Korea: My Reflections

Jim & I flew into O'Hare airport this Monday, October 27th, at 9:30 a.m. after leaving Seoul, Korea on Monday, October 27th at 11:40 a.m. It was my first experience with time travel and my body is still trying to figure out what happened to it. I lie in bed at 3:00 a.m., wide awake, my mind going everywhere except to sleep. It's a good time to reflect on all that we saw, did, tasted, observed, felt and experienced in another country, another culture on the other side of the globe.

I kept lists in my head during the ten days we were gone: of things that made me smile (like middle school girls walking arm in arm down city streets), things we could learn from Korea (like bank CEO's who are the first to take pay cuts and also take the blame for the current financial crisis), amazing facts (like quality ginseng must grow for 6 years before harvesting) and (my favorite) the ubiquitous list. This list is in honor of Mary who we teased quite unmercifully about her use of this word when we were in Costa Rica together.

Ubiquitous: "present everywhere, or seeming to be"

#1. Kimchee: a sidedish made from cabbage, garlic, green onions and chili paste which is fermented and then stored. Kimchee can be made of other ingredients as well, and is usually only one of multiple side dishes served with every meal. Now you can purchase all sorts of kimchee at the local supermarkets (which are quite modern, as you can see). Even though you can purchase it at the supermarket, the modern Korean kitchen has a separate refrigerator dedicated just to kimchee. When KJ was a girl her mother would buy 200 heads of cabbage in the fall, make a huge batch of kimchee and store it in a huge crock in the ground. It would be gone by March or April. Jim loved kimchee, which made Young & KJ (our hosts) very happy. KJ told Jim that he must have been Korean in his previous life. When they learned that his middle name is Lee (the most common Korean surname) their suspitions were confirmed.

#2. American music: usually bad

We visited an elementary school near Hyun's home on Wednesday morning. As we walked up the stairs to the second floor I heard a teacher speaking in English and kids repeating phrase by phrase: "There's nothing you can do that can't be done

(there's nothing you can do that can't be done)

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung

(nothing you can sing that can't be sung)"

And I'm thinking to myself, I know that...what poem is that? The teacher continued: "Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy" at which they all broke out into song: "All you need is love, all you need is love..." I could hardly keep from bursting out laughing, which probably would have seemed rude to our Korean host who wasn't as familiar with the Beatles as the English language teacher from New York who was using the song for his English curriculum for the day. But American music truly is ubiquitous--and not usually of Beatles quality. Generally its schmaltzy 70's-80's music, the same sound track running in every mid-high class restaurant we visited with the lyrics usually in English, occasionally translated into Korean. Must be the popularity of Karaoke...everyone also can sing along!

#3. Cars, cars, cars!

Seoul is a city of 12 million people, and they all seem to be on the road at the same time, though KJ said that's because I have no concept of 12 million people. That's true. We were happy to get out of the city to the countryside, where the other 36 million people live. 48 million people in a country the size of Illinois which is 70% mountains. So nearly all the housing is high density housing, tall apartment/condominium buildings which continue to be built in new developments of not one or two, but hundreds of buildings. And all of this modernization has happened in the last 40+ years. It is mind boggling and it is also hopeful. Young kept saying that Korea is a poor country, that they have no natural resources except human resources, so they rely on ingenuity and hard work. We saw both in spades.

#4. Graciousness and generosity

Before we left for Korea our neighbor, who taught English for a year in Korea, taught us a few Korean phrases, the most important and useful one being : kum sam nee dah (or something like that). It means 'thank-you' and is said with a lilting tone and a little bow. Everywhere we went in Korea people treated us with kindness and generosity. At the mountain restaurant in the picture at the left the woman who cooked our food and served us (and posed with us) brought us a very special offering of marinated mountain mushrooms, which we understood from Young to be a delicacy and not a regular inclusion in their array of side-dishes. Whether we were in a supermarket, an airport, or restaurant, visiting a school or tourist attraction, each person we interacted with was so gracious and helpful. None more than Young & KJ, who made each day of this trip a memory. There are only two other times in our lives that we've experienced anything like this outpouring. One was when we visited Anja's family in Germany and the other was when Maria la Guia Tica shephered us through Costa Rica. I don't believe we deserved that kind of outpouring...from Young & KJ, from Anja's family, from Mary. All I can say is "kum sam nee dah"!

The Elder Son

This past week I have had a deluge of things to do, so these thoughts are more last week than this week.  In addition, I didn't want to publish a post entitled "The Elder Son" on the heels of my elder brother's post!  As many of you have noticed, I often post after reading something of interest.  I recently read Henry Nouwen's "The Parable of the Prodigal Son."  Nouwen, having been inspired by Rembrandt's painting of the same name seeks to write a reflection on each of the three characters in Jesus parable.  The one that I find has the most impact is the elder son.

The elder son has always been labeled as the "good" son because he did not leave home and squander his inheritance.  How good can he be if he is full of hostility and resentment?  What is the value of service if it is out of duty and not love?  Nouwen reflects on the bitterness that the elder son harbors against his younger brother and his father for what both of them have and have not done for him.  When one is full of resentment they are unable to move into the joy and celebration that is present in their Father's home.  It is far easier to complain about the treatment that our siblings are getting and not focus on the love our Father is lavishing on us.  Once animosity and murmuring creeps into the body of the Church, complaining multiplies like a cancer and pushes out the full life that John speaks of in chapter 10 verse 10 of his gospel.

The reality is that we are all the prodigal son and we are all the elder son.  Once we return to our Father's house we forget about the sublime welcome party we received and quickly transition into the role of elder son.  Our churches have been obliterated by the condition of the elder son.  How often we sit in out pews and judge the prodigals who are returning or walking up the driveway instead of running out to embrace them as our Father does?  When we lose sight of the blessings and love that are ever present in the Father's house and begin to back bite at our siblings, sibling rivalry rips His house apart.  Our Father does not show favorites, nor does he withhold any good gift from his children.  We need to stop competing with one another inside of our Father's house and start living the abundant life that he desires for us.  The animosity I feel for the party that returning siblings receive only hurts me and the relationship that I have with him.

As I look at our two children I think about how I treat them now, and will treat them in the future.  I pray that I will not show favoritism or partiality to either of them no matter where they go or the decisions they make.  I must look beyond our temporality and to the eternal paragon father that is our Lord.  I am not sure what will or will not resonate with any of you, but I know it struck a real chord with me and the life that I have lived within my family over the past twenty-eight years.  May we all abide within the Father's house and embrace one another and the abundant life He desires for us.  

Change in seasons

Hello everyone,

This is picture is from Jen's cousin's wedding she was in a few weeks ago in St. Paul, MN.

I haven't posted much as of late. Every spare minute we have had has been spent outdoors doing something. As the forecast says rain/snow this week, we are in complete understanding that the beautiful fall days can quickly pass us by. Jen and I are outdoor people and love just being outside with each other and our 3 dogs (Jazzie - lab mix, Marley - yorkiepoo, Nilla -yorkiepoo). We have been out to our lake on the Missouri River, quite a few times this fall on the weekends to walk and enjoy the colors. We have also been golfing when time allows. Yesterday we went for a nice motorcycle ride along the river to enjoy the sights and smells of fall.

Jen and I have been trying to spend more time relaxing lately and less time being BUSY. I tend to be a busy body and always am on the go. Must be a Holst acording to other postings!

The economy has been a crazy thing for me to watch lately as a small business owner. We haven't seen any dramatic impact on our sales, but I am taking a cautious approach to planning for the months to come. I am hoping that our customer base is diversified enough that we will spread out any decreased spending among all of them. Crazy times we are living in!! It has been an interesting time to be in business. I think things will be up and down for the next 9-12 months, thus making it non-typical from what I have seen in the last 5 years.

I don't have any deep insights to type about, but as things come to me I will try and put them on "screen".

Who's number is this??

Do you ever get those random numbers that show up on your caller ID?  I was able to provide that for a groggy Michael on Tuesday!  Nikki and I made the voyage to Nashville on Sunday night after dropping the kids at my mom's in Ames and spending the night with a friend who is ill.  I am in the process of applying for doctoral programs around the country and Vanderbilt is numero uno on the list, so we were advised to visit and give the faculty there a chance to get to know me.  We arrived in Nashville on Sunday night and went out for a quick bite to eat before crashing.  Monday was a day full of Vanderbilt.  I had three meetings followed by an afternoon class that I was able to sit in on.  Unfortunately Nikki had to spend her Monday getting our brakes fixed at some Nashville repair shop : - (  Monday night we went out to experience downtown Nashville.  Nothing says touristy Nashville like the Wildhorse Saloon!  Beer, rips, live music, and line dancing, does it get any more Nashville?  Tuesday I had one more meeting with the professor who would be overseeing my doctorate.  His main focus is comparative theology and does a lot of work within the Hindu/Christian conversation and was very interested in my pursuits.  I left that conversation, and the campus feeling very good about my 1 in 30 shot!  That is right, there are around 60 applicants for 2 spots!  Much of my entrance comes down to the GRE score that I will have before I sit down for turkey and dressing next month.  

The rest of our Tuesday was spent driving around the Music City!  We checked out Michael's alma matter, the Parthenon, Opryland, and some other neighborhoods that we simply drove through for fun.  The time in Nashville concluded with an outstanding meal at a great place Michael recommended.  We had some great food, delicious beer, and even better conversation. As we sat their chatting over our meal I couldn't help but be saddened by the years we have missed as cousins.  Nikki and I are still talking about the amazing talent that Michael has and the giftedness that he has been blessed with.  I can hardly sing a note, let alone compose/write, sing, edit song after song that gets national TV play.  If I am a finalist for the Practical Theology fellowship at Vandi I will have another chance to get back to Nashville and will certainly be out to listen to Michael's band.  We had a great time over dinner and wished we would have had more time, but had to get started on our journey back north.  

Nikki and I headed to Peducah Kentucky for the night and finished our journey to Ames on Wednesday.  As we drove Nikki bit her nails and wondered how long the next few months will really take!  The timeline is as follows: GRE (11-17), Application (12-15), Interviews (2-1-09), Entrance (Mid-March).  I really have no idea where I will rate with the other applicants, but know that my trip to campus certainly didn't hurt my chances of getting in.  I will keep you posted.  It is crazy to be disconnected from the internet for so many days in a row!  The blog has been busy, woo hoo!

Nashville & points beyond

Eric, Nikki and/or Michael: Tell us about meeting up in Nashville. Eric, what did you think of Vanderbilt? Michael, did you get a chance to share your music? And what's the word on Bill & Julie? I take it they're in Maine. When will they be back.
We're leaving for Korea in the morning to spend a week with special family friends, who I know will treat us like royalty. We're a bit anxious about the flight (14 hours non-stop from Chicago to Seoul), especially as both Jim & I have head colds. But we're excited about the opportunity to experience a totally different culture. I'm sure a blog with pictures will follow.

Barbara

Some thoughts from Mary on family

Throughout my adulthood, an unwavering source of family connection for me has been my relationship to Wayne. Despite our divorce we have maintained a close connection. I have invited Wayne to participate in this blog because he is part of our family. He's also one of the most honorable men I know. Wayne has been a wonderful father to Katie, I can't imagine her having a better dad. She has inherited from him her delightful (and quirky) sense of humor. She shares his love of story telling and his prodigious memory for detail. During Katie's youth, Wayne was constant in his support of her, both financially and in his presence in her life. He always did what he said he was going to do, he was someone we could both count on. When Frank became a part of Wayne's life our family expanded. There were challenges for Katie in having a gay dad, but she has become a more expansive person because of them. She learned to speak her mind. But that is Katie's history and is her story to tell.
My desire here is to simply acknowledge and honor Wayne: for his loyalty, his constancy, and for his huge heart. What some of you may not know is that a few years ago Wayne and Frank took in Frank's Aunt Julia. She was in her 90's, her health and memory were failing, and she had very few financial resources. Wayne and Frank's response to Julia's need was to sell their house in Escondido and move into a larger home in Murietta that had enough space for Julia. For several years, these loving men arranged their lives to care for her. Wayne tells many heart-warming stories about this woman he came to know so well; tears fill his eyes as he describes her gradual loss of acuity. Their dedication to her, their sacrifices for her still take my breath away.
On September 20th of this year, after living together for 21 years, Wayne and Frank were married. I applaud the state of California for making that step possible. I look forward to the day when we are able to embrace the diversity of life styles and choices that exist in this country and that are exemplified in part in these two men.
Part of who I am, dear family, has been shaped by my knowing and loving Wayne Blizzard and I wouldn't change any of it one iota.

Squirrels for Palin!!!!???

Well.  We have good news and bad news.  The bad news is that we think a gang of Republican squirrels live in our neighborhood and decided to vandalize our Obama yard sign!  Really.... is this what I'd like to believe?  I don't want to believe that people would actually do this.  Regardless of your political views, why would someone be so compelled to be so nasty??  Argg.

Anyway- the good news is that we had a wonderful visit with Grandma & Grandpa Linder as well as Aunt Mary this weekend!  Thanks for coming.  We had a fabulous time and miss you terribally.  Check out our fam's blog for more pictures etc.... www.lindernotes.blogspot.com

We love you guys, and watch out for those squirrels!

More Pictures

I just finished uploading some pictures from Alina and Calvin's final cross country meet to picasa and thought I would share them with you all as well. You can click on the photo and it will take you to the album.

I had yesterday off from school and had a delightfully unproductive day. I watched a couple episodes of my new favorite TV show, Mad Men, went for a long walk in the park next to my house, had lunch with a friend and then spent the afternoon floating in the same friend's heated pool. Can you believe I went swimming on October 13th in Illinois? I can't. I even got sunburned. Jay and I finished the day with a double date to meet my friend Nathan's new boyfriend. All in all, a very relaxing day.

Today, I have returned to the real world and I find myself with a pile of writing tasks. I've agreed to write a section of a grant for Books to Prisoners that is due in 36 hours (haven't started that yet), I am applying for a teacher's trip to Costa Rica (I may see you this spring, Mary) the application for which is due by Friday and I've only written half my essays and I have a lesson that has been accepted for publication pending revisions that I just can't seem to make myself do. It seems slightly ironic that I'm wasting time by writing a blog entry.

I also gave an exam to my sophomores today that I need to grade, have a meeting at Calvin's school in a little over an hour and am hoping to figure out something simple I can make for dinner before rushing off to attend senior night for the Uni High girls volleyball team.

Whew. I think I need a nap.

Web Pages, Blogs and Wikis, Oh My!

All of my computer energy in the last couple weeks has gone towards updating my school web page. It's now current and you can find links to the blog I maintain for my Sophomore English class as well as the class wiki that we are in the process of constructing. I suspect that the contents of the blog and wiki will be most interesting to Mary and not terribly interesting to those who haven't chosen English education as their vocation. There is also a link to Antipodean Adventures, the blog I kept during the six weeks of my Fulbright to New Zealand in 2004.

They said it would go bye fast...

I can't believe how quickly she is growing up!  She used to stay put all swaddled up her her blanket from the hospital and now she is always on the go, talking, laughing, with a mind of her own and a huge baby belly!  I wish I could bottle up these sweet baby days and take them out on a rainy day 15 years in the future...Sigh...

Elizabeth

A weekend at the Eric Holst House...

That is really an oxymoronic title, because the reality is we were hardly ever home.  What some of you may not know about Eric, and sometimes myself is that we typically plan every weekend to the maximum amount of craziness.  I am not sure what possesses us to do this over and over, but I guess the answer is that we really like to "do".  I think I just like having something to do, and I think my husband is a Holst in some ways by nature.  He likes to set his mind to doing something , and he can't really do it half-a**ed.  He wanted to be able to do weddings, so by golly...he figured out how.  He wanted to run a marathon because if Puff Daddy could do it, then certainly he could do it too.  So guess what?  Eric just started training without any previous interest in running.  So, being married to such an over-achiever can sometimes be daunting, but I am happy to sit back and do the cheering.  I enjoy that Holst part of him:)

Moving on...Thursday he ran the wedding rehearsal, Friday he performed the wedding ceremony, Saturday he got our children in to their own race, and this morning he ran his own.  I will let him share about his race experience if he so chooses.  I am proud regardless of what he says!

Eric just gave me the password to your sacred site, so I thought I would drop a note since Mary encouraged it:)  I do not boast a poetic repetoire or a huge passion for politics...but I will tell you that I really wish the world would decide to look at the more simple ways of life that my grandparents led.    Where family and meaningful relationships meant a lot more than they seem to today.  The rain today has left me out of anything more meaningful to say, but I am proud of you all for seeing a problem and deciding to fix it.  Must be that Holst thing in you all!!

Enjoy the pictures!!

Filling in more faces

Hey Family!

It's time for a new blog! There are faces and spaces that need filling in!!

Not that Lucas isn't utterly cute in his Gap outfit, but I keep checking the blog hoping to see some new posting - and there's nada! No new comments of late either. (What do you think about some of the past postings???)

Okay, maybe I have too much time on my hands; maybe I'm a bit obsessive compulsive about checking the blog site. I'll grant you that I'm not in grad school like Ben, Peter, & Eric, nor do I have a new baby to tend like Kim, or youngsters like Amanda, Nicki, Kim, Suzanne, & Elizabeth.

But I've been delighted to learn more about what some of you are thinking and doing. I love reading about those things you value and about your concerns, about your questions as you face the challenges life offers. I'm appreciating having a window into your lives.

So don't stop now - keep posting!!

Mary

A Star is Born

Recognize this star of the on-line Gap catalogue? It's our very own Lucas...soon-to-be-famous...Linder! His parents must be graphic designers with the right connections!