Diary: "that's very hot!"

There's a popular Korean comedy duo whose catchphrase is "That's very hot!" For awhile now I've been hearing students repeat it and mimic the duo's "dance" moves. I must say, it got very annoying at times. I got this diary a few weeks ago with a student's own interpretation of the phrase!

That's very hot!
Oh, today is too hot!
I'm doing sweat shower!
but not refreshing.
on the contrary feel uneasy.
Maybe student too hot.
I don't like summer,
and I don't like mosquito.
(insert cute drawing of girl fanning herself here)
-by Nicole, 6th grade

Now, check out this video of the original skit from Korean TV. The guys are a little strange, but I understand why the kids repeated it all day long - it's quite catchy! There's no need to watch for long...you'll get the idea pretty quickly.

New Classes, New Faces

One of our foreign (English-speaking) teachers finished their contract at the end of May and the rest of us remaining teachers have taken over his classes. Most of us now have full or almost full teaching schedules so the month of June was a little crazy. I was assigned to begin teaching one of his Wake Up (beginner level) classes and another more advanced group of 5th graders. The young ones are very playful and enthusiastic. The girls are sweet, but the boys are at the age where everything is about making as many gross noises as possible and pretending to blow things up. It can be hard to keep them in their seats for more than a few minutes!

I'll keep this same teaching schedule through the end of August. It will be a challenge, but I will gladly welcome all the overtime money which will easily pay for a new camera to document my fall travels! Below are some pictures of my new class.

This is Katie - she doesn't usually look this bored, but got very camera shy.

Bora - super shy and quiet, but has a very sweet personality.

Alice - I love her and her colorful outfits!

Now for the boys - this is Harry, Martin, Jeff and Vince (poor kids, I don't know who chose their names). I asked them to pose for a picture and they were more than happy to do it. Then, after they saw the results they wanted to get creative with a few more shots!

Take two - still nice, but starting to get a little crazy!

Take three - out of control, but very creative pose! Good thing it was almost time to go home at this point because I was having a hard time getting them to calm down.

BKK to AMM...and other journeys

Recently, we've been spending a lot of time researching travel destinations online and eagerly reading some Lonely Planet guide books we've picked up. With only about three more months left on our teaching contract here in Korea it's time to make some plans for our "post-Korea" travels. Actually, we've been dreaming up these plans since day-one and have had to scale them back to fit our shrinking budget.

First up, Japan. We get just about a weeks vacation from school at the end of July and have decided to visit the land of geishas and sushi. We'll fly in and out of Tokyo and utilize the country's bullet trains to see the sights in Hiroshima, Kyoto and then end up back in Tokyo for a couple days. We found a good deal on flights, so just need to take care of the rail pass and we'll be set! It will probably be the hottest time of year to visit, but we're excited and will our best to make the most of it.

The big news is that we just purchased a plane ticket to fly from Bangkok, Thailand to Amman, Jordan for November 1st. Holly and I plan to spend the month of October traveling in Southeast Asia - China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand (bring on the beaches!). We'll spend time in some big cities (Shanghai) and more remote areas (Angkor Wat) and pack in as much adventure as our feet and wallets can handle! From there we'll be off to the Middle East to meet up with a friend living in the area and two other friends from home. It will be like our annual girl's trip, only on a much bigger scale! Together we'll go to Petra in Jordan, Mt. Sinai, Egypt, and Turkey (Istanbul and the Mediterranean coast). By that point I think I'll be exhausted and more than ready to head home for some home cooked meals and a soft bed! It will be the journey of a lifetime, but hopefully just the beginning of many more travels in the future!

Diary: "reckless motorcyclists"

This one made me laugh! I didn't know this student even knew the meaning of "reckless" or "blaring". She must have used her handy cell phone dictionary to translate the meaning of Korean words into their English equivalent!

Today was the reckless motorcyclists
sped by blaring their horns.
I think it is dangerous to ride a motorcycle.
We can hardly get any sleep in the summer
due to the reckless motorcyclists.
Motorcycle is very dangerous,
but bicycle is not dangerous.
-by Sally, 6th grade