A Week of Lessons from Venice: Day 1

Today started out a bit rough.  Still confused about the time difference, my body had a difficult time going to sleep, and though I awoke to my alarm I was so exhausted that I promptly fell back to sleep.  When my eyes adjusted fully I saw that it was 7:47am...I was LATE!  In a panic, I called Ruth to see which block we were on today and was very happy to learn that it was an "E" day.  Salvation!  I didn't have students until half passed nine!  Usually this would have put a damper on the entire day, but I was determined to make the best of a challenging start and was surprised to see that the rest of the day went smoothly and passed in a flash.  It's now just after 5:30pm and I am tasked with the one thing that will help me regain normalcy--I must stay awake until bedtime!  I guess there's no better time than the present to start on my blog entries about the lessons I learned in Venice.  I have a feeling that this is going to be a humbling experience, but here we go...

The day I left for Venice was a pretty tough day on my body as well, but I managed to make it through the school day, finish packing my suitcase, and joined up with the group of folks taking the bus to the airport.  As my other friends put on their matching t-shirts and headed off to Malaysia I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.  They were, after all, about to spend a week bonding in paradise.  But, when I considered how long I have wanted to travel to Venice to see the city AND take a mosaic class I was confident that I made the right choice in how to spend my first spring break abroad.  My flights went smoothly and before I knew it I was getting my passport stamped in Venezia!  I was relieved to see my mom waiting for me at baggage claim and even happier when my suitcase arrived.  We bought our bus tickets and walked outside to hunt for the express bus to Pizalle Roma.  As we rode I wondered if Venice would live up to my expectations.  Would it look the same as it did in movies?  Would I love it?  Be disappointed?

After arriving in Pizalle Roma it took us some time to figure out which direction to head in order to catch a water bus to our final destination.  Being stubborn, I knew I could figure this out.  Certainly it couldn't be too difficult to spot the canal and buy a ticket.  Mission accomplished, and before long we arrived at Domus Orsoni, the location of our hotel AND the mosaic class.  This place is truly priceless and if you didn't know the exact location, it would be easy to miss.  After several attempts at ringing what I thought was the bell an older lady living across the courtyard and an older gentleman walking by us pointed out that the top button was actually the bell and I had been pushing the intercom for the last several minutes and panicking because nobody answered (I was happy to learn I wasn't the only person to make this mistake!).  Once inside I was in awe!  The entry was really a gallery filled with beautiful mosaic pieces (you'll see these later) and our room was perfect for mom and I.  We made quick work of actually unpacking and then decided to make our way out into the city in an attempt to keep ourselves moving.

First stop, train station.  It was easy to locate and less than 10 minutes from our hotel.  From there we caught a vaporetto to take a cruise down the Grand Canal.  Watching boats and buildings pass by I was just enchanted by this city.  Everything is old, smudged, broken, and absolutely perfect!  

There is something that seems impossible about imagining a city built on the water, and yet here's proof!

First glimpses

We got off at the Accademia stop and decided to go see the Peggy Guggenheim collection--I'd heard from a colleague that she loved it and thought we would check it out.  Peggy certainly had eclectic tastes and although I am an art lover, there's only so much you can appreciate after five hours sleep and twenty hours of travel.  

Mom looking pretty awake after a long day of travel!

Outside Peggy's house/museum

I saw this on the wall in the courtyard and took a liking to it.

A Tree of Desires gifted by Yoko Ono...look at all of those wishes and desires.

My first exposure to what would be a week filled with many languages!

From there we headed back to the canal and started walking in the direction of San Marco.  I have a cloudy visual of what the islands of Venice look like and I'm not sure how this works exactly, but it seems that nearly every street eventually leads to San Marco.  Piazza San Marco was filled with people, pigeons, and souvenir stands.  Not exactly the picturesque setting one hopes for, but it was a reality of Venice.  By that time, we were getting hungry and we were already tired so that meant frustration wasn't far away.  We tried in vain for almost an hour to locate the Hard Rock Cafe (come on, I just wanted a salad!) and although we eventually found it here's where the major lesson of Day 1 comes in...sometimes I just need to ASK FOR HELP!

Have you seen the movie 28 Days with Sandra Bullock?  Her character is forced into rehab after ruining her sister's wedding and driving a limo into the side of someone's house.  As part of her treatment she is forced to wear a sign that says, "Ask me if I need help."  It's difficult to admit it, but I am a master of avoidance and, being a firstborn child, I want to do everything on my own.  I hate asking for help...and I usually won't do it until it is too late and I am overwhelmed and exasperated.  As I try to reconcile this truth about myself, I can only explain by saying that asking for help reveals weakness, imperfection, and allows others to think that I am not good enough.  I'm beginning to think that maybe I need one of those signs too.  Unfortunately I didn't really learn the first time, and this lesson was learned again and again throughout the week as I tried to navigate around Venice.  Now that I am back at home, I am making a concerted effort to recognize that I am not perfect, I do not have super powers, and sometimes I need to call on others to help see me through something...or give me directions when I am lost.  I can do this...and now I have a sign in my office to remind me.

Reflections of Venice

I arrived back in Seoul last night a complete wreck.  I was exhausted from nearly 24 hours spent traveling yet completely wide awake because of the drastic time difference, sick to my stomach, and feeling very introspective about the week I had just spent in Venice.  So many emotions were cropping up that I'm not sure I understand yet, but I do know that the last week was one of the best travel experiences I have ever had.  It wasn't the sightseeing (because we hardly had time to see much) or shopping (nope, not much of that either) that made this trip memorable.  Instead, I think it was the sense of connectedness I felt to the city and the people I met there.  I didn't go out and take the city by storm and that was entirely okay with me.  As I sit here writing this, I feel content that I saw a snapshot of the real Venice without all of the touristy hype and I absolutely loved it.  Had someone given me the opportunity and financial resources to make a permanent home in Venezia I would have taken them up on it in an instant.  That sounds absolutely crazy, doesn't it?  As I sort through everything I learned over the last week I'll start writing some blog posts that will give you a look at what I spent the week doing and how it has caused me to do some serious reflection about where I am now and what the future might hold.  A week ago I thought I was simply taking a vacation to an incredible place...I certainly wasn't prepared to be changed.  I guess that's the great thing about travel--it is full of unexpected experiences.  Stay tuned for more this week...  

At War...with Mother Nature.

I've been a bit delinquent on keeping up with my blog, mostly because life goes on as usual and I'm not out blazing trails around Seoul.  In an attempt to procrastinate (ahem, I have a test and a review guide to be writing) I thought I would write a quick update. 


About a month ago I was feeling a bit of cabin fever so Rebecca and I decided to take a trip to the War Memorial Museum.  I came to Seoul knowing little about Korean history, or the war which devastated the nation so it was high time to make this visit a priority.  To top things off, the museum was also hosting a Da Vinci exhibit that showcased his genius inventions.   We set out on the 110 bus (the metro and taxis here are fantastic, but I am really starting to appreciate the fabulous bus network here too!) and headed toward the army base near Itaewon.  It's a fairly long ride and for most of the time I had no directional sense meaning I could not have told you where in the city we were exactly, but the bus dropped us off directly in front of the museum.


The first thing that catches your attention are these incredible statues.  Had it not been so unbelievably cold outside I would have lingered a bit longer to appreciate the faces of those who fought for this nation.  We took the long way to the museum entrance and passed walls covered in plaques listing all those who fought and died in the Korean war.  The numbers were staggering and it seems as if the walls would never come to an end.  It amazes me how involved the United States was in this conflict.

One view of the amazing statues in front of the museum.

...and the other side!

Inside we headed straight for the Da Vinci exhibit and spent over an hour marveling at the inventions this one man conceived.  Unfortunately there were no authentic models of the inventions Da Vinci dreamed up, the replicas sufficed in giving the viewer and idea of the depth of this man's imagination.  We saw everything from scuba suits to war machines.  It was pretty incredible.  We were also treated to an exhibit about Mona Lisa which revealed her true colors.  Having seen Mona several times now it was interesting to see what she may have looked like when Da Vinci worked on her.

Yes, this is me taking a contraband photo...but this box of mirrors was too cool and I couldn't help myself:).  By the way, I now understand how the contestants on What Not To Wear feel when they have to go into the 360 degree mirror!

Doesn't my face look like Mona's?

I like this one better!

Since we were already at the museum, Rebecca and I spent the next hour wandering through the different floors and halls.  Some exhibits depicted the triumphs of various dynasties, others showed scenes from the Korean War.  In one area, there was a tribute to every nation who supported the South Koreans during the war and listed how many soldiers were lost.  I was surprised to see nations in Africa, South America, and the Middle East provided support during the war.  Here's a taste of what we saw as we roamed the museum halls...

The museum entrance.

A huge, and beautifully decorated, drum in the entry hall.

Early war practices.

A very cool dragon boat!

Mother Nature sure is at work in this part of the world.  After MANY weeks of bitter cold we were treated to two solid weeks of temperatures in the 40's and 50's and sunshine.  Recently, the cold has returned and while we are all anxiously awaiting the coming of spring, it seems that she has other plans.  As I sit here writing this blog post, snowflakes are drifting down from the overcast sky.  In the last month, we have also seen the wrath of nature as we had news of a large earthquake that brought the city of Christchurch, NZ to its knees and observed the effects of a gigantic earthquake that struck Northern Japan late last week.  Every day I cringe as I read the news and learn of thousands more casualties from the tsunami that hit the eastern coast of Japan or hear about another explosion at a badly crippled nuclear power plant.  I cannot even begin to imagine the tragedy that my neighbors just to the west are facing.  I feel lucky to report that South Korea was not at all affected by the quake or tsunami.  


My students have countless questions about what is happening and why...questions that are extremely relevant to our studies in science as we learn about the structure of the atom and nuclear chemistry...questions that show their concern for the well being of others...questions that reveal their fears that something like this could happen to them in their lifetime.  I have students in my classroom who have family members affected by the devastation, however, all have confirmed that their loved ones are still alive.  The only way I can explain the magnitude of what we feel having witnessed a tragedy of this scale so close by is looking back on Hurricane Katrina.  The unpredictability of nature provides a constant threat causing people to be continually on alert.  All we can do is wait and pray that peace and safety will be restored soon as so many people try to put their lives back together and try to extend a helping hand in any way possible.

Perspective on North Korea

Tonight an important distinction was made—the North Korean regime is truly despicable, but the North Korean people are simply desperate to survive.  From what I have read about North Korea in the world news it is very easy to demonize the entire nation for the actions of a few wishing to assert their power and spread fear.  Tonight I saw a different side of North Korea--the human one.  In my present situation, it is so easy to put on the blinders, thank God for the incredibly blessed life I have, and carry on.  Tonight, however, put a face on the inhumanity occurring just a few hundred miles away, and although I'm not sure what to do about it, I was affected by what I heard and saw.

I was aware that the situation for most people in North Korea was bad, but until tonight I was unaware of the gross human rights violations taking place there.  How desperate would I have to be to risk imprisonment or death to escape from my homeland?  Would I consider leaving my family behind, knowing I may never see or speak with them again, to secure basic freedoms?  Freedom most certainly is NOT free and I don't know if I would have the courage to risk everything...even if it meant I would live and die in poverty.

Tonight I listened to a North Korean refugee, now living in South Korea, as he detailed growing up in one of the northern provinces.  He recalled his early years nostalgically, much in the way I would talk about my middle class upbringing.  After seeing an execution at age 15, joining, and leaving, the military, and seeing his countrymen starve to death before his eyes, a 20 year old Joseph Park decided that something was wrong with the picture and he made plans to escape to China in order to make money.  Crossing the river to China was only one hurdle that started a seven year journey to freedom in South Korea.  Joseph didn't even inform his family that he was planning to escape--it was simply too dangerous and his parents were committed to the communist ideals of their nation.  In his absence, Joseph eventually learned that two of his sisters had contracted tuberculosis, one died.  During the next month our school is raising money for a tuberculosis clinic in North Korea and the medicine we purchase will save lives...but only a few.  It costs over $2,000 to treat one person and there are thousands infected.  While these efforts are important, it just doesn't seem like enough.  Over the next few days I'm curious to see where God will lead me in terms of getting involved in supporting the North Korean people.  I'm listening...

30 Days of Photos

Exactly one month ago I was scrolling through status updates on Facebook and came across the post of one of my former students from Ferris.  For the last three days, Ashley had been posting photos as part of a 30 Day Photo Challenge.  I loved the idea and decided that I too would take part.  So, here we are on the 30th, and final, day of the challenge and here is a link to my photo album.  I hope it helps showcase a bit of who I am and what I love.  Enjoy!  


Click here to see my 30 days of pictures...

Nooribang, Nights Out, and another New Year!

It's been a few weeks since I've written about what's going on in Seoul.  I feel like I've got the teaching part down pretty well by this point in the year, but since it has been so cold out it has been harder and harder to force myself to leave my nice, toasty apartment and venture out into the city.  Thankfully the last two weekends have given me reasons to get off the hill.  Here's why...


On January 29th a group of the ladies gathered to celebrate the February 1st birthdays of Rosalee and Erin with a night out in Sinchon.  We started off the night with takalbi (spicy chicken, beef, veggies, and noodles) at a cozy little restaurant.  Eating in Seoul is usually an interesting experience, especially when your meal is cooked at the table directly in front of you.  The restaurant even provided us with special aprons to wear while we cooked and dined.

Takgalbi being prepared at our table.

A very pregnant Ashley (just a few days before delivering twins) and Myleah.

The birthday girls!!

All of the ladies!

Lovin' my apron!

Smile Kristen!

After filling our stomachs we walked over to the nooribang--we even scored the VIP room for our singing party.  We all started adding songs to the playlist and before long we were rocking out to an eclectic mix of tunes--everything from Girls Just Wanna Have Fun to Sweet Home Alabama, all of which had interesting Korean videos playing in the background.  It was so much fun to see everyone letting their hair down and getting a little crazy.  See for yourself...

Jenny and Hillary

Myleah, Rebecca, and me

Showcasing my awesome vocals...NOT!

Sing it ladies!

Jenny and Ashley rockin' out!

 We went back to school on Monday rejoicing in the fact that our school week was only two days long because of Lunar New Year.  I decided to stay in Seoul for the five day weekend and boy did my body appreciate the extra rest.  After two days hanging out on campus it was time to get out in the city and enjoy the empty streets (people typically clear out of the city to spend the holiday with family and friends in other parts of Korea).  Misty, Kristen, and I have been working on a book study on Thursday nights so we made plans to go out to dinner and go up to Seoul Tower.  We chose one of the expat hot spots for dinner--our local On the Border for a little mexican food.

We love On the Border!

Then it was off to Mount Namsan for an evening visit to Seoul Tower.  I had gone shortly after arriving in Seoul, but the other two girls missed out on the city tour so it was their first time to the Tower.  Amazingly enough our taxi driver delivered us at the base of the hill that leads to the tower and we headed up, stopping to marvel at how cool Seoul Tower looks lit up at night.  

Posing for a photo with the Hi Seoul little monster!

We bought our tickets and made a quick stop in the gift shop to buy "love locks" (more about that in a minute).  Just inside the base of the tower building, Kristen spotted a photo booth and we had to stop for some fun photos!

Being silly!

Pretty smiles!

Misty calls this our "family portrait"--ha!

A line was starting to form so we took that as our cue to catch the elevator to the top of the tower.  As you go through the security checkpoint there's a spot to get a commemorative photo taken.  We decided to invite a special guest to join in our photo to remember our fun night.

Yep, that's a friendly clown who was wandering around at the tower.

The view from the top was surprisingly clear and you could see all of the city lights sparkling below.  Seeing Seoul from above reminded me exactly how gigantic this city is!

City lights!

Cute boys!

At the bottom of the tower we had each bought a lock to add to the thousands of "love locks" that adorn sculptural trees and railings.  Before heading back down to place our locks we took a few minutes to write a note to God that pledged our love and commitment to Him.  While we are all praying to find that one special man here on Earth, our first love is the Lord who is at the center of all things.  

My love lock and the chorus from one of my favorite praise songs...."Take my heart and form it, take my mind-transform it, take my will-conform it, to yours, to yours, Oh Lord."
A pledge to Love God and a prayer for Him to work his transforming powers on me!

Placing the lock.

Securing my promise to God and giving Him my heart.

It's all about the LOVE!

Taking a taxi up the hill was fine, but we decided to go down the hill in style.  This time we took a ride on the cable car which let us off in Myeongdong (a great shopping area and vibrant part of town).  Walking down the street, we greeted the New Year and welcome 2011 as the year of the rabbit.

Whoa...I hope this cable doesn't break!

Our car.

Happy New Year...welcome to the year of the rabbit!

A night with these ladies is always a good time!

Celebrating Lunar New Year was a great reminder of the goals I made at the start of 2011.  I've been working really hard over the last month to improve my physical health and I think I'm off to a good start.  I found that I enjoy doing Hillary's awesome Zumba class twice a week and I'm at the beginning of a couch to 5K workout plan that should have me in shape in no time.  I'm also making a concerted effort to eat healthy food and to try not to stress out as much about my IBS.  With another month and a half left in my three month goal, I should have some great habits integrated into my life by the end of March and ready to take on the next three-month challenge...growing my spiritual self.  Perhaps the evening at Seoul Tower was the perfect start!  Overall, the Year of the Rabbit is looking pretty promising so far...stay tuned for more from Seoul soon!