Clicking My Heels

I am amazed at how easily I've worked myself back into American society. I expected more awkwardness and being overwhelmed, but perhaps that is only because I had to make such a drastic adjustment on the other end. I was worried that maybe I wouldn't fit any more, that possibly people have adjusted without me and I had adjusted without them. But after a couple of sleepless nights and wondering through the stores for bit, I felt back in the game. I've talked to people I haven't talked to in over a year as though we just saw each other yesterday. I spent an entire day with one of my best friends, who got herself a husband and a baby since I left, and we slid right back into our easy conversation and sarcastic banter back and forth. I can sit with my family and still feel connected and like we have so much to share with each other. It feels as though it has been ages since I've gotten to do some of these ordinary things, yet they still feel ordinary. Of course, everyone I know would love to have a few weeks off where they could do whatever they please....so I'm extremely blessed in that aspect alone. Those weeks may not have been spent as well though if I hadn't been out of the loop for a year. I can appreciate things I never even thought twice about before - Taking pictures at the botanical gardens, sitting in a park, roaming the library or bookstore, going for a long walk or jog, cuddling with an infant, not watching movies by myself, baseball games, dinners, dinners, dinners. And I got back just in time for the best weather of the year! Good Lord it has been gorgeous!

And So It Goes

I'm finished. I cut my cake, cleaned out my desk, and said my goodbyes. Gloria and Ellis latched onto me, Alice gave me an iced latte with a note claiming I was the best teacher she ever had, Rachel gave me a card telling me she'd never forget me, Monica said she would go to the airport and stop my plane, and Mary gave me her lucky marble and cried. Not to pat myself on the back too much, but those are some great terms to leave on. And knowing that I was not simply the fun, always had a good time teacher, but that I actually did my job at the same time makes me all the more proud. I was professional, reliable, and trustworthy and knowing that I was respected by my peers and left on good terms is a great feeling, and a real confidence booster....despite the fact that they took advantage at times.
I was talking to my fellow American teachers the other day as well as a couple of the Korean teachers and they were all filling me in on how worried they were for me at the beginning. Now I remember having a difficult time adjusting because no one told me what the hey was going on and I could not get myself in line with the drastic change in my sleeping schedule. I was delirously tired and overwhelmed, but apparently I was rather aloof as well and had a number of them wondering how long I was going to last. One of my Korean co-teachers, Jay, decided to let me find my own rhythm and help when she could, and said all of a sudden I seemed like I had it figured out. Shannon ran into me at the drinking fountain where I said something I don't remember but had her cracking up all the way back to the teachers' lounge where she announced that I was "all right". But Nick was the first one to tell them I'd be fine because I was great at coming up with things to do with or without other people. And that's how the last couple of my days here went down. We had a going away dinner for me on Thursday night, BBQ, which ended with us sitting at table outside chatting about music and books and politics after over 5 hours. Friday night, when it was all said and done, Nick and I hit up a little Irish bar and took one of the dart championships. Somehow after that we ended up atclub blaring house music and chilling with some moshpit of Koreans who are the most entertaining group of dancers around. My "night " didn't end until they kicked us out and I got back to my apartment at 7am. Today was my last day though, so I got right back on the subway without on any sleep and headed to the countryside about 2 hours outside of Seoul. I was granted a gorgeous day in the peace and solitude of a little farming village with rice and bareley fields, massive sunflowers and marigolds and little thatched roof houses surrounded by stone walls.
This past year was stressful and wonderful, the most rewarding and the most challanging, and I can look back and honestly say that spending a year here was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Let's Take a Shit, and Have a Coffee

So I lied. A few posts back I claimed that I had embarked on my final hike here in Korea. But I ended up hiking at the temple with the monks, and I got to the top of Wonhyo Peak with, Song, one of the enthusiastic hikers I had met a couple weeks ago. He was so excited to have found an American who he could guide along different courses and who would practice English with him. That being said, let me explain the above title to this post. Song speaks very little English, and the English he does speak is accompanied by a thick accent. So when he says things like, "Let's take a seat," it sounds exactly like, "Let's take a shit," and leaves me speechless with anticipation. I was unsure, obviously, as to how to handle such a request, other than to simply decline the invitation. Thankfully, he kept his pants on, sat down on a nearby rock, and pulled out a bottle of water while I attempted to refrain from busting a gut with laughter. I knew this was gonna be one for the blog, but for a minute I was thinking it was going to be a little more graphic.
When we started the hike, it was nice and on the sunny side, but about 15 minutes from the peak the sky began to rumble and within moments we were caught in a torrential downpour. I was about to climb to the top when I spotted the most perfect bolt of lighting touch down on the neighboring peak. Absolutely stunning, something I don't believe I've ever seen before, and quite frighting. We attempted to take cover until it let up, but I was in sweatshorts and a t-shirt which soaked right through. After watching the rain come down in blinding, cutting sheets, it eventually let up and we made it to the top. Knowing that I had been sick and concerned for my "health" Song took me to a hiking shop an bought me over $100 worth of dry, water resistant hiking gear. I told him that I was leaving in a week, and tried to explain that there aren't any mountain in the midwest. He didn't seem to care, telling me I was a great hiker and really seemed to enjoy it so he trusted it would all come in use sometime in the future. Well okay then. I better continue my new hobby at home. Then he bought me dinner and about 3 cups of coffee to warm me up.

Today one of my elementary students, Jason, brought me a bouquet of roses with a note that had him apologizing for the fact that I had to be his teacher. Definitely putting that one in the scrapbook. Then Monica brought me a mocha coffee with a note that said what a great teacher I was and she would never forget me. And my Mary, wrote me another note saying "I love you". Man, this is really bitter sweet.

Friday, I'm In Love

I love Thursdays. They're sandwiched right in between my 2 rough days. On Thursdays I teach kindergarten for 3 hours in the morning, then have a 2 and a half hour lunch break, then teach to elementary reading classes in the afternoon and am finished before dinner time. That break is the perfect length - not too long to keep me putting around anxiously, but long enough to give me a breather. So I go sit in Dunkin' Donuts,or the likes thereof, with a cup of coffee, my ipod, and a notebook. I've managed to fill pages margin to margin with reflections and recounts, short stories, what ifs and what nots, poems, etc. I hope I can get it all organized in a descent amount of time and send it off somewhere.
Fridays, on the other hand, are brutal. I teach a full morning of kindergarten and a full afternoon of elementary, yet still get out of there before any of the other foreign teachers! Rather tiring. Especially when you're sick, and have been sick for well over a week. I swear I've gotten sick more times this year than the previous 2 years combined, maybe 3. It started as a lot of itching and watery eyes, followed by some hacking, which was soon paired with extremely clogged sinuses and then a pounding headache, more hacking of phlegm, and now a combination of all the before mentioned, plus a bit of a rash to intensify the itching and such. I finally caved and went to the doctor the other day, receiving a prescription of about 5 different pills - none of which seem to be particularly helping thus far. If its not all taken care of in the next 3 or 4 days, I'll have to return to the doctor so I might not get stuck on a miserable 21 hour trek back to the States. That was a good thing about this Friday - I only have one week left!!! That's right, I'm down to less than 2 hands for counting down. Excited is an understatement. I got (and still get) excited on Christmas Eve and the night before we left for vacation. I got excited on the last day of school, and when Mom decided to make breakfast for dinner (the best!). But this is a feeling I don't think I've ever felt before. Its like when we got a Saga Genesis for Christmas when I was 9 - multiplied by about 10. I know I'll think about these kids later on and miss them, and I know I'll have moments when I think it would be nice to be out and about in Korea, and who knows, maybe I'll be back sometime. But I also feel like it was a good run, and I need to stop running for awhile. I don't think my kids were too happy when I reminded them today that next week was my last. It didn't help that I chopped off a bunch of my hair again last night either and they can now no longer spend time running their little bugger fingers through it. I heard a couple gasps when I walked in today, and some disappointed sighs when they walked behind me and tried to grab a handful.
But the littlest oldest lady on the subway this morning told me I had "a nice shape." So somebody is a fan....of something.

Chop Away

There are some religions which practice such acts that I haven't fully classified to be dedication or just useless....I, logically, believe there are rules and regulations as to the function of the Universe, ways to conduct yourself that are beneficial to those around you, things which build your own character and whatnot, that don't necessarily need to be attributed to a religion - they're just good and goodness makes things better. Though I would never be drawn to embracing my life as a Buddhist, I found myself completely fascinated by this whole different lifestyle as I sat inside the temple at the foot of a mountain. They wear no fancy clothes, eat no particularly fancy food, no fancy sleeping arrangements, only the highly decorated temple is fancy. They're up before the sun - 3am to be exact - and begin a day of meditation, chanting and worship, fellowship, more meditation, and making treks up and down or around the mountain. You must not wear your shoes in any part of the temple, and the toes must be facing away when you leave them at the door; you bow three times, knees on the floor, butt to the heels, upon entering and exiting the temple; you start each day off with a significant # of bows, most commonly 108 - for the 3 parts of your body (inside, outside, middle), multiplied by the number of senses (6), multiplied by the good form of the sense and the bad form (2) multiplied by the past, present, and future.
I was starving and exhausted when I left late the next morning, there was definitely a peace I had found there which I find very sacred. To just do away with everything else...To sit in complete silence, with no TV, no ipod, no computer, no throng of friends yakking away, not even a book to entertain myself - just sitting with nothing but myself and God - is something everyone needs once in awhile.

Also, the Sunday before, I went to the Seoul Arts Center which was really cool to wander around as it houses the national ballet company and the Korea symphony, as well as about 4 museums. After a couple hours there I ended up getting to see an awesome theater show, which I haven't gotten the opportunity to do here yet. It was called Nanta and all took place in a kitchen, where 4 chefs do a whole routine based on percussion of the pots, pans, and utensils. It was kinda like STOMP, with some food in the mix. Funny and way awesome. I'm putting my last few weekends to good use.

Goodbye Blues

My kids have been hilarious lately. They've been busting out in random song, accompanied by funky dance moves. They've been doing funny voices and suddenly repeating something they heard me say in passing. Jason does a whole a gorilla routine that has me cracking up every time. Ellis told me that I was taller today than yesterday and Mary told me that I was "just so cute." Monica said that she wanted my nose and when I told Alice, "You're killing me," she calmly replied, "Teacher, I'm not a killer." They all think its the greatest thing ever when I speak Korean, and gasp with an impressed "ahhhh, teacher!". And Peter is just the happiest kid ever and nearly busted a gut today when I had the class drawing different faces of expression.
I told my kindergarten class earlier this week that I was leaving soon, asking them to do a super good job at the Speech Contest because it was my last one. I didn't expect them to be thrilled about it but they were much more upset than I think I anticipated. Mary followed me around the rest of the day saying, "Don't go, please." Now every time I say something that includes "before I go" or "when I go" I get a collective whine from the class. I get a pit in my stomach whenever I think that I just may never see these kids again. Kids I have spent nearly every day with for the past year. Kids that have made me laugh and cry and shout, who have given me headaches and hugs, high fives and I love yous, stickers and candy, who made me confident and proud, angry and frustrated, happy and appreciated, who have honestly, probably taught me more than I've taught them.......and its a bit painful to think that they may forget all about me with time.

Put It on a Post-It

Yesterday my co-teacher, Jay, told me that before she walks into her most challenging class every day, she prays. Her most challenging class also happens to be my most challenging class - a pod of highly energetic and competitive 8 and 9 year olds who have been in English classes together since kindergarten. They don't like to be outdone or shoved out of the spotlight at all, and things can become rather heated if that occurs. I've had to make kids stay after class, make them write sentences, I've had to make them stand out in the hallway, pull them out into the hallway, send them to the principal, have their mother called, and so on. I hated that class. There have been days I've walked out of that classroom and thought, "Did I just spend the past 15 minutes arguing with an 8 year old.....and they won?" I thought for sure that before the end of the year either I was going to kill them or they were going to kill me. I would get so frustrated that everyday I would tell myself to ask my boss to switch classes with someone else; I should have been doing what Jay does. When she said that, I thought of my tendency to enter prayer as if its a job interview, not the same fashion I would text message a friend as she made her prayers sound. If I could pinpoint the greatest lesson I've learned while being over here, it would be to acknowledge God in every way - big and small, every time I have the chance, for its not so much to remind God that He is who He is or what He has done or anything like that, but to remind myself. There is a quote I read from C.S. Lewis once that states, "Prayer doesn't change God, it changes me," and I thought it had gotten it then, but I don't think I really have until now. Prayer doesn't do anything for God; He doesn't need me or my praise or my begging and pleading for anything He wants to take place. It doesn't make a difference to Him. And that's just it: I can say how happy I am, how angry I am, or how scared I am. I can say things like hallelujah, like hate, or like shit, and He sees me the same way through all of it. I'm reminded of a friend telling me awhile back to make sure and tell God when I'm angry, even if its with Him because God already knows, but maybe I don't know, and if there is anything God really wants, its for His children to feel as though they can go before Him and spread everything out on the table. Get rid of the shame or fear. He doesn't need us to, but wants us to, so that we can open up and have the chance to be settled. If I walk on egg shells around Him, which I am inclined to do, I will never fully grasp onto anything useful.......
Over the past year I have had moments of realizing how incredibly important my seemingly insignificant life is in God eyes, how He has made sure to provide big blessings, and heaps of small ones as well. And how something as small as an incredible view or a good laugh or a warm conversation can make all the difference in my day.

So my class and I have endured. Nearly a year later, we're still together. We're at a place where things can generally be solved peacefully; not always, but I've become mindful of their sensitivity, and they've become mindful of my authority........The same can be said of the worse class runner- up - they were out of hand when I got them in March and have slowly become more and more manageable, so that now I don't dread going in there everyday. I think a large part of that is due to Jay. Thankfully, I got paired with the best co-teacher in the school for both of these classes. Just another reminder....

Overlap

Does feeling the need to defend yourself automatically make you guilty? As if you felt okay about it you wouldn't care what others thought? I know this is not so, but why am I so hesitant to offer my religious beliefs as an answer to why? I've never wanted to be grouped into the "one of those religious people" category, fearing that such connotation would form negative opinions from people - someone who follows a strict set of rules and regulations; someone who merely does what they're told and doesn't think for themselves. I don't have all the answers, but by now I have come to peaceful conclusions about enough things to offer, what I believe to be, reasonable explanations as to why I don't do or say certain things, or as to why I TRY to not do or say certain things. But I find it very difficult to express some of these. I've had a couple of key encounters here that have challenged me as far as taking a stand.
I have a co-worker, who I try not to judge, but sometimes feel judged by her as I believe she falls into that category - the "one of those religious people" category. I simply don't find a lot of logic in some of her statements, and find myself wanting to put her in her place so to speak. Sometimes I think she looks at me as though I don't practice what I preach, or as though I don't preach enough. Let it be known that I enjoy an occasional glass of wine (especially on a rainy night, or around Christmas, or with pasta) and a good margarita (especially with Quesidillas) and don't feel it causes any rift between God and I. But she, a Mormon, believes there lies a contradiction, as does drinking coffee (caffeine=a drug). I have to refrain myself from commenting as she drinks Coke or hot chocolate, or pops Advil like vitamin C. I get upset and defensive.
And at the same time, I have sat in silence when someone has asked me about church or drugs and sex or whatnot. I want to go into the all the other complications that arise from such activities - the law, addiction, emotional ties, unwanted pregnancy, disease, etc, etc,
but can rarely offer the simple answer of not wanting to dishonor the Lord. All are warranted, solid, true. And I have a real distaste for the arrogant and self-righteousness; I don't feel the need to make a remark every time someone does something I don't agree with.... yet, am I backing down? Chickening out? Coming up with stupid excuses? I go to Church; I believe in God. Why are those such difficult things to say at times? Especially when I believe in God as much as I believe in the Earth being round.
This is my present contemplation, just to throw out there......

Swing Low, Sweet Mexico

I was sitting on a bench outside the Seoul Investment Center with some random band pumping out songs by every rock group from the 1960's and 70's when I had one of the most liberating and surreal moments of my life. People were getting their groove on, fueled by quesidillas and margaritas, and I was just sitting and watching. I suddenly thought, I don't know if I'll ever be back in Korea, and I don't know if I'll ever be back at Mexipolooza in Korea, but I for certain won't ever be at Mexipolooza in Korea with an Asian man doing hardcore Kung-fu to the Beatles.......so I Kung-fued with him. I think either Amy or Nick may have gotten a picture of it, but if not I would like to sing praises to my high-kick. My numerous viewings of Karate Kid paid off and it was pretty sweet. There were a good number of people there to witness it as well, though they were surely all too drunk to remember it. I'm just glad I didn't make contact with anyone, but they probably wouldn't have remembered that either. I thought for sure that this particular martial arts performer was wasted, and that he was from the depths of Korea which is partly what spurred my involvement. However, he turned to introduce himself - in perfect English without even a trace of an accent - that he was from Long Island, New York and taught at a University here. Whoops. Anywoo, the food and drinks were great and so was the chance to have a Saturday afternoon out and about with people.

Heart Training

Maybe he said "hard training" but I like my initial admission better. I summitted my fifth, and probably last, mountain here in Korea yesterday. I returned to the first mountain I hiked nearly a year ago. I had attempted to do so last weekend, but since I still don't know where I'm going half the time even after 11 months here, I ended up getting off the bus at the wrong stop and walking in the opposite direction.....so I gave it another go this Saturday. And it was hot; possibly the hottest day we've had this summer. I could feel the sweat sliding down my cheeks and back, soaking my clothes.

I've started every one of these expeditions by myself, mainly because no one seems anxious to join me, but I never feel like I've made the climb alone in the end. At some point along the way, I'm seemingly adopted by some enthusiastic hiker, or hikers, who feel the need to take me under their wing.
About halfway through the 865 meters - the beginning of the real rugged terrain - a man handed me a cookie. Moments later, another man began asking me where I was from, why I was here, how long I would be staying, and with an ear to ear smile wished me "wonderfully journey to my destination." It was shortly after, and expectantly, that another somewhat older Korean man began chatting up a storm,mostly in Korean, and then continued to lead the way for me and take concern for my well-being: making sure my footing was right, giving me water and iced coffee from a thermos and some fruit. He told me all about the area, about how much he loves to hike and how many mountains he's conquered, about how he once saw a tiger when he made this climb a few years back. He took pictures for me at the top and as we descended he called his teenage daughter so the two of us could have "girl talk." When we got to the bottom, a good 4 hours in all, he insisted upon buying me dinner so we stopped at a small mountain chow shack at the foot of Bukhanson with a load of hikers. He told me about his job and told him about mine, and then we commented on the greatness of Michael Jackson's and U2's music. Everyday I realize more and more how I'm always provided for, even if its just in the form of a companion for a brief time.
And as I was making the tiring trek back to my apartment I couldn't help but think about how I'm going to miss these random chance encounters my life here has given me.

We're Kaleidoscopes

The humidity and wet season have driven my back to the gym. The manager seemed so excited to see me that I think she wanted to give me a hug but refrained. Though the locker room situation here is one I will never adapt very well to, I do rather like my reputation.
We're back into the swing of things at work, which wasn't nearly as difficult as I had anticipated after lying around on the beach and in hammocks for a bit. Last week flew like an 18 year old cruisin' Lindbergh on a Friday night, and this week is following close behind. I think the kids have flown off the handle though, at least the kindergartners, while my elementary clan has taken to some surprising form of Zen that has them being quiet and completing their homework. The girls still chatter about nonsense (I can pick that up even in Korean) and the boys still make some obnoxious noises, but they have all grown on me. I have always been all gun-ho about the kindergartners because they generally love you no matter what...and they're just cuter. But in their defense, the older kids don't always see my most charming qualities; I get them in mid-afternoon, after I've taught a full morning and into early afternoon of kindergarten. So I'm expecting to be cut a little slack by the older kids. They've been impressing me though, and we've been having some good laughs.
I discovered Tom (my Henry #2) is a sticker fiend, and so I line up a row of stickers at the beginning of class and deduct them each time he gets up out of his seat(today it was only once, as opposed to the average 10 or 11); Dorothy, who was one of the slowest in the class 8 months ago, just posted the highest score on the comprehensive exam that all the students had to take; I couldn't get Jinny or Ethel to say a word to me when they first started, now they read aloud, ask to carry my books for me, and show off their new apparel; David cried in class and hardly played with any of the other kids, and now he gives them high-fives and chases them down the hallway. However, it's still much more fun to get the 4 year olds to say okie dokie, booya, and rock on. And it still makes me smile when Justin plops himself and his toothless grin down on my lap, or Jason does the same with himself and his big head.

I'm back on the up and up. The past weekend had me somewhat disheartened, I think just because I spent so much time alone. I've also generally been tired of somethings - food, lugging water, getting lost, sleeping on the floor, cleaning out the drain, etc. Woman days in addition don't help, if ya know what I mean, but as excited as I am to go home, I'm also thinking, "What the heck am I going to do once I get there?" Of course I have catching up with people to do, but after a month or so of that, I'll need other activities; I'll need to make money. That worries me. And it worries me that I only have 5 weeks of this grand adventure left and I might miss out on something because I'm concentrated on going home. What if I'm bored when I get there?
But that shouldn't be where my mind is at. It should be on making these last 5 or 6 weeks awesome, and wrapping things up here to bring back one extraordinary time period of my life. It should be on how blessed I've been here, and how much I've learned and expanded. And it should be on how I need to make sure I put time and effort into the relationships I do have at home, and to be thankful for those hugely awesome things and even those tiny, seemingly insignificant things such as garbage disposals. I should be thinking about how I always thought I wasn't very brave, and how I somehow managed to pull this off. And, thus, I should be able to pull off so many of the things I've been afraid of for so long. A friend from church asked me why I haven't seriously pursued writing since I told him it was what I truly wanted to do. No reason, I said, other than being chicken. "What are you scared of? No one is going to kill you!" That was like a slap upside the head. A guy I've know and seen once a week, if that, for 6 months just totally pointed out my hiding spot. I should be thinking that the possibilities are endless....
This post seems like its all over the place, but it also seems like I haven't blogged in forever. I have more, but I also have a Skype date and a water fight with kindergartners tomorrow that I need to be well rested for.

Spread the News

A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Daily Dark Chocolate Good for the Heart, Loaded With FlavonoidsBy Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News

Here’s news that’s hard not to like. Eating a small, 1.6-ounce bar of dark chocolate every day is good for you. Very good for you, find Mary Engler, PhD, RN, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues.

Now here is a medical experiment you would love to volunteer for. Engler’s team divided 21 healthy adults into two groups. One group got a Dove Dark Chocolate bar every day for two weeks. Like other dark chocolate bars with high-cocoa content, this one is loaded with something called epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavoniods. Flavoniods keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.

The second group that didn’t get Dove bars wasn’t totally left out. They, too, got dark chocolate bars. But their treats had the flavoniods taken out.

All subjects underwent high-tech evaluation of how well the blood vessels dilate and relax — an indictor of healthy blood vessel function. Blood vessel stiffness indicates diseased vessels and possible atherosclerosis. Those who got the full-flavonoid chocolate did significantly better. Why? Blood tests showed that high levels of epicatechin were coursing through their arteries.

“This is the longest clinical trial to date to show improvement in blood vessel function from consuming flavonoid-rich dark chocolate daily over an extended period of time,” Engler says in a news release. “It is likely that the elevated blood levels of epicatechin triggered the release of active substances that … increase blood flow in the artery. Better blood flow is good for your heart.”
Why Dark Chocolate Is Different

Not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate. And standard chocolate manufacturing destroys up to half of the flavoniods. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavoniods.

Sure, this seems like a scam. Can’t you get more and better flavoniods from other foods? Surprisingly, the answer is “not really.” Engler says that dark chocolate

“Many people don’t realize that chocolate is plant-derived, as are the fruits and vegetables recommended for a healthy heart,” Engler says.

While a little dark chocolate is good, a lot is not better. Chocolate still is loaded with calories. If you’re going to eat more chocolate, you’ll have to cut back somewhere else. And remember that a balanced diet — and plenty of exercise — is still the key to heart health.

Engler’s study was funded by the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing. The American Cocoa Research Institute, a nonprofit group funded by the chocolate industry, provided the chocolate used in the study.

The findings appear in the June issue of the Journal of the American College ofNutrition. Engler previously reported the findings at the 2002 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association and at the Experimental Biology 2003 meeting.

The Other Orient

Lying flat on my stomach, I feel an immense amount of weight on both my hamstrings and crank my neck back to spot a small woman standing straight up in Wai position before grabbing my ankles and pulling the two of them over her shoulders towards my head. I willingly subject myself to being pulled and prodded, yanked and snapped for nearly an hour, and announce to my inflicter that I'll happily be back.
Shortly after signing up for Korea, I caught the Travel Channel taking a leisure tour through Thailand and decided it would be on my list of places to travel once it was only a hop skip and a jump away. I picked 8 days out of my summer vacation and along with a coworker, picked 3 places we could make the most of our time.

Day 1

Up at 6:30 to finish shoving things into my backpack and call Mom to let her know I was leaving. Rushing to meet Amy at the bus, who also put some things off until the morning of, thus, forcing the two of us to run to catch the bus as we spotted it pulling up. Forgot a pair of shorts, a razor, and my ipod.....the latter making an 8 hour flight even longer. From Seoul to Kuala Lampur sitting behind a super cute U.S. family with 3 girls who were moving for Dad's job. The airport is completely surrounded by palm trees, miles and miles as far as I can see. After a short layover, we board for Bangkok and I sit next to another fellow American who has called the city for over 20 years and graciously gives us a few pointers: only eat the street food if you've watched it be cooked and never get in a sit still taxi. Successfully check into our hotel in downtown Bangkok before searching for a boxing match that doesn't take place.

Day 2

Up at 5 am for a 6 am pickup - a tour guide from the Jungle Rafts whips us through Friday morning traffic. I can feel my stomach shifting from side to side as he disregards cars merging, stop lights, and motorbikes, all braking and accelerating as they please. We're taken to a tour bus loaded with other passengers, all destined to the river Kwai. More traffic to cram into and get your heartbeat going....Buddist monks roam barefoot, children walk to school in uniform, old women sell fruit on the roadside, business men bike in between taxis. Bangkok has a similar pace as Seoul, but a different feel - more rundown and less industrialized. After a ride on a longtail boat down the river, we arrive at the bridge over the River Kwai and take a walk back and forth. Then head to the war cemetery. By lunch time, we're checked into our lodging for the next 2 and a half days - The Floating Jungle Rafts. A string of bamboo rafts tied together and anchored in the middle of the river, each equipped with two huts, a hammock, and picnic table and no electricity. Over our beds hang mosquito nets and our toilet flushes by pouring water from the river into it. Everyone meets for lunch at the large center raft where an unlimited amount of delicious food is brought to us. After eating we head over to the Hellfire Pass and walk a portion through the jungle where scattered railroad ties still lie. The pass was part of attempt to build a railway between Burma and Thailand, enforced upon POWs by the Japanese during WWII. Work by torchlight at night gave the pass its name.
Until dinner, we swim in the river and indulge in a massage back at the floatel. Once the sun goes down, the entire place is lit with gasoline lanterns, the drum sounds and everyone meets at the dining raft for a night of food and drink. The night is capped off with a native dance performance by the Mon Tribal people which = awesome.

Day 3

Wake up to elephants bathing down by the river. Breakfast is coffee, ham, eggs, and fruit. Then we take off into the rain forest to the Mon Tribal Village. The Mon are a group of people locked in a stretch of Thai jungle, mixed blood of Thai and Burmese, the first not granting them citizenship and the latter not allowing them to cross the border. They live in bamboo and banana leaf huts, have elephants roaming around and piles of coconuts in their yards; a open air school sits in the middle as well as a temple; kids run around barefoot and clothes dry out the windows; men strip the hides of ox and women sew bright fabrics.....its a scene straight out of National Geographic. The owner of the floatel - a Frenchman named Gus - has graciously allowed them to help out with all his tourists and backpackers who frequent the lodging. So they clean up the rooms and cook and serve food and drive the boats up and down the river and give massages and learn English, Dutch, German, and whatever language passes through. It's truly fantastic.
Along with one other couple and a couple flashlights, we are then taken inside a lava cave in a mountain in the jungle. Bats sleep overhead and incredible rock formations jump out of walls, sending shafts of light and casting cool shadows all around us. Its so humid I can feel the sweat rolling down my back and legs, but its still worth the trip.
Back at the floatel for lunch, and the afternoon is spent at the tiger sanctuary. A group of Thai monks have erected a site to raise and protect the countries' tigers, and you are allowed to mingle with them a bit. So we get to pet them (huge beasts with course fur) and have our pictures taken, watch the cubs run and chase each other and just marvel at these awesome creatures. We make the trek with a very friendly Australian couple who chatt the whole way there and back. Dinner, of course, is a highlight once again. After a very limited diet for the past 10 months, it'sa huge blessing to be able to treat our taste buds to something different. And the ambiance of the place made it even better. Amy and I chatted away the evening with a lady from Holland and her two university children, then return to the hammocks.

Day 4

Following breakfast Amy and I head back into the jungle to hitch a ride on an elephant. After assisting us up into the "saddle" a tiny Mon dude situates himself nearly on the head of the elephant (a 37 year old strapping fellow) and takes off into the damp, mud caked bamboo forest. The palm trees sprinkle water onto us and mosquitoes swarm at our ankles as our transport leaves behind massive, knee deep footprints. The elephant picks up speed and our driver bounces up and down with his bare feet tucked behind the elephant's ears and yelling out in Thai, shifting Amy and I from side to side. Our elephant is so riled up towards the end that he takes off while I have one leg still in the saddle and one stretched out to the hut on stilts. Rather than fall with a thud to the mud below, I hit the deck laughing hysterically as our elephant takes off to join the others at the pile of bananas. Sadly, when our ride ends its time to say goodbye to the Jungle River Rafts. We load our things into the longtail boat, stop for lunch and head to Death Railway. Its a clunker of a contraption, a true piece of history sporting its wooden seats and panting across the countryside. Along with the group of travelers from the floatel, we wined across the river and beside farms. The next few hours are given merely to travel - a bus back to Bangkok, waiting around for our overnight bus, an overnight bus to Trat on the coast, getting to the ferry and then across the water to the island of Koh Chang.

Day 5

We're safely at our resort but have over 4 hours before we can check in. Leaving our bags with the reception, we hit up a convenient store for food and reading material and head to the beach where we lay out without sunscreen. Mistake. Followed by another mistake of not having water proof sunscreen with more than a 30 SPF before heading back down for the afternoon at the beach. But the view is wonderful and so is the sound of the waves which bring handfuls of shells up on White Sand Beach. We swim and build a sand castle and clean up so we can find a place to settle for dinner. Right on the sand, down a long stretch of the coast are little restaurants and bars and grills with lawn chairs and lanterns set up, and good music and cheap drinks.

Day 6

We get picked up outside our hotel for a day of snorkeling. For less than 20 bucks, we are provided with gear and are taken to the pier to board a boat which escorts a group to 4 different islands. As soon as I jump in and put my head under the water I can spot the multitudes of colorful fish and coral beneath me. Hours pass as we circle the islands and snap pictures with our underwater cameras. One of the guides takes my camera, tells me he will "find Nemo" and then plunges down to where he is no longer visible and returns with a huge smile on his face. One of the islands holds only a single resort, and the sand is almost as white as snow and the water is a florescent blue. After showers, a little shopping, and another massage, the evening is given to the beach once again. I feast on shark and a fresh coconut shake while watching fire jugglers.

Day 7

We check out of our hotel, leave our luggage at the desk and rent motorbikes. Yes! for about 6 bucks we each have our own for 24 hours so decide to do some cruising up and down the coast. There is virtually no traffic - only the occasional truck taxi and fellow motorbikers. The sun is out and we roll up and down the hills and past the palm trees and cut around corners. We even spot wild monkeys swinging in the treetops. The opportunity to buy more cheap souvenirs appears and we stop at the pier to browse. Everything here is cheaper, and I find myself buying a couple of things here for 1/4 or 1/5 the amount I would pay in the States. E.G. Burkenstock sandals and Ray Ban sunglasses. If they're knockoffs, they pass for the real deal.....
After 3 or 4 hours, Amy decides she's had enough. No more bikes for her, and it being only 3pm without any other plans for the day, I am pretty disappointed. Not gonna lie, I am having a ball tooling around on those things and the breeze feels great on my burnt skin. But I'm getting even more burnt, so it may hbe for the best to call it quites. Though since Amy pretty much puts a halt on our plans for rest of the day (no beach, no bikes) and I am uncomfortably red, the next few hours aren't that enjoyable. We have to find another place to stay that night, so our $20 a person (though how can you really complain about $20 a person for a beach front resort with a big clean room, cable TV, and breakfast buffet?) goes to about $13 a person. There is some silence over dinner but we ended up letting these 2 Thai women braid my hair and then top it off with ice cream (not the hair, the night).

Day 8

Sleep in, move slow, watch TV, and get our crap together to check out. Spend the next 5 hours or so on the beach, eating lunch and drinking fruit shakes in between playing in the water. Do plenty of reading and relaxing and watching kids have a ball. Finally say our goodbyes and discover the difficulty of getting off the island - no one wants to take you back to the pier. This takes a good hour. Eventually retrace all of the same steps for getting there except fihd a mini bus with only 3 other people on it who gets us back to Bangkok in less than 4 hours, so no overnight bus and getting in at 4am. We actually get to check into a hotel and get a bit of sleep.

Day 9

Last day. We want to see some of Bangkok but didn't really know the best way to do that before having to be at the airport by dinner. The hotel clerk throws out a few unappealing suggestions which have us going to attempt to navigate the adventure on our own. Until a little old taxi driver is parked in the lot of the hotel and sees us with our backpacks. "Where you want to go?" We don't really know, but tell him when want to something of the city since we're leaving shortly. "Floating Market. I'll take you and your bags, there and then to the airport." How much? This guy will drive us an hour and a half, wait around for another hour and a half, and then drive another 2 hours equaling over half of his day, for about $45. Done deal. "You talk to me directly, they don't know what they talkin' about," he says pointing at the hotel. So we're off to the Floating Market - a jungle of canals right outside Bangkok and an endless sensory treat. Long wooden boats stacked with handmade dolls, masks, hats, drums, bags, paintings and carvings line the canals. Little old women with fruit and drinks and corn on the cob and homemade banana chips or coconut pancakes drift by. If you point to something you notice, a hook will take hold of the boat you're riding and pull you closer.
They like to quote ridiculous prices to a tourist, and my father's businessman influence comes in handy. I'm quite proud of 350, 450, even 600 Baht getting dropped to 100 Baht. Amy even recruits me to get her a few gifts for people. Further into the canal system are peoples' homes and a school where kids wave to us as we pass. When we return to the taxi our driver has a fresh coconut with the top cut off and a straw for each of us. That's what we sip on headed to the airport.

Having vacation was nice in itself; the fact that it was spent in lying around in paradise and rubbing tiger's bellies was magnificent.

Happenstance

My beloved jogging shoes

Thanks, Mom and Dad

Nick's act of "vandalism" to my calender at my desk

The mess that ensued while trying to defrost my freezer

The bakery right by my subway exit in my neighborhood

Shoes, shoes, shoes

The church I attend on Sunday afternoons

My curriculum

A visitor

March Into Symmetry

The rain is different here. It shoots like pellets rather than falling like a shower, as the wind whips around the high rise buildings. It rains hard, fast, verically in sheets until the clouds have rung themselves out and then rest only to refil and have another go. It's not as pleasant as it is at home, maybe because the sky doesn't break open with light afterwards, but rather remains in a thick grey haze. Maybe because the air isn't refreshed, but a grimy cloak from a congested city. Maybe its because I don't have the same comforts as I do at home - an oven to place some chocolate chip cookies and a tall bookshelf to browse before choosing something to nestle into the couch with. Heck, I don't even have the couch. But I can run in the rain here as it is rarely accompanied by lighting or even thunder. I'm often soaked, from hair to shoes with arms and music pumping into a blinding downfall, and afterwards somehow manage to feel better.

I have 2 month left here in Korea. A week of that will be spent in Thailand, while an extra week at the end might be tacked on for Taiwan. I'm trying to use my time wisely and make the most of it. I still find pleasure in little things, like a good jog or a good cup of coffee, a compliment from one of my students or a random grammatical error on a t-shirt, finding fudge pops or finding flip-flops in my size. Today I enjoyed a great meal at an Indian restaurant - a welcomed and exciting change from tofu and rice. I read "The Lion King" to my kindergarteners who were completely enthralled, and we danced to "Rockin' Robin". We played "Teacher Says" and made our own kites. I invented a game for my elementary students and stuck stickers all over my head to make them laugh. Next week is a short work week, accompanied by a fun activity day on Tuesday and being treated to a staff dinner on Wednesday. Then......well then its off to Thailand for 8 glorious days of elephants, tigers, hiking, waterfalls, boating, scuba diving, and lying on the beach doing absolutely nothing. Don't worry, I'll take plenty of pictures so you can all ooze with jealousy.

The Heart of Darkness

I find it frustrating that the darkness can have the same affect on me as it did when I was a child. The nights used to nearly paralyze me when I was younger, and it took great courage to trek up the stairs by myself or when the lights hadn't yet been turned on. It could even hold me back from venturing to the bathroom when needed. I would only make it to my parents' room in an all out sprint across the hallway and bounding in bed in between the two as though they were barricades. When I finally stopped sleeping in my brothers' top bunk or on their floor in a sleeping bag, I had a "nightlight" that was really a desk lamp and lite up an entire corner of my bedroom. The door had to be cracked and a pile of stuffed animals turned into a shield which flanked the side of my bed that wasn't pushed against the wall. I lined them in order of size starting with the biggest near the top - my huge panda bear was bigger than my head and thus blocked out my entire view save for the little crack in his armpit so I could keep a lookout. Then came my mama Koala bear, followed by my two Pound Puppies stacked on top of each other, a random white seal I salvaged from a garagesale, and lastly, the baby Koala bear. Much of this fear was created by some frequent and intense nightmares, but even now I find myself more vulnerable while lying in bed. Things I haven't thought about all day will creep up and become monumental worries, snatching hours of sleep away from me.
I will toss and turn over something I should or shouldn't have said, over a phone call I have to make the next day, someone I have to confront, over something someone else said, something that's even days away.... Maybe it's simply time, obligation; the day requires so many things to be done, I have less time to analyze, and so as I attempt to slow my mind down, it only races ahead with possibilities.
But maybe these moments are also preludes to my most challenging trials when it seems nothing is certain, that everything is hidden or that I will be lost to something which I could not recognize, yet when my faith is most imperative. When I must hold tight to what I know to be true: that the darkness will eventually give way to light, each and every time.

"When you go to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you............" Deuteronomy 20:1

A Warning ToThose Seeking Bilingualism

The Most Ridiculously Spelled Words in the English Language:

Beautiful
Knight
Plumber
Tough
Through
Blonde
Vacuum


The Most Ridiculous Principles of the English Language:

That all plural forms of nouns don't follow the simple "add an S" rule ( shoe to shoes, but foot to feet?)

That a verb takes on an S to be singular except of course in the case of the pronoun I (he likes, I like)

That a verb drops the S to be singular when it is proceeded by a helping verb ( he doesn't like, he did like)

That I comes before E except after C except for words like neighbor, weird, weigh, eight, either, seize, foreign, etc....

That you can't have a verb in past tense form along with a helping verb in past tense form, making the "Be" verb the most confusing thing a kid has ever encountered (did run and ran, were running

That read and read are spelled the exact same way

That spoon is pronounced with a long O, while flood is pronounced with a short O

To the Moon and the Bathroom (needed a better title)

This morning I came across the greatest invention not known to man: the rocket toilet. Curtesy of a six year old. Voice activated with a remote control, the rocket toilet will meet you wherever you find yourself in a bind. That's right, you'd never be subjected to running around in a frantic search to relieve yourself when nature calls. The assignment was to draw what they would want their home to be like if they had to live in a tree like a bird. Peter really took off with the idea, illustrating an apartment building, a swimming pool, and the rocket toilet. That simply had to be the highlight of my day.

I've had so many encounters over the past week its hard to rehash them all. From a late night hip-hop party at a bar which involved lessons on how to do the "sunflower", to coffee and conversation with a South African couple, to biking along the river in the most glorious weather, to a homemade meal at one of my students' home,
to a slide show of southwest America by a Korean university student in his home, to a fancy meal out with random and rich couple I ran into, to a book offer, I've hardly had time to breathe. Besides working nearly 9 hours or more a day, everything has come as a surprising and immense blessing. Even though my days seem to just run together, the time does pass and that's much better then sitting around all day twiddling my thumbs. I am finding it hard to keep up, especially in the classroom (I caught myself dozing off a couple of times today), but I realize I'm in the last leg of this experience so I'm goin' with it. I'm coming out of my shell, big time, yapping about all kinds of things to all kinds of people, and I'm getting to plan the next 4 or so....I like planning and see a lot of opportunities for me to partake in the future - things like rocket toilets.

Sign on the X

I told her I'd think about it even though I had already thought about it and reached a quick 99.9% accurate conclusion. She caught me off guard though and my best moments don't show themselves when I'm caught off guard, nor do my most honest ones. Maybe it was a way of saying, "I'm gonna keep you hanging for as long as I can" but I think I generally have a tendency to lead people on, especially over here. Between a language barrier and cultural differences, I get lazy. Let people assume what they want, say "yeah, sure" if it means I don't have to try to explain something again............
The "boss lady" asked me if I wanted to renew my contract, and the "boss lady" doesn't generally talk to me, but I don't generally talk to her so that's that. I wanted to ask, "Are you crazy?" and follow that by a list of reasons I would not be renewing my contract with Wonderland Junior English Academy but I left her with an I'll think about it. I have thought about it, in all honesty, but realized I just don't have it in me. Truth be told, I didn't always think I had it in me to complete one year which is why I thought about it. These past 9 months have been unbelievable and invaluable, changing me and blessing me in ways I couldn't have imagined. And I still have 3 months to go! I wouldn't be completely closed off to the possibility of another year in Korea, sometime down the time line, but I know it wouldn't be with Wonderland. They were maybe the right school for me this time, as I am still alive and kickin' but, I couldn't keep up with this pace nor could I be taken advantage of again in some of the ways I have. I don't think any of this is going to come out when I give them my verdict; I'll say no, thanks anyway and be on my way because I figure what's the point? They are who they are and will surely continue to be. So I'll take what I can, be thankful for what I can, and be really excited to come home soon with everything I can carry.

Recycling

Mary, one of my kindergartners, loves to write me notes and draw me pictures. She even moreso, loves putting them in envelopes and delivering them to my desk in the morning. In the first picture, she tells me how much her baby (sister) loves me, even though the two of us have never met. The second picture is "obviously" her under a rainbow, though she does not really have brown hair. The third picture is my favorite because she appears to be promising me gifts of socks, a car, and bread? And she wrote it on the back of her report card she was supposed to give to her mother......
She also drew a picture for me on the back of a picture which one of her classmates drew for her!

Birdseed Shirt

"...there are so many times when you need to make a quick escape, but humans don't have their own wings, or not yet, anyway, so what about a birdseed shirt?" - Oskar Schell

When you're blond and in Korea, people automatically assume you're either (a) an English teacher or (b) a Russian prostitute. I think I might have recently been mistaken for the latter. It must have been my sweat pants, t-shirt, tennis shoes, and tussle of hair pulled behind my head.....Next Saturday night out I'll go for the high heels, mini skirt with fishnet stockings and the bright red lipstick, and maybe I'll avoid weird encounters with older men.

I am unsure of the reason so don't bother asking, but apparently there is a rather large, or exclusive, Russian population here, and for another unsure reason the women have a reputation for being prostitutes. I heard the stories not long after I got here to be aware if someone inquires about being Russian as that usually indicates that dude is looking for, well, you know what. I was roaming around in a shopping mall in a subway station when a guy from Africa approached me and asked if we could get something to drink. This is not uncommon; people are generally pretty excited when they speak English and meet someone who also speaks English. So I obliged, and even though he wanted to trek across town I insisted on finding a place right there because people were plenty and I'm not stupid. I was thinking coffee, but we ended up at a fried chicken place right by the subway where he asked me where I was from. I found out nearly an hour later that my U.S.A. sounded like U.S.S.R. which quickly explained why he was making me uncomfortable. Buddy, get rid of any ideas you have right now. Oh, no, I didn't know where you were from when I first asked you. Right, except for the fact that I have an American accent. He offered to pay for dinner and we ended up talking about teaching and Africa for a bit, but he soon went back to making me uncomfortable. So rather than give him my phone number when he asked, I lied and told him I didn't have a phone and had to meet friends for a movie. So back off and bye-bye. It's all good and I was never in any danger (so don't panic parents), but I kinda wish I had picked his pocket or........hit 'im.

Abraham's Plea

I have called You Father,
I have called him son,
Who will tell his mother
Of what I have done?

I have little courage,
Have You any heart?
If You take me further,
I will surely fall apart;

Is there another man,
Or am I the only one?
Is there another option,
To show You I am won?

There is little reason
Yet still You request,
But I know for certain,
This can only make a mess;

His blood will stain my hands,
His cry pierce my heart,
And when I hold his body,
From him I will not part,

Glory comes in sorrow,
Glory comes with fight,
But if I cannot obey this
Will you turn me from Your sight?

I have called him baby,
I have called You Lord,
I cannot choose between
The two that I adore;

As an act of faithfulness,
Please put my mind to rest,
And still my spirit's distress,
That this is all a test.


-Cassi Klipsch, 2009

10 Speed

There's busy, there's hectic, and then there's insanity. I've progressed from the first to the second and am on the verge of the last........as my co-workers say, hell breaks lose next week, so I should enjoy this stage while it lasts. After a round of lesson plans, report cards, phone studies, and teacher's workshops, we've moved into rigorous planning for next week's Speech Contest and Open House (which really means open classroom as all the parents, and whoever else they decide to bring, get to sit in on your class). After that horse and pony show, we will be forced to conduct the next session of school a teacher down, due to the recent and not-so-wise actions of a fellow American. In short, don't hit kids 'cause you'll get fired. In the midst of all this I picked up two students for private tutoring lessons twice a week. And apparently, North Korea wants to demolish this place. So I've been a bit preoccupied. I remember when I was in college, taking the max course load and working at the YMCA, my church, and nannying, and how I got my highest GPA that year our of all 4 years. I also remember being utterly exhausted and needing to crash in the midst of it all right around Christmas time. So while I'm thinking that this schedule may be somewhat benefitial, I know I won't be able to go at this pace too long...........luckily, I will be able to have my crash in Thailand. Our plane tickets have been purchased! And I'm looking forward to that.

A positive was that the principal's observation of my kindergarten class went very well today - despite Justin throwing Ellis' crayon out the window. It's no secret that I hate things like that. But I received no criticism at all which surprised me, only praise, and I think they'll be ready for the Open House. This past weekend I also made it to the zoo and Nick and Amy asked if they could tag along so I actually had company, as well a non-Korean meal of chicken tacos. I just can't eat much more rice, and wish I knew how much I have solely consumed over the past 9 months. Rice and tofu, dude. A tiny country of 50 million eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and somehow never run out. I've been looking at recipes on Martha Stewart's website which is just torture. At least I have Ma and Pa's chocolate.........I did, however, start a list of things to do and eat when I return. It's gonna be a party and anyone who wants to join is more than welcome.

Tutoring, by the way, is awesome and the zoo had no panda bears. An Asian zoo without pandas, what the flip?

Field Notes II

• All the women wear high heels everywhere. And I do mean everywhere: on the subways, to the park, to the beach, up the mountain......

• My hair is all the rage. Actually, my hair and my eyes, but particularly the hair. It's long, it's blond, and it's soft. The kids will run their hands through it, try to braid it, mount it on top of my head in a big mess, take fistfuls. I was sitting at a restaurant a couple weekends back when the hand of a grown woman came at me from the side just to stroke my locks.
  

• Right behind my hair, pencil cases are also the rage. It's all about how cool your pencil case is. They're decorated with everything from cartoons to pop stars to princesses to race cars to candy to random English phrases. Some of them have built-in pencil cases, dry erase boards, stamps, electronic games.
  

• There are no copyright laws in Korea, which is why all the music sounds the same. And why you can buy things with Gucci, Dior, Armani, and Prada stamped on it for a 1/4 of the normal price.

• Public peeing is not uncommon, especially since there aren't many trees in the city. I've seen kids relieve themselves in the street; taxi drivers pull over when nature calls and use the nearest sidewalk. The other day Amy and I were sitting at the local convenient store when a guy walked up right beside us and took a leak right there. Though it wasn't very pleasant, I was laughing so hard I had to walk away.

• There are a lot of words that are the same in Korean and English such as lemon, mango, chocolate, massage, bus, cellphone. Most kids don't realize this and with surprise when they first hear you use one. The other day I said "tomato" and one of my students gave me a thumbs and a "good job" because he was convinced I was speaking Korean.
  

• McDonald's delivers.
  

• When we go on field trips, the parents send enough food for their kids AND us teachers, which is awesome.

• They have started putting up glass doors along the subway station tracks. Korea is the world leader in annual suicides and the most common means to end one's life is to throw themselves in front of the subway.

• I go jogging in the park now that the weather is nice; bright and early - 6:30am, and get more "hellos" and high fives then you think would be available at that hour. 3x's a week there is an aerobic group that conducts under the bridge and I am very inclined to join them.
  

• I spotted this house on a hiking trip a couple weeks ago and was aching to go inside and check the layout. It's like a tunnel!
  

• 
  

Just Call Me "Joe"

One of my favorite movie scenes and something to remember throughout the day:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1EOnVSSJYs

Excuse Me, Have You Met Your Child?

I've had Tom as a student for about 3 months now. He is now my student because he has been passed around to just about every other teacher until they tire of him and pass him off in shifts. I had heard stories about him for about 6 months before actually having him in the same classroom with me. "It's kinda like working with a special needs child isn't it?" remarked Nick after a week or two. It's exactly like working with a special needs child to which I am rather accustomed to having done it for 2 years.....Except then I was responsible for one kid and just had to make sure he got to the bathroom and didn't run in front of oncoming traffic. Tom is one of 6 kids who I am supposed to conduct a class with giving tests and homework.
I suppose every child is wired for two instinctive actions: picking their nose and pressing every button they spot. That's Tom, but only he posses these traits with the vigor of about 10 children combined. Sometimes I catch him lying on the air unit completely horizontally as if it were a cot, with shoes off and arms out like he's going to take flight. He draws on the board with a pen, pencil, or crayon; he plugs random objects into the electrical socket, and despite the watch strapped to his own wrist he repeatedly asks what time it is. When I fail to answer him he comes up beside me, grabs my arm and stares at my own watch counting the seconds aloud and not even blinking. This is all much less worrisome than his desire to dangle things out the window, like his own head. "Tom is out the window," he'll announce. Or he'll ramble out a line of Korean, and make sure to inform me that he is in fact speaking Korean, despite the fact that I've told him not to. He has recently taken to the seemingly painstaking task of double all the letters in his words when he writes. For example, chicken becomes cchhicckkeenn, cheese becomes cchheeeessee and so on and so forth. I was momemtarily pleased with this for the mere fact that he was actually sitting down, but his celebratory jumping up and down like a rabbit or a really competive hopscotcher followed by a victory lap around the table sent that feeling packing.
I'll be teaching and suddenly hear Korean commentary because Tom has turned the television on and is flipping through the channels. He was handed a dose of disappointment when he asked to "borrow the play button" on the remote control and was told no. His greatest pleasure is the copy machine, sure to be defunct because of his little fingers one of these days. He comes into the teachers' lounge before and after every class ready to see the workings of the green or orange button. We told him he couldn't go in there anymore because it was a room for teachers, to which he asked if he could bring the copy machine out into the hallway. And his mother calls wondering why he never has his homework done..........

Listology

Recommendations for your summer enjoyment, most of which I have discovered and utilized to pass the time while being over here in Korea......................

TUNES:
1. Strawberry Swing by Coldplay
2. Ocean and a Rock by Lisa Hannigan
3. A Dustland Fairytale by The Killers
4. Corners by Allie Moss
5. The Chain by Ingrid Michaelson
6. Goodnight, Travel Well by The Killers
7. Viva La Vida by Coldplay
8. Elephants by Rachael Yamagata
9. Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay by Sara Bareilles
10. What a Difference a Day Makes by Dinah Washington
11. Gonna Get Over You by Sara Bareilles
12. Time To Pretend by MGMT
13. Mellow Mood by Bob Marley
14. Just Dance by Lady Gaga

BOOKS:
1. This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin (a fascinating and scientific account as to how and why music moves you and sets your moods)
2. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenger ( a little risque and graphic, but a clever and beautiful story about a couples' unique journey together)
3. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith ( an often hilarious and moving story about a group of randoms living in Edinburgh, Scotland. The first of four in a series)
4. All the Names by Jose Saramango (follows the determination of a "nobody" at the central registry to locate an unknown woman he has unexplainably become fascinated by - quite brilliant.)
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (recommend reading before seeing the up and coming movie; the story of a father and son on a journey of survival through desolate America. Intense and perfectly executed)
6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Saffron Foer ( a wildly entertaining and heartbreaking narrative from a young boy who lost his father in 9/11 and sets out on a mission to find the lock of a mysterious key his father carried on his keychain)

TV/MOVIES:
1. The Iditarod on Discovery Channel (follows the historic race)
2. Spanish Dinner (mini series with Gwyneth Paltrow and 3 buddies skipping around Spain)
3. The Office (hilarious)
4. New York Times Tiny Kitchen (found on YouTube; a writer for the paper prepares creative meals in her tiny Manhattan kitchen)
5. Expedition Africa on the History Channel (4 explorers go deep into the heart of the African wilderness)
6. Australia (a drawn out yet rip-roaring film across the Outback)
7. Mama Mia ( a cheesy, ridiculous musical. Count me in.)
8. 7 Pounds (Not usually a fan of Will Smith, but liked him in this movie; sad yet inspiring)
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (again, somewhat sad......but unlike anything I've seen before. Fascinating)
10. Defiance (the true story of a group of soldiers during WWII who set up camp in the woods and held their ground for as long as they could)
11. Marley and Me (I like Owen Wilson, and this family fun film about a beloved dog was better than expected)
12. Bride Wars (definite chick flick and provides a good laugh)
13. Slumdog Millionaire (winner of best picture Oscar for a reason)
14. The Proposal (I haven't seen this yet, but Sandra Bullock stars so........)

Heartbeats

Mondays are never particularly glorious or thrilling, no matter what your job is or what country you're living in. They are overwhelming, disruptive, and often inconsiderate.....and this one came rather early as I woke up at 3am and laid in bed with an ungranted desire to fall back to a deep sleep. After I chatted with my Mom for a bit, I headed out for a jog in an unexpected beautiful morning, which was the first of many surprises.

Before the bell even rings, I see the head of sweet little 5 year-old Mary peeping behind the door at me while I'm sitting at my desk. She shoots her hand out with an envelope and then after a momentary pause, grins from ear to ear and shoots back down the hall. I open the envelope and inside is a homemade bead bracelet, and a letter that reads: "You are my best teacher, Cassi. I want to make you happy. I love you." I almost melted into a puddle right there.

I have altered the classic game of "Simon Says" into "Teacher Says" (the kids truly wanted to know who the heck Simon was and why he was telling them what to do), and it's now a crowd favorite. It has become not only a great wake-up routine but great bribery tool, as my kindergartners absolutely love it. "Teacher says? Teacher says? Ooohh, teacher no says!" They laugh themselves into stitches, call each other out, challenge each other, and then walk around the rest of the day declaring themselves as the teacher says champion. It's the cheapest entertainment ever.

A co-teacher informed me today that one of the little girls in my kindergarten class lost her toddler sister just last year when she fell out the window of an apartment building.............as her mother was making a mad dash towards her and didn't grab her in time. That is why this child's parents have seemed so distant, and why this little girl has as well. I'm not a mother, nor have I ever even met this one, but I wanted to just wrap my arms around her. Again, my heart was being tugged.

After my last class, Nick and I headed down to our little Family Mart (711) spot to chill for a few because it's such a nice evening. This old man comes up to us and asks where we're from. After calling the USA home, his eyes light up and he goes into this whole spiel about how he visits D.C. every summer to see his brother. With half of his speech in English and the other half in Korea, he goes on to say how much he loves the U.S. because he remembers the Korean War; he believes President Bush had a big heart because he did away with someone as evil as Sadam Hussein; he believes that if North Korean ever try to do something stupid that the U.S. is good enough to come to their aid because that's what they do. I had a moment of being proud. Very proud.
He then proceed to admire our arm hair and tell Nick that he resembled a "Hollywood TV star" because he had "fine face." We also had to inform him that the 2 of us were not an item, which he seemed kinda disappointed about. And if students ever give us trouble he gave us permission to smack them upside the head, and if that didn't work, it's just as ok to give them a good kick. He then graciously declared himself as my Korean grandfather, gave me a drink and the thumbs up, and was on his merry way. This was without question the greatest encounter I've had here thus far. And I've had a few great ones.

When I got home I got a call from the mother of a student of mine. Come to find out, her daughter likes me so much that she wants me to tutor her older daughter and is picking me up for dinner later this week.

Just when I think the day's going to be a bore.................

Field Notes

• Mopeds and motorcycles have free range of the streets - and sidewalks. Helmets, license plates, speed limits, turn signals, and even shoes are not required. Upon hearing an excellerating moter from behind, I have abandoned the attempts to try and dodge the speedy little whatnots, and now simply flinch with the hopes they veer around me.

• I have, however, gotten impressively good at dodging loogies. Maybe its due to the amount of pollution in the air, but everyone has an unlimited amount of phlem to hack up, and really no concern as to where or when they dispose of it. The other day my shoe almost fell victim while coming down a flight of stairs, but a nifty little double sidestep avoided the whole possibility.
  

• The Korean equivalency of the F word is pronounced she-par, which is rather helpful to know before you give a lesson involving the phrase "sheep are"........

• Also helpful, is knowing the word for "toilet" (pyun-ki) rather than "bathroom" as the latter will quite possibly lead you to a public bathhouse full of those in their altogether.

• "In their altogether" doesn't seem like an appropriate term for naked; when naked it seems as though something is definitely not together.......
  

• There is so much seafood here that nearly every restaurant houses numerous tanks full of carp, tuna, octopus, squid, eel, codfish, pollack, and mollusks, still swimming around happily - until you order it and the cook comes from out back with a net and scoops it's little life right onto the burner and then your plate. I used to feel bad about the lobsters in the tank at Schnucks, but not here really.

• I think much of my English is being compromised just in desperate needs to get my point across. I recently caught myself saying, "I no go" and "me home".
  

• The Korean I know is rarely useful in the situations I find myself in. Funny enough, a good number of Koreans actually have faith that just because you're American or foreign, doesn't mean you're not quite knowledgeable when it comes to their language. I had an entire conversation with a little old lady waiting for the subway yesterday, not knowing what in the world either one of us said.

• The butcher does pull-ups while us girls sit at the tables outside the convenient mart across the street.

• It's against the law here for a doctor to reveal the sex of an unborn child.
  

• Eric is 4 years old and just started English lessons for the first time back in March. He knew no English, but was really good at repeating after you. Example: Eric, say good morning. "Ewic, say goon moning." No, just good morning. "No, just goon moning." How are you, Eric? "How all you, Ewic?" The other week, after 2 1/2 months of this, I asked, how are you Eric? and with a shrug he replied, "I'm fine, thanks."

• All washing machines eat socks; I never have two of the same.