you're never fully dressed...

It's been about five days since I posted, which feels like a long time. It's 4:25 on a Friday afternoon and I'm chilling out in the gyomushilThis week has been... pretty good. Recently I've definitely begun to think that I don't want to pursue a career in the State Department/Foreign Service after Korea. I'm really really happy here, but I've think I've come to understand that what makes me really deliriously happy is teaching. Living in a foreign country is cool, but if I wasn't also really happy with the job I was doing, I'd probably be bored and lonely. And even more, I wouldn't have a really good reason (or 180 of them) not to think about going home often.
So I'm considering extending already, definitely, because I'm really loving the teaching aspect of it. Especially if I could stay at my same schools, I would definitely want to extend. I might not be so brave about having to start over at two different schools, and especially since my friends will probably not extend, so I'd also have to hope that an ETA or two I liked came to my area, which is a big if. And would I rather be living in New England? Perhaps. But I'll be thinking about it, anyway.

I'm not actually sure where to start. I think, perhaps, I will work backwards. Today was pretty excellent. I was really excited about both of my lessons, and they both went really well. For second grade we did some quick numbers practice and then had an auction. I bought small items and gave the students money yesterday for answering questions. It was a little difficult to make work, but I just forced them to increase their bids by one dollar everytime, and to bid at least 20 times (and thus count at least 20 numbers), before I just gave the item to the person with the most money. Some of them really got into it, and everyone got a prize, so that was good.

For third grade I taught comparisons--(taller than, shorter than), and it went well too. First we just went over some basic vocab, and then I had a pub quiz style game with trivia questions. (Who is taller... David Beckham or Johnny Depp?... etc.) They complained that the questions were difficult (Which state is bigger--Texas or California?), but they seemed to have a good time, and the boys won, so I gave them chocolate. Then, the best news of the day was that one of the teachers had to leave to take a group of students to an event, so I got to teach my second graders AGAIN at 6th period! I love them!

But first was lunch. After lunch is recess, and today I brought my gym clothes so that I could play soccer (축구) with the boys. I'd been threatening to do this for awhile, but I don't think they actually thought I would. At first I was afraid, because they're actually really good, and I'm bad, so I just watched, but then they called me out on the field. I was, in fact, bad, but they seemed amused to just kick the ball to me and watch me try to kick it toward the goal. And I scored a few goals that I think were just given to me. But they were nice, and it was a more fun workout than jogging on the treadmill (blech!) So, success. And some of the girls watching cheered for me. CUTE!

During sixth period I wanted to review numbers again, so we did my favorite game--Students vs Ms. Camp. I made a Powerpoint with random numbers 1-50 on each slide, and had one of the students click the button, another keep score and act as judge, while I faced off against each student one on one. The race is to see who will say the number first (me in Korean, them in English). It's good practice for me, and I think they really like it. Some of the students cheered for me, not their classmates. I used to make them face off against each other, boys vs. girls, but they were too shy for that. But they like facing off against me, and they celebrate gratuitously when they defeat me. Usually I let the kids win, but today I was defeated soundly (30-23) without intentionally throwing the game. Thanks a lot, punks.

After that I made them take pictures, one of the girls and one of the boys. And then I accosted students to take a picture with me as they left, but they refused. I said, in Korean, "Why? Am I not beautiful?" They said, "No, you beautiful! Me ugly!" Ahahaha. Finally the boys made one of their own, SM, who always says "I love you, Miss Camp" very earnestly, take a picture with me. (See the later link.) And HI, who can always be counted on, did as well. They kill me. Absolutely.
Today as we were going home, my driver, who never ever speaks to me, because he doesn't speak English, just randomly started spouting some English words at me. He asked how old my Mom was, I think, and then started telling me the ages and birthdays of all of his kids. It was random, but pleasant. He was also telling me some gossip about various school staff members, which I only understood because I'd already been told the same information, and was thus able to decipher his limited-English version. My favorite bit of gossip was about my school crush. "Office... Mr. Kim... thirty-four old years. Not [Korean word]." Me: "what?" "Not wife." Me: "Oooooh." So there's hope.

And now... yesterday. Sorry, this is just going to be a random anecdote entry, I guess. Yesterday was just as good at school. After school, I met my host family at a local concert hall (it's the only one, apparently), where my host sister's chorus was performing. It was pretty standard fare, and I had several "We are the world/we are the children" moments, even though they sang mostly in Korean. There's just something about elementary schoolers in stupid looking costumes (see pictures). It was complete with no less than three costume changes, and jazz hands. But when they sang "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," I was reduced to tears. I'm not sure why: I guess children singing in English has a profound effect on me. Most things English do usually. I'm not homesick, but there are some things I miss about the English speaking world, and this is one of them: You're never.... (That's my first YouTube video, and it was surprisingly easy. More to come, perhaps. Maybe I will make a video of my students saying hello to you!) I was reduced to tears again when the brass quintet played "When the Saints Go Marching In." Strange things affect me.

Oh yeah, my favorite thing was that beforehand my host mom and brother came up eating corn dogs. So my Mom's like "This is call hot dog." And I just look at her like she has three heads. She says "Taste?" I say, "we have hot dogs in America. (미국 핫도그 있어요.)" She says... "Really?" It was amazing. Pictures:

I'm sure there was more I wanted to blog about, but I also want to get to the gym before it closes. Blogging will resume more regularly now, I think. Take care!