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Can’t Stop the Reading

February 14, 2017

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Read-A-Thon is back at YISS! Our elementary students celebrate reading during February and March. The theme this year is Camp Out with a Good Book.

David helped with the music video again this year. He rewrote the words to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” and changed it to “Can’t Stop the Reading.” We work with so many talented people! From singing to sound mixing, video editing, and dancing… I love how the final product showcases the creativity and joy of our school!

Watch it on Facebook, Vimeo, or below:

This year, each grade level team was featured reading together. (The third grade teachers at the pool were my favorite!) This is David with his fifth grade team (and yes, he’s surfing on his friend Ross in the river):

Here are the lyrics:

I got this feeling inside my bones
What adventures will this new book take me on?
All through Seoul city, all through my home
I can’t put down this book, I’m in the reading zone

Cuz I got that new book in my pocket
It’s got stories, oh so sweet
When I read it, it’s exciting, I can’t stop, ooh
I can’t take my eyes up off it, reading so phenomenally
I’ve got more books on the docket, so I don’t stop

We’re reading tonight and everyone knows
Whether it’s fiction, drama, or prose
When you read, well, you already know
We just imagine, just imagine, just imagine

Camp out with a new book, this is your chance, chance, chance, feel
This one’s a good book for you, so just glance, glance, glance, come on
Reading’s so exciting, so let’s just dance, dance, dance
Everybody’s reading, so keep dancing

I can’t stop the reading
So just dance, dance, dance
I can’t stop the reading
So just dance, dance, dance, come on

Ooh, there’s something wonderful
I read the Good Book (Scripture) and it helps me carry on
In every season, it leads my soul
It shows me Jesus Christ, who came to make me whole

‘Cause I got that Good Book in my pocket
Gotta get up off of my feet
I’ll tell everyone about it and I won’t stop, ooh
I can’t take my eyes up off it, living so phenomenally
It’s His guidebook, He designed it, so don’t stop

We’ll shine our light, so everyone knows
He came and died and in three days he rose
He’ll come again and will call up his own
So just imagine, just imagine, just imagine

His good plan offers you a second chance, chance, chance
The Good book explains it all to you
So you glance, glance, glance, come on
Everything He gives will make you
dance, dance, dance
Jesus will be coming soon, so keep dancing

I can’t stop the reading
So just dance, dance, dance
I can’t stop the reading
So just dance, dance, dance
I can’t stop the reading
So just dance, dance, dance
I can’t stop the reading
So keep dancing, come on

I can’t stop the, I can’t stop the
I can’t stop the, I can’t stop the
I can’t stop the reading

Everybody sing
(I can’t stop the reading)
Gotta share it with somebody
(I can’t stop the reading)
Gotta share it with somebody
(I can’t stop the feeling)
I think reading’s my new hobby
(I can’t stop the feeling)
Gotta share it with somebody
Break it down
Gotta share it with somebody
Can’t stop the feeling
Gotta share it with somebody, come on

» Watch last year’s Read-A-Thon video “Good Book Life” here!

Students Say The Funniest Things: Part 7

May 24, 2016

Leah

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Ladies and gents, this is our first edition of Students Say the Funniest Things: Korea. Yes, it took us an entire school year to gather enough quotes!

There haven’t been nearly as many gems as often as we used to hear. David spends almost all of his day with fifth graders and teaches very few English language learners. (There are 4 fifth grade classrooms at our school of over 1000 students.) I volunteer in the elementary library one morning a week. Enjoy!

David wears a collared shirt and tie every day (aside from dress down days). On a day he wore his suit jacket:
Fifth grade girl: “Mr. B, today you look like a gentleman.”

When David’s was in need of a haircut (his hair gets really curly as it gets long):
Fifth grade girl: “Mr. Benedict, I saw you from behind on the stairs and you looked like Zeus.”

And after a haircut…
Fifth grade girl: “Mr. B, your haircut makes your beard look full and luscious.”

When I was volunteering in the library:
Second grade boy: “Do you have any books about honey badgers? They’re my favorite animal because I’m just like them.”
Me: “Oh? How so?”
Boy: “They have four legs, they snarl (krrraaarh!), and are grumpy all the time. My sister is like a honeybird. And I’m like a honey badger. They’re symbiotic creatures just like me and my sister.”

Two of David’s students were running down the hall and one clumsily ran into a wall and knocked down some posters.
David: “Boys! Slow down and come back here.”
Boy: “What?! My body’s been changing lately.”

This is a good one I stole from a friend:
During chapel, the elementary counselor was talking about transitions and asked the kids if they had thought about what changes are coming next in their lives. One of the fifth graders said to his friends “Middle School!” And another said, quite happily, “Puberty! I don’t know what that is, but I know it’s next!”

After the Read-A-Thon music video was released, seeing David in the halls was exciting for some of the younger kids.
First grader: “Hi Mr. Singer Man!”
Another student: “I saw you in the video!”
Another student: “Hi Mr. Singer!”

Overheard conversation at VBS:
Second grade boy: “Never put a rubber band on your wrist. It makes your blood vessels just stop.

As a funny section on his end-of-the-year class survey, David asked: “What are your thoughts about Mr. B’s beard?” (Keep in mind you rarely see Korean men with facial hair. The majority of his students were of Korean heritage.) Here are a few of the responses:

At first sight I thought, “Is he a dirty man?”
Fluffy, Orange, and Cool.
It is like a jungle.
It looks like a birds nest covered in throw up.
SHAVE IT!!!!!
It’s long and weird.
Weird in a good way.
An awesome amazing gorgeous fluffy puffy vast planet full of unicorns and dogs with turtles on backs and delicious pieces of food and 번데기 also with a thick red forest. There is a cave in the middle of the forest that has a thick smell of coffee as well as delicious pieces of food. You have to be careful though for the giant hand that is always touching the beard.
I like it. (Kind of. Needs to be more longer.)
It’s too long.
IT’S SO COOL AND FLUFFED UP!
It’s red, and there’s a lot of it.
It makes you look older than your real age. Sorry! But it’s true.

I’ll leave you with the flash mob dance the elementary teachers performed during field day. (Watch for David in the green shirt!)

» Read Students Say the Funniest Things: Part 1
» Read Students Say the Funniest Things: Part 2
» Read Students Say the Funniest Things: Part 3
» Read Students Say the Funniest Things: Part 4
» Read Students Say the Funniest Things: Part 5
» Read Students Say the Funniest Things: Part 6

Good Book Life

February 15, 2016

Leah

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February 15 through March 7 is Read-A-Thon at David’s school. The goals of the program are to encourage elementary students to read joyfully, help students develop a lifelong love of learning, and to promote the enjoyment of reading through a variety of activities. There’s even prizes involved for classes and individuals!

David helped the elementary principals rewrite OneRepublic’s “Good Life” to create a theme song. An amazingly talented coworker recorded and mixed the music and produced the video. Check it out below!

You can also watch the video on Facebook or Vimeo! Here are the lyrics:

“Good Book Life”

Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don’t really know how I got here
It must be the book I’m in
New adventures, yeah! Come on, let’s go
Address to places like Narnia, oh!
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
Adventures from books we read

Oh this has gotta be the book life
This has gotta be the book life
This could really be a book life, book life
Say oh, got this feeling that you can’t fight
Gonna finish this book tonight
This really be a book life
A book, book life

To my friends in Busan, I say hello
My friends in Jeju they don’t know
Where I’ve been for the past few years in books
Paris to China to Colorado
Sometimes there’s books that I can’t put down
I carry my new book all around
We’ve got our stories, but please tell me
What your book is all about

When you’re reading like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in

Oh this has gotta be the book life
This has gotta be the book life
This really is a book life, book life
Say oh, got this feeling that you can’t fight
Gonna finish this book tonight
This really is a book life
The book life, book life

Truthfully
I feel like there might be an adventure here
Truthfully
I can hear God’s voice coming through so clear
Truthfully
I’m learning about the freedom of Jesus here
‘Cause Truthfully
The truth is we have so much to Praise God and give thanks about!

Oh this has gotta be the Good Book
This has gotta be the Good Book
This book really is The Good Book, Good Book
Say Oh, God has given us a guide book
It’s the Bible, take a good look
This really is the Good Book
The Good, Good Book
Good, Good Book

To my friends in Busan, I say hello
My friends in Jeju they don’t know
Where I’ve been for the past few years in books
Paris to China to Colorado
This book is one that I won’t put down
Carry my Bible all around
He writes our stories, so please tell me
What there is to complain about

First Taste of Beondegi

February 12, 2016

Leah

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So… I ate a bug in Korea. Beondegi to be specific.

We’ve been in Korea for about six months and we’ve really enjoyed the local food. Eating is one of our favorite pastimes, and we like trying new things. Even when we’re a little skeptical.

We traveled southeast to Gyeongju the first weekend of February with some friends for Lunar New Year. (More on that soon!) While we were out one day, we walked by street food vendors. One lady was selling beondegi (번데기). I had no intentions of ever eating this food, but… when everyone was trying it, might as well?

What is beondegi?
Beondegi is boiled and seasoned silkworm pupae. (Pupae is the stage between the larva and adult form when the bug is in the chrysalis stage.) Korean people eat beondegi as a snack, though I wouldn’t call it the most loved or popular food of choice. We often see food vendors with a long line of customers, but I never see a line at beondegi pots. According to earthexcursion.com: “Beondegi came to rise as a much needed source of protein during the Korean War because protein was scare, as well as many other macro nutrients.” I think we paid ₩2000 for a small paper cup (about $1.65 USD). It was MORE than enough.

How did it taste?
…Not as bad as I thought it would. It was a little bit fishy and nutty to me. Some of our friends thought they tasted similar to boiled peanuts. It was a little crunchy and a little chewy. Thinking about what I was chewing was the worst part.

Here’s a video of our first beondegi experience:

And if I’m ever hankering for more (yeah right), I can always find a can of it at the grocery store:

Nothing Fancy Cover

January 20, 2015

Leah

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Our wedding took place in David’s family maple woods. He completely surprised me by singing me down the aisle. (Did I marry a winner or what?) The song was “Nothing Fancy” and is by one of our favorite musicians, Dave Barnes.

David did quite a bit of sound recordings in high school and college. It’s been a while, but he borrowed some equipment this weekend and put together this video!

I love this man! 🙂 ♥

Neighborhood Noise

June 3, 2013

Leah

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There have been many protests happening in Turkey the past couple of days. You might have heard about them in the news.

It’s been an interesting time in Ankara. Most of the activity is happening in the downtown regions, which we’ve been avoiding. There has been some commotion in our neighborhood, though. (We feel safe – the protests are not targeting foreigners.)

David took a couple videos last night:

Please keep the country of Turkey in your prayers.

Ankara Jazz Festival

February 10, 2013

Leah

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Last night, David and I went with another couple to a jazz concert. We saw the Murat İşbilen Quintet perform. The group featured 2 guitar players, a bass player, a percussionist, and a violinist. The concert was held on the campus of Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi (known in English as Middle East Technical University) as part of the Ankara Jazz Festival.

When I heard it was a jazz festival, I was expecting to hear the blues. The group’s sound was instead a beautiful mix of classical guitar, latin rhythms, and folk music. Our friend said their style fit more into the smooth jazz category. It was amazing to watch the guitarist’s fingers fly! At times it was hard to believe that so many different sounds were being produced simultaneously from the same instrument.

They did not mention anything about restricting photography or recording, so I took a short video:

This year is the 16th annual Ankara Jazz Festival. There are performances at various locations throughout the city from January through March. We hope to maybe see one or two more groups!

David started taking classical guitar lessons when he was 6. I think the concert really inspired him, and he tried out some of his old sheet music when we got home. It was a night of great company and great music!