"Have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay"

Moroni 7:29


Two weekends ago I went to Busan to visit an old companion of mine. She was my only Korean companion, and she was also my first junior companion. She's literally an angel -- I've never known a sweeter, more generous and giving person in my life. I was sad that I was with her for only a transfer before I got transferred to another area.

Busan is about three and a half hours away from Jeonju by bus. We decided that I'd take the 930 bus and she'd meet me at the terminal and we'd figure out our plans from there. No big deal, right? My first stroke of bad luck was getting to the bus terminal in Jeonju and realizing that my phone hadn't stayed on after I turned it on that morning. The battery had died the day before, but I'd been sure to plug it in that night, and hadn't bothered to drop my charger in my bag, because I was only going to be gone for the weekend, right? It turns out that my phone hadn't charged, I'm not sure why, and I was headed to Busan to meet my companion without any way to contact her -- because, of course, the only place I had her number was in my phone. I didn't have anyone else's number memorized, either. I got on the bus and hoped that she'd be there waiting for me when I got to the station like she said she would be; otherwise, I wasn't sure what was going to go down.

I made it to Busan and into the terminal. I walked along slowly, looking all around me: no luck. I headed upstairs, looked outside, waited for twenty minutes; no sign of her. I started panicking slightly. The only person I knew in Busan was her; and unlike Seoul, I didn't know my way around, I'd never been there before, and I didn't even have her address so I could try to make my way to her house and wait for her there. I prayed. I looked around some more. Still no luck. I prayed again, a little more earnestly. Dear God. I know this is my fault for ignoring that little niggling in my mind this morning that said to put my charger in my bag. I know this is my fault for not having the presence of mind to keep a written copy of her number with me. But God, I really don't know anyone here, I have no way of getting in touch with her with my phone dead, and she's not here. Help. Please.

I tried turning on my phone, to see if that would be the answer to my prayer. Maybe it would miraculously stay on long enough for me to retrieve her number, and then I could call her from a payphone. After a few tries it wouldn't even turn on anymore. Strike that idea.

Before I could completely abandon myself to despair, a tiny little thought niggled its way into my brain. What if I called the missionaries? My companion was a return missionary, and missionaries love return missionaries. Surely they'd have her number. The phone book would probably have the number for the church, and it was lunch time so maybe they'd be at the church making copies or something...it was the best shot I had. I went downstairs and found -- miraculously -- a phone book in one of the phone booths. I looked up the name of the church -- 예수 그리스도 후기 성도 교회. There were some fifteen entries, at least. I had no way of knowing which was her ward, so I just started from the first one and decided to work my way down the list. No one answered at the first number, so I tried the second. Success! Someone answered, but I could barely hear him. I asked if the number was for the Haeundae Ward. He said no. I asked if he knew the number. He said yes, but asked me why I wanted to know. I explained what had happened, and added that I was trying to get ahold of my companion. He asked who it was. I told him. Ah! he said, I know her. Would you like me to give you her number?

I gave her a call, and after a few minutes of searching for each other, we discovered that we were in competely different terminals. Turns out there are more than one, and which one you end up at depends on where you leave from. I left from the only one I knew about, and she went to meet me at the only one she knew about. If I hadn't been able to get in touch with her, I would have had to turn around and go home -- I never would have found her, no matter how long I waited, and she never would have found me, either. I have no idea who it was I called on the phone. I found out later, after I told my companion the story, that it really was miraculous that I was able to get in touch with her -- a little while before, she had switched phones and her number had changed, and most people didn't have her new number. Even if I had reached the missionaries, for instance, they would have had the wrong number. Somehow, I got in touch with one of very few people who had the correct number.

We had a great weekend together, even though it did rain. (The area she lives in is very famous in Korea for its beaches. We walked along one for about five minutes, and then the heavens opened in a very Noah-like fashion that lasted all weekend.) I was able to charge my phone and got home without any further incidents, but now I have a really cool story about personal revelation and listening to the Spirit and a firmer conviction that God loves us even though we're pretty much always screwing up. There was nothing I did that made me deserving of the miracle I received, but I took God at His word that if I asked in faith, I'd get an answer, and He did. I hope all of you will have an occasion to do the same -- but perhaps in a less dramatic fashion.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

...and mine is in Korea. To tell the truth, I was worried before I came back. Everyone (oh, nebulous Everyone, cousin to They!) told me that it's different when you're not a missionary, that I would find it very different and not to be disappointed. Plus, this time around I'm not in Seoul. Nope, this time I'm in a "small city" of only 700,000 people. (I keep trying to convince Koreans that this is, in fact, quite a large city, but they don't buy it.)




But to tell the truth, I'm more in love than I was the first time. Well, by the end of the first time. Of course it's different when I'm not a missionary, but everything I love about Korea is still the same -- the food, the people, the culture, plus, this time around I get to add in an obsession: dramas! And noraebangs! (Basically, it's private karaoke where you only have to sing in front of your friends.) And, I don't have to walk around all day in the summer heat, so that's definitely an improvement. The truth is, in some ways I feel more comfortable and at home in Korea than I do in the States. I'm not sure why that is, exactly, but maybe it's because somehow I blend into the rhythm of life better. Maybe it's because I blatantly stick out that I feel more like I fit in. I don't know. I just know I love it here.

I wish I had some pictures to post, but my camera has pretty much bitten the dust. (This is in addition to my computer and my iPod. This is not a good year for my electronics.) So instead I'll just write a little bit about what's going on right now.

I'm in Jeonju, South Korea, studying at Chonbuk National Unversity. I get up every morning around 645, get ready for the day and eat the (very hearty) breakfast my 이모 (it means "aunt") makes for me, then head out around 750. I catch the bus about 805, make it to the classroom by about 830, and have four hours of classes starting at 900. There are three classes, beginning, intermediate, and advanced; I'm in the advanced class. For the first two hours we have 유승섭 선생님 (Professor Yoo Seung-seop), who is our grammar teacher; for the last two hours, we have 이숙정 선생님 (Professor Lee Sook-jeong) for speaking and listening. She's pretty much the bomb. I want to grow up to be just like her. On Friday afternoons and Monday mornings, instead of our regular class we have 김병용 선생님 (Professor Kim Byeong-yong), who is...well, he's supposed to be our writing teacher, but he mostly just lectures for two hours about whatever he wants, then gives us massive, ugly, really-difficult-even-for-Koreans articles to translate into English.

At one pm, we let out for lunch, then have the rest of the day to do homework (this is Korea, after all, the land of much homework and constant studying). We also meet with our peer tutors. Mine is particularly awesome. Her name is 김경숙 (Kim Kyung-sook), and she's a year younger than me so she calls me 언니 (the term for a girl's older sister) and we're not actually friends by Korean standards (only people the same age can be "friends" -- everyone else is a "close [fill in the appropriate relationship term here]"), but we are good friends in the American way of looking at it. I usually come home in the evening around 1900, sometimes earlier and sometimes later, depending on what activities we had in addition to class that day. My family -- my 이모, my little sister, 민경 (Min-kyung), and my little brother, 준영 (Jun-young). I do have a dad, but he lives and works in Seoul during the week and only comes home on weekends; since I've been gone every weekend except the first one, I haven't seen him in about three weeks. But we're going on a family trip this weekend, to Seoul, to a waterpark, so that will be fun. Anyway, after dinner (which is very yummy; my 이모 says she's not a good cook, but all the food is wonderful), we usually do homework, watch TV (DRAMAS!!!!! In real-time in KOREA!), tease each other, ask various language questions, or I get quizzed on my day. It's a very relaxed, family atmosphere. I'm getting spoiled, too, because my 이모 does everything and won't let me help. It's very different from my family, that's for sure. But not bad. ;)

Next post: my cool adventure in 부산 (Busan) and some more about what I'm doing.

Part II

Friday night my host mom came and picked me up, showed me around the house (they have a very nice appartment), I unpacked, then watched the World Cup with my host brother, then went to bed.



Saturday I woke up, and we took the bus over to my school to make sure I could find it, and my mom and I chatted for a bit.


Then we took the bus back the other direction but got off at Emart (a big grocery store) to go shopping for dinner, then went home. Oops, before we went home we had lunch at a resturant, something I've never had before.
 
THEN we went home, I played on the computer for a bit (it's in the room I'm using, which is nice when I wake up really early like this). 


Then we packed up our dinner (Korean BBQ) and went across the street to a little historical monument place where some dead people are buried (a long time ago, like burial mounds I think they might be kings?) and had a nice picnic where they made me eat until I almost died. Remember, this is Saturday still.



After that, we came home and my mom's nephew, who's also my brother's tutor, was here, he's a few years younger than me and was VERY surprised that I spoke to him in Korean.


My mom decided we needed to play some games as a family, so we played a couple and had a lot of fun, and they let me off easy so I only lost once. Then we watched more World Cup.


Anyway, that's only through Saturday night, believe it or not.



Yesterday morning before I went to church we made our own kimbap, my first time trying, and it was pretty good if I do say so myself.



Of course, all I did was put it together and roll it up, not actually prepare the ingredients. But it was still good.


After church, we went straight to see a production of Mama Mia! that's touring from Seoul. In Korean, of course. It was really good, and lots of fun. After that is when we went for bing, you know, the shaved ice stuff?


And my mom, actually, she wants me to call her aunt, anyway she ordered a waffle, too. And it came topped with a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of vanilla ice cream covered with chocolate syurp...and a sliced tomato. Koreans definitely view tomatos as fruit here.

대한민국! The Story, Part I

I'm finally here. After being over-orientated and hearded around like a middle-schooler, I'm finally with my host family in Jeonju, South Korea. It's early Sunday morning here -- Fathers' Day back in the States -- so this the beginning of the second full day with them, and already I have a lot to talk about.

Our family at Corky's in Memphis, one of the best BBQ places in the States

Just a short outline of what occured prior to this: I left Martin early last Saturday morning with my family for a vacation to Memphis, necessitated by the fact that the State Department booked me a flight out of that airport at 600. We went to a museum, ate lunch at Corky's, walked the entire length of the Mississippi and its tributaries at Mud Island, visited Beale Street, went grocery shopping, and swam at the hotel. Sunday Dad and I were up at 400 (me at 330, actually) and I was off to Chicago at 600. I finally arrived in DC around 1400, made my way to the hotel after meeting up with some of the other CLS people, spent the time before the icebreaker/first orientation catching up with a friend, then attended the first of many orientations that evening before going to bed. In the morning we started our day-long orientation at promptly 900, sat in one room for almost the entire time until 1700, then went out for a yummy Malaysian dinner on good ol' Uncle Sam (your tax dollars at work, people!). I met up with another friend for ice cream and a chat, called a few people, then went to bed.

We left early the next morning for Korea, flying out of Dulles on a United 777. I was stuck in the back of the plane in the middle of a row of five peple, between two rather large guys, for 13 hours with nothing really interesting to do and unable to sleep. (I don't recommend that you ever fly overseas on an American carrier. Foreign is totally the way to go: better service, better food, better entertainment, better accomodations...) We had a short layover in Japan, and then it was on another plane to Seoul, where we finally landed and met up with our director around 2030. By the time we made it to the hostel, it was late and we were exhausted. Sadly our room had a few quite loud snorers, which didn't really help me feel any more rested when I was woken at around 600 the next morning by my overly-anal, but well-intentioned, roommates to get ready for the day.

Our hostel

Our first full day in Korea was filled with more orientations: we made a trip to the US Embassy for one on safety and for an introduction to the country, then went to have lunch at the Seoul YWCA. After that we finally had some free time to explore Myongdong, one of the most famous shopping areas in Seoul, for an hour; Katey and I headed out and explored (and bought Korea soccer jerseys! Go Korea!) to the point that we got all turned around and lost. Good thing I speak Korean and have had lots of practice asking for directions. Bad thing that there are apparently two YWCAs in Myongdong, and people were directing me to the wrong one. Good thing Korean people are way nice and a very amused but still helpful 아저씨 (an older man) took us to the right one -- which turned out to be right behind the one we were directed to. We were only about 20 minutes late, but hey, it was only another orientaton anyway. After that one, we had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, to the relief of many of the kids who haven't spent 1.5 years living in Korea, then trooped over to a bank in the area who had set up a big projector screen and chairs for their employees to watch the Korea/Argentina game. We got to cheer on Korea wearing the red jerseys and the big air-filled noise-making sticks and the songs and the chants and surrounded by probably more than a thousand completely patriotic Koreans who were very disappointed by Korea's 4-1 loss to Argentina. I was pretty disappointed, too. I think I was the most into it, but I also had the most fun. :)

Some of my group before the game started; in the background you can see one of the many, many huge posters that are plastered on almost every single large building in Seoul. EVERYTHING is World Cup-themed right now, down to almost every commerical on TV.

The crowd at the pregame activities - sorry, my camera doesn't record sound.



The crowd at half time, right after the only Korean goal of the game - still no sound, sorry.

Random Thought

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

I think I feel a junior essay topic coming on. Something about sources of conflict in love stories? Pride and Prejudice as the text, maybe? Hmmm, I must muse on this. But it sounds compelling, at least to me. I like using quotes in my titles, and heaven knows I definitely do not want to write on anything philosophical for any essay. I always end up disagreeing with the author and my papers are never broadminded enough for my tutors. Plus, I'm interested in writing and the mechanics of plot and storytelling, so that would be intersting to examine. Hmmm...

Communication, Or The Lack Thereof

image found here

The frustrating thing about writing -- or any kind of creation, really -- is that it never turns out the way it was in your head. Sometimes this can be a good thing; the inspiration of the moment may hit and change everything in one fell swoop, or a serendipitous happening could send you off in a more productive direction. But often, at least for me, what actually appears behind the blinking cursor is but a pale immitation of the idea that captivated my mind.

Whenever I complained about papers or essays in high school, my dad would say someting along these lines: "The ability to communicate effectively in the most important thing you can learn. If you can write well, if you can make your ideas and your opinions understood by other people, that will help you more than almost anything else." And you know, it's true. So many of the problems in the world are because of miscommunication in one form or another, problems all the way from the personal to the global. God wasn't messing around when he cursed the people at Babel. Understanding each other is difficult enough even in the same language, but add in the language barrier and differences in thinking born of different cultures and BAM! You've got all kinds of wars and conflicts. All because we either couldn't, or didn't want to, understand each other. Ponder that for a bit. And then think about the abysmal state of language education -- both English and foreign -- in the majority of this country. All the science and the math in this world will be of no use to us if we can't talk to and understand each other.

Random snippets of life

This morning I woke up on the floor of the living room. Of course, I was there on purpose, having slept there to escape the heat and humidity of the attic. But the view is quite different from the floor.

I've recently rediscovered how much I love the scent of Head&Shoulders shampoo. My sister has it in our shower at home, and everytime I shake out my hair or run my hand through it, I inhale the smell of it happily. There's something so nice about liking the smell of your hair. It's better than perfume, I think.

I'm so glad to be home and surrounded by all my books again. They're like old friends I'm getting reacquainted with again. Since most of my human friends are no longer in town, having moved away for jobs or school (or visiting family in Turkey, in one case), it's been especially nice to have them with me again.

My dad's been away since Tuesday, and won't be back until Sunday evening. Mom and I undertook our own DIY project in his absence, and its successful completion left my vanity very gratified. The cupboard under the sink has been an eyesore (and awfully smelly) for years now; Mom and I decided to do something about it. So she went to Tuck's and got $3 worth of linoleum (spelling?), I pulled everything out and cleaned out the cupboard, and we collaborated to get it properly cut and positioned, and now we have a lovely arrangement that looks (and smells) quite nice.

Home is a pretty slow kind of place. It's even slower and less bustling than Annapolis. Nothing much ever happens here. That used to annoy me to no end, and honestly, every once in a while it gets on my nerves now, too. I like to have things to do besides watching dramas, believe it or not. But I enjoy being home. I didn't used to like my town, but the older I get the more I do like it. I don't mind living in a small town, provided the education system is good. But then again, maybe I'll homeschool my kids. I'm debating that point. I don't know if I have the patience to have my kids home with me all day, or if I'll need to send them off to school just so I can regain my sanity. We'll see; that's a little ways off, anyway. It would be cool to teach my kids Euclid and Apollonius, though.

"There's no place like home, there's no place like home!"

image found here

And truly, there isn't any place like home. I've been home in good ol' Martin for about four days now, and it's been heavenly. The only detracting factor is that Heidi's in Chile while I'm home and Stephen can't afford to come home for the summer. (Actually, I can't either, but my parents paid. Wonder why they didn't pay for Stephen to come home? Maybe because he's getting a job out there? No idea.)

I love being home. Of course, I still fight with my siblings and go crazy when they run around the house acting like, well, kids; but it beats the heck outta living in the dorms. I'd rather put up with kid-noise than drunk people-noise. And then there's the fact that I can't sleep in with my dad insisting that everyone be up by 6 am. It's amazing how much more of a day you have when it starts at 6 am. On the other hand, it gets kind of tiring. But on the other hand, when I wake up in the morning I can have yummy, hot muffins made just for me by my amazing mommy. Or her amazing potato chowder for dinner.

All in all, being home is the best.

Still, I'm really psyched to be going to Korea in just a few weeks. Wooooohoooooo!

"Why can't you fly now, mother?" "Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they forget the way." "Why do they forget the way?" "Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly."

I've been thinking a lot about growing up lately.

I turn 24 this year, exactly four months from today, actually. 24 is a pretty grown up age. My mom was 24 when she got married. A friend of mine had two kids before she was 24. People have careers at 24. Keats was in his last year of life at 24. Mozart wrote symphonies before he was 24.

This week is the five-year anniversary of my graduation from high school. High school doesn't feel like it was the long ago. Middle school doesn't feel like it was that long ago. I remember the apartment I lived in when I was three years old. I remember the boy I had a crush on in second grade. I remember when my little sister and I used to lie awake in bed and giggle and make up silly stories and games. I remember when my family only had four kids. I remember when I felt so big and grown up because I was 12. And now I'm almost twice that age, and suddenly I don't feel so very grown up anymore.

I never could understand Peter Pan when I was younger. Why wouldn't you want to grow up? Grown ups are the ones who can do things! And why would you want a mother? Moms just nag you and make you make your bed and clean up your room and they never let you do what you want. I think I understand Peter Pan a little better now, on both points. Sometimes I wish I could go back. Not so that I could live my life over again, although I've done some pretty stupid things in my time that I'd like to take back; no, I think I'd like to be five again just so I can really appreciate it this time. It's good to be five. Everyone thinks you're cute, you're old enough to tie your own shoes and feed yourself, but no one expects you to do much more than that. Five-year-olds never feel insignificant, because everything is about them. When you're five, your biggest worry is that Christmas takes so long to get here, because your mom takes care of everything, all those things like bills and insurance and food and the mean kid at kindergarten.

You know, I think Peter Pan was on to something.

Mother

When I was thirteen, I thought my mom was the worst mom in the whole world. I was certain that she didn’t know anything at all, and what was with all this insisting that I do my chores, clean my room, and help around the house? Didn’t she know that was her job? I mean, what else are moms for, right? But somehow in the last decade, my mom has transformed into an almost-perfect mother. In fact, you might even call it miraculous.

I’m sure when my mother held me in her arms for the first time, twenty-four hours after her labor started, she couldn’t possibly have understood what the next twenty-four years would bring. Nineteen months after I came along, my first sibling made his appearance on the scene, to be followed by six more at irregular intervals. My dad was still finishing his undergraduate when I was born, and was working on his Masters degrees for the next three kids; we moved in between child number four and child number five, and then again between children six and seven. Child number eight, our last, was born during the first semester of my senior year of high school.

Some might question the wisdom of having eight children in such a world as this one is, but I will be forever grateful for a mother that had the courage to welcome each one of us into this world, to hold us and love us, and with our father, guide us through the many challenges that make up life. My mother has sacrificed – willingly – many things for our sake, from her career goals and her Masters degree to sleepless nights spent comforting sick children. She has given all her time, her effort, her attention, and most importantly, her heart to us.

Growing up I might not have had fancy toys or exotic vacations, and the only car I got on my sixteenth birthday was a Hot Wheels, but I had something much more precious: my mother’s unconditional love and support. I always knew that whatever mistake I made, whatever I did or didn’t do, however upset she was with me, she would always love me and want me to be happy. Sometimes I resented that, but she never gave in to my tantrums or sulks. Her constant patience and love, her continual effort to become a better woman and mother, has anchored me amidst the many difficult and confusing experiences of growing up. Whoever I have become in these last twenty-four years, whatever kind of mother I myself may become in the future, I owe it to my mom.

Dear Julia

Dear Julia,

I still remember how nice you were to me in eighth grade, when I'd just moved halfway across the country and come to rural Tennessee with a big chip on my shoulder and an attitude about being there. I was grateful for your friendship. And then, in high school, when we used to talk about movies and you made me watch Mulan Rouge and when I had to leave in the middle of it you made me come back later and watch the rest. Those moments hanging out with you are some of my best memories of high school.

But I think the moment you blessed me the most was one of your hardest moments. Do you remember the night you called me at like midnight a few months after your parents' divorce? I was so touched that you would think me a good enough friend to wake up in the middle of the night. That meant a lot to me, and I cherish your trust and friendship. I don't want you to suffer, but if you are, I hope you'll call me in the middle of the night again.

You are so strong to meet head on the challenges that are facing your family. You and they have been through more than anyone should ever have to go through, but you're strong, and I admire you for keeping your faith despite your trials. You have such a bright, lovely spirit -- I hope you never let the world tarnish it.

Love,
AnnMarie

Of Death, Dramas, and Doctrine

I've been watching this drama recently. Literally, the title translates to "Time of Dog and Wolf", which is a reference to a French proverb that I can't currently track down. It's supposed to be something to do with the ambiguity of the twilight and not knowing if the thing coming toward you is your friend the dog or a wolf that's going to eat you. But whatever. The thing is, it's been making me think. The plot isn't too terribly original, though the drama is good. It's a spy/revenge thriller, with a love triangle (of course) between the two adopted brothers and the childhood friend of the one brother who's orphaned and adopted by the other brother's family. (Hence why they're brothers.) What really got me thinking, however, is the whole theme of death and revenge.

 Lee Jun-ki as Lee Soo-hyun, Nam Sang-mi as Seo Ji-woo, and Jung Kyung-ho as Kang Min-ki

I know it's just a story, but I know that somewhere, someone -- a real someone -- is probably experiencing some kind of similar feelings. Their father, or mother, or sister, or maybe their entire family was killed for some senseless reason, and now they want revenge, thinking that it will make them feel better, or that it will somehow set things right.

The thing is, that never works. The desire for revenge inevitably does more damage to the one who harbors it than its intended target. It's like a corrosive acid that destroys people's lives from the inside out. Hate is like that. I think God commands us to love our neighbors not because He needs us to, but because that's the only way to live a sane life. Forgiveness is the only way we can truly live happy lives. But forgiving can be heart-wrenchingly difficult, especially for the innocent who have lots families, loved ones, or been brutally used by wicked people. True forgiveness takes a lot of faith in God, that He will set everything right in the end, faith that there's something more worthwhile than making that person pay in this life, faith that there is a next life in which everything will be made right. The same goes for the deaths of loved ones. Death can seem so senseless, and it can bring with it great and terrible despair when you don't have the context of Heavenly Father's plan for His children to give you perspective.

It's times like these that I am so grateful for the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, for the knowledge that this life is not the end, that we can be together as families forever, for the knowledge that it will all turn out well in the end. I am so grateful to know that the Lord knows us and our suffering, and though He won't always take it away -- that would ultimately keep us from progressing and being able to become more like Him -- He will help us through it.

Dramas -- Part I

Due to the overwhelming response to my last post (okay, two people said something to me about it, but hey, still), and partly because I just want to, I've decided to make a directory of the dramas I've seen. Just so, you know, if you want to watch one you can get addicted, too. ;) This first post will be about the dramas that I absolutely adored, for whatever reason, be it the quality of the drama or its addictive~ness. (If you click on the Korean names of the dramas, you'll be taken to a site where you can watch it with English subtitles.) So, without further ado, I present *drum roll* --

The Dramas I LOVED

꽃보다 남자 (Boys Over Flowers/Boys Before Flowers)

Kim Joon as Won-bin, Kim Beom as Yi-jung, Lee Min-ho as Gu Jun-pyo, Gu Hye-sun as Geum Jan-di, and Kim Hyun-joong as Ji-hoo

I already wrote about this drama in my last post, so I won't say much more about it here. I will say, however, that the reason I love it is because it holds a special place in my heart as my very first kdrama -- not because it's a technically wonderful drama. If you dislike crazy, plot hole-filled, inconsistently characterizatized, angst-ridden plots, don't watch this. But beware: if you start it, there's a 95% chance you won't be able to stop. Lee Min-ho as Jun-pyo really carries this drama, and even if you hate his curly hair, you'll have to admit that he does an excellent job nuancing what could be a very one-dimensional, arrogant, rich, selfish playboy character.

Quality score: 5

Enjoyment score: 9

돌아온 일지매 (Return of Iljimae)

Kim Min-jung as Officer Gu, Jung Hye-young as Baek-me, Yoon Jin-seo as Wol-hee, and Jung Il-woo as Iljimae

Despite airing at the same time as Boys Over Flowers, there couldn't be two more different dramas. Iljimae is everything Boys isn't -- well-acted, well-directed, well-edited, absolutely gorgeous visually, standout soundtrack, tightly plotted, nuanced, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and set during the Joseon era of Korean history. Return of Iljimae is the story of a hero, but not in a way you've ever seen before -- Iljimae (the name of the main character, the character on the far right in the above picture) is far more "human" and relatable than many heros, while at the same time being still larger-than-life.

Born of the rape of his slave mother by his aristocratic father, he is left to die after being forcibly taken from his mother. He is saved by a wandering monk (not a Christian one -- a Buddhist one; this is long before the advent of Christianity in Korea) and a cheerful beggar, and ends up the adopted son of a generous upper-class Chinese family. He eventually learns his true parentage and makes his way back to Korea (called Joseon at this point) to find them, only to be rejected out of hand by his father. What follows after is the story of Iljimae's growth and maturation as both a man and a hero. The drama deals with themes of duty to your people and country vs. your duty to your family and loved ones, explores the concept of justice and social equality, and beautifully portrays the struggles of Iljimae to make the right choices in a world that is awash in shades of grey. But I would hate for you to get the idea this was just a pensive, slow drama -- nope, there are lots of excellent and exciting fight scenes, a very well-constructed love story, and lots of humor and comedy. If you love stories that make you ache with both joy and sadness, this is the drama for you. 

Quality score: 10

Enjoyment score: 10

커피 프린스 1호점 (Coffee Prince)

Yoon Eun-hye as Go Eun-chan and Gong Yoo as Choi Han-kyul

Ah, Coffee Prince! Probably the biggest hit of 2007, this drama has a loyal and rabid fanbase among foreigners who watch kdramas. Coffee Prince is a drama that manages to be both light and heavy at the same time. It doesn't skate over either the happy aspects of life or the sad ones; instead, it balances both well to form an engaging, fun drama that definitely makes you think.

The drama centers around the relationship of Go Eun-chan and Choi Han-kyul, but it does so in a way that's not quite what you'd expect, because while Eun-chan is very much a girl, Han-kyul thinks she's a boy. It's a misconception Eun-chan doesn't correct, because Han-kyul offers Eun-chan a job as his "gay lover" to keep away the girls his grandmother is continually forcing on him in an attempt to marry him off, and eventually ends up hiring her to be one of the "princes" at his new coffee shop -- Coffee Prince. Eun-chan doesn't want to lie, but she has to take care of her mother and sister and her mom's just lost a friend's very expensive diamond ring. And meanwhile, Han-kyul is facing a very real, very disturbing attraction to Eun-chan...

This drama has some really wonderful acting on the parts of Yoon Eun-hye and Gong Yoo. Yoon Eun-hye turns in a pretty darn convincing performance as a girl who's been to busy taking care of her family to worry about her femininity (despite being an absolutely stunning woman). Gong Yoo could have taken the easy way out, since he knew his costar was a girl, but he does an excellent job portraying Han-kyul's growing attraction to an Eun-chan he thinks is a boy and the resulting doubt and confusion. I think my favorite part of this drama is the very real-feeling relationships between the characters. The drama isn't really realistic, per se, but it feels very real, if that distinction makes any sense. If you like a good mix of comedy and fun and stuff that makes you think, or if you just want a great introduction to kdramas, this is the drama for you. (I still go back and watch this drama all the time, it's that good.)

Quality score: 8.75

Enjoyment score: 9.5

 
미남이시네요 (You're Beautiful)

Jang Geun-seok as Hwang Tae-kyung, Pak Shin-hye as Go Mi-nam/Go Mi-nyeo, Lee Hong-ki as Jeremy, and Jung Yong-hwa as Kang Shin-woo

You're Beautiful didn't have high ratings while it was airing, but it inspired a very, very loyal "mania" fanbase both in Korea and abroad and shot its four leads to almost overnight success. Go Mi-nyeo (her name means "beautiful woman") is an orphan who's been raised at a Catholic orphanage her entire life, and is about to become a full-fledged nun...when her twin brother's manager shows up unexpectedly and begs her to take Mi-nam's (his name means "beautiful man") place as the new member in the premier boy-band in the country. What follows are some crazy hijinks as a female almost-nun pretends to be a male pop idol and tries to negotiate a world utterly foreign to her. Jang Geun-seok delights as the band's prickly leader, Hwang Tae-kyung, and perfects a nasty sneer that'll make you crack up. If you want a drama that will show you a good time, make you laugh hysterically, and give you lots of eye-candy, this is the drama for you. Don't pass over it, though, because you think it's just a light bit of fluff; the writing is generally tight, and the writers do a pretty good job of circumventing or subverting traditional tropes.

Quality score: 8
Enjoyment score: 9.25

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...

...I simply remember my favorite dramas, and then I don't feel so bad. (All screencaps from dramabeans.com.)

Chun Jung-myung as Ki-hoon and Moon Geun-young as Eun-jo in Cinderella's Sister

I love stories. When I was younger, and my mother will attest to this, I used to spend hours and hours and hours reading. My parents never bothered grounding me, since I never went anywhere anyway; they just took away my books. Oh, I take it back. They never grounded me from playing with friends -- they grounded me from the library. I distinctly remember one time when I got in trouble, pleading with my parents to do something, anything, other than taking away my books. So instead they made me weed the front flower beds, which kept me busy for three days, and effectively kept me away from my books, as well. I always insisted on having a night light -- not because I was afraid of the dark, but because then I could read after I went to bed. I made my little sister sleep on the top bunk so I could store my favorite books in the slots on the underside of her bed and have them within arm's reach at all times.

Chae Rim as Yoon Kae-hwa and Choi Shi-won as Sung Min-woo in Oh! My Lady

I still love to read (I would never have gone to SJC otherwise; in fact, that's what got my attention -- a college that reads books for a curriculum? Where do I sign up???), but as you probably already know, these days my crack is Korean dramas. There are several reasons; I first started watching them after the mission because I missed Korea and hearing Korean. There isn't a lot of Korean in small towns in rural Tennessee, after all. My first drama was the explosively popular Boys Over Flowers, about a poor dry cleaner's daughter that gets a scholarship to an exclusive prep school for rich kids and her run-ins with the school's ruling clique, F4, four incredibly rich, incredibly handsome, and incredibly stuck up boys. And of course she and F4's leader -- the most rich, most handsome, and most stuck up of the four -- become entangled in all kinds of romantic tension and angst. There's love triangles, kidnapping, evil mothers, trips to exotic locations, hot boys, romance -- what's not to love? I was hooked. (By the way, if you click on the names of the dramas under the screencaps, you'll be taken to sites where you can watch them with English subtitles.)

Gu Hye-sun as Geum Jan-di and Lee Min-ho as Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers

Of course, watching Korean dramas is a great way for me to practice my listening skills -- there aren't that many more opportunities for speaking Korean in downtown Annapolis than in rural Tennessee -- but if I'm honest with myself, that's just an excuse. (It's not untrue, however -- it really does help. I've learned all kinds of new words and expressions from dramas. For example, while serving as a missionary in Korea, I never knew anything more offensive than the Korean equivalent of "stupid" or "idiot", and I only learned that by accident. I'm much more familiar with the less polite side of Korean now than I ever was before. That's not to say I haven't learned anything else, though.) There are thousands of Korean drama fans who don't speak a single word of Korean and still watch them religiously, with the aid of subtitles provided by other Korean-and-English-speaking fans. So just what is it that's so compelling?

Jung Il-woo as Iljimae in The Return of Iljimae

I don't know that I could speak to the merits of Korean dramas for other people, especially ones who don't speak Korean and have never been to Korea. For me, that connection is a big draw, because I miss Korea and it's nice to have a small taste of it in my crazy school life. The structure of Korean network TV is also different than American networks, in (I think) a much better way: they don't interrupt the shows with commercials, they air two episodes every week, and Korean TV is still censored, so a lot of the crap that's making its way into American primetime TV isn't there. (Sometimes, though, the innocence goes a little too far, in my opinion. For example, in some romantic comedies, when the couple finally get around to kissing (and it may take more than half the show), all they do is lean together and touch lips -- that's it. The camera's whirling around, the music is swelling, all indicators are pointing to big romantic moment -- but it's difficult to watch two people awkwardly just standing there not doing anything while they're "kissing.") Probably the biggest difference, though, is that there are no "seasons" of a show -- the show is set for 16, or 20, or 24, or even 50 episodes (sometimes even more) and the storyline unfolds within those confines. Rarely is there a sequel in the true sense. And most dramas aren't episodic, meaning that there's usually one larger storyline that continues throughout all the episodes (often it's the romantic pairing, but not always), with suspense-building cliffhangers at the end of each episode.

Yoon Eun-hye as Go Eun-chan and Gong Yoo as Choi Han-kyul in Coffee Prince

I guess, for me, it all boils down to the simple fact that I love stories, and I love Korea. I don't think it's more complicated than that. Some stories are well-written, well-acted, well-directed, well-scored, and well-edited to produce a lovely, compelling story (see The Return of Iljimae, a semi-historical series based on a Robin Hood-esque hero, or Cinderella's Sister, a modern-day twist and excellent elaboration on the classic fairy tale). Some aren't any of those things, but you just can't stop watching anyway (see Boys Over Flowers). The best dramas, like the best books, bring their characters to life, make you laugh, make you cry, make you gasp or giggle, make you fall in love -- but most of all they make you examine the world and your place in it. They make you think. They raise issues, whether they be deep, epic themes about life or love, or smaller, quieter ones like good friendships and happy families. Stories are important, precisely because they do make us consider those things, and in ways that we might not be willing to if faced with them outright. 

Kim So-yeon as Kim Sun-hwa and Lee Byung-heon as Kim Hyun-jun in IRIS

I hope that even if you don't become an addict like me, that you'll take the time to check out some of the better dramas I've mentioned (all of the ones here are good, in different ways, but of course there are others; just ask me and I'll tell you anything you want to know). Even if the stories weren't that dissimilar from what you'd see on your own TV tonight, I think it's worth experiencing how someone else -- some other culture -- treats the same situations and experiences you have. You'd be surprised, I think, and who knows? You might even learn something.

Soooo...now what?

I should probably update more, but I don't have much to write about at the moment. My essay's turned in, I had my oral last week, and now all I'm doing is hanging in there until 17 May when I can go home and see (most of) my family.

I finally turned in my official acceptance to the Critical Language Scholarship today. I'm so thrilled to be going back to Korea this summer. It's going to be a completely different experience this time around; not only will I not be a missionary, I won't be in Seoul, either, but in Jeonju, a couple of hours south of the city. We're also doing homestays with local families, which I'm really excited about, as well; you definitely have a better opportunity to learn when you actually have to speak the language outside of class.

Jeonju, South Korea