So my last and youngest older sister got married yesterday.  It was a very interesting experience, to say the least. 

First of all, Korean people's weddings are WAY different than American people's weddings. 

The day started really early - we woke up, ate quickly, and went to the hair salon to have our hair done.  Mind you, I have only had my hair done once or twice and it never turned out well - I always ended up fiddling with it myself afterwards.  After much curling and pinning, and a bottle or two of hairspray applied,  we were all set.  Since there are six of us girls + umma there was a need for us to split up and go to different hair salons in order to get our hair done in a timely manner.  Then we went straight home to put on our fancy traditional Korean dresses (Hanboks).  My cousin made mine and it was the first time I saw it.  I have to say that having my cousin dress me in the hanbok was a very proud moment for me. 



We, and by we, I mean my bazillion cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc etc and friends gathered at our house at around noon.  At about 1230 two giant buses pulled into our front yard and we all boarded them to head to Youngcheon where my sister was getting married (about an hour ride).  I saw with my nephew and my niece came to me about halfway there and fell asleep in my lap.  We arrived, jumped out of the bus and ran to the Wedding Hall (it was raining really hard).  Now first, you have to understand that wedding halls are the thing in Korea.  It's where people get married.  Lots of people.  In one day.  In the US, if you have a standard big wedding, it takes PLANNING and MONTHS AND MONTHS of planning - but not in Korea.  In Korea its fast.  Everything is fast.  You rush into the building, rush into the room, rush to take pictures with the bride, rush because your inside skirt thing has fallen down and the whole thing needs to be removed and replaced, rush into the "chapel" room because the ceremony has already started, rush up to take pictures at the end of the (seriously like 10 minute long) ceremony, rush to the restaurant to eat, rush eating & greeting all these people you don't know, and rush to leave again.  Then, then there's a great fun thing called the "Middle Age Drunk People Party Bus."  I kid you not.  My friends and got on the "wrong" bus with most of the very young kids (my cousins kids, whom I don't know very well) and the old ajummas and ajashis who decided that this was not a bus - this was a night club.  There was beer, karaoke, and dancing.  I.kid.you.not.  It was singly the FUNNIEST thing I have ever experienced in Korea... maybe ever in my life.  I was laughing so hard my face hurt.

It's finally warming up here.  No more freezing cold weather - it's so warm in fact, that I've turned off my bed. 

I mentioned this before in Fall, but the changes of the seasons are really apparent here.  The bare brown mountains suddenly turn light, bright green.  All of the streets are lined with big, blossoming cherry trees.  First strawberries make an appearance towards the end of winter.  And strawberries in Korea, as Heather, Cab and Tim can attest to, are way sweeter than any strawberries I've ever had.  The fruits of summer start to make a comeback.  Tiny watermelons and yellow melons appear at the marketplaces, and the old ladies sell cabbage and lettuce seeds.  Baby chicks are born... kids and puppies run around outside.  Women embrace Spring as a time to change their wardrobes - and their clothes become even brighter and flashier.  It starts to rain more... and lucky me...

I start to sneeze more, get congested, have splitting migraines, watery eyes, ear pain... and even jaw pain.  Thank you allergies.  This is why I will live in the city.  My body doesn't appreciate the beauty of the country.  It only acknowledges the suffering that the insufferable pollen causes.

We also have a puppy named Pome... in English, this means "Spring."  I think this is the dumbest name ever.  Someone equally dumb told me it was a Shihtzu and I foolishly believed them.  It is a mutt.  But she's an adorable mutt that follows me everywhere, and I love it.  I hate her name... it sounds a little better when we call her as Koreans do and add the "ah" sound to it... "Pomah!"  I feel really guilty leaving her every day though.. and I will feel guilty leaving her here with my... brother. 

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I'm getting ready to leave here... and as I know I'm leaving soon, I'm getting more and more anxious and antsy to leave.  When I can see something so close in the near future, I start to get impatient for it to happen.  It's not that I want to leave... OK, I do actually want to be home with all my people... but at the same time don't want to leave my bio family.  It's just that I know it's happening soon, and I'm anxious for it to happen.  I also, honestly, am looking forward to a change of occupation.  I love my students, and I enjoy teaching here... but I spend too much of my time sitting around these days.  Before when I had more classes I was happier... but now I only have 1 class at the academy... ranging from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours.  Which means that I'm hanging around doing not much for a long time.  And I like to be busy... so I am studying Spanish to fill my time.  But yeah... I want to be in a job where I feel more useful... more part of the team. 

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On the flip side, I sometimes ask myself, "What the hell am I doing here?  Am I completely crazy?"  And then I look at my nephews or niece and see how they look at me as their aunt.  I remember how I taught Minjun how to get used to the water in the pool, and how Jiho has learned to play Snood and the Jem game on my cell phone because I taught him... I think of how Jiho now greets me with:  "Hello!  How are you?"  How Seungho says, "I like apples.  I like bananas.  I like Namok emo."  I think about Gyumin who can do something new every time I see him.  From sitting to standing to saying "emo," I've gotten to see him grow so much.  I even look at my students and think about all the times they made me laugh or made me so proud to be their teacher.  I've taught them so many songs - and sometimes they'll just break out into a song that we learned.  I can see changes in one of my private students - he reads faster than when we first met.  I look at umma and appa as they work their asses off to take care of the house and the farm and my brother and I. 

Hopefully... Jieun will say "emo" (aunt) before I leave.  That will make this stay complete.

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At the same time... I'm realizing how this stay is really only the beginning.  It may be easier now because I can speak Korean better... but it's still hard.  It's still hard to know that I am part of two families.  It's still hard to always be missing someone. 

I ... am a water-drinking machine.  Well, I am now at least.  I've decided that drinking lots and lots of water seems to quiet down the rumblings in my annoyingly bad stomach.  This also means that I am now a many-times-bathroom-going girl.  *sigh*

Can't win them all.

이프로, or 2%, one of my favorite peachy water drinks in Korea has changed the bottle appearance, and I swear to god, it's SMALLER.  This upsets me dearly.  So do the many bathroom visits.


In better news, I got to see my Little Bro for the FIRST time since July.  AND, I got to see Jinho for the first time since... March.  We've well-established that Jinho just has fabulously good luck.  Anyway, no bowling this time - just good food, good drink, and best of all, good company.  It's so weird to get to hang out with my UVa people in Korea, but I love every second of it.  Pictures will follow - once I find a way to get them from my camera phone to my Mac.  Koreans are not very Mac friendly.  I am hitting the Apple people forums in a moment.

Goreapap ~ 고래밥, as discussed in previous entries, is an amazing product.  AND NOW, they have NEW Goraepap, called Wang Goraepap, or King Whale Food!  It's giant sized and surprisingly better tasting.  I expected it to be similar to the giant Goldfish (which I don't have much appreciation for), but no, it is light and crunchy and delicious.

So I've had lots of visitors over the past 3 weeks.  From March 3-March 25, there was a series of vistors... best friends, if you will.  Lovers.

Why is it that mothers never seem satisfied with their daughters?  And why is it that daughters never seem satisfied with their mothers?  Why can they never get along?  And WHY, why do they always perceive that the other is never pleased enough with them?

This theme is replayed and shown over and over in movies and TV dramas: the misunderstandings, the miscommunication, and the dissatisfation in a relationship between mother and daughter.  It seems, to us daughters, that nothing we can do can make our mothers happy with us.  Somehow, we are always a gigantic disappointment.  We can never live up to their expectations.  We think this makes us failures.  We think this makes our mother's monsters.  In movies and TV shows, we always find out differently... but what about those of us on the other side of the screen?

Most recently, "Grey's Anatomy" covered this topic:

Grey's mother has alzteimer's and one day she snaps out of it for like 12 hours.  During this time, Grey, who never felt understood nor loved by her mother, explains to her mother that she has this horrible disease, and has had it for the past 5 years.  She also tells her how she's gone to medical school, as her mother wanted, and that she's going to be a surgeon.  Izzie tells her not to worry about her mother judging her.. because Meredith has gone through med school.  She's a doctor... parents have to be proud of you once you're a doctor, right?  Wrong:

ELLIS: "What happened to you?"
MEREDITH: "What do you mean?"
ELLIS: "You're happy? You're happy now? The Meredith I knew was a force of nature. Passionate, focused, a fighter. What happened to you? You've gone soft! Stammering about a boyfriend and saying you're waiting to be inspired. You're waiting for inspiration? Are you kidding me?! I have a disease for which there is no cure, I think that would be inspiration enough! Listen to me, Meredith. Anyone can fall in love and be blindly happy! But not everyone can pick up a scalpel and save a life. I raised you to be an extraordinary human being, so imagine my disappointment when I wake up after five years and discover that you are no more than... ordinary! What happened to you?!"

Meredith is devastated after this lovely harsh encounter with her mother and nearly dies... and as she is hovering between life and death, Ellis, her mother, starts to die and they meet in their ... hovering state.  Her mother finally says this to her:

ELLIS: "Meredith... you are anything but ordinary."



Less recently, and in an entirely different aspect, we have Joy Luck Club, covering the story of four mothers and their daughters.

One mother and daughter: Waverly and Lindo

Waverly Jong: Mom, why don't you like Rich?
Lindo Jong: Is Rich you afraid I not like? If I don't like your Rich, I act polite, say nothing, let him have big cancer, let my daughter be a widow. I like Rich, of course I do. To allow him to marry such a daughter!
Waverly Jong: You don't know, you don't know the power you have over me. One word from you, one look, and I'm four years old again, crying myself to sleep, because nothing I do can ever, ever please you.


But we get a glimpse into Lindo's mind and learn that she, too, feels... inadequate for her daughter.

Lindo   I could see her face looking at me but not seeing me. She was ashamed, so ashamed to be my daughter.

Waverly  Mom, what's wrong?

Lindo  Nothing, nothing. Only thinking, thinking about my mother, how much I wanted to be like her.

Another mother and daughter, June and Suyuan.

Jing-Mei 'June' Woo: I'm just sorry that you got stuck with such a loser, that I've always been so disappointing.
Suyuan: What you mean disappoint? Piano?
Jing-Mei 'June' Woo: Everything: my grades, my job, not getting married, everything you expected of me.
Suyuan: Not expect anything! Never expect! Only hope! Only hoping best for you. That's not wrong, to hope.
Jing-Mei 'June' Woo: No? Well, it hurts, because every time you hoped for something I couldn't deliver, it hurt. It hurt me, Mommy. And no matter what you hope for, I'll never be more than what I am. And you never see that, what I really am.

But then we find out from June's father:

June's father: She decided...she couldn't give that feather to you, not yet.
She didn't think you would understand.

   
June: Well, I guess I was never very good at listening to her.

   
                   
June's father: No! No, no, no.
She thought...she wasn't worthy enough mother to give it to you.

Work is *&#$# because they seem really disorganized here.  For example, they tell me a class is cancelled and then... at the time the class would normally start, they tell me it is un-cancelled.  Cool.  AND no one ever tells me when it's the last day of my classes.  So yesterday I said to my class, "And your homework is.." and they said, "But today is our last class!"  I looked at them for a moment and said, "Okay then.  Leave.  Good bye and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me."  Then I went to leave at 9 (still not having had dinner) and asked the director if we had work on Thursday (because Thursday is a Korean holiday here).  He said yes.  Sooo... I said, "Really?  Isn't it a holiday?"  Director:  "Ohhh yeah.  Okay, no work."  The good news is... many of my "classes" are ending... so I might get new students or something which might be nice.  A chance to start fresh with a buncha fresh-mouthed kids.  Haha... no, really, I like my students, but Middle School kids can be a handful.

They were being rowdy one day, so I asked them, "How old are you?  Are you babies?"  Normally, I would say this in a better way... but I must speak in English they'll understand.  They all laughed and said, "No!  We're not babies."  I told them that I was there to teach them English, and not how to behave and if they were going to act like babies, I would be forced to treat them as babies and put them in "time-out" in the corner.  This one girl KEPT talking, so I said to her, "Do you want to go sit in the corner?"  A smart-mouthed, but also very intelligent young man decided this was his moment to point out her obvious obesity and say: "I think the corner is too small."  It was really hard not to laugh, but I couldn't let that slide... and made him apologize.  Most Korean people would say, "You should hit them."  As tempting as it may be sometimes to ALL teachers, I'm sure, I just don't believe that that is a good solution for disciplining students.

Anyway, back to the topic of the e-mail.  Yesterday Jinho and I met up to go out and have some fun since he has a break this week for a few days.  Of all things, we went bowling and Karaoke-ing.  I'm really, really bad at bowling because I have NO strength what-so-ever and the ball just lollies down the alley like it has all the time in the world.  However, in our first game, I broke 100.  114!  Yay for me!  Second and third games were not quite as successful as my already weak arm was getting weaker from the weight of the 7 lb ball I managed to find.  However... I won!  2/3  :-)  So then we went singing - hahaha.... I may have won bowling, but Jinho definitely "won" singing.  I got home at 1 am and to my great surprise umma was STILL awake playing Go-stop (Korean card game) with her friends.  Hahahaha. 

This weekend Heather (aka Wife, aka My Person) and Cabell are coming to visit.  I'm bussing it up to Incheon and then we're going to go explore Seoul.  Yaaay for visitors.

Heather and Cab countdown: 3 days.
Tim countdown: 16 days.

Oh!  And my crocheting and knitting skills are progressing.  Next up: Awesome poncho.

Happy Lunar New Year~!!

This year is the Year of the Pig!  My year!  Yay for all the 1983 babies out there. 

For those that don't know about the "Chinese" Zodiac, here's the legend:

Legend

According to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.

All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last.

The Year of the Pig

1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 People born in the Year of the Pig are chivalrous and gallant. Whatever they do, they do with all their strength. For Boar Year people, there is no left or right and there is no retreat. They have tremendous fortitude and great honesty. They don't make many friends but they make them for life, and anyone having a Boar Year friend is fortunate for they are extremely loyal. They don't talk much but have a great thirst for knowledge. They study a great deal and are generally well informed. Boar people are quick tempered, yet they hate arguments and quarreling. They are kind to their loved ones. No matter how bad problems seem to be, Boar people try to work them out, honestly if sometimes impulsively. They are most compatible with Rabbits and Sheep.

I would say that the "don't make many friends but they make them for life" isn't necessarily true because I have a tendency to somehow lose friends as we go through changes.  I think it's because I change easily based on the circumstances of my life, and not everyone can steadily love such a chameleon.  It's not that I'm fickle... it's just that I don't have much sense of agency, and so when my surroundings change, I change with them. 

The Boar type is usually an honest, straightforward and patient person. They are a modest, shy character who prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. When others despair, they are often there to offer support. This type of person is reserved with those they do not know too well, but as time passes and they gain confidence, those around them may discover a lively and warm-hearted person behind that mask of aloofness. Despite those born in the year of pig having a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, they have few close friends who understand them and share their inner thoughts and feelings. It is easy to put trust in pig type; they won't let you down and will never even attempt to do so. Such people simply want to do everything right according to social norms.

It is important to remember that these people are not vengeful creatures. If someone tries to take advantage of them, the pig type tend to withdraw to reflect on the problem and protect themselves. All they need in such situations is a little time to find a constructive way to respond. The people of the pig type are conservative creatures of habit. They dislike being made to travel too far from familiar surroundings, unless it is a trip to the countryside. They love nature and are never happier than when they are out somewhere, far from the city.

There is a tolerant and peaceful side to their character. Such people are never afraid to allow others their freedom of expression; they do not want to cause arguments and if there is any way to avoid arguing, they will probably take this option. They are not weak, however, and if the situation forces them to fight these people will rise to the occasion, whether it is to defend themselves or those close to them.

This is from Wikipedia, and I think it's a little more on.


They say when it's the year you were born in, you must be careful.  So... after all that I've been through in 2006, I must be careful in 2007.  HA!

Overview
Your sign is Pig.

The Year of the Pig/Boar 2007 looks to be one filled with impatience, mobility, and change. You are likely to travel in 2007, Pig.  Whether this means changing addresses, pleasure travel, or business travel, is uncertain.  However, this restless feeling will continue throughout this New Year. 

Famous Pig:
Hillary Clinton, Liu Xiang, Bryan Adams, Woody Allen, Julie Andrews, Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Maria Callas, Richard Chamberlain, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Glenn Close, Sir Noel Coward, Oliver Cromwell, Billy Crystal, the Dalai Lama, Richard Dreyfuss, Sheena Easton, Ben Elton, Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your reading:
The Year of the Pig/Boar 2007 looks to be one filled with impatience, mobility, and change.

The zodiac is ripe with information for you, and of all the Chinese horoscopes; yours has the most to do with change. 

You are likely to travel in 2007, Pig.  Whether this means changing addresses, pleasure travel, or business travel, is uncertain.  However, this restless feeling will continue throughout this New Year.  In addition, transition is in your forecast, from every area of your life there are signs of change -from minor to great. 

Luckily, each change reduces the overall negative effect on your feelings.  In fact, your Chinese horoscope for the year 2007 is filled with transitions.  It's a terrific time to bring a new child into your home, to find a new career, or to get married.  Any change made has an excellent possibility of leading to good fortune!  For Pigs that do not already have such strategies in motion, it is important to find areas of transition.  Take a trip, or change your job, or meeting new friends, or anything that will initiate some sort of change for you!  This will assist in reducing the overall emotional issues you may face.  Switch things around and have a little fun!

Even your romantic relationships are ripe for change in this Year of Boar.  This could mean marriage, the end of a current relationship, or the beginning of a new one.  Also in your astrology charts is the possibility of an injury or a surgery.  Be careful and watch for any signs of a medical issue so you can be prepared.  Another warning to take heed of, Pig, is that you are a bit on the pessimistic side.  You worry about everything and it's time to relax and leave those fears behind.  Take a trip to ease your emotional turmoil.  If possible, go overseas; you'll be surprised at how much it helps!  The perfect dates for this will be in Lunar October (means November, 2007). 

Of all the Animals in the Chinese zodiac, Pigs seem to be the most anxious for action in the Year of the Pig/Boar 2007.  In fact, you are so anxious to get moving; you may ignore your personal limitations or insufficiently take into consideration what you are capable of.  If you do this, you will likely end up in a mess of problems.

The lucky stars, Star Jie Shen and Star Tian Jie, are in your constellation this New Year.  Most of the time, these stars aid you when you find yourself in hot water.  On the other hand, simply because they are there, you may find yourself in more trouble than normal.  Again, be careful, Pig!  This Year of the Pig/Boar 2007 may find it difficult for you to succeed on your own.  It is essential to be aware of this and to seek out assistance for important matters.  This is specifically true when you are involved in competitions where extra help could mean the difference between a win and a loss.  Just remember to embrace the change this year brings to you, Pig, and good things will follow!

Hmm... "embrace the change."  Funny they should say that after all my talk of chameleons.  I read another article saying that I wouldn't have luck in any area of life: work, money, love, studies, and health were all predicted to be bad.  Um, so yeah.  I decided not to post that article because I am really working on the "hope" sector of my life.

I've already started the change... with a perm.  Love it or hate it, it's here to stay.

Oh, and if you can see the beautiful headband on my head - I made that.  I'm a crocheting machine.  I've also learned to knit, but I'm still more of a crocheting fan.

PS - I don't hold too much stock in this - I just think it's fun... and I'm always ready for change.

So... I had my first clubbing experience in Korea and it was very interesting.  By interesting, I don't mean interesting in the sense you might mean if you were hitting a club in any major city in the US.  I mean it was... really... lame.

I live in Gumi.  It's not really the middle of nowhere.  I mean there are a lot of tall buildings in Indong (where we went clubbing) and there is plenty of shopping, many cars, and an abundance of normal non-country things to do.  The whole area is very developed, despite its lack of a subway system.  However, apparently the clubs in this area are not as developed... nor are the people that attend them.  Jinho kept saying that he thought everyone there must be in middle school to high school.

The funniest part was that everyone was dancing in lines really far apart from each other.  There were a few good dancers in the bunch,  but most people were just shifting back and forth.  And get this... all the girls were wearing sweaters or sweatshirts.  Although they were cute sweaters and sweatshirts, I cannot fathom going to a club in a sweater.  I myself, however, was forced (by my very over-protective and concerned oldest sister) to wear a short sweater over my very modest tank top.  It was all very strange.

It was still fun though.  I finally got to see Jinho, and although the club was not what we expected, it was still an experience to remember.  It was really good to see a familiar face from college... and really good to see how well and upbeat Jinho remains.

Saturday I went out again - this time I played pool for the first time in a long while.  We fortunately didn't play the very confusing Korean "pocket-ball" way.  My team won two of the three games due to 8-ball issues.  But my team also lost one of those three games for sinking the 8-ball a little... too soon.  I also went hiking... not something I used to like, but something I enjoy more now.  The climb was so steep though, that on the way down there were ropes to grab onto as you slid down in dusty dirt.  That night I headed out to eat with Jinho and Kunhee.... we ate at Vikings (buffet style in Lotte Mart)... I thought I would explode I was so full. 

This is getting really boring and too narrative. 

Clap your hands.

You all remember that great song from pre-school right?


Well, now I understand why you spend so much time singing in pre-school... it's because it's the best way to get 4-year-olds to participate and pay attention.

I used to think that pre-school, pre-K education was just a sort of crafty daycare where parents sent their kids to make letters of the alphabet out of Cheerios and be exposed to the chicken pox at an early age (although I was exposed, I never did get it.  Fear not, I've been vaccinated).  Anyway, after teaching at a pre-school for 4 days now I have come to appreciate the pre-school teaching profession.  I visit 5 classes a day, 2 days a week, for 20 minutes each class and 4 classes a day, 1 day a week, for 30 minutes each.  During these 100-120 precious minutes of my life, I have seen classes taught by 14 different teachers.  It's amazing how each class is totally different depending on the number of students in the class, the ages of the students (they vary... it's not like American pre-school where you go by 3s and 4s), and... their teachers.  I can definitely tell which teachers spend more time with their students in terms of discipline and politeness.  Those students who have been... better "trained" have a lot more desire and ability  to learn.  They aren't distracting each other and goofing off... they're sitting there listening and absorbing your every word.  If even two students are sitting there hitting each other or chattering, it makes it that much harder for those around them to pay attention.

More later... it's finally time to leave work.

So I finally go to go and see Geumosan (Kumohsan, depending on your Romanization) or Geumo Mountain.  It was really beautiful... and it was just in time to see the leaves start to change on the trees.  Many of the trees were golden and beautiful looking.  One of the main highlights was that we got to see a traditional Korean wedding acted out (well the end of one) and a "band" of sorts, of drummers and dancers.  It was a really good experience.  I went with some Kumoh college students, Brian, Jack, & Youngjun.

So I've been teaching for a little over two months now, and there have been really challenging moments, but also really rewarding ones.  I've learned that 1st and 2nd graders are usually the best.  3rd through 5th graders are more difficult and harder to please, 6th graders are awkward, embarrassed, and therefore not willing to participate, but look up to you with respect.

My "first grade" class, which is the class I really want to talk about, is my favorite class.  The kids are so sweet and are always really excited, energetic, and eager to accomplish whatever task I set them to.  Two of the students are in 1st grade and one of the students in in 2nd grade, but I swear they pick up things faster than any of the older kids.  Every Monday I teach them a new song and we sing it all week.  By the end of the week they all sing it perfectly and are more than willing to get up and sing it all by themselves.  This week's song is "Twinkle, twinkle, little star."  We've also sung songs such as "Three Brown Bears" (a popular Korean tune that I Englishified), "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Old McDonald," and "I'm a Little Teapot."  I see these kids for an hour every day, Monday through Friday, and their retention rate is amazing.  We've gone through shapes, animals and the sounds they make, numbers, clothes, body parts and words that begin with the letters A through L.  I backtrack every now and then to make sure they've retained things from a couple of weeks ago.  Most recently we've been doing clothing.  I gave them a list of 17 words with pictures of the most basic clothes:  shirt, shoes, pants, etc.  They learned these pretty fast, so I decided to teach them how to say what they are wearing. 

"What are you wearing?"

"I am wearing a pink shirt, blue pants, and white shoes." 

At first, this was like pulling teeth.  The difficult thing about teaching kids in a foreign language is that they're never sure when you want them to actually answer the question and when you want them to repeat the question.  So I'd ask:

"What are you wearing?"

And they'd say, "What are you wearing?"

Eventually we made it to, "What are you wearing?"

"I am wearing..."

And then I was able to add, "What is she/he wearing?" or "What am I wearing?"

Now they do this with ease.  So this week I gave them an additional 20 words of more complex clothing items.  Instead of just "shoes" they know specific types of shoes, like boots, flip flops, and sneakers.  I just introduced these on Monday.  On Tuesday I asked the youngest one, Gyuri, what she was wearing.

"A white blouse, pink pants, yellow socks, and pink SNEAKERS!" She replied.

Wooowww, I was so impressed.  I had expected her to say "shoes." 

The coolest part about this is they not only recognize the clothing item and can identify it, but they can also read and write it (with few spelling mistakes).  I gave them a quiz on Monday on the old clothing words and they did magnificently.  There were only a few spelling mistakes and they identified all of the clothes correctly, not to mention in full sentences.  The test went something like this:

<Picture of a Shoe>  What is this?
    This is a shoe                                  .

<Picture of Pants>  What are these?
    These are pants                              .

And so on... and the highest grade in the class was a 98 and the lowest an 89.  This also included a speaking test and a matching test.  I was SO proud of them.  I had given the same test to the 3rd and 4th grade class and they had not done nearly as well.  Of course, I don't get to see these students as often, but I really think it is all about the students' attitudes....perhaps in combination with classtime. 

Games are a teacher's godsend... and they also really foster learning.  The kids get really into the games and don't want to make mistakes, so they try really hard.  Additionally if they do make mistakes, they remember the next time.  Once they forget the word for "knee" in one game, they never forget it.  Unfortunately, the 3rd and 4th graders take these games a little bit to heart and get really competitive about them.  While I know they help them learn, I can't figure out a way to stifle the overly competitve atmosphere.  Having a student crying over a board game is not very fun for anyone in the class.

Time and structure are really important.  40-60 minute blocks repeatedly work best.  Any more time than that and you're fighting a students boredom.  My older class is only 2 times a week, but for 80 minutes a session.  We have 40 minute blocks with 5 minute breaks.  This doesn't work well.  By the second block the kids are starting to get restless.  Too much time therefore gets wasted on settling the class down and getting them to focus. 

And then there are my 13-year-olds.  God help them, they're in that awful pre-teeny awkward stage.  I remember this stage all too well.  These kids are really 12 in actual years, 13 in Korean years, and are all in 6th grade.  They are afraid to talk, afraid to stand up in front of their peers, and all (except one) speak in this tiny baby voice that no one could possibly hear let alone with a Korean accent.  No wonder my junior high teachers were such tyrants.  But I've learned that the way to this age group is through humor.  Get them laughing and their yours.  Even if its because you're a little bit goofy of a teacher, or because you make a little mistake and then laugh at yourself about it... it makes them more comfortable.  Right now I'm still shitting bricks trying to get them to raise their hands and participate, but they're starting to loosen up. 

Another issue is that because they're older, it's getting a little late in life to introduce them to a foreign teacher.  I'm not saying that its too late - it's never too late, but these kids have never even met a foreigner before.  Koreans outside of Seoul are like kids that grow up in the tiny towns of Southern Virginia - they're just not exposed to foreigners.  I distinctly remember meeting a kid from a small town in SoVA whom I met at Gov's School and whose first words to me were:  "Wow, I didn't know there were Asians in Virginia."  I was really offended at the time and couldn't believe that so smart a kid could be so ignorant... I didn't feel like being a spectacle for him in his education of the world.

Half the time I don't know if they know what I'm saying.  I occasionally resort to speaking in Korean, which is just awkward for everybody.  But mainly its because I ask them a general question like, "Do you already know this?" and they just stare at me.  "DO - YOU - KNOW - THIS?"  More stares, maybe a couple of nods.  So I start nodding as I'm asking the question.  They're finally starting to respond, but its sloooowwww going.

I also have a 13-year-old tutoree.  I see this kid for an hour, once a week on Sundays.  We go over reading, grammar, and a little conversation.  This kid is awesome - he always has his homework done and he's always willing to participate.  He too, however, requires my wonderful sense of humor and ability to be a little goofy sometimes... I think that is what keeps him entertained.

All in all... I think the most important thing to learning is the desire to learn.  There are some kids that are just naturally smart, some that have an ardent desire to learn, and some that don't give a damn.  Some are a combination - naturally smart and don't give a damn, naturally smart and want to learn.  Regardless, the kids that want to learn do... and the kids that don't... well I'll just have to push them a little harder.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Oh yes, and I also have a new part-time job teaching English to Pre-school and Kindergarten kids.  My nephew goes to this little school called "Sunflower Kindergarten."  It's a really cute school, pays well, and I get to teach my nephew and kids his age.  I start Tuesday.  The classes are only 20 minute sessions - I teach five a day, two days a week.  Well - we'll see.

Okay... so it is no longer my birthday.  In fact, its three days past but I'm finally getting the chance to write an entry.  I shall update with great pictures of cake and whatnot... but for now I will share with you what Tim got me for my birthday: