What is REAL?

I received this passage from the Velveteen Rabbit from a dear friend of mine.
She helped me become REAL.
I have a LOT of friends
who have made me REAL.
I hope I can bring Real-ness to Korea.

What is REAL? asked the Rabbit one day. Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?

Real isn't how you are made, said the Skin Horse. It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become REAL.

Does it hurt?

Sometimes. For he was always truthful. When you are REAL you don't mind being hurt.

Does it happen all at once, like being wound up, or bit by bit?

It doesn't happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or who have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are REAL, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are REAL you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.

I suppose you are REAL? And then he wished he had not said it for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive.

But the Skin Horse only smiled. The Boy's Uncle made me REAL. That was a great many years ago; but once you are REAL you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.

The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this magic called REAL happened to him. He longed to become REAL, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished that he could become it without these uncomfortable things happening to him.

To those who have made me REAL.

Thank you.

And thanks for working to keep me REAL

by loving me, even though there are many miles between us.

(Typed while enjoying a Brown Bone China mug of Lichee Black Tea that I picked up in San Francisco)

Pick-A-Home, Any-Home

Upon Arriving
We were given a choice
4 apartments
One Studio: Utilities $200
One Two Bedroom, No Air-Con: Utilities $100
Two Bedrooms, Private Patio, Character, No Air-Con: Utilities $100
Brand New, Two Bedrooms, Air-Con, Korea Teachers Favorite, Large Deposit:Utilities $30-40
We chose the one with a Park
as our backyard...

Can you guess what else we went with?

(Typed while sipping on Lady Grey Tea by Twinnings from a favorite brown bone china mug)

It's Okay

"It's Okay"
I hear this
when my Korean language skills aren't up to par
when my teaching experience seems to be lacking
when I don't know the answer

The Koreans say
"It's Okay"

It's Okay
that you're not sure
that some days your sad
that you have ups and downs
It's Okay

It's Okay
that you desire
that you hope
that you dream
It's Okay

It's Okay
that you're faraway
that you're falling in love with Korea
that you miss home
all in the same breath
It's Okay

So...
It's Okay
and
I'm Okay

I'm kind of loving it
I'm occassionally questioning it
or others
I'm doing this
I'm living a dream
I'm going to stay connected
to those at Home
whom I love and have loved
and will continue to love.

Friends.
It's Okay.

(Typed while enjoying a nice yellow teacup filled with Lady Grey tea by Twinnings)

Struggling and Seeking

This is hard.

I knew it would be.

I miss these moments.

Having community.

Meaningful Friendships

.

At the age of 25

it's hard to make friends.

I know I can do it

and will

But, it's hard.

I just want someone who

is ready for me.

Why did we leave?

I'm not quite sure.

However, I find encouragement from this prayer

found on a friends blog:

O Lord God, who has called us, your servants, to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through peril unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. – Holden Prayer

(Typed while in enjoying a cup of Lady Grey Tea by Twinnings from a delicate white and yellow teacup in Jeonju, South Korea)

Tirbute

On the Morning of 18 August, 2010

this world said good-bye to a good man.

Allison Moser. My Grandfather.

His life was marked by

loving God and people boldly

serving country and family faithfully

singing joyfully

I am filled with joy knowing that his pain is gone.

That once again he dances and sings

He imitates a train - running his feet and making a whistle with his hands.

He is with the Savior he has known all of his days

To be sure;

Heaven is a more joyful and energetic place

for on the morning of 18 August 2010

they said hello to a good and lively man.

Anticipating

Anticipating our arrival in Korea.

Anticipating the re-establishment

of home

of routines

of friendships

of community

Knowing

it won't be the same

Hoping

it will be similar:

life-giving

entertaining

grace-offering

loving

We leave San Fran mid-day the Tuesday the 17th.

About 12 hours in the air before landing in Soeul.

It'll be the evening of Wednesday the 18th.

I am SO excited to arrive.

Ready to settle. to discover home.

to see what God has in store.

(Written while enjoying a tall mug of Earl Grey with milk and splenda)

Food Secrets: South Africa

South Africa had much more to offer in the food realm than I ended up taking advantage of, however, there were a few things that stood out that I will now divulge. The first two are pretty "common sense".

• Eat calamari by the sea - more specifically, eat calamari in Mossel Bay, South Africa at either the Pavillion Restaurant or Santos Express Restaurant, it is unlike any other and completely out of this world!
• ALWAYS have to offer your guests and friends the moment they walk in your door or your business (I suppose if you live in America it's okay to offer coffee as well, but tea is preferable and more South African)
• And the BEST food secret from South Africa - probably has nothing to do with South Africa and everything to do with a quaint European Cafe in Cape Town, however this sandwhich combination had me thrilled! I encourage you to try the following: Fresh Avocado (huge slices), Bacon and Brie (huge chunks) toasted on a Ciabatta Roll or your favorite bread - absolutely DE-LISH!

(Shared while enjoying a mug of Let's Do Tea's Earl Grey Black Tea in San Francisco)

Something Beautiful

I came across this in a day of internet tasks.
I have a thing for blessings...
and this style of music

May the Grace of God be with you always, in your heart
May you know the truth inside you from the start
May you find the strength to know that you are a
Part of something beautiful...

And I thought that I saw, a light Shine, I thought that I saw a light shine
Yes, I thought, that I saw, a light Shine; I think I see a light shine, now...

(Posted while enjoying a tall mug of Trader Joe's English Breakfast Tea in San Francisco)

Psalm 139

(Verse Memory is a Spiritual Discipline that I am not particularly fond of...because I'm not particularly *good* at it. However, Psalm 139 is a passage of scripture that addresses my insecurities, offers me peace and hope, and puts my heart always at ease. These words are valuable to me. So, I've set out to memorize them. And, the task has been far easier than I would have imagined! I am sure that this passage will make multiple appearances in future posts, so here it is, in it's entirety. The first 10 or 11 verses are typed by memory.) PSALM 139

Oh Lord, You have searched me and you know me.
You know when i sit and when i rise,
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down,
You are familiar with all of my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue,
You know it completely, oh Lord.
You hem me in - behind and before me,
You have laid your hand upon me.
Where can i go from Your Spirit?
Where can i flee from Your presence?
If i go up to the heavens, You are there.
If i make my bed in the depths, You are there.
If i rise on the wings of the dawn,
If i settle on the far side of the sea,
even there Your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
If i say, "Surely the darkness will hide me,
the light will turn to night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to You,
the night will shine like the day
for darkness is as light to You.
For You created my inmost being,
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
i praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful
i know that full well.
my frame was not hidden from You
when i was made in the secret place
when i was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes say my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, Oh God!
How vast is the sum of them.
Where i to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When i awake, i am still with you.
If only you would slay the wicked, Oh God!
Away from me you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of You with evil intent;
Your adversaries misuse Your name.
Do i not hate those who hate You, oh Lord,
and abhor those who rise up against You?
i have nothing but hatred for them,
i count them my enemies.
Search me Oh God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Typed up while enjoying a mug of Irish Breakfast Black Tea)

Thai Indulgences

If I lived in Thailand, there are some things I would indulge in without hesitation.

Such as:

• Daily enjoyment of creamy delicious Thai Tea
• Thai Massage or a Pedicure
• Bananas cooked in a creamy coconut soup - weekly, perhaps

The Beggars and I

Face-to-Face with Begging. South Africa. Guatemala. Thailand.

How should we respond to the beggars?
when they become aggressive?
they are relentless?
they make threats?
when you've seen where they come from
and know they have better opportunities than this?

South Africa especially shook me.
One Beggar in particular, approached us three times.

(Guidebooks, tourguides and locals advise against giving change to beggars. They DO have other options, They DO deserve greater dignity than living the life of a beggar.)

We ignored. We walked on. We gave Pringles.

He followed. He moaned.

He claimed he needed bread for his baby.

He threatened...crime...using his knife on us.

A flood of thoughts: he must be addicted to something, no beggar is this persistant...

A day later,

A group of Beggars

sleeping on the sidewalk

waking for the day.

Gave them a few

cookies.

They sang their

gratitude.

How should we respond to the beggars?

How do you respond?

Food Secrets: Guatemala

I LOVE food...this should not come as a surprise.

Eating is a HUGE reason I love to travel.
I get to discover "food secrets".
The trick now,
is to remember and share those secrets.

So, from Antigua, Guatemala three lessons I learned that make food EXCEPTIONAL!

1. Should you ever be required to use powdered milk frequently, whether because of location or position, this will help to make the milk a little easier to swallow:
add CINNAMON.

2. Need the perfect, simple salad dressing for your lettuce leaves, avocado and large chunks of tomato? Try to work this masterpiece out:
Fresh Lemon Juice, Water (to taste), Salt and a few Onions
DELICIOUS and SO FRESH!

3. The perfect tostada requires very few ingredients, work or time:

Crispy corn tostada
Topped with fresh Avocado, Cabbage (soaked in some vinegary mix which I've yet to determine) and of course a slightly spice picante to top it all off...Super-Wow!