JJ's Moving Day

Wednesday night is our Lost night, right? So one of the guys who hosts thought Wednesday night would be the perfect night to move all of his furniture from his old apartment here in Korea to his new one. I have been very entertained watching people move in and out of apartments here. They use these conveyer belts to move furniture and boxes out the windows and doors of upper floor apartments. Well, JJ opted for the cheap route. He hired one guy with a truck to move all of his stuff for him. Basically the guy's only responsibility is to physically drive the stuff from one location to another (for about $100). Because he's in a hurry to get to the next job, though, he helps load and unload the truck, but usually that's about it. This particular guy was very stubborn and extra "helpful". He decided to help the guys move a big wardrobe into the apartment. The problem was it wouldn't fit through the door, and the windows that open all the way were not on the same side as the alley, so he saw the door as the only option. This guy pushed, pulled, and prodded this wardrobe, trying to get it through a doorway it could not physically fit through while the boys loaded a cabinet, a couch, a chair, and multiple boxes through the window. The mover ended up completely destroying JJ's wardrobe and took back out and to his truck in about 20 pieces. Then he had to go find another one to replace it with. What an experience. I am so grateful that it wasn't us! I don't think we'll be moving from one apartment to another here in Korea. It's way too much work!

Ross standing on top of the doorway after having just lifted the couch over his head and onto the ledge so they can take it around the corner and put it in through the window!

Soccer Saturday

Saturday was our first soccer jamboree (instead of 2 or 3 games a week, we play all day Saturday). What an experience! First off, let me tell you, it's haunting to go back now as a coach. I can't believe how much the girls remind me of myself and my friends at that age! It's really pretty scary. The other scary part is how much I remind myself of my dad when I'm out there telling them to "be more aggressive!". It is a lot of fun, though!

We got up early and headed to Seoul International School. 25 teenage girls and 3 coaches. Not a bad ratio (keep in mind I am the oldest of the 3 coaches!). Thankfully, our bus drivers knew where we were going because we certainly didn't! When we arrived on campus, we had to ask the girls where the soccer field was because we didn't know that either (2 of us are new to YISS this year, the other is entirely new to soccer). Once we got up to the field, though, things were pretty standard. Two fields back to back and a schedule of games and referees. 

This is a very different middle school soccer program than the one I participated in, though. For one thing, it's weird to me that we only have practice twice a week (Mondays are reserved for Immersion meetings, Tuesdays for staff meetings, and Wednesdays for discipleship so that leaves Thursdays and Fridays available). Sports are definitely not the priority on this middle school campus. That has it's pros and cons. Secondly, we only have 3 weeks of games. Only 3 jamborees, so it's a pretty short season. Thirdly, (supposedly) the jamborees aren't competitive. No one is keeping score (officially). We play 7 vs. 7 on half fields for 20 minute games. The girls don't know many of the rules, so the only real rule is no hand balls. They're just learning how to do throw ins, and they have no idea when to do a goal kick versus a corner kick. We were surprised that our 3 teams did really well, even with their lack of skill and knowledge of the game. It turns out this is the norm around here. One of our teams won all 3 of their games and the others won at least 1 game. It is really entertaining to watch, and I can't wait to go to practice this week and see what Miranda has lined up for them!

This one is my favorite! Jana cheering, June hit in the face!

I am really enjoying the laid back schedule and less intense atmosphere that allows me to go to practice once a week and spend a few weekends getting to know these girls better. I'll be ready when the season is over, but for now, I'm enjoying my soccer Saturdays.

Date Night

Last night Eric and I managed to go out on another date. That's two in two months. My Aunt Shawn will be so proud! A couple of other teachers here (they're actually twin sisters) have been volunteering to babysit basically since we arrived. One of them is new, so we met her in Mississippi, and the other has been here for a year already. Still, because Charissa is new, Esther has spent a lot of time around our group of new teachers, so the kids have gotten to know them both really well. They live near us, so on Wednesday nights when we come home for Bogwongdong, Esther and Charissa usually share a taxi with us (4 is usually the max, but the kids don't count!). Every week the girls joke about taking Cade home with them and this week when they got out of the taxi at the bottom of our hill to walk home, Cade was really upset that he didn't get to go with them. I mean really upset! Thankfully, our taxi driver thought he was so cute that he didn't mind Cade screaming and crying the rest of the way home. 

So, on Friday night, we figured we should take them up on their offer, and let the kids go over to their house to play. They were so excited! We didn't bring them any toys to play with, but in typical TCK style (and being watched by a couple of TCKs--the girls grew up as missionary kids), we knew they wouldn't have any problem!

      *Speaking of TCKs, as we were walking to dinner (a new route), there was a white kid who walked out of his house with a football. He said hi to us, and immediately passed his football to Eric, telling him to catch. He walked down the street with us for about 5 minutes, playing catch with Eric and talking about his grade, what sports he plays, and what school he goes to. Then he said he had to go and turned around and ran back up the hill. It was a unique experience. Here's a kid who doesn't have a yard to play in or anyone to play American football with, so he picks up a game with the first white guy he sees walking down the road. I wonder how often he does that?*

Eric and I took off for dinner in Itaewon at Chaakra, an Indian restaurant I'd been hearing about since we got here. It's strange, actually. Indian food is something that I have been trying to convince Eric to try ever since we met. I got him to try Thai food on our first date, but it's taken me nearly ten years to get him to try Indian food! We walked in and were greeted by the joys of the fishbowl lifestyle. There was already a group of about six YISS teachers in there having dinner, but I had gotten him this far. I was not about to let him get out of it just because there were people we knew in there. Besides, there isn't a restaurant in Itaewon we could go to without running into someone we know! Five minutes into our dinner, another YISS staff family walked in, but they decided to try their luck and finding a non-YISS inhabited restaurant. 

Eric was excited when he found out there was a buffet and even more excited when he learned the price. Fifteen bucks for a buffet in Seoul is a pretty good deal! I'm normally not a buffet person, but I wanted Indian food and if this is how I had to get it, I was willing to go for it. At least this way, I didn't have to try to read the menu. Who knows what language it might have been in!? We had lots of new, spicy foods (samosas, beef vindaloo, curry chicken, mutter aloo, channa masala, saffron rice, tandoori chicken, naan bread...yum!), some good, refreshing salads, and a custard dessert that Eric thought was revolting. Last night, he said he liked the restaurant and we would definitely go back, but I'm not sure if he's still feeling that way today...

After dinner, we went for a walk through Itaewon. We managed to find a store that sells shoes big enough to fit Eric so that he can stop wearing his tennis shoes with holes in them to cross country practice, ended the night with ice cream at Cold Stone (the group that we had dinner with walked in right after we did, of course!), and were even able to get back to get the kids using a new shortcut. 

The kids had had a great time with Charissa and Esther and Miranda had even come over to hang out with them, too. They are adored by all of our new friends here, and we are very blessed to have such great friends already!

Fall has Arrived!

Yesterday was the first time since our arrival in Seoul that the temperature was below 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). I have to admit that it was quite a shock to my system as somehow I have gotten used to the perpetual 80-90 F degree weather. The weather was warm and comfortable on Saturday while we were on the retreat. On Sunday it cooled considerably and I even wore long sleeves outside in the evening (we experienced real wind for the first time here on Sunday), but it was still surprising how cool it was yesterday morning when we left for school. Even more surprising was the fact that it didn't warm up much throughout the day, and it was still a bit chilly when we went out for our fire drill yesterday afternoon (at least it wasn't raining!). It's back to sun and mid-70s for the rest of the week, so it should be comfortable for us. After weeks and weeks of sweating while just standing still outside (and it's rare that we're actually standing still), we're excited for the cooler weather! Soccer practices in the afternoon heat have been brutal, and since we have another jamboree this weekend, I won't mind the cooler weather on Saturday!

The leaves have begun to fall, Everland was decked out with Halloween decor, and the temperatures are dropping: Fall has arrived in Seoul! We are excited to experience a new season in this new country!

The Middle School Retreat

Another busy weekend for the Carlsons! 

Basically since we got on campus in July, I feel like the middle school staff has been making reference to the middle school retreat: their need for volunteers to help plan, to help organize, and of course to help chaperone! So by the time the second or third email came out reminding us to sign up to chaperone, I was starting to feel a little guilty. I asked if we could bring the kids so that we could both go, and the answer was a resounding "yes!". So I signed all four of us up. I really should have done a little more research first!

Remember that staff retreat we went on before school started? The one where families with young kids have complained so much in past years, that they finally gave us the option to go home rather than spend the night? The one where the accommodations are very traditionally Korean? [I just looked back and realized I actually managed to not blog about this event, so you won't remember. Suffice it to say, the accommodations are not deluxe, and that is really all you need to know at this point!] Well, it turned out that the middle school retreat was held in the same location. Had I known this, there's a good chance I would not have signed up!

Regardless, we'd volunteered and we were going to follow through (especially when our middle school chaplain's mom died two weeks before the retreat and he had to go back to the States to be with his family). Those in charge of the planning of the retreat logically decided that we could not have 10 middle schoolers in mine or Eric's care since we have these two little crazy kids with us, so we were able to play flexible support roles. That really worked out in Kennedy's favor when she got invited to her first birthday party by one of her favorite new pals here. Her friend had hand-delivered her "Princess Party" invitation and there was no way I was going to be able to keep Kennedy from that party (even to be one of the stars of the retreat!). So, the kids and I managed to get out of going to the retreat center Friday night. I dropped Kennedy off in her princess attire and took Cade out on a date, just the two of us! Eric, meanwhile, was attempting to sleep in a room with about 10 8th grade boys who did not want to sleep!

Saturday morning, the kids and I got up early, packed our backpack, and walked the mile to the closest subway station. The retreat center is conveniently located on the same subway line that we live on, so we had about a half hour subway ride with 15 minute walks on either end. Not too bad.

Many of the middle schoolers have met our kids because they come to school every Thursday with me for soccer practice, if not more often. They are always a big hit, but they were BIG stars this weekend! Every kid wanted to give them high fives, hugs, or just rub Cade's blond buzz cut! It turned out that neither one of us was too busy with the kids because they had SO many babysitters! Eric had a great time playing basketball and other games with kids, as well as getting to know them better helping out with the small groups. I worked in the Canteen where the kids were able to buy snacks and drinks during their free time. 

We had a great time getting to know our students outside of school, but at 7:00 when they still had several hours of planned events going on, we decided that our roles had played out and we took our exhausted kids back home on the subway again. It was a long day, but it was a good one.