Korean...It's All Greek to Me

As I have shared with many of you over the past weeks, probably the most challenging thing about being in Korea for us thus far has been the language barrier. It doesn't seem to matter how many times we listen to the elevator in our apartment
complex "announce" the floors as we travel up and down...it just never gets any easier to understand. You might say that Korean is all Greek to me!

In an effort to help assist new faculty members learn some of the basics of Korean, GSIS requires all new employees to take 10 hours of language lessons. Brian and I opted for the 2 hour sessions on Saturday mornings. It was a month ago we found ourselves in Room 302 waiting for our first lesson with Mrs. Sarah Kim. I couldn't help but feel like a kid again sitting at my desk with my sharpened pencils, binder with empty sheets of paper waiting to be filled, and a bit of a butterfly churning in my belly. I guess facing the unknown does that to me.

With a big smile on her face, Mrs. Kim welcomed us to Korean and proceeded to pass out worksheets with cartoon pictures of milk cartons, kittens, ducks, and other kid-friendly drawings. No doubt about it...I felt like I'd just be transported back to first grade. With no time to waste she proceeded to introduce her new charges to the Hangul alphabet.

Our patient instructor started with the consonants and demonstrated for us the correct order of writing...left to right and top to bottom. We practiced our letters in our workbooks, carefully tracing the pre-formed script one letter at a time while sounding out the letters as we wrote. Guh Guh Guh Guh , Ah Ah Ah Ah, Oo, oo, oo, oo. Simple enough, I thought, as I continued to draw row after row of vertical and horizontal lines.


Consonant and Vowel Combinations

By the end of our first lesson Brian and I were equipped with just enough information to make us "dangerous" out in the real world. Wanting to test our new language skills, we made our way to Holly's Coffee to order their "famous" sweet potato lattes. Don't ask me why on earth we chose to learn that as one of our first sentences. Wouldn't something like "Where's the bathroom?" or "Help! I need the police!" have been more useful? Brian and I practiced our new vocabulary over and over as we walked the busy streets of Suwon that afternoon. Soon we found ourselves standing at the counter at Holly's wondering if we would be able to fulfill our mission of ordering something in Korean. Slowly the words tumbled out..."Go Goo Ma Latte Doo Gay Jue Say Oh." The baristas behind the sleek,shiny espresso machines eyed each other, giggled and said "American." Yes, that was us...The CaucAsian Pair...aliens in a foreign land. After paying 10,000 won for our lattes and recovering from sticker shock, we spotted a table in a cozy corner where we sat down to taste the fruit of our labor and to celebrate our first successful attempt at speaking Korean.

Since that first lesson we have built upon the basics and are now facing some of the frustrations of "exceptions to the rules", double consonants, and honorific forms. I stumble through most lessons and hope my awful accent does not offend the ears of my tutor. Attempting to learn Korean has caused me to ponder the power of the spoken word. The tongue can cause wounds so deep as well as offer words that heal and offer encouragement. In speaking with friends, family, or co-workers no matter how carefully we choose our words, sometimes we can still be misunderstood.

Fortuntely for me, my prayers are not like my Korean. No matter how awkward or muddled they may sound to me, if they come from my heart, I believe that in God's ears they ring perfectly clear and He knows what I meant to say. I'm understood...and isn't that what we all desire in the deepest part of our heart and soul...to be understood?

Until next time . . . an-yeong-hi-kye-se-yo from South Korea

HANGUL
In 1443 King Sejong commissioned a group of scholars to develop a script which would enable Koreans of all classes to express themselves in writing in their own language. What resulted from this scholarly effort was Hangul, which consists of twenty-four letters (fourteen consonants and ten vowels) and is considered by many to be one of the most scientific phonetic alphabets in existence.

The Path Less Traveled

Tidy Rows Mark Our Way Home

We had just finished our first week of being in Korea and already we were battling falling into a rut. You know what I mean...same cereal, sitting in the same seat on the bus, same plans for after work. It's funny how quickly we become comfortable with the things that are easy, safe, and predictable. For Brian and I, moving to Korea had been in a sense a way of saying "enough" of that. It was time to do some growing and that would require a shift in our thinking.

Peppers Growing in a Community Garden








Change can often be initiated by ourselves, but sometimes it takes another person to step into our world and say "hey...how about doing something different?" On this particular day, our change instigator was a man named Frank. As we were preparing to head home after a long day of working in Brian's lab, our new friend entered into our ordinary day and made it extraordinary. How so? By introducing us to the path less traveled.

Passing By A Rice Paddy

That afternoon our world traveling, adventure loving friend shared with us a new way of looking at the ordinary task of simply going home. Even though it was hot and humid and the air-conditioned bus sounded good to me, we agreed to join him on his trek back to our apartment. Now as I look back over the pictures I took that muggy day, I am so glad that we did. Had we not done so, we would have missed out on seeing a community garden ripe with vegetables for harvest or our very first view of a rice paddy secretly tucked away in a place we never would have expected. It makes me wonder what other blessings I've missed out on throughout my life simply because I wasn't willing to change. Make my prayer "God, change me."
Modern High Rise Apartments Rising Out of the Rice Paddy

Christmas In August

While touring the school, Brian had an opportunity to briefly see his new classroom/lab. What a pleasant surprise for him to discover that his new room had windows with a beautiful view. Now most people might not think this a big deal, but for the past 26 years he has taught in a classroom without windows. What a refreshing change for him after so many years of being sans natural lighting. His new lab is on the fourth floor of the school overlooking a tree covered hill, the soccer field, and a rice paddy beyond that. What a blessing!


A Lovely View From Brian's Classroom

Throughout our first week at the school, Brian and I worked together unpacking supplies and setting up his lab. Box after box of new beakers, flasks, test tubes, electronic scales, chemicals...it felt like Christmas in August! If you were to ask him, he would tell you that he opened more new equipment during that one week than all the 26 years put together at his old school. Of course part of that is because this is a new school and he is starting up the chemistry program. But what a joy for him to have such a beautiful, well-equipped laboratory to teach in.














It's Chrismas In August!!











So Many Colors!

Watching the delight in his eyes as he unwrapped yet another Carolina Biological package, I felt like I was watching a young boy who had just gone shopping for new school supplies and was admiring all his treasures. Hmmm...maybe I should have sent him a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils for the first day of school? No..wait...the school supplied those too! The periodic table has been carefully hung, beakers, flasks, graduated cylanders and Bunsen burners neatly organized in the wall of cabinets. All of this waiting for curious minds to experiment with them. Brian will be teaching HL Chemistry, Chemistry, and Theory of Knowledge this year. May his students come to a clearer undrstanding of just how big our God is as they pursue their studies.

GSIS...Built By God (and Hyundai)

After a few hours of sleep, it was time for these weary travelers to head off to school--morning had come so fast! One of the many brightly colored GSIS school buses came to pick us up at our apartment, and for the first time we saw Suwon in daylight. As we weaved our way through the sometimes narrow and bumpy neighborhood streets, we couldn't help but think "We weren't in Kansas anymore, Toto." Tall apartment complexes stacked next to each other were interspersed with small neighborhood markets, Korean barbecues, and the occasional street vendor. We were so anxious to see with our own eyes what we had only seen in brochures and a website up to this point. We were not disappointed, as the school more than exceeded our expectations.

Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS) opened its doors to students for the first time on September 18, 2006. The school was founded as a partnership between the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, Suwon City, and Dr. Thomas J. Penland, Headmaster of Taejon Christian International School. It stands as a testimony to how God can use anyone and anything to accomplish His purposes. The school's mission is to provide a high quality international academic program to students that is guided by a Christian philosophy of education. An open Christian environment has been established on the campus, and children of all faiths are welcomed, as well as children from homes that do not practice religion.

Brian standing by the soccer field. Seen behind him on the left is the main building with a dormitory for boarding students on the right. At the end of the soccer field stands a four story state-of-the art sports complex (not shown).

As a private school, GSIS' tuition rate is steep, even by US standards. But there seems to be no shortage of parents willing and able to make that kind of sacrifice to offer their children a quality education. The first year it was open, GSIS offered grades PK-8 and it is slated to have its first commencement ceremony June 2011. Total enrollment stands at 525 students this year, with numbers to exceed 600 next year.

If you would like to take a more extensive look at the facilities, please go here. This is a very nice slide show that was put together by Joe Fambroe, one of the teachers here at GSIS. Until next time, enjoy the tour.

Landing On Our Feet...The Adventure Begins

July 29, 2009--Landed at Incheon International Airport in South Korea on schedule. Our trip on Korean air was long (12 hours), but uneventful. The flight crew of Korean Air was attentive and impressed us with the way they managed to look as fresh at the landing as they did on take off. Each of these lovely ladies smiled throughout the entire flight and served us with grace and beauty. We listened carefully to them as this was our first real Korean language lesson. As they came down the aisles with their beverage carts and kimchi it was almost as if they were singing...their voices lilting and arms gracefully gesturing.

After we stepped off the plane we made our way to the baggage claim area, and it was there that we saw them coming towards us. . . "the totes" as we had come to lovingly call them. Yes, our big "Rubbermaid" totes were making their way down the conveyer belt...one after another. As Brian began taking them off the belt I rushed to find carts for all of them. What a circus act we must have looked like...crazy Americans.



We managed to get all 21 pieces of checked luggage onto 4 carts...now it was on to customs. As the inspector saw us coming, he was no doubt thinking...why me? Brian filled out a few brief forms and we were waved through. Phew...now for the last obstacle...how do we get 4 enormous carts through the one way automatic door? Our plan was for Brian to go through with one cart and I would push the other 3 to him...it worked flawlessly. Fortunately for us, "Team GSIS" was waiting for us on the other side and they took over from there.

After meeting the other new arrivals and having a quick meal, we boarded the school bus and headed to our new home in Suwon, South Korea. Driving south on the outskirts of Seoul, we were treated to the "night lights" of one of the world's largest cities...hard to describe. Think Las Vegas...on steroids. About an hour and a half later the bus turned into the drive through of the school and past the guard house where we received our first salute. Yes, the guards actually salute us when we arrive at school each morning. Suddenly we had been thrust into a culture that honors and respects educators. It was a very strange feeling, but one that I think we could become accustomed to.

A brief stop at the school to unload our luggage onto separate shuttles and we would soon be on the last leg of our journey. There are three different complexes in which the school houses its faculty/staff--one for the singles, one for families, and one for couples. We stood outside the school watching our totes being loaded onto a blue flatbed Hyundai truck, our bodies adjusting to the hot, moist air. With our all our possessions now stacked up on the bed of the truck, we hopped into a school van and made the short trip to what would be "home" for the next two years.

We were so grateful for the kindness shown to us by the Korean staff as they lifted all those heavy pieces of luggage and made multiple trips up and down the elevator. Thank goodness the elevator worked that night! Brian and I stood in the center of living room taking in our new surroundings, watching the blue boxes pile up, and listening to new co-workers excitedly talk in Korean. Our new home is very modern with buttons and gadgets galore. And anyone who knows Brian at all understands that he can't just look at a button...he must discover what they do. So just when we thought to ourselves "we made it", Brian reached out and pushed a button on a panel in the living room. Suddenly an alarm went off and for the next few minutes (seemed much longer than that), a voice was blaring through the intercom system...words that were foreign to us. It was complete mayhem as all our movers were now hovered around the monitor on the wall with cellphones in hand trying to contact the people who could tell them how to shut off (what we now know to be) the "push only in case of an emergency" button. At last they managed to disable the alarm. It was then that we discovered in Korea most things electronic play a little tune when their cycle is complete. What surprised us the most though was the song it played. Believe it or not, it played "Elephant Walk." Somehow I would have expected something more in the pentatonic scale. Hmmm...what a great first impression we left our new co-workers...crazy Americans.



So now we live on the fourth floor of a high rise in a city of 1.5 million. No little garden to tend to, grass to mow, or roar of the ocean to lull us to sleep at night...just a bustling city with endless experiences waiting to be had. Good night, Friends. Good night, Korea.

The Story so far...

• July 28, Leave for Korea from PDX @ 12:30 pm on Horizon Air AS2156 to connect with Korean Air KE 20 out of SeaTac @ 2:40 pm non-stop to Inchon Airport arriving at 5:50 pm July 29 Korean time, 1:50 am Pacific Daylight Time.
  
• July 20, Brian goes to OHSU Casey Eye Institute. Dr. Wilson says "mole" is nothing to worry about, come back in a year and see if it has changed.
  
• July 19, Last Sunday at Newport Church of the Nazarene, Prayers and Blessings from many.
  
• July 16, Brian goes to Ophthalmologist and he finds a "mole" on his retina.
  
• July 6, Recieved our Korean Visas
  • Received our GSIS purple T-shirts
  • Found out about our apartment in Suwon
• June 29, Sandy celebrates 50th year
  • Our 2 boys surprise us with a visit home from Boston
  • We send required paper work to request visas
    
• June 22 - 26, We attend IB Chemistry Level II workshop in Montezuma, New Mexico
• June 18, Joey moves to his new home at Oceanview Retirement Center
  
• June 17, Finish cleaning out classroom at Newport High and turn in keys after 26 years
• June 11, Newport High End-of-Year/Retirement party
  
• June 10, Taught my last class as a teacher at Newport High
• June 9, Sandra's last day as a Wal-mart associate
  
• May 22, Attended my retirement application interview with PERS
  
• May 21, Lincoln County School District Retirement Dessert
  
• May 14, Took one of our last drives down the bay road.
  

• April 14, Our dog, Joey, goes for his first interview at Oceanview Retirement center
  
• March 6, Submitted my letter of intent to retire to Lincoln County School District
  
• March 5, Signed our contract with GSIS
  
• February 15, Had our first Korean dinner at a restaurant in San Francisco
• February 14, Called Dr. Penland and told him we would accept the jobs at GSIS
• February 13, Traveled to Search Associates Job fair in San Francisco
• February 2, Spent one and one-half hours on the phone with Dr. Penland in Korea in a very promising interview
• November 23, 2008 Submitted material to Search Associates to begin the job search process
  

How do you know you're doing the right thing...

Well in this case we truly believe God has opened the doors for us as all the many pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place so perfectly. One of those pieces being finding a new home for our 11 year old yellow Labrador retriever who has been such a big part of our family. Not only did God provide our beloved "Joey" a new home and family...but a perfect home and family. He is now the resident house dog of a local assisted living facility. Never again will Joey be left behind, lonely, and wondering if anyone loves him. He now has 70 senior friends who adore him and who he responds in kind. After only a few weeks in his new home he was able to sense that one of the residents needed some extra attention and insisted on being by her side for two days. While Joey was with her during that time, she unexpectedly died during the night. Did he actually know something was wrong with her...well that may be up for debate. We do know, however, that he was able to provide great comfort to this woman's daughter in her early hours of grieving.

How The Journey Began . . .

For those who are following this blog intentionally or may have stumbled upon it by chance, a brief introduction to who we are and what this blog is all about. Allow us to first introduce ourselves...we're Brian and Sandra (Sandy) Montgomery. We have lived on the amazingly beautiful Oregon coast for the past quarter of a century (25 plus years) and have loved being part of this small community. During those years Brian taught at Newport High School (chemistry, biology, theory of knowledge) and Sandy focused most of her time on raising our two sons. After teaching 30 years in the American public school system, Brian had been feeling for the past several years a need for change. Little did we realize just what that change would look like or where it would take us. Last spring a fellow colleague of Brian's decided she and her husband were going to go teach in Korea. After several exciting emails and glowing reports of their experiences in Seoul, we began tossing around the idea of striking out on a similar adventure as well. By October of 2008 we were seriously looking at international schools, by Christmas had decided we would throw our hats into the ring, and by Valentine's day 2009 had accepted jobs at Gyeonggi Suwon International School. The rest is yet to come. We hope to share our experiences in Korea with our friends and family through written word, photos, and occasional videos.