Sketchbook: Catch of the day

 

Halloween Movies for Missionaries is one of the more popular series that I’ve run in October. I’m making some more this year, but I wasn’t sure about including this one. For one thing, it’s a TV series rather than a movie — but it’s also Korean. 

Whenever I hear the name, I think back to the fish market in Busan and all of the sights, sounds and smells. And I think of dried cuttlefish — but that’s another story for another day!

Watch what you say

I'll bet it's even more difficult with face masks.
 

Each in her own language

That's one of the most difficult things when one returns from a mission — no one else seems to speak the same language. Whether it's missionary jargon, carry-over colloquialisms, accents or language blends, it's challenging when nobody gets what you're saying.

Who's behind that mask?

Over on Instagram, Sis. Kerry Jo just came home from her mission. And just in time, too, if the coronavirus has any bearing on things!

It's fascinating to see the response the Church has made to do their part. The temple is closed, no meetings.

Missionaries are largely confined to their apartments, they need to take precautions if they do go out. It's crazy! Let's hope that this is resolved soon!

And now, a little geography mission

It was on this date many (many) years ago that I arrived in Korea. My first area was Pohang on the east coast; it was the first time that I've ever had the experience of my eyeballs being frozen shut.

It was an awesome experience!

One one hand; on the other hand

They say that using chopsticks is so easy that even little kids can do it. I don't buy that for a second!

From the Land of the Morning Calm

Some of my favorite cartoons are those that are drawn from real life. Here are a couple from my mission.

There's that song again

One of perks of traveling — especially as a missionary — is the connection you feel with the people. It's one way that Heavenly Father lets us know that we are all his children, wherever we may be.

I always get a little choked up when I hear the Korean national anthem. My mom, who was Canadian, would bawl like a baby whenever she heard "O, Canada'!

...one giant bite for mankind!

Yeah, it's like that.

That's one small bite for a person...

Kimchi is the most famous dish of Korea, followed by bulgogi (Korean barbecue) and boshintang (dog soup). I've had two of the three, and a close encounter with the third.*

Kimchi is one of those foods that grows on you. Now it's one of my favorite Korean foods, and our local Korean restaurant makes a good kimchi. Stop by and enjoy some when you're in the neighborhood!

And as long as you're visiting, stop by at Sis. Kerry Jo's site, too. She still has a few stories to tell!



*It involved a shortcut through the marketplace. We never took it again!

Mystery meals

When I first arrived in Korea, there wasn't a lot of food that I recognized. Of course one reason for that was that we had dinner in the worker's cafeteria in one of the local steel companies in Pohang. They fed us in exchange for teaching an English class, but it wasn't exactly haute cuisine! Imagine calamari prepared by your elementary school lunch lady!

As time went on, I learned to enjoy the food — but I had a rough start!

The cuisine of the Morning Calm

With the PyeongChang Winter Olympics starting tomorrow, the eyes of the world turn once again to Korea. And when my thoughts turn to Korea, I naturally go to my own experiences as a missionary there, and — of course — to Sis. Kerry Jo.

As a missionary, one thing that stays with you no matter where you serve are the tastes and the smells of your area.

Top of the Others

You may know that I run a couple of other cartoon blogs: Sis. Kerry Jo's Mission Blog; Good Heavens, and Zarahemla Times. Here are the top three for each of those.

Sis. Kerry Jo
Even though Sis. Kerry Jo is home now, she still posts occasionally. Some posts are about present-day goings on, some are mission flashbacks. One series this year was about a country-wide mission reunion (that's the national anthem in the middle panels).

Good Heavens
It was a rough year for Good Heavens. There got to be so many disasters, deaths and depressing topics that I had to take a breather for a while. Two of the top favorites, though, were ripped from the headlines: David Bowie and Alan Rickman both passed away within a week of each other, and the response to the Orlando nightclub shooting struck a chord.

Zarahemla Times
It's a long story with many moving parts, but Zarahemla Times has mostly been in reruns this year. Nevertheless, here are the top three from ZT.

Transporting the goods

In Korea, moms often carry kids on their backs. I think the same thing would work for a turkey, don't you?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey troubles

Yes, they really do have Costco in Korea!

A Thanksgiving Tale

Anyone who has lived or served overseas knows that it's difficult to give up holiday traditions. That's true even if that holiday doesn't exist where you are. Many missionaries the world over will be celebrating U.S. Thanksgiving this Thursday, no matter what the tradition is in their country.

Sis. Kerry Jo was no exception.

Lessons from the mission field: speak their language

One of the best feelings I ever experienced as a missionary was the first time I spoke to someone and they understood what I was trying to say right away, no further translation required.

One of the gifts of the spirit is speaking in tongues. To me that means speaking in a voice or using the words and phrases that an individual will understand or respond to — be that in whatever language it may.

It's gonna take a miracle!

November is the anniversary of when I entered the MTC, so my thoughts always return to the mission field this time of year.

Oppa Pyongyang Style!

I think there are many missionaries who could tell you that there are all kinds of, um, interesting investigators.

A movie with a message

We continue with the case of the missing Dear Leader.