Aimee’s World Tour

On Friday Bristol behaved IN THE AFTERNOON…  I might have thrown around the word “candy” or something unthinkable. Anyhoo today is Tuesday so let’s catch you up from the weekend.  Hmmm – Friday I left my phone at school by accident and then Saturday I visited friends in southern Seoul, and finally on Sunday I went with Andrea, Kath and Justine to a Korean Folk Village.  Believe or not that’s its name! 

 

It cost 15,000 Won to get in so roughly $15.00 because we got the museum pass.  We walked around traditional houses/shops/architecture and whatnot where people were reenacting weaving, making silk, etc.  It sort of reminded me of a Jamestown or Williamsburg only it goes WAAAAAAAY further back in time. 

I apologize that this entry isn’t being all it could be but I’m a wee bit tired after spending all day in the jungle being eaten by wild boars  = spending time with 4 year olds.   Robin, you always had a good point.  People often refer to chaos as a “zoo” but, as you said, the zoo is really a quiet place.  The lions are always sleeping and how many times have you walked past a habitat saying, “well maybe we’ll see something next time”.   Seriously.   Well there’s plenty to see here.  In fact I better come up with some kind of miracle because on Thursday and Friday of next week the parents are welcome to come to the school and watch their kids on a tv.  Ellie talked to me about planning a really good lesson.  Gotta keep the parents happy and if the kids are good, trust me I’M HAPPY. 

To sum up Korea so far in a stereotypical nutshell, everyone here is obsessed with Mickey Mouse, they drive like New Yorkers on crack, they have English print on their clothes that is so grammatically unfounded it drives me NUTS!, kimchi is served with every meal (oh wait till you taste this… and I thought I loved cabbage-everything), people “hock loogies” wherever they damnwell please – one loud glob of mucus from the throat up out on the sidewalk, many of whom I’ve observed dressed in fancy suits, and I think about seven or eight overweight people live here. 

But again I digress… Let’s see… I actually READ A BOOK.  Well, I’m READING a book.  Without TV I found myself reading one of Agatha Christie’s ingenius crime novels.  I started on Sunday, read yesterday and plan to read a wee bit before I go to bed. HOWEVER – some  most exciting news – eh hem!  I have internet in my apt. as of this evening!!  I tried talking to my mom, cousin Aga, and Aunt but my microphone seems to be busted.  Grrr.  SORRY GUYS!!  I’m probably not clicking on the right button or something stupid.  So ya’ll best get your skype log-ins so we can chat!!!  Enjoy the pix. 

Peace out girl scouts.

Aimee

 

I haven’t written in a few days so that I wouldn’t mention the same mundane details.  I promise to highlight anything interesting that happened this week as it is now Thursday. 

Kids are angels.  Really.  It’s just that today I wanted to pour hot tar on quite a few of them.  Maybe stretch them from limb to limb.  My classes have been going better but I still haven’t succeeded in showing them who is boss because half the time they are in their own worlds.  Today Mickey, one of the youngest ones (only 3) and toughest to teach, switched to my “good class” (Cambridge).  They think that should help Bristol, my worst behaved group, to listen better.  It worked for the morning but these kids have no attention span for any afternoon class!  Unfortunately they were really REALLY being little sh*ts today and Ellie was watching.  At one point there were 4 kids wrestling on a mat and so they were sent outside the classroom.  At the end they came in a said “Sorry” but I doubt that means squat. haha.  I’m like the worst teacher ever!! hehehe.

I never liked it when teachers labeled up the “bad class” or certain kids the “bad kids” or “troublemakers”.  When I was growing up, our grade was known for all the BAD kids.  Kids aren’t bad.  They may be “listening retarded” but they cannot help if they are bored, especially at the age of 4!  Most kids do not even enter school until they are 5 in the US.  I had to pass a special test that let me go to school a year early. 

You have to look at things for what they are.  I happen to take a “Seinfeld” approach to life.  It’s all funny really.  There is some humor it in all.  (Ok I’m sure you could provide some monumental exceptions but… the peanut gallery is closed for now.)  And so I have found some humor in the kids which I will now share with you. 

So I believe it was Daniel’s class that this occurred…
One kid gets in trouble for saying the “S-word” (I think we all know what that is).  So another kid tries to be helpful and explains, “It’s like f*ck.  You can’t say that either.”  hahahha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 The other day I was teaching gym and I told the class to sit in a circle.  So this one girl, Young, literally sits down in a hula hoop. 

 We always hand out the water at the end of lunch so that the kids concentrate on eating their food.  When Mickey got his water yesterday he looked right at Jun.  He then dumped his cup of water all over him.  Needless to say, Mickey got to stare at the wall for the rest of lunch and Jun luckily had a change of clothes.  

We do a lot of drawing and coloring.  I wish I had pictures to show you.  I always have to say, “Oooh what did you draw?” because it is like looking at an ink blot at the psycologist.  For example, everyone was supposed to draw a ENORMOUS elephant.  I got everything from strollers with baby elephants to rockets to red scribbles. Then I tried drawing an elephant.  Not so easy. 

Anyhoo… I can’t really concentrate (inronically enough) right now when others are talking so I’m gonna leave that at that.

Please join Cedric as he explored Asia.  His adventures will continuously be updated so enjoy the ride! *Here is Cedric on his first night out in Migeum Station, Korea* [Continue reading this entry]

To avoid being redundant I will only write when a child sits still in his or her chair. haha.  But seriously folks.  It's raining for the first time since I've been here however rainy Saturdays can be quite cozy.  I remember ... [Continue reading this entry]

Yes, some hardcore cement.  Stick those kids'  asses (please excuse my frustrated language) to their chairs!  Today actually went much better but the level of hyper activity especially in the Bristol class (the classes are named for places in England so I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Could it have gone any worse?  Sweating, literally sweating in front of my class as the vice director (Ellie) watched.  What kind of idiot am I? At the end, Ellie was like next time you can turn on the AC and ... [Continue reading this entry]

 *Picture of Palace described below* And here I am at the PC or internet cafe where there are primarily Korean guys playing games.  Apparently it's REALLY big here.  Like Mickey Mouse.  There ... [Continue reading this entry]

*Picture of Andrea, me and Justine at the school celebration of Chusok*  So yes today is officially one week... well in about three hours.  We had a special day at ... [Continue reading this entry]

  *Picture: flight from Phx to San Fran en route to Korea, obviously NOT staged* *Picture: my first real Korean meal* I've been ... [Continue reading this entry]