Shop Til Ya Drop!

Well this was my 2nd to last week of school. Monday we had a school holiday so I had no school. It was a nice break. I met up with one of my teachers, Kuki, in Insadong to do some souvenir shopping. I was so thankful to have her there because she knew the best places and how to get the best deals. I bought a lot but I wont say what because some are presents!!! Insadong is really cool place to walk around. There are a ton of stores with anything you could ever want for sale. It was definitely a great place to knock out some shopping. I can tell that it is very popular for foreigners!

Tuesday and Wednesday were my days back in English with the 5th and 6th grade students. I was supposed to teach 6th period English on Tuesday but there was a military training that took place from 2pm until 230pm so that interrupted the entire class. The military drill was a bit odd. The entire country observed this drill during this time period. To say the least, it was chaos. The students were cheering because they did not have to sit in class. The teachers were wondering what was going on and there were weird voices over the intercom in our school. Eventually, everyone found their way to the cafeteria in the basement but it was just a time for the students to play on their cell phones and chat with their friends. I immediately went into drill mode thinking it was supposed to be serious and orderly. I asked the teachers what to do and they looked at me like I was crazy because they had no clue what to do. It was rather unorganized and I could never see this taking place in a school in the US. Other than that, the 6th graders were starting the unit "Would you like to come to my house?" We used the topic of American Thanksgiving and Korean Thanksgiving. I talked about the similarities and differences and asked the students "Would you like to come to my house for Thanksgiving?" They practiced a bit with Joy teacher using a PPT and then we played a bingo game. It worked on  recognizing the key phrase and ways you could respond. The 5th graders were working on telephone dialogue. I actually had to observe for these classes because Joy Teacher was practicing for her open class that she had on Friday. I just assisted where necessary. They played a speed game where they worked on the dialogue for the unit and learned how to make an appointment with a friend. Some of the content that they were learning were how to say hello, goodbye, how to introduce yourself on the phone, how to ask for a friend on the phone, and how to make an appointment.

The rest of my week was spent in the music classroom. I do not know why I was back to music and it was not very interactive for me. I was not allowed to teach but just assist where necessary. The teacher was working on giving evaluations to all of the students and preparing for her English Training that she will be going to in a week. The students were learning about Korean Instruments, Korean Dance, and Korean Songs. I find topics like this to be interesting because it is new and different from what I am used to learning about. The students did not find it to be so interesting for the most part. At one point, during a 5th grade class I counted a total of 3 students paying attention while the rest of the class had their head on their desk sleeping. This was the first time that I have seen students sleeping in class and it really bugged me. The teacher did not seem to mind at all though. Now I know why the student teachers who are teaching high school get so frustrated with sleeping during class!

Oh and my teachers decided that for the last week that I am here in Korea I needed a new winter jacket. I did not bring my heavy winter jacket because it was too big and I didn't think it would be necessary. The teachers were so worried about me so they bought me one. It is goose down and I guess it costs the equivalent of about $200! I was so shocked but it was also very unnecessary. I understand why they bought it for me but I will only be in the country for another week. Sigh. They are just too sweet and I kindly accepted the jacket. I do not think they would have taken no as an answer! I wear that thing everywhere!  

The coat.. it is so puffy but so warm!

On Friday, my teachers and I left school at 130pm for our monthly cultural training. Every grade level is required to do this once a month. Apparently, we have skipped out for the past two months because we haven't done anything. First, we went to lunch. We had an 8 course meal. It was so filling! Some of it I would have again while others I could do without. For instance, raw beef. Gross, but they slopped it on my plate so I tried a bit. It wasn't disgusting just not something that I prefer. Some of the more delicious things were a salad with pork, shabu-shabu, bingsu, and sushi. Just an FYI, it is very weird to eat salad with chopsticks! If you have never heard of bingsu then you are missing out. It is delicious. Bingsu is shaved ice with sweetened red bean paste, vanilla ice cream, Frosted Flakes, and a bunch of fruit. Mix it all together and enjoy the sweet dish! I loved it! After lunch, we all headed for the NantaNanta again. They booked it before I could tell them that I had already seen it. Surprisingly, I liked it better the second time around. It was still entertaining! After that we parted our ways. It was a fun afternoon out with my teachers and it is good to get to know them outside of school! On the way home, Joy Teacher told me that I am like her younger sister and she now holds hands with me everywhere we go. As if we don't get enough stares because she speaks English with me, now try the holding hands thing. It results in a TON of stares. Aside from all of that, Joy is probably the teacher that I am the closest with and I will really miss her when it comes time to leave :(

Bingsu!!

NANTA stage

Saturday was perfect weather. For some odd reason, the town around our school was packed when Betsy, Falyn, and I went out and about. I think I was just being pushed with the crowd instead of walking by choice. We went out to search for Betsy's hotel that she is staying at when her husband arrives in a week. She could not find it so I think she is opting for one that is easier to find. Probably a wise choice :) Then we went to Myeong-dong. We did some shopping for gifts. I found some great things to give my teachers as a going away present. I am giving them each a t-shirt from UMSL, a pair of earrings, and a thank you card. Simple, but I like it. I was putting the gifts together after we got back and it was making me so sad. I will be very sad to say goodbye to my teachers. Especially because I do not know if I will ever see them again. I keep tell them to contact me if they are ever in the United States and to keep in touch regardless. Everyone of them has affected me in a positive way and I will always remember them!

Gifts for the English teachers

Well, I do not want to think about goodbye's until this upcoming Friday!!! The rest of my weekend was spent..... you guessed it..... WORKING ON MY PORTFOLIO!! Out of the 11 standards, I only have one left to finish. The end is near. The end is near!! It is so nice to know that all of my hard work throughout my 4.5 years of undergraduate schooling are all paying off. I have a busy week coming up. More details to come! Talk soon :)

~ E