Convo Barrier

Q: What do you call someone who speaks three languages?  
A:  Tri-lingual 


Q: What do you call someone who speaks two languages? 
A:  Bi-lingual


Q: What do you call someone who speaks one language? 
A: American


We are for sure feeling the communication gap between English and Korean.  Koreans have been so kind to want to help and attempt at speaking English.  We are trying very hard on our end as well but it's very difficult to discern when one word ends and when the other begins.  Each person speaks in their own dialect (kinda like how we have various accents as well as the "Tomato" vs. "tom/ah/to" factor).  


My (Becca) most embarrassing moment (which Jake loves to point out to new friends upon meeting them) to date was when I had been getting really confused with saying "Hello" and "Thank you".  I suppose it was because I learned them at the same time and they are each about 5 syllables in length thus resulting in a new found Korean word that came out something like "Hel-you".  I had really tried to practice on native speakers but I never quite mustered enough courage in time to get it done correctly.  We were living in the hotel still and I had decided- it was time.  I was taking the plunge.  I would master the art of saying hello.  I would force myself to greet the next native I saw in their traditional form.  Jake and I were going down the elevator for breakfast (according to Jake, you could see me repeating the correct phrasing with a very determined and dedicated look upon my face...). The elevator stopped and in walk two very tall African Americans.  We did the polite "what's up" head nod and the elevator continued.  A few more floors down, we picked up two white English speakers of whom popped in the quaint elevator with a jolly "Good Morning"...not exactly my best practicing folk.  Alas,  a few floors further the most petite elderly Asian looking man entered the elevator.  It was just the two of us in the central confines of the lift as the others hugged the walls.  My moment had arrived.  I bowed low and said "Ahn-Nyeong-Hah-Seh-Yo." I did it!  I swelled with pride and beamed with jubilation!  I finally felt like I had depleted the communication barrier by an ocean!  Everyone in the elevator could feel my warmth as I puffed up elatedly.  I knew they were so impressed with my awesome Korean lingo! I...was...the...Conqueror!!! The Master of Hello!  The tiny elderly Asian man sweetly turned to face me and as clear as a John Wayne movie said, "Yeah, I don't speak Korean. I'm from Tampa."  The entire elevator erupted with laughter except for myself who somehow managed to shrivel into the furthest corner while turning a very deep shade of mahogany!  One by one as they filed out of the lift they gave me a slap on the back or an encouraging giggle.   


To add further insult, I came down for breakfast two days later and two of the men who were present for my performance did the point, laugh and approach. "Hey, remember that time..." 

Uh Oh in Seoul

        We landed in Seoul, South Korea (the capital for all those geography challenged folk) to a very friendly welcome.  We looked so lost, not to mention we didn't exactly "blend in" with those around us! We had many kind Koreans come up and try to help us...and I think they thought they did!...but we couldn't understand them so usually when they pointed a certain direction we just walked that way until another friendly face came to our aide! We must have looked really pitiful because they all wanted to help us. We had a good laugh about it. 


        We went through customs just fine and had many airline attendants try to escort us through military customs because Jake was using his former army luggage (duffle bag and backpack).  We kept insisting we were civilians but they kept on pursuing every so many feet with their sweet smiles.  We checked our bags again for our last connecting flight to Daegu.  Since we still had about 3.5 hours before our next flight we rounded the corner to catch some grub when all of a sudden a tiny Korean woman was yelling after us and insisting we follow her.  We couldn't understand her but she took us into a very small room outside of the security gates and passed us off to another official.  They had Jake's duffle bag pulled out and asked in broken english, "Someting illegal?!?!" We both shook our heads 'no' and they went back to their fabric x-ray machine and pointed at the location of a hidden side pocket which held 3 6mm shot gun shells.  Jake's eyes immediately gave that look of terror that told me, "Uh oh, we're not going to anywhere anytime soon..." Whether or not that meant we just weren't making the next flight or he was about to be incarcerated- I wasn't sure. It is illegal to even possess anything firearm related inside the country of South Korea.  Jake was not aware that the shells were inside the duffle bag as it was last used on a former hunting trip (hence, left over bullets).  


        They escorted me outside as I sat and watched military, police and suited men enter a tiny room to question my red-beared husband about his terrorist involvement.  Over 12 men came in and out of the room and each time the door opened, I tried to see if they had hand- cuffed him yet!  I asked one man at the very beginning, in a very joking manner, "You're not going to take my husband to jail, are you?" He looked me dead in the face and in all seriousness informed me 'he just wasn't sure yet and his boss would decide." WHAT?!?!!?  I just thought they would take the items in question away from him!  Slap on the wrist, right? Jake said they questioned him on everything from where we met and what time of day we got married to what deer hunting is and what exactly Waynoka, Oklahoma means.  Once they got passed the language barrier, the officials concluded Jake was NOT a terrorist and it was an honest accident.  Jake came out with the entire company of men LAUGHING and ready to run off arm in arm skipping through the streets of Korea! Meanwhile I'm about to stroke out figuring out protocol on such an event!  It was definitely an experience we won't forget any time soon!

If you look real close you can see the shells on the table.
This is right before the big wigs showed up.

The tiny room that held large amounts of tiny men

P.S.  We made the next flight with 15 minutes to spare.

THE flight

Our flight from the USA to South Korea was the longest we have ever sat and done nothing but watch t.v. and sleep.  However, no matter how restless we were, our flight attendants were stunning the entire 14 hours.  They looked like models from the time we stepped onto Korean Air to the time we hit concrete. Flawless!  AND...in heels!  Maybe they didn't understand a word we said, and visa versa, but we were for sure left without want.  In Jake's words, "They were elegant." 


I was too embarrassed to ask for picture with some of them but here is a link that other stalkers snapped. (It's a long one...)

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://khmerbird.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/sexykoreanairflightattendants1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://khmerbird.com/editorial/korean-air-flight-attendants.html&h=894&w=600&sz=169&tbnid=Of8oT2v7qb_S9M:&tbnh=274&tbnw=184&prev=/images%3Fq%3DKorean%2BAir%2BFlight%2BAttendants&zoom=1&q=Korean+Air+Flight+Attendants&usg=___or9PihtyAGBOFfZt9iE9ugA1ew=&sa=X&ei=d8-ETIW-DIiosQO6sIT3Bw&ved=0CBwQ9QEwAA

We're off!

Uncle Jake and Baby Rixt meeting for the first time in Chicago

Ignore the double chin and focus on the cute baby

We were flying out of Oklahoma City at 7:00 a.m.  We landed in Chicago right at 9ish and got to eat brunch with my brother, Robbie and his family!  Robbie, Summer, Creed and River have the newest addition to our family with Baby Rixt that Jake was meeting for the first time.   It was wonderful to get to see them before we left!  They dropped us back off at the airport and we boarded for our loooooong flight (14 hours) to Seoul and then hopped over to Daegu!  Jake and I voted that when we come home we will make a detour and stop in Hawaii or Guam to help break up the numbness in our posterior area.

Sleepy but ready to go!

Getting ready to board

Passports!

I had 24 hours to accept or decline my offered position, 5 days to complete initial paperwork and less than 1.5 weeks to get our house, animals, vehicles, insurance, classroom moved, library cards paid (ha!), etc. squared away...yet...we waited on our government issued passports for weeks!  They wouldn't let us travel on our blue passports because we were representing Uncle Sam, not to mention he was the one fitting the traveling bill.  So- we waited...and waited...


I had breakfast with my two great friends, Amy and Jeri, and as I was driving home when Jake called and told me to pull over and meet him.  I knew it had to be good news!! Our passports came!! We got them at 11 a.m. on Saturday and were on the plane headed to Daegu, South Korea 19 hours later!!

My favorite delivery boy!

Sheer Joy! 

Moving Day

Working for the government, we (I) am learning that we are at their disposal.  When they tell us to do something, you do it or you lose out and end up having to wait a loooooooooooong stinkin' time. So when they said that we would move to Korea in 2 weeks...we just said, "Ok.".   Here are few pictures of our things that we had the movers come and ship (via boat) to Daegu.  I will be bummed if that boat sinks.  It takes a long time for a teacher to collect her library!!   A lot of these containers are full of Kindergarten books, files and materials.  

It looks like a lot of stuff in the picture but it really wasn't much!

Is there a trick to turning these pictures the other way, anyone? 

It looks like an episode of "Hoarders."  

Our proposed delivery date of our household goods is October 20.  Forever away...

Fond Farewell

Jake, Becca, Penny and Jacob
We all like wise owls. 

My wonderful McAlister's Twin and teaching friend, Cindy! 

Lauren and Micah taking some time out for some senior pictures. 

Jacob made Jake some "Korean Cat Jerky".  Tastes like chicken. 

LOVE!
(Kaitlyn, Amy, Me, Jeri and Myles Jack)

We are missing one special friend but I love my Suite 400 girls  beyond measure! 

Our great friends, The Fulks, threw a going away farewell for us in their home!  We were so excited to get to see so much family and many friends before we left!  Since we didn't get the job until August 3rd and were supposed to be in Korea by August 18th we had been moving all week and this was the very greatest way to de-stress.  The house was packed with people that mean so much to us. Thank you tons to everyone who came to give a hug, international calling cards and/or just hang out with us for a little bit.  I wasn't able to photograph our families that were there but they helped us  move a ton of stuff and we would not have been able to get by without their help and love.  I realized that I didn't get to take very many pictures but when you're socializing it is hard to make taking pictures a priority! (If you have any you took, we'd love to see them!)

Our cake said in Korean "We Will Miss You!" (...or so we were told...)

After moving all day and having a great celebration- Jake was pooped!