Birthday party and dating culture

Okay so this weekend was a 3 day weekend for me since we got today (Monday) off for Buddha's Birthday.  Anyways, this weekend I went on a date with a Korean boy.  To say the least it was interesting and before anyone asks if I am going to have a boyfriend the answer is no.  He wants to move too fast for me and from what I have heard that is  a little bit normal for Korea.  Now if that is true I don't know, but anyways dating culture here is different from back home.  If you like someone you talk to them constantly here in Korea rather than waiting a few days to talk. So needless to say I got many text messages and phone calls before the date and another thing is that Korean boys are very protective of girls.  He treated me like glass and personally I couldn't handle it.  I am an independent woman and it kind of drove me crazy.  Now this guy was very nice, but I don't think him and I will work out. He wanted to move too fast and after only talking to me on the phone twice and meeting in person for 4 hours he was ready for me to be his girlfriend.  Now for me I don't know him at all and am no where near giving him the title of boyfriend.  Okay anyways he was very nice and paid for everything even though I tried to pay or at least give him some money.  He wouldn't take it, but that is the dating culture here.  The boy pays for everything and takes care of the girl.

Okay on to the birthday party.  So again we celebrated birthdays at my school. I got to walk my baby class students to the event and take picture with them.  So of course I have pictures.  :)

Lumi, James and Robin blowing out the candles.

Robin picked Kyra.

Robin with Lucy Tr and I.

James picked Dana for a hug and...

this is what happened! Too cute!!!

James with Lucy Tr. and I.

Lumi picked Joey

Aren't the cute? I love these two!!!

Lumi with Lucy Tr and I

 Okay that are all the picture!  Didn't do too much this week.  I saw MIB 3 on my date and it was in 4D.  Yes 4D you know the rumble packs for video game controllers? Yeah one of those were in my seat.  It was weird. lol You can turn it off though.  So anyways it was a good movie so if anyone hasn't seen it yet I suggest you do.  I went shopping with Haris yesterday in Boson for jerseys.  I got a couple of Broncos jerseys that I am going to send home for my family.  Boson has a big army base so they have a lot of strip clubs and what not which is why I went with a male foreign teacher.  Too sketch to go by myself. Umm... that is all I got! I hope everyone had a good 3 day weekend back home! Love you! Besos!

Teacher's Day and Teacher's Retreat

Well this past week was Teacher's Day and this weekend we had a Teacher's retreat.  So first off let's start with Teacher's Day.  So in Korea they have Teacher's Day and it is a very important day here.  From the old traditions in Korea I've been told that Teacher are on the same level with Parents meaning they get a lot of respect.  So on Teacher's Day students bring gifts for their teachers but a lot of school have started banning it because gifts can be turned into bribes.  Anyways at my school it is technically banned and parents are told not to send gifts, but all the teachers still got gifts this year.  I wasn't expecting anything but surprisingly my secondary teacher and I for my baby class received the most gifts.  Too be honest I am flattered but I feel kind of guilty because of the gifts were very expensive gifts.  The gifts that mean the most to me are the hand written ones.  So of course I took pictures and I will show you what my wonderful students gave me.

This rose was from Aiden in my Edison class.

This is from Emily in my Edison class. Her mom made the pen.

Cookies from Sharon

This is from Joey in my Davinci Class. He has been learning English for 4 1/2 months and he wrote that to me. :)

This is from Lumi in my Davinci Class.  Yes this is the same lip balm that Joey got me. lol

This lip gloss is from Emily in my Davinci class

The sun cream and card is from Melissa in my Davinci class.

She wrote the card.

I love this part the best. Melissa has only been in Davinci for 3 1/2 months.

My card from Alex. The English on the card reads as follows, on top "Love you Forever" on bottom "Always Happy Day I will I could carry you smile in my heart For times when my life seems so low It would make me believe"  There are no periods by the way.  Oh Korea and your English it amazes me sometimes!!! lol

Alex wrote in blue and his mother wrote in black. It says "Thank a teacher Thank you for being so mean to them too Alex. We love a lot a lot of good memories in Korea make. Alex."

So I loved all my gifts and I really felt love.  I'm not sure what the "Thank you for being so mean to them too" means but I don't think I am mean to them. Hmm... maybe meaningful?  Anyways my Davinci class (baby class) has learned the words really and very.  So on Wednesday when I came in and they weren't listening and I made a sad face I started getting "Tara Teacher I'm really really very very very very very very sorry!"  Then later I got "Tara Teacher I very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very (takes a deep breath) very very very very very very very very very love you!!!" I found it so cute but to be honest I thought they were going to say sorry again, why I don't know so I started laughing when they ended it with love you.  I really do love me kids and when I leave them it is going to be hard.  I love my Edison kids a lot too, but the day Davinci started classes was my first day of teaching so I have been when them since day one.  Seeing them grow and learn English is a good feeling for me.
Oh on Friday Lumi's mom brought ice cream for my Davinci class.  So you maybe thinking like ice creams bars or Popsicle right? Or maybe a tube of ice cream and bowls and spoons? Nope not in Korea.  This is how ice cream is done.

They are in pouches with a twist cap.  You can put it back on and save it for later.  There is no ice cream every where just cold hands hence the tissue.

Okay lastly we had a Teacher's retreat this weekend.  We played games and had food and alcohol.  I didn't drink because I don't really like soju or beer and secondly and I am sick.  We ate a ton of ramen, tol (Korean pancake with veggies) and watermelon for lunch and for dinner we had Korean bbq!!! I love Korean bbq!!! Meat can be pretty expensive.  Of course we had rice, red pepper paste, kimchi, garlic, peppers, and lettuce. For dessert we had more watermelon.  Fruits are really expensive here.  Anyways it was in the mountains and here is the view and for the added bonus, since Kevin passed out at like 6pm, Haris wore Kevin's.... I'll just let you see the pictures.  haha

Kevin's Dragon costume.

imitating Kevin

and again

There is also video of him dancing to Moves like Jagger from Maroon 5 and Roly Poly from T-ara (Kpop).  I love to show you are but he has forbid me to upload the video so I can't, but if he ever changes his mind I will.  By the way he was sober he was just bored. haha

Well sadly I am sick so I'm going to got back to bed.  I need more rest.  I woke up to eat dinner, write my blog and take my medicine.  So I hope enjoyed the update! Besos!

Parent's Day/ Mother's Day

So happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there especially my mommy!!! So I sent my mom flowers since I can't be there this year, but Parent's Day was May 8th here.  They don't have a separate day for mom and dad.  I had many of my students make cards for their parents and write in English to them.  It was cute.  Umm... let's see so some of the other teachers played a prank on one of the teachers from the States and here are some pictures just to show you.

These little army men were all over the place even on the ceiling!  It was really funny and everyone had a good laugh.  Hmm... Oh I was in Uijeonbu city yesterday and this is what I saw.

What even is going on here is beyond me but yes here you go.  If anyone knows please feel free to share.  Umm...lastly here are a couple of things I have made this past week.  Pasta and Dulce de Leche.

Cream pasta with bacon, mushrooms shrimp and garlic.

Took me 4 hours to make but it is yummy

hmm... yeah I didn't do too much.  I finally ate a Durian which looks like this.

This picture looks a lot better then mine.  It tastes kind of like ice cream it is really weird. Oh and I finally got to eat Shabu Shabu.  It is really yummy and I can't wait to go again.  We had Vietmanese style so we got rice paper to wrap the meat and veggies in.  It was really good.  After you get the meat you put the noodles in and have a noodle soup and at the very end you put rice, some veggies and egg and it makes this porridge kind of thing. 

Okay that is all I have.  I am going to eat some durian and then get ready for work tomorrow! Besos!

Children's Day and Cinco de Mayo

Okay so yesterday was Children's day and Cinco de Mayo.  So on Friday we celebrated Children's day with our students.  All of the foreign teachers put on a play together.  It was really funny and the kids really enjoyed it.  So did we which was good too!  We put on Aladdin and I played Jasmine's Tiger.  haha After the play they got to plant a tomato plant, bake a cookie, play games and watch a movie while getting their face painted.  I was in the movie and face painting room in which I got to paint all of the kids faces which they really liked.  It was a fun day.

So here is Alex and I.  He ran to me and told me "Tara Teacher baby"

He wanted me to hold him like a baby!  I love this little kid!!!

 

A festival for Children's Day in Uijeonbu.

They are playing traditional drums and dancing.

So yesterday the foreign teachers and I went to a F.C. Seoul game.  This is a soccer team and probably the one that has the biggest following.  Anyways it was a good game and we won. The fans get really crazy but fun crazy not stupid crazy! :)

So during half time they had 100 kids face off against 3 players to score goals.

So many kids!

At the end of the game the fans sing and dance.  This is all of use getting close to the ground to pop up! :)

After the game yesterday I went and ate Mexican food with 3 of the foreign teachers, Harris, Matt and Andy.  It was a lot of fun and the food was okay.  So I am happy!
Lastly here are a few pictures of my older Kindy students being cute and telling me they are in jail! Enjoy!

Well that is all I have for an update!  I hope you liked it!  I am off to bed!!! Talk to you all soon! Besos!!!!