Happy Thanksgiving

     Another year away for the holidays.  Thanksgiving is always the hardest.  It is the start of family gatherings and the holiday season.  It is hard to think that all of my loved ones are gathered together around a wonderful meal.  I was fortunate to have a great meal with my new family, my co-workers.
     The day started with a Koren style Thanksgiving lunch.  It consisted of fried rice, spaghetti, and ham (or so we thought).  Everyone ate the "ham" and couldn't believe how delicious it was.  We went on and on.  Only to find out later that it was duck.  No wonder it was so juicy.

    
     I had almost forgotten what turkey and stuffing was, let alone tastes like.  I have been in Korea too long.  Rice is now a staple of my diet.  It tasted extra good, when I put the savory turkey in my mouth.  It was delivered by Clements, our school's handy-man.  He went to the U.S. military base and waited about 40 minutes, in a line of traffic, to be escorted on base.  He then had to wait in line at the deli to pick up our meal.  It was worth it in the end. 

Only in Korea, do you eat turkey with chopsticks.

     We had three turkeys, two different kinds of stuffing, vegetables, rolls, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  It was very delicious, but not as good as home.  The best part was that we were told to bring "to go" containers.  I took advantage of this and brought three!  I filled them up, especially with pumpkin pie.  It was a tasty treat the next day.

Miss B. carving the turkey for her to go container

A Wishbone!

Heidi's Shower

     It is very difficult to be away from family, especially when your sister is planning a wedding.  The thought of missing her wedding shower was very hard.  The price of a plane ticket was too high and I was unable to receive time off from work.  Instead, I was able to use technology to be there during this special time.
     I surprised my sister, at 2:00 a.m. with a skype session at her shower.  I really felt as if I was in the room right with her.  Her Maid of Honor gave me the tour of the venue.  It was gorgeous.  I was then set down at a table with my family relatives.  I was able to chat with many relatives and listen in on great conversations. 
     It was a little bit upsetting when everyone started to eat.  I was longing to have a chunk of cheddar cheese and a bite of salad. Conviently, the battery died on the laptop.  They were able to log me back on, for a short good bye.
     I am glad that I was able to share this moment with my sister and great friend, Heidi.

Kids Biz

     Today was the best field trip that I have had since my time with Poly.  This field trip was geared towards children and was the appropriate age (4-6 years old).  The name of the establishment was called Kids Biz.  It was a small, quaint building, about 15 minutes away from our school.  The inside design was child-size, with the floor plan being divided into small rooms.  The rooms were the following: supermarket, hospital, fire station, bakery, kitchen, and cars.  There was also a room for the girls, which had a beauty station and dolls. 

     The best part, was that there was a Mom Cafe.  This was designed for parents to go upstairs, away from the chaos below.  They had a coffee station with snacks and tvs that monitored the children below. 

     My students, along with four other classes had a blast.  They were able to be children and use their imaginations.  They were dressing up in princess, doctor, and police costumes.  They even had me shopping in the grocery store and be a patient in the hospital.  Before I knew it, I had a roll of toilet paper (from the bathroom, taken without permission) around my arm!  I had thermometers in both my ears and my legs elevated.  It was a stressful day, for both the children and me.

Doctor Sue Boo

Patient Mesmer

 

    

Miss Kim relaxing

The girls getting their hair done.



11/11/11

     Happy Pepero Day!  Once again, I have experienced the the madness of Pepero Day.  This year I was inundated with Pepero.  I received strawberry Pepero, peanut Pepero, wafer Pepero, hand made Pepero, and the best.... pop rocks Pepero.  The last was a pleasent surprise.  I thought that I was eating a Pepero decorated in candy, but was surprised with a sizzling madness in my mouth.  It was a party in my mouth! 
     This year, I was prepared with a box for each of my pre-school students and a wafer stick for my elementary prodigies.  They welcomed the gift and gave Pepero in exchange.  It was a wonderful day filled with chocolate and smiles.