the blanket made by Lori

the Blanket made by Lori

Learning Korean!

Can you read this message?

 

That's right! It says "anyung haseyo," which is Korean for "hello." (If you didn't know what is says, don't feel bad--until a couple of weeks ago, I didn't know either. What are all those strange-looking lines? They're the Korean alphabet--and not strange at all!)

A few weeks ago, I decided that I want to learn some Korean. It was after I finally realized that Korean (like English) has an alphabet. I used to think it was more like Chinese, where one has to learn many, many individual characters--but I was very wrong! Hangeul (the Korean language) has an alphabet with vowels and consonants just as English does! You only need to learn 40 letters, and then you're ready to go! Well, after learning how to put those letters together. And how to pronounce the words. And figure out what the words mean. I've got a ways to go.  :)

 I bought a couple of very good books (which meant a nice long time browsing 

at the bookstore!).

Then I grabbed a pad of paper and star practicing. The letters felt very strange at first--I didn't know how to write the characters correctly--but they are not hard to learn. I started with the consonants, and now I'm working on learning the vowels.

I won't bore you with ALL the details of my journey to learning Hangeul, but I'll share a few interesting (at least, to me!) tidbits that I've learned so far:

* The Korean alphabet has more letters than English so it must be harder, right? Nope! Actually, it's easier because each letter only has one sound. For example, in English the letter "a" has many sounds. Sometimes it can sound like the "a" in "cat," sometimes like the "a" in walk. . . If you're learning English, how do you know which way to say it?! No problem in Korean: once you know how to say the letter, you'll always know how to pronounce the word! (Of course, even if I can SAY a word, that doesn't mean I know what the word means--but it makes me feel smart!)
* Each syllable is written separately in Korean. Most syllables have three letters: a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant. When written together, the three letters form a kind of "box," if that makes sense (that's why Korean writing looks like it has a lot of characters, but it's actually just combinations of letters). When you know the sounds of the letters, you can combine the three in the "box" to say the syllable.
* There are sounds that we have in English that they don't have in Korean, and vice versa. For example, the "r" and "l" sound that we have in English is kind of combined together in Korean; it's called "ri-eul" and I'm still learning how to say it correctly!

Okay, that's enough for now (I have some vowels I have to go learn!). I'll keep you updated with how I'm progressing (I'm guessing it will be slowly), and next time I'll share some pictures of the book that Hanna and Hyunkwan made to help me learn Korean! They've taken a lot of time to help me learn, and in the process of learning Korean, I'm learning a lot about English, too! (I think Korean is MUCH easier to learn--it's a sensible, well-thought-out language, at least what I know of it so far!) And, best of all, I'm having a great time learning something new!!

Bulgogi!

Have you ever had bulgogi?

I hadn't, but recently my husband and I were invited to Hanna and Hyunkwan's home for dinner--and, as you can see from the photo, it was wonderful!!

Hanna had prepared breaded pork cutlets and a salad (on the white plate) and bulgogi (on the black plate). When I first met Hanna, she said she didn't cook very much--but either she was being modest or she learns very quickly!

Don't you agree that it's pretty enough to be served at a restaurant? The cutlets were very tasty and moist, and Hanna had made a dip with steak sauce, garlic and honey. And the bulgogi was amazing--I think Korean food is much tastier than American food! Bulgogi is made from pork marinated in a Korean BBQ sauce, onions, carrots, garlic, broccoli, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey . . . and probably other things that I forgot to write down. I think there are various ways to make bulgogi, but in my opinion, this one is the best!

Our gracious hosts, Hanna and Hyunkwan!

This was a perfect end to the meal: Hanna Banana Smoothies! Look at all that honey drizzled over the top . . . 

Hanna and Hyunkwan are getting so good at making smoothies that I think they should open their own smoothie shop!

This was on the 4th of July. We were at Reed's Lake in East Grand Rapids, sharing a picnic, talking with friends, and waiting for the fireworks. It was a fun way to celebrate America's birthday! (To see more pictures from our day, go here)

So Many Crochet Projects . . .

. . . but so little time. Well, I guess it's not time I'm lacking--more like an extra set of hands so I can do a couple projects at once! Maybe I should learn to crochet with my feet, but I make enough mistakes with my hands that I think I'll just stick with those for now.  :)

I recently got a shipment from KnitPicks--these are just a few of the beautiful yarns I received (thanks to my dear hubby's generous gift certificate!):

 

 Aren't they pretty?!? I'm actually building up a stash of these yarns, mostly Shine and Comfy. The ones pictured above are all sport weights, but I've also been buying fingering weight and DK weight. I have great plans for some really amazing grannies, ranging from itty bitty to pretty darn big. I love, love the feel of these cotton-blend yarns, and they're very affordable (especially compared to similar yarns I've found locally), and the colors make me incredibly happy!

 

 

Until yesterday, this was the project I was working on (this is NOT made with the yarn pictured above--this is Vanna and Simply Soft). Yet another ripple blanket. Yes, I get stuck in crochet ruts. (I just realized how wrinkly and wonky the blanket looks in the picture--in real life, it lays very nice.) Anyway, I wanted to mix lots of colors in with gray, and I loved the way it looked in my mind. The reality of it, however, is a little disappointing--I'm not sure I'm fond of my color choices. It's about half done, so I've decided to put it aside for a while and see what I think of it in a few weeks.

 

This is my newest project--woo hoo!! While I wanted to break away from ripples temporarily, I still wanted something easy--I use crochet for relaxation, and don't want to be concentrating too much. I found a video for a larksfoot stitch blanket here, and I started playing with it yesterday--already it's addicting! I'm planning on sticking with the colors pictured by in a random order (the colors are actually brighter than they appear here--I really need to learn to use my camera!) 

But for the next few days, there will be a break in my crocheting as I get ready for my daughter's WEDDING (!!!) on Saturday! I can't wait to share pretty pictures from the event!

April Showers (Lori)

In just three very short weeks, my daughter (Sarah) will be getting married! (Yikes--that's so soon!!)

 Last weekend, Sarah was honored with a bridal shower, and I thought I'd share a few pictures, especially for our Korean friends who may not be familiar with the tradition of "showers." (The word "shower" is used because we want presents to rain down--so to speak--on the bride-to-be. I know, it sounds strange to me, too!) Usually these parties are girls-only (although it's becoming more common to see "Couples" showers), and are often hosted by relatives in the weeks before the wedding. Many brides will have more than one shower (if you're thinking that American wedding couples seem to get a lot of presents . . . they do!)

The shower thrown by Sarah's aunts was kitchen/cooking-themed, so I crocheted a chef doll (it looks exactly like Sarah, right?), and added her to a pot filled with all sorts of fun kitchen goodies. (I totally overestimated how many spoons, spatulas, and towels it would take to fill the pot, though--which is why there's a second bowl filled with the "leftovers"!)

Sarah had a great time opening presents, most of which were cooking-related (like this tres chic apron) . . . 

. . . but she was also really happy to get a board game from her favorite TV show. (I think she's already thinking of excuses not to cook!)

 Showers are a great excuse to eat too much--we had yummy chicken salad, fruit, and croissants, and then these sweet creations for dessert. (The picture didn't turn out well, but they were cute: the plastic goblets are filled with candy, then topped with a cupcake!)

 Sarah's friends got to help stock Sarah's pantry: they each whipped up jars of dry mixes (to make soup, cookies, cocoa, or brownies) for Sarah--and for themselves. Later on, they just have to add the "wet" ingredients (eggs, milk, or whatever) and they'll have delicious treats!

Friends, family, food, fun . . . it was a fantastic day! And now we'll see if Sarah turns out to be a better cook than her mom (I set the bar very low, so it shouldn't be a problem!).

The Journey Begins . . . (Lori)

A journey begins with a single step—or in this case, a single prayer.

January was Michigan-blah, and I was feeling antsy. Something was missing but I was clueless as to what that might be. I’ve often made the mistake of trying to muddle through life on my own (you think I’d know better by now), but this time I wisely consulted God in prayer. My prayer was literally this: “I want my world opened up.” Even as I uttered the words, I had no idea what I meant by that. I wasn’t hankering to travel, and I am pretty content in my own little corner of the world.

Several days later, unaware of my prayer, my husband mentioned a volunteering opportunity that he had just read about: in connection with a local Christian college and seminary, a church was looking for volunteers for their ESL program. The idea was to tutor international college students, their wives, or interested community members so that they would become more comfortable using English to fit into their new communities.

     

Naturally, I had to question God’s nudging (I’m nothing if not predictable!). Me?! An ESL tutor?! I’ve always lacked confidence in my ability to teach anyone ANYthing, let alone something as crucial as language! (The only non-English I know are a few vaguely-remembered French phrases from high school, only useful if I want to find my way to a museum in France—not likely to be helpful in an ESL tutoring setting!)

           
With much trepidation and shaking knees, I heeded God’s answer to my prayer, and met Hanna, a beautiful young woman from South Korea. She and her husband, Hyunkwan, had moved to the U.S. three weeks earlier (less than a month after getting married—talk about adjustments!) so that he can attend seminary. Within a few minutes of stilted conversation, I knew that God had blessed me with Hanna’s presence in my life.

          
In the few months since Hanna and I first met, a wonderful thing has happened—my world has opened up! It has opened all the way to South Korea, a place I’m learning to know and appreciate through Hanna’s eyes. My relationship with Hanna has opened my own eyes to the myriad of ways that our cultures may differ but the people—their feelings, their joys, their insecurities—are all the same, because God made us all in His image.

           

Thank you, God, for my HUGE new world—and for always answering my prayers in far greater ways than I could have imagined. I look forward to this journey!