Buh Ran Dee goes to the doctor

Two days after arriving in Korea I was sent to go get my health exam. Before getting the exam, I had to get my photo taken to go with the paperwork. The head teacher of my school sent me to a professional photo taking shop to get a single head shot for the paperwork. Only, it wasn't a single shot. The photographer took shot after shot of my face then meticulously took his time to airbrush every single freckle off my face before printing my package of pictures. 

You see in Korea, having perfectly white, pasty skin is considered beautiful. Being tan is considered sexy and takes away your innocence. Freckles are considered ugly and heaven forbid you have a mole! 

Well, I have a few of them. I didn't listen to my mom when she was yelling as us to put on sunblock before we went outside. Instead, I spent hours at the lake, swimming pool, or on the tennis court soaking in the sun and the sun burns. And as I've gotten older, my skins is revealing to the world that I didn't listen to my mama. 

Today I went to the doctor to have a skin lesion checked. If you've ever watched FRIENDS, you may recall the episode titled "The one with Ross' thing." Ross, has an unknown skin lesion examined, and at the doctors office, the lead doctor calls in every other doctor, medical student, and staff at the hospital to look at Ross' "thing." This is exactly what I felt like today. The Korean's "ooo'd" and "aaaaa'd" in awe of the fact that my skin looked different then theirs. It was extremely uncomfortable but I can't help but laugh at all the differences between our cultures. 

It was a very weird experience but the day did provide a couple of laughs. While speaking to the resident before seeing the doctor. He noticed a scar on my arm. Knowing why I was there, he still felt it necessary to put his two cents in and tell me "Ohhhhh, scar very ugly, I take off, you beautiful again." I politely declined his offer, never wanting to forget the reason I have that scar, only for him to try two more times to allow him to operate on me so I could become beautiful. 

My visit concluded with hearing one of the nurses calling out the names of all the patients seen that day as the other nurse was cutting into my skin. It was a nice distraction for the anxiety that was plaguing me...

1. Jun suh Park 

2. Seo yun Kim

3. Kim jun un

4. Woo jin Choi

5. Yeon Jun Lee 

6. Buh Ran Dee <----------- That's me :) 

P.S. I'm totally saving up to get the best jewel covered, bedazzled, laced, summer umbrella you will ever see! 

Crazy things Korean kids say (Part 1)

It all started about 6 years ago. At the time, I was working at the county hospital in the Psychiatric Emergency Room. Working with psych patients you are bound to see crazy things and you will definitely hear crazy things. One day, I decided it wasn't fair to keep the funny stories to myself so I started sharing the "Quote of the day" with my friends and family on FB. 

With the many crazy things I heard from my patients both medicated, and high on the latest street drug, it was easy to get a quote of the day. It was not so easy however, to choose which statement would qualify as the one thing I would share. The quote of the day was a hit and soon it became a trend many of my friends adopted.  

Working at the jail I got my fair share of marriage proposals and crazy quotes and although my friends and family were happy to see me move to Korea and embark upon this next chapter of life, I know deep down they miss the quote of the day. I have tried my best to post the silly things the kids have said but in case you have missed any of them, here is my top 10 for the first 6 months in Korea. 

Number 10... 

While pointing to the freckles on my face, "Teacher chocolate? Here teacher, tissue. No on face."

Number 9...

Having no idea what my student was trying to say, these are the words that came from his mouth; 

"Teacher, bang bang bang, tick tick tick, woooooooooo, boom!"

After about 5 more minutes of Onomonopia, I finally realized he was trying to say earthquake. 

Number 8...

When asked what they know about America, 

"America gives guns to children." 

"People boom boom and die."

"People gun to building and people die and Obama angry."

"Many, many terror." 

Number 7...

While teaching "ing" endings, I acted out various verbs. The kids had to say she is running, jumping, singing, dancing, ect. I pretended to cry to elicit the word "crying" and the student responded saying "Teacher is sadding."

Number 6...

While trying to get my students to identify the word "Firework" or "Firecracker," instead I got firelight, light fire, play fire.

Number 5...

Trying to teach the letter "S" I asked my kindergartners to shout out words that started with the letter "S." Searching the room to read anything they could recall, I heard "Snake, snail, Saturday, Shoe, Strawberry..." Then one of my five year olds yelled out "Teacher, teacher... Sexy lady." I blame Psy for that one! 

Number 4...

Trying to elicit the word alien, I asked my kids "Who lives on mars?"

With the most eager excitement I have seen, one of my students raises her hand and screams "Teacher, teacher, the UFO monster!" :)

Number 3...

One of my students pointed to an old man's arm hair in the picture and referred to it as "fur." I explained it was hair on his arm so it was called arm hair. Curiosity got the best of me so I pointed to his mustache and asked what it was called. This is what I got; 
~ mouth hair
~ mouth up hair
~ nose under hair
~ middle mouth and nose hair

Number 2...

In one of my classes we are learning the months of the year. Today, I tested the students memory of the months. Here's how it went...

Me: "Okay, who can tell me the first six months? Lily, how about you?"

Lily: "January, February, Monuary..."

Me: "Not quite, let's try again, how about the middle months?"

Lily: "May, June, Juvember..."

Me: "Hmm, maybe we should focus on the last 6 months we learned, let's try again."

Lily: "Um... July, August, Sebuary."

Gotta give her credit for trying so hard, and extra credit for making me smile so much!

Number 1...

Me: "Where are Yeon Jun and Dean?"

Student: "Yeon Jun is buying fried chicken and Dean is fighting."
Me: "Fighting? Oh no! Did you tell Elle teacher."
Student: "No, it's okay teacher."
Me: "No it's not okay we need to tell someone." 
Student: "No teacher, Dean no hand fighting, he is mouth fighting."

Mouth fighting... Haven't heard that one before!

Hooker Hill, Dark Alleys and Dancing

This blog has moved. To read Hooker Hill, Dark Alleys and Dancing, click here. http://www.brandycoty.com/hooker-hill-dark-alleys-and-dancing/ 

Life through the lens of a camera

As I was prepping my students for their test today, we reviewed the vocabulary words we recently learned. I told the kids they had to give me a new sentence, one they hadn't used before. I asked one of my students to give me a sentence for the word America and this is what he said... "America gives guns to children." I asked the student where he heard that and he said "On the internet." It sparked my curiosity so I went around the room and asked the kids to tell me something they know about America and where they learned it. Here are their responses, 

"American people have many guns."

"People boom boom and die."

"People gun to building and people die and Obama angry."

"Many, many terror." 

Each response was followed by an explanation they had seen or read something on the TV or Internet that gave them this impression. Their words reminded me of the array of questions I've gotten every time someone hears I am from Texas. Such as; "Do they really ride down the streets on horses? Is it true everyone has a gun? Is Texas Chainsaw massacre real?" Each question spurred by something the asker of the question had seen on TV or in a movie. 

It made me realize that just as my kids and the other foreigners and Korean's I've met make assumptions based on things they've seen through TV and Movies, the same can be happening in regards to my time in Korea. 

Since I've been here, I've heard the following phrase over and over again, "Looks like you're doing great over there." I used to get really annoyed when I heard those words, thinking to myself "Stop making an assumption based on what you are seeing in my pictures and FB status' and ask me how I'm doing." It's really easy to smile for the camera, but the smile doesn't tell you the story in the picture. But the truth is, I am the one responsible for what people are thinking about my life. I am the one posting pictures, FB status', and blogs. 

It hasn't been easy figuring out how to keep my friends and family updated while trying not to allow Facebook and social media to become an idol in my life. I'm not going to lie, it's been a challenge. There have been times when I've waited to post pictures and such (due to the time difference) aware of when you might actually see it. When internet is the only way you communicate with most of the people in your life sometimes it's the first thing you turn to in the morning. It's been an area I have had to guard my heart in. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has been close, convicting and speaking to me when I need to check myself, my pride and my attitude and living through the lens of the camera isn't as much of a balancing act anymore. 

Take me out to the ballpark... Buy me some kimbap and ddokboggie.

Saturday morning I woke up, went and played tennis and anxiously awaited 5pm so I could go to my first baseball game in Korea. I was super stoked! Growing up, my mom and dad coached a softball team, my brother played baseball and all three of my sisters played softball in high school. Yes, I was the odd one out. I did triple jump and shot put in track, played sweeper and forward in soccer, point guard in basketball and then I found tennis. :) Even though I never played softball, the love of baseball was ingrained in me. 

Ber and I arrived at the Stadium early to ensure we would get tickets for the game (despite learning Hangul, I couldn't figure out how to buy tickets online). We paid 8000won ($7.29) for our tickets and sat in the equivalant of section 44 at The Ballpark in Arlington (lower reserved for those who don't know the stadium). Yes, I know the sections by heart.  

I was told ahead of time you can bring food and drinks into the stadium so armed with my Kimchi Kimpab, I was ready to go. As we walked into the stadium we were harassed by all the street vendors trying to sell us chicken and I saw tent after tent where you could buy Cass and Soju. We made our way to our section of seats, I pointed to my ticket and in Korean said, "Yeogieo?" only to receive a perfectly spoken English response letting me know I could sit anywhere in the section. 

I listened to the chants coming from the crowd, trying to figure out what they were saying so I could chant with them. Participated in the "wave," which in Korea is done at regular speed (as we do in America) followed by a slow motion wave, wrapped up with a super sonic speed wave. I snapped pictures of the food the Korean's chose to bring to the stadium and eagerly got hyped up with the crowd in anticipation that we would be able to score even 1 home run.

It never happened, the Eagles never even got a hit but the crowd never stopped believing they would. And the best part, I got to enjoy the game with two people who had never been to a baseball game before, so I got to be their own personal English baseball commentator, fun job to have for a day!  

Set it free!

"Forgiveness is not reconciliation. 

It takes one sinner to repent and 

one victim to forgive 

but it takes both to reconcile." 

Those are the words of Mark Driscoll, written in his book Who Do You Think You Are. 

Recently, I've gone through some deep emotions surrounding forgiveness. In reading this book, God dealt with my heart on a particular issue that I needed to work through, something I've brushed under the rug and ignored for 28 years. 

I come from a broken family, my parents divorced when I was very young and my mother remarried when I was 4 years old. I am fortunate enough to have two men I call dad and two women who love and pour into me as a mother should, so I never really felt like I was lacking anything. God made it very clear however that although I haven't externally felt like I was missing out on anything, internally I have been broken and empty as a result of my parents separation. It's not something that ever dawned on me until I read a comparison of God our heavenly father to our earthly father and I realized that neither man I call dad fits the description of some of the things that naturally happen in a father daughter relationship for many people. 

In an attempt to move forward and deal with this issue, I reached out to my father to talk about some of the things the Lord was stirring in my heart. Around the same time that I reached out to him, I also realized I needed to ask forgiveness from someone for causing them hurt and pain. I'm not proud of my actions and I reached out to him in an attempt to reconcile but haven't heard from him since. 

Both these things have been weighing on my mind heavily and I've been anxiously anticipating the resolve.  

Tonight my eyes were opened to a few things I wanted to share with you. First, forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing. The man I hurt may have forgiven my actions, but that doesn't necessarily mean we are at a place were we can be reconciled in our relationship. Forgiveness is just the beginning of a possible reconciliation but reconciliation is not a guarantee. Second, forgiveness is leaving it in God's hands. I've initiated contact with both people and at this point it is up to the Lord to work in their hearts. By lingering in this place, I am standing between God and the work He is trying to do. 

Romans urges us not to repay evil with evil, not to avenge ourselves but to live peaceably with all men. If you have wronged someone and asked for forgiveness, leave it at that and allow God to work. If you are harboring bitterness in your heart for someone who wronged you, I hope you will stop waiting for the apology and make the choice to forgive them and let God work through the situation. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:31