Korean-American-Indian?!

Even though I have been living here for several months now, I am still learning new things about the culture here in India. As I have shared in the last post how there are times when it gets lonely and difficult here, I feel like I have hit a mark where Bangalore feels like home. I find peace in situations that used to feel uneasy. I am not fully adjust to the culture here, but I can say that God has definitely given me a bigger heart for India and the people here as I continue to live here. Simple interactions I had with people are now becoming more meaningful. The time I spend with the students and staff is now becoming more intentional and personal.

As I am currently teaching fourth grade English, Pastor Abraham has shared his heart for starting up special education here at St. Paul School. He asked me to join him as he starts this up and asked for me to pitch in the experiences and (minimal) knowledge I have about special education. If this were to happen, I would no longer teach fourth grade starting the end of January and would devote most of my time here in February in training and preparing the teachers for a special education class (two teachers along with about six students with special needs). We are not quite sure exactly which specific special education we want to start up, but please pray with us and that St. Paul School will be a school where Christ's love is shown to all kinds of students, especially to those students with special needs who are often harshly rejected, ignored, and teased by their peers and adults.

One thing that really gets to me here (that seems to be so normal to the people living here) is when the power goes out. It goes out maybe two-four times a day lasting anywhere from five minutes to two hours. The reason why the power goes out is because the city tries to limit its usage; therefore, they distribute the power by shutting off the power in sections of the city. At times, the power goes out for a full day or even more, depending on the construction going on nearby. When the power goes out, I resort to one of three things: I take a nap, pray, or go for a walk/ride around where I live. Sometimes, the power goes off in literally the worst moments possible. The time has finally come when the power went out while I was taking a shower at night. Showers have been really cold lately since the weather is pretty chilly and cool throughout the day. It feels like I am showering with a bucket of iced water.

It was sports day last Friday at St. Paul School. That day, the power was out the entire morning and early afternoon as they were cutting trees nearby the school. Therefore, there was no power (they call it "current") which meant that the microphones and speakers were useless. However, they still carried on with the program having the speakers and announcers just using their regular voice which only the people around them were able to hear. Performances were cut short as the portable speakers ran out of battery, and all these issues seemed to be no problem and normal.

Restaurants and stores (usually just markets) close between 2pm-7pm anywhere from two to four hours. This is their "break" time or their "lunch break".

When it is a student's birthday, I guess it is part of the Indian school culture to have the student bring chocolate (candy) for everyone in their class and to go around the school giving it to each teacher. At first, I thought students coming into my class and giving me chocolate was just because they wanted to share their snack, but it turned out that those students were coming in for their birthday celebration and for months, I didn't shake those students' hands.

The chips, drinks, and packaged foods have a date on the bag/bottle. In America, this date usually means "good before" or simply its expiration date. I carried this knowledge with me here, and for the longest time, I wondered why every drink, chips, and foods were expired wherever I went. A couple weeks ago, I figured out that this date is the "manufactured" date and usually has a "good after three months of opening the package".

Lastly, I want to share an experience I had. To make this complicated story short, I was finalizing the paperwork for my scooter purchase. The shop asked for additional money after we have finalized the price and the scooter was paid for. At first, I paid the additional price, but later went back in to ask specifically why I had to pay more when the price was finalized. The story and situation is actually quite confusing so I am going to leave that out. In conclusion, I went back and was adamant about getting my money back and I did! The only thing that seemed sketch about it was he first asked for a set amount and right after I questioned him, he reduced to half the amount. It just made no sense why he asked for more when we both signed that the price was paid in full. Whether he was trying to cheat me to get more money, or if he was being honest and there really was a miscommunication, I don't feel bad about getting my money back because we both signed the form where it said the price I paid was the final price. It almost made me feel proud that I was that much closer to being an Indian! :)

One of many meals I share with Naomi and Purna! Sharing meals with them has definitely been one of the highlights here! :)

Sports day!

This is the Kindergarten race as they hop on all four!

As the school ground is not that big, they have creative sports where it doesn't require too much playing field!

Steak?! Steak! Score! One of many great meals with Pastor Abe filled with meaningful conversations, accountability, and full stomachs!

PU College chapel every Wednesday. Last week, I shared a message with the PU students during chapel.

These are freshly blended fruit juices (pineapple to the left and orange (tangerine) to the right). Made of only fruit, sugar, and ice!

Bulgogi, yukejang, and rice. Korean food :)

This was on Thanksgiving (American holiday) last Thursday. I am glad I was able to share a part of my American culture with them!

Sorry that this is upside down. I can't figure out how to flip this, but this was an ad in the newspaper. This person is an AECS graduate who traveled 250+ countries playing music and spreading the gospel. 

Today was Thanksgiving service at BKC. Some amazing Korean food once again!

The brother on the way right is Dongjoon. He is from Korea and he came with a short term mission team back in 2012. He is currently backpacking around India for three months and decided to stay here at St. Paul School for three days. He left tonight so please pray for his safe travels and that he wouldn't get lost or seriously injured!

The last two days, the four of us had a lot of fun spending time with each other! 

Life in India

There haven’t been too many updates the past two weeks. Last weekend was sports day at AECS. There were a total of four teams and many sports were played over two days. There were competitions and tournaments from basketball to volleyball to football (soccer) to eating contests to bible games and so on. My body got wrecked! I was sore for about 4-5 days and had trouble moving around the first two days. Regardless, I had a very enjoyable time and it was a great opportunity to grow closer and spend more time with the students at AECS.

Today was children’s day here in India. At St. Paul School, we were supposed to have sports day as a part of children’s day, but it was postponed due to the weather. So instead, they had a singing competition and Naomi and I went around the school judging the competition. I also went to a funeral today. It was for an elderly lady who lived in front of PUC, and she passed away this week. President Chung asked me to go with Pastor Yohan to the funeral, and the whole service was in Hindi (or different language other than English).

During the week, teaching my fourth standard English classes are ongoing as well as discipleship group with the 2^nd year PUC students. I have put counseling on hold for now as it interferes with the timing of the discipleship group. On Sundays, I am still serving in the youth group.

There are times when it gets difficult, lonely, and homesick. I miss home, my family, my friends, and ANC. But at the same time, it is such a blessing to be here. To be surrounded by people who love Christ, and also people to share the gospel with. People who come from a totally different culture than mine, but yet brothers and sisters I am able to fellowship with. As serving in the ministry here is the heart God has given me, spending time with some of the people here outside of ministry has definitely been memorable.

As my half way mark has passed, please pray that during the next four months, God would continue to use me here to disciple the students, to share the gospel in every given opportunity, and to encourage my fellow brothers and sisters along with the pastors, professors, teachers, and other staff members.

This was a few weeks back. Pastor Abraham took out all the AECS staff to a day of eating, playing games, and fellowship. A mini-retreat and a day of refreshing for the staff.

A month ago, there were huge rainstorms that went on for about a week or two. A good portion of the books at AECS were soaked as they were being stored in the basement and the basement got flooded. 

Indian currency fun fact: You can tell if the bills are real or fake by looking inside the flower (cloud) shape. When you just look at it from one side, it looks like a random design.

But if you put it up against the sun or light, it is the number of the rupees the bill holds. The other half of the design is on the backside where it becomes full when you put the front and back together through the light.

These are counterfeits. You can see that there are no numbers (or the half designs) inside the flower.

This is (was?) a Hindu god that was worshiped for basically being massive...? This sacred tree was struck by lightning during the rainstorms last month and therefore, its branches were cut off.

I have partnered with a few teachers back in the states and arranged our students to be pen pals!

KFC is actually not bad here... I've had it once when Abe, Bryan, and Rebecca were here and I don't remember it being good!

At sports day, women's basketball was a nightmare. It was more like American football.

Many sports going on at sports day!

Brother Michael giving a show as he waits for his team to play.

Eating contest!

Miss Naomi and brother Purna making chapati for the three of us!

The delicious meal they made!

x (ex), y (why), z (zeh.....?)

To start off this blog entry, I'll explain the caption of this post. Here in India, instead of pronouncing the letter 'z' as /zee/, they pronounce it as /zeh/. The students had no idea what I was saying as I was spelling a word with the letter 'z' in it. Just a fun fact!

During the end of my two week trip, we got a message saying how an outreach team from AECS was taken to prison during their outreach. Long story short, this is what happened: they went to Hassam, which is a village with a very strong Hindu group called the RSS. During one of their nights, as they were singing a song inside a local pastor's home, the village people surrounded the home and invaded the home. They took their cellphones and bibles at first, then started taking away their belongings. They then started to hit the students, but no weapons were involved. This went on for two hours. The police then arrived, and took the students to prison. The village people charged them with the Anti-conversion Law (which says that any religion can be practiced, but may not try to convert others). They were then held in prison for 5-6 days, as the process was delayed over and over. Two pastors from AECS went to Hassam to bail the students out. Although they are currently back at AECS, they will have to go back to Hassam every so often for the court cases. This is only 10% of the process, as the remaining is still yet to come. Please keep the students and this court case in your prayers!

Last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday was the Diwali Festival (I think it might have been longer). During this time, Hindu's celebrate Diwali by lighting fireworks and firecrackers. Their belief for this festival is that if they light the firecrackers, they will scare off all the evil spirits (or that the fireworks would catch the god's attention). During these three nights, especially Thursday, firecrackers would be lit from around 5pm to 3am. On Thursday, it would be nonstop and it seems like every street had fireworks being lit. It almost sounded as if a war was going on!

In one of my fourth standard (grade) English classes, I connected the students with a classroom from back home. I knew the teachers since I was in high school, and am so lucky that they were willing to set up pen pals with our classrooms! We have received their letters last week, and the students are finishing up the letters by the end of this week. The students are really excited for this, and I am too as it is my first experience with having international pen pals!

There is a boy in one of my classes and his name is Nitish. One day during tea time (break), we were talking and we both noticed that each other had white hairs. Then he pointed out the mole on my left arm as we showed me the mole on his arm. He was sharing how kids tease him all the time and that he would beat some of his friends for doing so. I then shared how I was always teased, too, when I was little about my white hairs. He then went around telling the whole class how I had white hairs and a mole on my arm just like he did. I was glad that we were able to relate this way allowing him to show off his white hairs for once! Last week, Nitish came up to me again during tea time. He asked if I lived in Los Angeles, and I told him I did. He then shared with me how he was watching Discovery Channel and how he watched a show about a factory (I think it was a factory that made chips). Again, he went around the whole class telling his classmates how I am from the same city as this one factory that aired on Discovery Channel. Moments like these bring a smile to my face (and my heart)! :)

Eating samgyupsal for brother Purna's birthday!

Chicken kebab at Empire Chicken!

I was craving korean food so I went to a korean restaurant and ate some kimchijigae!

A view of the firework madness on the roof

These were two guests who visited here for about two days. Naomi stayed here from 2006-2008 and John came with a mission team during 2007 for two weeks. They are currently on their honeymoon, traveling across Asia, Europe, and America.

As their last meal, we had chicken curry (one of my favorite India dishes) with pastor Yohan and his family.

I introduce you Nitish!

finally back home (in Bangalore)

I just got back this afternoon from my 10 day trip across India, and boy, it is good to be back home in Bangalore!

So this was my trip itinerary:

Bangalore to Howrah to Jalpaiguri (Darjeeling) to Varanasi to New Delhi to Mumbai and back to Bangalore

As pastor Stephen and I left last Saturday night, our train ride from BLR to Howrah as 36 hours. We were waitlisted for this train ride, but thankfully, we made friends on the train who offered to share with us their seats and even gave us one of their beds at night. They shared their fruits and snacks with us as we also shared with them ours. During our 12 hour layover in Howrah, one of the friends we met on the train actually offered to show us around. She gave up her whole day to travel with us around Howrah and even helped us to book our tickets!

Our 12 hour train ride from Howrah to Jalpaiguri was also waitlisted, but this time, we couldn't find any seats. We made a friend, and we suffered throughout the train ride sitting on strangers' beds/seats and standing in the hallways by the bathrooms, etc. The sleeper class gets humid and hot during the day.

When we arrived in Jalpaiguri, we took a van up the mountain to Darjeeling (Stephen's home village). After about 2-3 hours, we arrived at Darjeeling. Darjeeling is such a beautiful place. The towns are small, it's green, and the weather is cool. It felt like I wasn't in India anymore. The people also don't look full Indian and rather look more Mongolian or Vietnamese (in my opinion). We spent half a day visiting his friends and family. I was also able to meet one of Stephen's friends, who is a graduate at AECS. He is currently a pastor at a church in his village. Then we headed back down the mountain to Jalpaiguri to catch our night train to Varanasi.

We finally had our first confirmed sleeper seats, and boy it felt nice (although it was really hot and stuffy throughout the train ride!). During the train rides, if you are in the sleeper or general section, there are a bunch of people that come by such as beggars and people selling drinks/snacks/accessories/etc. There are even performers and people who are transgenders who come and ask for money. We arrived in Varanasi in the evening time, and we really only had time to visit the Ganges River, which is a sacred river to the Hindus who believe that washing themselves in this river will wash away their sins. Varanasi is such a dark place, literally and figuratively. There are no street lights, it's gloomy and dusty. Also, there's seems to a thick atmosphere where it's just spiritually dark. We then headed back to the train station to catch our next train at midnight to New Delhi.

When we arrived in New Delhi, Stephen's brother picked us up and we went to his home. Stephen got to see his twin nieces for the first time! We had evening service at his brother's church and spent the night in New Delhi. The next day, we got up at 4am to visit Taj Mahal and tour Delhi. The sad part is that that Taj Mahal was closed (closed every Friday), so we drove four hours (one way) to Agra to look at Taj Mahal from the back side... Then we headed back to Delhi where we visited a few historical places. We then ate dinner at his brother's house and headed to the train station where we spent the night there.

We took the train from New Delhi to Mumbai at 5am and arrived in Mumbai at around 8:30am (after a full day). Stephen's brother's friend picked us up from the train station and showed us a few historical places. From there, we decided to join a tour bus/guide where we were able to tour the whole city within the day at a very low price! That night, we booked a room at the train station and spent the night there. The next day, we took our final train back home!


Throughout the trip, I realized that in India, there are so many different and similar cultures. As there is a common culture within India, wherever you go, each state/region has a different culture. And I think more than visiting all the famous historical places, God wanted to show me the different cultures and lifestyles here in India, and the different places where He is praised (and the places where He isn't praised).

One thing about the Indian culture that really annoyed me was when street vendors, hotel/restaurant workers, taxi drivers, tour guides, and other people would come up to me adamantly and forcefully asking to buy what they are trying to promote. Even after a simple "no thanks" or a "I don't need one", they continue to bother you. And through all this, to me it seems like they are angrily yelling at me when it is just their culture of talking in that tone. So far, I was able to a lot of the different aspects of the Indian culture, but some other parts, I am still learning to adjust.

I'll be uploading the pictures tomorrow! :)

Leaving the train in Bangalore

Train station in Bangalore

Sleeper class

Where we would've spent our 36 hour train ride if it weren't for our nice friends

Eating samosas during one of the stops at a train station

Friends that were helpful and shared their seats with us! (Excuse my wet shirt. I just brushed my teeth and I had to use water from a water bottle, and you can imagine the challenge of doing that during a train ride!)

Arrived in Howrah, Kolkata

The train station at Howrah

A famous bridge

The bus drivers are vicious and definitely would not slow down for pedestrians. And it's stinking hot in those buses (which makes the hot and humid air outside seem cool)

Visiting Victoria Memorial Hall (a memorial for one of the British queens).

We decided to watch a show at a planetarium. The show was in Hindi, so I took a nap in the nice, A/C, cushioned seats!

Busy train station right before we left for Jalpaiguri.

Passengers rushing to the general seats (unreserved seats)

We were waitlisted, so throughout the train ride, we had to squish with strangers like this.

A friend we met that suffered with us through this train ride as she was also waitlisted.

Arrive in Jalpaiguri!

On the way up to Darjeeling!

Finally in Darjeeling! Definitely did not feel like India here

Walking down to Stephen's village

Stephen's house and his father's greenhouse!

Pastor Ashish's (former AECS student) house and church!

Giving an offering from the IEC trust!

Many vans like this is the main transportation in Darjeeling

Famous Darjeeling momos!

One of the famous lakes/parks in Darjeeling

Riding down on the top of a van (there were no more seats and this was the last van going down from Darjeeling to Jalpaiguri for the day). This ride was for 2.5 hours and as we were going down, we had to dodge tree branches the whole way down!

Back on the train ride on our way to Varanasi. Our meals on the train were prepacked snacks which included some kind of rice chips as we mixed with noodles!

The rickshaws in Varanasi

On the bride above the Ganges River.

People taking baths as a part of their Hindu religion

Taking a boat ride in the Ganges River

Train station in Varanasi

Super spicy chilis from Darjeeling (which are from Stephen's father's farm!)

One of my favorites, garlic naan

Cycle rickshaw. Definitely felt sorry for this guy that I weigh a lot...

Going through the city 

Arrived at another part of the Ganges River. Many Hindus spend the night here after they take a bath in the Ganges River.

Many people sleeping and spending the night at the train station waiting to buy tickets or for their trains.

Maybe a little inappropriate? But a child taking a #2 on the train tracks 

Our seats once again

We took some people's seats after they left the train. This part of the train ride, we had AC3 tickets

Arrived in New Delhi!

Gate to Stephen's brother's house

Their small village

Chilling down at his brother's hotel restaurant 

Taking a night ride on the back of the pastor's motorcycle

In between the streets by the airport, there is this chunk of land. Their church would practice soccer here every week, and there was even a time where the ball went out onto the streets and a motorcyclist ran over the ball and got into an accident.

A line of hotels by the airport

Their church!

They have daily devotionals with the church members

On our way to the Taj Mahal

Greeted by this closed entrance

So we made our way to the back

And this was the best view we were able to get!

Monkeys!

Then we headed back to Delhi to visit other historical places, like Humayun's tomb

Passed and paid for a domestic ticket! score!

I forgot what this place was... Probably another memorial with tombs.

Visiting a temple!

Eating momos after our long day of touring!

What they use to steam and cook the momos

I saw this as I was walking in the streets. An old fashioned iron. I didn't know that irons were made like this before!

With Stephen's family!

Chicken biryani in the train ride!

Chai tea (only had it when we were in the AC3 class; otherwise, the sleeper class was way too hot and stuffy to be drinking hot tea!)

Train station in Mumbai

Old buildings in the city

This was a hotel where a bombing took place a few years ago

We then visited a museum

More old buildings in the city

A nice view of the beach and the city buildings

Stopped by a garden

I'm not sure why this big shoe is in the middle of the garden, but apparently it's a big tourist site

Our tour bus!

Part of the tour was visiting this theater that played 4D movies. Definitely not as advanced and exciting as the 4D movies/rides at Universal Studios

Visiting a science museum

On our way to the beach!

A famous bridge in Mumbai

A village in the middle of the city

Many many people at the beach

Funny story: I was taking a selfie picture at the beach, when a group of men stared at me and gave me a thumbs up. Then this man came up to me, wondering what I was doing, and then told me to take a picture with him!

Trying some food stands at the beach!

Along with some not-so-juicy corn!

The train station lit up at night

A very nice A/C dormitory at the train station where we spent the night

Walking in the city right before leaving back to Bangalore

Tomato and onion dosa for breakfast!

Heading to our last train ride

There is a list by every train showing which of the waitlisted passengers received confirmed seats