Another view of the church where the Conference was 

The church that hosted the Conference, side view 

A woman singing in between sessions, in traditional Korean dress 

Inside the church where the Conference was held. It was massive. 

Candler street preachers, behind a smaller version of the pulpit in the church where the Conference was held. 

The Korean Pastors' Wives Choir singing to the World Methodist Conference 

Traditional Korean breakfast, prepared for us by a church where we attended 6:30am prayers (their second service of the day). There were noodle dishes, several types of kimchi, fried squash, and fish. We drank fresh tomato juice and Korean style (read: instant with powdered cream and sugar already added) coffee. 

Letting off steam at, that's right, Outback. We needed a meal that did not include kimchi. And it was good. 

At the Conference, there were lots of ladies in traditional Korean dresses, just bowing all day. That would be the least fun volunteer job. They lined the entrance area, stood at all elevator and stairwells, and greeted us at the sanctuary. They were beautiful, and I became accustomed to bowing to any and everyone I saw. And I said "kawmap-sumneeda" (thank you) to everyone, too. 

At that Chinese restaurant with some of the St. Paul kids. 

Lane and me eating some weird black noodle dish at a CHINESE restaurant with the St. Paul crowd. I got pretty good at chopsticks (the eating utensils, not the song...) 

Shopping in Itaewon.  

That changing of the guards ceremony I mentioned. All the beards were fake. Sorry to destroy your illusions.  

Eating at Lina's favorite restaurant. I am so thankful Lina was with us, and so regretful that she was used as a translator instead of being able to just be a student. 

At the palace. There were always mountains around. Seoul is surrounded by them. Dana would love it. 

Standing near a "guard" at the palace we toured. His beard is fake. Later we saw a ceremony that replicated the changing of the guards at that palace. 

In the elevator with Malinda, I mean Malida, getting ready to finally be tourists 

The view at the Seminar House on our rainy first 3 days in S.Korea 

The group with Bishop Kim and his wife 

Home sweet home

I'm back in the ATL.
Korea was lovely, and I wish I could have experienced more of it. But I am glad to be home.
I didn't get to do much tourist-y stuff, but I did visit one palace, shop a bunch and spend a LOT of time in churches.
Friendships were made/strengthened, kimchi was eaten, and new people from around the world were met.
It was nice.
I griped a lot about not getting to do as much cultural stuff as I wanted, the beds and pillows were hard as rocks, we spent 3 hours on buses everyday, and I could have done without the 14 hour plane rides.
But I had a good trip.
I got back yesterday at 11am. I went to bed at 10pm and got up at 4pm. It wasn't all jet lag. The sleeping pill I took at 6am might have had something to do with it...
And tonight I went to a Braves game.
I love baseball.
Rock on.

Some Stories from Korea

Yesterday, an 18 year old Korean girl named Felicity who is volunteering at the Conference walked me down the street to an ATM. She was wearing a traditional Korean dress, with sneakers underneath. She was quite chatty and proficient in English. She asked me if Iwas in school, and after I explained that I'm done with college and back in school again, I found out that she goes to high school in St. Paul, MN. While we were walking, some women stopped us and asked to take a picture with us. They told Felicity that they hadnever met a foreign person. I bet her traditionaldress didn't hurt either. On the way back, another woman scolded Felicity for wearing her dress out on the street, saying that she should go home. Anyway,today Felicity is volunteering in the computer lab,and when my computer wouldn't work I asked her to help me. She pounded on the keyboard with both hands, said"This computer sucks!" and led me to another one.

Here'sone more story from today:
Some cute variously-aged and variously-dressed Korean kids did a performance for us earlier. While they sang in Korean, danced, and played instruments, theEnglish words to their song flashed across the bottom of the huge tv screens that project what's happeningon the stage. The song was about a town that got sad and afraid, but then Jesus came and everything was happy and bright. So, at one point it was talking about Jesus being humbled into human form and it said"Jesus even took off his underwear and became a naked human baby." I promise.

I had to walk out of the Korean Cultural Night. Several factors contributed to my speedy exit. 1) The church is massive, and has been cold thus far,but I suppose the whole congregation came out tonight so it is full and hot in the "sanctuary" (it's more like a stadium).
2) The minister of this church gave a lecture aboutchurch growth for 45 minutes before the program even started. He is one of several brothers who are all bishops in the Korean Meth. Church, and who have built massive mega-churches. This is not the largest, but on Sunday we will attend the largest Methodist church in the world -- 95,000 members. Anyway, I suppose this brother felt like since we were in his church he should get to give a spiel (sp?).
3) There are lots of lilies in this building, and they stink. There are other flowers, too, but the lilies are the smelliest ones. Lilies are beautiful, but I can't handle too much of the smell. So, the heat, uncomfortableness after having sat forever, and the smell all came together and I was overwhelmed and felt a bit ill.

I'd better get back.

Korea

So, I'm in Korea.

I'm here on a trip with school, taking a seminar for evangelism credit. We have been in sessions most of the time, with small chunks of free time every day. However, we are at a conference center at least an hour outside Seoul, in a tiny little town with no shops to speak. The conference center is on top of a hill in the mountains, so the view is beautiful.
(Pictures later. Never fear.)

Evidently, we are here during the annual three weeks of heavy rain. This year the rain has resulted in the worst flooding pretty much ever for Seoul. The flooding has mostly subsided, but some roads are still under water in Seoul. I am staying up in some mountains, and it has been rainy here every day until today, but not floody.

We have been pretty much secluded in the seminar house (conference center). By yesterday, we students started to get a little stir crazy. We came here wanting to experience the culture and see the sights, and we have felt pretty detached from the rest of the world since we've been sitting in lectures all day every day. We have had some adventures outside the seminar house, finally.

Yesterday, we got stir crazy and talked a staff person into driving us to a store. It turned out that he had a regular 4 door car, and there were 5 of us. So Skip sat in front with the driver, and the 4 of us girls (Lane, Lina, Malinda and I) piled in the back seat. We giggled for the whole 45 minute trip there, and then we wandered for 30 minutes, and then we piled back in the car for the ride back for class. The store was really just a department store, like Macy's, with a market in the bottom. But we were able to buy Cokes and candy.

Today, we had free time and scheduled touring. We were able to convince the grown-ups (group leaders/staff) to rearrange the schedule so that we could commence the tourism sooner. We went into Seoul and shopped, had lunch at Lina's favorite restaurant, and met a group of students from St. Paul (UM) Seminary to tour a palace (GteongBokgung Palace). After the palace, we visited a shrine to Catholic martyrs -- Decapitation Mountain. After that cheerful stop (at which there was a drink machine -- COKE!), we headed to Itaewon shopping district. Itaewon turned out to be more touristy and not as nice as the place we went earlier with Lina, who is the Korean student on the trip with us. For dinner, we went to a Chinese restaurant that is a favorite of the Korean professor with the St. Paul group.

Without Lina, we would not know what we were eating, how much things should cost, or how to interact with local folks. She pretty much rocks.

I'm tired. Tomorrow, the World Methodist Conference starts. We have to leave at 7:30am in order to make it on time for the opening worship at the church where the Conference is being held. We'll see how that goes. I'm pretty stoked about the World Methodist Conference, since there will be Methodist folks from around the world. Rock on, Wesleyan connectionalism.

Cheesy Tourist Photos in Portland

More Spammer Names

Today, I cleaned out my spam
and these lovely people had sent me messages:

Checkerboards K. Littleness
Gouged A. Dictatorships
Astounded V. Conductivity
Generalissimo A. Poulticing
Mischieviousness U. Cunningly
Irascability U. Barmaid

Ha. I knew it.

Your results:
You are Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman 92% Green Lantern 90% The Flash 80% Supergirl 77% Superman 75% Iron Man 75% Spider-Man 70% Robin 65% Catwoman 65% Hulk 55% Batman 30%

You are a beautiful princess with great strength of character.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I got a new camera.
I'm flying to Portland
at 5:45 tomorrow morning.
You know what that means.
Pictures of Portland.

Rock on.

I am a baseball fan

and I have the sunburn to prove it.

And I am now a firm believer that it really is
Root, Root, Root for the Home Team
because
If They Don't Win
It really is a Shame.

I'm just sayin'.

The Festival of Spuggles

or SpughFest.

Today was Sara's birthday.
We made signs.
We ate at Dairy Queen.
We saw the chocolate exhibit.
We got Australian pastries.
We ate at Agnes and Muriel's.

It was fun.
I'm tired.

Tomorrow, I head back to SC to help the folks pack.
Rock on.

Today's Best Spam Names

Revelations H. Bulldog
Periscopes U. Backache

ABCD and TFT

I'm taking a summer class
called Church and Community Leadership.
It focuses on Asset-Based Community Development
and Training for Transformation,
which are community organizing/development/building techniques.
The class is intense -- 9am-3pm everyday this week.
And that's it.
We have a paper due next week,
but we only have the one week of classes.
We are reading about one book a night,
and I am exhausted.

I'm getting a pedicure on Saturday.

Let It Be

Grades are in (mostly)
and I am pretty much a B student.
I'm cool with that.
I do pretty much B work.
Or if I do A work, I turn it in late.
(Seriously, I got a B in class where I turned in EVERY paper late.)

I am academically slightly above average.
That's not how smart I am.
That's how much I put into it.
Actually, I frequently put in below average effort
but I do it well.

I so do not stress about grades.
In college, we competed over who got an A on which assignment --
not outright competition, but we competed nonetheless.
And now, I am more cognizant of needing a balanced life.
And I get Bs.

Spam

I've been keeping track of the names on my spam mail.
Here are the best ones:

Mr. Yazzie
Expostulate E. Summerhouse
The Misogyny
Wigwam B. Telescope
Talc H. Quadruped
The Opposite
Cosmology M. Researcher
Refugio Leonard
Rollo Piper
Pelageya Gabler
Precious Winn
Reckons O. Hokusai
Methuselah Rivers
Rosy Shirk
Bean P. McEnroe
Spool M. Justified
Prosper Browner

The Paper That Won't Die

is about the intersections and conflicts of the women's movement and the abolition movement in the mid to late 1800s, especially the role of the church.

It is supposed to be 10-12 pages.
I'm up to almost 8.
I don't know if I have addressed (or even clearly articulated) my thesis yet, though.

Alas.
At least the power is back on.
Writing by maglite is no good.

Spring Banquet, aka Candler Prom

Spuggles and Petey













Roomates and the J who frequents our couch













Craig was really excited to see his friend Dave













Lane and me in pretty dresses
Austin, Sara, me, Rachel, Candace, Leslie -- looking fly

I just wanted to say

that it's 4:30am and I am up writing papers.

I just finished my 7 page exegesis paper.
I think it might suck.

I have my 2-3 page colloquy paper halfway done
at 3/4 of a page. =)

Tomorrow, I will have to write my sociology paper
which is to be 10-12 pages.
I have at least one page of it done.

I am tired.
I am awake.

Alas.

For the Rest of Your Life...

Okay, so we have this thing going. You can read about it on Dana's blog. Basically, my friends fought over what 5 albums they'd want to have for the rest of their lives. Like these would be the ONLY albums you could have forever. They (Dana, Russell, J, Sara, and John) came up with a collective list, which I think kind of sucks. Check out my lists, and then feel free to post yours in the comments.

Top 5:
Magazine (Jump Little Children)
Tuesday Night Music Club (Sheryl Crow)
Back Home Again (John Denver)
White Blood Cells (The White Stripes)
Rock Steady (No Doubt)

Greatest Hits Albums*:
One (The Beatles)
James Taylor: Greatest Hits (James Taylor)
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (The Eagles)
Sounds of Summer (Beach Boys)
Films About Ghosts (Counting Crows)

*This list goes against Russell's original premise that no greatest hits, live albums or compilation/various artist albums could be included.
But whatever. I like greatest hits. I'm old, and it's easier. Sue me.

Damn these procrastination tools... I have papers to write!

It's called "Procrastinate With Me" for a reason...

I wrote this at about 12:30pm today. It did not post. Here's another try.


Here's what I have done in the 4 hours I've been awake:

• Filled out my FAFSA
• Checked email repeatedly, all four accounts
• Scheduled a meeting and decided on a lunch menu
• Ordered books for my summer classes
• Called for appointments regarding my candidacy for ministry process
• Took a shower
• Located a book I had loaned out
• Started a load of laundry
• Ate a banana and drank a glass of milk
• Wrote this blog

*I have been quite productive in 4 hours.

**Note that none of these accomplishments involve cracking an actual book or writing any papers despite my aforementioned assignments that are due this week.

All Dressed Up, No Place To Go

Spring Banquet (aka Candler Prom) is on Friday.
I have been itching to go buy a dress.
All day, I have been trying to figure out when I will have time to go shop.
Alas, I have no time until Friday, the day of the event.

So, I was bemoaning this fact to Dana,
who was also supposed to be writing a paper,
and she suggested that we look at the dresses she has
since we were just standing around anyway.
Then, I remembered a little dress I wore to Ali's wedding rehearsal.
So, we started trying things on.
Then we "did" our hair -- more silly than cute...

We made John put on a jacket with his tshirt and workout pants,
and the result is this picture:

One Down... Three To Go!

Okay, folks, it's that time again --
the end of the semester, when everything is due.

I have finished one paper.
It was the easiest one;
it was already half done;
and it was due a week and a half ago.
It's a narrative for ConEd about my imaginary ministerial hero.

Her name's Amelia, and she is the minister of outreach at a mid-sized UM church. For her, outreach encompasses the church's programs that interact with the community (like a subsidized childcare program, and a job training culinary arts program the products of which go to meals on wheels, a local homeless shelter, and the Wednesday night supper), as well as visitation, missions, and supporting the rest of the staff. It's insanely hokey.

Now, I just have three to go.
1) Global Feminisms presentation on Tuesday night. (12-15 page paper due in May, so we're not stressing about it yet...)
2) NT exegesis paper 7-8 pages, due Thurs. 8am
3) Sociology of Rel. paper 10-12 pages, due Thurs. 1pm

Come on big money, no whammies!

Okay, I'm going to take a shower.

Resurrection

I appreciate Easter. This Lent was long, and I was glad for it to end. Perhaps that is a sign that I am in seminary, and we take liturgical seasons very seriously. Regardless, it was hard and sad and frustrating. Mingled in with the Lenten season, my New Orleans trip and the death of one of my favorite ministers sparked those emotions. I didn't feel a lot of hope while I was in New Orleans during Spring Break. I was overwhelmed and sad and frustrated and angry. I was tired. I got home and I was tired.

New Orleans was really difficult. The work on the house was like a taking the first half of a Salkehatchie (or ASP) week -- the tearing out -- and doing only that for a week. There was no rebuilding, and really what was left of the house after we tore out the moldy drywall was not necessarily rebuildable. Many of the remaining wall studs were termite damaged or moldy. The first work day, I encountered a man in the hardware store at the end of our street. We had gone to get some tools, and I said hello brightly and asked where we could find the Wonderbars. After pointing us in the right direction, the man said, "Where are ya'll from? You're too happy to be from here."

Lots of elements of the trip reminded me of Salkehatchie. We stayed in a church and worshipped and processed together as a group. I feel strong bonds with the people who shared the experience with me. We ate, laughed, prayed, worked and cried together.
The tour we took of the city is not something that I will soon forget, as much as I subconsiously tried to push it out of my mind. And it's also not something I can adequately verbalize yet. We did a presentation for Candler last week, and I was forced to reconsider and remember the experience. I have not come near fully processing it, and I don't know when that will all happen.

At the end of our week in New Orleans, our last devotion included thinking of a phrase that summarized or epitomized the experience for us. Mine was "exhaustingly aware."

I pray that New Orleans and its citizens (since not all are currently residents) will find elements of resurrection. It is a continuous process of rebirth and renewal, filled with struggles and death but also full of hope and mystery.

Another powerful, yet exhausting, element of this Lent came in the form of some amazing discussions with close friends and near strangers. We talked openly about experiences of difference, racism, religious misunderstanding and manipulation...

And then there's Patty's death. I hadn't seen or talked to her in several years. She was the first female minister I was close to but not related to. She was strong, intelligent, compassionate, amazing. She was truly called to ministry. I attended her wedding in a pink ruffled dress in the 7th grade. I was the acolyte at her ordination. And on Palm Sunday, I sat in the third row from the back at her funeral. But Palm Sunday was fitting for Patty -- rejoicing in God -- as was the final hymn of the service, "All Things Bright and Beautiful." I feel a huge loss. I am sad.

But yesterday, I sat in University Worship and heard an amazing woman preach a powerful resurrection sermon. I sat across from the four robed female ministers, and something in me jumped. I was glad to be there.

A professor at our school pointed out that different people dwell in, or are most comfortable in particular liturgical events. I am Easter People. Give me new life and rebirth anyday.
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

Happy Shannon Day!

Today, my little brother turned 24.
Happy Birthday, Shannon!

HAPPY EASTER!!

for at least another 35 minutes!

I've had a good Easter.
- cinnamon rolls
- University Worship (I was the "gospel bearer" and I collected the offering, so I wore an alb, which was so long I kept stepping on it and I almost fell on my head going up the stairs at the front of the chapel during the offering.)
- University Worship Easter dinner from Agnes and Muriel's (I sat with a rockin' professor and Barbara Brown Taylor, who preached a rockin' sermon)
- Easter dinner #2 at Beth and Kevin's, with lots of friends and good stories and food
- Easter dinner #3 at Narcie's (I was still so full from my other two dinners, I didn't actually eat anything at Narcie's but it was fun to hang with the Wesley kids.)

And now I have to write up some info for a presentation.
And I have to read a book about postcolonial feminist Biblical interpretation for a meeting-outside-of-class tomorrow morning.
Yes, it's that time of the semester when everything piles up and is due all at once.
Rock on.

At least it's not Lent anymore.
I was sick of Lent.
Resurrection is way better.
I am Easter People.

Dude

I cannot write this paper.
It's on a book about Islamic women.
I have no topic.
I do, however, only have 2 hours and 15 minutes until it is due.

I suck at being a student.

I really like being here, and going to classes (except NT, that is), and learning things.
I just suck at making myself write the papers.
Alas.

Blah

Spring Break was overwhelming, and now it is just over.

I'll write about my trip to New Orleans soon,
and maybe even post some pictures.

However, in the meantime
I feel blah.
I got sick the other day, and I didn't have a restful break.
Thus, I am mildly feeble.

I have a book to read tonight
for a meeting that might be happening
with my prof at 10am.
I have not read said book.
And I am tired.

Mostly I just feel blah.
Not super stoked.
Not majorly bummed.
Just plain old blah.

Kirby's gone to the great outfield in the sky

Kirby Puckett made me a baseball fan.

When I was in 4th grade, the school patrol (tiny little crossing guards) went to a Twins game. We played the Orioles -- I remember because I kept calling them the "Oreos," and because one kid wore an Orioles hat it got thrown out the bus window.
Anyway, our seats were at the top of the Metrodome, and I could barely see the field. I don't remember much of the game, but I do remember Kirby. Whenever he was up, the announcer would call "Kirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrbeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Pucccccketttttt!"

I was sold.

Later that season, my Twins went to the World Series ('87). I got my homer hanky from the Star Tribune. I waved it. I cheered. I watched Kirby cross himself each time he stepped up to the plate. I watched him jump higher than a short man (several inches shy of 6') should be able to. They won. I was happy.

I wanted a Kirby bear.

I moved to the South in 1988, right into Braves territory. In 1991, my friend Kari (a fellow Minnesotan by birth) and I wore our matching Twins tshirts to junior high to cheer our team, and to ruffle local feathers. I got dangly earrings with quarter-sized baseballs that said "Twins," and oh yeah you bet I wore them. I taunted my classmates. I told my friends that they'd be disappointed, because Hrbek, Gladden, Blyleven, and Puckett would do it again.

Don't worry. I was right. My Twins won.
It was a Cinderella Series, and my Cinderella kicked the Braves' Cinderella Ass. Nah, it was close. It was exciting. It made me very happy.



And now, I live in Atlanta. I go to bunches of Braves games. I just bought a block of tickets for this season.
But I am a Twins fan in my soul ("at heart" is not strong or deep enough). I love the Twins. If ever there was an underdog, if ever there was a hard stadium to play in... if ever there was a team that loved the game enough to beat the odds and win the series -- that team was my Twins in '87 and '91.

And now, my favorite baseball player has died.

Let me tell you more about why he rocked. He played only 12 years (1984-1996), but:
He played in 10 consecutive All-Star games.
He stayed with one team for his whole career.
When he retired, he held the club record for hits, doubles, total bases, at bats, and runs.


Kirby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2357158
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2355887
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2357209

Goodbye, Puck.