Day 3- May 17, 2011 (First visit, Graphic Design Class, Cost So, Daimond Bridge)

This morning we started off the day by preparing some praise and worship music for the events we would be going to as well as preparing for the English classes we were going to be participating in. When it was lunch time, Joon made spicy noodles and kimchi for us. It was similar to ramen in the way it was prepared, but a thousand times better (and you cant beat Kimchi). This was the beginning of getting used to the Holy Spirit visiting us at meals for several of my teammates and I. He is always welcome!

After the late lunch, we made out way to Dong-Seo University for our first time. When we got there, there was major activity our on the sports field in the center of campus On the main soccer field, there was a soccer game and behind the goals on both sides of the field, there were games of dodge ball! Teams were broken up into schools within the university. (It kind of reminded me of how that tv show Most Extreme Elimination Challenge broke teams up into industries) For example, one of the dodge ball games was the school of dental hygiene vs the culinary school.  Also, when we would walk by the stands of students filled with supporters for their teams, they would all yell at us in excitement and shout hello! We felt like movie stars!

When that was over, Joon took us to check out the chapel, but it was locked at the front. I followed Joon around to the back side and we found all the doors locked, so we waited at the back side for the rest of the team to catch up. I fount a small group of guys and went over and talked with them. They were very friendly and we struggled through broken English and my expansive Korean vocabulary of 4 or 5 poorly pronounced words. Then some girls walked up and that was the firs time I got to use the words "yapudah" and "moeshita". It really made them light up! Then I was also able to connect to these students through drums because one of the guys had a drum for cheers.

Next we went to our first class and just as my friend Kaleb told me, the young ladies would gravitate towards the American guys. I didn't believe him at first, but it was true.  It reminded me a little bit of when I went to Germany and a similar thing happened. Anyways, I used yapudah again (since I didn't really know what else to say and Joon said it was good to say often to ladies) and it kinda locked in the connection with them. The teacher had our team stand up in front of the class and introduce ourselves by name and school. After this, the teacher told the students to break into conversation groups and choose one of us for their group. Take a guess who grabbed me by the wrist? Yep, you guessed it, that group of girls. We went out side into the court yard where many of the other groups went and we talked about all types of basic things.  One of the first questions they asked was if I had a girlfriend, and when I said no, they were all quite surprised! I quickly changed the subject to holidays, food, movies, hobbies, music, studies, and jobs. One of our goals was to talk to the students about the true meaning of holidays like Christmas and Easter because they are celebrated in Korea, but just like in America, they are misunderstood. When our time was up, each group was going picture crazy with their respective Georgia missionary. :)

By this time it was time for dinner and we headed up to the teachers lounge for another Korean style meal. We had rice, sardines, salad, two types of kimchi, peeled apples, seaweed salad, kelp soup, noodle/egg soup, and fish. Our hosts in the teachers lounge were the teacher of that graphic design class and a man named Joseph Jung. It turns out that they are believers and were really awesome for leveraging their position to share the Gospel. Joseph gave me his business card because when we discussed about my future in Japan, he told me there is a person from his Korean church there also in Japan that I could network with to do ministry! God is so good! Mr. Jung is an international affairs and ESL teacher who, at one point, lived in California and studied at Berkley. His story was cool. He worked in law enforcement for Berkley and found one day God put him in Korea. Soon he is going to head back to California to be dean of a satellite campus for Dong-Seo.

When we finished there, we left the school in search of a power converter for Andrew and then visit Cost Co. On the way we picked up my best friend Amy! We parked near a Presbyterian church in a major part of town. We started wandering around the streets, led by Amy. The streets were surreal, its like as if we were in a video game. The streets here are so safe at anytime of the day, as far as crime goes, but you do need to watch for the occasional pushy car because the streets that look like they should be just walk ways are still streets... We were unsuccessful in finding a converter, but it was fun to wander. It was at this time Amy and I started to bond. Before we got back into the van, we took a restroom break in the church. Joon, Andrew, and I finished quickly, so we popped across the street to the convenience store to get some drinks.  We found a brand of canned frapachinos named Georgia! It was to good to pass up, so we got those and an apple yogurt drink carton for Amy (her favorite). That was the first time I had seen a yogurt drink like this. It was about the size of what were used to for small, single serving  carton of milk like you get at school.

My best friend Amy!

Energy

We left the church area and headed toward Cost co, and as we were about to admit defeat on the search for a converter, we drove by a crazy packed electronics store (it looked a lot like a Star Wars Junkyard). So Joon parked the car real quick and ran in. He was successful and we all cheered and went on to Cost Co.  By this time we had started heavy into a game called "Nose On". The point of the game is if you say something grammatically wrong or you misuse a word, then you have to put your nose on the place of choice by the one who calls you out until they ask you how you feel.  By this time, Jennie racked up two and Brittany had one.  When we got out of the car, I had Jennie put her nose on the wall of the parking garage. Then when we went down the down automated walk, I had both of them but their nose on the handrail. They were great sports!  When we got into the store, Joon realized he had forgotten his member card, so the store was gracious enough to let us go in on a one time temporary pass. There was a Xbox Kenect, so we played that for a while as the others went shopping.  As we left, I pushed the cart to the car. I went a little too fast entering the up ramp with the cart and I found out with my abs that the cart is magnetized to the ramp as you go up. Ouch. Sometimes my ambitions get the best of me.

Nose on

On the way home, we were blessed that Joon decided to take the Diamond Bridge on the way home.  This bridge was massive and the view from it was outstanding! To the right you could see the city lights. To the left you could see the moon with a reflection on the water so picturesque! Busan is so beautiful in the day and the night. I love this city and it's people. I think I should have been born Korean.

D-Rice