I've become really good friends with one of my tutor students named Christine. She's two years older than me, and we meet every Saturday morning for two hours. After we're done with our session, neither of us have anything to do for the rest of the day, so we usually hang out. Today, we decided to take a lil trip to a place called 남이섬 or better known as Nami Island or even better known as that place in Korean dramas where they walk down the road full of trees.


We were originally going to go to 춘천 to eat Dak Galbi, but we heard that the traffic would be really mean and burdensome.

So we decided on 남이섬. It was the perfect day cause it was really warm and clear throughout the whole day. I couldn't have asked for a better day.





There were like a billion couples walking around. We bitterly talked about how some couples were so stupid with their stupid "couple's t-shirts"...

while I was sporting my UCI t-shirt loudly and proudly.

We overheard a man say to his wife, "Hey, this is the 가을 연가 place!" We had a good laugh about that, and it became an ongoing joke for the rest of the day. I'm sorry if you don't get it cause I'm not going to bother to explain. Anyways, this place had fall blossom trees in the middle of summer. Interesting.

Here's what primitive Koreans used to live in.

I was thinking about going inside, but it looked pretty scary in there.


This was probably my favorite part of the island cause there was a nice breeze as you walked beside the water without too many people around. It was very peaceful and for a second, you totally forgot that you were in Korea.

There was a small insect museum that we stopped by. It's really scary to think that there's bugs that big flying around in other parts of the world.


These little prettys are silkworms. I told Christine how my friend (Dinko) once had to eat them for a game. They were squirming and moving around like crazy. Quite disgustingly big, too.

Although we had not gone to 춘천, 90% of the restaurants were Dak Galbi places, so we just went to the one that had the most customers. Surely, the meat was different from Seoul stylez. I still won't be satisfied til I go to the original place.

And here's a random picture of the futuristic interior of Techno Mart. I was amazed, and Christine laughed at my tourististic behavior.

After having long conversations with my tutor student, I once again learned how fortunate I am to be a kyopo. Christine would die to be a kyopo. Y'all be grateful now.


I can't believe this boy has graduated from high school. See you in 48 hours!

Thought of the Day: Kyung Soos.
Song of the Day: Queen-Don't Stop Me Now

I usually don't have much that goes on in my life, but last week was a pretty exciting week. On Wednesday, my dad asked Priscilla to come hiking with us at a mountain near our church.

After my dad learned how slow Priscilla walked, he made me walk behind her the whole time. There were plenty of encouraging words to hurry up as I pushed her up 50 degree hills.

Here are a few convenient stairs.

Here is my patient father waiting for us to catch up to his "65 year old" body.



Pretty Priscilla had an excellent time browning her very white shoes and sweating her clothes away.

I finally found another excellent place to eat in Hong Dae. For the longest time, it was just Sam Gyup Sal and Dak Galbi (which are TOTALLY fine), but finding another fantastic place never hurt either. I love how this place just gives your table a huge row of various vegetables to wrap your meat in.

Then of course we have the bliss factor. After eating pork and chicken for so long, I forgot how good beef could be, too.

On Friday night, I had dinner with my white co-worker, Michael.

Here's him when he's normal.

Here's him when he's had a little too much to drink.

Anyways, Mike and I have become pretty good friends. He and I have so much Cali pride, and he's almost always down to have dinner with me. Well, last Friday, we were having one of our regular dinners at the Dak Galbi place. But 10 minutes into our meal, these Korean mafia guys came and sat next to our table! We weren't sure at first cause two of the guys were pretty big in these black suits, but the third guy was dressed in sportswear. Mike and I thought nothing much of it, but our loud English caught their attention. From time to time, they would make small talk with us. But with the more soju they were drinking, our conversations became longer and longer. It started off with...

Mafia: Where are you guys from?
Me: California.
Mafia: "California?" What's that?
Me: We're from America.
Other Mafia Guy: L.A.
Mafia: OHH! "L.A.!"

to...

Other Mafia Guy: You know, that guy's in the mafia.
Mafia: No, I'm not.
Other Mafia Guy: He really is!

to...

Mafia: You guys want to try some drugs (acting out shooting up heroin and sniffing cocaine)?
Michael: NO NO!

to...

Mafia: Do you want to tutor my kid?
Me: I'm sorry, but I'm really busy.
Other Mafia Guy: You should! There's a lot of money involved!
Mafia: What about you?
Michael: I'm sorry. We work 10 hour days.

I felt bad for Mike cause he had so much to drink, but he couldn't refuse their drinks and tried so hard to act politely in front of them. I was pretty nervous throughout the whole thing cause I was the mediator doing all of the broken translating. By the time we were done listening to all of the anti-Bush/America talk from one of the mafia guys, the whole restaurant was pretty empty with just the waiters curiously peering at us from the back. Mike and I decided to get up before they finished so that they wouldn't invite us out to more drinks and noraebang. That crap was exciting!


Finishing up the week, Pris and I went to the French Village in Seoul. It totally sucked, and we didn't even see any French people. We just went into this one cafe just so that we could use the bathroom.

We ended up having peach iced tea for quite some time, talking about our struggles with church. In case you're wondering, we're not doing too well at our church. We serve by teaching Bible study in English to elementary school kids. The ministry has no proper direction, and we gotta face all the hardships that come along with it. I briefly shared about my burdens with a good friend named Dinko who encouraged me with the words: "God is always worthy of what you can give, even when the little sheki kids are shekis. That's your worship." It's a great reminder that worship on Sundays doesn't only come from hearing good preaching or singing biblical songs...as much as I long for those.

Afterwards, Pris and I went to the famous "buger" place near Koryo University.

As you can see, it really isn't anything like a burger. More like a retarded sandwich that's fairly tasty, especially for its price.

Here's Priscilla being pretty again.

I've gotten pretty used to the bad Konglish in Korea, but this one really made me laugh.

I would like to conclude this entry with a performance that includes two songs that are pretty popular in Korea these days.



Thought of the Day: HOLY MOLY!
Song of the Day: Younha-비밀 번호 486

Psalm 118:24-This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Thought of the Day: Suri San
Song of the Day: Deli Spice-차우차우

It's 1:23 A.M., and I have to wake up pretty early. But I can't go to bed without saying this. I just finished watching the 1988 film, Cocktail, and it was a disaster. It was so bad that I'd like to recommend it to you just to have you agree with me that it was so bad. No wonder it was always $4.99 at Albertsons. Thank you for your time. Good night!

Thought of the Day: Okie Dokie.
Song of the Day: Third Eye Blind-Motorcycle Driveby

Psalm 115:7-Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

Thought of the Day: Mosquito.

The month of May just wasn't a good month for me. People left, hearts were broken, skulls were cracked, and peers were not able to follow through. But June is upon us, and I'm ready for an action-packed summer. So far, things are looking pretty good. I had a work-free Saturday (rare) and decided to go hiking in Bukan San with my dad and his cousin.


The interesting thing about Seoul is that it's the only metropolitan city in the world that has mountains right next to it (I think).


Now this ahjushee used to be a hardcore mountain climber and supposedly went to every single mountain in Korea (there's a grip!). Unfortunately, he had a pretty major accident some years back, so he's not exactly 100% with his memory. But one thing for sure is that this man LOVES hiking. It's the only thing he talks about. His true passion. You could tell cause it got annoying real fast.

Anyways, here's him showing me and my dad that he can do like 20 pullups as opposed to his usual 60 that he used to do.

He even brought a hammock that we didn't end up using at all.

But what can you say? Hiking and all that mountain stuff is his life, so he wanted to show us everything about it. It was really funny cause we'd run into other hikers when we reached certain resting areas. They'd talk about the different mountains that they had been to, but my dad's cousin would just remark on how every place that they mentioned was really easy or "not even a real mountain." Arrogance can be so funny sometimes.

We each had two rolls of kimbap for lunch. We were disappointed to find that the chicken man wasn't there to sell us any chicken. That truly would've hit the spot. Seriously though, eating and drinking anything in a mountain is ridiculously delicious.

It was a beautiful day, so we were able to see the city very clearly.

After I took this picture, this one stranger asked us if I was some kind of Hollywood star or something. He started calling me "Tucker" or something and was so convinced that I looked like some kind of American celebrity. What a funny man.

One of my favorite parts of the hike was when we had to climb up these crazy rock things. You literally had to crawl up on all fours to go up some areas. There were even times when I thought UHOH, I'M SCREWED as I would come down some dangerous areas. But that's the fun in hiking, right? Risk, danger, and excitement. It makes your hike all the more rewarding.

I know you can't really tell, but we were pretty dang high up.

I originally wanted to go to the highest part of this massive mountain, but I realized how foolish and ignorant I was after six hours of hiking. You seriously need THE WHOLE DAY to do that.

Regardless, Mr. Chung and his son had a great time. Saturday very well spent! If you're in Korea and have no money but plenty of time, I recommend hiking. I finally understand why there's so many dang hikers on Line #1 every Sunday morning.

I finished reading Mere Christianity yesterday. C.S. Lewis can write some pretty profound stuff. There would be times where I'd just be fascinated by how he could think of whatever analogies or theories. Stinkin' brilliant. I personally think it's one of the best books to explain Christianity in a "sensible and logical" manner. Nobody really knows this, but I've been keeping a list of Favorite Quotes after being inspired by John Ro's book of quotes. I would share all of the quotes that I liked from Mere Christianity, but I know that you'd get bored and not read them. SO, I'll just share a short one that I particularly liked:

“The world is a great sculptor’s shop. We are the statutes and there is a rumour going round the shop that some of us are some day going to come to life.”

-C.S. Lewis

I made a new friend a few days ago (through the help of Pris' Helena's Alex). His name is Ren, and he's a singer. He's a really nice guy, and I hope we become good friends.

Two more weeks, Simon!

Thought of the Day: Chalala.
Song of the Day: Natalie Grant-In Christ Alone

Yesterday was Buddha's Birthday, which Korea celebrates as a national holiday. I celebrated by making review tests for next week. But I also used the day to meet up with an old childhood friend of mine named Dong Nee. She is the same age as me, and we used to play together every time I came to Korea ever since we were young. Her father and my father have been best friends since their college years. The last time I had seen her was when I was in 9th grade. She was always cute and a lot of fun back in the day, so there were many times where I'd daydream of hooking up with her when we both got older. Well, we finally met up again after eight long years. I know I'm stating the obvious, but people change a lot in eight years. And not just any eight years, but years when you go through high school and college. Sometimes, I feel like those adolescent and young adult years just mess everything up. Childhood was so cute, simple, and fun. Anyways, we've both changed a lot, and we're now disgusting adults that have complicated lives. I mean, we drank tea at a cafe to catch up! Geez.

As we were talking over dessert, I realized how much I longed for a real friend in Korea. Later that night, for the first time in a long time, I decided to open up my dusty journal. I was shocked to see that my last entry was on September 19, 2006. Here's what I wrote:

Hi, journal. It's been a hell of a long time since I last wrote (how cliché). I just finished my second day in Korea and I am really tired. I'm actualy a bit down right now b/c I spoke w/Meena about her experiences. She sounds totally ready to leave the motherland. Her "testimony" made me feel like this is all a temporary trip. I guess technically it is...however, I wish to see it as one impactful trip. I want to grow and change and learn. Meena made it sound like a burdensome work experience in a foreign country, which is technically once again, true. My hope is that the fact she is not a christian totally affected her outlook on her Korea experience. I have a totally different view of Meena now. She is no longer the kind, pretty, christian, older sister that was totally going to take care of me. She is the independent, boyfriend-distracted, pagan, and much older person who is leaving in less than 2 months. What a discouraging way to end my long day. "I did not come here to make friends," she said. I need to sleep this sadness off. Tomorrow is yet another long day.

Maybe I'm getting a glimpse of what Jesus went through while he was doing his earthly ministry. He knew plenty of people and even had a dozen companions who followed him everywhere he went. But no matter how much he spoke or spent time with them, they could never fully understand or empathize with him. I'm sure in many ways, Jesus often felt lonely and frustrated. But we also know that he had a perfect fellowship with the Father whom he always went to in the mornings. We, too, can have this perfect fellowship because Jesus went through the greatest abandonment that any man could ever face. I often feel alone in this fast paced country, but I should always remember that I have a perfect friend whom I can pray to. Friendship is a beautiful thing. May the Lord provide where I lack.



P.S.-I heard about Ken's accident a week ago and knew I should write to him. I worried and prayed about his condition, family, and even his graduation. Yet I didn't write to him cause that's how good of a friend I am. I am SO HAPPY that you are alive and well, Kenny.

Thought of the Day: Poor Christine.
Song of the Day: Yangpa-사랑..그게 뭔데

"at first i was annoyed that the weather was changing so radically but i quickly begin to enjoy the unpredictability. i think God was trying to teach me that these changes aren't within my control. all i can continue to practice doing is giving thanks in all circumstances."
-Sam Jongmin Choi

I like that!

Thought of the Day: Run.
Song of the Day: TuTu-일과 이분의 일

Some teachers didn't have to go to school on Teacher's Day. I was not one of those teachers.

I find myself making time to watch a lot of movies these days. If you know me, you'll know that I love watching movies. After I'm finished with one, my automatic routine is to hit up imdb, wikipedia, and rotten tomatoes...usually in that order. Often times, I find myself preferring to watch movies alone, too. I guess it's because I don't have to worry about what other people think, and there's less chances of having any distractions. Anyways, sometimes I wonder how many movies I've actually watched in my entire life. I think, one day, I'm going to make a list of every single movie that I have ever seen. I wonder how close I would be to a thousand. Does anyone know where I can find a list of every single movie ever to have been made?

I always thought that "Your Song" was, hands down, a better song than "Come What May." Lately, my ears are begging to differ.

Thought of the Day: Friends With Money
Song of the Day: Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor-Come What May

I just spent over an hour trying to purchase and download a ringtone for my cell phone but to no avail. I know all of this would have been so easy if I was good at Korean. Stupid Anycall! What a waste of 1,000won. That's one roll of kimbap down the drain.

The other night, Priscilla declared to me that her goal in Korea was to find a 삼겹살 place that was better than my favorite place. I have two words for her. Lost cause. 돌돌와 돈순이 is better than good. I take natives there and even they tell me that it's the best 삼겹살 they've ever had. The meat, side dishes, and of course, the mixed rice cannot be beat. I average about twice a week. Their food does wonders to my happiness levels. It probably does wonders to my cholestorol levels, too. But like I tell everyone, at least I'll die happy. This week, I went on Tuesday with my coteachers, and my dad went on Thursday with his best friend. But that didn't stop us from going six hours ago. Come to think of it, if I had to be any character in Lord of the Flies, I'd probably be Jack, hunting pigs over worrying about rescue. We're still waiting for the third Chung male to join our tribe.




By the way, Shiloh really sucks compared to Lord of the Flies.

Thought of the Day: Brick.
Song of the Day: Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor-Come What May