My kindergarten class and I have become extremely close. We're like a little family. We know each other's quirks and pet peeves and how to irritate one another and how to make each other laugh, cry, or pull out hair. But mostly we love each other :)
Last Friday, we were coloring after lunch. My kids had rocked it out all week, and we had nothing to do but enjoy some music and coloring time (ps - they're particularly fond of Ghostbusters and Yellow Submarine). As we were coloring, Andy said, "I think Teacher is beautiful."
So sweet. Who doesn't love a spontaneous compliment?
Not to be out-done, the others started chiming in with "Teacher is an angel," and "Teacher is a beautiful angel," and "Teacher is a beautiful princess angel!" (Can you see why I love this job?!?!)
So I was basking in the warmth of the love of 8 six-year-olds when I got into the office after Kindergarten, when Sally popped her head in the west door of the teacher's room and shouted, "Teacher is beautiful!" Some of my co-workers were in the office and I could feel their envy when they all said, "Awwwww..."
10 seconds later, Sally opened the east door of the office and this time I heard her shout:
"JUST KIDDING!"
I think it's true that each of us has had quite an effect on our students, and you can see each Teacher's personality reflected in the atmosphere and behavior of their class... I just regret that I'm so damn funny! :)
Love you all!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Bali Part One
I've been too busy recovering from the most amazing vacation ever to post, but now I'm ready to relive some of the incredible moments from this fantastic time. (Please excuse any redundance in adjectives, as my vocabulary isn't large enough to come up with that many effusively positive words, haha)
So the vacation began, as they do nowdays, in the Incheon International Airport. It just so happened there were 6 of us that knew each other, all on the same flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, so the wait was far from boring :)
Waiting to board (and showing off my blonde locks, hee hee):
Our supervisor made us promise to wear our masks, so we wouldn't get swine flu (for more on why masks are ridiculous for preventing ANYTHING on flights, e-mail me), so here's our proof picture:
The flight to Kuala Lumpur was about 6 hours, but I was able to sleep a bit and read a lot. We had about 24 hours in KL, so Stacy, Steve, and I had booked an evening tour, including a Hindu Temple and a buffet dinner showcasing Malaysian and Indonesian food and talented dancers.
Statue in the temple:
The Petronas Towers, as seen from our restaurant (I was supposed to take another tour in the morning to visit these, but was too sleepy and living it up taking baths!)
Some of the dancing:
For the tour, we were picked up by a very excited and talkative Malaysian man. He taught us how to properly pronounce vowels and was constantly answering one or the other of his cell phones. Plural. I hadn't realized before we got there that in Malaysia they drive on the left side of the road. Actually, I didn't realize until I was trying to get in the front seat and the driver kept saying "You, front seat, you front seat!" (with me all the while thinking "THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO!") I realized my mistake when I saw the steering wheel right in front of the seat I was trying to sit in, hahaha.
After the tour, we were pooped, so we went back to our hotel and went to bed. This king-sized bed is part of the reason I missed my morning tour:
The next day I caught my flight to Bali... it was maybe another 2-3 hours. I was excited to see, when I exchanged my money, that their currency was way prettier than the US or Korea. The driver, Bagus, from our hotel in Jimbaran (The Puri Bambu), picked me up and kept apologizing for his bad English while I tried to talk to him.
When I got to the Puri Bambu, I sighed heavily, and was pretty sure I was in Eden. The reception area, the restaurant, all were open air. I had never before been anywhere where good weather was such a guarantee, they didn't even build walls! Our room was sparse, but nice, and had a great private patio in front:
The grounds near the pool:
I couldn't shake the feeling of peace and happiness that had sunk in. I knew already it was going to be a fantastic vacation. I went to the restaurant and had some dinner, brought a cocktail back to my patio, and waited with a smile for Audra to arrive.
That's all for tonight, folks. But enjoy this preview picture of part two:
Audra with Monkeys
Love you all!
So the vacation began, as they do nowdays, in the Incheon International Airport. It just so happened there were 6 of us that knew each other, all on the same flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, so the wait was far from boring :)
Waiting to board (and showing off my blonde locks, hee hee):
Our supervisor made us promise to wear our masks, so we wouldn't get swine flu (for more on why masks are ridiculous for preventing ANYTHING on flights, e-mail me), so here's our proof picture:
The flight to Kuala Lumpur was about 6 hours, but I was able to sleep a bit and read a lot. We had about 24 hours in KL, so Stacy, Steve, and I had booked an evening tour, including a Hindu Temple and a buffet dinner showcasing Malaysian and Indonesian food and talented dancers.
Statue in the temple:
The Petronas Towers, as seen from our restaurant (I was supposed to take another tour in the morning to visit these, but was too sleepy and living it up taking baths!)
Some of the dancing:
For the tour, we were picked up by a very excited and talkative Malaysian man. He taught us how to properly pronounce vowels and was constantly answering one or the other of his cell phones. Plural. I hadn't realized before we got there that in Malaysia they drive on the left side of the road. Actually, I didn't realize until I was trying to get in the front seat and the driver kept saying "You, front seat, you front seat!" (with me all the while thinking "THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO!") I realized my mistake when I saw the steering wheel right in front of the seat I was trying to sit in, hahaha.
After the tour, we were pooped, so we went back to our hotel and went to bed. This king-sized bed is part of the reason I missed my morning tour:
The next day I caught my flight to Bali... it was maybe another 2-3 hours. I was excited to see, when I exchanged my money, that their currency was way prettier than the US or Korea. The driver, Bagus, from our hotel in Jimbaran (The Puri Bambu), picked me up and kept apologizing for his bad English while I tried to talk to him.
When I got to the Puri Bambu, I sighed heavily, and was pretty sure I was in Eden. The reception area, the restaurant, all were open air. I had never before been anywhere where good weather was such a guarantee, they didn't even build walls! Our room was sparse, but nice, and had a great private patio in front:
The grounds near the pool:
I couldn't shake the feeling of peace and happiness that had sunk in. I knew already it was going to be a fantastic vacation. I went to the restaurant and had some dinner, brought a cocktail back to my patio, and waited with a smile for Audra to arrive.
That's all for tonight, folks. But enjoy this preview picture of part two:
Audra with Monkeys
Love you all!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A "Hold-You-Over" Post
Leaving for Kuala Lumpur, Bali, and Singapore tomorrow!! (Ok, by tomorrow I mean "in 5 hours").. expect lots of pictures when I'm back!
I thought I'd give you all a little 3 minute video to hold you over... Playgym today (Sun Q had a lot of energy):
Also, there was a partial solar eclipse today... we got to see it, which was awesome. Afterwards, the kids were drawing on the board. Sun Q drew this... That's the Sun in back and the Moon in front, hahaha:
And for my little sister: Your name, which is impossible to find on ANYTHING, is being used in an ESL textbook!!
Love you all!
I thought I'd give you all a little 3 minute video to hold you over... Playgym today (Sun Q had a lot of energy):
Also, there was a partial solar eclipse today... we got to see it, which was awesome. Afterwards, the kids were drawing on the board. Sun Q drew this... That's the Sun in back and the Moon in front, hahaha:
And for my little sister: Your name, which is impossible to find on ANYTHING, is being used in an ESL textbook!!
Love you all!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Fur?
So the other day in one of my elementary classes, Grace (of the earlier "Relationship Advice" post) started rubbing the side of my calf. I was sitting next to her, and kind of in the middle of teaching, so I let it go. But she didn't stop. Finally I asked her, "You like rubbing my leg?" She said, "Yeah, it's fuzzy."
I hadn't shaved in a few days. This was primarily because I'm lazy and have never liked to shave my legs. But also because the last time I shaved, I put my foot up on the toilet lid for easier access, and the whole thing shattered. My foot ended up in the toilet bowl and the shards of lid cut up and bruised my leg. So I was a little gun-shy.
But I told her, "That's because I need to shave." (ps - my kids all know the "break the toilet" story) She kept doing it and said "Teacher, it kind of feels cool. But why do you have hair on your legs and I have, like, none?" I said, "Two reasons, Grace. A - because you're Korean. And B..." She cut in here with "I'm too young for hair on my legs!" So at least she understands that...
Anyways, today I wore shorts again. She asked if I had shaved, and I told her I had (just this morning, in fact!). She wanted to feel it and said, "Oh! It's so soft! But Teacher... I think it's better with a little fur on it."
I pretty much died laughing.
Love you all!
ps - this same girl today also started asking me all kinds of questions about my supervisor (Is she married? How old is she? Does she have kids?). Finally I said, "Why don't you just ask Rachel Teacher this stuff?" She said (almost shocked) "Because, Teacher, that's personal!!!" Hahahahaha
I hadn't shaved in a few days. This was primarily because I'm lazy and have never liked to shave my legs. But also because the last time I shaved, I put my foot up on the toilet lid for easier access, and the whole thing shattered. My foot ended up in the toilet bowl and the shards of lid cut up and bruised my leg. So I was a little gun-shy.
But I told her, "That's because I need to shave." (ps - my kids all know the "break the toilet" story) She kept doing it and said "Teacher, it kind of feels cool. But why do you have hair on your legs and I have, like, none?" I said, "Two reasons, Grace. A - because you're Korean. And B..." She cut in here with "I'm too young for hair on my legs!" So at least she understands that...
Anyways, today I wore shorts again. She asked if I had shaved, and I told her I had (just this morning, in fact!). She wanted to feel it and said, "Oh! It's so soft! But Teacher... I think it's better with a little fur on it."
I pretty much died laughing.
Love you all!
ps - this same girl today also started asking me all kinds of questions about my supervisor (Is she married? How old is she? Does she have kids?). Finally I said, "Why don't you just ask Rachel Teacher this stuff?" She said (almost shocked) "Because, Teacher, that's personal!!!" Hahahahaha
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Mudfest
We went to Mudfest last weekend. It's basically a big event at a beach that's famous for its mud. Apparently the mud has all sorts of beauty and health benefits... I will say my skin was incredibly soft the next day!
It was a blast, and the story is best told in picture form (pictures which I must credit to Nancy, as I took none):
This was definitely the most foreigners I've seen in one place in the year I've been here.
They had mudsinks with paintbrushes for application:
Being muddy is fun. They also had a mudslide, mud wrestling pit, and corndogs.
...and lots of booze...
I got my butt kicked in the wrestling pit... my students counted no fewer than 15 bruises on me (and those were just the visible ones!)... so by the end of the day, I was pretty darn sleepy.
Fortunately, there was plenty of room in our hotel for the 8 of us to sleep :)
The next day was crazy-windy and rainy, and we went to the beach for a little bit... until it started hailing on us! We managed to catch an early bus back home, with plenty of time to rest up for our week.
And I leave for Kuala Lumpur, Bali, and Singpore in 8 days!!! I, and my students, are so ready for a vacation!
Love you all!
It was a blast, and the story is best told in picture form (pictures which I must credit to Nancy, as I took none):
This was definitely the most foreigners I've seen in one place in the year I've been here.
They had mudsinks with paintbrushes for application:
Being muddy is fun. They also had a mudslide, mud wrestling pit, and corndogs.
...and lots of booze...
I got my butt kicked in the wrestling pit... my students counted no fewer than 15 bruises on me (and those were just the visible ones!)... so by the end of the day, I was pretty darn sleepy.
Fortunately, there was plenty of room in our hotel for the 8 of us to sleep :)
The next day was crazy-windy and rainy, and we went to the beach for a little bit... until it started hailing on us! We managed to catch an early bus back home, with plenty of time to rest up for our week.
And I leave for Kuala Lumpur, Bali, and Singpore in 8 days!!! I, and my students, are so ready for a vacation!
Love you all!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
We didn't start the fire...
WE FOUND DIGGY TODAY!!!
Ok, maybe not happy news, as he was perfectly preserved at the bottom of our block-box, but at least we know his fate.
My kids were playing with the blocks after science today, and I guess this is the first time they've used them all in a while... All of a sudden Andy shouted,"TEACHER!! Diggy is here!" I thought he was kidding.
I realized finally by the look on his face that Diggy was actually there, so I walked over, bracing myself for the worst. But there was Diggy, our class beetle, lying just as complacently in Death as he had in Life at the bottom of the box. I had been making a paper "nest" for the paper "eagles" we had made in science, so I quickly decided that was Diggy's new resting place.
He now resides, looking very much the same as the old Diggy, in his nest on my bookshelf. Long live dead Diggy. :)
And now the reason for the post title...
We got out of work 30 minutes early today!! Usually a cause for celebration, this early release was for far more morbid reasons...
Rachel, my supervisor, came running into my class about 30 seconds before the bell rang and said "We're going home now!" Usually, the kids leave at 6:30 and the teachers leave at 7. We all thought maybe the bell was a little late and the bus drivers were growing impatient. How little we knew.
When we went into the office for our 30 minute prep time, we were informed that ALL of us were going home now. It seemed the building had caught fire.
I don't know if I've expounded on the lack of fire safety in our building, but suffice it to say that we have two fire exits: out the 4th floor window, or through the fire escape which has been blocked by a large heavy cabinet.
My heart definitely raced for a moment as I grabbed my purse and headed for the hallway. And saw all of our students waiting for the elevators. WHAT?!?! Elevators?! Umm, maybe this is only the US, but I remember always being told that, in case of a fire, you should use the stairs. Which we tried, but were denied.
Finally, they let us teachers go down the stairs. Once we reached the 1st floor it was pretty darn smokey, but we realized for most places in our building they were carrying on with business as usual. So we went to the restaurant on the corner for chicken and beer, a half an hour earlier than planned.
I'm sure everything is fine, and we will have work tomorrow (and they will probably withhold the half an hour's pay from us). But still, it was an exciting little distraction!
Love you all!
Ok, maybe not happy news, as he was perfectly preserved at the bottom of our block-box, but at least we know his fate.
My kids were playing with the blocks after science today, and I guess this is the first time they've used them all in a while... All of a sudden Andy shouted,"TEACHER!! Diggy is here!" I thought he was kidding.
I realized finally by the look on his face that Diggy was actually there, so I walked over, bracing myself for the worst. But there was Diggy, our class beetle, lying just as complacently in Death as he had in Life at the bottom of the box. I had been making a paper "nest" for the paper "eagles" we had made in science, so I quickly decided that was Diggy's new resting place.
He now resides, looking very much the same as the old Diggy, in his nest on my bookshelf. Long live dead Diggy. :)
And now the reason for the post title...
We got out of work 30 minutes early today!! Usually a cause for celebration, this early release was for far more morbid reasons...
Rachel, my supervisor, came running into my class about 30 seconds before the bell rang and said "We're going home now!" Usually, the kids leave at 6:30 and the teachers leave at 7. We all thought maybe the bell was a little late and the bus drivers were growing impatient. How little we knew.
When we went into the office for our 30 minute prep time, we were informed that ALL of us were going home now. It seemed the building had caught fire.
I don't know if I've expounded on the lack of fire safety in our building, but suffice it to say that we have two fire exits: out the 4th floor window, or through the fire escape which has been blocked by a large heavy cabinet.
My heart definitely raced for a moment as I grabbed my purse and headed for the hallway. And saw all of our students waiting for the elevators. WHAT?!?! Elevators?! Umm, maybe this is only the US, but I remember always being told that, in case of a fire, you should use the stairs. Which we tried, but were denied.
Finally, they let us teachers go down the stairs. Once we reached the 1st floor it was pretty darn smokey, but we realized for most places in our building they were carrying on with business as usual. So we went to the restaurant on the corner for chicken and beer, a half an hour earlier than planned.
I'm sure everything is fine, and we will have work tomorrow (and they will probably withhold the half an hour's pay from us). But still, it was an exciting little distraction!
Love you all!
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