If you see Mrs. Mary Kash around in the next couple days, let her know how amazing she is and how blessed we all are to have her in our lives.
Love you and miss you all terribly!
KendallCooke
Monday, January 24, 2011
Best Mama EVER!!!
The last week and a half or so have been really chaotic and stressful and busy for me. Last week, I had my teacher observation/reviews, so I had my boss-teacher sitting in on all of my classes and critiquing every aspect of my teaching. At the beginning of the week, it was really, really rough, and though it got better as the week went on, it was still quite stressful and frustrating. On top of that, I had to fill out progress reports for all of my K and Elementary students, grades and comments for each student. It took so much more of my time than it should have and was totally annoying. But it's part of my job so I did it. To make things worse, I wasn't sleeping well or feeling that great. A bunch of students in my class had been sick, and I think I had taken a touch of their sickness home with me. BUT all the chaos and stress and bad feeling in my life was quelled earlier this afternoon when I received a care package from my mama!!!
I knew mom had sent me a package, and I had been waiting not so patiently for a week and a half. When I saw it today, before even opening it up, I just began smiling from ear to ear. Seeing that little tangible token of love and being reminded that someone back in the States loves me and appreciates me and misses me TOTALLY made my day...possibly my week! I opened the package upon getting home, and let me just say that I have THE best mama ever! I hadn't told her anything that I specifically wanted but when I peered in and saw what she had sent it was absolutely perfect. There were all kinds of goodies that I've been wanting to buy since I got here, that I see every time I got to the supermarket and spend 5 minutes trying to decide whether I should spend the $8-20 on it when it only costs $1-3 back home. Basically, it was just really awesome and exactly what I needed. God is so good, isn't he? Encouraging us in new and exciting and unexpected ways when life starts pulling us down and kicking us around. What a good and mighty and perfect Lord we serve!
If you see Mrs. Mary Kash around in the next couple days, let her know how amazing she is and how blessed we all are to have her in our lives.
Love you and miss you all terribly!
KendallCooke
If you see Mrs. Mary Kash around in the next couple days, let her know how amazing she is and how blessed we all are to have her in our lives.
Love you and miss you all terribly!
KendallCooke
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Let It Snow!!!
Yunhee-dong was beautiful today. It was in the low 30s, warmer than it has been in weeks, and it started snowing in the late morning By the time I went out in the afternoon, there was enough snow on the ground for the Marshall School system to call school off (haha) and more falling from the sky. It was so serene and beautiful. While I was walking around enjoying the snow, I couldn't help but notice a couple peculiar habits that the snow brought out in the Korean people.
First, Korean people break out their umbrellas, not only for the rain, but also for the snow. Yes, as I walked down the street this afternoon, the majority of Korean people I passed were carrying umbrellas to keep the snow from getting on them, I guess. I even had a little old Korean man walk up to me and, in Korean, chastise me for not having an umbrella or wearing a hat while there was snow falling (Of course, I could only guess what he was saying since I don't speak Korean. But his tone and hand gestures got the point across to me). Perhaps this umbrella in the snow thins is something that people in the big cities of the States do, but it's something I've never seen before, and it just really cracked me up today.
Secondly, Korean people use these like plastic bristled brooms to sweep the snow away from their store fronts. Brooms instead of snow shovels. I'm still trying to figure this out. From the time the snow begins to fall, you can see people outside numerous shops, restaurants, etc sweeping the snow away from their doors. And they continue to do it until the snow stops with few breaks. I understand clearing the snow from the front of one's business, although the whole using a broom to do it is a little weird to me. But the thing that really gets me is that the sidewalks in Korea are not concrete like in the States. They are a cross of concrete and granite...I don't really know what it is. Whatever it is, it is super slick when wet. I can't count the number of times I have slipped and almost completely busted my butt on these sidewalks. So when all these Korean people are removing the snow from their store fronts, they actually are making it more slippery and more difficult to walk. It's a conundrum to me. Of course, I fell twice today attempting to walk around on this stupid slick sidewalk material, which I feel I wouldn't have done had they left the snow where God intended it to fall. So yeah...a couple observations about Korea. I really enjoy still noticing these little differences between what I'm used to and the way things are done in Korea. It really gets one thinking about the environment one has been raised in.
I was super, crazy busy last week with my teacher observations/reviews and class and progress reports. The next couple weeks should be a lot calmer as school wraps up, and I really hope to write more frequently. I know I've been pretty MIA recently. My deepest apologies to all of you for that. I hope things are going well for all of you! I miss you and love you all!
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
P.S.-How did I forget to mention this? I found out a couple days ago that Kristy and Rudy are expecting a little baby girl in June. The Kash family, myself included, could not be more excited! Yay to you, Kristy and Rudy! I'm counting down the days!
First, Korean people break out their umbrellas, not only for the rain, but also for the snow. Yes, as I walked down the street this afternoon, the majority of Korean people I passed were carrying umbrellas to keep the snow from getting on them, I guess. I even had a little old Korean man walk up to me and, in Korean, chastise me for not having an umbrella or wearing a hat while there was snow falling (Of course, I could only guess what he was saying since I don't speak Korean. But his tone and hand gestures got the point across to me). Perhaps this umbrella in the snow thins is something that people in the big cities of the States do, but it's something I've never seen before, and it just really cracked me up today.
Secondly, Korean people use these like plastic bristled brooms to sweep the snow away from their store fronts. Brooms instead of snow shovels. I'm still trying to figure this out. From the time the snow begins to fall, you can see people outside numerous shops, restaurants, etc sweeping the snow away from their doors. And they continue to do it until the snow stops with few breaks. I understand clearing the snow from the front of one's business, although the whole using a broom to do it is a little weird to me. But the thing that really gets me is that the sidewalks in Korea are not concrete like in the States. They are a cross of concrete and granite...I don't really know what it is. Whatever it is, it is super slick when wet. I can't count the number of times I have slipped and almost completely busted my butt on these sidewalks. So when all these Korean people are removing the snow from their store fronts, they actually are making it more slippery and more difficult to walk. It's a conundrum to me. Of course, I fell twice today attempting to walk around on this stupid slick sidewalk material, which I feel I wouldn't have done had they left the snow where God intended it to fall. So yeah...a couple observations about Korea. I really enjoy still noticing these little differences between what I'm used to and the way things are done in Korea. It really gets one thinking about the environment one has been raised in.
I was super, crazy busy last week with my teacher observations/reviews and class and progress reports. The next couple weeks should be a lot calmer as school wraps up, and I really hope to write more frequently. I know I've been pretty MIA recently. My deepest apologies to all of you for that. I hope things are going well for all of you! I miss you and love you all!
It's All About Him,
KendallCooke
P.S.-How did I forget to mention this? I found out a couple days ago that Kristy and Rudy are expecting a little baby girl in June. The Kash family, myself included, could not be more excited! Yay to you, Kristy and Rudy! I'm counting down the days!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
4D...Say What???
You heard me right...4D! By now we've all at least heard of, if not experienced, 3-D movie theaters. You go in, put on some funky glasses, and it kinda looks like stuff is jumping off the screen at you. Well earlier this week, I had the pleasure of going to see Tron Legacy in 4-D; yes 4-D, Kelsey!!!
Sometime last week, one of my co-workers had expressed interest in going to see the movie Tron Legacy at some special theater. I wasn't really listening very closely as I had a million other things going on, but somewhat agreed to go. At the beginning of the week, he brought it up again, and a group of us from work decided we'd go see the movie together. Upon actually entering the theater and finding our seats (seats are assigned in Korean theaters), I understood what he was talking about when he said at a special theater...it was a 4-D theater.
Some of you may be asking, what the heck is 4-D? Let me tell you. 4-D is 3-D with the extra dimension of a moving/interactive seat. So as the motorcycles were racing in the movie Tron Legacy, the seats were tilting back and forth while wind blew through my hair, making it seem as though I was really on a motorcycle. Can you say amazingly cool? It was an absolute blast. After the movie, my co-workers and I unanimously decided that any and every movie would be better if seen in 4-D because it's a movie AND a ride. Even though the dialogue was awful, and Tron Legacy as a whole really stunk terribly, we all had a blast watching it in 4-D and would even suffer through the terrible dialogue, etc. to "ride the 4-D Tron Legacy ride" again. That's really the only "fun" thing I did this week. The rest of the week was just working.
Tomorrow, I am going with a co-worker in the early afternoon to check out some free Korean lessons. I've been dying to take Korean lessons since I got here, and she got a tip from someone she knows that we might be able to take some for pretty much free. So tomorrow we are gonna go check it out and see what it's really all about. I hope it works out. But if not, I intend to take Korean lessons at one of the universities close to me when the new semester starts up in March. After doing that, I am heading over to my friend, Lauren's, house. She is cooking some gourmet food for me and a couple of her friends, so we're all heading over around dinner to do some eating and chatting and probably a little wine drinking. I'm pretty stoked to meet some of her friends that I've heard so much about but haven't had the opportunity to meet yet. That's about all I've got planned so far.
Love you all and miss you terribly,
KendallCooke
Sometime last week, one of my co-workers had expressed interest in going to see the movie Tron Legacy at some special theater. I wasn't really listening very closely as I had a million other things going on, but somewhat agreed to go. At the beginning of the week, he brought it up again, and a group of us from work decided we'd go see the movie together. Upon actually entering the theater and finding our seats (seats are assigned in Korean theaters), I understood what he was talking about when he said at a special theater...it was a 4-D theater.
Some of you may be asking, what the heck is 4-D? Let me tell you. 4-D is 3-D with the extra dimension of a moving/interactive seat. So as the motorcycles were racing in the movie Tron Legacy, the seats were tilting back and forth while wind blew through my hair, making it seem as though I was really on a motorcycle. Can you say amazingly cool? It was an absolute blast. After the movie, my co-workers and I unanimously decided that any and every movie would be better if seen in 4-D because it's a movie AND a ride. Even though the dialogue was awful, and Tron Legacy as a whole really stunk terribly, we all had a blast watching it in 4-D and would even suffer through the terrible dialogue, etc. to "ride the 4-D Tron Legacy ride" again. That's really the only "fun" thing I did this week. The rest of the week was just working.
Tomorrow, I am going with a co-worker in the early afternoon to check out some free Korean lessons. I've been dying to take Korean lessons since I got here, and she got a tip from someone she knows that we might be able to take some for pretty much free. So tomorrow we are gonna go check it out and see what it's really all about. I hope it works out. But if not, I intend to take Korean lessons at one of the universities close to me when the new semester starts up in March. After doing that, I am heading over to my friend, Lauren's, house. She is cooking some gourmet food for me and a couple of her friends, so we're all heading over around dinner to do some eating and chatting and probably a little wine drinking. I'm pretty stoked to meet some of her friends that I've heard so much about but haven't had the opportunity to meet yet. That's about all I've got planned so far.
Love you all and miss you terribly,
KendallCooke
Saturday, January 8, 2011
And Another Week Slips Through My Fingers
I have been so busy since school started up again; my deepest apologies for being MIA. So what have I been up to lately? Hmm...let's see.
School started back up on Monday, which occupies most of my time. This is what my life looks like now that I'm back at school. I wake up about 7 or so and get ready for the day. (This will probably be changing, because I'm planning on joining a gym. Thus I will get up earlier so that I can gym before work.) I try to be at work around 9. School actually starts at 10. From 10-3, I have 40 minute classes with my K kids split up with 10 minute breaks and an hour long lunch. On M/T/Th/F from 3-5, I teach Elementary lower level kids (1st-3rd grade approximately.) On M/W/F from 5-7, I teach Elementary higher level kids (usually 4th-6th grade). After school is out, I usually spend half an hour or so trying to wrap things up from that day and prepare stuff for the next day. So, yeah, that's generally what my day looks like...probably in a little more detail than you really care to know. Anyway, since I really had only taken over my class for 2 days prior to break, I was super busy this week trying to get things in order and re-do my room and make lesson plans and talk with teachers, etc. I don't think I did much of anything of importance this week other than work, with the exception of what I did today.
In order to live long term in Korea legally, you must get an Alien Registration Card (ARC). Without an ARC, you are a second rate citizen. You cannot open a bank account or buy a cell phone and various other things without an ARC. In order to get your ARC, you must first go through a medical check to ensure that you are healthy and are not doing drugs and have no blood born pathogens, particularly HIV/AIDS. Seeing as how I work everyday during normal business hours, I would only be able to get my ARC on a Saturday. And since my time in Korea is flying by, I decided that I would go get my health check done today in order to apply for my ARC, so that in 2 months, I wouldn't be sitting here freaking out about possible deportation because I'm working illegally. Generally speaking, things in Korea have been much easier than I thought. I conquered grocery shopping, ordering food, and taking the subway all with relative ease. Well I guess my luck has run out, because today was no easy feat.
I received directions from a co-worker as to where the hospital that I must go to for my medical check was located. She told me that I must cross the street from work and walk away from the Paris Baguette (a bakery) for about 1 mile. The hospital would be on the same side of the road after I crossed a small stream. She also warned me that there were no signs in English and almost no one spoke English at the hospital. I thought, "No big deal. I can handle this." So this morning I set out a little after 8am and began walking. As I walked, it began to snow...great! I walked for about 20 minutes and thought that surely I had walked a mile. But I was determined to find the place so I continued walking. After another 5 minutes I found the stream, and a couple buildings past the stream, I saw the green cross, the sign that represents hospitals. I went in and after much wandering around, eventually found myself on the 2nd floor and in the correct room. My coworker was not kidding when she said no one spoke English. I stood there for 10 minutes trying to explain and use hand gestures with a Korean woman as she did the same to me. Finally, she understood, and I began the exam.
They tested my eyes and blood pressure and various other things, which proved a little difficult when you have no idea what the other person is saying. The nurse finished this part of the exam, and we sat for another 5 minutes or so trying to communicate to each other what was to happen next. Just as I was giving up, a doctor who spoke some broken English came in and explained what I needed to do next...pay for the exam, have a chest X-ray done, give a urine sample and have blood drawn. As my family knows, I am quite scared of needles, and I thought I'd faint at the idea of having my blood drawn. I sucked it up and went to finish my exam regardless. I paid, got the chest X-ray, gave a urine sample and then walked into the lab area to have my blood taken. As I walked in, there was a man just sitting at a desk right by the door giving blood as he chatted with the nurse taking it. I thought I was gonna die right there. Not only would I have to give blood, but it would be done more or less at a receptionist desk in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the lab. I sat down before I could chicken out and turned by head and involuntarily held my breath as I felt the needle slide into my vein. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt the end of the torturous pinch and felt pressure in the form of a cotton ball and tape. And that was that. I caught a bus home and have just been kinda chilling around the apartment today.
As I write, I'm actually sitting in the apartment listening to some Classical music and drinking a glass of wine by candlelight. A very relaxing and serene way to end my Saturday. Tomorrow morning, Lauren and I are going to the jjimjilbang again...yes, I think I'm addicted to it. In the afternoon, I plan on running to the grocery store. Tomorrow night, I've got church at the place that I've been going the last 2 weeks, and afterward, most of the people from the church are planning to go ice skating. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about that. I guess I'll have to let you know later if I go and if so, how much I embarrassed myself.
I hope you all are doing well, and that the New Year has been good to you so far.
I miss you all quite dearly!!!!
KendallCooke
School started back up on Monday, which occupies most of my time. This is what my life looks like now that I'm back at school. I wake up about 7 or so and get ready for the day. (This will probably be changing, because I'm planning on joining a gym. Thus I will get up earlier so that I can gym before work.) I try to be at work around 9. School actually starts at 10. From 10-3, I have 40 minute classes with my K kids split up with 10 minute breaks and an hour long lunch. On M/T/Th/F from 3-5, I teach Elementary lower level kids (1st-3rd grade approximately.) On M/W/F from 5-7, I teach Elementary higher level kids (usually 4th-6th grade). After school is out, I usually spend half an hour or so trying to wrap things up from that day and prepare stuff for the next day. So, yeah, that's generally what my day looks like...probably in a little more detail than you really care to know. Anyway, since I really had only taken over my class for 2 days prior to break, I was super busy this week trying to get things in order and re-do my room and make lesson plans and talk with teachers, etc. I don't think I did much of anything of importance this week other than work, with the exception of what I did today.
In order to live long term in Korea legally, you must get an Alien Registration Card (ARC). Without an ARC, you are a second rate citizen. You cannot open a bank account or buy a cell phone and various other things without an ARC. In order to get your ARC, you must first go through a medical check to ensure that you are healthy and are not doing drugs and have no blood born pathogens, particularly HIV/AIDS. Seeing as how I work everyday during normal business hours, I would only be able to get my ARC on a Saturday. And since my time in Korea is flying by, I decided that I would go get my health check done today in order to apply for my ARC, so that in 2 months, I wouldn't be sitting here freaking out about possible deportation because I'm working illegally. Generally speaking, things in Korea have been much easier than I thought. I conquered grocery shopping, ordering food, and taking the subway all with relative ease. Well I guess my luck has run out, because today was no easy feat.
I received directions from a co-worker as to where the hospital that I must go to for my medical check was located. She told me that I must cross the street from work and walk away from the Paris Baguette (a bakery) for about 1 mile. The hospital would be on the same side of the road after I crossed a small stream. She also warned me that there were no signs in English and almost no one spoke English at the hospital. I thought, "No big deal. I can handle this." So this morning I set out a little after 8am and began walking. As I walked, it began to snow...great! I walked for about 20 minutes and thought that surely I had walked a mile. But I was determined to find the place so I continued walking. After another 5 minutes I found the stream, and a couple buildings past the stream, I saw the green cross, the sign that represents hospitals. I went in and after much wandering around, eventually found myself on the 2nd floor and in the correct room. My coworker was not kidding when she said no one spoke English. I stood there for 10 minutes trying to explain and use hand gestures with a Korean woman as she did the same to me. Finally, she understood, and I began the exam.
They tested my eyes and blood pressure and various other things, which proved a little difficult when you have no idea what the other person is saying. The nurse finished this part of the exam, and we sat for another 5 minutes or so trying to communicate to each other what was to happen next. Just as I was giving up, a doctor who spoke some broken English came in and explained what I needed to do next...pay for the exam, have a chest X-ray done, give a urine sample and have blood drawn. As my family knows, I am quite scared of needles, and I thought I'd faint at the idea of having my blood drawn. I sucked it up and went to finish my exam regardless. I paid, got the chest X-ray, gave a urine sample and then walked into the lab area to have my blood taken. As I walked in, there was a man just sitting at a desk right by the door giving blood as he chatted with the nurse taking it. I thought I was gonna die right there. Not only would I have to give blood, but it would be done more or less at a receptionist desk in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the lab. I sat down before I could chicken out and turned by head and involuntarily held my breath as I felt the needle slide into my vein. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt the end of the torturous pinch and felt pressure in the form of a cotton ball and tape. And that was that. I caught a bus home and have just been kinda chilling around the apartment today.
As I write, I'm actually sitting in the apartment listening to some Classical music and drinking a glass of wine by candlelight. A very relaxing and serene way to end my Saturday. Tomorrow morning, Lauren and I are going to the jjimjilbang again...yes, I think I'm addicted to it. In the afternoon, I plan on running to the grocery store. Tomorrow night, I've got church at the place that I've been going the last 2 weeks, and afterward, most of the people from the church are planning to go ice skating. I'm still trying to decide how I feel about that. I guess I'll have to let you know later if I go and if so, how much I embarrassed myself.
I hope you all are doing well, and that the New Year has been good to you so far.
I miss you all quite dearly!!!!
KendallCooke
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Mailing Address
I've been crazy busy since work started up again so I haven't had much time to update. I'll try to post something soon. But I did wanna give you all my mailing address so here it is:
Kendall Kash
Kendall Kash
c/o Kid's College
2F Sinra B/D
188-2 Yunhee1-Dong
Seodaemun-Gu
Seoul, South Korea 120-825
So feel free to send me some baked goodies, a care package or just some cool stuff from the States!!!
Love you all!
KendallCooke
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