study on a day-to-day basis because I teach English. Whatever I glean from each day, I put it to use.

Like today, Saturday. Our Korean Class for Foreigners (that I attend at Seoul's Sookmyung Women's University) took a break this weekend to have a class trip to Gyeongbokgung, or the national palace of the Joseon Dynasty. It is the grand chief of all palaces in South Korea. It has some awesome architecture and a cool museum with a brand new exhibition including artifacts relating to that era.

What was cool and unique was our teachers who hosted us today. All of our teachers are young females with alot of enthusiasm and kindness to help foreigners practice and learn the Korean language. Some speak decent English, but many don't speak it that well. Obviously, the interaction and conversations are done mostly in Korean. I am proud to say that I am in the Level 4 class, the highest that they offer (but that does not mean I am nowhere near where I want to be in terms of communication). My teacher, Seul Bin, is a kind-hearted woman who speaks slow and effective Korean. She was my tour guide today. Most of her outlines on the national palace were in Korean, albeit with the occasional translation of a word that I didn't understand into English. It was really hard to figure out what she was talking about at times, but it forced me to rely on the powers of context to get a meaning and analysis. Yet at the same time, it was pretty cool to figure out what she was saying and learn new vocabulary while I was at it.

The other host teachers were all humorous, engaging, and fun ladies who enjoy teaching the Korean language and meeting foreigners. I had a delightful conversation with one girl, in Korean, discussing topics from the Korean language, my unique bi-racial background, to the election coming up in Korea (for the national assembly), and to ours in America (BO vs. McCain).
As well as for other students who are in the other classes, the situation forced them to use their Korean to practice and effectively communicate. Its the only way to learn a language. For me, once I got the pride monkey off my back, learning the Korean language is now fun again. I don't have to pretend to know everything and simply go back to square one and learn the language through the pain and joy that I have been learning it before hand. Ask questions constantly, make mistakes, and just simply try.

As for the school situation, I am still pondering about how I can communicate to my students. I am dying to practice my Korean with my girls. Its sometimes eerily weird to try to communicate to them in all English, because they simply struggle with understanding me while I struggle speaking Korean, I want to get to know them better. I always reason that a little Korean would be useful on my part because it will show that I am learning their language, something I tried to do last year with my boy students.

However, most teachers and administrators in the EPIK (English Program in Korea) system do not want the native teacher to communicate in Korean to the students. They reason that this would defeat the purpose of "English Only" and take away the purpose of having a true native speaking partner for the students to practice with and to improve their English skills.

I wholly understand their point of view, and respect it. Korea is in dire need of teachers and in general, a new system that forces students to practice their speaking and listening communication. We foreign teachers are that solution.

On the other of the spectrum, we must think about the role of the native speaker in the public schools program. Our job is to improve the English ability of both the students and English teachers alike, and I simply want to do that to the best to God's Glory. Yet, let's think about reality of the native teacher and some positives of using Korean to communicate with students:

1. We live in Korea too. One difficult aspect of a native teacher who really wants to immerse themselves in Korean culture is that he is supposed to speak English all day. That's a given. If the teacher's first language is English, then its going to be natural for him to speak. However, outside the class and when school is over, we have homes to go to and business to conduct at supermarkets, banks, and hospitals. Not every Korean outside the school has decent English skills to help all foreigners out. One of the major difficulties for those native teachers who ardently study Korean is that it is difficult for them to switch from the English side of the brain to the Korean one.

2. It makes the students more comfortable. Many Koreans cannot stand the English language. As I discussed before in previous blogs, the way they teach actual English in the classroom is outdated and ineffective to teach effective verbal communication. Hence, sometimes the students, even though they gladly accept many native English teachers, see them as sort of too lofty to approach because they seem not interested in Korean language and culture. I remember how some students got really comfortable with me last year because of the fact that I occasionally practiced my Korean with them. On the other hand, some students treat the native speaker simply as a guest because they cannot really communicate with them on a deeper level. Knowing some Korean could help bridge that bond.

3. Its fun. Language exchange at a public school setting could prove useful and rewarding for both staff and the native teacher. It shows that the foreign teacher is making an honest effort in learning effective Korean communication, which then makes the Korean teachers more comfortable in approaching the native teacher to practice their English. Both sides can help each other. Also, most students quickly realize of who is learning their language from a person who is fluent in Korean, I mean they are not stupid in realizing that they cannot speak only Korean to the native teacher who is also learning their language. Its one thing for a Kyopo (Korean American) who is fluent in speaking both Korean and English, which is not effective at all for the classroom because the students would want to speak Korean with that teacher anyway. Yet for a teacher who makes mistakes with the kids trying to speak their language can actually be encouraging because they see that the teacher is trying and failing, so they can do so.

So, that's just something I have pondering about lately, and something I want to discuss with my teachers at my new school. I do not want to coast through this year without showing the true Korean side to me, and the honest effort I want to make to become a teacher who can use both Korean as an asset to help reinforce my English teaching. We'll see how the results come.

Please send me an e-mail at Minos24@hotmail.com if you have an opinion about this topic. Do you think its a good idea to just speak English to the students? Or mixing the native language in can be a more effective way to build trust and more dynamic learning? You tell me.

Femalions, Part II

2008-03-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

So I've been on the new teaching gig for three weeks. For the most part, the transition has not been that bad. Teaching girls in many ways is so much easier. Korean girls tend to be more docile here, hence the discipline is not as a big problem compared to my old school. I usually get through my lessons without a major setback in discipline or cooperation issues. I never had any problems with getting the girls to go along with activities.

However, the challenges do present themselves from time to time. As I know before about our femalion counterparts, women are more emotional creatures. That's a no-brainer, because Our Father made them this way. We as men and women are complementary for one another; a master plan if I ever saw one.

Now at an-all girls school, the discipline is not as a big problem, but dealing out the discipline can be a problem. Teenage girls, since they are growing up to become women, deal with alot of emotional change. So do teenage boys, but not at the femalions' level. Boys are very clear-cut about their emotions and hardly expose them to show their masculinity. I am a boy, so working at the boys' school last year, on a relational level was easier because we know how we relate.

So, when I have to deal with discipline or if a girl in class makes a mistake, they take it harder. They just do. Some girls don't like to be made fun of or teased, nor do they like to be singled out for their mistakes. They are highly sensitive to comments you make about them, either getting their hopes up or bringing much disappointment. I've made some girls sad by simply forgetting their name, or made a girl's day by telling them "good job" for something they did well.

I've come to the point already where I know that there are some areas to back off and not be as engaging. Being a second year teacher, my style is very engaging, hands on, and always trying to challenge each student individually. Yet this does not work all the time with girls because they are not ready to put themselves on the line yet such as boys, in other words, they are shy. Last year, sometimes I would go out of my way to talk to certain boys who had potential and try to engage them in English conversation so they could at least practice, but for the girls the comfortability is not there yet.

With a girls' high school, the pressure to perform and the Korean group mentality takes a different road and has an interesting take when it comes to classroom dynamics. Korean girl students, in my opinion, are more hive-oriented compared to their boy counterparts. I've noticed certain classes already where a few girls control the tempo of the class because of their boisterious personalities. On one end of the spectrum, some girls are very pushy, and to a degree, bullying-types who kind of enforce the others to keep in step with them. The tricky thing is to try to control them so I can get the other girls to participate in activities.

This phenomenon is also similar at a boys school, but at Yeonsu High I noticed its usually one boy student or two who control the overall personality of the class. Usually I had to find that "unique" boy who is either a comedian, an enforcer, or a clever man to get the rest of the class to follow. Successfully, I found those boys and sort of made them my allies to get the others to try.

For the girls' classes, its usually controlling the certain committee of ladies who sometimes try to enforce the will on the group. Yet, if its a good class, that "committee" could actually reinforce my material easier because they lead the exercises. For example, in my 1-3 class, all the girls are happy-go-lucky. There are no bullies or odd-ones-out; they work as a collective unit. There is a certain girl in the class named Da Yon, who is an extremely funny girl and class clown; she kind of puts a positive influence on her group to all try to follow my class. Outside of class, I've seen groups of girl surround her as she is very popular and funny. So the rest of the class kind of follows her style.

So when certain classes pile into the English Zone for my class, the ladies immediately pile to a certain table where they most feel comfortable, because each homeroom consists of about 44-45 girls. I've had a theory that with classes those size, I bet some of those girls still don't know certain members of their own class still. Its intimidating to study a language in that kind of environment.

Another thing I learned so far is the cautious approach I have to take as a teacher, especially as a male. Most of these girls have never been approached by a male because a majority of the students have attended all-female schools, and "real interaction" with the opposite does not occur until college (in Korean society). So at first, I tried to be outgoing, funny, and friendly with the classes, which is cool for some because they are comfortable with me now. Yet some of the freshmen girls are very shy and are not ready with my style of teaching, so I've taken a step back and I want to come to me when they are ready. It takes time.

So these wisdoms again, come through the successes, joys, and mistakes of teaching. They are invaluable. And they are provided by God, the God of all Wisdom. Like Solomon, I need all the wisdom I can get to "govern my new kingdom." In due time, I hope and pray not to be popular with the students, but simply to gain their respect as a teacher and mentor, and even better, their friend.

Femalions

2008-03-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

Picking up where I left off...I am now a teacher at on a total different end of the gender spectrum.

After tearing it up as a teacher at Yeonsu High School for one whole year, now I am ripping it up at...of all places...a girls' high school.

As I neared the end of my contract last term, I requested for a school transfer. Nothing against Yeonsu, because they gave me my start and I will be grateful for them for giving me the opportunity to teach there. Yet I desired a change of experience just to shake it up my here in Korea during my second year. Soon, I was placed at an all-girls school in Incheon.

Most high schools in Korea are still gender separated, while many more middle schools are becoming more integrated, like my friend James' school. I wasn't prepared for the change coming ahead...

So, the school is full of girls. Lots of em'. All of them! They all look like factory-engineered, porcelain dolls. Same hair, same uniform, many with the same looks, its like looking at a sea of barbie dolls. My boys grunt and fight, these girls giggle and scream. My boy students are loud and aggressive, my girls like to watch and giggle. They are a goofy bunch. The uniformity in their uniforms and hair styles just make it seems like they are all clones. Yet, that's the Korean system and that's what they go for: group unity towards higher learning.

I think giggle is going to be part of my vocabulary for a while. "Hee hee hee" this, "ha ha ha" that.

So far, the staff and students are kind of cool. My boys at the old school, at first, were really aggressive with me, but slowly started to warm up after a big thaw in frosty relations. The girls in Korea seem to be very docile, so it was very easy to start getting their attention from the get go.

However, there are some challenges that are presented to me. Being a young male teacher at a girls school, well you get the picture. They will be curious. There are other male teachers who get lots of attention as well, so the same treatment goes around. My biggest philosophy is to ask God to give me wisdom on how to be a friendly teacher without playing with the femalions' emotions.

Yet so far, I'm trying to downplay the barriers and just be a good teacher. Take the lessons I learned as a teacher from Yeonsu High and make them apply here, just take it from a different approach and be more sensitive to the femalions, whereas with the boys I was more direct and stern.

I learned today about my replacement at my old school. A Canadian man straight out of college like me, but with more credentials to teach. I hope to meet the guy and discuss the job with him.

So, that's pretty much it. I'm in a new neighborhood, the student body has changed, but the teaching remains the same. Its pretty cool to be teaching a Korean public high school. How many people have the opportunity to do that in their lifetime? Its unique indeed.

Being Sick Stinks!

2008-02-27T20:06:00.001-08:00

So I come home last Monday to a sunny and beautiful America. Fighting jet lag and all for about a week, I was having a grand of a time catching up with my family, my friends, and other peers I haven't seen in a year. Home is where the fun's at.

Then came Sunday...

A visit to grandma's...it was all good. My father, brother, and I chit-chatted with my grand-rents for a few hours and we head out to go home. Cough* Just one cough.

On the way back, two coughs. Still feeling fine. The more we get nearer to my house, I produce a few more coughs. I thought it was just seasonal allergies, or re-entry culture shock syndrome.

"Mark's coming down with something..." commented my father.

Despite the few times I have been sick in Korea, where, with the potent combination of healthy Korean soups and Korean medicines, I have been able to recover pretty fast, I felt like I was pretty immune to most communicable diseases by now.

Not this time. I came home at the perfect time: America is suffering from one of its more worse flu epidemics in a while. Before I even came back home, my mother and father suffered a horrible bout of the flu, putting them out for a combined 30 days. My sister-in-law also caught the flu, and so did her mother. My brother is on the run to not catch it. My friend Fawn's father is out with the flu. On the news, some schools had to even cancel wholesale classes because kids were out with the dreaded disease (something that would never happen in South Korea).

I succumbed. Its awful.

Monday morning, I woke up to a temperature that was near the Phoenix Suns' team scoring average (if you don't NBA stats, tis okay). When you have a fever, your brain simply cannot rest. So I woke up Monday with the sweats, chills, and your mind feels like it cannot rest while you try to sleep.

My body ached, at the same time I was tired, I was hot, and my whole body feels like you've been paralyzed by fatigue. Its scary sick. Basically, you're immobile. My parents, who thank goodness recovered by the time I got home (so we can say they are immune), know my pain and attended to my every need. All I could do was just sit and rest. This started Monday.

So all throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, I was out. Yet at the same time it was not like I was missing too much action. While I am here on vacation, everyone else I know is not. My brother is a working man (his wife is out sick), my parents had to go to work, my friends have school, other friends are working full-time, so for me, it was good for me to sit out. Ever since I got back from Korea, I've been straight doing things with my friends that I haven't been able to sit. Its not fun one lick to have the flu...its miserable. Yet I believe the Lord allow me to be infected so I can reflect and endure. You can learn a lot when you are physically sick.

For some reason, I do recall times when I really, REALLY sick. They are moments of total stoppage as they really impact the rhythm of your life. The last time where I was knocked out, where I had no contact with anyone except my parents due to my home isolation/quarantine and due to a vicious bout of the flu was in Spring 2006. I was swamped with homework and readings for my university study, but I came down with a bad run with that darn virus. That whole weekend, I simply watched movies and college basketball. I was miserable, but I just rested. Yet it was fun...

By Sunday, I was feeling the healing. God was slowly rehabilitating me, and I could feel it. The human body that He created is very resilient and built to endure. One of the most ironic things about that experience was that it ended up being one of the most fun weekends I ever had...simply because I had the opportunity to drop all of my responsibility plates and just rest. I watched some really great college basketball games that weekend (all the conference tournaments were going on...and tickets to be punched for March Madness).

This time around, I felt a little disappointed to come down with this thing. My time here for my home stay has been very limited to just 13 days, and coming down with the fluzy was the last thing on my agenda. However again, I waited patiently as the Lord just let me crash. I got a full year ahead of me starting March 3rd, a whole new school, a whole new job, and a whole new neighborhood to get acclimated to.

Yet one verse got me through these past few days: 2 Corinthians 4:16 - "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are renewed day by day." My body feels the pain, but my spirit is slowly coming back for a fresh start.

Hopefully by tomorrow my body can come back and go outside for a change. Don't want to rush it. Like I said before, my whole goal for this two week break is not to feel regret when I leave, but be recharged and spiritually get ready to go to meet the challenges that are ahead of me.

In the meanwhile, I have not watched so many NBA games in a long, long time...and its awesome. And on hi-def...its like I was at the game myself.

#20 - Marky

Home Sweet Home

2008-02-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am home, and it feels great. I touched down here in the DC Metro Area last Monday, and I've spent a good three days catching up on sleep and seeing all of my family/friends.

Nothing has changed here that much. Many of my friends are still locked in with many of their gigs that they were doing throughout the year, with the exception of a few getting engaged, one getting a new house, one getting a new job, and one having a baby.

I have been officially gone for almost a year, and its amazing I am back. I can't believe a year went by that fast. Sometimes, when I look back at the past year and coming back home, it feels like I never left. My whole experience in Korea...it feels like a dream to me.

I am slowly getting re-energized. I'm just sleeping in, spending time and joking with my friends, spending time with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and spending time with my parents. I am watching American TV (American Idol is still kicking it), using the computer, and taking care of business such as paying my dues to Uncle Sam.

I also got a PlayStation 3 today, which was awesome. I hardly buy big purchases, but after finishing a long year in Korea, I figured I award myself today with some entertainment and one of the top videogame systems in the world. The system rocks.

I visited my church, First Baptist Church of Waldorf last night. Everything still seems to be intact, yet with new changes in store. They have begun building a new sanctuary near the worship center, which has been a long time coming. The whole church is excited to have a permanent home to worship in and continue to grow and outreach throughout the burgeoning Waldorf suburb.

Coming back home after such a long stay away does bring "re-entry culture shock." The term being self-explanatory, there are some things that I found to be "weird" in coming back to my home country:

1. I can speak English at full speed! As an ESL teacher, I have been conditioned to speak at a slower rate to not confuse my students and teachers alike, and also conditioned not to use too many big words. This can take a toll on the verbal arsenal because I end up talking more slower than expected. Yet it was a great relief to have real, intelligent conversations at all corners with my family, friends, and with employees who help me out at stores.

2. Where are the Koreans? This one is a funny one. Its really funny that after staring at a populace that is homogeneous for most of the year (with the exception of Dave, James, and other foreigners in my circle), my visual contact has been accustomed to Asian people. Now being back again, my eyes are bouncing around to see whites, blacks, Latinos, oh my! Where I am from in Southern Maryland, the Asian population is quite small. Its kind of nice actually to see diversity around this area, the beauty of people's tones that makes our America.

3. Going to the Store/Bank/Restaurant - "I can understand them!" Ha, after a full year of immersing myself in a language learning environment where no one helps you and hardly no one speaks English, its nice to come back and be understood by everyone. However, I really enjoyed my time in Korea where I had to take care of business such as shopping and banking, all in Korean. Those kinds of situations only made me refine my Korean skills and learn from my mistakes. I learned how to order in Korean at restaurants through my mistakes, and I learned new vocabulary by bumbling at the bank or shopping. Yet, it was so cool today to talk to a representative at the bank and have a full-fledged conversation without stopping for understanding. Yea, it was cool.

4. Jokes - American Humor Inside humor is the best. Among one's circles, the jokes come out and you can really let yourself become you when you are around your best friends. Seeing my friends Jon, my brother Sean, Jordan, and my other friend Jon, we can really bring out the Humor Archives of some of the best and worst of our lives, but have a good laugh about them. My body felt so much better as I got to laugh about the memories of the past with my homies.

5. The Politics of America We have a huge election coming up. Its most likely going to be Senator Barack Obama vs. Senator John McCain. This election is not just an election of who is going to lead this country, but the election of the man (or woman) who is going to put trust back to the system. I really believe many of our citizens are fed up with the politics that we see today and the way we are combating the ills of our society (such as poverty, health care issues, and overall direction of our country) and the ills of our world (terrorism, global poverty, AIDS, and economic issues). Well, however you feel on the issues, I see a more resolve and fiery action among the citizenry to become more involved. Its nice to be in America, to follow the news and local events that are crucial for the upcoming elections. Take your pick!

6. Sports I love me some NBA Basketball. Shaq to the Suns, Bibby to the Hawks, Kidd to the Mavericks. Its becoming crazy in the Western Conference. Last night I watched my first NBA live game on TV, and it was Shaquille O'Neal's debut with the Suns no less, as they lost to the more dominant Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol-led L.A. Lakers. It was an awesome battle and fun to watch from my couch upstairs, late at night with my friend Jordan.

7. Home Simply put, its my house. We've been living there since 2002, and many memories were made there. Its been really cool to be home and just revive my spirit.

Though my time is limited here, I think it will be the right amount of time to gather my thoughts, prepare for the upcoming year, and spiritually get my act together. In some ways, this is true vacation.

Home...and Round Two

2008-02-16T06:27:00.000-08:00

I found out I had home leave. Right after I got back from Japan, my friend Dave pops to me that I am supposed to take home leave right before the beginning of my new contract.

So I got back from Japan literally last Sunday. When I found out this piece of news, I have only touch landed in South Korea for one week, in which I will be headed back to America the next.

Three countries in three weeks...I am true road warriors.

So thus ends my first year of teaching English in South Korea. It ends on a successful note. Going home. I miss home. I miss my family and my friends, and I am looking forward for an energon booster to get me going for year two.

I said goodbye to all of my teachers, prinipals, and staff, and of course, my students. My students were sad to see me go, but in the end I have to move and they have to move on.

In a twist of God's Will, He placed in at the same high school I worked at as a guest English teacher over the winter: Hagik Girls High School. As my friend Doug noted, "From one extreme to the other." I moved all of my stuff out from my first apartment and moved to an older, but more bigger apartment, which resembles my friend Bobby's apartment. Props to my friend MoMo for coming out to Incheon and helping me move.

Well, I'm just thankful to God that I got my apartment before I went home...because coming back to a new place with nothing set up would be an absolute logjam while being jet lagged.

But, enough of the worrying. I am tired. I am exhausted. Dave and I duked it out with Japan's natural and artificial wonders for two weeks, I had to pack up everything and move out of my office and apartment in one, while teaching, and try to say a brief goodbye to my Korean family throughout the week. Wow, the plane ride back to the States sounds great about now...sleep!

I'm going to enjoy that plane ride for once.

I'm going to miss Yeonsu High School though, even though I might stop by to say hi now and then. A great staff, great students, and a great English Zone really made the transition much more easier for me to come here to Korea.

I made a huge risk in asking for a school transfer, but the Lord's Will has put me into another good school. I'm looking forward to working with opposite end of the gender spectrum and do alot of comparing while doing classes...its going to be weird.

To even start over again in a new neighborhood is like coming back to Korea all over again: to find the supermarket, to find a bank, to find the local subway station, bus routes...yeah...I was a little stressed out thinking about it. But God kinda told me to just, "relax...go home, and let's take care of things when we get back." So let's go home for two weeks.

Things I want to take care of when I get home:

a. Mexican Food - I miss Mexican food. I'm going to go to Mexico Restaurant and get me some Mexican food.

b. Taxes - I have to pay dues to Mr. Sam sometime

c. Register to vote absentee - someone has to be president by my decision

d. Church - church family is important. I miss First Baptist Church of Waldorf and their support for me this whole year, especially through prayer

e. Rest - no thoughts about Korea

f. Laughter - talk about things that we Americans can understand, especially humor

g. Fellowship - catch up on a year's worth of fellowship within two weeks with my family and friends in Christ

h. Sleep - I never get enough

So, Goodbye Yeonsu as I open the chapter to Hagik...only God can use me to be an effective tool for his Kingdom.

Mark 9 says, "'If you can?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.'"

2008, I believe.

Byakkotai

2008-02-03T04:46:00.000-08:00

I've been to Japan for almost one whole week, and the experience has already been special.

I tackled the huge monster called Tokyo for one week. Let me tell, it was chaos! Tokyo is one of the most dense cities in the entire world, so everywhere was just an onrush of humanity. Good thing my new travel partner Dave and I stayed in a hostel on the outskirts of the city, because it was absolute madness. My first hostel experience was awesome. Very friendly staff, and the travellers come from all parts of the world who are friendly and very open-minded to new cultures. Obviously you sort of have to be or else you will have a hard time travelling. So staying in Tokyo was really great because I got to sight-see during the day, and come back to a very friendly hostel that has great people you can meet and share your adventures with. I met people from Europe, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Korea. What was even more neater was to listen and learn about some of these people's hopes and ambitions for life. Some want to study Japanese, some want to live here in Japan, and some just want to see the world. We all have a story to share.

Tokyo has so much to offer, something will have to click according to your hobbies or interests. For me its the history and the cultural relics. For others it could be the international flavor in the Roppongi district, Japanese youth culture in Shibuya (and the awesome crosswalk that you see on TV where there are four crosswalks filled with people, while surrounded by huge, neon-lit buildings), the entertainment districts in Shinjuku, and the quiet parks in Ueno. So it had something for everybody. Dave and I were really keen in the Akihabara District, which offers girl and boy geeks their fantasies in the form of manga, or Japanese comics, or anime, Japanese animation, or other major stores containing all their electronic needs. There were videogames galore, which was very tempting and fun for my hands to press the buttons of a Japanese Nintendo DS.

We spent a few days in some cities in Northern Japan, thanks to our train pass that allows us unlimited rides on the Shinkansen, or bullet train, in the northern areas of Japan. Getting out of Tokyo was so tight just because you can see what the "burbs" are like. The town we stayed at last night, Aizu-Wakamatsu, reminds of a small midwestern town in Illinois. Very quaint and low key, and the mountains surrounding the city just made it seem like Colorado-like. Even Japanese style fast-food restaurants seemed to resemble their American counterparts as they lined up the small streets. People seemed more friendly and more laid-back compared to the city folk, as a I met two Japanese ajumma who helped us with directions, but proceeded to ask me questions about my background...in Japanese! With whatever Japanese skills that I derived from my textbook, I managed my first basic converastion in Japanese...that was a riot!

Aizu-Wakamatsu is a famous samurai castle town. It has an awesome samurai villa (we couldn't see it due to time contraints), a huge castle called Tsuruga, and a shrine on Imori Mountain. One of the most famous of samurai stories in all of Japan took place in Aizu-Wakamatsu, which tells the story of the "Byakkotai," or the White Tigers. The Byakottai were a group of 20 teenage samurai warriors who fought in the Boshin Wars of 1868. They were all just a mere 15 or 16 years old as they were recruited and trained to fight against the newly formed Meiji Imperial Government. In a tragic twist of fate, after fighting against the government near Tsuruga Castle (which we saw today), they retreated to nearby Imori Mountain, which we also saw today. There, as they rested, believed to have saw their castle and feudal kingdom being burned to the ground. In anguish and in honor, the warriors, all teenage boys, killed themselves through "seppuku," or ritual disembowelment. They did this as an honor and to remain loyal to the Aizu clan to whom they served. However, in a tragic twist of fate, the castle was not destroyed by the government, it was just the surrounding countryside that was on fire. The fall of Aizu would not come for weeks.

Basically, they killed themselves for nothing. Only one teen survived, a 14-year old who lied to get into the Byakottai unit, and he went on to tell what happened. As I went through the castle, I saw portraits of these young guys who killed themselves to keep their honor, all young faces eager for battle. It hit home for some odd reason.

In one part of my mind, I was like, "why did you waste your life like that?" Then, despite what seemed to be a waste of life, there is a method to their madness. Jesus says, "those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life will save it." These boys were headstrong, energetic, but so ready to fight and die for their lord.

I think about all the missionaries and Christians in the world who go to dangerous situations and give up their livelihood to spread the Gospel. Many have paid with their lives with it. I saw sometimes wonder about their bravery and their willingness to go the distance with Jesus. Its a fascinating thing to read, for example, North Koreans going back to their country just to share the Gospel. That's bravery, honor, and loyalty to our Lord.

So through this historical tour of Aizu-Wakamatsu, Tsuruga-jo ("Jo" means castle in Japanese), and the Byakkotai Memorial on Imori Mountain...I learned about one major aspect about samurai life that shows how dedicated some of these warriors are...to loyal and to serve their Lord to the end.

Do I have enough faith and gusto to serve my Lord and Master till the end? Looks like I need more training now...

For now, I am a Samurai who needs more training.

Its V-Time: Vacation Time

2008-01-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

Jyea! I'm outta here tomorrow.

I'll be rolling in Japan for a while, so if I happen to find a PC, I'll put some entries about my escapades in the Land of the Rising Sun.

I finished three straight weeks of winter camps, two at my school, and one at the local girls high school. It was like a race to the finish, and the finish line smells real good after all that hard work.

Props to God for giving me patience, to enjoy the experience of 2007, and teaching me new things. Japan is going to rock!

I'm out.

Appreciating Differences

2008-01-15T05:12:00.000-08:00

"...and Japan also believed that everyone from the outside looking at Japan thought this way as well (that everyone in Japan is essentially the same). They are teaching them 'everyone is the same.' Everyone is the same, so you don't discriminate. But in fact, indifference, disregard, basically the lack of appreciation for peoples' differences becomes discrimination."

- Dr. Yasunori Fukuoka

Saitama University

I was watching a report on Al-Jazeera English TV (on YouTube) about the plight and struggle of the Zainichi Koreans living in Japan, who face discrimination if they reveal their identities as Koreans. The above statement is very profound because it is so true in our world today, and my thoughts about the professor's insight kept rolling.

We live in a world that is globalizing. With communication and travelling become more accessible and cheaper, more people are on the move. People's curiosity about the outside world have never lived in a prime time of opportunity to pounce on their desire to seek and sightsee places of other cultures. That's why I'm going to Japan again! Jyea!

I think the biggest challenge for societies, especially in East Asian countries like Korea and Japan, is how will they cope with this trend? Living in South Korea for ten months now, one of the biggest fads for future is "we are the future hub of Asia," aka hub for technology, transport, and economic cooperation. Koreans are trying to make their society improve by making it English-friendly (which they've done especially well), implement English instruction in the classrooms, and recruiting all sorts of foreigners for works of all kinds. Trends for success? We'll see.

At first glance, Korea is a wonderful country built on a strong economic uprising (even though it got somewhat rocked in the late 90s due to the major financial fallout). It is home to some of the most powerful companies in the world (Samsung, Hyundai, KIA, GM-Daewoo, POSCO, LG), and a society that is very modernized and well off.

But for some friends and I, becoming comfortable is a difficult task. Being a foreigner, I have alot to offer this country. Globalizing means to share in each other's cultural assets and improving on them, to create inter-cultural understanding.

Yet, one of the interesting things about Koreans, especially in very remote places in South Korea, they have hardly seen or met foreigners. They stare at them (I too am a foreigner, but I attract less attention because I fit in better, until I speak English) and some like to point, which is rude to us. To them its not rude, and they are just being curious.

My quick and major point is that to really become globalized is to change your way of thinking. It does not mean you have to sell out your culture so that you can suck up to the English-speaking world. On the contrary it means to adapt and showcase your culture in a way that people can understand it.

One writer, Maarten Meijer, wrote in a book called What's So Great About Korea, Maarten? that Korea has this "us or them" mentality. Basically its us (Korea) versus the world. "Our culture is unique, only Koreans can understand it, you can't touch it."

Yet slowly and surely, the trends are changing. I'm seeing more mixed couples in the street, usually a male foreigner and a Korean woman, a more diverse foreign community here in Incheon/Seoul, and a more influx of foreign influences. What Korea can start doing is take the English education that they are so desperate for and start using it, share their culture with us! That's one of my purposes of coming here...to share with my students that there is a world out there for the taking, and I want to learn from them.

The older generation, though appreciative of the foreign influences that helped shape Korea for the better, seem not ready for change. They want to keep the culture and way of life intact. They sometimes distrust foreigners because of the stuff they see on TV or from the stereotypes they get from films or the general media. They are not sure these new trends of globalization will benefit them or start to change their people for the worse.

The solution is that you don't have to change your country...just appreciate the differences from your new friends, the foreigners, and add the things that you can use to help improve your society. Appreciation means saying, "wow, that's neat they are from that culture. Tell me more." Indifference means "wow, that's weird. Don't tell me more."

Appreciation or indifference? Take your pick. Look at my country or South Africa to see the reprucussions of the latter. It can be done.

Back to Japan...Return of the Dragon

2008-01-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

Classes are out for the winter break...but since Korea is the bastion of educational junkies, classes are not really out for winter break. From 8-12PM everyday, there are "supplemental classes" to make sure the children stay on top of their game. I know, its crazy in this country when it comes to the amount of effort kids put into education and you wonder why these kids just take a "huge nap," but you have to realize what it comes down to: competition. The other kid may get some more "education" (tutoring) elsewhere, so "I must take this extra class to stay ahead of the game." Its a tough life for the young one in this nation, but I know the system will crack sometime...

Another topic. Weather has warmed up recently after a spell of vicious Siberian winds pounding the peninsula lately. Today was a gorgeous day in Seoul, South Korea, as I went to my Korean class and went through the shopping district of Myeong-dong with a friend of mine.

I have to conduct three winter camps this January: two for my 1st and 2nd level students at Yeonsu High School, and recently I volunteered to take on a camp at a local girls' high school in another district in Incheon. I will definitely enjoy this period because I can work with a less amount of kids, be more relaxed with my boys, and just flat out have fun. What will get interesting is how this girls' camp is going to run, because I have never taught English to a bunch of lady students...we'll see the results in a few weeks.

Now, to the title of the post..."Back to Japan." For my winter break, I decided to go back to Japan. I just can't get enough of the Land of the Rising Sun! My teachers were also curious why I wanted to go back a second time.

The reason I'm going back is simple: I just like it. That's it. Its modern enough, and in some ways, more neo-futuristic enough to keep you amazed (in the cities) while maintaining a historical and natural aura to keep your mind engaged. Japan is historical and advanced in many ways, from technology (robotics and electronics) to its olden samurai eras (the many Shogunates that lead the chaotic nation).

Also, in respects to Korea, the two nations are similar enough to have some realistic expectations about their societies: such as top-down social orders, Asian work ethics and laws, and a sense of restraint and discipline to their peoples. So I have some sense of what I'm getting into when I enter a Japanese city.

However, the differences between Japanese and Koreans are different as night and day. I want to go back to do more "social/cultural" comparing between the two nations. I also want to practice and try more Japanese, which is clearly minimal now at the moment, but its a language that I eventually want to learn.

Perhaps this time around I can make more Japanese friends and perhaps a pen pal. That would be kinda cool.

So, towards the end of January, my new travel partner, Dave, and I will step back into the land of the Rising Sun...and see where God takes us as we take another angle on what life is like in East Asia.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everybody.

I hope you make new plans, goals, and work hard to achieve them. Stay healthy, enjoy your life because you are created by God, and continue to grow in Him.

2008 is going to be...in the words of Tony the Tiger: "Grrrrrrrrreeeat!"

End of the Year...Have No Fear...Change Is Near!

2007-12-30T01:13:00.000-08:00

So the Fall 2007 Semester has officially ended, and my first full teaching year is done...yes. Yes! About diddily time! For serious, it was really a long semester, with some challenges in learning how to be a better teacher while fighting/working with the Korean education system.

Its been an interesting ride of growth, learning to work inter-culturally with my Korean co-workers, while mentally and spiritually challenging myself to be more stronger. This past Fall was also a season of beauty in Korea, and I remember some of the best of moments of my tenure in Korea were my two trips to Busan and a trip to the Yangjae Citizen Forest, which boasted some of the best in Korean natural beauty.

To be more concrete, 2007 has brought some great victories. I am blessed by God to see where I'm at now, and I still marvel at God's Power and how He works.

Some things that I have accomplished that I give credit to the One that is due:

1. My Korean skills have vastly improved - I was so shocked by this one myself to this day. In 10 months, my Korean speaking and listening skills have grown very surprisingly. I credit this to pain. Yes, no one likes pain, but that's how I gained. And I'm talking about how to really learn a language: to mess up, to learn from it, to slow down, and keep practicing. Ironically, I am here to teach kids how to speak the English language, but I have progressed on how to speak Korean in a variety of situations in 10 months than most of my kids have learned how to speak English in 6 years. That's a shame, because my kids know all the grammar and vocabulary, but they never use it. So I would like to take this moment to brag because I stumbled, got frustrated with Korean, but God used it to humble me while I slowly grow in the language sphere. And I got still lots more to learn...more pain anyone?

2. I got to know my relatives better - That was one reason I came...to meet my relatives against and get to know their lives. Its been a real blessing to spend time with my mom's side of the family and gain insight on how their lives have been working out. I hope to continue to grow in Korean language so I can share my life with them, and learn about theirs.

3. I am slowly getting a grip on how to teach - but I am nowhere near good still! I just came to realize a simple formula for teaching ESL - warm-up, game, concept, visual, and cool down. "Keep it simple," Bobby said, "and they should be okay." Bobby was an experienced teacher from Ohio who knows his stuff, and he taught me to simply keep my lessons focused and don't focus on details. Learning a foreign language is tough as it is, but Korean kids, they can only handle so much info. Also, I learned to be creative and find topics that they want to learn about it, and not just conventional book stuff.

4. Travelling Skills - I am proud of the fact that I figured out how to use the subway and bus systems in due time, and more recently, how to use the KTX and other long-distance trains. It will be useful in my upcoming year to travel around my mother's homeland and see more of natural Korea.

5. Fellowship of the King - a play-on words about the famous film, I have to give props to my friends Trey and Becky for giving me a strong Fellowship of the King, or Jesus Christ. There are many Christians who say they are Christians, but they don't really take it seriously and just use it as a crutch. These two missionaries have been helpful in my spiritual walk and keeping me accountable as a growing young man. I hope to keep the Fellowship alive for 2008.

6. Understanding the Korean Soul - I just got back from an End of the Year Teachers' Retreat yesterday, where we went to a ski resort in Pochon, north of Seoul. This whole year has been a learning experience on "who is a Korean." I've gained many insights to Korean character, their dreams, their challenges in Korean society, and ultimately, what motivates them. I'm still not done though. During the trip, I got to see these Koreans at their most vulnerable and more real side to them: caring, fun-loving, passionate, and hearty people.

7. Becoming a Man - means I had to face issues on my own without the help of my parents, brother, or my friends from home. Even though I had the Fellowship of the King, I had to face these problems on my own. It was cool to see how I had face them and become a little more humble in the process.

So what is my goal for 2008? I'll let you know soon.

Life keeps going, despite the crazy issues in the world such as former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, the war in Iraq, the 2008 Election in the US, global warming, breakdown of morals and truth in society, and the list goes on.

2007 closes, a new chapter begins, this time in a foreign land.

We shall see what new adventures Mr. Soni will land in next.

For Foreigners In Korea...Life Takes A New Visa

2007-12-21T03:29:00.000-08:00

There's been uproar in the online community here in South Korea...particularly for the expats who teach English in this country.

Not too long ago, a Canadian named Christopher Paul Neil was arrested in Thailand last October on child molestation charges. This guy also taught in Korea for a while too, but this guy would make trips to SE Asia and do some very wicked things to people, and adding insult to injury he would put it on the Net. Soon, cops were his tail like white on rice, and soon enough, they busted his tail and hauled him off. Case closed.

However, slowly and slowly, the news trickled back to Korea that this guy who got arrested revealed that he was a former teacher in Jeollanam-do Province, which is on the southwest edge of this nation. The media fallout that followed this arrest had some really tough reprocussions.

Keep in mind foreigners are not viewed with the best of intentions in this country. Whether they are here to fill dirty jobs that Koreans will not work (many migrant workers from South or Southeast Asia), or to teach the wonderful language of English in the many private academies (hagwons) or public schools, foreigners are welcomed, but are perceived with stereotypes and misunderstandings. Of course, this problems is in every country that receives foreigners, especially my own, where stereotypes remain supreme based on class and race, especially outsiders.

Long story short, the Korean government made some new reforms of how the Korean schools recruit foreigners for English programs. The Visa that most foreigners get today is called an E-2, or language instruction visa. In the past, many programs and schools recruited people from the major six nations that are deemed major English speaking nations: the USA, Canada, the UK, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The process depended on each school, but being in the public school program, I had to submit a local criminal check to let them know I'm not a hoodlum out to drop bows on my students. I also did a health checkup to verify that I'm kicking it and not kicking buckets, and I submitted a verified copy of my diploma so they know I'm legit and not forging it.

The Korean government is now trying to track down those who come and go out of this country illegally, and trying to reform a system of just bringing English-speaking goofs who "cause social turmoil" in this nation, which is the charge in the new legislation.

In many ways, I think reform is necessary. There is an adverse selection problem when it comes to recruiting some teachers: some schools, especially the private academies, sometimes recruit socially or culturally insensitive people who are here just to make a buck but have no interest in Korean people and their culture. They just binge drink and keep to themselves without making efforts to make their experience more worth it.

But the way the Korean government wants to reform is just wrong. They are now requiring teachers to get criminal background checks at the central government level, and America simply does not do that, because most checks are done at a state level. If you want an FBI background check, it will require a good 6 months to get down and dirty on a person, but the job seeker and recruiter alike don't have that time to do that, neither does the school. Korea's demand to globalize and learn English cannot simply put up with a new bureacratic nightmare that faces the applicant when he or she has to rock several state criminal checks just to show they are legit.

Many expats in this country call these policies racist, and in many ways, they already dampen the worse reputation foreigners have to put up with in this nation. What reputation? Foreigners are portrayed in the media as money grubbing, womanizing, and ill-qualified teachers. Yet for the reforms, to me the major issue is what is Korea doing now to improve itself to be a major world player, a globalized nation ready to receive more visitors? This is not the way to do it.

Policies like this will make expats here have more to put up with...as Korean people might see from the fallout of the Canadian pedophile's case to stereotype the many who are doing the right thing here in this country and trying to earn a decent living while trying to enjoy life in East Asia.

So, foreigners have to get the same visa to keep teaching, but now in tougher circumstances. Its going to be a difficult pill for many to swallow, but I think the losers on this one is the Korean community. The more they view foreigners as just commodities (for English-speaking skills or cheap labor), and the more the Korean government discourages the labor pool by putting policies that restrict applicants, it could be just another wide turn towards more ignorance.

Its reality though, and I think it will give more foreigners a fresh new challenge to overcome before Korean society realizes how much they need us for a mutual friendship, and not just for each other's benefit.

Movements in Korea

2007-12-19T04:38:00.000-08:00

So there was a big election today. Unless some major fiasco hits, the winner will be a conservative candidate by the name of Lee Myeong-bak, a former mayor of Seoul. His whole platform is to transform the South Korean economy to become the 7th biggest in the world. Right.

Thanks to Election Day, it was a day off for the majority of the country, including myself, so I went to COEX Mall in Seoul for some shopping. After a few hours loafing around there (and not buying anything), I found myslf fighting a sea of people. It was a day off, and with Christmas right around the corner, I'm here in an exodus of materialistic eye-shoppers storming the gates. They just kept coming in waves and waves, so I essentially had it with the density and rushed back home. I was like, "I'm out yo!"

Home sweet home. Its kinda funny even though Korea is not my permanent home, my apartment is sort of my refuge. That's what a home is, even though I'm not a family man yet, a home is a place where you are more than welcome and there is peace. You can be yourself and God makes my home. I like that concept of "home." I hope to build a home with God in the center one day me-self.

In other news concerning my contract situation, I've decided to re-sign for one more year in the school program. However, the biggest development in my free agency is that I requested a "trade," or asked for a transfer to go to another school.

I told my VP this past week about my decision, and if things go well, I'll be looking at a new school next year.

It was really a tough decision, something I have been mulling over for months, literally. I almost wanted to opt out and pursue Korean language learning at an accredited university, but with grad school plans in the works, saving cash money and travelling is a better pursuit for now. The Lord might open new doors in the future here in South Korea, but I feel confident in this decision.

In the end it came down to experience. I know my time in East Asia will not be forever, so I had to think about priorities and my effectiveness as a teacher. Staying at this high school has so many advantages: I know the staff, the teachers, and the students, and I know what the program is like. I have my apartment. I know the area.

However, moving to another school means a risk. A risk of going into a less-supported English program, not-so-supportive staff, or a student body that is generally not English-tuned. I have to start over at a whole new place. But risk is always a part of life, and as a born-again Christian, "all things work together for those who love God." (Romans 8:28)

I'm not worried about the future as I'm moving on. I still have 2 months left to finish up at this school, so there is plenty of time to improve my skills as a teacher, to prepare for future plans, and to continue to learn Korean language and culture. Ultimately, two months where God can still use me a vessel of light to the people I encounter at my school.

In other cool news, I won a small second place prize for an essay contest for English teachers. It was a contest about English Education in Korea, so it was nice to see my writing skills pay off.

Have a great week.