Positivity Prospers

So this past week was pretty long. I worked my regular work week and a half-day on Saturday, and today at church there was a newcomer's party that lasted til 9:30. That's not to say the week was dull, however. I finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road, an immensely bleak book that served to brighten my life exactly because of its bleakness. In the book, the world has been mostly destroyed--lands, cities, even the atmosphere--and the few survivors eke out an existence pillaging other survivors until they themselves run out of provisions and die. It was harrowing but it made me thankful for the everyday things we have, so this week I was happier than ever. I recommend the book--it is a quick read and written in a thoughtful but often commonplace prose that is easy to navigate and appreciate.

Other than that feat, I read some other short stories and played a good bit of Scramble on Facebook. I'm getting better, much to my delight. I also bought some Pringles and some cereal that turned out to be peanut butter flavored and I couldn't be happier with both of those choices. I'm actually eating better than I ever have before, because food is the only thing I spend money on (well, there was that pesky $7 electric bill)...

On Wednesday I went to visit a friend for dinner and had my first taste of cream spaghetti. This spaghetti included shrimp, bacon, and other juicy morsels of unidentifiable food and it was absolutely fabulous. And it was cheap: $6 and that included dessert. I was pleased with the meal. The only sad part of the story was that someone told me the wrong bus number, so I ended up at a random bus driver "resting place," and the bus driver and I just exchanged confused looks as to why I was still seated when he pulled over. I departed the bus and found a taxi that took me to my proper destination, and so it made for a funny misadventure. At least now I know the bus system better...

Saturday I studied Korean a good deal, and I'm getting much better and reading and pronouncing some of the trickier sounds. I also learned my numbers this week in both counting systems (there's a Chinese and a Korean one that are used on different occasions) so I can now understand conversations marginally better. I also watched two Korean movies, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance, which you may have realized are connected. They're actually the first two movies in the "Vengeance Trilogy" and I found them to be quite impressive. There's a host of other adjectives I could use for them as well, but let's just stick with that one to be simple. I'm quite impressed with the director's style: the films are nothing like what is available back in the States.

Lastly I should mention about Sunday. I went to the afternoon English Bible study and the evening service, knowing that there would be a "new member's party" afterwards. The Bible study was quite enjoyable and interesting--the group is made up of several quite different Koreans, an Armenian doctoral student, and myself, so sometimes the views expressed range considerably. The service was also good, although my translation headset cut out halfway through the preaching and I just nodded stupidly for the last half hoping that the problem would be corrected. Then around 6:30 we met downstairs as a 'young adult' group for an awesome dinner. We had lots of pork and veggies and rice and kimchi, capped with a feast of fruit for dessert. I probably ate a whole pineapple's worth of pineapple slices and I tried a persimmon and a cherry tomato for what I think was the first time. The persimmon was a bit sour and messy, though not terrible. The cherry tomato was more tomatoey that cherryish, so it didn't quite make the list of top fruits (or is it a veggie?) of the day. After dinner we were treated to a lovely bit of singing and a dramatization of the book of Ruth and then all the new people introduced themselves and received a coffee mug and a pair of socks. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend an evening, although it was much longer than I expected.

The final thing I should mention was the epiphany I had this afternoon. A few weeks ago I met someone with who I immediately discovered an unusual, perhaps even metaphysical, connection. We have become better and better friends over the last two weeks, and I'm so glad for that. However, I was curious as to what made this instant and comfortable friendship so easy and effortless, in hopes that it could be duplicated or understood better with others. In trying to analyze why our connection exists, I considered our various interests, beliefs, experiences, etc., but nothing seemed quite out of the ordinary compared to the hundreds of other people I've met in the now three months I've been here. But today I stumbled upon it by accident. Each of my closest friends, the ones I've made instant, easy, and long-lasting connections with over the years, were all people of mixed identities. JJ and Kris came to mind first: JJ, an American raised in Africa, has imbibed both cultures and masters them equally well. Kris, who was transplanted in America in his later teen years, clings to his Korean culture while melding with American culture, and now he is ministering as a youth pastor to other 1.5 or second-generation Koreans. Even the girls I seriously dated in the States had mixed nationalities, as does the friend I recently made here. So through some means unknown to me, I am attracted to, or rather share some improbable connections with, those people who don't quite fit in to any one place or who instead have a dual identity that allows them to thrive in a number of places. Perhaps that is one reason I feel so completely comfortable and happy here, and why I didn't feel all that comfortable or content in Florida. In any case, I feel like I've learned something vital about myself today and thought it would be interesting to share it with whoever had the stamina to make it this far in an otherwise bland post. I guess the next question must be: what is my dual identity? I think I know the answer, but that's not exactly something you should publish on a blog....lol. =)

I'm having Lasik surgery Saturday morning. Please pray that it goes well. Have a happy Halloween.