Well to start off it has been super cold out here in Korea. It has been super windy too! On top of that I think I am getting a cold. Oh and yesterday my heat stopped working so that means I have no hot water. So to shower this morning I had to boil water and mix it with the ice cold water to shower. It wasn't fun, but I still was able to shower. Since it was the weekend I couldn't call maintenance or my boss, but I did tell my Korean Teachers so hopefully it will be working tomorrow or by Tuesday. When I say it is cold I mean currently outside it is -2 degrees F. It is cold. Now before everyone freaks out about me having no heat, don't worry I have a handy electric fan heater. So my room is nice and warm. I did wake up feel stuffed up so I hope it passes.
Okay on to more fun things. This week was pretty good. We had birthdays this week so I have some pictures of that. I have 3 kids with birthdays. Sunny and Andy from Einstein and Joey from Davinci. It was really cute, because they picked the person they liked except for Andy. He doesn't like anyone, but for example Sunny picked Aaron to give her, her gift and he also gave her a pencil with a big heart on it. Later Sunny told me as a secret that Aaron loves her so that is why he got her the pencil. Oh and speaking of Aaron he used the word reproduce in his book report to say that the girl had a baby. Oh Aaron is a very smart boy, but it scares me sometimes how much he knows in English. haha He also asked me what single meant and I told him that is meant that they didn't have a boyfriend or girlfriend. He looked at me and told me that he wasn't single. This means that him and Sunny are boyfriend and girlfriend. The whole class told me first of all and second of all they told me that Sunny kissed Aaron at swimming academy. haha Why do my seven year olds act like this who knows. I always joke that I live in a Korean drama and that most of the actors are 7 years old. The things these kids know amazes me sometimes. Okay back to couples, Joey picked Lumi. I always joke that they love each other,and they tell me no. However, they always play together and help each other. I also joke that they are the mom and dad of Davinci because they take care of everyone. They help clean up, fix other kids hair, and pick them up when they fall. It is really cute and they are so cute together. They are probably my favorites in Davinci although I love all of my Davinci kids. So on to pictures!
Andy, Sunny and Joey
Jasmin and Andy
Marie, Andy and I
Lumi and Joey
Aaron and Sunny
Marie, Sunny and I
Joey
Andy can't smile in pictures very well
Sunny
Aaron's writing
Also Joey has the same birthday as my grandma. He was so excited for his birthday he was counting down and telling me how many sleeps he had till his birthday. I told him that my grandma had the same birthday. So on his birthday when he came to school I told him good morning and happy birthday. He looks at me and says "Good morning Tara Tr! Happy Birthday Tara Teacher's grandmother!" It was so cute and every time I saw him all day he would tell this to me. So I had to film it which then the whole class wanted to wish my grandma a happy birthday. So here is the video. Happy Birthday Grandma O'Brien!!!
Lastly I got to have one on one time this week with Emily and Aiden. So of course I have pictures. What is special though is that they took nice smiling pictures with me which out fighting me which is what they usually do. Especially Emily. Aiden hates pictures and took them with me so I have to share. Also I found out that Emily will be doing Elementary at my school so I will still be able to see her. Aiden's mom hasn't decided, but I think he will not come which makes me sad. He lives far away and he told me he is going to go with his older brother. So we will see. Anyways enjoy the pictures!
Emily took this one of Aiden
model pose?
Cute!
Sad?
We read a book like this. :)
I love this one!
Okay well this week will be busy finishing up things and hopefully getting my heating working again. I would like to shower normally again. haha Oh I also hung out with Haris today. We went shopping and I got the new CNBlue CD. They are a K pop band kind of. They are an actual band and play their own instruments unlike a lot of other groups that dance and have a music recording. Anyways they are a great group. I also bought a coat I have been wanting to buy for awhile since I have been in Korea. I already love it and I haven't even worn it out yet. haha Well I am off to finish up some grading so have a good week everyone! Besos!
Well this past week was a very long and busy week. I had a lot of phone teaching, testing and evaluations. To say the least at the end of the week I was super tired. On the bright side though all my kids are done with testing and phone teaching. I have a few more evaluations to write and I will be done.
So I really don't have much to talk about, but I do have some videos. The first one is of Aiden talking about many things to me. He is a funny boy and I am going to miss him a lot after graduation. I know I talk about Emily and Aiden a lot, but you have to understand for 8 months of my time here I was basically with those two for 5 hours a day everyday. So being with them all the time I became very close to the two of them. Not only that but these two speak English fairly fluently and that is pretty amazing for a second language, by just going to school. I mean yeah this is their 3rd year but we push these kids. I teach Edison 10 different books. They know a lot about science and they can do pretty advanced math for 6 year old. They can speak, read and write in 2 languages fluently. Yeah they have tense mistakes or spell things wrong but they are at the same level or maybe even more advance than a native English speaker their age back in the States. Needless to say because they are fluent, I can talk to them and get to know them. I know what foods they like and what other schools they go to. I know how many people are in their families and how old they are. I know what food they can have and can't have. Not only that these two love to joke with me but they also are some of the most well behaved kids. If I tell them to do their work they do it 99% of the time and when I have had to combined them with another class (mainly Davinci) they always help me out and do their work with no help. They know I have to help Davinci more than them and will only ask if they really are stuck. I honestly forget that these two are so young. They act and behave much older than they are. I forget sometimes these two are still babies who are only 6 years old and yet I have made them write pages and pages of stories or even a powerpoint presentation. I am so impressed by these two. When I phone teach them I don't even usually use a phone teaching sheet because I am able to just talk to them about anything. I actually have conversations with them. When I first started with these 2 oh I hated it! They were so mean to me, but then I found out it was because they went through so many teachers over 6 months so they didn't trust anyone. Once I gained their trust things have been wonderful with them. I really do enjoy teaching these two and I will miss them a lot. They always can make me smile when I am sad. I remember one time I was just having a bad day and they both came and hugged me out of no where. I was trying to be cheerful like I usually am and they weren't buying it. They were doing all kinds of things until I was laughing and then they sat down and did their work not fighting me one bit. The bond I have with these two is one I never expected to have when coming over to Korea to teach. I really love these two and although I am sad they are leaving me, I am excited for them to grow up and continue their schooling. I know they are realizing they are leaving soon too. I mentioned on Friday that they had a month and a half left and they were like "Oh yeah" and then a minute of so later went really quiet and cuddled with me while we watched Norischool. It isn't something they normally do, but lately they have been super affectionate and I think they understand this is coming to an end. Emily even told me "teacher you have been my teacher for 1 year." She then told me that it was a long time. haha I wasn't expecting to rant about Edison, but their you go. Don't get me wrong I will miss my Einstein kids too, but I don't have the same bond with them as I do Edison. Man if I am sad now wait till next year when I have to say goodbye to Davinci after 2 years. Oh man... Anyways here is Aiden's video.
The next 3 videos are of Davinci class. I had to test them this week and after the test I gave them some free time. The game they played was one I never played and that was salon. haha I remember playing house but not salon or beauty shop. I have 2 videos of that. The last one is during art class which they were singing but as soon as I turned on my video they stopped, but it is still cute anyways.
Well that is all I have. I need to finish evaluations. So I am off! Have a good week! Besos!
Well I have some news to say in this blog but first I have some pictures. This week we took pictures with our cooking outfits on and of course I have pictures. I don't have Einstein but I have Edison and they are classic. So please don't mind me in these photos. I look horrible. They didn't tell us so I look awkward. haha enjoy!
Here is something funny I saw when I was out.
Look at the name...
Now this tea can be read 2 ways job as in work and Job as in the book of Job in the bible. It actually tastes really good. It is barley tea with milk and sugar. I don't like barley tea on it's own but I like it like this. By the way it says 300 won on there which in American dollars is about 30 cents. haha this is a vending machine at the subway station.
Okay now on about my big decision. In my last blog I said I was going to be going home in 2 months. Well that has changed this week. My boss asked me again to stay with a lot of added benefits to me. One thing I don't really touch on in my blog is all the negative stuff I deal with a work. My bosses are less than perfect and very frustrating at times. They have also done many messed up things to people around me. I don't mention it because I don't want people to think I hate my life or my job. Yeah I get frustrated and annoyed like anyone else, but I don't want my blog to reflect all the negative. If I dwell on the negative I would not enjoy my time in another country and to be honest Korea is a wonderful place. It's not perfect, but neither is the States. I don't want people to have a bad impression of Korea, because it isn't a bad place at all. I want people to enjoy my blog and read fun things not depressing things. Anyways, when I made the original decision to stay I wasn't really happy. Thinking about it the second time around was really hard and when I told my mom it was hard for her to take. I think I made my original decision for others and not myself. Yes a big part of it was for my mom, but I am very close to my mom and I do miss her a lot. I was feeling regret not being able to see my Davinci class through to the end because I started with them and now by staying I will also finish with them. Now there are many other factors that went into making this decision that I won't get into because that isn't something everyone needs to know. But I am happy and relived by my decision where as I felt regret with the old one. Now lucky for me my mom and dad are really understanding and awesome so they fully support my decision. Also, I get to go home to Colorado for 3 weeks for my sister's graduation in May. I am not making any promises that I will see all my friends during that time, but I will promise this to my parents and my sister that I will be spending most of my 3 weeks there with them. Family is important, and being away I have learned who of my friends actually care about me and who don't. Not that my friends aren't important and I don't love them. I also understand that people get busy and everyone has their own lives to live. I understand that I really do. I work many 12 hour days so I understand stress and being tired and busy. What I mean by that is I know who has tried to remain in my life and who hasn't. To be honest I have very few people who really do miss me being gone and that is okay. I am sure they know who they are. :)
Anyways, I am off to finish up some work. My life as a teacher never stops. haha especially when you are in charge of 3 Kindy classes. Well I am off to bed I have a 12 hour day tomorrow! Yay phone teaching! haha not really! Have a good week everyone! Besos!
Well this week was my vacation and I relaxed and slept a lot. I am also getting over this cough thing I have had for a couple of weeks now. I even lost my voice. It was an interesting week. I started packing for home. I have a lot of figure out what I want to send home and what I want to pack in my suitcases. Honestly I didn't do much this past week.
For New Years I celebrated by myself by watching a Korean music program. Their new years program started at 9 and ended around 2 with only one break. Man I feel bad for the performers. That is a long time to hang around. Anyways my favorite performance of the night was by my favorite boy and girl group. I will link the video below. It is in English too! It was a really cool program. One of the teachers and her boyfriend went out for New Years. He ended up wondering away drunk so she got locked out of their place. She came to my place and stayed with me. Poor thing was super cold because it was snowing and she didn't wear many layers.
On Jan. 2nd I decided to have dinner and do what I did the year before. Well I didn't go to Seoul Tower but I have been many times so it isn't fun anymore. Anyways my first dinner here was at a Korean BBQ place so I invited the other teachers that were around. We ate their and went to Norebang (karaoke). That is what I did on my first night here in Korea. I had a wonderful time and so did everyone else.
Tomorrow I have work again. I am excited to see my kids again. I have missed them a lot. Other then that this week was nice to have off. I am leaving in 2 months. I will be here for my kids graduation and I will leave probably the first week of March. After being here a year, going home is going to be hard. I have learned so much about myself living here. I also enjoy the culture here. I've learned a new language and I made many friends that I would have never met in the States. Leaving will be very hard for me especially saying goodbye to Davinci. I will be leaving them behind. Edison and Einstein are graduating and going to Elementary school so they are leaving, but Davinci has another year. Not being able to see them through is hard. I had the chance to see them through, but I have other things I need to go home for that are more important. The main one being my little sister is graduating in May from high school and nothing will keep me from that. One thing is for sure I am not the person I was when I left Colorado and to be honest I never will be. I keep getting asked if I am happy to go home and to be honest I am not. Don't get me wrong I miss everyone and I will be happy to see everyone, but I am going to miss Korea a lot. I didn't experience culture shock when I came here, but I will go through reverse culture shock going home. I will have to get use to everything again including food. Actually the thought of going home doesn't make me sad either. I feel very numb about the whole thing. Also don't be surprised if Korean comes out of my mouth. I speak a lot of Korean and sometimes it comes out over English. I fear I might speak with a mixture of English, Spanish and Korean back home. No one is going to understand me. haha Anyways, I am going to enjoy the last 2 months I have. I know it is going to fly by and I definitely don't regret coming here. It is one of the biggest risks I have ever taken in my life and it was well worth it.
Well I am off to finish some work, but everyone have a good week! Besos!
