I'll be (missing) home for Christmas

My definition of 'home' has changed a bit since I've been in Korea. I find myself feeling at home in very odd places. We went to the nore-closet after Emily's birthday dinner. The nore-closet is like the norebang (karaoke room) but smaller. Its a closet where you pay around 50 cents to sing 2 songs. As you can see, it is amazing. There is nothing that says home more than being shoved in a closet with your friends and singing Ska8er Boi.

I had Thanksgiving dinner a few weeks ago at the Pinho's apartment with a bunch of other teachers. The Pinho's are a nice family who are always laughing. It was funny to look at my new "family" thanksgiving picture and see how different it was from the Bird family traditional picture. My TCIS family is significantly shorter. :)

Starbucks definitely makes me feel at home with a peppermint soy mocha. Yum. There are exactly 2 Starbucks in Taejon and I know how to ride the bus to both of them. I don't know where the post office is, where to find hooks to hang my Christmas lights, where Korean women over 5'6'' find jeans, but dang it, I know how to ride the bus to Starbucks.

Some of my students, like Heeju, definitely give me a sense of home because they remind me why I'm here. It feels like home because it HAS to. If it doesn't feel homey, I'm just another teacher here for a 2 year traveling opportunity. I don't want to be that teacher. I like Heeju because she is joyful all of the time. Even when she is tired or confused in class, she remains joyful. I want to be like that here - even when the coffee lady messes up my order because my Korean stinks, or when I am angry with a Korean but can't communicate it, or when I am so bogged down with work there isn't even a good place to start...JOYFUL.

I cried a few times this week. Sometimes it was for me because I felt sorry for myself for picking this job and choosing Bali over my family this Christmas. Sometimes it was for someone else like my brother who lost Josie, his sweet dog who he has loved for many years. I cried because I don't play with Rosa enough and yet need her so much. I cried because I couldn't be there for my brother. I cried because my mom misses me and I miss her. I cried because my stupid Vonage phone is broken and can't stay in any sort of loop, no matter how small, back home.

I wonder if Jesus cried this much. He traveled all over the place and had to leave His friends and family. He didn't have email or Skype. He had that Holy Spirit thing going on and the power to do miracles, but no email! How did He survive?! If Jesus can wander around without a cell phone, high speed internet access, or a facebook account and still remain joyful, then I think I can figure out a way to find 'home' here. :)