Seocho Spa

Friggen cold in the ice room

Yesterday, I went to Seocho Spa with my friends Matt and Solomon.  I just met Matt two weeks ago.  He is a new teacher at Avalon school and lives on the 8th floor of my building, one floor down.  I met Solomon at church a month and a half ago.  So, to say that I barely know the guys is a true statement.  To say that it was weird when we got to the spa and found out that it was a nude spy is a huge UNDERstatement.

The Gang in the ice room

After the shock of embarrassed nudity, we enjoyed ourselves.  There were 4 pools, one that was cold, one that was 101 degrees, one that was 107 degrees, and another still that was 110 degrees.  I could withstand the 101 and 107 degree pools, but felt like I was being boiled like a lobster in the 110 degree pool.

As far as the saunas went, there were 6-7 saunas ranging in temperatures of 140-175 degrees.  The 175 degree saunas had timers that were set for 2 minutes.  You couldn’t stay in them longer than that time and who would want to anyways.

Now, that part of the spa cost $6 and for an extra $2, one could get spa-certified clothing to wear to a co-ed floor with some more saunas, a sleeping room, and an ice room.  The ice room was ridiculously cold and one of the saunas on this floor was a traditional sauna, heated by burning pine wood.  It was so hot that it had warning signs on it saying not to bring any electronic equipment into the room.

In the herb room

To top off my time at the spa, I paid $50 to get an hour an a half full body massage including a face massage and facial.  It was amazing because the day before, I had hiked over 6 miles in the Bukhansan National Park mountains.  I was extremely sore.

At the end of the night, I went out with Matt and Solomon to meet with our friend Iris and have some Korean BBQ (Samgyeopsal) which in a previous post I showed that it is grilled pork belly wrapped with onions, garlic, rice, bean paste sauce, and spices inside of a lettuce leaf.  After that, I went with Matt to a bar across the street from my aparement called Birdie Bar where some of the waitresses speak English and Matt bought me a beer.

Today’s Blessings

The passing peaks

After 68 subway stops and 6.2 miles of mountain hiking, I made it home.

Today, I left my apartment at about 9:45am and took a subway ride to Dobongsan station which happened to be 34 SUBWAY STOPS AWAY!!!  I arrived at 11:50am and  followed the crowd to the summit of Dobongsan Mt.  I stopped to get a map and asked, “Where is the highest peak.”  The man in the office spoke a little English and used a highlighter on my map to show me what route to take to the top.

Bukhansan National Park

From there, I proceeded to climb about 2 miles to Dobongsan Peak, which stands at 2,426 feet high.  I stopped to take a lot of pictures, so it took me about 2.5 hours to get to that point.  I looked at the time and realized it was only 2:30 and I had plenty of sunshine left, so I made either an awesome decision or most definitely stupid decision.  I looked at my map and thought, “I want to hike to Sapaesan Mt., following the mountain ridge all the way there.  So, that is exactly what I did.

I climbed Podae Peak and walked another couple miles to get to Sapaesan.  It was here, after taking some amazing pictures, that I realized I had no way to make it back to Dobongsan station without walking the entire distance back.  I took a chance and asked a man on top of the mountain about taxis being anywhere near the area and he said in broken English that he’d lead me down the mountain and drive me back to the subway.  Great!

It is here in my story that I must digress.  The man who led me down the mountain, Hang Young Jung, and his son Woo Il could barely speak English but were amazingly nice.  They asked me if I was a Christian and when I said yes, they asked me where I went to church.  I told them Onnuri and they got really excited.  This was the second time for no particular reason at all that I was asked if I was a Christian throughout this spectacular day.  On the subway ride to Dobongsan in the morning, a woman entered my subway car holding the hand of a mentally handicapped, teenage boy who, from the looks of it, was blind.  It was an odd pair and the woman was singing loudly.  At first, I thought she was singing to make money, as some people do on occassion on the subways here in Korea.  However, this woman circled my subway car and then stopped directly in front of me and put her face close to mine and asked in perfect English, “Do you speak Korean?”  I answered no and she, again in perfect English, asked, “Are you a Christian?”  I said, “Yes, I am.”  She then asked, “You are born again?” And again, I answered, “Yes, I am.”  She then said simply, “Good.  I will see you in the kingdom someday.”  I was blown away.  As I sat there in reverence, the Korean women next to me on the subway started to speak of the lady as she left my subway car and, I think, made fun of her and laughed at her.  This only reminded me of the sad state of the world.  This woman was only singing the praises of the Lord Jesus Christ for all to hear.  Her faith moved me.

Beautiful

Now, back to my mountain hiking story.  Hang Young Jung invited me to come back to the area next weekend and he said he would prepare dinner for me after we climbed one of the mountains.  Today was full of undeserved things:  Beautiful mountains, the calls of songbirds, skittering chipmunks, sunshine, and faithful, beautiful people.

Now, I sit at home with all of my muscles aching, including even my lungs.  But, this is a small price to pay for today’s blessings.

To look at more pictures, visit:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2281645&id=30807922&saved#/album.php?aid=2281645&id=30807922&ref=nf

Bosintang

THIS IS A VIDEO:

Some people are going to hate me for this post, so I am sorry if it offends you.  Some people are going to find it to be disgusting.  Some people might find it interesting.  Anyways, I must tell this story.

I have a “try it once” mentality while living here in Korea.  So, when I was asked by my friend Chris Cellura if I would like to try bosintang, a soup made out of gaegogi (translated: dog meat), I initially didn’t know what to think.  But, I worked up in my mind that I could and would try bosintang.  So, tonight at 8pm, there I sat in a dog meat restaurant in Anyang, South Korea taking video of dog meat being cut directly from the ribs at a table directly across from me as I waiting for my food to come.  And soon my food did arrive.

The skin and fatty parts are suppose to be the healthiest, apparently helping you "ki" and blessing you with a better sex life.

Bosintang

There in front of me sat a boiling hot bowl of dog meat mixed with vegetables and spice, awaiting my hand to dump some crushed sesame seeds and bop (rice) into the mix.  I was in shock.  Instead of eating, I couldn’t help but take pictures to prove that I was going to do what I was about to do.

Taking a bite

I eventually had my friend Matt take the camera from me and take a photo of me eating my first bite of my bosintang.  I hadn’t yet figured out what to think about what I was about to taste, but I was severely taken aback when the flavor swarmed my tastebuds.  It was DELICIOUS!!!  It tasted like a cross between duck and lamb.  It was so good that I plowed through the rest of the bowl of soup and found myself telling Chris and Matt that I most definitely planned on returning.  I mean, I went to this place thinking I was a cruel, crazy person and was going to end up puking upon taking my first bite, but instead, I ended up loving it.

The only part I didn’t like about the meal was when I bit into a chunk of dog bone.  It scared me.

To see more pictures (if you have Facebook) go here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/album.php?aid=2281379&id=30807922

The bone

For some informational/historical background for those of you who are interested, I looked up “dog meat” on Wikipedia and here is what it says there about eating dog meat in Korea:

Gaegogi literally means “dog meat” in Korean. Gaegogi, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang . Selling dog meat has been illegal in South Korea since 1984; however, dog farms still exist and some people still eat dog meat. The primary dog breed raised for meat, the nureongi (누렁이), differs from those breeds raised for pets which Koreans may keep in their homes. Dog meat manufacturing and processing were outlawed, but the order is sometimes ignored. Even though a fair number of Koreans (anywhere from 5 to 30%) have tried it before, only a small percentage of the population eats it regularly. There is a large and vocal group of Korean people that are against the practice of eating dog meat. There is also a large population of people in South Korea that do not eat or enjoy the meat, but do feel strongly that it is the right of others to do so. There is a smaller but still vocal group of pro-dog cuisine people in South Korea who want to popularize the consumption of dog in Korea and the rest of the world. So even Koreans are divided on the issue. Although technically illegal to sell dog meat in Korea, some restaurateurs still do so even though they risk losing their restaurant licenses. Currently, you can find dog meat in such cities as Gunsan, South Korea. In 1997 one dog meat wholesaler in Seoul was brought up on charges of selling dog meat illegally. BBC claim that, in 2003, approximately 4,000-6,000 restaurants served soups made from dog meat in Korea. The soups cost about US$10 while dishes of steamed dog meat with rice cost about US$25. The BBC claims that eighty-five hundred tons of dog meat are consumed per year, with another 93,600 tons used to produce a medicinal tonic called gaesoju. Koreans raise exceptional dogs which are edible. At the present day, the dogs are not beaten to death as they were in the past.

Dog meat is often consumed during the summer months and is either roasted or prepared in soups or stews. The most popular of these soups is gaejang-guk , a spicy stew meant to balance the body’s heat during the summer months. This is thought to ensure good health by balancing one’s “ki” or vital energy of the body. A 19th century version of gaejang-guk explains the preparation of the dish by boiling dog meat with green onions and chili powder. Variations of the dish contain chicken and bamboo shoots.

The consumption of dog meat can be traced back to antiquity. Dog bones were excavated in a neolithic settlement in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. A wall painting in the Goguryeo tombs complex in South Hwangghae Province, a UNESCO World Heritage site which dates from 4th century AD, depicts a slaughtered dog in a storehouse. The Balhae people also enjoyed dog meat, and the Koreans’ appetite for canine cuisine seems to have come from those days.

Good Weekend, Bad Week

I haven’t been posting much lately.  Sorry everyone.  There hasn’t been much positive to post about due to the large amounts of crap my sheister school is putting me through.

A short update on work:  They decided to make a rule that if anyone goes on vacation, they must take a mandatory week off after their vacation without pay, thus basically burning $400-500 (depending on the exchange rate of the day) for no reason.  Last Monday at 3pm, they announced that on Wednesday, everyone would have to start showing up at work at 9am and stay until 7pm for the next month and teach intensive classes.  We did not receive the schedule of classes we were teaching for Wednesday until 9:10am on Wednesday morning and had no idea what the curriculum was because it was changed.  On top of that, everyone in the office is working 3 hours more a day, without compensation.  The school is charging the students extra money to attend these intensive classes, yet making all the employees work 15 more hours a week without paying any of us for those hours.  Under contract, everyone in our school is only suppose to work 2:30-9:30pm Monday-Friday and anything past 30 hours of teaching is suppose to be paid overtime.  Therefore, all of this equals a huge ball of flaming crapola.

However, I still try to have my fun outside of work.  On Saturday, I went to the Korean National Museum of History and saw an exhibit of Egyptian artifacts.  It was quite cool.  I’d post pictures, but pictures were forbidden within the exhibit, therefore I have none show any of you.  I saw some 2,500-3,000 year old mummies, lots of stone works of pharaoh heads, mummified alligators/cats/falcons, and ancient texts.  After the museum, I went to Insadong.  Insadong is a traditional tea and shopping area in the heart of Seoul.  There are dozens of small alleyways with hundreds of small restaurants and tea shops.  I’d love to buy a kiln-made, Korean tea set but a full set costs $500.

Yesterday, I decided that I would go to a church called Onnuri in an area of Seoul called Seobingo.  I continued to have problems with people that formerly were regulars at the Bible study I was having on Sunday nights not return calls or texts.  So, I decided that God must not want the Bible study to continue because for two full months, 6-8 people showed up every week. But then, for the last 4 weekends in a row those same people stopped coming for one reason or another.  The level of commitment from most in the group was low.  I believe that any Christian needs to constantly be involved in small groups and study the Word with other believers, holding each other accountable.  The group that I had begun and hoped would hold each other accountable didn’t bond together.  So, the church in Onnuri seemed like a good church to attend as it is full of about 1,000 English speakers, both native and Korean.  I was asked to join the worship team after the service and begin practices next week to sing in front of the congregation.  I was like, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh” inside my head cause I’ll be singing in front of so many people.  I know I am worshipping God with everyone, but dang that is a lot of people to be singing worship tunes in front of.  The group that sings on Sundays invited me out to eat at a Chinese restaurant nearby where I had a delicious pork fried rice meal with a black sauce.  After dinner, we went out for frozen yogurt and then to karaoke.  It was an extremely fun time and the people I met seem pretty amazing.  I am praying that God leads me in the direction that he wants me to lately instead of making plans then asking God to bless my plans.  I learned that putting God in that little box never works.

So, an extremely fun weekend followed by the poopiness of my sheister job.  Huzzah!

Solar Eclipse

Today in my first class, all the students began to excitedly yell and all of them got out of their seats and went to the window.   No matter what I said, the kids wouldn’t sit down.  I heard “sun” and kids were motioning to show something covering the sun.  This is when I began to understand they were trying to tell me that there was an eclipse happening.  My class happened to be on the other side of the building from where the sun was positioned, so for the last 20 minutes of class time the kids were yelling at me, “TEACHAH, I REALLY WANT TO GO!”

At the end of class, everyone poured out of class, including me, to go to the other side of the school and check out the eclipse.  At first I was like, “Oh, there is too many clouds,” but then I looked out the window.  Instantly, I was like, “Yarrrrrrgh.  My eyes!”

Blinded I say, BLINDED!

My right eye still hurts after watering for the last hour.  Never ever ever chance looking at an eclipse.

Eclipses are cool.

Yes Be Yes

In learning to just let things go and that free will is a sinful will in many cases, I’ve started to come across what I deem is a real problem throughout the world, letting one’s yes be yes and no be no. Instead, the word maybe has become a norm as an answer much too often. It started to bug me more than ever recently, but I had to learn that all that I can do is allow my own yes be yes and and follow through and hope that others notice a difference. Anger and annoyance becomes pride too quickly.

Yes Be Yes
by Timothy Young
7/18/09

Let your yes be yes
Your no be no
Please just
Learn to let yourself go

You are empty
You are hollow
Going places
Where I can’t follow

Let your yes be yes
Your no be no
Please just
Learn to let yourself go

So say
Just say
Yes
Say
Just say
Yes

Be accountable
For your sins
So insurmountable
This is where
Healing begins

Let your yes be yes
Your no be no
Please just
Learn
Learn
Learn to let go
Just say yes
Yes
Say
Yes

There is nothing to hold onto
When it’s you and no one else
Turn the old into something new
Now when you still have a pulse

Say it
Just say it now
Say it loud
Say it clear
For everyone to hear
Just say yes
Yes
Say
Yes

Down, Down, Down

If you are a Christian, then you might understand this more than others. I don’t know why I wrote this, but I did. It’s about those lost in the world and their spiraling lifestyles.

Down, Down, Down
by Tim Young
7/14/09

What’s the tragedy
Of our debauchery
We like the fun
Of ignoring God’s Son

What don’t you get
We’re full of wit
And we haven’t hit
Rock bottom yet

Skin against skin
Fill our glass again
Play our favorite song
Drink ’til our minds are gone

We’ve set our goals
And sold our souls
To pay the tab
There’s nothing more sad

Our mornings are made
Of headaches and ibprofen
Tonight, we’re gonna get laid
And do it all over again

Pride comes before the fall
And now we’re against a wall
The only thing to come after
All our phantom laughter

Is a six foot drop
Where we’ll set up shop
A place of fire
Built with the kindling of our desires

The only thing to come after our fall is more pride
There are eyes watching us and there’s no place to hide
So, let’s throw all our cares into the wind
And let our ambitions and minds descend

Down, down, down
Where there is no more sound
Just a black silence
And choking violence

Monsoon

It is monsoon season in Korea.  It rains and rains and rains.  Imagine the torrential rains of a thunderstorm without the thunder and lightning, but have that torrential rain continue for 24-48 hours.

On my way to work this morning, the subway stair tunnel acted like a wind tunnel and pushed the rain sideways.  Needless to say, my shorts and shoes were so soaked it is as if I went wading in a lake up to my waist.   “Look at me, I peed my pants.  Whoopee!”

On top of that, I swear there is water coming out of the ground.  I swear it.

I am still learning how to make it to work, but still be dry.  I’ve had a few slip ups along the way.  I now know that I should wear sport shorts and flip flops and have my shoes and khakis in a plastic bag placed in my backpack.  I only thought of this after having to dry two pairs of my shoes out and discovering that my feet now smell like mildew.

My pair of New Balance have been sitting in my room “drying” out (more like molding) for the last 3 days since the last rain storm.  Now, my leather Rockports are soaked.  Pretty much, I am not used to this weather and am a total idiot when it comes to preparing for such large amounts of rain.

Ah, to be dry.

Faith Stood Taller

Faith Stood Taller

A poem by Tim Young

7/7/09

*****

The sound of elevators

Ascending and descending

Reminds me sometimes

Of how mechanical things can get

*****

I turn to ask you a question

Without any condescension

Is there a place oftimes

Between us that’s gone unmet

*****

A place where the world splits in two

And there is me and there is you

Seeing two sunsets

Without all this regret

*****

I gave you a chance

I gave you my number

But, faith stood taller

Than you, dear caller

*****

For what you can’t understand

Is the very same thing you see

A difference in my smile

A curiosity of my lifestyle

And a sense of security

That stands as a difference

Between you and me

*****

I gave you a chance

I gave you my number

But, faith stood taller

Than you, dear caller

*****

I stand still in the world

You are busy of the world

The hell we felt was heaven

Calling me home

Remember, you are not alone

*****

I gave you a chance

I gave you my number

But, faith stood taller

Than you, dear caller

Uphill

Today, I am going mountain hiking at Suri Mountain in Anyang.  Climbing a mountain is an amazing experience.  It mirrors a Christian life.

IF we live by FAITH and not by our own volition, this life is almost promised to not be easy.  There is an uphill battle to overcome.  We all slip on the loose rocks and have to take breathers as we continue to charge to the top of the mountain.  But, once we make it to the top of the mountain, the view is amazing.  The breeze dries the sweat that stings our eyes and the world no longer surrounds you.  Instead, you are above it all.  You are closer to the sun and surrounded by peace.  Up here, things are at rest and content unlike anywhere else.

After a time at a top, we make the decent back down into the world.  Our legs are weak from our travels to the top, but after what we just saw, does it really matter?  We worked hard to make it to the top and we got a chance to see how small everything really is.  We saw how little things really matter.  The world is not as big as it wants to be.  So, even if our legs feel like jelly, we have a renewed heart.  We know the things we struggle with back in the world and just like that rock we sat on earlier in the day to give us rest, there is grace to give rest to those who struggle with their sins (many of which are ongoing, daily struggles).

The picture could change though.  When we make it to the next mountain, it could be bigger than the last.  But, we must remember not to give up.  Instead of slipping on the loose rocks and giving up, losing all sense of direction in the trees, we must persevere and press on.  We must grow in the presense of a huge God.  We must win this race for good and make it to the top.  Because there, heaven awaits us.  Because there, the world doesn’t matter anymore.  It’s just you, your faith, and the wind (Holy Spirit) whispering to you as you rest in prayer.  As we rest, God heals all wounds.

So, may God bless you today as you climb up your own mountains.  Remember that you have been given the will to continue on or give up and sit on the side of the mountain or even climb back down the wrong side.  Remember, God is strongest when we are weak.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit th earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they will be shown mercy.

Blessed arethe pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are percecuted

because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:3-10

But, remember we have a job to complete…

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” —- Matthew 5:13-16

We are running a race.  We are all climbing a mountain…

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.” —- 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

We should aim for the top and for the one thing that lasts forever.  We have to put ourselves through strict training.  Complaints and excuses do not apply here.  So, if you get tired, feel out of the loop, or are lost then pray.  Pray for guidance, pray for peace, and pray for strength.  We are nothing without Christ who saved us.  Too often we forget that and live with no accountability.