Me llamo ALMA

A student of mine wants me to tutor her in Spanish. Props to her being able to learn a new language through a foreign language she's been studying. My high school Spanish textbook was kind of awesome, it's a shame I don't have access to it. It'd be so much more fun if I could use visuals... :( Love the students, but I don't have an interest in pursuing a career in teaching people who are blind or have low vision back in the states. I need hands on activities and pictures!


On a side note: GO KOREA!!! I was lame and woke up at 3, and stayed in the apartment to watch the game. I kind of wish that I had actually gone out since I wasn't able to sleep afterwards, but I also saved 20,000 won in cab rides. 대한 민국 파이팅!!

Happy Friday!

A newer student in the high school first grade class stopped me to practice English conversation, using one of the two students in the school who has high English language skills as an interpreter. He started by setting himself off like it was a race, "ready, set, go!" And when he got stuck on something he was trying to say, he said, "Pass" and then moved on to some new tangent. 

His topics? Where am I from? Okay, so how is the gold value in Virginia? Something about if he took 100,000 something there be it won or dollars, which he stumbled and ultimately passed on. Then he just barraged me with "Do you like..." questions until I had to run off to do something for my co-teacher. 

On a side note, he's somewhere between the age of 25 and 27 and beautiful. And for whatever reason, he wears scrunchies and bow clips in is relatively short hair. He also occasionally walks down the hallway singing in a falsetto voice... haha. Weekend time!

string cheese

Yeah, so when I make my students produce their own English (in writing, so it should be easier, right?), this the best they give me. And this is 6th grade level, 2 girls giving me 5 reasons for why I should let them eat string cheese. 

thank you, payday

Yeah, thanks to getting a paycheck in my bank account, I got to pay off my bills, pay for an upcoming trip in July, and hesitate about sending money home this month. My won to American dollar converter isn't looking so good on the won side right now... 


Yesterday, one of my students had a seizure in class. It started out with what looked like a loud yawn, and then it totally wasn't. Fortunately (I guess) seeing one isn't new to me, so the foreigner didn't panic! And by the way, should you ever be with someone who has a seizure, it's better to just let them ride it out, don't try to move them, don't touch them, and stay calm (just from what I was told to do in the past- but staying calm is key). Also, don't be surprised if they're exhausted afterwards- the student slept afterwards, and the kids I worked with back in the states often wanted to do the same. 

practicum fresh meat

My school got a slew of practicum students this morning, so I guess that explains the decorated chopsticks that teachers got.  Picture later if I ever take one... they're wood with a design on the top and stuck in a Asian style print satin case. They're cute! Bottles of vitamin C juice (not my favorite thing, it tastes like liquid Flintstones chewables) also appeared on teacher desks with a little introductory note stuck on them. Sadly, I don't understand anything beyond "안녕하세요." I seriously need to get it together and start studying vocabulary. This is really pathetic. 

Still waiting to hear about re-signing. There's a slight comfort from the fact that no one else in Daejeon has re-signed yet. The prices of plane tickets home are uglyugly beasts.


Cute moments of the day: I went to the elementary 6th grade classroom to work with a student for a few moments. One of the other students poked my shoulder to get my attention and said "hi." This afternoon in the middle school first grade class, we weren't doing anything. 2 of the 3 students were there, one of those two is an adult participant. The actual middle schooler spent the class trying to talk to me and asking what things were in English. This is a big deal because her English level is low. At one point she was doing an old lady squat on the floor while talking. I think she ran out of things to say at one point because she stopped, looked at me, and said "I love you." The adult participant I think believes my name is Megan Virginia. He also seemed surprised that my family is American.

생일

It started yesterday afternoon when my co-teacher arrived to teacher training with a cake. It was a house... and somehow they managed to demolish it in 5 minutes. At midnight when my co-teacher sent 15 text messages. The last 6 woke me up. I vaguely remember feeling freaked out and wondering who would be texting me then... and so much. The student I meet with in the mornings to go over her English diary gave me a gift; I haven't opened it yet. A teacher gave me something that has to be refrigerated. And then after lunch the teachers gave me another cake- a sweet potato cake!- (고구마)... Thursdays I have classes all morning, so I don't come down to the teacher's room until lunch. Someone left a handful of chestnuts and a sweet potato on my desk. Another teacher made these cute magnets- a happy cloud and a leaf... pictures later. too effn cute. It's been a good day, and I reeaally appreciate what everyone's done! 


I also figured out the post office... kind of... and found some cards to mail to the states (AT LAST). I have a rogue Christmas card and some stationary sets. Everything else seems to be about how "I love you" or something about being happy. hopinghopinghoping the stuff I mailed actually makes it to their destinations. 


After my school closed last week for H1N1, now all the students are getting sick.