Yummy, yummy!

Remember cooking class in Junior High, when you learned how to make chocolate chip cookies, spaghetti, and french toast?  Maybe America has stepped up the bar a bit since I was a kid, but I've been pretty impressed to see what the 6th grade students, at my school in Korea, have come up with during their cooking class!  

This week, (2) of the three 6th grade classes have had a cooking class, where each student is responsible for bringing an ingredient for their groups particular dish.  The kids asked me to come take some pictures and try their food, which I was more than happy to do... EXCEPT for when one of them very excitedly shoved a huge piece of this disgusting fried spam into my mouth!  

Here are some fun pictures!  This group made french toast with ham and bacon inside! Talk about a heart attack!

They then presented it to me in this lovely arrangement!   Apparently a ball of rice and ham is essential to the mix!

The schools don't have an actual kitchen where kids can bake, so portable stoves are brought in and the kids cook in their own homeroom class.

 

These were probably my favorite!  Sticky rice, carrots, ham, and dried seaweed!

Korea's version of home made pizza!

Duk Bokki...

This isn't just kids playing around... This is actually a way to feed your friend, Korean style! 

And this is another way!  Instead of kids grabbing forks and digging in, the person who made the dish individually feeds each of their friends by picking the food up with chopsticks and holding it up to their friend's mouth!  

Oops, caught her in mid-bite! :)

Cooking white bread, ketchup, pepper, mushroom, and cheese pizza on the stove!

 More rice balls... only this time they were prepared on a skillet and egg was added!  YUM!

Mayonnaise, corn, carrot, and cucumber sandwich.

 Egg, ham, ketchup, lettuce, and pepper sandwich, topped with two rice balls and garnished with 2 colorful marshmallows!

"Fruit cocktail"  (Sprite (aka Cider), kiwi's and tomatoes) 

Another strange sandwich, garnished with cherry tomatoes!

When the students are finished, they prepare one plate of food for the teachers to share!  Here is what we were given!  Appetizing?!

Bet you wish you could try it, don't ya?!

It's coming!!!

Practices for Field Day have officially commenced as of this morning!  I took this video, just minutes ago, from my office window, looking out to the playground.  I am soooo excited that May is around the corner, because that means Field Day is almost here!  Can you tell it's one of my favorite days of the year!  How could it not be?  I get to hang outside all day, watch kids laughing and playing, see proud parents cheering on their kiddos, and to make it even better, I have been nominated as the official photographer of the event, so I'll have tons of pictures and videos to share!

Teacher Volleyball Season

It's "teacher volleyball season" in Korea and my school's staff has begun practicing twice a week to get ready for the big Saha-Gu Elementary School Staff Volleyball Tournament!  Believe it or not, volleyball is a really competitive sport amongst elementary school teachers in Korea!  In fact, Aaron was actually recruited to teach at his school because the principal heard he was such a good volleyball player!  The first day I met my new Principal he asked me, in his broken English, weather or not I could spike a ball!  haha 

Today will be our 3rd staff volleyball practice of the year!  We started practicing 2 hours a day, twice a week, but this week we've added a 3rd practice - yes a Saturday practice!  I actually don't mind the excessive practices because: 1) I have really enjoyed the camaraderie that happens at the practices, 2) I can't complain about the great exercise, and 3) I get to leave school at 2:00pm to go play!

In Korean voleyball, there are 9 players to a team.  We stand on the court like a bingo board!  I am currently on the far left, in the middle... but last week they were impressed with my spiking (I don't know how or where I learned it, but I actually spike once in a while!) so I was moved to the middle, the HIGHEST RANKED position on the court!  I told Aaron, later, that I was almost hoping the other team would hit the ball right at me, because I was on a roll! :)

Needless to say, I have more street cred at school than I did before Volleyball started!  The teachers used to compliment me on my outfits or my ability to speak Korean... but now they just talk about my skills on the court!  haha!  Who knew?!

Here's to a great Volleyball Season!  Wish me luck!

(I hope I didn't just jinx myself!)

A special gift...

As I was walking to school this morning, I ran into 하나 (Hanna), the 6th grade teacher who I love!  She and her daughter live near me and walk to school as well, but today was the first time we've ever bumped into each other on our ways!  Anyhow, as soon as she saw me, she pulled out a red jewelry box from her purse and said, "Chelsey, this is for you!"  with a huge smile!

Inside was this beautiful starfish necklace to match some earrings I have, and to match HER own starfish necklace!  She said it was "Many thanks, many thanks, for what you have done for me and my students."

Two of my love languages are affirmation and small gifts, so this meant a lot to me! :) I'm wearing it proudly around my neck today, and love that it came from her!

Happy Easter!

Today was a wonderful day filled with laughs, sunshine, yummy food, and awesome fellowship!

The day started with a fantastic skype date with my mom and dad, who are beyond wonderful!  I love those two!!  Then I took a walk from my apartment over to Nampodong where I met Aaron for a lovely Easter brunch at a new restaurant that recently opened!  Yes, this was the best shot I was able to get of him!  He's like a child with ADD when I break the camera out!

This was what we had for Easter brunch, Korean style!  (Actually, this one was Indonesian style!)  Good ole' Nasi Goreng with steak!  Yumm!

I was sooo excited to endulge in such a yummy salad!  Believe it or not, they just don't exist like this in Korea!   It's usually shredded cabbage and yogurt on top.  Weird, I know!  So, this was a big treat for me! 

After brunch, we walked through the market, looking for a fun easter gift for each other... but believe it or not, neither of us could find anything we really wanted or needed!  It's an amazing physical and emotional place to be to feel like you don't need or want anything!

We headed back over to my neighborhood and visited Serry, the neighborhood dog!  I visit Serry everyday on my walk home from work, and so I thought it would be okay if I asked her mom (the store owner) if I could take her for a walk.  I was fairly shocked when she was more than happy for me to walk her!  As we were walking away, she rambled off about 15 sentences in Korean, to which Aaron and I just nodded and said, "Okay" as if we understood!

When we got down the street, Serry automatically stopped in the middle of the road!  She wouldn't go any further, even when I tried to pull her!  We then realized that that's probably what her mom was trying to tell us!  She knows her boundaries!!  :)

So, we all turned around and walked down another street!  Sure enough, we got to a certain point, and she stopped again!  When we tried to pull her further down the street, she laid down, like this!  We couldn't stop laughing!

After saying goodbye to Serry, we hung out on my apartment's rooftop, enjoying the sunny weather and tending to the new herbs and vegetable plants that Aaron recently planted!

Then... I took the bus over to Gwangali Beach to meet my friends Anne and Crystal at Thursday Party for the Easter foreigner BBQ/potluck!  This time's theme was Mexican!  Needless to say, it was a big hit!

I stayed at the BBQ for a couple hours and then took a long bus ride over to Kosin Univeristy for my weekly bible study at one of the professors house!  I've been going here for a little while now and REALLY love it!   My favorite part is the fact that there are people from ALL OVER THE WORLD that come!  There was a fantastic guest speaker tonight from Brittain, who passed this notebook around, asking everyone to write their names and their home countries. When it got to me, I snapped this picture to show just how diverse it actually is! 

Here's a video of 1/2 the room singing the last verse of Seek Ye First.  I love that you can hear everyone's individually beautiful accents!

I was so touched tonight, and inspired to be more like Jesus - patient and loving!!  This was my favorite verse that was read.

And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. -Colossians 3:14

On that note, Happy Easter!