Its been Thanksgiving for the past 20 hours here in Korea, and it feels nothing like the day I have known for the past 22 years. I woke up this morning and caught the subway to the Grand Hilton for Thanksgiving lunch with Christina, Kara, and Andrea. The food was very good as well as the company, but there were no greens, sweet potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. You know, the usual Thanksgiving ingredients, although, there was turkey! Despite the lack of food and family from home, there was one ingredient that is ever present. Thanks. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. I graduated from university with honors, I celebrated my 22nd birthday, I have a job (in Korea!!), and most importantly, I have the love of my family and friends and Kory (and always God)<3.
So the new term started on Monday and so far so good. All of my kids seem really respectful and eager to learn English, so that makes me really excited, but I don't wanna jinx it just yet.
Also, my classes are pretty reasonable sizes. No more 16 kids in a class built for 12! YAY!! And when I walked in on Wednesday, there were only 2 names on the class list! I was so excited. Only 2 kids...YES! BUT, I got the bomb dropped on me when I went in today. The class is cancelled! It wouldn't be profitable to have a class with only 2 students. So they put the kids in other classes...so do I have Wednesdays and Saturdays off?? NOOOO!! Of coarse not. They gave me an hourly teacher's class. Why pay her extra hours when they can dump the class on me and its within my 30 hours/week. Ugh. But at least I have a job which is more than what some people can say (you like my optimism? good huh?)
The next couple of weeks, Korean middle school students will be having another round of school tests in their regular school. These tests are so important that they skip going to their hagwons to study. That's why I'm home 3 hours early today. All of my kids in my Tues/Thurs 7pm class called out... until December 11th! So for the next week and a half, Tuesday-Thursdays will be half days (those must be some pretty intensive tests). Unless my school shoves some other classes at me until my students return. We shall see.
So earlier in the week, two of my students from last term came running in my classroom during break screaming "Teacher! Gimme Candy!" Of coarse, that peeked the curiosity of my students and the two told them that if you answer a question correctly, I give candy. Well, next thing I new I had tons of students yelling "Teacher candy!" I didn't have any which can be seen as a good or a bad thing. Good, cause if I pulled it out, they may have ripped my hand off. It was also a bad thing because they me looks as if they were huungry lionesses and they had just spotted a meal. But I told them starting next week, they would get M&M's which made them really excited... exceot for the one voice that yelled "Teacher, it has melamine!" The first time I heard this, I was like WHAT!? What the H*** is wrong with melanin??! But they clearified and said "melaMine."
So apparently, melamine is a toxin found in small amounts (which isn't harmful) in some foods. I looked it up and found out that the FDA is working on banning it from all foods...or something like that. So the next time a student yells "it has melamine" I will reply with "NA UH!"
Have you heard Beyoncé's new album? I haven't heard the entire thing, but I have listened to two songs and fell in love with 1. You guessed it...'If I Were A Boy.' I absolutely love that song! And it is so true. If girls and guys could switch places, even just for a day, guys would see the pain and hurt they put us girls through and understand how to be better men. Now I'm not saying that the selfishness is one way, there are girls who treat their boyfriends like crap, but I hear more about guys being the jerks. What can I say? So if you haven't hear the song (which means you must live in a cave because if I can get it on the other side of the world, surely you should have no problem being in the states) here it is. Thanks Leslie and Mommie for telling me about it!
So not much more to blog about. I may be going to the aquarium on Sunday. That's all my plans for now. Hope you all have a good and safe Turkey Day! And shop plenty for me on Black Friday!
Until Next Time
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Egh
So this entry is going to be short. Just giving you a little something to read. I'm really not in the mood to write right now.
I got my hair done on Friday and finally, my hair and I are on speaking terms again. I was so relived when Kim (the lady who did my hair) broke out with the olive oil instead of the coconut oil! So, if you are in Korea, and have "ethnic" hair. see Kim. She does a really good job and her prices are very reasonable. Message me if you want her number. I'd rather not put it out there for all of internet land to see.
So on my way home my hair and I had a long conversation. Since we hadn't spoken in two weeks, there was a lot to catch up on. Our first topic was about one of my horrible students telling me that I resembled the gorilla in the story book. I believed I was the bigger person in this situation and said "No Ye Won, you're the on that looks like a monkey." And left it at that. Now, some of you might think that was immature of me, but if this was a year ago, I would have had a lot more to say. So I think that was a big step. My hair however told me that I should have cussed that ignorant child out, but then that would have just frustrated me even more because I would have had to break down what I was saying to her in simple sentences which would lose the whole point that I would be trying to make.
Another discussion my hair and I had was when another of my jerk face students told me I was a lesbian. Again, being the bigger person, I told him that he like boys and that's why he sat next to the same boy everyday. My hair told me that I should have returned with "That's not what your daddy said last night!" All I could do was laugh because that was the first thing that popped into my head when that little A**whole told me that. Clearly you can tell that my hair knows me very well. But if I told Min-Suk my witty come back, I think it would have went right over his head, So I decided to leave it be.
Speaking of Min-Suk, he disgruntly informed me that I have been pronouncing his name wrong. And then proceeded to tell me how to pronounce his name. "Teacher, its Min SEEEEOOOOOK." I wish you could have seen the face he had when he said this. All I could think of was that this boy drops his jaw a little too low for me. Also, I kept thinking "Go to the US Min-Suk, and wait til all the little boys and girls start to say 'Min-Suk sucks...!'" After half an hour of me trying to get his name right, I just told him that he will never say my name right and I'll never say his correctly either. So get over it! Maybe I should have been a little nicer, but it was the last time I would have him in my class (for at least 3 months anyway) so I really didn't care...Bad Teacher!
I went out Saturday after school. Erica, the girl we met in the French village is leaving on Wednesday, So we were having our "farewell" evening. We went to Rodeo Drive (yes, in Korea) ate and walked around a little then went to Gangnam to meet up with Kara's co-workers. We had a really good time and I like her co-workers. They're a lot of fun.
I didn't do anything yesterday but laid around and watched "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." It's a good show. And since I would like to move to Atlanta, it shows a little about how life is like in ATL. Well, one type of life. We all know I will not be living in a mansion and be invited to grand parties and such. I'll be lucky if I can get in a club...
Speaking of moving to Atlanta, I will need a job when I get there, but I have no idea what I want to do with my life. This experience has already proved to me that I am not cut out to be a teacher despite the fact that I love kids. Eh. So that now narrows my future careers paths to Attorney, Child Psychologist, Writer, or something in International Relations. I'm doing research to see exactly what it is that interests me, but have interest in all of them. Maybe I'll be able to figure it out sometime before I need to take the LSAT or GRE.
It's Monday so I have the "blah" feeling. "I don't wanna be here." "I wanna go home." You know... I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow. But then again, I don't know. Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'll be at work... I am going to Thanksgiving lunch at the Hilton, but it still won't be the same. Anyone wanna front a thousand dollars do I can come home?? LOL.
I've been feeling a little neglected lately which I'm sure is adding to my "blahness" (yea, you know you like that word. I think I'm gonna copyright it, along with my first and iddle names). I don't expect every one's lives at home to completely stop since I'm not there, but I also don't expect for people to ignore me either. One thing I hate is being ignored. And of course its not taken seriously because I'm AviEllé...Miss Melodramatic....The Princess of Pessimism. But I really feel ignored. Ugh. I guess I'll get over it. Don't have any choice do I? And for those of you who read my blog regularly, I apologize if you suddenly have the urge to go to the roof of whatever building you are in and jump because of my lack of optimistic thoughts. And for those who are not regular followers, don't read any past entries. I don't want you to suffocate in my pool of negativity (consider yourself forewarned. I will not be held responsible for anything you do if you read past entries). From here on, I will only look at the bright side of my experience (or at least only blog about the bright side).
Today starts a new term so I'm going to go to school early today. I have to find this "Welcome Packet" that I haven't heard about since training, and no one at my school has told me where I can find it, so I guess I will go on the hunt alone. Nothing new. Also, everyone at home is either sleeping or out. So I might as well go in and be productive,
Well, this entry was longer than I expected (hope this is satisfactory for you Mom :P)
Until Next Time
I got my hair done on Friday and finally, my hair and I are on speaking terms again. I was so relived when Kim (the lady who did my hair) broke out with the olive oil instead of the coconut oil! So, if you are in Korea, and have "ethnic" hair. see Kim. She does a really good job and her prices are very reasonable. Message me if you want her number. I'd rather not put it out there for all of internet land to see.
So on my way home my hair and I had a long conversation. Since we hadn't spoken in two weeks, there was a lot to catch up on. Our first topic was about one of my horrible students telling me that I resembled the gorilla in the story book. I believed I was the bigger person in this situation and said "No Ye Won, you're the on that looks like a monkey." And left it at that. Now, some of you might think that was immature of me, but if this was a year ago, I would have had a lot more to say. So I think that was a big step. My hair however told me that I should have cussed that ignorant child out, but then that would have just frustrated me even more because I would have had to break down what I was saying to her in simple sentences which would lose the whole point that I would be trying to make.
Another discussion my hair and I had was when another of my jerk face students told me I was a lesbian. Again, being the bigger person, I told him that he like boys and that's why he sat next to the same boy everyday. My hair told me that I should have returned with "That's not what your daddy said last night!" All I could do was laugh because that was the first thing that popped into my head when that little A**whole told me that. Clearly you can tell that my hair knows me very well. But if I told Min-Suk my witty come back, I think it would have went right over his head, So I decided to leave it be.
Speaking of Min-Suk, he disgruntly informed me that I have been pronouncing his name wrong. And then proceeded to tell me how to pronounce his name. "Teacher, its Min SEEEEOOOOOK." I wish you could have seen the face he had when he said this. All I could think of was that this boy drops his jaw a little too low for me. Also, I kept thinking "Go to the US Min-Suk, and wait til all the little boys and girls start to say 'Min-Suk sucks...!'" After half an hour of me trying to get his name right, I just told him that he will never say my name right and I'll never say his correctly either. So get over it! Maybe I should have been a little nicer, but it was the last time I would have him in my class (for at least 3 months anyway) so I really didn't care...Bad Teacher!
I went out Saturday after school. Erica, the girl we met in the French village is leaving on Wednesday, So we were having our "farewell" evening. We went to Rodeo Drive (yes, in Korea) ate and walked around a little then went to Gangnam to meet up with Kara's co-workers. We had a really good time and I like her co-workers. They're a lot of fun.
I didn't do anything yesterday but laid around and watched "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." It's a good show. And since I would like to move to Atlanta, it shows a little about how life is like in ATL. Well, one type of life. We all know I will not be living in a mansion and be invited to grand parties and such. I'll be lucky if I can get in a club...
Speaking of moving to Atlanta, I will need a job when I get there, but I have no idea what I want to do with my life. This experience has already proved to me that I am not cut out to be a teacher despite the fact that I love kids. Eh. So that now narrows my future careers paths to Attorney, Child Psychologist, Writer, or something in International Relations. I'm doing research to see exactly what it is that interests me, but have interest in all of them. Maybe I'll be able to figure it out sometime before I need to take the LSAT or GRE.
It's Monday so I have the "blah" feeling. "I don't wanna be here." "I wanna go home." You know... I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow. But then again, I don't know. Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'll be at work... I am going to Thanksgiving lunch at the Hilton, but it still won't be the same. Anyone wanna front a thousand dollars do I can come home?? LOL.
I've been feeling a little neglected lately which I'm sure is adding to my "blahness" (yea, you know you like that word. I think I'm gonna copyright it, along with my first and iddle names). I don't expect every one's lives at home to completely stop since I'm not there, but I also don't expect for people to ignore me either. One thing I hate is being ignored. And of course its not taken seriously because I'm AviEllé...Miss Melodramatic....The Princess of Pessimism. But I really feel ignored. Ugh. I guess I'll get over it. Don't have any choice do I? And for those of you who read my blog regularly, I apologize if you suddenly have the urge to go to the roof of whatever building you are in and jump because of my lack of optimistic thoughts. And for those who are not regular followers, don't read any past entries. I don't want you to suffocate in my pool of negativity (consider yourself forewarned. I will not be held responsible for anything you do if you read past entries). From here on, I will only look at the bright side of my experience (or at least only blog about the bright side).
Today starts a new term so I'm going to go to school early today. I have to find this "Welcome Packet" that I haven't heard about since training, and no one at my school has told me where I can find it, so I guess I will go on the hunt alone. Nothing new. Also, everyone at home is either sleeping or out. So I might as well go in and be productive,
Well, this entry was longer than I expected (hope this is satisfactory for you Mom :P)
Until Next Time
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