Hell week, workshop and goodbyes...

Well to say the least I am glad my hell week is over.  I have been practicing scripts and plays all week and it has been ridiculous.  On top of doing all that with my kindy classes I had to put 4 newspapers together for 4 different classes for elementary. I pulled 12 hour days everyday this week and workshop was yesterday (Saturday).  On top of that I was so stressed out and worried that I didn't sleep well and on workshop day I woke up with a cold.  Couldn't get any worse right? Wrong!  On workshop day I had to act as the father in Beauty and the Beast and I was on stage for Davinci's speechs.  The problem with that was I had no microphone while all the kids did so I had to scream my lines to all the parents. Let me tell you having to talk and sing in a lower register and shout with my voice is really hard!!! Anyways, I think over all it went well! Yes my kids made some mistakes, but the parents were happy and that is a big deal.  So I have some pictures that one of the other teachers took.  I hopefully will get some more this week and video, but we will see. 

Emily and Jasmin hiding in my sweatshirt! lol

Anyways on workshop day as soon as my Davinci kids got there I had to change them into their ballet clothes.  It was kind of crazy because Lucy Tr was taking their clothes off and I was putting on their ballet outfits and I have kids screaming "Teacher I'm naked!!!!" It was so funny, but annoying after awhile.  After we changed them we fed them some Kimbap (Korean version of Sushi) and then we had a quick run through. After that the show started and Davinci's Ballet was the second performance. It went okay and after that we had to change them for script.  Their script performance was like number 7.  Right before their performance we have to put microphones on the kids, but we only have 13 of them so we have to wait for the kids on stage to finish before we can put it on the kids. So it was chaos and I had Emily in Davinci every 5 seconds "Teacher why no microphone?". Drove me crazy. I kept answering her but she just didn't get it. Anyways I went on stage with them. For the most part they did really well. A couple of them laughed but I did the dumbest thing.  I had to wear a Psy mask because we did Oppan Gangnam Style at the end and I put it on upside down. Lucy Tr. had to call from the front and tell me.  I was really embarrassed but at least everyone laughed and I did too! It was funny! Well as soon as I was done with Davinci I had to literally run and change my clothes for Einstein and Edison's play.  I had one performance to do it in and then I had to help finish getting my kids ready to go on stage.  So some kids came in full stage makeup, but Emily from Edison looked so pretty. 

Snow White and Beauty and the Beast

Emily and I. She was Beauty and Beauty's sister.

My prince has come!!! Aiden with Catie Teacher.

Barbara and Catie Teacher with Matthew.

Barbara and Annie! She was my cute cup!

Candy and Haris

Teachers

Teachers

I also got some gifts this week.  I got food from Aiden's mom and I got flowers and a lollipop bouquet from Emily in Davinci on workshop day.

Food from Aiden. Quail egg, chicken, rice cake wrapped in bacon, rice cake in a sweet sauce and cucumber.  All packaged together with a ribbon. Oh Korea!!!

Roses from Matthew! So beautiful!! They smell wonderful too!!!

My lollipop bouquet from Emily complete with a heart! Cute huh?

To be honest I didn't expect to get anything this week much less yesterday, but I felt appreciated so it was nice.  My student's parents really like me and that makes me happy, because I try to be a good teacher. After workshop yesterday my boss took us all out to eat all you can eat Korea bbq which is delicious and then we all went to Norebang (karaoke) and bought food and drinks there for us. It was a lot of fun.

Now the reason why I wasn't looking forward to this weekend. Saying goodbye. Yesterday was Meghan's and Haris's last day.  Meg flew out to Canada today (Sunday) and Haris got another job in Korea 2 hours away and moved today to his new place.  Saying goodbye is getting harder and harder because these 2 people I am really close to.  I took Meg to the airport and it was really hard to say goodbye and not to cry.  If I get a chance though I would love to go visit her in Canada someday! Haris by far was my hardest goodbye and I know he is only 2 hours away right? I will see him again right? Yeah I know that but not having someone who is like a brother to me all of a sudden just be gone is going to be hard. It is not I can meet up with him whenever I feel like it. Yeah I can call him and text but it just isn't the same. Tomorrow will be hard not having Meg and Haris there. They new teachers are nice though. Their names are Julian and Macy. They are from Arizona.  But they just won't replace Meg and Haris. Leah is the last of the group besides me and she will leave in 3 weeks. It is really hard to say goodbye. Anyways I have Kindy off tomorrow so I don't have work till 3pm. I am going to bed early though because like I said I am sick. So I hope everyone has a good week! I am going to do my best too! I will end with some pictures I took on the bus to drop Meg off at the airport. Fall time in Korea! Besos!!

Busy week

Well this week has been practice, practice, practice... I am super tired. I had to go in yesterday (Saturday) for 4 hours to practice with Davinci.  It was the longest workout I have every done. basically 4 hours of practicing script and dancing to Barney and Oppa Gangnam Style. I am sure all of you have heard about Gangnam Style. It is super here and Gangnam is actually a very nice place.  Anyways I am tired and I didn't have much of a weekend. I won't have one next weekend either. Meg and Haris leave next weekend. Workshop on Saturday will be their last day. I am really sad to see them go. I am really close to Haris and even though he got another job in Korea it is 2 hours away and I probably won't see him much.  It kind of sucks having to get close to so many people and then say goodbye.
Hmm... at practice yesterday Matthew's mom bought me juice and Kimbap. :) The juice was interesting to say the least.  Here take a look why

Yeah it was grape juice and orange juice together!!! They are separated and you can drink them separately or together. It was good, but a little weird. haha Well this will be a short update! Not much happened this week. Just have been very busy but it will all be over next weekend. I will try to have video's of my kids and myself next week. It should be interesting! The other teachers and I have put together an amazing performance so hopefully I will get the video, because it is going to be great!!! hehe Anyways have a good week everyone!! I have some grading to finish before bed! Besos!!!

Field Trip, wedding and frustration!!!

Oh where to start? To say the least my week has been super busy and crazy! Okay I will start with the field trip.  I went on my first ever field trip with my kids this week. I went with Megan and between the two of us we teach 6 out of the 7 classes! Needless to say we were very popular on the trip! I was on the bus with Davinci and they all shouted when I got on the bus! I felt like a celebrity or something!!! Emily from Edison saw me when she arrived and started to shout my name! I have never seen her so happy to see me!  It was really cute!! So anyways we went to a big open space in Sowan to gather leaves and play games! My kids saw real ducks and chased them into a corner and trapped them! Then they quacked at them!!! It was the funniest thing!  I enjoyed my time with my kids.  So I took a few pictures!

Okay so I also went to my second Korean wedding!!! Again very efficent! It was crazy how fast it was.  It started at 4:30 and at 5pm. We ate from 5 to 6 and that was it! It was a very nice wedding and my friend looked so happy! So I have some pictures of that!

Haris

Me

Leah

The mothers

Bowing to her family

Bowing to his family

Bowing to everyone that came

Family

cutting the cake

really loud poppers!

I had a lot of fun at the wedding even if it was short! :) So about my frustrations this week.  So in 2 weeks my kids have workshop.  It is a Saturday performance. The 7 year old are putting on musicals while the younger classes have scripts that their teachers have written and a ballet performance. So to say the least I am running around like crazy trying to get my kids ready! Very stressful especially when your kids can't remember their lines!!! This however isn't my biggest frustration! Trust me I know everyone is busy and going crazy because of this thing, but when you are supposed to be teaching a class and forget your kids for two periods in a row it gets annoying.  This has happened to my Edison class 3 times in 2 weeks.  I understand my Korean teacher has to take care of her other class because they are far worse, but she could tell someone right? To say the least I ended up teaching two different classes at the same time. You ask how right? I had to bring Emily and Aiden into my Davinci class and teach 2 lessons!!! Emily and Aiden speak pretty fluent English whereas Davinci does not! Not even close to the same level and luckily for me I can give Edison instructions and they can work quietly and I can teach Davinci!!! I only found out that my Korean teacher for Edison because Barbara teacher came and asked what she should give them to work on. She took them for one period and I took them for the last period of the day. Barbara found out they didn't have a teacher when Edison went to Einstein's classroom looking for me. Barbara went to ask Catie and Catie sent her to me because I know Edison like the back of my hand. Catie is still learning and on paper is supposed to be in charge of them but guess what I am!!! I honestly can't be an effective teacher by teaching 2 classes at once. I am lucky that Emily and Aiden are smart enough that I can give them a writing assignment with a few key words on the board and they can do it on their own. I can't do that with Davinci! Lucy teacher (co teacher for Davinci) asked me if I wanted her to take Davinci and I would go teach Edison and I told her no I will teach them both because I hardly spend time with Davinci either so I want and need to teach them too! It isn't the first time I have had to do this but lately it has gotten old. The worse part is that it is always them and they always come look for me! I feel horrible because it isn't fair to them! Okay done with the ranting!  To end on a happy note I have some funny videos of Emily, Aiden and I (but you only see Emily and Aiden).  So enjoy and have a great week! Besos!!!