Coffee Diplomacy

My relationships in Korea turn on coffee, it seems. Coffee is the prime lubricant for my conversations. I have spent most of my social hours in Korea in coffee shops -- my first evening in So Delicious; my time in Daegu at Cafe Detasse; and this afternoon at first Holly's Coffee and then at Cafe Pascucci on the SNU campus. Caffeine addiction comes easy easily as friendships in Korea -- no decaf at these cafes. One more Americano, please!

I reunited with a special girl yesterday. I had met her at HKU a month ago; and it was good to see her again. In fact, I felt really happy with her and shared that with her in an email I sent last night. God willing, maybe a long distance relationship will blossom. I am willing, particularly after my 48 hours in Daegu.

In fact, I met many girls yesterday. I met Sunny and her best friend. Later, I met Kangon while on the bus to SNU. Ultimately, I met the SNU postgraduates, all girls, on campus for coffee. In general, I have met many girls on this latest Korea trip. Only in the Daegu community have I been around men often, with only female servants in sight.

I wonder what this means. Obviously, the girls I meet are friendly, and on the one hand this may be because they are Korean cultural representatives to foreigners. On the other hand, most of these girls, like me, are all relatively young and single. They put themselves out there in the same way that I put myself out there socially. Whatever the confluence of reasons, I am thankful to have met them all.

In doing this, I learn so much about my heart condition. I am close to something new. My infatuation with my former student is gone. Although I have many leads now, I want to drop them all for one stable relationship. I hope it is that girl, but I will try with one soon.

In sum, I can meet girls easily, even in Hong Kong, if I put myself out there by God's grace. (In other words, God has blessed me with the ironically beneficial situation where I do not need blind dates to meet girls. Everyday is a blind date with God watching closely.)  But this ability is no more than a means to what I witnessed in Daegu. I want to trade this ability for something better. As God shapes my heart, I am preparing, almost ready for something greater.