Friday, April 25, 2008

Fire-Eaters and "Smegheads"

I realize that it is now technically Friday, but since I haven't gotten to bed yet, it is still Thursday for me. What a day it was!

Owing to several schools having picnics, my class sizes were greatly reduced in four classes. It was great! Since I only had two kids in my first afternoon class, I decided to teach them something other than English. So, I taught them how to play Twister. They loved it, and I had a blast deliberately manipulating the wheel so that I could twist the kids up in knots. In E3-C, my two biggest trouble-makers were gone, so the class was quiet and perfectly behaved. Apparently there are more picnics on Friday (today), so I'm going to have more reduced classes. Hurray!

My last class of the day, E5-A, had an oral test that I had to administer. I think I was more nervous than the kids! I have been drilling the living daylights out of them for the past week, trying to cram their heads with the right answers. Today, I desperately wanted each of them to excel on their tests. I was not disappointed. Out of eight kids, five of them scored 100% on the test! I am so proud of them! I have to give them another test today, and if they do well on it, too, I am bringing them a treat on Monday. Those kids have really earned it.

After school, I walked over to Hwangseong Park to meet my friend Nina. The two of us went back to the Rice Cake Festival, where we watched some wimpy fireworks and an amazing fire-eater. We were famished, so we bought some tasty treats from one of the tents. We then ran into Lizzi, and the three of us bought banana-flavored cotton candy and took a nighttime stroll through the park.

Afterwards, we joined our friend Ashley and the four of us went to Nina's apartment, where we settled in to watch about five episodes of "Red Dwarf," a British comedy show. I love British humor, and my three friends are all English (well, actually Lizzi is really Irish), so we all enjoyed the show. "Smeghead," in case you're curious, is a reference to the show - it's a commonly used insult.

After I finally get some sleep, I have to be at the school a bit early today. We are taking the kindergartners on another field trip, this time to Gyeongju World (an amusement park). I'm hoping to get to bed early, but I have a feeling we teachers might be going out tonight. On Saturday morning I have to be up very early, as Lizzi and I are going to Seoul (a last minute trip). We'll be coming back on Sunday, although we haven't decided yet whether we'll come back in the morning or spend the day up there. At any rate, it should be a blast, and I probably won't get much sleep. It's great to be young!

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"Passage—immediate passage! the blood burns in my veins! Away, O soul! hoist instantly the anchor!
Cut the hawsers—haul out—shake out every sail!
Have we not stood here like trees in the ground long enough?
Have we not grovell’d here long enough, eating and drinking like mere brutes?
Have we not darken’d and dazed ourselves with books long enough?

Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go, And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

O my brave soul!
O farther, farther sail!
O daring joy, but safe! Are they not all the seas of God?
O farther, farther, farther sail!"

~Walt Whitman, "Passage to India"