Capra Day!

When I awoke this morning, I made the decision to have a loaf day, like I used to occasionally have back when I lived in the States. The basic rules for a loaf day are that I stay in my pajamas all day long, with my hair in the most atrocious mess possible, and either watch films or read all day. Today's loaf day got even better when I decided to make it a Capra day - in other words, I've been watching films directed by Frank Capra all day, in between reading and checking my Facebook. It's a wasted day, but it's a wonderful day (I hope at least one person got the pun I just made).

Incidentally, Frank Capra, aside from being one of my two favorite directors (the other is, of course, Alfred Hitchcock), also shares a birthday with me. Or rather, shared, as he is now deceased. Appropriately, my birthday is also two days prior to that of Jimmy Stewart, Frank Capra's favorite actor (and one of mine). Oddly enough, my birthday is the date of several events in Hollywood history (fitting considering what a classic film history addict I am). It was on May 18, 1927 that Grauman's Chinese Theater, the place where actors have famously left their footprints, first opened. And it was on May 18, 1934 that an Academy Award was first referred to as an Oscar in print. Why do I know all this? Because I'm a complete history nerd, naturally. Stay tuned for my birthday, when I'll bore my readers yet again with even more historical trivia that I know about my day of birth! Ah, it's such fun to be an amateur historian!

You'll Never Guess What I Ate Tonight!

Cate decided to take us all out for dinner and drinks after school today. I like hanging out with my Korean co-workers, so I was happy about the plans. We went out to a small restaurant with a very small selection for hors d'oeuvres, then headed out to another place later. At the second place, two unusual incidents took place:

The first was that I ate sea snails for the first time. They actually resembled beef in appearance, flavor, and texture. So, believe it or not, I liked them! I expected them to taste like escargot, which is disgusting, but I was happily surprised. When my sister reads this, she'll probably gag!

The second incident occurred when a man asked to speak to Jackie, one of the Korean teachers. It turned out that he is opening a new English academy here in Gyeongju and wanted to offer jobs to both Jackie and I. And he did so right in front of our boss! Cate found the whole situation highly amusing, as did we. Later, Jackie and I teased Cate, saying that she'll have to pay us more now that there's competition for us!

I had a very happy surprise today: it turns out that I get another three-day weekend. I knew that Monday is Buddha's birthday, a national holiday, but I did not realize that that meant a day off for me. As much as I love my job, I am thrilled at having an extra long weekend. Hopefully I can catch up on the sleep that I missed out on last weekend!

I Never Cease to Be Amused

I've been here for two and a half months, and grocery shopping still amuses me. It's just hard not to laugh when I walk past random dead sea creatures that in no way resemble a food source, octopus stir fry, or pork "libs" (ribs - "r" and "l" are interchangeable for Koreans). I had to smile, too, when I noticed the bell peppers that were bagged and labeled "paprika." There's always potential for amusement when you're a westerner living in Korea.

I recently learned to count to twenty in Korean, much to the delight of several of my students. They get so thrilled whenever I say anything in Korean! Today they made me count for them twice, and got the most adorable expressions of awe on their faces when I did it. I had some fun with my E3-D class the other day - they were being noisy, so I slammed my fist dramatically on the table and shouted "stop it!" in Korean. Completely silence filled the room, and eleven little faces registered a mixture of shock, worry ("Can Stephanie-Teacher actually understand and speak Korean?"), and amazement. It was all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing.

The kids regularly keep me in stitches with the random things they say. Here are a few more recent quotes from my little monkeys:

Me: "Harry, how are you today?"
Harry: "I'm dung!"

Amy (my little three-year-old cherub): (holding a pencil up to her nose) "Teacher! Me Pee-oh-key-o [Pinocchio]!"

Me: "Guess what - Daisy-Teacher is back in Korea. Daisy-Teacher said to tell all of you that she said hello."
(Gasps and looks of astonishment from all the kids.)
Jake: "Oh Daisy, my Daisy, I killed my Daisy!"

Me: (holding a textbook in front of me) "Where is the book?"
Sarah: "It's in front of the tummy!"

Me: "If you could go anywhere, where would you go?"
Leon: "I would go to your brain."

(During a discussion about months)
Me: "My parents' wedding was in August. This year they will be married for forty years!"
Susan: "Oh, Teacher, your mommy and daddy very, very, very, very, very old!"

I'm Still Living!

For the record, I have not fallen off the face of the planet. Nor did I die tragically while on my weekend trip to Jinju, Jirisan, and Jindo. I appologize for the five day delay in posting, but I have been one very busy young lady!

I did not get back from my weekend travels until 6:30 am on Tuesday! Then, I was so busy trying to get my Philippine vacation booked that I could not find time to post any entries until now. And, I am sorry to say, this one isn't going to be very brilliant. I'll have to post about the weekend travels tomorrow (with some great pictures, I promise).

Yesterday and today have both been rather hectic. I still haven't completely unpacked from the trip, although I did manage to throw my clothes in the washer. I have been busy with lesson plans and such, plus my travel arrangements for this summer have required a great deal of attention.

I got my flights booked yesterday, and today I managed to get a great deal on a hotel for my three days in Manila. I still need to book my overnight stay on Corregidor and my three days in Bataan. I am thinking that with only one week to spend in the Philippines, it is wisest to stick to Luzon and not try to hit any other islands. The things I want to see most are all on Luzon anyway, so it isn't any great loss to me.

I can't believe that I'll be twenty-four in only eleven days (okay, technically twelve because I was born in a different time zone)! I don't feel that old! I think I acted older when I was in high school, and now I'm having my fun years. At any rate, I'm a bit shocked at my birthday coming so soon, but nonetheless happy about it. I don't see any point in getting depressed over getting older - in my case it just means that each year I can do more and more things on my own. Only one more year until I can rent a car in my own name and take a cruise alone! Oh, and get cheaper insurance, if/when I own a car again.

Turning twenty-four means that I've been out of college for two years now, and out of high school for six. Wow! I don't know where the time has gone! It also means that I have been infatuated with history for fifteen years now (ever since the most awesome fourth grade teacher in the world). How many people can maintain an obscession for that long?! On the whole, I'm rather looking forward to my twenty-fourth year.

Children's Day

Children's Day is a national holiday here in Korea. It's on May 5th (Monday), and it's a great day to be a kid. They get the day off from school and their parents shower them with presents and attention. It's a great day for their teachers, too, since we get a three-day weekend, which is even better than presents! Since there is no school on Monday, my hagwon (school) is celebrating Children's Day today.

So, this morning we did a huge, ambitious craft with the kindergartners: decorating umbrellas. I was gritting my teeth about it, but it actually went very smoothly, the kids enjoyed it, and I didn't have to pull any of my hair out in frustration. Cate bought clear umbrellas for them, and then made pictures of different weather (sunny, rainy, snowy, and cloudy) for them to trace onto their umbrellas and then color, using permanent marker. The finished umbrellas were adorable, and the mess was surprisingly minimal.

After the craft, the kindy kids got to have their faces painted. Then we walked them down to a playground, where we did some cute games, let them run wild for a bit, and had a tasty picnic lunch of pizza, chicken, and the Korean picnic staple, kimbap. Kimbap is to Koreans what peanut butter and jelly is to Americans. In fact, when I told my kids about PB&J sandwiches and had them taste them, they initially reacted the same way an American kid would over eating seaweed (in the end, they liked it though). I love Korean pizza. When I first got to Korea, the idea of sweet potato and corn on a pizza weirded me out a bit, but once I tried it, I discovered that it is really delicious.

This afternoon, we are going to make nachos with each of the classes. The kids are really excited! I am just thrilled that for once I don't have to rack my brain for creative, yet educational games for the kids.

Yesterday the elementary schools in Gyeongju had track and field day, so many students did not come to English World. My first class, in fact, had only one child! Wendy is a bright, likable little girl, so I was excited about spending the half hour with just her. We played Connect Four, which she is really good at (so I didn't have to deliberately lose - she beat me fair and square). Right in the middle of a game, Wendy turned to me and said, "Teacher, we are girlfriends today!"

There won't be any posts from me this weekend, as I'll be traveling with friends again. We're going to the Jindo festival, held on an island on the other side of the country. We'll also be stopping at Jirisan National Park, where we'll do some really steep hiking and spend the night in a mountain hut. We're leaving at an ungodly hour on Saturday morning, and not getting back until early Tuesday morning (at which point I'll just have time to shower, change, eat, and get over to the school). I can't wait!

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!

Korea Has Seoul (part 2)

Lizzi and I were so exhausted from our full day on Saturday that we slept until 11:00 am on Sunday! Finally, we managed to motivate ourselves enough to get up, dress, and leave. Since we were still pretty foggy-headed, we went to a cute little coffee shop for coffees and danish. I had the foresight to pack some oranges before we left Gyeongju, so we devoured those as well. Over breakfast, we discussed how to spend our second day in Seoul. I really wanted to see a palace, so we chose to go to Gyeongbokgung Palace, which sounded amazing.
Gyeongbokgung Palace lived up to its reputation. It was huge and beautiful, surrounded by the tall buildings of Seoul and mountains. We arrived just in time to get to see the changing of the guard, which was awesome. I took some video of it, so I'll try to edit it and post it soon.
The palace was built in 1395, when the capital of the Joseon Dynasty was moved from Gaeseong to Seoul. The Japanese invaded Korea in 1592 and burned the beautiful palace to the ground. Under King Gojong, the Koreans rebuilt the palace a few centuries later, in 1868. Then, years later, the Japanese occupied Korea again, and once more destroyed the palace, this time at least leaving a couple of its buildings. Since 1990, the Koreans have been restoring the palace. So far, less than 40% of the original structures have been rebuilt. Considering how many buildings there are now, this palace is going to be colossal when they finish.
I particularly enjoyed getting to see the queen's quarters, which were gorgeous. I think I could have been very happy as the queen of that palace! I was also enchanted by the many stone figurines and had more fun than one might imagine taking random photographs with them.
One of the best parts of our trip to the palace was getting to dress up like guards. Believe it or not, it was completely free! We got decked out from head to toe in guard uniforms, chose our weapons, and went wild taking photos.
After enjoying Gyeongbokgung Palace, Lizzi and I discovered that it was already nearly 4:00 pm, with a four-hour bus journey back to Gyeongju still awaiting us. We opted to have dinner first, so we went to a fantastic restaurant that specializes in mandu (dumplings). I had the pork and vegetable mandu, along with some teriyaki chicken, vegetables, and noodles. Yum!

While our delicious dinner settled in our stomachs, Lizzi and I did a bit of browsing at some little shops that lined the street we were on. We each found adorable earrings (mine are little scorpions). We also noticed some television crews and a number of people waving Chinese flags, which we had also observed earlier in the day. As we were preparing to leave for the bus terminal, I happened to catch sight of a little ice cream stand. What a lucky sight that was! It was Korean ice cream, which comes in odd, albeit mouthwatering flavors. Lizzi got grape and vanilla ice cream, and I bought melon ice cream with chocolate chips in it. As bizarre as that combination sounds, it was simply divine.
When Lizzi and I finally got to the bus terminal, we bought tickets for the 6:30 express to Gyeongju. We had half an hour until our bus left, so we waited outside, enjoying a bit more fresh air and leg-stretching before having to sit for four hours. We were surprised (and delighted) to run into four of our friends from Gyeongju, who had taken a DMZ tour and were returning by the same bus we were on! On the bus, our friend Allison explained about the television crews and crowds waving Chinese flags that we had seen earlier. Apparently, we were there at the same time that the Olympic torch was!

It was nearly 11:00 pm when I finally stumbled through the door of my apartment. As much as I enjoyed Seoul, I was happy to return to Gyeongju. Seoul is exciting and full of great things to see and do, but Gyeongju is something truly special. It's peaceful, friendly, lovely, and for the next ten months, it's my home.

Korea Has Seoul (part 1)

Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun!

I spent the weekend in Seoul with my friend Lizzi, and boy did we have a terrific time! We caught a bus out of Gyeongju at about 8:30 Saturday morning, and spent the next four hours napping on the very comfortable reclining seats. In between dozing off, I had the opportunity to admire breath-taking scenery, as we passed by the many mountains. I love the way the hazy mist settles over the green tree-covered mountains around here. Simply stunning!
When we arrived in Seoul, Lizzi and I went to Tom and Tom's, a coffee shop, to plan out how we would spend our first day in Seoul. After poring over our guidebooks, we decided to visit the Korean War Museum. Since Lizzi majored in classics and I majored in history, the two of us are nuts about good museums. We had no idea just how lucky we were going to be.
When we got to the Korean War Museum, we decided to walk around outside for awhile and check out the many monuments, statues, airplanes, tanks, trucks, and AA guns. Needless to say, I was in seventh heaven! The Two Brothers Monument was particularly moving, as it show two soldiers embracing while the foundation beneath them splits into two parts. Powerful. There were also beautiful gardens and fountains to admire. We bought some Dippin' Dots ice cream and walked around in absolute rhapsody.
After thoroughly enjoying the outside, we went to purchase our tickets for the museum. Imagine our surprise and delight when we learned that the Dead Sea Scrolls were currently on display at the museum (on loan)! I have always wanted to see them! It cost more to get into that exhibit, but Lizzi and I readily agreed that it was well worth it. And we were right! The exhibit was fascinating. In addition to the scrolls, they also had many artifacts pertaining to Jewish history and the beginning of the Christian church. It was like having my theology books from college suddenly spring to life! Unfortunately, owing to the age and condition of the scrolls, no photographs were allowed.

Lizzi and I got so involved in the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit that we completely forgot about the war museum and walked outside before getting to see it! So, now I'll have to make another journey to Seoul to finish seeing the museum.

After the Korean War Museum, Lizzi and I were famished (and my blood sugar was ready to crash). We went to Itaewan (a more touristy area) to find a place to eat. Both of us were in the mood for Italian, so we started looking for an inexpensive Italian restaurant. We came upon a restaurant with a menu so enticing that we decided to splurge and have one expensive meal. It was worth the won! Lizzi, who is a vegetarian, found something perfectly suited to her tastes, and I had the best lasagna of my entire life.

After dinner, we took the metro out to the area where Jane's Groove (a club) is located. There was an Aussie/Kiwi party for foreigners being held there with live music, and Lizzi was positively salivating at the thought (it was, in fact, our original reason for going to Seoul). We decided it would be wise to find a place to spend the night before going to the club, as we knew we wouldn't be leaving there until the wee hours of the morning. Here is where our happy day took a more adventurous, far less pleasant turn...

We asked a few Koreans where we could find a cheap place to stay, and they told us about the Bobo Hotel. We headed off in the direction we were told to go in, and discovered that it was much further than we had been told. After an extremely long walk, we arrived, only to find that the cost was 100,000 won a night - way too much for our budgets. We decided to keep walking, in the hopes of finding a cheaper place. After two hours of walking and searching, we hailed a cab. We had the driver take us by the bus terminal, hoping to find something cheap near there. In a dark, steep alley, we found several motels, so we decided to look for the one with the least amount of lights and advertising (those tend to be the cheaper ones over here).

We found a love motel (very cheap accommodation specially designed for men having affairs) that was only 40,000 won. Since we were exhausted and wanted to get back to Jane's Groove for fun and music, we agreed to take the room. The woman running the establishment was exceedingly unpleasant, but the price was right. The trouble came when we asked for a key so that we could go out and then return. She started yelling at us, then, mid-one-sided-conversation she plopped down on a toilet and, with the door wide open, relieved herself. Lizzi and I discretely walked away until she was finished. Then she yelled at us some more, thrust back our money, and led us to the door. We decided to find a different place to stay.

Across the street was another love motel, so we went there to inquire about price. It was 45,000 won (less than $45) and we were quite shaken from the last place, so, since the man running this establishment was smiling and friendly, we made the decision to stay there. The room was tiny, but adequate to our needs. It featured a red light, lots of mirrors, a nearby condom dispenser, and an impressive selection of pornographic films (which we didn't bother to examine). We laughed, and headed for Jane's Groove. The proprietor of our love motel wouldn't give us a key to the room, but he assured us that he would let us back in when we returned.
At Jane's Groove, Lizzi and I ran into our friend Patty, who also teaches in Gyeongju. The three of us enjoyed the music, and even wound up on the dance floor with the rest of the foreigners. At about 3:30 am, Lizzi and I called it a night and returned to our love motel. The man kept his word and let us in, and we gratefully crawled into bed and fell asleep. Saturday had been a very full day!

First Trip to a Korean Doctor

Cate insisted on taking me to a doctor after school today. My sinus infection and cough that I've been battling for the past few weeks got worse over the weekend, so I decided not to resist. After classes were over, Cate walked me to the doctor's office, which is conveniently located right next to a pharmacy, just down the road from the school. I have this to say about the experience of seeing a Korean doctor - American doctors have a lot to learn!

For one thing, I didn't need to make an appointment. We walked right in, Cate spoke to a pleasant receptionist, and then we sat down in a clean, quiet waiting room that smelled like a mixture of lavender and vanilla. After less than five minutes, we were taken into the examination room. I didn't have to get senselessly weighed or measured first. Once I sat down, Cate told the doctor my symptoms and he asked a few questions. Then he checked my throat and ears with an apparatus hooked up to a computer. It was pretty cool getting to see the insides of my ears for the first time. I was delighted to see that my cleaning efforts have not been wasted!

After spraying something in my throat and listening to my breathing, the doctor made his diagnosis: bronchitis. He sent me out to use a nose-cleaning machine while he prepared the prescriptions. The nose-cleaning machine was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. I had to use it for one minute on each side of my nose. It gently sprayed something up there that made my breathing suddenly easier. Impressive! Then the nurse handed us a special solution that I am supposed to gargle each day, along with the prescriptions. Cate paid 10,000 won (less than ten dollars), and we were off to the pharmacy.

At the pharmacy, we waited for about two minutes for my medications. I have to take four pills three times a day, and the dosages are already measured out into tiny individually sealed bags. The medication cost a little over 9,000 won (about nine dollars). All total, we spent less than twenty minutes walking to the doctor, seeing him, and getting the prescriptions. As I said before, American doctors could learn a lesson from their Korean colleagues!

This Is Why I Go to Work Eagerly Every Day

The kindergarten field trip to Gyeongju World went well today. As has been the case on previous field trips, the kids behaved well and had a blast. I went on a few rides with them, and it made me really want kids of my own (again). I can't wait to raise my own little rollarcoaster fanatics (don't worry Mom, it's not happening for a few more years yet)! It was so adorable seeing their little faces light up as they climbed into the cars, or hearing them laughing as the rides moved. Few things are as joyous to see as children enjoying themselves.

We had a picnic lunch at the amusement park. Of course, kimbap was on the menu. It is the perfect picnic food, as it travels well, tastes good, doesn't need a cooler, and isn't messy. In addition to the kimbap, there was fruit, a tasty noodle dish that Angel (the Korean kindergarten teacher) made, and some dainty little sandwiches. As we were enjoying our meal, we watched a show. There were Chinese dancers, acrobats, a magician, tightrope walkers, and clowns. As I watched the show with a stomach full of goodies and an adorable, affectionate child on my lap, I found it hard to believe that this is really my job. How lucky can one person be?

On the way back to school, Cate stopped to buy ice cream treats for the kids and us teachers. After helping unload kids and backpacks, I turned to leave. Suddenly, I was apprehended by three small children (Issac, Liz, and Eddy) clutching my legs and shouting "No teacher! No go! Teacher stay!" It took some work to get free from them, and I must confess, I kind of wished that it wasn't time for me to go.

The afternoon classes all went well today, too. Since it was Friday, it was game day, which always results in happy children. Owing to a school picnic, my E2-A class only had four students today (Tim, Brian, Ricky, and John), so I was able to do a more complicated game with them than usual. I missed the other kids in that class (the girls are all really sweet), but it was nice to be able to bond a little extra with four of the boys. They are bright kids, and have very engaging personalities. I was thrilled when Tim tied for first place in the game. He's been struggling a bit lately, so I really wanted to see him do well for a change.

E5-A (my last class of the day) had another test I needed to administer today, and I was delighted to be able to give out seven 100% grades (out of eight students). I was so thrilled with them for doing well today, on top of the great job they did on their test yesterday, that I gave them each a treat after their test. We had a few minutes left of class, so I was able to play a short game with them, too. Few things feel as great as when I get to see kids that I have taught excel.

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!

Two Months!! (And an Answer to a Question)

Wow, I have officially been in Korea for two months now! I can't believe I'm 1/6 of the way through my contract already. It's a bit scary actually, when I realize just how fast the time has flown by. It's also hard to believe that it has been five months since I first decided to come here. And now my twenty-fourth birthday is getting eerily close. Where does the time go?

I remember how scared I was on the plane from Seoul to Busan two months ago. I had had such a horrible traveling experience, and I was terrified that I would find my director to be demanding and unreasonable. I was worried, too, that I would be a lousy teacher and that the kids would hate me for the entire year. I kept thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?" I felt quite relieved when I met Cate for the first time at Busan airport, but the worry came back when I woke up the next morning.

At first I couldn't figure out where I was, and I thought that the entire day before had been just a dream. I thought about what I would fix for breakfast, and wondered if Dad and the dogs were up yet. Then it sunk in that I was no longer in the same country (or time zone, or continent) as Dad and the dogs, and I gave way to a moment of panic. I couldn't believe I had really come here. After a few tortured minutes, I dressed and left the bedroom. Cate cheerily greeted me, and fixed breakfast for me. My panic left me then, and I somehow knew that everything was going to be fine. I haven't had any regrets about coming since then, nor do I anticipate any. On the contrary, I think this is a wonderful country and I wish I had longer than just a year here. I may very conceivably come back after my TEFL course in Greece next year.

Aside from being the two month anniversary of the day I came to Korea, today is also the day I finally found the answer to something that has puzzled me since I got here. Most of the streets here are very narrow, with cars parked on both sides and barely enough room for one car to drive. In fact, my bicycle and I have often had to dodge behind a parked car to give passage room to oncoming traffic. So, I have frequently wondered exactly what would happen if two cars came from two directions at the same time on one of these streets (none of them are one-way). This morning, I finally witnessed this situation. The answer to my query is that the two drivers will continue to approach one another at the same speed until they both stop mere centimeters from collision. Both drivers apparently must then glare at one another for at least one tense minute before one gives in and starts slowly backing up, while the other continues to move forward (still glaring at the other driver). When the backing car reaches an empty space, they parallel park and wait for the oncoming car to pass.

Tonight, I have plans to meet some friends at Hwangseon Park for the final night of the Korean Traditional Drink and Rice Cake Festival. There are going to be fireworks and possibly fire-eaters, which should prove fun to watch. Afterwards, we're planning to watch a British comedy show together at somebody's apartment (most of my friends here are English). It seems a perfect way to spend my two-month anniversary.

May He Bring You Hope

I have had a song stuck in my head all day long. It's a Michelle Tumes song, "Christ of Hope." Considering how long it's been since I last listened to Michelle Tumes, I have no idea what put it into my head. Still, as I was thinking over the lyrics, I realized that this song puts to music my exact feelings regarding the friends and family I love whom I left behind back in the USA:

As I travel far from kinships
As I wander far from home
May He grace you with His favor
And breathe the fragrance of His love
May His angels watch and keep you
As you slumber through the night
The gentle hand of God will touch you
As He wakes you with the morning light

May He bring you hope
Hope you've never never known
May the Christ of hope
Embrace you evermore

I know the people most important to me read this blog regularly, so when all of you read this, this song is my wish for all of you. I have not yet been homesick over here, but that doesn't mean that I don't miss all of you. It's just inevitable when you love a lot of people that you'll always be missing someone. I feel very lucky to have so many people to miss at any given moment.

Kindergartners at the Rice Cake Festival

When I got to school this morning, Cate informed me that we were going to take the kindergartners to the Rice Cake Festival instead of having lessons today. This was fine by me, as it is a particularly lovely day, of the sort that makes one loathe to go inside. Plus, it saves me the trouble of making a lesson plan for tomorrow, as I can just use the one I had prepared for today!
So, we gathered together ten little cuties (Lynn came later) and headed off to the park. It was a very pleasant fifteen minute walk, during which I questioned the kids in English about what things they could see ("Harry, what color are those flowers?" "Amber, do you see a truck?"). The kids are always eager to show off how smart they are, so they chattered happily away in answer to my questions, each trying to outdo the others by telling me more things in English. I especially love it when the kids do this in front of my boss!

Once we got to the festival, we watched another rice cake demonstration. The kids were given the opportunity to pound rice with the huge hammer, which was very fun to watch. Especially as the hammer is about the same size as the kids! After that, we walked through an exhibit on homemade paper, which was rather neat, and one on rice cakes, in which hundreds of different varieties were on display. Unfortunately I was so busy keeping an eye on the kids that I forgot to take any pictures! We next walked through another exhibit in which they were spinning silk from silkworms. At that exhibit, I took a video:


The kids also had the chance to play on a traditional Korean seesaw. It differs from the type I played on as a child in that on this type, you stand rather than sit. My friend Claire and I tried out one of these at Yangdong, and I got launched into the air a bit further than expected, almost resulting in a painful landing. Thus, I was a bit nervous watching the kids doing it, but, as they are more coordinated than I am, there were no unfortunate incidents.

Below is a video I took of the kids playing on the seesaw. The woman in the blue bubble top is Cate, my boss, and the woman in the white blouse is Angel, the Korean kindergarten teacher. Tagged onto the end of the video is a clip of Lynn and Issac playing "Rock, Paper, Scissors," which I just thought was cute.

Adding to the Curriculum

My E4-C class was quite amusing today. Apparently Geena, one of my students, saw me at the Rice Cake Festival on Saturday, but I did not hear her calling to me. When she announced that in class, it sparked a class discussion about the festival, which was fine with me. I decided to go ahead and just converse with the kids for a few minutes - they learn better conversational English that way than they do with their cheesy, pathetic Disney curriculum (Englishland). In case you haven't figured it out, I hate the book we're using in that class! It's so lousy that I actually apologized once to the kids for making them sing one of the songs in it.

Anyway, the discussion on the festival somehow evolved into the kids peppering me with questions about my social life and relationship status. Then they wanted to know all about past relationships (actually, technically that's singular in my case), so I gave in and told them what they wanted to know. It's not like there's anything rated PG or above in my past. The kids got more into that discussion than any we've had in the past two months! At the end of our class discussion, the class as a whole decided that I should get a Korean boyfriend. I just laughed.