After teaching and working for almost 6 months, I finally decided to take a personal day and give myself the opportunity to just relax on a day that I "should" be teaching. I slept in until 7, got up and got a run in. Then I bummed around and watched some American television on my computer and finally made my way to Myeong-dong. Myeong-dong is the main shopping district in Seoul. It has a bunch of international clothing stores and shoe stores and make-up stores, etc. I read that on an average day more than 2 million people visit Myeong-dong. As I have been working for months and saving most of what I make and counting every penny I spend, I decided that I'd pamper myself a bit on my day off. I went and got a pedicure and then hit the shops in Myeong-dong. I found some cute dresses and shirts. Overall, it was a successful day. But I would be lying if I said that I'm feeling relaxed and cool, calm and collected after my day off. Honestly, I am stressed to the MAX!
Twice a year, my school hosts an Open House for each class. Open House is an opportunity for the parents to come and see what their students have been learning at our school. In theory, it seems like a great idea. I love the idea of parents coming into my classroom and seeing what my students have been learning and how far they've come in the last couple months. However, in practice, Open House is terrible! Instead of running a normal, everyday class, we perform a scripted class. For the past 2 months, my students have been working on perfecting this scripted class. They are expected to speak perfectly when their parents come so their parents will see how much they've learned, even though half the time my students don't understand what they're saying. They've just memorized their lines. If Open House doesn't go well, parents pull their students and put them in other schools. So obviously us teachers have a ridiculous amount of pressure to perform perfectly. My Open House is on Friday. And just thinking about it and writing about it right now has caused 3 new stress canker sores to pop up in my mouth. My students are so unpredictable. I've bribed them with everything I can think of to make sure they perform to the best of their abilities. (I know...I'm a good teacher...right?)
Additionally, I am taking the LSAT in 10 days. I only have 10 days of studying left...AHHHHHH!!!! I've already taken this stupid test once. Still I cannot help but feel that my entire future is riding on my performance on this test. I tell myself hourly, at least, that God has a plan for me, a plan to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Yet they feel simply like words that leave my mouth and then fall to the ground and shatter. My deepest prayer is that sometime soon, preferably in the next week and a half, these words that I continue to recite will settle in my heart. How much easier it is to say something rather than actually believe it.
I guess what I'm trying to say is life is good, but right now life is also very stressful, difficult and confusing. I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I work through Open House in the next couple days, take the LSAT on the 26th and ultimately work on believing God's promises for my life.
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Lame.
I feel so domesticated. And so old. And so LAME!!! The highlight of my day was going to the grand reopening of the grocery store in my neighborhood after work. Yes, you heard me right...the highlight of my day. I'm not exactly sure when I turned into the person who counts down the weeks and days until the nearest grocery opens or who is brought to tears by classical music or who dresses for comfort above all things or who records every single cheon won (10 cents) that is spent, but I have an inkling that it happened here in Korea while I wasn't looking. It's odd to think how much my life has changed in such a short amount of time. Sometimes I see myself changing ever so slowly as it happens. And then other times, like today, it hits me like a sudden flash. I do something which seems to myself so out of character and am reminded that time marches on as much as I may try to force it to stop. As I come to grips with the fact that time will not stop and therefore that I will continue to change as time runs its course, my only prayer is that I change for the better; that I become more loving, more patient, more kind, more compassionate and more Christlike. Just a simple thought from a simple and more usually than not confused young woman.
News on the street is that Kristy is finally going to have her baby. I can't wait to see pictures of my new little niece, Amelia! Keep Kristy, Rudy, Amelia, Noah and the entire Kash family in your prayers.
I love you all and miss you more with each day that passes.
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
News on the street is that Kristy is finally going to have her baby. I can't wait to see pictures of my new little niece, Amelia! Keep Kristy, Rudy, Amelia, Noah and the entire Kash family in your prayers.
I love you all and miss you more with each day that passes.
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Monday, May 30, 2011
"Ointment for the Oral Cavity Disease"
I think I'm quite lucky to have a pharmacist that speaks English at a pharmacy near my school. I can't even begin to imagine trying to act out or gesture medical symptoms to someone who speaks no English in hopes that they will be able to decipher my motions correctly and give me medicine that will actually help my ailment. Nevertheless, I'm always pretty apprehensive to take Korean medicines that I've picked up at the pharmacy or gotten at a doctor's office. More times than I can count, one of my co-workers has come back from the doctor's office with a Ziploc baggy of 40-50 unlabeled pills and instructions to take these pills together twice a day and these other 2 pills every third day or something like that. What boggles me even more is the fact that most of my co-workers begin popping these pills without a second thought about what they might be.
A couple of days ago, I made my way into the pharmacy. I've had these terrible canker sores taking over my mouth for the past couple weeks, and I had reached the point where I couldn't suffer through them for one more day. I walked in and told the pharmacist that I had 4 canker sores in my mouth that were making it really difficult to eat or talk or brush. He nodded his head in understanding and then asked, "Pill or ointment?" I looked at him rather puzzled. I had it in my head that I was looking for something similar to Anbesol or Orajel; something just to soothe the pain while the canker sores healed on their own. After all I had read pretty extensively that there isn't really any cure for canker sores. I told him ointment. I was, then, handed a small box with a tube of ointment in it and instructed to apply twice a day.
Now if I wasn't already skeptical about taking Korean medication, I quickly became so. I had a real issue with squirting some unknown gel into my mouth twice a day to heal my canker sores. I fumbled around with the box trying to see if there was any clue as to what this magic medicine was. It was then that I ran across the description of my medicine, "Ointment for the oral cavity disease."
I silently thought to myself, "That sounds terrible! Oral cavity disease...surely this can't be right." Twenty minutes later the pain in my mouth took over my skepticism and I decided to give this medicine a shot. I applied a small bit on one of my canker sores to test it out and was more than a little surprised when the gel turned into a malleable wax that clung ever so tightly to gum. It was not what I expected. It was weird. But it worked. Here I am a couple days later, canker sore free. I still have no idea what exactly I was applying to the inside of my mouth 2x a day, but I'm still alive. I guess I should just trust the pharmacist when he so assuredly gives me something to take.
Well I'm off to say farewell to a teacher that is leaving tomorrow. Enjoy your Memorial Day!!!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
A couple of days ago, I made my way into the pharmacy. I've had these terrible canker sores taking over my mouth for the past couple weeks, and I had reached the point where I couldn't suffer through them for one more day. I walked in and told the pharmacist that I had 4 canker sores in my mouth that were making it really difficult to eat or talk or brush. He nodded his head in understanding and then asked, "Pill or ointment?" I looked at him rather puzzled. I had it in my head that I was looking for something similar to Anbesol or Orajel; something just to soothe the pain while the canker sores healed on their own. After all I had read pretty extensively that there isn't really any cure for canker sores. I told him ointment. I was, then, handed a small box with a tube of ointment in it and instructed to apply twice a day.
Now if I wasn't already skeptical about taking Korean medication, I quickly became so. I had a real issue with squirting some unknown gel into my mouth twice a day to heal my canker sores. I fumbled around with the box trying to see if there was any clue as to what this magic medicine was. It was then that I ran across the description of my medicine, "Ointment for the oral cavity disease." I silently thought to myself, "That sounds terrible! Oral cavity disease...surely this can't be right." Twenty minutes later the pain in my mouth took over my skepticism and I decided to give this medicine a shot. I applied a small bit on one of my canker sores to test it out and was more than a little surprised when the gel turned into a malleable wax that clung ever so tightly to gum. It was not what I expected. It was weird. But it worked. Here I am a couple days later, canker sore free. I still have no idea what exactly I was applying to the inside of my mouth 2x a day, but I'm still alive. I guess I should just trust the pharmacist when he so assuredly gives me something to take.
Well I'm off to say farewell to a teacher that is leaving tomorrow. Enjoy your Memorial Day!!!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Gyeongbokgung
It was really interesting. Afterwards, we spent the next couple of hours walking around the different areas of the palace, exploring the different halls, enjoying the gardens and taking pictures. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable trip. I love history and was so excited to see an actual historical relic of Korea. Seoul is so modern; there are very few traditional, historical things to see in the city. I have plans to go to a couple of the smaller palaces in the upcoming weeks, and I can't wait!
I hope the weather hasn't been too terrible for all of you. Love you and miss you.
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Friday, May 6, 2011
Children's Day
May 5th in Korea is Children's Day. When I first ran across this holiday on my calendar, it meant absolutely nothing to me. "I have no children of my own...what a silly holiday," I thought. Then I found out that Children's Day is a national holiday, so I would get a day off of work. I instantly became fond of Children's Day. The more I think about it, it's a pretty cool holiday. Korea is a society of hard workers. People work a ridiculous amount of hours, and it is just the norm. I think there are many Korean children who see their parents infrequently. So on Children's Day, all these parents that work so many hours the rest of the year take the day off and totally spoil their kids. I've heard it said that it is as good as or better than Christmas to Korean kids. Lucky little children!
I didn't get loads of candy and toys from my parents, but my Children's Day was still pretty awesome! I went to Namsan (Mt.), a famous mountain in the center of Seoul, with my friends, Monica and Nate. I don't get to experience much nature on a daily basis, other than my bamboo plant and a half dead tree on my walk to work. So we wanted to go somewhere full of plants and flowers and beautiful. Namsan was just that. At the top of Namsan is N Seoul Tower. N Seoul Tower has an observation deck that allows you to see a panoramic view of Seoul, and I think it's the highest point in Seoul. So once we got to the top of Namsan, we went up in the N Seoul Tower. It was so pretty!!! We grabbed a cup of coffee and chatted while we looked over the city that we are all growing to love.
I think my favorite part of our day at Namsan was the "Lovers' Locks." On the first observation deck of N Seoul Tower, there are fences all around the outside of the deck that are covered with every conceivable color, shape and type of lock. Years ago, two lovers brought a lock with them on their visit to N Seoul Tower. After they had spent the day there, they locked a lock onto the fence of the observation deck with a message written on it proclaiming their undying love for one another. After they locked the lock, they threw the key over the edge of the observation deck, never to be retrieved again. In this act, they committed themselves to each other until their lock was unlocked and removed from the fence at N Seoul Tower. Ever since, couples have come to N Seoul Tower with locks to put on the fence, declare their love and commit to each other for as long as their lock remains on the fence. Personally, I think the whole thing is ridiculous and funny and corny. But the locks are beautiful. It's breathtaking to see tens of thousands of locks covering every fence around the entire deck. It was an all around really fun day!
Hope things are well in the States!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
I didn't get loads of candy and toys from my parents, but my Children's Day was still pretty awesome! I went to Namsan (Mt.), a famous mountain in the center of Seoul, with my friends, Monica and Nate. I don't get to experience much nature on a daily basis, other than my bamboo plant and a half dead tree on my walk to work. So we wanted to go somewhere full of plants and flowers and beautiful. Namsan was just that. At the top of Namsan is N Seoul Tower. N Seoul Tower has an observation deck that allows you to see a panoramic view of Seoul, and I think it's the highest point in Seoul. So once we got to the top of Namsan, we went up in the N Seoul Tower. It was so pretty!!! We grabbed a cup of coffee and chatted while we looked over the city that we are all growing to love. 
I think my favorite part of our day at Namsan was the "Lovers' Locks." On the first observation deck of N Seoul Tower, there are fences all around the outside of the deck that are covered with every conceivable color, shape and type of lock. Years ago, two lovers brought a lock with them on their visit to N Seoul Tower. After they had spent the day there, they locked a lock onto the fence of the observation deck with a message written on it proclaiming their undying love for one another. After they locked the lock, they threw the key over the edge of the observation deck, never to be retrieved again. In this act, they committed themselves to each other until their lock was unlocked and removed from the fence at N Seoul Tower. Ever since, couples have come to N Seoul Tower with locks to put on the fence, declare their love and commit to each other for as long as their lock remains on the fence. Personally, I think the whole thing is ridiculous and funny and corny. But the locks are beautiful. It's breathtaking to see tens of thousands of locks covering every fence around the entire deck. It was an all around really fun day!Hope things are well in the States!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter Away from Home
As I prepare to close the book on my Easter Sunday, many of you are probably just now rushing around getting ready to open it. What an awesome, beautiful, hopeful day Easter is!!! He is risen, and we are forever changed because of it...AMEN!!!!
Though I went to church this morning and was even involved in a Reader's Theater about Easter, it just didn't quite feel like Easter. I realized this afternoon that this was my first Easter away from home, and it just felt odd. No screaming, yelling, and chaos this morning as I got ready for church like there normally is at the Kash household on Easter morning. No sunrise service. No Kash family picture that normally takes about 15 minutes and ends with at least 2 unhappy children. No lunch with my family and grandparents. It wasn't a bad day at all. I got to rejoice with people that I care about. I had the opportunity to invite some co-workers to church. The weather was beautiful. It just didn't quite feel like Easter. I wasn't aware how much I relish spending this holiday with my family...probably more than any other holiday. I had a good day, but I'll be more than ready to spend next Easter as a unit of the Kash family.
That being said, today really was pretty great! I got to spend this morning at church, which was awesome. And then this afternoon as I was running errands, it hit me out of nowhere that I'm really kinda falling in love with Korea. I think it was hard for me to appreciate and enjoy Korea when I first got here and during the winter, because the winter was just miserable. It was too cold to go out. We only had like 8 or 9 hours of sunlight, most of which I was spending at work. But now that the weather is nicer and I'm able to get out and I've learned how to leave work at work, I see all these little beauties around, all these small splendid surprises that Seoul has for me. When I was out this afternoon, I thought, for the very first time, how I will probably really miss Korea when my contract is up here.
It's so funny how God turns hearts and changes perspectives. I've been asking God to show me how to love the people around me and enjoy and appreciate this opportunity to live and work in Korea. For weeks, I remained restless and upset due to bad interactions with Koreans; willing to put in the time and fulfill my contract, but more ready than ever to leave and never look back. Then today, I blinked my eyes, and when they opened again, it was as if I was seeing things for the first time. It felt like I had instantaneously fallen in love with this country and its people and its culture and all its intricacies. It's been a good day. I am positive that I will find myself angry about this or that in the coming months, but my entire perspective has shifted. And it feels so nice.
I hope you all are reminded of the love of God and the hope that we have on this holy, miraculous day. HAPPY EASTER!!!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Though I went to church this morning and was even involved in a Reader's Theater about Easter, it just didn't quite feel like Easter. I realized this afternoon that this was my first Easter away from home, and it just felt odd. No screaming, yelling, and chaos this morning as I got ready for church like there normally is at the Kash household on Easter morning. No sunrise service. No Kash family picture that normally takes about 15 minutes and ends with at least 2 unhappy children. No lunch with my family and grandparents. It wasn't a bad day at all. I got to rejoice with people that I care about. I had the opportunity to invite some co-workers to church. The weather was beautiful. It just didn't quite feel like Easter. I wasn't aware how much I relish spending this holiday with my family...probably more than any other holiday. I had a good day, but I'll be more than ready to spend next Easter as a unit of the Kash family.
That being said, today really was pretty great! I got to spend this morning at church, which was awesome. And then this afternoon as I was running errands, it hit me out of nowhere that I'm really kinda falling in love with Korea. I think it was hard for me to appreciate and enjoy Korea when I first got here and during the winter, because the winter was just miserable. It was too cold to go out. We only had like 8 or 9 hours of sunlight, most of which I was spending at work. But now that the weather is nicer and I'm able to get out and I've learned how to leave work at work, I see all these little beauties around, all these small splendid surprises that Seoul has for me. When I was out this afternoon, I thought, for the very first time, how I will probably really miss Korea when my contract is up here.
It's so funny how God turns hearts and changes perspectives. I've been asking God to show me how to love the people around me and enjoy and appreciate this opportunity to live and work in Korea. For weeks, I remained restless and upset due to bad interactions with Koreans; willing to put in the time and fulfill my contract, but more ready than ever to leave and never look back. Then today, I blinked my eyes, and when they opened again, it was as if I was seeing things for the first time. It felt like I had instantaneously fallen in love with this country and its people and its culture and all its intricacies. It's been a good day. I am positive that I will find myself angry about this or that in the coming months, but my entire perspective has shifted. And it feels so nice.
I hope you all are reminded of the love of God and the hope that we have on this holy, miraculous day. HAPPY EASTER!!!
It's ALL About Him,
KendallCooke
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Miss Kendall, What's Easter?
Today at school, we "dyed" (and by dyed I mean colored brown eggs with markers...ugh...not nearly as fun as real dying) Easter eggs as a school-wide Easter craft. Over the past couple weeks, my school has had several Easter activities. The first week of April, we were required to do an Easter craft (mine was an origami Easter basket). The second week we went to the park for the annual Easter egg hunt. Now this week we dyed Easter eggs. In the midst of all these activities, I have continuously gotten the same question from my K students. "Miss Kendall, what is Easter?"
It is odd that we have spent so much time and energy focusing on Easter. My bosses aren't Christian. Most of the students at my school have no affiliation with Christianity. Basically, my school has us doing all these things because it's what they think people in the States do. And while everything we have done is what I would consider the fluff of Easter, the Easter eggs and Easter baskets and Easter candy, I can't help but be drawn back to the heart of what Easter really is. Every time my students ask me what Easter is, I want to sit them down and tell them how awesome of a day it is; a day on which we were redeemed and saved and bought and freed. But how could you possibly explain that to a 5 year-old who isn't even familiar with who Jesus is? It breaks my heart that these little children have never been introduce to God's greatness, grace, love and mercy. And so when I hear the question, "Miss Kendall, what is Easter" I do my best to stumble through an explanation suitable for 5 year-olds who have no familiarity with Christianity.
I hope that you are all reminded of God's greatness and power and love and majesty and awesomeness as we creep ever closer to Easter morning. I pray that you remember the sacrifice and the pain , as well as the love of Christ. I find myself rejoicing one moment at the gift Christ gave me but then weeping in the next because of the pain and torture he endured on my behalf, for a very forgetful, selfish sinner. He's so good and we are so unworthy. Luckily we have been bought and redeemed and no longer have to be tied down by our sin and unworthiness and faults. Hallelujah!!! We are loved more deeply than we could ever possibly understand.
I am desperately wishing I was back in the States to celebrate this joyous season with you all. You have my love from afar!
-KendallCooke
It is odd that we have spent so much time and energy focusing on Easter. My bosses aren't Christian. Most of the students at my school have no affiliation with Christianity. Basically, my school has us doing all these things because it's what they think people in the States do. And while everything we have done is what I would consider the fluff of Easter, the Easter eggs and Easter baskets and Easter candy, I can't help but be drawn back to the heart of what Easter really is. Every time my students ask me what Easter is, I want to sit them down and tell them how awesome of a day it is; a day on which we were redeemed and saved and bought and freed. But how could you possibly explain that to a 5 year-old who isn't even familiar with who Jesus is? It breaks my heart that these little children have never been introduce to God's greatness, grace, love and mercy. And so when I hear the question, "Miss Kendall, what is Easter" I do my best to stumble through an explanation suitable for 5 year-olds who have no familiarity with Christianity.
I hope that you are all reminded of God's greatness and power and love and majesty and awesomeness as we creep ever closer to Easter morning. I pray that you remember the sacrifice and the pain , as well as the love of Christ. I find myself rejoicing one moment at the gift Christ gave me but then weeping in the next because of the pain and torture he endured on my behalf, for a very forgetful, selfish sinner. He's so good and we are so unworthy. Luckily we have been bought and redeemed and no longer have to be tied down by our sin and unworthiness and faults. Hallelujah!!! We are loved more deeply than we could ever possibly understand.
I am desperately wishing I was back in the States to celebrate this joyous season with you all. You have my love from afar!
-KendallCooke
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