Lovely little ones.

I am writing this because my middle of the night glass of green tea was a bad idea! I can't get back to sleep.

I love you because you are the "Juice Monster." You bring sticky bottles of sugar water to class everyday, and pour some into the cap to share with your classmates, maintaining your popularity. We have history, and I've been lucky enough to watch you grow up over the year- and develop your English. I love you because you rest your head against my arm during storytime. I know you're sensitive even though you put on an act in front of the other boys. And you never cease to stump me with the most clever hide and seek spots.

I didn't have a little sister until I met you. More than teacher and student, we are friends. I will miss treating you to ice cream, the pride I've felt strolling down the street with my little ballerina, a bright spot in everyone's day. I'm sorry I was too clumsy to master your dance moves. I hope you are always playful and quick to laugh.

You have served as an inspiration to me. You've come through hardships stronger than any adult I know, totally unconcerned with public perception. You say the most poignant things when I least expect it and you look at me like you see right through.

What's that? Party in Eva's classroom?

The no fail pizza in America is pepperoni. But in Korea? It's potato (or sweet potato) pizza, often drizzled with mayo. Today was the last day of classes for the 3 month term. I asked my students how they wanted to celebrate. "Pizza please, teacher! Please!" Ok. "Assah!"

They drank Coca-Cola and I had Coco-Palm, which I highly recommend. It's white grape juice with chewy squares of grape in it:

"Teacher, gimme some of that CocoPalm." No, it's too yummy to share.

Talk of sharing, this girl stared at herself in the mirror throughout class. Then she asked if she could go to the bathroom, and after 15 minutes I found herself investigating new pimples in the mirror.

I did something I shouldn't have. She's a rebellious student, but she's experiencing major self conciousness. I had foundation in my purse that I never use, because it's an Asian brand and the color is all wrong for my skin.

Middle and highschool students in Korea aren't allowed to wear makeup. I suggested she see a dermatologist, remembering days in grade 9 I cried, before school, because I had a massive red planet on my cheek. I could empathize so I gave her the makeup, but I hope she isn't sent to the principal's office because of it. And I hope it doesn't turn into a bad habit.

You should have seen the look in her eyes, like I had handed her a pack of cigarettes. She quickly slid it into her backpack, grinning from ear to ear. Oh oh. Am I a bad teacher?

People on the Subway

I had to share "drawing time" once more! I suggested Kei draw the Seoul metro with me. It turned out pretty cool. Recognize the pop culture icon? (No, people, not almighty ajuma.)

Drawings by Kei

Note the sharks circling around Elephant Island. He isn't going anywhere.

Coca-Cola Flavored treat for 20 cents. Really? 1950's America comeback?

Emulating his own art.

Arthritis strikes the ant colony.

The elephant, pooped out today, like Kei who is in peak exam time

Mouse soup anyone?

And he went to Hawaii to relax...

Yawn.

I'm at the school from approx. 10:30 AM - 9 PM because of intensives. It's not like sitting at an office desk, answering phones. That's a lot of teaching.

Overtime paired with the unceasing rain is making me a little tired and cranky. All I want to do is read in a stranded cottage somewhere, wrapped in a quilt.

Min invited me out in Seoul next Saturday night, so I'll let loose and take some scandalous club photos. I teach adults "free talking" from Mon-Sat now, and my list of topics is interesting. Should provide some good material for the blog. Happy Monday everybody! Stay tuned. And ya, ya that recipe's coming.

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Korean Kids and the 'Mom' figure

"What are you afraid of?"

"Getting a bad grade on a test."
"Poisonous insects."
"Snakes."
"My Mother."

This week, one student caused me a lot of stress. He ran around with scissors, he stood on the whiteboard and wiggled it. (For dramatic effect, the screws came out and it fell over, almost knocking out another student.) The class became unsafe. I heard the boy sees a therapist with his family, and has some form of ADD. He gets angry when I ask him a simple question; he whines or growls and scuffs his shoes against the floor.

I told my boss I couldn't take it. "Time out" didn't even work. I couldn't rationalize with him. The class became chaotic, and the other students fed off the energy.

My boss phoned his Mother and had a little chat. The next day, he was another person altogether. He came into class meek and lifeless. He forgot his book and sat silently, with a lowered head, not saying anything but, "yes teacher. No teacher." After class I told him I would be very sad if he left, but that he needed to show me respect. He wrapped his arms around me, with his head on my shoulder. He looked like he might cry. It was a sweet, unexpected moment.

But I don't want a fearful student who knows his Mother is eyeing him, at home, on the CGV camera. I just need to be able to manage him. I wonder what next class will hold. Any disciplinary advice, teachers?

Helen Keller in the Classroom

I don't have the game "Headbandz" in Korea, but today I made my own, and taped famous names to my students' hair. Below are Lance Armstrong, Tom Cruise and Helen Keller:

Tom Cruise: "Am I a woman?"

"No, not really."



It's difficult to engage the middle school kids. There's insatiable eye rolling. These guys are pretty sweet, but I have a naughty class. They've come up with a saying: "No concept." Can somebody give me the answer to question B? "Sorry, no concept teacher."



Advertising out my classroom window. In this heat, it has to be the worst job ever:

Expect a Korean cooking post this weekend:

Work to Dinner

Holy flying dogs! I'm glad it's almost Friday!







My students were amused by the drawing of my best friend (he only has 3 fingers) so they took camera photos:



They like to "mock" read my books:



I teach them important life skills like how to make a heart with their hands:





I owed a fellow teacher dinner, so I took him to a Japanese restaurant tonight for rice and fish eggs in a stone bowl, oddang, egg, kimchi, etc. It was raining so, in line with the rainy day pancake tradition, we were served complimentary kimchi pancakes.

The restaurant looks deceivingly fancy. Dinner for two came to a total of man won, or $10USD.











In other news, it's the beginning of rainy season in Korea, so for the next month, I won't be able to leave the house without my umbrella:

T.G.I.F.

Run away boys! You're free! This was my last class of the day: two sweethearts at an awkward age. Doesn't the boy on the right look like he's wearing prison clothes? (Aptly so.)

I asked them if they were starring in a Royal Tenenbaums sequel:

Kids in Korea

Cell phones are toys. This girl even has a pink, plush holder for hers:
"The statistics office says that teenagers between the age of 15 and 19 send more than 60 text messages every day - almost four times as many as the national average of 16.9. They also spend 14 hours a week on the computer while 20- to 24-year-olds spend 19 hours." - The Korean Herald, May 3 /07

They write revealing stories like this one. Eraser hates Pencil because she is different, and dirty. But when Pencil writes Eraser a love letter, he falls for her. "Even though she misspells the words, the letter is beautiful." They move into a pencil case together and are happy. But in the end, Eraser's Mom and Dad say, "her body is dirty. We don't like her." Then their love is over.

They come to class with English print on their clothing, and are confused when I say it doesn't mean anything.

Korean/English Language Exchange

My adult class was cancelled Saturday morning because it was a National Holiday in Korea: 어린이날- Children's Day! I threw a party for my elementary school students on Friday, complete with Scrabble and Korean snacks like dried octopus & squid, shrimp chips and chocolate pies.

Children's Day seems redundant to me. I think the Canadian mentality is that every day is "children's day," but after a bit of research I found out that the holiday is celebrated in 27 countries worldwide, including India, Venezuela and Congo.

Every Saturday after my adult class, I meet an engineering student for a language exchange. The lessons can be tedious because his level of English is quite low, and my Korean is that of an infant: "Uhmunie! Ohh-you jusayo!" "Mother, I want milk!"

I always bring a newspaper with me and ask him if any headlines spark his interest. I thought we could discuss the Nigerian kidnappings or something topical, but he chose 'University soccer.'

Here he is at Good Coffee, a coffee shop in Suwon: