Tunnel Vision (May 13)

• Happy Mother's Day!
• I really appreciate that travel between and within cities is so cheap here. And prices are always the same (no price hike closer to your date of departure) and they are only more expensive the farther you are going (Pohang to Gyeongju = 3100. Gyeongju to Gumi = 7500. So Pohang to Gumi = 10100. MAKES SENSE.) Anyways, because of this, we got to go to the wine tunnel in Cheongdo today! We got to eat real cheese and try persimmon wine (which is only made in Cheongdo, South Korea). It was cool and, although there too wasn't much to do, I really enjoyed it - and got some fantastic gifts.

Dear Korea, American cheese is NOT a specialty item.

• Church was also really great today. First, the directions I gave Nida and Ingrid worked! They arrived early and said there was no way they could have gotten lost :) Then, during the service, Zibo and Dilshat had a small wedding ceremony so they could celebrate with us and also officially live together while they are here. Their "real" ceremony will be in June or July, when they move back to Uzbekistan. I had fun taking pictures and when I posted them on Facebook, Pastor Richie's said they practically looked professional! :D Also, Mario (a man I met today) knew the Michigan hand thing, because he studied at the University of Minnesota for several years! When I said I was from Michigan, he held up his hand and said "Where?" :D
• I had my first interaction with a Korean person who was not pleased as punch to meet/talk with me. We met him outside of the restaurant after church. When he found out that some people in our group are affiliated with Handong University, a Christian college in Pohang, he was pretty angry. He started saying that he hates Handong because they don't let people in who aren't Christian (which I don't think is actually true) and that kind of discrimination is terrible. He compared Christianity to Buddhism, saying that the latter is better because there is no discrimination. He also added some choice swear words in there. I think I was mostly surprised that someone who speaks such good English was so closed-minded about Christians. I guess I assume that people (especially older people) who are open enough to learn a 2nd language on their own would be similarly open-minded on other issues :/
• At the bus stop on the way home, I had another interesting interaction. An ajusshi started asking me some standard questions but when he learned I was from America, he also asked me if I like Obama. His subsequent questions, and his body language, made me feel like he did not approve of my "Yes, very much." He reacted in a similar way when (after asking me what I do on Sundays) I told him I was Christian and believe in God. And he was just appalled that I don't like Bush because, after all, "You white. Bush-e white. You like him!" Uh, no ajusshi, that's not how I choose my political affiliations. Like I said, it was an interesting conversation.
• I was able to cross 6 things off my Korea To-Do List this weekend!