Wednesday, February 18, 2009

From Heart Surgeon to Pop Singer in One Day

Last Friday (the day before Valentine's Day) was such a fun day. In the morning, we did a special Valentine's Day craft with the kindergartners: we had them color, cut, and glue the words "Be My Valentine" to a large cardboard heart, and then "sew" two cardboard hearts together with ribbon. When the kids finished "sewing," Cate and I stuffed the hearts with candy and then tied the ribbons into big bows. The craft was fun, but of course with kindergartners, there were a few mistakes that I needed to fix (thus, my brief stint as a "heart surgeon"). At one point during the craft, I noticed Jay looked sad.

"What's wrong, Jay?" I asked.
"Teacher, my heart is broken," he informed me, holding up his ripped heart. I managed not to laugh as I taped it up for him.

For the afternoon classes, I had some special things prepared. I found a really cute picture online of two ducks sharing a milkshake in a 1950's style diner, so I put the words "Happy Valentine's" on it and made it into a coloring page for the younger classes. I also made two word searches with Valentine's-themed words (aka hearts, flowers, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.) - an easy one for the younger classes, and a harder one for the older classes. Ever since I introduced word searches to the younger kids, they have become word search addicts! They absolutely love them.

I also found two funny Valentine poems online and printed out copies for the older classes. I gave the easier poem out to the youngest advanced classes, and the harder poem to the older, and had the kids read and discuss it. Then, in my last two classes, I created a special Valentine's Day mad lib - a love letter. The results were so hilarious that I actually had tears streaming down my face (as did two of the kids).

After school, Cate took all the teachers out for dinner at a really delicious sam-gip-sal (pork) restaurant. After dinner and drinks, Cate learned that I had never been to a norebang (singing room) and insisted that we all go.

Korean singing rooms are a really neat idea. Since most Koreans love to sing, they have private rooms that you can rent for an hour or longer. In the room, there is comfortable seating, fun lighting, and a big screen TV. They bring you snacks and drinks, and then you can flip through the book and choose which songs you would like to karaoke to. While you sing, the lights do a pretty nifty lights show, and the TV plays an accompanying music video (and, of course, tells you the words to the songs). After you finish, your performance is rated on the TV! They have songs in both Korean and English (and even a few Ricky Martin songs). I did an absolutely terrible rendition of "You Can't Hurry Love," which the Supremes did much better! The highlight of the evening (and, in fact, my entire year in Korea) was hearing my dear boss Cate sing "I'm a Barbie Girl." I almost split my insides apart from laughing when she sang the words, "I'm a blond bimbo!"

1 comment:

Intelligence said...

I use to live in Korea about 2 years ago and the noraebangs (singing rooms) were definitely one of my favorite places to go on the weekends. They're easy to find too!

"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"