Korean Cutes

January is Intensives at ReadingTown. This means that the kids are on vacation from their regular schools, so they now they have more time for English academy! These kids never get a break from school- pretty much ever. During this month, the kids come everyday instead of two or three times a week. It makes for a long month for teachers, but during Intensives we can have a few fun events. This is Shane and I taking our jobs really seriously. 

The pictures below are from our Trivia Contest Day. Koreans call it a Golden Bell contest.  I've selected a few of my students for your viewing pleasure of cute Korean kids. 

Ok, well this isn't exactly a cute Korean kid. It's mean trying to explain something that involves the number eight- note the finger visual aide. (PS- I'm not pregnant even though this picture makes me look that way!)

This is James. He is not cute in your traditional sense of cute, but he reminds me of a baby lion and is very sweet. He tries very hard in class. 

This is Jessica, but her Korean name is Min-kyeong. She's in my class called "Little Stars", which is a group of younger kids whose English is much better than most other kids their age. I think she is one prettiest little girls... in Korea... or maybe ever. She's quiet and likes to draw. 

This is Dora. She is also a little star and quite spunky. This girl has sass and is really smart. I'd hang out with Dora if we were the same age. 

This kid isn't even a student at our school, but his older sister is and he is always running around. Their mom sits in the lobby while his sister is in class. 

This is Hero and Stuart. They are smart and rowdy. They can hardly keep the answers in their mouth before they raise their hands. 

This is Yoony. I almost kidnap her everyday! She is just so sweet and cute- smiles like its her job. 

This is Andy. He's a handful and I'm sure he drives his mother nuts, but quite a character. He thinks I'm thirty. He thinks I'm so old that my parents couldn't possibly still be living. His jaw dropped when I told him that not only are my parents alive, so are my grandparents.

Watching the kid below do what one of our Korean teachers described as a "sexy dance". We were shocked when he said that- we'd have all been fired at home for saying a kid was going to do a sexy dance! This kid put his shirt in his teeth and did a belly dance! 

New Year's Day Ice Skating

Happy New Year from Korea! We spent our New Year's Eve drinking too much and walking around in the snow trying to get a cab. However, the next day after we'd recovered a bit (well most of us) we went ice skating! I hadn't been ice skating in probably ten years. I don't think I've been since middle school. It was fun, cheap and pretty crowed- like any fun activity in Korea.

 

Matt is getting passed by tiny Koreans. 

This is my cool ice skating trick. 

ReadingTown/Avalon End of the Year Party

Last night, our schools hosted an end of the year party. Our boss talked about the "history" of our company even though it's not that old and basically how he made it great. Then we had a super delicious buffet. It must have had fifty different dishes to load your plates with. I ate so much sushi and sashimi! 

Me, Caitlin, Haewon, Rebekah, and Lisa

Here are some of my coworkers and Sue, the Director, is second from the right. (It's safe to say I have mixed feelings about her, but everyone else is sweet and really nice to work with).

Then there was the talent show portion of the evening. This past week was one of the most frustrating disorganized weeks at ReadingTown. Everyone was stressed because we were starting our Intensive session the day after Christmas and there wasn't a lot of time to prepare for it, which also didn't leave much time to enjoy Christmas either. So, this week we were all also supposed to prepare something to do with our group for the talent show. Yeah right. Our group decided to do an improvisational skit talking about what we should do for the talent show. It was meant to really jab at our boss and the insane idea that we were supposed to plan and practice something this week! WE WON! I thought we were going to get the "dead last" award, but we won. 

Matt organized a skit with the other foreign guys called, "Making Beans". They were really funny and got second place. Here is a video of the award winning "Making Beans" and Matt's debut as a thespian. 

Seoulllllllllll!

Matt and I went to Seoul last weekend instead of exchanging gifts this year. We wanted to see some art, eat some international food, which is difficult to come by in Gwangju, and see the mega-city of Korea. One fifth of Korea's population lives in Seoul, it's huge. 

I apologize for the lack of description in this post- I'm feeling lame. Here are some more pictures from the weekend.

 

Cell Phone Stitch

Every cell phone needs a bauble.


Here is my newest stitch. These are our cell phones with their baubles.

Christmas in Korea

Unfortunately, being abroad for a year means even though you are exploring and doing new things, you still miss the good stuff about home... like Christmas.... with your family... and your friends.... and not much can be done about it. 

Alas, there is still a bit of Christmas in Korea. There is the occasional tree in a store window, some kids are mentioning it at school unlike at home where every kid is hardwired into Christmas over drive right now. My foreign co-workers and I switch between groans about missing home and squeals when packages of presents and cards arrive from home. Groan- no real tree or ornaments, squeal- one week 'til Christmas! Groan- No roast turkey or grandma's baking, squeal- our first day off months! One of my coworkers has begun playing Christmas music in our teachers' room to try to feel Christmas-y. I think he has the Xmas blues the worst.  

On the up-side, this will be my first of hopefully many Christmases with Matt. I've done a bit of holiday decorating around our apartment. Last Saturday, we went on a hunt for pine boughs.  Unable to find any pine the woods behind our building (bamboo just doesn't feel so Christmasy), I made an ethical decision that I needed the pine from that apartment complex's landscaping more than they did and that they probably wouldn't miss the shopping bag's worth I took. I spent the rest of the day making a wreath, paper snow flakes and arranging pine boughs and candles in empty glass bottles. 

This is the wreath I made out of fresh hijacked pine on our front door. It's a little lop-sided, but it gives it character. 

This is my "Christmas Altar". I threw a blanket on our TV, which we hardly watch anyway and added a few festive touches. I found directions for making these snowflakes here. I made the little Christmas tree by balling up little pieces of magazine paper on a cardboard cone with double stick tape. Its intended size was about twice as big, but it was a slow process so I cut it down. Below are some presents from my parents and grandparents and a card from Utah! We are excited to open them Christmas morning. 

Matt and I have decided to forego gifts for one another in exchange for a weekend in Seoul. We have been in Korea for seven months, but have yet to make it to the ultra modern mega city of Korea. We are going in search of art, western food, a theater show, and hopefully some Christmas lights and decorations. All of these things can be sparse in Gwangju. We will take the train up early Saturday morning. 

On Christmas day, we  will get together with our friends for some wine, food and probably a secret santa exchange.  I miss you all at home and it'll be a blue Christmas without you.....