Forecast: Rain, Rain, and some more Rain

It is monsoon season in Seoul, which means 1 thing.  Rain...lots and lots and lots of rain.  For all of my life, my least favorite season has been winter.  I hate the cold and having to bundle up and unbundle every time you leave or enter a place and not being able to play outside for more than a few minutes and scraping ice off of your windshield.  I especially disliked winter in Korea with people using their umbrellas while it snowed and unplowed/unshoveled sidewalks and roads and a general lack of holiday cheer.  But I've decided that my new least favorite season is summer in Korea.  Because summer in Korea means monsoon season.  And monsoon season, as I stated previously, means rain and rain and rain.  Of the last 30 days, it has rained in Seoul 27 days.  Everyday when I have woken up to try to get a run in for the last month, it has been raining.  Most days when I go to lunch, it is raining.  And usually when I leave work at night and walk home, it is raining.  As I sit in my apartment typing this, it is raining.  And when it rains here, it isn't just a light drizzle or a short burst of rain and then clear skies.  It is torrential downpour for hours upon hours.  I'm not sure how the entire city hasn't flooded.  I feel like I live in a rain forest or that I should be boarding an ark full of animals soon.  I didn't have any idea that it could rain this much in one place.

Luckily, tonight at a staff dinner, my boss said monsoon season ends on Saturday.  And then there is a possibility that we might have a typhoon, which would mean rain for a bit longer.  But fingers crossed that the typhoon veers towards Japan and leaves Korea alone.  Because if so, my boss said that starting next Tuesday we will have some traditional Midwest summer weather...hot, sunny and humid.  I couldn't be more excited!

Here's to struggling through a couple more of these depressing, dark, gloomy, rainy days and getting to the sunshine on the other side.  I hope the weather back home is being more amicable than the weather here is.

Love you and miss you all!!!

It's ALL About Him,

KendallCooke

Another day in Seoul

I'm not sure what I feel today.  Another good friend/co-worker left last Thursday to return to the States, and I think I've been in some sort of funk since.  It is really hard to get used to the constant stream of people coming in and out of your life here.  Everyone here starts their teaching contract at a different time of the year, so it seems like people are almost constantly leaving and new people are arriving all the time.  It's a difficult transition from life back home where you may make some new friends and have a couple friends move away over the years, but for the most part, you are surrounded by your same network of people, the same friends and family.  Luckily, I've never had much trouble making new friends or getting to know people.  But continuously meeting new people and attempting to form some sort of lasting bond/friendship is utterly exhausting.  It feels like just as I start getting comfortable with a person and he/she with me, that person leaves the country.  And then we're back to square one getting to know another person.  And since I now find myself on the downward slope with less than half of my contract left, some days it almost feels pointless putting out all the effort for a friendship that would last at most only 5 and a half more months.  It's just weird. I can't even explain all the different emotions, except to say I'm not sure how I feel.  I do know that I'm fortunate to have one friend in my office who came only about 6 weeks before me and with whom I have become quite good friends.  I would probably lose it if he were leaving soon.

I miss you, all my friends and family back in the States.  I think about you daily and am quietly wishing for winter to return (even though I do so desperately hate the cold) so that I can come home and spend the winter holidays with you.  I hope you had a fabulous 4th of July and that your summer has been and will continue to be splendid.  Well, I have an apple pie in the oven that I believe needs to come out.

It's ALL About Him,

KendallCooke

LSAT Frustrations

Well today was the day.  After months of LSAT prep (I can't believe it's actually over), test day had finally arrived.  I woke up this morning more than just a little bit anxious.  Not only was I worried about taking the actual test, but I was quite concerned with what the testing environment would be like here in Korea.  But then I thought to myself, this is a country of test takers.  Koreans grow up taking "big" and "important" exams all the time.  I told myself that surely this society, which relies so heavily on testing, had worked out all the kinks of giving an enormous, important test.  After a couple cups of coffee, a hearty breakfast and approximately an hour of audibly reminding myself that life would continue even if I didn't do well on the LSAT, I grabbed my umbrella and headed out the door into the rain.  I was pretty lucky in that the LSAT was being given at Yonsei University, which is about a 5-7 minute walk from my apartment.  I trekked up the hill to Yonsei, tracked down the School of Law and ducked inside. 

From the minute I stepped inside that building, I realized that my concerns with the testing facility/environment were not in vain.  From the minute my foot hit the tile of the building floor, I saw chaos occurring all around me.  After asking more than a handful of people, I finally found my way to the testing room and took my spot in a line of 10 other test takers waiting to be checked in.  After 20-25 minutes in line, I began to get impatient.  I couldn't understand what was wrong; all they had to do was check ID and look in a plastic baggie.  But as I got closer to the front, I saw the issue.  Recently, LSAC (the Law School Admission Council) has starting requiring a passport style/size photo on LSAT admission tickets.  Two of the girls in my line had failed to get these pictures and were now standing in line trying to persuade the proctor to let them in.  I took a deep breath and walked inside the classroom, trying desperately not to get upset at other people's stupid mistakes.  But stupid mistakes couldn't stop there...oh on.

The test began, and it wasn't long before I found myself desperately trying to push past more annoyances.  The LSAT is an American test taken to get into American law schools where an American, all English curriculum will be taught.  Thus, I could NOT understand why the proctor spoke ONLY in Korean.  It logically does not follow.  Even now I find myself getting annoyed at recalling the event.  So yeah, apart from when reading the actual LSAT Proctor Rules, she spoke entirely in Korean.  I understand that most of the people there were Korean, but I can't understand why the proctor thought speaking in Korean would be not only acceptable but sufficient.  Luckily, I had read the LSAT booklet numerous times and could probably recite most of the LSAT regulations and rules (I am aware that this makes me ridiculously nerdy, but I like to know the code that I am expected to conduct myself by.).  But there were a handful of other American, non-Korean test takers who may not have been so familiar with LSAT rules and the way it is run.  They had no way to know what was going on or expected of them, because only Korean was being spoken at us.

I took another deep breath and moved on with the test, refusing to let these things annoy me.  Try as I might, it wasn't long before something else made me so upset that I almost said something to the proctor and am still considering writing a note to the LSAC.  As of the June 2011 LSAT, which was today's LSAT for those of you who might be confused, the LSAC instituted a zero tolerance policy in regards to breaking LSAT regulations.  Previously, if a test taker was found breaking a regulation, he or she received one warning and upon a second infraction was dismissed from the test center.  The new policy stated that upon the first time that a test taker is found breaking a regulation, he or she must be dismissed from the testing facility.  I really like this change in policies.  I believe the LSAT is something that should be taken seriously.  While the proctor explained this to everyone in Korean (I only know because some of the words she used in the midst of her Korean were actually English words, like regulations and dismissed), test takers still couldn't get it together.  I had a guy next to me who brought in a digital watch (against regulation) but was only required to take it off halfway into the test when the proctor finally recognized it.  I had a girl next to me crack open a Coke in the middle of the 2bd section, which as you can probably guess is against regulation.  The proctor said nothing to this girl as she chugged her Coke.  There was, also, a girl next to me who wouldn't put down her pencil at the end of section after the proctor called time.  The proctor warned her several times and then had to physically pull the answer sheet out of the girl's hands as she continued filling in circles.  That girl was allowed to stay until the end of the test.  And then another girl fought in audible voices with the proctor for probably 6 or 7 of the 35 minutes that we were allowed on the 5th section.  So yeah...from the minute I stepped in until the minute I walked out it was crazy, chaotic, frustrating, annoying and not run professionally or properly.

I couldn't tell if I was more relieved to be finished with the actual LSAT or to just get out of that RIDICULOUS testing environment.  One way or another, there was a waive of relief that washed over me as I walked back to my apartment.  I have no idea how I did on the test.  I would be really, really surprised if I bombed it, because a lot of the material was easy.  But I don't imagine I did super, as all the distractions around me definitely "distracted" me.  I'd guess it was probably about the same as I did last time.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

As I wait, I am praying earnestly that God will direct me and show me where He would have me be.  I pray that I am able to see the truthfulness of God's promises and understand that no matter how the test went, God has something in store for me that is greater than anything I could ever ask or imagine.  Some days I fall to my knees when reminded of the greatness of our God and then other days I proceed without barely giving it thought.  May He be the center of our every thought and action; for He is a good, good God that we serve.

It's ALL About Him,

KendallCooke 

Children Geniuses

As I sat at my desk tonight working on lesson plans for next week and getting more and more frustrated at the mere idea of teaching more blended sounds to my K students (we simply cannot get these down), it suddenly dawned on me how incredibly smart my K students are.  My Kindergarten students, who are 4 or 5 years-old in the States, know how to identify and define nouns, verbs, and adjectives.  They can read at a 1st or 2nd grade level.  They know how to write sentences describing plot, setting, and characters, as well as sentences about animals, foods, family, favorite things, etc.  My K students can add single- and double-digits, subtract single-digit numbers and count by 2s, 5s, and 10s.  And all this they can do in another language.  I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to work with these bright, fun, adorable children.


Monday marked my 6 month anniversary in Korea.  I can't believe that my time here is halfway done.  Though I certainly miss things from home (family, friends, driving, cottage cheese, real cake, running on the road), I can't help but be a little bit sad that my time here is ticking away this quickly.  I take the LSAT on Sunday, have 3 weeks of work after that, am taking a 7-day vacation to Cambodia with a friend, and then will only have 4 short months left here.  It's crazy!!!

I hope all things are well at home.  I miss you and love you all!

It's ALL About Him,

KendallCooke

P.S.-I had every intention of posting several pictures of my adorable students but I can't get this dang site to work for the life of me.  So I guess I'll have to post them at a later date.

Open House...Grrrrr..

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

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

"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