Korea and cell phones

Korea has nearly as many cell phones as people

Population of 48.6 million has 45.6 million mobile phone subscribers

updated 5:41 p.m. ET Jan. 28, 2009

SEOUL, South Korea - Tech-savvy South Korea has nearly as many cell phones as people, officials said Wednesday.

There were 45.6 million mobile phone subscribers in South Korea in December in a country with a population of 48.6 million, Sung Suk-ham of the Korea Communications Commission said.

That's over 93 percent, a slight rise in rates from six months ago. The number is expected to rise further in the coming year, despite the economic downturn, Sung said.

While some people have more than one subscription, the figures indicate one of the highest cell phone saturation rates in the world.

Cell phones have become a vital part of everyday life in South Korea, used for shopping, surfing the Web, bank transactions, sending e-mail, listening to music as well as talking.

The country — home to Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, the world's No. 2 and No. 4 manufacturers of mobile phones — also has a high rate of Internet usage.

In addition to an average of 2.75 mobile phones per household, more than 15.4 million South Koreans — just under a third of the population — have high-speed Internet, the commmission said.

Am I a grownup???

Last night I met up with a friend to have dinner after work. Our conversation was very stimulating and there was a wide range of topics throughout the night. We talked about politics, futures, work, relationships... things to this nature. When we had finished and said our goodbyes I thought about our conversations. I felt like I had had one of the most grownup conversations of my life. It is funny sometime to me because I don't feel like I should be turning 25... Yes in just a few short days I'll be 25. A quarter of a century old. I'll be 5 years from 30!!!!!! ahhh, 15 from 40 Ahhhh and 25 from 50 AHHHHHH!!! Sorry I lost track there for a moment. Anyway while the conversation was riveting  as I was walking home I felt a little old. Then tonight I went to dinner with another friend and while the conversation never drifted as deep as the prior it was still a very adult dinner.  Which was followed by going down the toy isles at the Homeplus and talking about toys I wanted for my birthday lol. Which made me wonder are we really only as old as we are? When we know that we are getting older and we act it there's not a lot of fun life. But if we know we are getting older and we can still act young, well I say that's the way for me. Don't get me wrong I love behaving adult like and having grownup time... I've waited my whole life to do that. But there is also this person inside me that still loves to be silly, that inner child. I hope that that part of me never grows up.

What I will miss

With just a little over three weeks left of actual teaching in my contract I am starting to realize that I will miss a few things at my current job. This past week my students have been giving me note and little prizes, things that are really cute and sweet. I have students who wait for me after class so they can walk with me and who scream when they see me. I have realized that I love my students and am really going to miss them so much. I know that I will have new students that I will grow to love, but I will miss my students very much. 

I will also miss my friends and coworkers in Suwon. These are some of the people that have made my year of being here in Korea easier. I have grown to love each one of them very much. It will be hard to move and not be as close to them. 

So as I am getting closer to the end I am very happy and at the same time a little sad. 

So worried…

I have taken a new job at a public school for the next year of my stay in South Korea. I have been trying to make sure that everything is taken care of so that I can start to work on March 2nd. I have been communicating back and forth with the head instructor, but there has not been a lot that I have had to do. This is very different from the time when I had to prepare to come over here in the first place. I feel like I should be stressing out or doing more than I am. The difference is that the school is taking care of all the things that I had to for my first school. It is stressing me out that I am not stressed about all the things that I feel I should have to take care of. It just seems crazy to me that I don’t have to do much. It is a good thing, just weird. How crazy is that I feel like I should be stressing at the fact that I’m not stressing? Anyway I am counting down the weeks till I am finished at my current school. I have only a little over five weeks until my contract is finished. I only have four weeks of teaching left. It is still hard to believe that I have almost been here for a year. It feels like only a few short months have passed. I hope that the next year goes by just as fast and that the place after Korea is a nice and warm place, that’s what I’m talking to God about. I am hoping to go to a country in South America… if that is God’s will. I say all this but it could change at any moment, depending on God’s will.

There are times in life when we find ourselves truly happy.

There are times in life when we find ourselves truly happy. This weekend while reflecting I realized I am. Friday night I enjoyed a night out with some girls eating and chatting for hours. Then Saturday woke up and went to a women's Bible study and celebrated a friends birthday. Then some of the girls and I met up with more friends and went ice skating and dinner to celebrate with a friend whose leaving South Korea. Then on Sunday I went to church and had an awesome worship experience and fellowship with friends. After which we went to the gym and played volleyball. Then to top of the evening a few of my friends and I went to dinner and sat to chat for a while. But more than the weekend, my life in Korea is GREAT. 

There are times in life when we really feel blessed. When we are in a good place in life, we have great friends around us, and problems seem small. I have been reflecting the past few days about how truly blessed and happy I am. I love this place where God has taken me. My life feels so full sometimes I'm not sure I could not ask for more. God has and is filling my life and I am completely happy. 

I never thought that when I came to Korea it could end up being some of the best times of my life, but being here has truly been. Of course there are negative things as well, but all in all I am loving being here and would not trade it for the world. It has been such a true blessing on my life. I can hardly even begin to describe how much I have enjoyed my time thus far. I love being here and having the opportunities that I have had and meeting some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I am shouting from the top of my lungs thank you God for filling my life with joy!!!!!!!

It is so amazing to me and I want every single person to fill this kind of joy, at least once in your life. The freedom that it brings is outstanding, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I have maybe never been this happy. Of course I miss my family and friends back home. Oh how much more joyful it would be if they were here, or experiencing this kind of joy with me. It is all because of one thing, that complete freedom found only in God. Please PLEASE take the opportunities in life to experience joy, freedom, life, love, GOD. I have always said the one thing I don't want to regret is regretting. I want to live a life to the fullest and plan on doing that, please join me in finding a passion for life, a life with no regrets. You only get one chance at it so you better enjoy it.

XOXO ~Shan

Time is going so fast

I’m eleven days away from my vacation, and still trying to figure out what I’m going to do? I had thought about trying to go back to the states, but couldn’t afford it right now. Then thought about going to Canada, but came to realize that that would also be too expensive as well. Plus I only have a weeks’ vacation so not sure it would be worth it. I want to get away but just can’t decide what would be worth the time and money. There is the possibility that I might just stay in Korea and either go to Jeju island or go to Busan. They are both in the south part of Korea and would be neat to go and hike, tour, and relax for a few days. Anyway I’ll just wait to see what options open.

On another note, I have five weeks of actual teaching left in my contract at CDI. I have six weeks left here total, but one of the six is vacation. I will start working at a public school after my contract is over with CDI. I am excited but a little nervous at the same time. I will be in SK for at least another year.

One of the worst things you could do to me.

I had an encounter with a Korean man a few months ago. He had told me that he had a friend who would like to take English and wanted to know if I would like to teach him. I agreed and gave him my phone number. After a few missed calls and failed return calls I decided that it probably was not going to happen. Last Saturday morning on my way into work (because of being off on Christmas and New Years day) I ran into the man. He asked me if I was still interested in meeting his friend. I said yes, thinking that I could stand to make a little extra cash. So I agreed to meet them both the following Sunday. So Sunday after church I rushed back over to my side of town excited to meet the Korean man and his friend hoping to set up a private lesson. What I got was totally unexpected. When I walked in I knew right away that I had been tricked. There sitting with the Korean man was an English man. I was furious to say the least. I was being set up by a Korean man. I played it cool and went along after about twenty minutes the Korean man all of a sudden had somewhere to go. I decided to tell the man that I had no I deal why this had gone on. I told him that I was told that I was coming in hopes of getting a private lesson, not a date. He laughed a little and apologized for his friend, saying that he is always trying to set him up. After all the awkwardness was out on the table I excused myself and left a bit heated. I was so angry because I was lied to. Those of you who know me, know that that is one of things that I hate the most. I tried to excuse the Korean man for what he had done, but I was angry. I took the rest of the day to relax and not think about it. Even now when I think about it I get a little upset. I hate when I am lied to, it makes me angry. I know that anger is not good or to be angry with a person so I had to get it off my chest. If I happen to run into this Korean man again I might give him a little piece of my mind. I will not be rude, but I will let him know that it upset me that he lied to me. 

A New Year

Well as 2009 is just now starting I am reflecting on the past year. I am thinking about where I was this time last year, I was signing myself up to come over to Korea. I remember that I was wanting a change in life. I was ready to experience new things and start new adventures. I knew that I would have an interesting year in Korea, but my expectations were a little different than I what I have actually experienced. My year has been filled with ups and downs. A lot of questions for God and not as many answers as I had wanted. I have learned a lot about myself, the things that are important to me, and the people I want to be with. I had a lot positive things happen to me that I enjoyed, and met a lot of people who changed my life for the better. Also on the other hand I have had some negative experiences and have encountered people that I would have been better if we had not met. There are things I regret doing and things I regret not doing. But to dwell on those things would do no good now. All this to say that that is one of my New Years resolutions, to live 2009 with no regrets. I don't want to look back and say I wish I wouldn't have done that, or visa versa I wish I would have done that. So here's to the new year, may 2009 be a great year to all. Here's to a year of no regrets and lots of living!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!