Aimee’s World Tour

I really don’t feel like being funny now.  If I had written this at 2:30 pm I’m afraid that the profanity might have been a little too much for your innocent eyes. haha.  Ok that wasn’t funny. 

*Picture: Yes there is a driving range on the top of the school!  Here is Alex from my Cambridge class practicing for the pros.*

Bristol was HORRIBLE today!  I made one kid cry.  I gave him like 35 chances and then made him and two other boys stand in the hallway.  Ian is such a sweet and smart kid but honestly I think he’s also part monkey because he loves touching everyone.  And always likes to keep moving.  And speaking Korean which is a no-no at this school when you’re not in Korean class.  I obviously don’t teach Korean because I would make the world a dumber place…though I might be anyway….hmmm.  I’m such a super teacher.  S-U-P-E-R.  They also like to stand on their chairs,  jump up to erase things that they can’t really reach on the board, push, fight over whose chair is whose, whine over which color crayon they are missing, then hit each other with the crayons and I’m not even gonna talk about the markers… The concept of don’t scream and push the chairs around the room like a choo choo train has completely escaped them. 

*Picture: Ricky*

I think I finally got through to the class that Aimee Teacher wasn’t happy.  WHen I came back in the room after putting poor little Ian, Danny, and Philip (he tends to copy the actions of whoever is behaving badly, also like a monkey) in the hallway, the room was dead silent and one kid was half hiding under the table.  Not that that’s new but this time I think he was scared. Then I said “Aimee Teacher is not happy.”  I think my downtroden tone made them think wow Aimee Teacher is NOT happy.

*Picture: Elice*

I told them it was “Hometime” -(you know… go get your backpack and whatnot)  and  “sticker time” (when you award ~ everybody say it with me ~stickers. Very good!  Try talking like that the whole day.  I’ll give you an hour. haha.)  Just so you understand, these stickers are like gold.  You’re supposed to put them on this paper on the wall and when you have all the spots filled you get a prize.  Well my kids happen to like to wander around the room, ripping off stickers here and sticking them on the floor… or on their noses. 

I don’t like repremanding.  I just don’t.  I must admit my strategies are being shot down one after another.  Hear this: I will not give up!!!!  No white flag on this side you little monsters!

*Picture: Alex*

 I think I told you how they moved this one “troublemaker” Mickey to my Cambridge class hoping to improve Bristol.  I’m very happy to report that Mickey is behaving so much better!  He still gets a little stubborn about some things and says “No. No Aimee Teacher,” crosses his arms and turns the other way.  However if you’ve ever studied psychology, you know about the id, ego anod superego and quite honestly I think Mickey will soon be out of the “no” stage.  He’s not a bad kid.  He’s three!  Haha – I did make him leave the room (was it today or yesterday) for too much Korean.   Not happy about that.

*Picture: Mickey*

Apparently there was a memo I didn’t get.  Yeeeeeeeeeah.  This week is dress your kid in Burburry week.  Hehe.  Honestly I don’t even know if I spelled that right because I don’t own any Burburry.  I saw a cute little Burburry dress, a pair of pants, etc.  Their clothes are worth more than my life!  I don’t understand why someone would dump a TON of cash on a pair of “true religion” jeans that the kid in gonna fit into for a couple months.  And don’t even get me started on baby showers.  Seriously.  Mikey, any idea how much those jeans go for?  He’s like mini-Mikey (my old roomie for the rest of you).  In fact I kept messing up and calling him Mikey for the first couple weeks.  My bad.  I think his mom gave him a perm since his hair is curly… that’s the word between the classrooms anyways. 

*Picture: Roy*

Let’s talk about the term LANGUAGE BARRIER.  Yup.  The barrier is beating me down!  Allow me to explain myself.  I take two buses to get to school in the am.  One is a regular bus and the other is the happy Helen Doran school bus that plays nursery rhymes ALL THE WAY TO SCHOOL.  EVERYDAY.  PROBABLY FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.  Every (very rich) kid gets picked up right in front of his or her house/apt.  It’s a wonderful little process really.  First I get off the bus and greet the children and parents happily in English.  After helping the kids on the bus, Flora takes them to their seats and buckles them in.  Flora advised me that I should really bow more to the parents and help the kids onto the bus.  Physically.  This one kid JJ is so tiny – one of the 3 year olds.  I j love watching him.  He cracks me up.  Sometimes at school I just scoop him up so that he can keep up with the rest of the class. 

*Picture: Deborah*

The first time I had to take the (regular) bus by myself, I was told to stand by apt. building number 2, which I had been told when I arrived was my own.  Well it turns out someone told me incorrectly and that was the day I got to ride on Angus’ motorcycle.   Normally I take the bus at 7:30 am bus and switch to the 8:10 am on alternate weeks. 

Taking the 8:10 am bus, I go to a different location.  The first time I attempted to go I asked the driver to tell me when it was Suji Middle School.  I must have been the most annoying passenger because I sat right up in the front and asked him at EVERY stop if this was it.  Ah but my persistence did not pay off.  This guy let me out somewhere waay past my destination!  From there it was another bus and a taxi to school.  And she lived happily ever after. Riiight. 

Yesterday Flora, my bus partner/Korean teacher told me to take the 8:10 bus for today since one kid, Joy, wouldn’t be coming to the school anymore.  This morning at 8:10 I get a call from the school bus driver asking me where I am.  Flora then walks up looking confused and upset as to why I’m taking the 8:10 bus when she is the one taking it.  I’m thinking because you told me to!  I had even asked, “So tomorrow, the 8:10 bus?”  It turns out she meant for me to arrive at my location at 8:10 and so I should have taken the 7:40 bus.  Anyway – it was no big deal. 

Yesterday, as you know, I got my internet!  Normally I leave school at 5:10 for the 5:15 pm bus but yesterday I made sure to take the 4:45 pm bus because the school had arranged the internet guy to come by 5:30.  As soon as I got off the bus I ran to the postoffice to mail even more postcards (oh yes… do check your mail boxes and if you have a heart write back!)  I hurried home so that I would not miss the internet man. 

Oh, I did not miss him.  When I got in the door it was a little after 4 pm.  Some idiot (that’d be me) read the clock wrong in the teachers’ room.  I called the school right away and got Janet on the phone.  I explained my situation but she said, “The clock in the teachers’ room is correct.”  I’m like “I READ IT WRONG.” “HUH?”  “I read it incorrectly.”  After several more attempts the message was understood.  I didn’t miss any classes and I would never miss a class anyway.  I feel like I’ve used the word “anyway” excessively.  AH – but this isn’t a book report thank goodness. 

Ok, so I’ve covered the stupid things I’ve done and the confusing situations I’ve been in and the angelic nature of my students.  Could there be more?  Actually, there is!

I stayed a little longer at school today because I was having a tough time making what should have been an easy decision.  Let me just preface this with October is my favorite month.   Aside from mine, my dad’s and my mom’s birthdays, it is HALLOWEEN!!!!!  One of my very favorite holidays.  I maintain that it’s little kids and anyone older than high school kids who truely LOVE the holiday.  In middle school and def. high school the enthusiasm is lacking. 

You might be wondering why the big conundrum?  Well today we were told to go on this Korean Halloween website and pick out a costume!  I hardly had time to look earlier in the day.   In all fairness, I knew what I wanted to be but probably shouldn’t be.  There are certain factors of course.  Aside from junky costumes, a costume you’ve been 3 times, and picking out one that no one else picked (yes that was a requirement), it is important to note that these costumes do not take into consideration the proportions of Americans, especially the American women!  I am an American woman and though I really really wanted to be Heidi, there was a chance my body might just not make it.  I looked and looked, bothering one Korean teacher after another to read the description and tell me the size. 

I was about to give up and settle to be a nun but then it happened… there was a princess costume in a bigger size!  I personally think the material might be really crappy but who cares??  It wasn’t the nicest looking one but it would b fun.  I’m working at a school that is PAYING FOR MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME!  Suzy-Q – you know you’re wishing you were here for the tricks and treats. haha.  You love Halloween about as much as I do!  Actually that’s not fair to a lot of you who do adore it.  I challenge you all to outdo my light pink and white oversized gown.  Just you try. 

Random.    I notice many things when riding to school.  The best is when the bus stopped at a red light behind two cars.  Being that the bus really didn’t care to wait for the red, it honked an obnoxiously loud horn and the cars in front of it actually drove through the red light to give the bus its way.    You’ve got to be frickin kidding me! HAHAHA.  I should be the bus driver!  Make the roads safe out there.

Till we meet again.

 Aimee