A Quiet Place

         I have gotten really fed up with not having a quiet place of my own to, well, have my quiet time. Not that my sister is a noisy roommate... I just need a place where I can be *alone*. It was especially difficult when the full heat of summer rolled in. You see, the climate in this area of Korea is not too far different from what I'm familiar with, coming from Alabama -- very hot and muggy -- but the key difference is that Koreans don't use air conditioners as liberally as we do back home. That was quite a challenge to endure (and a subject for another post).

    Before the weather was so hot, I'd sometimes go out in the morning and find a place to sit in one of the little park areas around my apartment. Otherwise, I'd stay in my room. It would usually be peaceful and quiet enough, with only the occasional passerby. With the arrival of summer, however, I had a different schedule: working in the morning instead of in the afternoon. So going out in the morning wasn't really an option for me, and by the time I returned home, it was too hot both indoors and out.

    So I went searching for a quiet (air-conditioned!) place.

    I tried many different cafes around my neighborhood and in the area in Gwangju where I get off the bus from my school. Eventually I found one worth returning to again and again. What a blessing it was to find that little cafe! Finally I had a peaceful little place I could go to, to read and pray!

Roti Mum Cafe

                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~

Visiting late in the evening

    Summer has finally retreated, and winter is fast approaching. While the weather has been pleasant, I have enjoyed often walking up to the hill behind my apartment, which is crisscrossed with hiking trails. I found this area to be an even better place to go. On several occasions when I had a free day, I stayed up there for hours at a time -- reading the Bible, praying, exploring the trails... and taking a few pictures, of course. There's a bench I can go to there, and I can generally stay a long time without being disturbed. However, Koreans are big fans of hiking, so people will periodically pass me by.

    Walking those trails has been so refreshing. The rustling trees and chirping birds, the dappled light and fresh air... It is a haven. I wish I had the time to go up there more often.



                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~

     I still desire a place to go that is quiet, private, and comfortable. Still, I am thankful for the places I have found, even if they aren't perfect.

Sunsets from the trails

       

Thoughts of Home

A street in my neighborhood in Gwangju

    This is a post I started back in April/May when the first wave of homesickness really set in. I have extended my contract and will therefore be here another 6 months. Several people I know are leaving or have already left the country after completing their contracts. Seeing these people leave has reminded me that if I hadn't extended... I'd be going home now, too. That's hard. I think of home a lot. So without further ado...

  I know this is where I'm supposed to be right now, but that doesn't stop me from thinking of home. Random things send flashes of homesickness. Like how, on the bus ride to school one day, I was looking over the landscape and suddenly I missed my hometown. I miss Huntsville -- just the common sights, the roads and buildings and, of course, the rocket!

  I miss the trees and the flowers. I look at the hills around here and they're beautiful, but they're not Huntsville's hills. I miss Green Mountain.

  On the way to my bus stop in the morning, sometimes I pass a little plant shop. Then I miss tending to the gardens around my house. Oh, those gardens are nothing fancy, for sure, and they are a lot of work to maintain. It gets so hot out in the summer that I can't stand to work outside for very long. Even so, there's something so satisfying in working outdoors, tending to plants.

  As it was just beginning to get real hot, I wanted something cold & wet to refresh me... I could've easily gone to any convenience store here and bought some kind of frozen treat... but you know what I wanted? Sonic. Not just any ol' slushie will do -- I had a hankerin' for a Sonic slushie!

  I miss eating dinner with my family. I miss the food, but even more so, I sorely miss the company.

  Don't get me wrong. I'm happy here. I have made some great friends, I have found a great church, and I have a strong sense of purpose in my work. It's an adventure. Still, the thoughts of home keep popping up. Frankly, it's distracting.

  I don't want to wish away my time here in thinking of home. I want to be FULLY here. I want to live wholeheartedly, and I want to be focused. I need to live in today. I keep reminding myself that if I am to long for the future, the future I long for ought to be eternity -- not the temporal, earthly future.

  When I am so far away from home, I have this sense of longing that doesn't go away. I realize that this longing should be a mere shadow of the longing for my heavenly home... My true home. It is just an echo of the longing built into my very being.

Jeju and Open Class

     The past few weeks have been busy and intense. On May 25th I had one open class where teachers from my school plus the principal and VP observed one of my classes. That was stressful enough, but it went okay, all things considered. Thankfully, I had a long weekend right after that because of Monday's holiday (Buddha's birthday). I had just two days of work that week, then on Thursday I set off with all of the other TaLK scholars in my province to go on our (free!) cultural trip to Jeju.
 

Jusangjeolli. Cool-lookin' natural hexagonal rock formations.

The little islet of Saeseom (Bird Island).

  How was the trip? Good, but exhausting. As is apparently typical of Korean group tours, we were ushered from one attraction to the next in a whirlwind tour of the island. Any one of the many places we went to could have taken a full day of their own. Okay, not EVERY place was worth spending a whole day... but I know many of us were unhappy to not be able to spend more time at one of the beaches, for instance.

  The week after the Jeju trip, I had another open class. This one was a much bigger deal. I was really nervous about it -- especially when I had to keep modifying my lesson plan. I could tell that it was very important to my school that my open class go well. That put a lot of pressure on me. The day of the class I felt okay about the plan, but I left just a few too many small things to prepare, and we ended up with less preparation time than expected. My nervousness grew rapidly until it was time to teach. The lesson went okay -- neither terrible nor great. Perhaps I could share more about what I learned from this whole process... later. I was so glad to have it over with. It is great to be back down to a normal level of stress.

  The weekend after the open class was, in contrast, wonderful. On Saturday I ate lunch with people from my church, then spent the rest of the day with two friends (Jo, who worked at Munpyeong before me; and Hyung Jun, who was one of Jo's co-teachers). What a refreshing day that was! We ate a good dinner, we walked, we played games and watched a movie... and we talked and laughed so much together. Jo stayed with me until Tuesday. We talked, and talked, and talked! She's such a kindred spirit. We were both sad that she had to leave, but we fully enjoyed the time we had together.

Long-Overdue Update

    It has been far too long since I've posted, and for that I apologize. I've been busy -- that's the short explanation. I want to fill in the gap and tell about what's gone on since I started teaching, but it is just too much, so I'll have to jump ahead and fill you in later.

  To sum up: teaching has been quite a challenge for me. I spend more time on classroom management than on actual teaching. 2nd grade and 3rd/4th grade (combined class) are the worst. The other classes are not too bad, though there is still a general lack of respect. Even so, I love the kids and they seem to like me. They are pleasant outside of class.

 I have met a lot of people and I am enjoying getting to know them better. After a tough day/week of teaching, meeting with a friend for dinner is so refreshing to me. When I think of these growing friendships, the time I have left here seems terribly short. I want to relish all the time I have with them. For now, many are only a short bus ride away. Others take more effort to see - a bus or train ride of an hour or two. Right now that seems far, but I know that it's nothing compared with the distance when I leave.

  Yesterday and today were so good -- a welcome respite after a rough few days (Wednesday and Thursday!) You see, the former TaLK scholar who was placed at the same school I am at now, is back in Korea. We've talked a little bit already via Skype and Facebook, but Friday was the first time we met in person. She came with me to the school to visit the students, and we talked a lot. It is amazing how much alike we are. Though our personalities and backgrounds are very different, we are now so much of one mind. We met again today to talk, and boy, we sure talked! For dinner we were joined by one of her former co-teachers. We all enjoyed talking together and the meal was great.

  After all the talking yesterday and today, I feel so encouraged. I see light. I see hope.

  I've struggled to stay hopeful when I see no improvement in my classes. I've worked often in frustration, seeing no fruit. I still trust God to work it all out for good, though I can't see how. Now... I see a new glimmer of hope. I feel like improvement is attainable. It is all in God's hands.

Sports Day [back post]

Getting ready to start

     My school's Sports Day (field day) was held in the beginning of May. I was looking forward to the day, partly because I wouldn't have to teach that day. My co-teacher, Jooyoung, and I arrived early in the morning as preparations were still underway -- kids were carrying chairs out to place them under newly-raised shelters as teachers directed, set out prizes, and arranged various other things. As I walked into the school building I was handed a bright red t-shirt that matched what all the other teachers and students were wearing. So I changed quickly, then went back out to the field.

   I felt a little useless then, deaf to the meaning of the chatter swirling around me. But before long, the parents, grandparents, and other sundry supporters had gathered, students lined up in rows by grade on the soccer field, and the festivities began.

   They started by singing the school's song and the Korean national anthem. It is a slightly odd experience to be a foreigner standing in a crowd of people as they are saluting their flag and singing their nation's anthem... hands over hearts... I am an observer. I am not a citizen here -- as if that fact were no clear enough already. It's an interesting experience.

   Next they did groups stretches, and some students received rewards. The rest of the day, they alternated between activities with the students, parents, teachers, and various different combinations thereof.

Kindergarten footrace

Even though my participating mostly consisted of taking pictures, I was nearly as exhausted as the others by lunchtime. I guess just the heat was enough to tire one out. Combine that with the early morning and physical exercise, and you have a good recipe for exhaustion. Lunch was pleasant -- I was so hungry! It was also nice to be able to go home early that day (right after lunch). Upon returning home, I just wanted to sleep.

Parents carrying K-2 on stretchers for a relay

   It was a fun day, but very tiring. The kids played hard, and the parents and teachers were great sports in participating and cheering on the kids.

Bamboo Festival [back post]

Panorama of the festival grounds

    My co-teacher A Jin and I were in the bus on our way to school. We often talk in the bus all the way there and all the way back -- unless sleepiness silences us. For the first few months, even though I usually disliked the commute from Gwangju to my school, I looked forward to Fridays because of those conversations.

On this day, we were chatting as usual when I mentioned that on Saturday there would be a festival that I was interested in going to. I asked if she was free that day, and she said yes. So before the ride was over, we had decided to go to the festival together.

 We met at the bus terminal the next morning. The bamboo festival is held in Damyang, which is not far out of Gwangju. It took around an hour to get there. We strolled around the grounds together, conversing easily, and I even bought a couple things to bring home as gifts. Around noon we stopped at a lovely shaded bench and shared a simple picnic lunch. Throughout the day, I kept running into people I knew, all fellow TaLK scholars. It was fun to see them there.

Bamboo forest (and A Jin)

We also hiked through the bamboo forest for which the area is famous. It was a pleasant hike, though the trails were crowded thanks to the festival. The forest is beautiful, and so peaceful.

It was a great day. I so enjoyed spending time with A Jin without having to think about classes at all.

On the bus on the way home, I saw three more TaLK scholars, all Kiwis. I talked with them nearly the whole way back. They asked if I knew any good restaurant nearby in Gwangju.  In another moment of spontaneity quite uncharacteristic for me, I decided to eat dinner with them in downtown Gwangju. They were excited when I mentioned First Nepal, Gwangju's one and only Indian/Nepali restaurant. So we went there, sans A Jin (who had other plans that evening). The Kiwi TaLK scholars didn't live in Gwangju, in fact, they weren't even from the same province, so I slipped into the role of host, leading them around my city.

We arrived downtown with no trouble... But to my embarrassment, we had to wander around for a while, because I couldn't find the restaurant! Just before giving up, and as I was calling a friend of mine to ask for directions, we found it. I was relieved, and we were all happy to finally order some food. I think that once they had sampled the food, I was forgiven for leading them all over downtown. I enjoyed the food, but I think I got even more enjoyment out of seeing how much my dinner companions savored their food. They were great company.

It was a well-spent Saturday indeed.

A Jin and I in the bamboo forest

Week One (Teaching)

My school (there is a gym on the right, not pictured)

    My first week of teaching has come and gone. It was an odd week, that's for sure. My schedule keeps changing! I would come into school expecting to teach 2 classes, and instead teach 1. Or I'd expect to teach at one time and be told not long before that the time was changed. Hopefully next week my schedule will be fixed.

The English classroom

 The school facilities are very nice, especially considering how rural the town is. My classroom is well-equipped. I don't even know how to use most of the things in the room, like the blue room and the touchscreen.

 Less than 50 students go to this school, and I teach all of them. The kids are great but definitely exhausting. Sooo much energy!

  I feel incredibly inadequate for this. I keep thinking, "I can't, I can't." In my own ability I am too weak. I cannot deny how ill-suited I seem to be for this job. I do not have confidence in myself, EXCEPT for this one thing: I know my God does not make mistakes. I trust in His perfect wisdom. He opened the doors for me to come here, and He has confirmed many times that this is where I am meant to be. I do not want to go home, I do not want to quit. I just feel like I am being dragged through it right now, when I want to stand on my own feet. I know I will get through it somehow. I don't know how, and it might hurt for a while longer. I can't see what is being done, but I know my God is working.

The End of the Beginning

  Tomorrow is the end of the beginning. We disperse to the four winds, and we must stand on our own in the places where we land. It will not be easy, but it will be worthwhile. I am nervous, but excited. We have dipped our feet in the shallows for a month now, and finally the time has come to dive in!

On the Doorstep of the Unknown

Sunday, February 27th

I'm so intimidated. It's unbelievable that I will teaching so soon. I am anxious to start but still very nervous. It is such a responsibility! Who am I to do this? How can I manage to lead all of those children so that they can learn and grow? How can I communicate with the school, get by with all transport on everything on my own? How can I work with my co-teacher?

I have to take the lead, take charge. I need to have the initiative. I need to listen carefully. I need to be an example. I need to walk with sensitivity. I need to be bold and courageous.

I wonder in prayer: How, O Lord? I am already so far away from what's familiar... I am in deep water, would You hold me safe and sound? Would You guide among the waves? Would You hold my hand so I can hold firm the hands of others? How can I be such an ambassador, Lord? There is so much to do. You led me here; please don't leave me on my own. Continue to guide me as You have from the beginning. Continue to uphold these shaky hands and give light to my unsure feet. A day at a time, a day at a time! I am here for Your purpose.

Monday, February 28th?

"Have you experienced culture shock?" asked my co-scholar. I had to take a moment to think.
"Well, I guess a little bit... But it hasn't really hit me full-force yet." I replied then, but I am still pondering the question. Is that really the answer? I think that so far, I am more stressed from the idea of teaching than from the culture in general. The idea of being totally on my own in a foreign country, having to find my own way about town and figuring out / navigating in a language I can't speak... Yeah, that scares me. Somehow I am struck by the similarities, though. Some things seem so familiar here. People are people, even though the culture significantly effects the way of thinking, even worlds away I hear it strike a harmonious chord with my own experience.

Orientation Ending

 Friday, February 24th

Ginny and I with Joseph, a fellow Alabamian TaLK scholar

The closing ceremony for the main part of our orientation was this morning. It was good, but also bittersweet because of all the goodbyes. One thing that stood out for me in the closing ceremony was something one of the speakers said. He mentioned that this February has been the coldest in about 65 years for South Korea. He and other staff over the TaLK program were very concerned about this. He said that they had been praying for warmer weather to come, and hey, it came starting last week. He credits that temperature change to prayer. Such a wonderful thing to hear from a government official! It wasn't even in a 'religious' context -- I think that is what made it particularly memorable to me.

This doesn't begin to capture how delightful the food was.

Another notable thing today was the lunch that the cafeteria staff served us. It was AMAZING! It was a lavish spread -- I didn't even try everything, and I had plenty with only a little bit of each thing. There was fried shrimp, mixed seafood (mussels, clams, etc), mashed potatoes, a variety of fruit, fries, gimbap, waffles for dessert... Wow. We were all amazed and delighted by the sight of all of it, and it was delicious. So much excited chatter over food!



Saturday, February 25th

So. Tired. I could only barely keep my eyes open this afternoon in our lecture. We didn't make a lot of progress on our lesson plan, but I did talk a lot with my Korean co-scholar. I was so surprised and delighted to find that I was paired with a Korean TaLK scholar! I had been told earlier that I would not have one at all, but apparently they did some last-minute shuffling and well, here we are.

Tonight there was a meet-'n'-greet for the 8th gen scholars to meet other TaLK scholars who already live in the province. I talked with a few people. It was awfully loud in the bar, though, so my throat is sore just from trying to converse with people. It was okay, but I wish I had whipped out my sketchbook earlier (as it was, I had no sooner taken it out than it was time to leave)... several of us left 'early' (11:20ish). Others... well, let's just say many came back late.

The meet-'n'-greet was so-so, but the cab ride back... Now that's a different story. I was with my sister, who speaks a little Korean, and two other TaLK scholars. We were chatting amongst ourselves and the driver was silent. Then Ginny said "Dokdo-neun hangook ddang!" (Dokdo belongs to Korea!) This phrase was stuck in our heads thanks to the video that our group made at the end of our Jochiwon orientation. (See that video here.) If you don't know about Dokdo... Here's the basics: two tiny islands, located in the East Sea, claimed by both South Korea and Japan. Adamantly claimed by Koreans. I mean, seriously, in Korea? Dokdo belongs to Korea, no questions asked. And it's called the East Sea, not the Sea of Japan. Just sayin'.

So. Ginny says this patriotic phrase with the accompanying fist pump, and to our surprise we hear (and see) an echo from the driver. He loved it! And so ensued a conversation in broken Korean between Ginny and our driver. Korean taxi drivers are crazy, okay? Traffic laws are more like suggestions here anyway, but this is especially true of the taxi drivers. Ginny used the Korean word for 'fast', just as an off-hand comment. Well, then the driver was performing. Zoom, zoom, zoom! We got back safely, though. Tired, but laughing.

Lecture building for our POE orientation

Learning

Cute roadside fence in Jochiwon

    After our mandatory medical checkup on Saturday morning, we had the rest of the weekend free. Most of my fellow TaLK scholars left Jochiwon. Many went to Seoul and spent the night there, while others visited Seoul or somewhere else for a day trip. On Saturday afternoon I headed out with about 17 other people to walk across town to the local HomePlus store (the Korean equivalent of WalMart), which was about a 35-minute walk away. It doesn't seem like the most exciting activity, sure, but it was a pleasant outing for us. We were led there by two 7th-generation TaLK scholars who live in Jochiwon. (I am part of the 8th generation of TaLK scholars. The 7th-gen is the group that began last summer.) For me, Sunday was simply a day to relax and unwind. I even had the chance to play a few games that evening, which was refreshing.

  On Monday we had a great set of lectures, ending in a particularly engaging and useful lecture on using powerpoint effectively. Sadly, our second lecture on Tuesday was a great demonstration of how not to use powerpoint. It was difficult to sit through all 2 hours of that lecture, but the two lectures afterwards more than made up for it! One of those lectures was on using songs and chants. A few people were really dubious about this class, but I think in the end we all enjoyed it. For the last part of the class, the teacher gave each group (of around 5-8 people each) one pre-made lesson plan, which we were supposed to review as a group. Then she split the groups over two sets of three tables, and at each table we took turns teaching each other our little lessons. Or I should say, trying to teach each other. Haha, it was a little crazy, and we certainly learned by experience the value of sufficient preparation! None of the teams at my table successfully completed their lessons, partly because of lack of preparation, but also because we were laughing so much.

  I am really enjoying orientation. Most of the lectures are useful, and I like the people here. It is a gentle sort of introduction to Korea, a way to gradually become accustomed to a very different culture. We are getting used to the food (hey, if we can take Korean cafeteria food, surely we can handle normal Korean food without a problem!), we are learning to navigate unfamiliar territory as group instead of going alone, and we are learning together how to operate within this culture. I am very thankful to have all of this preparation, instead of just being thrown straight into teaching.

  Today was another good lecture day. I could spell out a summary of each lecture, but I think that would get boring very quickly, so I will leave it at this: of today's varied lectures, some were certainly more useful and relevant than others.

  It is hard to believe that our time here is almost over. I feel like it is going by too fast. There are so many people yet to meet, and I want more time to get to know those that I have met already. Alas, this is no summer camp. The focus here is not on building relationships with fellow foreigners, but instead, on teaching children and learning about Korea. The friendships built through orientation are only a... side effect. A desirable and useful side effect, but definitely not our main mission.

  I see the end approaching, but it is only the end of the beginning. In just a few short weeks, I will be teaching in my own elementary classroom. Crazy!

First Week

Stone bridge in the folk village

     What a week! Orientation week one is over. People keep saying time is short, and we have little time left to do things together as a group. I feel like we're only barely getting started. I feel the time crunch, too, and I am looking forward to actually teaching. It would be difficult to adequately cover the past few days, so I will just give a few thing that stood out.

   On Monday there was an optional field trip to a folk village. This was an enjoyable outing in spite of the cold. I wandered around looking at the sights, sometimes alone and sometimes with a random group of fellow TaLK scholars. Two highlights: watching the traditional music/dance performance, and swinging on the standing swings (which are fun but very tiring!)

Standing swings

Traditional farmers' music and dance

At Gyeongbuk Palace

  Tuesday was our first official day of orientation. We traveled as a group to Seoul. The welcoming ceremony, held at the main campus of Korea University, was lovely. Along with several speeches, there were performances by a children's choir, a young taekwondo demonstration team, and a percussion group similar to that which we saw at the folk village. Next we were dropped off at Gyeongbuk Palace and we divided up into our assigned teams to start our photo scavenger hunt. It was a frigid day. We all wanted to explore the city, and we had one or two side 'missions' that we wanted to do as a group, but we didn't really accomplish any. We quickly became so cold that we just wanted to hurry up and finish. We still had fun though, I think. It felt so glorious to finally get back into the bus when we were finished.

Our dorm

   Wednesday: Lectures, lectures, lectures. Most of the lectures are interesting to me, so it has been good. A notable highlight from Wednesday was the taekwondo class. This class was of course very tiring (I am STILL sore!), but also fun. I think the main thing that made it so enjoyable was simply that we were all in the same boat. Most of the people in my group had little experience when it comes to martial arts, much less taekwondo. There were many mistakes, but also much good-hearted laughter.

   On Thursday, nearly everyone I talked to commented on how sore they were. I have something else in mind to say about Thursday, but that will come in another post.

   Friday: Today was tiring again, but pleasant. The lectures were good, and we had another fun class (Traditional Korean paper craft). One highlight: lunch was wonderful! You see, some dignitary (POE director or something?) was visiting that day, so the cafeteria staff put forth an impressive spread. There was loads of fruit (we only occasional have fruit, at most once a day), delicious fried shrimp, kimbap, chips with salsa... Let's just say there was a LOT of very delighted people today at lunchtime.

   Anyway, that's the short version. Hopefully this weekend I will get a chance to write out more thoughts from this week.

Arrival

Lots of fog on the drive to Atlanta

     In the car on the way to the airport, I spent most of my time staring out the window. This is my last look at America for a long time, I wondered to myself. I haven't been out-of-country since I was a toddler, so that in of itself is a new experience to me. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had packed plenty of things to do in the plane, and my suitcases were about as full as they could be (while keeping safely within the weight limit). I thought about all the things that didn't fit, and I wondered how much I might regret my packing choices. I have yet to need anything I left behind. It is only a few days into my 6 months, but so far, so good, ay?

   My last night in America was spent in a hotel room not far from the airport. We (my dad, my sister, and I) woke up early the next morning to get to the airport several hours early. I was nervous about checking our baggage and about going through security, but everything went smoothly. With one final hug, my sister and I said goodbye to Dad just before heading into the security checkpoint, but I guess we were too preoccupied to be overly emotional about parting.

Our plane. It looked so big!

   Things were going well enough when we boarded the plane... Except when I was trying to put my carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment, I lost my grip on the bag -- one of the handles broke and the bag tumbled down, nearly hitting another passenger on the head! I hastily retrieved the bag and stuffed it into the compartment, then moved on to my seat. The flight was uneventful after that -- uneventful, but very long.

   About halfway through the flight, I leaned over and closed my eyes, a prayer of gratitude and wonder flowing through my mind. Yes, there the tears finally came. Just a drop or two, too quiet in the sleepy plane to be noticed by anyone. I wondered at how strange it was for me to be on a plane to South Korea. Me! Little shy homebody that I am, traveling across the world to a place I've never been before, to teach in a country where I do not speak the language and most don't speak my language? It sounds absurd, and I laugh about it sometimes. But here I am. And I am so grateful to the One who set me on this journey, who has guided me every step along the way, and who has never once abandoned me or left me without provision. Even to the point where He didn't send me alone, but rather in the company of my sister. What a comfort! He is faithful!

   I have repeated this to myself countless times throughout this journey: He has guided me thus far, He will guide me unto the end.
He has been faithful even when I was faithless, He has opened one door after another. He has given me calm assurance of His nearness, He has granted me joy in seeing Him work, He has filled me with hope for what is to come.

   I know this won't be easy. It is so easy to be nervous, to be anxious. How will I be able to communicate when I know so little Korean? Will I be able to teach the students effectively? Will I be able to make friends here? Sure, it is easy to worry. But each step along the way, it is also a little easier to not worry, as I have ample reminders of God's sovereignty. He has every base covered, I have no need to worry at all. Yes, it will be difficult! Yes, I may become utterly exhausted, make many mistakes, and have plenty of embarrassing moments. But that's okay - it is all worthwhile in the pursuit of God's will.

Application Process

  Here I will give you a run-down of my own experience of the application process for the TaLK program.*(My experience as a US citizen, 8th Generation. The process varies depending on where you're from and may be slightly different for later generations.) I know I spent plenty of time searching online for the experiences of others, so hopefully my own experience can be of use to some future TaLK scholar.

  The first part of the process is filling out the application on the TaLK program's website on "My Page". My sister and I began to fill out this application pretty early on - much before the earliest application deadline. This was really good, because we had time to spare for gathering all the needed information. I definitely recommend applying early! Application Part A is fairly straightforward: personal information, educational background, and any relavent experience... etc. Part B is the medical self-evaluation and the essay. Lastly, you also have to attach a photo of yourself - a passport-type photo works. Since I did not already have a passport, for the application I just used an extra copy of the same photo as I used for the passport itself. When you get passport photos, be sure to get a few extra copies. You will need them later.*(Not just for the applications you fill out while still in your home country. Bring a few extra copies with you to Korea.)

  The essay was not too difficult. The size is 700-1000 words... My own essay was definitely closer to the maximum, while my sister's was closer to the minimum. For my essay's topic, I talked about how (and why) I enjoy working with children, my general philosophy regarding children and the learning process, as well as my plans and my experiences regarding teaching ESL. Since the topic is so open-ended, you have a lot of leeway in choosing what to talk about. Choose something you know well and of course, make sure that the whole thing is cohesive. Talk about what you know; if you don't have much in the way of teaching experience, talk about learning instead. My sister's essay was about her fascination with the English language (and so, how she will enjoy teaching it), her interest in Korea, etc.

  When your online application has been submitted, you should receive an email just acknowledging that it was received. Then you should get an email telling you to expect a call from your local TaLK office to set up an interview.*(Some do their interview via Skype or similar if they can't go in person. Apparently some might go through two interviews -- my sister and I just did one.) Before you go to the interview, you will need to prepare all of your supporting documents. The supporting documents you will need are: a lesson plan, 2 recommendation letters, a sealed official transcript, an apostilled criminal record check (CRC), and a copy of your passport's photo page.*(Check TaLK website for an up-to-date list on what you will need.)

  Now, if you don't yet have the CRC ready when you turn in these materials, that's okay, because you can turn in the signed letter of pledge (available from the TaLK website) for a temporary stand-in. BUT. If you are just starting this whole application process, and you're seriously considering it, I advise you to do the CRC as soon as possible! In my experience*(again, as a US citizen!) it took a long time to get back (around 2-3 months)... And once it is back, you will need to send it out again to get it apostilled, which can also take a while, and then send it off to Korea. And the TaLK office won't arrange for you ticket*(Update: TaLK arranging flight tickets is no longer an option. Scholars must buy their own tickets and will be reimbursed some time after their arrival in Korea.) until they have processed your CRC. That is why I am here, a month away from being in South Korea, and I am yet to see my plane ticket. Ugh.

  Anyway. Back to the supporting documents. It would be a good idea to ask for the recommendation letters early enough out so that you don't have to rush them. As for who to ask to write your recommendation letters, variety is apparently good -- the ideal would be one employer + one professor, something like that. In my case, I asked my longtime art teacher (who has known me for over 10 years) plus my speech professor (I took just one class with her, but the subject is more relevant, and I did talk with her one-on-one a few times so she definitely knew who I was).

  With the transcript, the same wisdom holds as for the recommendation letters - don't wait until the last minute to get it, especially if you are planning to receive it in the mail from your university.

  The lesson plan is pretty simple to put together. Example lesson plans are provided on the TaLK website, and you can find LOADS of ideas online.

  The interview itself wasn't a big deal. I had heard from past TaLK scholars that their interviews were much less intense than they expected, and my experience was similar. There was actually two people interviewing me (my interview was at the Korean consulate in Atlanta, by the way), and there was a third person who sat in on the interview but didn't ask any questions. It only lasted about 15 minutes, and afterwards I really couldn't tell how well it went. The questions they asked were things like: Why Korea? Do you think you will be homesick, and if so, how will you deal with it? What is your teaching method? ... Sometimes it felt more like a conversation than an interview. Be prepared, but don't worry about it.

  My sister and I are currently waiting to receive our apostilled CRCs, and our visas. And we are in the process of figuring out packing stuff (what to bring, what we still need to buy, etc). I might say something about the packing in a later post. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any part of the process!