Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Teacher Wears a Skirt

"Stephanie-Teacher! You wear skirt today! Very beautiful!" "Teacher, teacher, skirt!" "Stephanie-Teacher, do you have a date today?"

This is what I heard all day long from every single class. Apparently, I wear skirts much less than I realized. But then, biking to school does dictate that one wear either pants or a long skirt. And even in a long skirt, I do have to worry about such things as wind currents on a bicycle. Today, however, I felt like walking to school, so I thought I'd dress like a girl for a change and wear my pretty new skirt that I bought just before I left the USA. The kids were fascinated by the change in my appearance. Maybe I'll have to have a skirt day once a week from now on...

Cate announced today that in honor of Children's Day, which is on Monday, we're going to do cooking with the afternoon classes on Friday (schools are closed on Monday, so I get a three-day weekend). Apparently, she was so impressed with the way my nacho idea turned out for the kindergarten, she now wants to do it with the older kids. I'm thrilled, as it means that I don't have to plan games for every class like I usually do on Fridays. Plus, I get to eat yummy nachos again!

Since we have a three-day weekend, some friends and I are going to take a trip to an island on the other side of the country. This time, we've done the travel arrangements ourselves, so there won't be any side trips to ginseng factories or elk farms. There will still be the hideously long bus ride there and back, but since we're staying for two nights, it won't be as bad. We'll be leaving the island on Monday evening and traveling during the night, so we'll arrive back in Gyeongju at 7:00 am on Tuesday. Then I get to shower, change, and head to school. Cate asked me to come an hour early on Tuesday, as she is going to take me downtown to set up a bank account. I need one in order to book my vacations and to wire money home to pay off the loan I got from the First National Bank of Mom and Dad.

I am currently in the process of planning and booking my summer vacation, since Cate has given me concrete dates for my time off. I get a whole glorious week! I was originally planning to go to China, but when I realized that I would be going the week before the Olympics, I decided to go somewhere else. So, I'm going to the Philippines instead. I couldn't be more excited. It's going to be like a one-week journey through my favorite history textbooks! I'm planning to visit Manila, Bataan, Corregidor, and even Vigan. I realize that I'll be going during the wet season, but I figured this way it will be much cheaper, so I can do more. I'm not really interested in going to beaches alone, so rain won't bother me much at all. I'm going for the historical sites and museums - my bread and butter. I can't wait!

2 comments:

~ M A R I P O S A ~ said...

Hello! i'm sooo glad I found your blog! My name is andrea, and I'm going to be coming to teach english in Gyeongju this month. I had been looking for some info about (a blog or etc) about Gyeongju. I searched high and low and I found yours. It's really informative and it eases my tensions and fears about the move so much, SO THANK YOU. I'm not sure if I'll be working in an Elementary school or the new English Center, but I'm excited! Is Gyeongju a really country living type of city?

Stephanie said...

Gyeongju has a town sort of atmosphere. It has a busy downtown, but mostly it's a friendly, easy-going place where foreigners are treated like celebrities. Every foreigner here loves it!

If you have any questions you want answered, Andrea, feel free to ask. Also, if you have Facebook, you can add me as a friend so that you'll know at least one person when you get here. I think you'll like it - we have a really friendly, fun group of foreigners here, and the Koreans are really nice as well.

"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"