Three Conversations

Here, to the best of my ability, are "transcripts" of three of the conversations I had with my kids today (two happy, one sad):

Conversation #1 - "The Happy Hug"
Me: "Oh, Amber, are you sad today?"
Amber: "Yes Teacher, I am very sad. I need a hug."
Me: (after pulling her into my lap and giving her a huge, tight hug) "Is that better?"
Amber: "Oh Teacher, you make very happy hugs. Teacher, I love you."
Me: "I love you, too."

Conversation #2 - "A Country Torn in Two"
(When I walked into the E3-C classroom, the students were very eager to tell me about something. It took a minute to get them to speak one at a time, but here are the most memorable things that were said.)
Me: "So what's going on today?"
Steve: "Teacher, marker please. I show you."
(He drew a long, squiggly blob on the whiteboard.)
Steve: "Teacher, this is Korea. July 25, this happen."
(He drew a line cutting the blob in half, demonstrating the division between North and South Korea.)
Toby: "North Korea and South Korea fighting. Many people die. USA help South Korea."
Me: "I know, my uncle fought in the war."
(The students all gazed at me with respect - normally they aren't this serious.)
Steve: (Very soberly) "Thank you, Teacher."
Carol: "Teacher, me grandpa fight. He get shot."
Toby: "My family house here" (pointing to a spot in the North) "and they go here." (pointing to where Gyeongju would be on the "map")
Steve: "My grandpa fight too. His leg - ptoo!"
Me: "He lost his leg?"
Steve: "Yes."
Susan: "Teacher, my grandpa fight. My grandpa brother die."
Me: (Struggling not to bawl like a baby and knowing that if we keep talking about war, I will) "Well, okay, let's get started now. Take out your 'Let's Go' books and open to page..."
(Note: There are eight students in that class. Seven of them told me about their grandfathers fighting in the war. The kids weren't sad when they told me about it; their attitudes ranged between matter-of-fact and serious. It's very interesting and enlightening when the kids teach me about things - and believe me, they teach me a lot.)

Conversation #3 - "The Matchmakers"
Anne and Angie: "Teacher! Teacher! We saw a foreigner today!"
Me: "You did?"
Anne: "Yes. He was a man and we talked to him."
Angie: "Teacher, he can be your new friend!"
Anne: "Maybe you will marry him."
Angie: "Yes, Teacher, you should marry him! He's very nice. He talks fast, but you can talk to him."
Me: "Was he handsome?"
Anne: "Oh yes, he looks like Brad Pitt."
(They compare a lot of men to Brad Pitt)
Me: "Ooh, I don't like Brad Pitt."
Angie: "That's all right, Teacher. You can change him when you marry him!"