"TEACHER YOU ARE ROMEO AND JULIET AND DIE, DIE"

Last Friday I made my all time favorite little student, Ray, cry. It was not at all on purpose. He was offering me a cherry tomato that he had brought for snack. He just kept putting it in my face. I said, "No thanks, Ray. I don't like tomatoes." This was at the end of the day, so I was busy putting shoes, and coats, and book bags on. I was sorta running around making sure every one had everything they needed and Ray kept punching me in the stomach. He sometimes does that so I ignored it for awhile, but then they turned into really hard punches and I said, "Ray, stop that hurts." I then looked at him and he had tears in his eyes. "Ray are you mad at me?" He just shook his head yes. "Why, Ray?" Then in the most heartbroken, sad voice, while trying so hard to hold back tears, "You don't like tomatoes." I felt so bad. I told him I would eat one. He didn't want to give me one anymore though. So I just gave him a hug, told him I was sorry, and thankfully he forgot about it by Monday.

Today one of my students asked me if I knew what son of a bitch means. Yes, I speak English. I know bad words in English. I think he thought he might be able to stump me with that one.

Some words are hard to define to students. Today we had the word cool. How do you define cool other than saying, you know...it's cool. Cool. It's undefinable. I think cool just is. To define cool would be like taking the coolness out of it.

Last week I had one of my classes write a diary about 10 things they want to do in their life and why. It mostly turned into 10 things I want and why. Most diaries were full of things like I want MP3 because I want MP3. There were a few gems though. For example, Jenna, one of my favs, wrote...I want a baby brother because I want to tell man what to do.

Going on a trip down south this weekend. Hopefully I'll have some cool pictures to post from that. Other than that, I hope everyone is doing well. Talk to you again soon...

"TEACHER, YOUR NOSE IS CRAZY I THINK."

6 Month Anniversary Today!!!!

What have I learned? Not much Korean that's for sure. I did, however, decide I wanted to learn Spanish, so I now have a weekly Spanish lesson with a friend here. Sometimes I don't understand my logic...why not learn Spanish while in Korea?...but I find it best not to question.

What else have I learned? Let's see...I still haven't learned to always pull the knob out of my faucet after finishing a shower. I sprayed myself in the face just last night. It's actually a bit scary when you thinking you're turning your faucet on only to get sprayed in the face.

I have not learned where all my hair comes from. I could pull two handfuls of hair out of my head each day, and pretty much do, and there is still hair all over my floor, and still tons of it on my head. I don't know how I don't go bald when I lose so much hair. I'm not complaining though, I don't want to go bald. I just don't understand where it all come from.

I have not learned how to get myself out of bed before I actually NEED to get out of bed. I don't think I will ever understand people who just wake up before they actually have to, and actually get out of bed and get ready for the day. The only time I tell myself, Ok you need to wake up and start the day now, is if the clock reads like 2:30pm. Otherwise I stay in bed until the last possible minute. I will never wake up with time to spare.

I still haven't learned what it is I want to do with my life, well as far as making a living goes. I know lots of stuff I want to do, I just don't know how I'm can make money doing them.

I have learned how to live without TV. I could have lived without it before. I had friends who doubted that, but now I can prove it. I just watched it because it was convenient and easy. I'm fine without having it on.

My body has pretty much become accustomed to the food here too. This past weekend I basically ate Western food the whole weekend, and had an upset stomach. I really think it was because I was lacking on my kimchi intake.

I have learned that working with kids is exhausting, hilarious, frustrating, fun, annoying, etc., etc. Sometimes you feel that your talking to brink walls, and then you feel like you are talking to sponges. I have learned that its pretty amazing to sit down with kids and have conversations with them. You never know what they are going to say. Emotions run rampant when working with kids, for them and us.

Well I gotta get going to Spanish. I have much more, but maybe I'll save that for a later post.

Hope you all are doing well. Laters...

"I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE SONG."

"YOU THINK SO, OR YOU KNOW SO?"

"I THINK SO."

That conversation right there is basically what teaching at a hagwon, private school, in Korea is all about. Never knowing exactly if you know exactly what is going on, never being able to get much of a straight answer out of anyone, then when you think you've gotten the answer, you get a different answer 20 minutes later.

I'm not meaning to complain. I'm a pretty easy going person, so the constant changing of plans doesn't really bother me. It's just fun to observe, and only slightly frustrating.

Teaching is an experience. Teaching English is another experience. Teaching English in another country is another experience, and teaching English in Korea is a whole other experience.

The other day one of my classes had to to write down their favorite fruit, and five reasons why they like that fruit, in complete sentences. This class is supposedly supposed to be in the second to the highest level at our school. Here is what Brian wrote:

My best fruit is pineapple, Because is so good. So so good. So so so good. So so so so good. It's yummy

Last Friday I had an annoying thing happen, but it was turned into one of the funniest things all with the help of a cute, little, sarcastic 6 year old. I had just started my kinde class for the day. We had finished asking everyone how they were, and why they were in that mood, and we were working on weather. Then our supervisor(whom I do really love, but that day she just really urked me) opened the door and asked my kids why they didn't have any books out. I don't know why she asked them, and not me. They didn't know what to say, so they just sort of looked from her to me. She then asked them if they know everything so they don't need books. The answer Ray gave was just priceless. Here's how it went down...keep in mind these kids are 6 Korean age, so probably 5, and in their first year of learning English, and also keep in mind Ray is a super cute kid who wears loose leggings and a fleece zip up everyday.

Supervisor: Why don't you have any books out?

no one answers because they don't know what to say...I mumble something about we are about to once we finish with the weather and such...she says something about them needing to finish their phonics books...I say something about yes we are going to do phonics we are just finishing the daily intro crap...she then turns to the kids:

Supervisor: Do you already know everything, so you don't need any books?

Ray: Yes, thousand thousand hundred know everything.

Supervisor: I'm sorry I don't understand.

I am super thankful for my school though. Schools that don't have a pretty solid reputation shut down somewhat often around here. I know two people who had to leave because their school shut down, and I know another three people who have till the end of February to find a job or leave the country because their school just shut down. It is somewhat luck of the draw when you come over here to work at a school. I'm super happy to be teaching at a good school, with a pretty good reputation.

That's about all. I think I'm going snowboarding again this weekend so I'm looking forward to that. Other than that not much new or exciting. I'm anxious for the weather to get warmer. There's much more to do when it's warm out.

Peace out...keep on keepin' on.