Bird's eye view; Parade of Umbrellas; Lost on Jewelry Alley.

Okay, so technically I am do three posts in one. I am have to busy/tired/lazy to post them the few days...oops!

I'll start out with Thursday's: A Bird's Eye View.

We just finished up our first book! I can't believe how fast paced we are going. At this rate I am going to know quite a bit by the time I get home...that is if my brain isn't mush. I am know answering Koreans in Russian (whenever I don't know the word in Korean my brain reverts to Russian, which is stupid because people are much more likely to understand English!), and I am answering the girls from Kazakhstan in Korean!

The Chinese boy that was so loud in class left class early on Tuesday, didn't show up on Wednesday until half way though and then left after an hour! Today he got his phone confiscated by our teacher. He doesn't know any of the answers that we have been learning to questions like: What is your name? Where are you from? He can barely even read, so I'm not sure why he is even here. I don't know if he thought it would be easier and then it wasn't so he didn't want to try or what.

After class we went on a campus tour, which began on the 17th floor of the bank tower! It gave a view of the entire campus and beyond!

After the bank we went on to see other things, like their quite large library, an entire building dedicated only to studying and the bookstore/travel agency/doctor's office/cafe where I had lunch. Chicken kasa, yum!

On to Friday's "A Parade of Umbrellas"!

Well. I have officially made it through one week of class. Going into class I knew close to nothing. I can now read, ask questions such as: What is your name? Where are you from? What is your profession? Etc. I can also answer them in addition to being able to ask what something is and, in selective cases answer what things are! This has to the most fast-paced, intensive class I have ever taken!

After class all of the new international students who wanted to go downtown met up with my teacher, and we were on our way. It take around an hour to get down town by the time I walk to the bus stop, which is on the edge of campus, wait for the bus, take the bus to the metro station, and ride the metro for about 25 minutes.  The first picture is Arai and me on the metro. The second is part of our group.

 

 We went to see a the oldest "Western" style building in Korea, which just so happens to be a church.

Afterwards we went to see the house of a famous Korean author. It rained so bad that our group turned out to be a parade of umbrellas!

Me and my umbrella!

Traditional Kimchi pots

The Tradition Medicine Museum was next. I didn't get too much out of it, as it was pretty much all in Korean, but it was neat to see of the herbs and other remedies. I also got to dress up in a traditional Korean outfit!

Random, cool-looking statue outside of the museum. I couldn't resist taking a picture!

Arai in traditional Korean outfit!

Arai, Nuorti and myself!

These are all candles!

Hungry but don't want to leave home? No problem! Call McDonald's. They deliver!

KFC!!! So wonderful to eat something wrapped in bread. I'm in trouble because this rice thing is already getting old!

Random pig walking down the street! He is probably part of the "Eat mor chiken" movment!

Finally, to finish up this very long post, I have today's (Saturday): Lost on Jewelry Street.

I slept in (yay!!!) and then decided to go back downtown, doing a little shopping and have some more KFC. What could go wrong? Well, I made it on the bus and metro just fine, but, evidently, I came out of a different exit off the metro (there are literally dozens of them because that stop is a big underground mall as well), and wasn't sure where KFC was. I walked down cosmetic street (literally, the whole street is cosmetic stores, and it is really called cosmetic street) until I found someone who spoke English. They gave me directions which lead me down Jewelry street to Handbag Ave., and not anywhere close to KFC. I gave it another try and asked another guy, who got me at least going in the correct direction, but not quite to KFC. I almost gave up and went to Burger King, but something kept telling me to forge ahead until I found KFC. Finally some ladies who had their faces painted like cats (they were Americans, I believe) showed me how to find it. After getting my chicken sandwich (yummy, yummy!!!), I had to go upstairs to sit because the downstairs was full. Once I finally found a place that I actually wanted to sit, I started eating. I looked up and there was an American looking guy at the table across from me (something you notice instantly over here!!!) reading a Bible. I went over and asked him if he knew of a church around my university or Daegu that has English services . He said that, actually, there are several. The one that he attends is about a 45 minute bus ride of Daegu-Dae (my university), however, as it turns out, his fiance (so, no, you still don't have to worry about me bring a boy home!) is an English professor at my university! Furthermore, she was just down the street at a cafe having a Bible study with three other Americans and two Koreans. So he took me to meet them, we finished up the Bible study and decided that I would take the bus in the morning and Leslie, Nate and Colleen's friend will meet me at the bus stop and show me where the church is, and I will also join their girl's Bible study group on Saturdays.

Colleen is the first on the left. Leslie is in the middle on the right.

I am very excited. I had several chances to give up on going to KFC, but the Lord must have been leading me there. In addition, Nate said that he had actually considered just relaxing and watching a show instead of reading his Bible (in which case I would have never approached him!). It is so amazing how our Father takes care of us, even if we don't always recognize it (and certainly don't deserve it!!!). So not only am I proud of myself for getting downtown without help, but I am also grateful to our Lord for the blessings he gave me once I got there (even if I did get a little lost along the way, but hey, who doesn't?).

I hope you all have an as blessed Saturday as I did (without the getting lost part!), and may the Lord be with you as well! Stay safe!

~Abby