Kim Bop- Lunar New Year Gift of Korean Food from Vietnamese Students :)
One of my friends from Vietnam in my Saturday group has some Korean friends. Linh and I have shared about out mutual appreciation for Korean food. She has been able to enjoy some Korean food with her Korean friends. For three years I helped with a Korean church on Sunday afternoons. I would teach the children bible in English while their parents worshiped in Korean. Afterward we would sit down together to dine on various Korean dishes. On Saturday after our study group Linh told me she had made some Kim Bop for me.
my three chefs 
Linh told me the Kim Bop was from her and our friends Thao and Tram. The simple gifts made by hand many times have the most meaning. It was a blessing to receive Kim Bop because I love it, but even more so because my friends took the time to make it for me.
Kim Bop is made of of rice and vegetables rolled in seaweed and cut into small round pieces. Some people will put fish, meat or egg inside. I tried to make some once myself when I was at a Korean friend’s house, but it fell apart. My Kim Bop chef days lasted all of 10 minutes as my friends and I laughed at my inept chef skills. I was proud of my friends Linh, Thao and Tram for being to make Kim Bop.
Kim Bop
Thanks for the Kim Bop Linh, Thao and Tram. Happy New Year to all of my friends from China, Korea and Vietnam. Or as they say in Vietnam- Chuc Mung Nam Moi, in Korea- 새해 복 많이 받으세요, in China- 新年快乐.
The Star of Thiago and Gabriella’s Going Away Party- Their Daughter Giovanna
Last night I went to a going away party for my friends Thiago and Gabriella. They will be moving back to Brazil Wednesday. They leave behind friends from several countries. There were friends at the party from Brazil, China, Korea, Iran, Poland and America. The Star of the party was Gabriella and Thiago’s baby girl Giovanna. I noticed women from Brazil, Korea and America doting over Giovanna. It was interesting because Giovanna does not know any jokes to tell and well she actually doesn’t talk yet. She also slept half of the time she was there, but she has one major factor that helps her-she is very cute.
Gabriella with Giovanna
Giovanna is truly an international baby. Her main concern was whether the person was friendly, smiled and could make funny faces for her. The accent and ethnicity of the person did not matter.
Giovanna with her friend Miyeon from Korea
Giovanna sharing her wisdom with her friend Emmiline from Brazil
Giovanna demonstrated how she has benefited from having two intelligent and educated parents when she read the menu.
Giovanna reading a menu
It appears to be a cultural universal that a baby will steal the show and hearts of those around them. I saw adults from each of the cultures make silly faces trying to get her to smile. She may only be 5 months old, but she has captured the hearts of her parents friends and she will be missed as much as her mom and dad. I am confident she will have a bright future with her people skills and intelligence. I do however pity the boys 16 years from now who may think they are interested in her because they may not be very well received by her father lol.
Old Friends from Korea at Graduation Ceremony at UNL
Last Friday I went to the PHD/Masters Graduation Ceremony at UNL and ran into some old friends of mine from Korea. It was awesome to see them again and to catch up with them a little. I saw Taiwan and his family and in fact watched Taiwan graduate and be hooded with his PHD in Management. I met with Taiwan and his wife Lee Joo for their first year in Lincoln to help them practice conversational English. I enjoyed several afternoons in their apartment talking and occasionally eating Korean food. They have two children now and moved to Pennsylvania this week where Taiwan will begin his next adventure of being a Professor.
Taiwan receiving his diploma
I am sure Taiwan and Lee Joo will be great assets to the community in Scranton. They are both quality people and have been great friends for Korean students here in Lincoln. I had not seen them for a while. I used to be much more active with the Korean community in Lincoln until God took my life a different direction. It was a wonderful blessing to see them and their children. It was awesome to see my friend Taiwan realize his dream after a lot of hard work. I also saw my old friend Dr. Sang Lee. He was Taiwan’s Advising Professor.
Taiwan and Dr. Lee
Dr. Lee has helped numerous students over the years whether as a Professor in class or advising PHD and Masters students. He has also mentored many young people from Korea over the years. When I saw him, we shook hands and he said “it has been a long time” as he smiled. I agreed that it has been a long time. I got to know Dr. Lee when our mutual friend In Keun Choi battled cancer and after In Keun died as we helped his family. Dr. Lee’s own story of growing up as a child during the Korean War, and the years after the war to becoming a professor in America, is an inspiring story.
Dr. Lee is an avid golfer and I think if he could choose to be one, he would be a professional golfer I used to joke with him and tell him there was no golf in heaven and he would correct me on that
It was such a blessing to see my friend Thiago receive his PHd. Seeing Taiwan graduate and seeing Dr. Lee again made it even more special. Congratulations Taiwan and Thiago and all graduates last Friday.
Different Continents, Different Countries, Different Cultures- Friendship can reach across Differences
One of the joys of my work with internationals is to watch as people from diverse cultures form friendships. I meet people in my English classes that become friends that we may not think possible. I see it all of the time. In fact I have been marveling as the women in a class I currently teach in the afternoons are forming friendships with each other. One woman from Ukraine had a sick child and missed some classes, so one of the women from Iraq called her to make sure she was okay.
One such friendship that I witnessed was between my friend Neil from Congo and Hyun from Korea. Neil came here as a refugee. He had a Master’s Degree in Economics before he came here, but because of his English Level he worked a labor job for a few years. Hyun was here as a researcher in Microbiology. They met in my Sunday morning class and rode to church with me every Sunday for a year. They often talked about how to prepare for tests such as the TOEFL or the GRE. Hyun knew Neil wanted to take the TOEFL so when she went back to Korea, she gave Neil some of her books.
me with Hyun and Neil
It is a pleasure to see how people come together even though they are from such diverse places geographically and culturally. I have had numerous events, meals, and classes with people from what seems like different worlds. My classes at church have had people from all over the world with contrasting backgrounds, refugees, international business people, international students, and immigrant workers. They have opened up the world for me. If we take time to get to know people we can experience so much more in life.
dinner at Ruby Tuesdays with friends from America, Brazil, Congo, Germany, Korea and Vietnam
Sharing seasons of life- my friends Lee, Jin and Alicia from Korea
My work with internationals living in Lincoln brings opportunities into my life to befriend people from all over the world at different stages in their lives. I have gotten used to meeting people and being friends while they are here and saying goodbye. It is a privilege to be able to share seasons of their lives with them as we add to each others lives through friendship while knowing the day will come that we say goodbye.
me with Jin and Lee at their baby shower
I met Lee and Jin in the summer of 2007. They started to come to the classes at my church and were a welcome addition to our group. We shared many fun times together such as watching a Nebraska football, birthday parties for people in my classes, going to Nebraska City to see some historic sites, or having dinner and hanging out at their apartment. One time I even beat Lee in a Wii game which gave me a laugh. I always appreciated how Lee and Jin connected with the other people in my classes regardless of where they were from or their life situation.
Lee and Jin with Yoshio from Japan, Lien from Vietnam and Julia from Germany at a dinner party
They came here because Lee was doing Post-Doctoral research. They were in the early stages of building their life together. They were newlyweds as well. One day they came to my Saturday conversation group to share some news with me. Jin was pregnant with their first baby. Our whole group was excited for them. I went to a baby shower for them and saw how many friends they had.There were people from Korea, Brazil, Bosnia, China, Japan, Nepal, and Iraq there. I was also impressed by how involved Lee was with the whole process of Jin having their first child.
Lee and Jin at their baby shower
Jin gave birth to a beautiful girl Alicia. I visited their apartment about 6 weeks after Alicia was born and we were surprised when I was able to get Alicia to smile by gently tickling her under her chin. Alicia brought even more joy into their lives. The day came for Lee and Jin to return to Korea. They came as newly weds and they returned new parents. Lee had a great job offer so they returned a bit early in the Spring of 2009. I am grateful to have been friends with them while there were here and am happy to receive any follow up emails. There are some people we meet in life that we never forget and for me Lee and Jin are two of them.
Alicia in Korea
Friendships formed between people of different countries and cultures
Being a part of introducing people that form friendships is one of the best parts of my work. It is satisfying to watch as people form different countries and cultures become friends. I have seen it happen numerous times and it I never get tired of witnessing it happen. On eusch friendship is the one that my friends Phuong and Wen Zhu have made. Phuong is from Vietnam and Wen Zhu is from China. They are always happy to see each other and stay in touch thanks to the internet.
Wen Zhu and Phuong at the college group at my church
In my Sunday class we have a very diverse group. One Sunday I went to lunch with a group that illustrates how people from diverse cultures enjoy each others friendship. That day I went to lunch with Yoshio from Japan, Alex from China, Lizzi from Russia and Mindy from Vietnam. It was fun to watch them interact with each other.
Yoshio, Lizzi, Alex and Mindy at Ali Baba's restaurant
I have also felt blessed to watch as those who come here because of work or as international students form friendships with those who come under less fortunate circumstances as refugees. A good example of this is the friendship that Neil from Congo had with a family from Korea while the family lived here for one year. They came to my Sunday morning class and shared some fun times together. Dr. Jung and his family invited Neil and I to come for dinner. We all went to a Christmas program together.
Dr. Jung and his family with Neil
One of the common bonds they have is trying to live in America and trying to learn English. There is something about a shared difficult experience that can bring people together. Friendship can reach across cultural and language barriers. As a teacher there it is one of the best things to observe.
Korean friends meet the Lincoln Saltdog’s Mascot
The summer of 2006 was one I will never forget. It was the summer that I spent a lot of time with my Korean friends whether it was tutoring children, meeting with my friends for a picnic or other gathering, and of course the death and funeral of my friend In Keun Choi. In Keun’s wife had a cousin come to Lincoln as a visiting research scholar for one year. Dr. Jung and hiw family were here for a year they never expected before they came because In Keun was not diagnosed until February 2006 and Dr. Jung and his family came in August 2005.
I had the privilege of tutoring his children Ashley, Christine and Tony the year they were here. They are very intelligent children and I enjoyed teaching them. For that year I looked forward to going to their apartment every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to teach them English. I also looked forward to joining them for dinner each time and eating Korean food. I learned a lot about Korea and Korean culture from Dr. Jung and his family during our times together. We also enjoyed some fun times such as a Lincoln Saltdogs Baseball Game.
Tony and Christine with the Saltdogs Mascot
Two other Korean families joined us that day whose children I also tutored. Their children also met the Saltdogs Mascot. They enjoyed that and the games area more than the actual baseball game. The adults seemed to enjoy the game. We all enjoyed spending a summer evening together at the baseball park.
Our time at the Saltdogs Baseball game was our last time have a fun activity together before Dr. Jung and his family went back to Korea. I was grateful to be able to have a fun time with them as our last memory together after a long and difficult time watching our friend In Keun die from cancer.
me with the other children I tutored at the game
Globalization- Gil from Korea, researcher, and good friend
Gil is one of my friends from Korea. I met him in church one Sunday and invited him to come to my class. He is fluent in English, so he did not need much help with English. I did however realize after I met him that he is a kind person and I knew he would be a welcome addition to my Sunday morning class. He was indeed a welcome addition.
You would never know when you first meet him that he is highly educated and does scientific research. That is because he is modest and humble. He does not brag about his abilities and may feel somewhat embarrassed that I write about how great of a guy he is. He was always happy to help whether it was by driving international students to class, bring a cake for a birthday celebration, or be a friend to someone in class. These kind of little things speak well of his character. He even helped me to change a flat tire once.
It was no surprise to me that when we had a going away party for him to say goodbye, that most of my Sunday morning class came. He is another example of why it is beneficial for us to slow down and get to know people from other cultures. We never know what we will find out or the great friendships we can have until we take the time to find out.
He is also an excellent example of how much we in the U.S. benefit from having internationals living here. He did research on clotting factors for people with hemophilia, but you would never know it if you did not take the time to get to know him because he does not feel he needs to brag. When we meet someone we need to put our preconceptions aside and be open to learning from others and about others. We need to look past the physical differences of skin color or ethnicity, so we can discover the hidden treasures around us like Gil.
Family a Cultural Universal- children of all cultures love their parents.
I have met families from several cultures and have seen that children of all cultures love their parents. Family is a cultural universal. Children of all cultures love their parents, like to play with their parents, and wants to learn from their parents. InKeun and Yeon-Og’s children are good example of this.
I will never forget the days after InKeun died of cancer. His little five year old daughter saw him hours before he died and while he was in a coma she kissed him and said I love you daddy. His son was on a trip with cousins and came back the evening after Inkeun died and his first question was “where is my dad?’”. I helped his mother to explain that his father had died. While InKeun was alive, his children always wanted to play with their dad. InKeun loved to spend time with his children and they knew it.
I have watched other families from other cultures and have seen how children enjoy time with their parents. I have observed the sacrifices that parents with make for their children. I have a family from Vietnam that are friends of mine. The children want to spend time with their parents, want to play with their parents, and ask their parents for advice. They solve problems together.
Interaction between parents and children is universal. The relationship between parents and children is a cultural universal. The specifics may vary from culture to culture, but the underlying essence is there- children os all cultures love their parents.
Family a Cultural Universal
I wrote yesterday about Yeon-Og and her resiliency after the death of her husband. Today I would like to share about her husband In Keun Choi. In February 2006 I received a phone call telling me they had an emergency asking me to come to the hospital right away. i went and found out that In Keun had just been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer an hour earlier. They were in tears. Yeon-Og left for a little while after I arrived due to being tired and 8 months pregnant.
After Yeon-Og left the first thing In Keun said to me while we were alone was “I am not worried about me because I know Jesus, but what will happen to my wife and children if I die. How can they stay here? What will happen to them?” I spent a lot of moments like this with In Keun in the 4 months that followed. he told me his dream was to buy a house after he graduated from his Phd program and got a job. His reason was to give his children a backyard to play in. We talked together almost every day and every time he talked about his family. I was with him when he died. While he lay unconscious I bent down and whispered in his ear “I will help your wife and children anyway I can” I was told that as I whispered, he smiled his last smile. I can think of no better example than this of the fact that family is a cultural universal.
In all cultures family is important. The family roles and responsibilities may differ, but family is valued. In fact family is often valued more in other cultures than it is here in America. Love of family knows no boundaries and exists in all cultures.
About
I teach English Second Language and have a ministry for internationals at my home church First Evangelical Free church in Lincoln Nebraska. I have had the pleasure of traveling in Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania and Switzerland. My hobby is to learn words and phrases from other languages. I have learned how to greet people in 30 languages.
My blog is about my experiences with international friends, my travels, and people I meet along the way. My international friends’ stories are fascinating to me. Experiencing other cultures makes life rich for me.
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