Last Day of School FOOD & NANTA

I admit, I anticipated food. Last day, I figured. No way there wouldn't be food. I planned accordingly (a dangerous habit in Korea) by eating a lighter breakfast. And by golly, I'm getting good at living in Korea, because I was greeted in the hallway by one of my favorite fifth graders handing out homemade chocolates. After the graduation ceremony, I was given the usual bag of rice cakes plus a prettily wrapped, fancy rice cake topped with soybeans and other tasty savories.

Bag-of-rice-cakes (뜩 ddeok) is the norm here. I've received countless and still struggle to finish the contents. I like ddeok fine, but they're like the elvish waybread in the "Lord of the Rings" to me -- and I'm sadly not a hobbit in this scenario. They are incredibly dense and filling; Koreans pop them down like saltine crackers.

For lunch, we teachers headed to a restaurant that serves the Korean ground mudfish soup (추아탕 chuatang). The fourth grade teacher raved about the soup on the ride to the restaurant, but he was aware that American taste buds might not appreciate the flavor. No need to worry, it was a fantastic lunch -- I didn't think it tasted all that fishy; it just tasted good.

My relationship with soup has grown into a full-blown love affair. Thank you, Korea. Served boiling hot in an earthenware bowl, I added garlic, green onions, and permilla seeds to my taste. Noodles and/or rice were also added and the slurping and sniffling noses soon followed. Utter perfection with two different varieties of kimchi, raw onions soaked in sauce, and pork cutlet available in between spoonfuls of soup, I was told I am very pretty at eating. Why thanks!

Teacher outing number three, next we headed in our coach bus to Seoul for the "Cookin Nanta" show in Myeongdong. The coach buses are well decorated and the drivers always very professional. Olympic speed skating and a small cat nap later, we arrived at Myeongdong, shopping dreamland. We had some time to kill before the show, so I hit the shopping streets with a group of teachers. I'm not at all shopping compatible with Koreans. They shop like they eat school lunch: quickly. I like to take my time and to feel the different fabrics and materials. No, no. But I did manage to buy two shirts, which all the teachers were excited to know.

I went to Nanta with Steph and Alex when they visited and it was fun. But going with the Doam teachers was an absolute hoot. We had great seats - second row from the stage, which meant that a lot of the teachers were pulled up onto stage during the performance - SO FUNNY. And they just ate up the humor, making Nanta round two really awesome. I think part of it was the English. Nanta is a nonverbal comedy percussion act, but when they do use "real" words, it's English. At one point in the show, the nephew carries in a take box of chicken - "take-out" written in big letters on the box. The teacher sitting next to me, who doesn't ever speak to me, sounded the words out, out loud. The language aspect of the show was something I didn't factor in the first time; it's like me being thrilled I can say, "만두 주세요." I'm planning on writing a full-review of the Nanta show coming soon.

Another bag of rice cakes and little oranges on the bus ride home: FOOD.

Happy White Chocolate Robot

Hooray, Doam Graduation Day!

Today, the sixth graders graduate from Doam Elementary School -- I'm real excited for them, and Moonee tells me that they're excited, too. It's been pretty clear that their time has come, size-wise. I grapple at how ginormous they look when they stand in the lunch line next to the first graders or even up to the fourth graders for that matter (and equally at how tiny-independent the youngest grades are). Whenever I peek into the sixth grade classrooms, I chuckle a little because they are too big for the Doam Elementary desks. They're growing up, and it's time for them to move on.

Of course, I'm extremely sad to see them leave. Two of the sixth grade girls came into the English classroom early this morning to say goodbye. They explained that this was their last day at Doam and that they were sad but happy. They each then gave me a hug, which surprised me and made me feel very sentimental. I loved my sixth grade classes -- coming up with lesson plans and games was a challenge but teaching them always included a lot of laughs. They'll do great in middle school. But I miss them already.

The graduation ceremony took place in the Doam lunchroom-auditorium. Both the sixth and fifth grade classes carried their desk chairs down from their classrooms ("The fifth graders are here for the singing," Moonee explained to me), forming rows in front of the stage. The school orchestra played their favorite songs (i.e. the songs I've been hearing them practice for the past four-and-a-half months) to my honest delight. They're really good at those songs now. Parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family members crowded in behind the student rows, hands full of flowers, candy, and cameras that were snapping away.

The ceremony was pretty standard, lasting about an hour. I sort of wish I could understand what was being said, but the grandmas dozing in the back cued me in that the dialogue wasn't too gripping. I enjoyed seeing all the families (family resemblance gets me every time), and I liked seeing how the sixth graders graduated. They were called up to the front in groups of eight or so. They faced the audience before they faced one of their family members to recite a passage and hand their family member this frame I had seen them putting together earlier this week. Then, they were called up one by one to receive their diploma from the President. 

I peeked over the shoulder of one of the moms to see what the frame held -- a glowing (photoshopped) picture of her son and a bunch of written Hangugo, the Korean language. Really nice, wall-worthy stuff. There was a slide show, loud singing (thanks 5th grade!), and then it was over. Congrats, sixth grade -- don't ever change your enthusiastic goof-ball ways <3

It was a good last day of school. Short and sweet, never get in the way of Koreans leaving an event. I'm impressed at how quickly the playground cleared of cars. I like that I was able to see everything today; it was indeed a special day, a happy day. I wish all the time I could have a more active role but being able to observe/be slightly creepy with the picture taking/think about it all is enough for now. I'm very grateful. And I do like the bowing. Respect and acknowledgement feels much more genuine with a gesture. 

Spa Day: Visiting Icheon's German-Style Spa + Jjimjibang

The cold winter Saturday was a great day to spend at the spa. I'm definitely adding spas and jjimjibangs to my list of favorite winter activities, right next to drinking hot cocoa.

The Termeden Spa and Resort in Icheon is pretty impressive. A newer facility, it was like walking into a really rich person's house. The price reflected that - it cost 36,000 won (about 36.00 USD) to get in, mind you on a Saturday. But being 15 minutes away via free shuttle bus from downtown Icheon and the quality of the services, I would easily spend another Saturday there to rejuvenate.

 The free shuttle bus from downtown Icheon, near the Icheon Bus Terminal, took some digging to find. My friend was the one who knew about it, but it took searching through several travel blogs/unofficial spa sites to find out exactly where it picked up and what time. See below for timetables and details!

I wasn't positive I had the right bus stop, but I was feeling adventurous and decided to wait and see. I was 45 minutes early, but I had my iPod and a willingness to wait. Plus, there was and odang and fish pastry stand right next to the bus stop. Odang is a Japanese snack; I've heard it best described as a fish hot dog. Yum. Odang soup is one of my favorite soups we have at school. In the end, my patience paid off as a well-marked Termeden shuttle bus pulled up right on time and drove us to the Termeden.

Truly a resort, the Termeden includes a Korean-style spa (jjimjibang), a German-style spa (swimsuits please), an indoor swimming pool that extends into an outside one (complete with fountains, small waterfalls, caves, and water slides), a Korean-style sauna, Dr. Fish foot treatments, and places to eat, buy snacks, and go shopping. It was a lovely day. One of my favorite parts was lying in a pomegranate hot bath, outside, with snowflakes falling on my face. 

The Dr. Fish foot treatment was really cool. It cost 5,000 won for 20 minutes of having two different varieties of fish eat the dead skin off my feet and lower legs. It felt... slightly electrifying. It was like having gentle shocks or something all up and down my skin -- little vibrations. It was completely awesome. I was sitting next to a guy reading a newspaper whose son was squealing with delight at the fish tickling his skin. 

The whole spa-jjimjibang culture in Korea is something I know I'm going to miss a lot when I go back home. It is a family affair that the Koreans are just so chill about. Grandmas, grandpas, moms, dads, kids, old friends, new friends - the spa and jjimjibang are a place to relax, talk, and "cleanse your body and mind." The atmosphere is so comfortable with itself. Fun times and Vietnamese food afterwards!

Directions to the Termeden

A: Icheon to the Termeden:

1. Free shuttle bus (15 minutes; free): picks up at the city bus stop (the one in front of SC First Bank, or SC Foreign Exchange Bank) located across the street from the Icheon Bus Terminal

---> Timetable (to the Termeden): 8:20 / 9:20 / 11:20 / 13:00 / 15:00

---> Timetable (back downtown): 13:30 / 15:30 / 17:30 / 18:30 / 19:30 

2. Taxi (15 minutes from downtown; about 12,000 won one way): taxis situated everywhere around the Icheon Bus Terminal

B: Seoul to the Termeden:

1. Basic express bus to Icheon (1 hour; 4,100 won per ticket), then use the free shuttle bus or taxi service (see above): 

--> Timetable (from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal; Subway Line 2, Gangbyeon Station): first bus 6:10AM, last bus 10:00PM (bus departs every 30-40 minutes)

--> Timetable (from the Express Bus Terminal; Subway Line 3 & 7, Express Bus Terminal Station): first bus 6:10AM, last bus 10:00PM (bus departs every 30-40 minutes)

2. Non-stop bus from Seoul to the Termeden, from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal in Seoul (75 minutes; 5,100 won per ticket): I believe the bus leaves from Gate 26 

--> Timetable (to the Termeden): 9:20AM / 10:40AM

--> Timetable (back to Dong Seoul Bus Terminal): 4:00PM / 5:10PM

Family Shields & Castle Points

Throwback to Winter Camp, here are the awesome 3rd and 4th Grade family or team shields:

 

I was so impressed with how well each team worked together - truly collaborated - on their team shield. I've actually never seen anything like it. Each team did, but Team Student in particular spent a good half an hour in the planning stage. They had several sketches and and kept testing out different swatches of colored paper. I'm not positive but I guessed that they were inspired by the shield shape to turn make their shield into a pencil. It is a very clever design. 

Team Eagle chose their best drawer and, boy, was he talented. A third grader, he spent a lot of time on the beak. Getting the shape right was very important. His fellow teammates watched every stroke and discussed ways to improve the drawing the whole way through. Perfection was their goal. 

Team Dragon also chose their best drawer. They decided to work off of a picture, two of the boys holding the Samsung phone in the optimal position. A flurry of conversation occurred throughout the drawing process. The six of them then colored it in at the same time. I dunno why, but seeing them all hunched over their shield, coloring it in, made me feel really happy. 

Team Hamburger took a little prompting. They got stuck up on their team name. So, I asked them, "What do you like?" "Hamburger, Teacher." So they divvied up the shield and made it into what I thought was a food themed team shield. The man with his head cut off throws me. "Knife, Teacher, knife!" Yeah, they were particularly proud about the blood, which is red. 

--

Finally, I wanted to talk about "Castle Points." Basically, a sticker was awarded for project completion and to the winners of the various games we played. This points system really helped them stay motivated and provided a  physical measure of all the work they did. And they really liked choosing the stickers to put on their team castles. The team with the most points would win a prize at the end of the week I promised. 

Of course, I stressed about what the prizes should be, because I just don't know what

kids like these days, especially Korean kids. Seriously, I did some looking online and ended up getting the following:

1. Small lego sets (1,500 won each)
2. Sticker sheets (1,500 won each)
3. Big eraser that had "MELON" written on it (1,400 won)
4. BIC wite-out pen (2,000 won)
5. Individually wrapped chocolate cakes

They went crazy for the legos and stationary stuff. I wasn't sure they'd like any of it, but they were all about the legos. There was a moment of hesitation for one student who couldn't decide between a lego set or the BIC whit-out pen, but he went with the legos. They opened the sets and put them together immediately. And the class was small enough that I allowed the other teams to choose the leftover prizes, which was fine by them. "Teacher, very very thank you!" Worth every penny, or won. The chocolate cakes were the only prize left untouched. //

Day of Food

Winter Break is officially over (nooooooo!) and as difficult as it was to come back from the long holiday weekend in Busan (more on this later <3), it was comforting to hear the students' shouts and noise as I walked into the school. Plus, we got eased into the last two weeks of the school year with no classes and lots of food. A day of food.

The President-Principal treated all of the teachers to lunch at this kal guk su 칼국수* restaurant down the highway from the school. 칼국수 is one of my favorite Korean meals; loosely translated into hand-cut noodle soup, I feel unstoppable whenever I eat it. The noodles are homemade, thick, and juicy all at the same time. The broth has a subtle chicken-noodle-soup-esque flavor from the mussels, clams, and vegetable. This version also included seaweed. I'm always amazed at the dinosaur-sized pot of soup set before us, but then I start eating and think, " I could do this all day. Sit here and eat 칼국수."

My first co-teacher Moonee is back from maternity leave for at least the rest of the year. She's hoping she can get a job closer to her home in Seoul for next year, and I hope she can, too! Her daughter Seung Ah 승아 is possibly the cutest baby I have ever seen, and she turns 100 days old today. In Korea, the family makes and gives out white rice cakes to celebrate. The white rice cake means that the baby is healthy and that she will live a long life. I felt so honored to receive one!

The Doam teachers love to travel. Combined we traveled to Japan, Turkey, Spain, and Europe this Winter Break. A key chain from Spain, sweets from Europe, and a Badger 5th Quarter tee from home, I was feeling the love today -- thank you all, lots of love from Icheon, South Korea ::

*Fun Fact: 칼국수 was one of the first Korean words I learned

Feed Me: More on Korean School Lunch

I will never stop talking about how much I love school lunches. Over winter break, I like to think of them as the cold lunch version - still fabulous but usually served cold. There are less of us here (about 30-35 students and 7 to 8 teachers), which means two things: more time to eat and I get seconds :D Though, the teachers that make and serve the food have noticed my appetite and load my plate so full of Korean deliciousness, I am usually too full to go up for more. It's been so nice eating and talking with a smaller set of students and teachers -- I am so thankful!

Eating at school always leaves me craving Korean food at home, and I've slowly started incorporating Korean eats into my home life. One of the second grade teachers, my self-proclaimed Korean mom, regularly gives me a batch of homemade kimchi. It is SO good. 

Can you guess which one I made at home? :) 

Yaju Tea & me

Today was a good day: bibimbap for lunch and adorable, clever students. A few huttled around me while I ate, teaching me how to count and say "clock," "chair," and "spoon" in Korean. I'm getting the Korean numbering system down I may brag. They're good teachers :D

The past few weeks have gone quickly with vacation and winter camp keeping me busy. I've been stressed out more than I like -- about what, I don't even really know. Winter Camp, yes; I've spent hours planning and stressing. Lesson planning is a huge pain that I don't like doing. Even when I'm excited about a game or activity, I worry about how it will go, if the kids will like it, etc., and it just takes me forever to hash things out. One of my friends works at a different school with a different system and she asked me, "What is lesson planning like?" And I'm like I can't even... no.

"What is lesson planning like?"

I've had to tell myself to keep calm, to put it nicely. Other stresses are just those that come with life in general. Past the honeymoon phase of Korea, I'm about four months in and it's a lot of work. But I like living in Korea and I like seeing "all the things." I have a four-day lunar holiday coming up, which will be nice. You gotta love all the built-in holidays Korea has. I'm thinking of heading south to the coastal city of Busan. Seeing the open water would be incredible. My inner-wanna-be-surfer is catching a big wave at the thought.

Perspective. That's what it's all about. NPR has been a life thread and when I think about all the work John Kerry has been doing - geesh. One winter camp and planning vacation is pathetic. It's my life, and my problems and stresses are real, but yeah, there's a busy man. He would've made a heck of a president.

Perspective. I like my students, and the teachers here at Doam Elementary are so kind and generous. After lunch today, the head teacher gave me a jar of homemade yaju tea. He was cute about giving it me - he doesn't speak much English and is pretty professional most of the time - so the whole charades form of communication was really endearing. And this tea is amazing. Basically a citrus concentration, one spoonful stirred into a cup of boiling hot water is the definition of comfortable happiness. 

The things I love about Korea

You may have heard that I wear winter extremely well. Scarves, hats, mittens, and yes, folks, I bought my first pair of leg warmers. I know, I know; you'll just have to get over how adorable this '80's baby looks. I love that Korea has put me in a situation at work that I can really wear my winter gear to its fullest. I love winter and now I am able to enjoy its chill inside and out. The cold allows me to enjoy the warm moments -- the warm copies from the copier machine, the warmth of having thirty-some bodies in a classroom, hot soup at lunch, and boiling water from the water cooler for my afternoon cup of joe. The sun, too. It's all very primal. I love it. 

Slippers, school lunch forever, and snacks. I adore the slippers my students wear. I can't help but feel how awesome a school full of kids, running around in slippers, is. It's a comforting culture, trading outdoor for inside shoes. One my fourth grade students has this pair -- monkey faces. They crack me up; I can't help but like him the best because of those slippers. So darn cute. And the slippers extend to teachers as well. It thrills me, wearing slippers at work. This absolutely trumps the joy I felt when I would slip on my crocs for work at the bagel shop (BIG deal). 

I'm still in a love affair with school lunch, because, sometimes, it's what gets me through a rough morning of teaching excitable monsters. It's about more than eating food; it's about nourishment. Factor in the school being so cold, it is about survival, feeding the body and soul. Soul food. Spontaneous pizza. Yesterday I was called down to the teachers' room for Domino's pizza. Snacks are the best at school because I get to try new foods (rice cakes, fruit I've never heard of) but also because of spontaneous pizza, oranges, and tea. 

Food in general is a good time for me in Korea. I like Korean cuisine. I went to market day, which happens twice a month in Icheon, with my co-teacher a couple weeks back, and my oh my, such a vibrant atmosphere. My co moved at lighting speed through the stalls, speaking about the different foods and making suggestions on what to buy. I love shopping and having conversations with her -- she's one of the smartest and funniest people I know.

The bars of soap in public bathrooms are laughable to an American foreigner because they are incredibly clever. First off, it's lucky to find soap in a public bathroom, and when it's bar soap, it just about makes my day. Extended on a metal bar, it floats in the air waiting for you to furbish those dirty hands. I smile mischievously every time I use one -- something about it being such a good idea (think about the life span of a bar of soap and how much less messy it is than liquid soap) and the Koreans, even though they fund the bar soap on a metal bar, not even knowing how brilliant it is. Best kept secret in Korea if you ask me. 

I love seeing an elderly Korean woman outside shoveling snow. I love seeing that old Korean man sprint across the street, not worried about falling and breaking a hip. And as much as I hate how crass and rude ahhgummas can be, I admit I love that they treat the world so brutally. I love hiking up mountains, out of breath, only to be passed by Koreans who are obviously a hundred years old, jammin out to music on their walkmans. I love seeing that life and vitality in people I can't help but think saw the last of the dinosaurs. Crinkled and wise, it motivates me and makes me excited for the wrinkles.  

Overall, I like my life in Korea. I like the song my laundry machine plays when the load is clean. I like floor heating and how fast my electric tea pot boils water. I like the walk to school with the mountains and farmland. I like slowly learning a new language, which lets me read snippets of the signs and posters around me. Hangul really is a beautiful writing system, the characters and strokes. I am happy and that's the thing I love most about Korea: that living here gives me so much perspective on the small things as well as the big, macro, philosophical things. It's great for me because I'm consantly thinking about impact, points of. 

Lightbulbs, Icheon, & Ceramics

It was such a high buying lightbulbs. I just got home from school via walking with the science teacher (yes, no more heart-wrenching, panic attack morning bus rides for me) and having received my settlement money, my stomach was full of freshly made stir fry. Plus, my "kitchen" is now the brightest part of my apartment. 

This past weekend was chill but a lot of fun. I met some of the other expats at the local "foreigner" bar on Friday. Turns out there's a small community of about thirty of us in Icheon. It's nice to know there are English-speaking friends around. And there was talk of having a barbeque one of these weekends, which I am ALL ABOUT. 

It's a mixed group of people; there's a strong Wisconsin presence woooo (which is how I got introduced -- thanks, Jessica!) as well as people from South Africa, California, and the UK. The guy from the UK, no lie, looks like Daniel Radcliffe's (aka Harry Potter's) twin. I've been crushing pretty hard on that accent. Since most of them (or all of them) have been in Icheon for a year and a half, it's been really helpful just hanging out with them and seeing how they order food and buy things (if you don't know what a food is called in Korean, just make the English word sound Korean: waffle cone = wah-pple cone). And hearing about their experiences has been hilarious. 

The Ceramics Festival started this past weekend, and wow. I have found my happy place in Icheon. The Ceramics Village, or Ceramia, which is either part of Seolbong Park or right next to it, has grounds that are simple, playful, and elegant. Located "where the mountain and water meet," it's a really breathtaking area. The style, look, and feel of Ceramia does remind me a bit of my home in Wisconsin with ceramic sculptures and art pieces incorporated into the landscape and the numerous walking trails. It's a very honest and intuitive design. I like it a lot.

Complete with everything you could need, including convenience stores, several performance stages, a traditional tea house, The Modern Ceramics Museum, The Icheon City Museum, art studios (glassblowing, ceramics), and the biggests kilns I have ever seen (whole firing rooms), Ceramia truly is a kind of utopia. 

Sitting amongst the ceramics

Painted details

A pottery mascot -- that little guy in the green was flipping out. He was running around the pot, laughing, screeching. Probably one of the funniest-cutest moments in Korea thus far.

Food tents are more like food restaurants -- real classy, real nice. These woman are making some sort of Korean pancake (jeon).

Kids lining up to have a go with the hammer at what I thought was rice

Resting at the "top" of the hill, near the Modern Ceramics Museum

Archive Room -- really fun design with the hanging books

One of my favorite, though not unseen, exhibitions -- pop & advertising culture done in ceramics

The Walking City

I feel lucky being placed where I am. It's a stereotypical feeling, but I think the city of Icheon and Doam Elementary itself serves my personality and needs well. It's true that Icheon has proved to be quite the walking city. I love that I'm seven minutes away from downtown Icheon, near the shopping district, as well as Icheon's biggest park, Seolbong Park. 

One view of Seolbongho Lake in Seolbong Park

Roughly the size of Madison, Wisconsin (200,000), Icheon is known for its ceramics, to-die-for rice, and hot springs. I could potentially spend a day at the spa and then hit the potter's wheel and throw a pot (I've actually read about such day-packages). My kind of day, my kind of life. 

Arriving right before the holiday worked out wonderfully. I got a little lonely because the city (at least where I was) cleared out for Chuseok. Moonee said that all the teachers were extremely worried about me -- there just weren't a lot of people around if I needed help. And food. As I was finishing my first meal in Korea at a traditional Korean Restaurant on my arrival day, the co-teacher said, "This is your last supper." He was making a joke. Many restaurants and shops were closed over the holiday, which started the day after.

My first-last supper. Intense in the best way.

But I survived, and I explored. Taking everything in and absorbing all the landmarks to help my navigation system was important. Putting myself in those horribly impossible but somehow workable language barrier situations - ordering coffee, explaining to the Koreans who assume I speak Korean that I don't (Mee ah hahm nee dah. Ah nyoe Korean. American **points to chest**), asking bus drivers about their stops, and buying T-money (a bus pass essentially) - was a good way to forget inhibitions and simply go about my days. The language can only get easier and boy, can Korea get any prettier?

My first view of Korea outside the airport, through the car window.

Not looking my best and brightened in post -- Outside the Korean restaurant where I ate my first Korean meal.

A look down Walking Street -- I like the circle made by the sewer top, entrance, lid (?)

Landscape art -- It took me getting closer to figure out what "they" were...

Potter's wheel and really beautiful ceramic pots

View of the city from Seolbong Park -- I really liked all the blue roofs.

Near the entrance of Ceramia (Seolbong Park) -- Where the mountain and water meet.

Happy Chuseok, or Thanksgiving, Weekend!

I already have my first day of school under my belt and am enjoying a five-day weekend. The three-day holiday Chuseok, or Harvest Moon Festival, is comparable to American Thanksgiving. The Koreans honor their ancestors and I read, eat crescent-shaped rice cakes. My co-teacher Moonee wished me a happy Thanksgiving weekend as she headed off to Seoul. I hope to get a chance to ask her more about her Chuseok holiday next week, but we have a very busy next few days at school.

I felt good about my first day of school. Moonee picked me up from my apartment and orientated me a bit, showing me the bus stop I will normally take to school and where I can buy my basic groceries. My school Doam Elementary is a rural school with about 220 students. The building itself is really beautiful -- lots of surrounding trees, open air, and color. There was a group of kids playing soccer on the big, dirt playground (the favorite sport Moonee tells me), which leads to the main entrance of the school. Right at the entrance are the shoe lockers where we changed into our "indoor shoes." Koreans traditionally (and modernly) do a lot of activites on the floor, including sleeping and eating. It is a respectful and logical way.

My classroom is right across the hall from the music room, which I think is just fantastic. I enjoyed some enthusiastic and loud singing throughout my first day. Moonee and I each have our own desks and our classroom is equipped with the biggest touch screen TV I have ever seen (I'm bringing my measuring tape next week) and a really neat "virtual studio." I didn't have time to ask Moonee about the virtual studio, but I assume it's some sort of green room the kids can perform in.

I sort of co-taught but more observed one fourth grade class and two sixth grade classes. The energy and welcoming was really amazing -- I'm excited and also a little intimidated to teach. Moonee assured me I just need to be active and loud to succeed. The President of the school is all about English; she really believes in the kids learning English and feels having a a native English-speaking teacher is key to the kids' success in learning it.

My meeting with the President, Vice President, and Head Teacher of the school was so nice. The President doesn't speak much English but she prepared a short welcoming speech that her son wrote for her. She told me how glad she was to have me here and that her sister works in North Carolina. Moonee told me that her son also works in the States as an English teacher. It was really sweet and succeeded on the welcoming front. I think teaching at Doam Elementary will be an extremely positive experience.

Lunch happens around noon. The teachers and students eat in the same cafeteria, which is in a seperate building from the classrooms. My metal lunch tray was heavily piled with rice with specks of beans, kimchi, a cold noodle-vegetable combo, hot soup, and some sort of brown-sauced protein dish. Eat your kinchi, eat your kimchi. That's what was engrained in my head in my weeks of preparation for Korea. This is one front I know I failed. I tried and wanted to, but my stomach has been upset since before I left for Korea. I thought it was nerves, but I dunno -- it's a little bug I think because even the food I brought with me doesn't swallow well. I made the decision not to throw up and just be judged for not eating my kimchi. I felt like that would be the least disrespectful of the two options. My plan is to force eat these next five days and get my stomach back in order. 

After scooping my uneaten food into my soup bowl and emptying it into the trash can, Monee and I returned to our clasroom where we went over some things for next week.Next week, on Tuesday, my third day of school, we will be having open class. For open class, the President of our school and teachers from ten different schools will come and observe our classes. Bam! Let's do this teaching thing. I'm not too nervous, because it is the perfect opportunity to do and show off what I came here to do: teach. And my time at Creative Learning Preschool has given me the confidence to know it's going to be okay. We teach from a book and I observed first-hand how Moonee teaches and what the students are used to doing.

Moonee and I were about to leave for the market when she said that there was a snack in the teacher's room, or teacher's lounge. First of all, cool. I got to (and get to) go into the teacher's room, a fantasy since my grade school days where I only got a peek into Joy Elementary's teacher lounge. I belong in the teacher's room. There were grapes that reminded me of the grapes growing on the vines in my backyard back in Wisconsin and plates full of mostly Korean rice cakes. There was also a rice-water drink. Sweet and refreshing. I then gave a little impromptu speech about my first day for all the staff. I said how happy I was to be here and that the kids were very energetic and asked how old I was and if I had a husband or boyfriend. To their (and my?) dismay, nope. No boyfriend. No husband either. I did tell them I have a dog named Bodger.

Overall, this is doable. My biggest culture shock so far has got to be the feelings of homesickness. The near-disastrous bus ride home felt normal (I've made a huge mistake) and the language barrier just covers my normal social awkwardness. In fact, I feel that I can communicate better here in Korea in the sense that they know I'm a foreigner. I don't worry so much about what I need to say -- I just take it all in. But I miss home in a way that surprised me. It's not that I wish I were home but that I had to say goodbye. Which is probably why I need to embrace my band roots of, "We never say goodbye, but see you real soon." Once I can get my internet working and I can finally skype with them, I think I can stop feeling so sad about saying goodbye. Like the Dinos, I'll be able to see that they are doing great, living life, and that I need to do the same.

So, Happy Chuseok, all!! I am thankful for all the support and well wishes from home. I am thankful for Moonee and all the teachers at Doam Elementary. I am thankful for this opportunity to speak loudly and be an English teacher. I am thankful that I was raised to work hard and that I learned that it's okay to play hard, too. "Fake it til you make it." "Shooting live." I am thankful for all my work experience that taught me small philosophies to live by to make it work.

Much love from Icheon, South Korea <3