Picture Diary

     Once a week, I grade my pre-kinder's picture diaries.  They are always a joy to read.  I look forward to reading about their adventures during the weekend.  It is amazing to see how their writing has improved during the course of the year.  They are able to express their thoughts and feelings.  They are also getting very creative!

Would you try it?

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.

Happy Halloween!

Penguins Class

     Happy Halloween!  Poly went out all this year with a frightful Halloween.  The school was decorated with spider webs, vampires, and haunted houses.  My classroom created monster faces and bats that flew from above.  We listened to Halloween music each day to prepare for the Halloween celebration. 
     This year was filled with many exciting events.  The students watched a Halloween slideshow that discussed the background of Halloween and how it is celebrated in the United States.  Next, my two ECP6 (Early Childhood Program)  classes were joined together, 24 students in all, to create a design for our jack-o-lantern.  We decided on a scary expression to go along with the overall theme of the decorations.  My co-teacher, Barbara, experienced her first pumpkin carving and did a fantastic job.  So great was the carving, that we took first place in the jack-o-lantern contest!

Miss B. carving our pumpkin

Each student reached in to pull out a handful of pumpkin guts!

    
     Later, the students created pumkin baskets for their candy and vampire lollipops.  They used their baskets to hold the candy they recieved from the businesses in our building.  They even went trick-or-treating to the MINI dealership.  I took many candids and checked out the latest models as well. 

     Like last year, I worked the haunted house.  This time though, my duty was to grab student's feet as they walked past.  They screamed and would try to run, but I would hold on.  It was a fun and dangerous job.  I got hit with swords and kicked a few times. 
     The day ended with a fashion show.  Each class walked down a red carpet and showed their costumes to the entire staff and students of the early childhood program. 

     The highlight of the day, was wearing my penguin costume. I, along with several other teachers, had ordered it from a Korean website. We had each decided to wear the animal that our classes were named after. I decided to take a risk and walk to school in my costume. I figured that I always am getting stared at, so now I will give every passer by a reason to stare. It was great!

Michelle and I at a traditional Korean restaraunt.  Yes, you sit on the floor.

     The evening ended with a wonderful dinner shared with my co-workers.  Of course, we went to dinner (bone soup) in our costumes.  On the way out, the employee asked if we were entertainers.  A kyopo stated that it was Halloween.  She then had to explain Halloween.  It was a wonderful way to end a fantastic day. It felt like I was home.



Miss Jia and I

Poly School Staff



Andy did not want to put his hand into the pumpkin!

The Threat of North Korea

     After living in Korea for almost a year, it is easy to forget the current situation between North and South Korea.  It is not discussed, mentioned, or a hot topic in conversation.  It is just accepted, with the hope that there will be a reunification between the divide.  I have learned to not burden myself with worries about the the threat to the North.  I have always felt safe, close to a South Korean air base and the constant presence of American soldiers (though I see most out in the late hours of the weekend).  Today, was a bit of a reality check.
     My students were dismissed about ten minutes early to bypass the traffic for an emergency drill.  About ten minutes later the drill started.  All traffic was shut down for about 15-20 minutes.  The main streets were cleared.  This is to allow any military vehicles or emergency evacuations to travel without conjestion.  It was an erie feeling, seeing a city shut down its street traffic.  In a way, it was quite serene. 
     The moment soon came to an end, but I was reminded of the threat that is constant.  The air drills ocurred in the evening and continued the belief of a possible war that occur at any moment.