Reunion

I love those moments in life when you know there's forever going to be an "after this happened." I keep thinking about how dramatic that sounds, but how it is so true for me and so true for my experience in Korea.

So, a little background... back in 2004-2005 (my freshman year at EMU), my family hosted an exchange student from Korea named Joseph. We haven't been in touch for a few years, and when I moved here I was really concerned I wouldn't be able to track him down. I mailed him a letter after Dad found an address, but it was returned to me. I wasn't really sure where to go from there... and THEN! Joseph called my family almost 2 weeks ago out of the blue and they told him I was here! It was really a tiny miracle.... there hadn't been any contact for probably 2 years, and he called at the perfect time! We got in touch within a day, and last weekend I went up to Daejon to visit him and his family. It turns out he's going into the military (2 years of service is mandatory for all Korean men) in just a few weeks, so it was really amazing that we were able to see each other before he left! I've always been in awe of the way timing works out, and this was definitely one of those times.

Anyway, as I was on the bus ride up to see him late Friday night, I was starting to get nervous... I was really excited to see him again, but what if one or the other had changed so much we had nothing to talk about beyond a few hours of reminiscing or catching up? I felt like it would be a good experience regardless, but I had a few butterflies for sure. Not to worry. It was waaaay beyond what I thought it would be.

The whole weekend was just so filled with generosity, genuine caring, love, fun, good conversation, and so much laughing that I feel like I'm still processing it. His parents were the most loving, generous, and kind people. From the moment I arrived I was just BATHED in love and warmth and welcome, and it was all I could do to try and express my gratitude. This family almost single-handedly (well, there were 3 of them there), has made me want to REALLY understand Koreans and their culture.... not just deal with the frustrations, but to understand WHY the differences are there, and to learn how to respectfully and with appreciation learn about them. Not only was this visit important as a way of reconnecting with an old friend, but I'm beginning to realize just how crucial it was to my time here in Korea. The attitude adjustment that it's given me has changed everything, and I can feel so many of the frustrations and misunderstandings I had before with the culture just kind of fading as I'm trying to get to the bottom of the differences. I realize that I'm not going to fully understand a culture in one year- that would be so presumptuous, but I feel that now I have the mindset that will help me at least try and get there. I'm sure things will still bother me-- plans made at the last minute etc etc, but not nearly as much as before, and I really want to learn to respect the differences.

I think this weekend was really important in a lot of other ways too. The kind of people Joseph and his family are are the kind of people I want to be around... and they reminded me of the kind of person I want to be. They are so selfless... so loving, so understanding, and so giving. They love each other and God so much, it was really amazing to see. The weekend gave me a new perspective on relationships, on my faith, and on the way you can live your life. Wow.

Some really fun highlights of the weekend included:

• Showing Joseph how I can manage chopsticks on a mediocre level :)
• Seeing 3 photo albums-worth of pictures and hearing the stories that go with them
• Going to my first Wii room! You rent a teeny tiny room where you get to play on a Wii system! We played the Beijing Olympics game... and I (predictably) failed, but it was SO FUN.
• Going to see Clash of the Titans and being almost physically exhausted after watching such an intense film
• Biking on free public-use bikes down the streets of Daejon
• Playing with really over-the-top Korean photo booths where you dress up in costumes, pick silly backgrounds, and THEN decorate the picture with all kinds of sparkly graphics
• Coffee shop chats
• Telling fun stories about my family to someone who really understands just how funny they are :

So, anyway, that was my amazing weekend of love and fun. :) Joseph's going to come visit Gwangju (for the first time ever!) this weekend, so I'm really excited to show him my life in Korea, too! 

Also, here are some pictures from the weekend