Moving Day...Sort Of

Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday

Liang and Tony teacher goofing around at graduation

Angela and Charlie

Scarlet and Christine

My spacious apartment. I wasn't kidding when I said the drying rack takes up all the living space and I have to crawl around.

It's been steadily raining ALL DAY. It's actually been perfect weather to stay focused on packing, laundry, and cleaning up. I heard it was supposed to rain today, so I fully took advantage of yesterday's 12 degree sunshine. I had an early start at the gym, went for lunch at our Korean usual spot (my last weekend in the neighbourhood), walked some stuff over to my new apartment, read my book outside sitting by the river, and ended the day with dinner and drinks in Sanbon with Christian and some other friends. It was a great day! I took a break today and met up with Ashley for coffee. I have no desire to move the rest of my stuff in the rain today, so I'll do it tomorrow after school. I should be sleeping in my new digs by Tuesday. Weee!!!

Mercury class with the Treasure Island cast

This week was seriously nuts, between school stuff and pesonal stuff. The 7-year-olds' graduation was on Thursday. This means that the teachers for these classes had Friday and will have tomorrow to prep for the start of new classes on Wednesday this week. Tony and I are still teaching the 5-and 6-year olds...but I also have to prep my classrooms and materials for Wednesday. I would LOVE to have had those two full mornings for that! Tony is changing schools, so it doesn't matter as much for him. Jennifer's last day was Tuesday, and Colin, her (and Tony's) replacement started then as well. We had a field trip that days as well, to see "Treasure Island", the musical. It was in Korean. I have a pretty high tolerance for cheesy kids' shows, but this was not my cup of tea. Perhaps if the singers had been better...haha. Enough ranting!

As classes are coming to a close, and testing and report cards are all finished, I've been doing random extra things with my kids. In Mercury class, I started with the letter "A" a couple weeks ago, and we'll spend time brainstorming words that begin with that letter. We've made our way through the alphabet. My kids make me so proud with the words they come up with. They brainstormed 60 "S" words!!

Last week, Julian, John, Liang, and Alvin were all just having a silly day. John is one of my go-to role model students. He is so smart, kind, and generally well-behaved. This particular day though, he just couldn't sit still. I made the poor boy cry. Like, sobbing cry. I told the four of them that they had to sleep at the school that night. I am a terrible person. John is super sensitive though, and I calmed him down pretty quickly. Teehee.

Can you imagine John in tears?

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, three elementary classes combine and I teach them multimedia. The last few weeks I have been showing them Magic School Bus episodes. Wow. What fantastic writing. I've fallen in love with the show all over again. I swear it is written for adults, too. The jokes and puns are hilarious. The kids love the show.

I teach two 7-year-old boys a very beginner elementary class. They joined later in the school year, so the last week, I've been reviewing with them material that they missed from the beginning, but not directly from the book. I've been ending the classes with word searches of the vocabulary words. These are boys after my own heart: they look for the words in the given order, and they scan the letters, line by line, very methodically. One of the boys, Timmy, will be joining the morning kindergarten program in March. Yey! He is so sweet and smart. I'm excited for him.

In fact, I am excited to start the new year. Two homeroom classes is slightly overwhelming, but my schedule is still manageable. We have new course books to teach from, and I am super pumped about them. They have social studies, science, and math in them, too! I already teach my kids math, just for the fun of it, even though they have a Korean math teacher. But now it's part of my curriculum too. And, the kids get science for 80 minutes a week now, instead of 40. Woohoo! On the down side, I will no longer be teaching yoga or song and chant class. These are being assigned to the Korean teachers. It's doesn't mean that I can't incorporate song and chant into my classes anyways. I always do...

I'll miss having these two silly little monkeys in my class (Alvin and Liang). Because they are younger than all the other students, they have to stay in Mercury class (they are not yet 4-years old, North American age). It's ok though, my new classroom is right next door. It's not like I won't see them every day!


Laundry and tidying are calling, once again! Tata for now. xo

Mint Car

Venus arts and crafts - Eddy and Chloe

Christine

Justin (Grace's brother)

Lucy and Ryan

Alex

Mercury story book class - Matthew

Christine

John working on his story book pages

The sun is shining, the weather is warm, I am happy. This past weekend I totally took advantage of the great outdoors…taking long walks along the river, sitting on the rocks with my journal, taking in the warmth. On Sunday, as I sat writing, I was able to take off my jacket. It was BEAUTIFUL! Many people were out and about – walking, running, blading. Perhaps spring really is in the air! Next week will be March, after all…

Birthday love from me, Elly, and Phil

Saturday night was Tony’s birthday party. His girlfriend arranged a surprise dinner at this amazing tavern in Seoul. It was a buffet spread, with AMAZING food. I was laughing because we had forks and knives at our place settings…not something I’m used to seeing! Everywhere else it’s chopsticks and spoons. There was a great turnout of people, and we went to a club afterwards. Once again, I met some more fun people that I will likely hang out with again!

With Hana, party-planner extraordinaire - out in Hongdae

Happy Birthday, Tony!

I can’t believe next week I’ll have new classes, A few of my students will be staying behind in Mercury, simply because of how young they are – Liang, Alvin, and Grace. Of course I’ll still see them every day but I’ll miss having them in my class! Alvin will ALWAYS be the cutest kid to me. Almost every day he blows his nose into his hand, without a tissue, and I have to tend to it. It never phases me and I still think he’s adorable. I have to say though, when I hold the tissue to his nose, he has skills. Not all kids have that ability, and at his age too; it’s really quite impressive!

Slight change in plans, as usual. I will still be teaching my current Mercury kids (they are the 5-1 class: Korean 5-year olds in their first year of English), but come March they will be the 6-2 class, Venus. I was supposed to have the 7-2 class as well, which would be SO awesome for planning, because they have a lot of the same course books. However, I'll now be teaching the 7-3 class instead. This is the most senior of the kindergarten classes. I am really pumped to have them actually. They are the current Venus class, and I already know them from teaching them twice a week: arts and crafts, and multimedia. I love these kids. I would feel safe if we left it up to them to run the world. Such great kids. More work, but such is life. Minor details, really, and not necessarily things you need to worry about, or follow. I'm just rambling.

I’ve been going through each letter of the alphabet with my Mercury kids, brainstorming as many words as they can that begin with that letter. We started a couple weeks ago. Yesterday, we were on the letter “S”. My kids came up with SIXTY words!!! I am so proud of them.

Out for Korean BBQ with Jennifer

Today we went on a field trip to see a musical - Treasure Island. It was so cheesy with flashy lights and strobe lights...a kids' show! The students all loved it. Unfortunately it was all in Korean so I really couldn't follow it! Haha. Today was also Jennifer's last day, one of the foreign staff. Colin, who is replacing her, started today so changes are happening already. Thursday will be the graduation ceremony for the 7-year olds, and then only the 5- and 6-year olds will be left for Friday and Monday classes. Tuesday there is an orientation for the new students coming in, then Wednesday, March 2 marks the commence of the new school year. Bah!

Oh! Took Ashley out for dinner on Sunday for her birthday. It's always great to hang out with her. I skipped out on Happidus on Friday again, and opted for an early night. I think I was still recovering from the previous weekend! Haha. I was awoken by phone calls - one at 12:30am and one at 1:30am, from friends wanting me to come out. Sorry guys, rain check. You woke me up!

Time for bed now! xo

All You Need is Love

Monday yoga class

Grace!

Happy Valentine's Day to all! Sending love, hugs, kisses, and warm fuzzies your way. Have a most wonderful day!

Goodness, I am tired. Sleeping is not something I did this weekend. I miss the feeling of being well-rested, like I was for my entire holiday. I'll get there, just give it a couple days. Being a social butterfly is hard work! haha And actually, the gym perked me up a little this evening. I will sleep well tonight. Friday night I was back at the old watering hole, Happidus. It was good to see all those lovely, familiar faces. Met some new folks, too! It was a fun night out, as always. Saturday I ventured to Itaewon in Seoul with some friends to watch our friend, Neil, perform in a group called Actors without Borders. It was an evening of Shakespeare monologues, snippets from various plays. It was quite entertaining! The house was full and most people stuck around to socialize afterwards. Guess who I should see there? Hunter! It was a pleasant surprise. We were briefly reunited at the second bar we ended up at. Because I had been out the night before, the plan was to catch the last metro back to Anyang. Well, that was unsuccessful, especially because the second bar we went to was filled with so many Anyang residents that it would have been rude of me to step out early! haha So...Melissa, Neil, and I ended up catching the FIRST metro back on Sunday...it was about 7am by the time I got home. Oops. Saw some Sanbon friends on the metro ride home. How is it that we keep running into each other? Oh. And I just missed seeing Tony at the third bar we went to. Anyways, now people can stop teasing that I haven't stayed out for a night in Seoul. It was an experience, one that I likely won't repeat in the near future. I like my sleep! haha

With Neil

Me and Hunter!

I keep forgetting that I am moving at the end of the month! As excited and eager as I am to be in my new digs - bigger, brighter, and CLEANER! - I've been thinking lately about all the things I'll miss about my current place. I'll miss my neighbourhood and its friendly faces - the food vendors that know me and with whom I exchange hellos every time I pass; my post office, again, where I am frequent enough that the elderly couple knows me and practices their English with me; my corner bakery, where I indulge in a brownie-like treat every once in a while; the convenience of the post office and bank, such that I can visit these places and speak with my people BEFORE work, rather than having to go on lunch break; my Korean restaurant, which I can still frequent on weekends (in fact all these places I can still return to), but it just won't be a two minute walk away. Of course, the pros of the situation are far greater, and it's not like I'm leaving the city or the country (yet anyways). Just feeling sentimental towards the little things. They count!

Last Thursday, I was in a very silly mood at school (actually, this is quite frequent). I walked into my last class of the day, sing-songing the name of the students' grammar text. For whatever reason, this set me off in giggles; the kind of giggles that I can't control. I had to step outside of the class to compose myself, take some deep breaths, and calm down. My kids must think I'm crazy!! (Aren't I, though?)

February birthday - Jupiter kids

On my way to school last week, there was a truck parked such that I would have to completely walk around another way entirely to get to school...it was blocking the throughway to the parking lot. Solution? I climbed into the back and jumped off.

I really love these random fish pastries that are sold on the streets everywhere. It is a pancake-like dough, filled with red bean paste, and pressed into the shape of a fish, in what looks like a waffle-making machine. Delicious. I discovered another tasty treat on Sunday, too. Another pankcake-like pastry with HOT LIQUID CINNAMON inside. Heavenly.

Love love love!! xo

The Girl with the Inspire Tattoo

Year of the Rabbit

I just finished reading Stieg Larsson’s first book in the trilogy – the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I couldn’t put it down. I was so grateful for my holiday last week, as I definitely dedicated much leisure time to reading. Ahh. I have the second one with me, but I think I may read something else before I move on to the next, just to change things up. I’m happy to be back in the habit of reading more though. I’m much busier here than I was in Poland so I hadn’t been reading as much here as I thought, nor compared to Poland. Books are such a great escape.

Spring is in the air…! Sort of. Or at least last week anyways. The snow has melted and the temperature has been about 5 or 6 degrees each day! (Today it’s only going up to about 1 or 2.) Wednesday was my first day off, and it was a perfect one. I had a total “me” day. Besides getting some laundry done, I cooked a delicious green curry and coconut milk-based soup with some spices I brought back from Thailand, I took a lovely walk (in the SUNSHINE!) along the river and ran into two of my students, I went for a coffee date with my book, and I (unexpectedly) went shopping. It’s not every day that three dresses look good!

Thursday and Friday were exploring and sight-seeing days. Jennifer and I went to Seoul on Thursday. It was a ghost town, due to the Lunar New Year. It was a really nice experience! Personal space! We started off at Namdaemun Market, checking out all the different vendors. Red ginseng and clothing and dried fruit…lots of fun things to look at. After that we went to Namsangol Hanok Village, a traditional Korean folk village. So THAT’S where all the people are! It was PACKED! Traditional dancing, drumming, kite-making, writing blessing, and games took place. People were wearing their costumes as well. And oh the food vendors lining the streets up to the gates. I had my first mystery meat on a stick. I think it was chicken. It was good! After that we went to Myeong-dong, a neighbourhood with lots of fun shopping. We ran into some people we know from Anyang! A delicious BBQ dinner, a little more browsing, and a good night’s sleep.

Friday we ventured to Suwon to see the Fortress. After getting distracted by the markets, we found the fortress entrance and meandered around. It was actually kind of confusing to navigate, but we eventually found the dragon trolley that brought us to the archery field. It was super impressive how far some of the locals can fire those arrows! I received a text message “you’re looking sexy on that tram”…turns out another friend of mine was there and saw us go riding by. It definitely made me laugh. After a day of walking, we stopped for coffee and honey bread. I had Jejube tea…it may have been the best tea I’ve ever tasted. I think it helps that it was organic and loose-leaf. It tasted like honey, or dessert-y, yet not too sweet. The honey bread was almost like French toast. Mmmmm. After that, we hunted for Galbi, another Korean dinner. We did some more browsing in shops along the way. It was my first experience with Galbi, and WOW, it won’t be my last. It’s yet another communal Korean meal where it is prepared at your table. It’s a meat and cheese and vegetable mixture, in which you can add rice to towards the end, to clean up all the good stuff.

Saturday and Sunday were relaxing – reading and errands and catching up with friends. I got so much sleep over the holiday, I am still feeling refreshed now!

I can’t believe it’s Thursday already! I don’t know where the week has gone. I am slightly overwhelmed with social obligations this month. Because February is the end of the school year, many teachers finish their contracts at this time. This means good-bye dinners and farewell parties. Plus, I know about four birthdays all happening NEXT weekend! Eesh! I know it’s all good things, so I’m not complaining. Just bare with me if I’m not as in touch this month! In addition, finishing the school year here and prepping for the start of next year has me very busy at work, too. I will likely have TWO kindergarten home room classes, instead of just one, so that’s double the preparations!

I’m looking forward to the weekend. A friend of mine is in a Shakespeare performance on Saturday in Seoul so I’ll be heading to that with some other friends! It’s been a while since I’ve gone to Happidus on a Friday as well! I did make it there on Monday for a quick pint with a friend that’s back in town. He was looking for some familiar faces to see!

Hope you’re having a good week, wherever you are! xo

Writing good wishes

Happy New Year!

Mercury - rehearsing

Masters of Ceremony

Mercury - The Ants and the Grasshopper

Pluto - Alice in Wonderland

Venus - 24 Robbers

Lunar New Year, that is! Three cheers for a five-day weekend! I feel it is quite well-deserved now that festival is over.

Friday evening I skipped out on Happidus (GASP!). Tony and I wanted to go over our festival script. We had some good laughs doing that. We also went shirt and tie shopping for him, so that he could match the scarf I was going to use as a shawl with my (black) dress. The store people couldn't get over the colour of my eyes and thought I was wearing contacts. Awww. Then it was early to bed for the big day...!

The festival show did, in fact, go splendidly on Saturday. I was SO SO proud of my Mercury kiddies. I wanted to run from the MC podium and give them all big hugs after each performance. I was definitely fighting back tears. Julian, who at every rehearsal rushed through all his lines and would try to stage direct rather than participate in the dances, was spot-on. Alvin had a costume mishap in which is ant antennae fell off, but he handled it well and the audience thought it was adorable. Scarlet is a natural performer and was beaming the whole time. All the kids - the other classes too - were fantastic. It went smoothly, and it was fun! Tony and I had a grand old time as MCs. I'm not sure all of the jokes translated, but there were some laughs...especially when we did some more animated humour: my Taekwondo attempt, Tony eating a cookie (after a performance of "Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?", the more slapstick stuff.

The day was certainly a long one though. At school for 9am to assemble all the props and some children, load the buses, unload on location, full dress-rehearsal (lunch WHILE we ran through it), the show, clean-up and return everything to the school, and staff dinner. It was a 13-hour affair. Some of us staff went out to a bar and then onto Norae Bang (kareoke) afterwards. It was a ton of fun. We definitely rocked out and sang a lot of songs. We were all exhausted though and didn't stay out too late.

Hana and Elly

Norae Bang - Karen and me

Sunday was both relaxing and productive. Along with my usual weekend errands, I made it to the gym and had time to read. I met with a friend later on for a drink, too. A great day, really!

Monday regular classes resumed, but today at school we had Lunar New Year activities with the kids - a slideshow presentation about the holiday, and some games: tug-of-war and darts. The kids also did a bowing ceremony, Sebae, that's performed for their elders (us!). They all wore their Hanbok, or traditional costumes, today. Beautiful colours.

Tug of War - Juldarigi

Bowing - Sebae

Oh! Exciting: it's SO mild out now! It's only -2 right now...usually by the evening it's at least -10. Highs this week of 5 and 6 degrees! Perfect for my days off of sight-seeing and walking about!

Pictures to come soon! Now time to relax....ahhhh.