The computer is made of Korean

Me:Why, hello! It's great to see you!
How are you?

Students:"I'm fine, thanks." "I'm so so." "I'm hungry!" "I'm sleepy!"
Me: You're sleepy?! Well, let's take a nap!
Students: laughing

Me: Today we are going to begin Unit 11! Can you read the key sentence of this unit?
Students: It is, "What are you doing?"
Me: Excellent!

That is my life! :D haha. I feel sorry for poor David because I've got a mixture of Konglish and child-speak going on.

I never understood what a lesson plan was exactly. I simply thought it was a rough plan for how you were going to teach the lesson. Perhaps that is how it is in the U.S. (I really don't know), but here in Korea I have to write out every single thing that I'm going to say. It's absolutely thorough and I suppose my students are all the better for it, eh?

Anyway, today I taught 5th graders all the live long day. The unit was, as you can probably guess, "What are you doing?" So, I started off by showing students pictures of people doing things like swimming, jumping, dancing, laughing, singing. Then after a few listen/repeat exercises and some reading and watching, we colored pictures.

I am telling you - I have some stellar artistes (pronounced arteesteez in Konglish) in my classes! And they are bright, too. You know those cute Asian-looking cartoons. Anime, I think (no, not anime porn). Almost all the kiddo's can draw like that!! :D I had my students draw a picture of them doing an action and above the picture they had to write "I am ______."

One of the girls drew ME! Aww..I'm going to have to scan it in, for sure...but it's an ANIME WENDY. I am totally pysched.

Anyway, life in Korea is good. Yesterday I was feeling frustrated because my computer is broken and the whole language barrier/distance/no car thing is utterly exasperating. I need to get my sick little compy to the MAC hospital (there are 2 Apple stores in the country, fyi!). Hopefully that's taken care of before October is over. I want to wait on my first paycheck, though! :D

Last weekend was lovely because it was a holiday weekend. I was able to R&R and catch up on my Zz's. I can't believe that tomorrow is already Wednesday! Hoorah! :D Wednesdays are my favorite because the days end early here (instead of going home at 4:40, I leave at 2pm) and my class load is really light.

Oooh...and today I just found out some GREAT news! Another teacher came to talk to me for some advice on one of her lesson plans that she was going to do in English. We went through her lesson plan and I corrected the very few mistakes that she had. Afterward we talked about Korea and its culture, the USA (she loves Obama) it's tension with North Korea and she even let me in on awesome places to go and visit while I'm here. Now on my list of things to do: The open market festival (every 5 days), Pusan (second largest city in Korea next to Seoul that just so happens to be right on the beach). Wee!

Her English is very good and she tries to learn something new every day. Today she tried out the phrase, "I'm burning the candle at both ends," and "My eyes are bloodshot." haha...I was tickled pink, of course! :D

She said, "I don't have anyone to practice with and so I have to tell you what I learn." She was just a doll, really.

Anyway, we were talking about Christmas vacation and as I said, I learned some fabulous things. First of all, they have Christmas off and all that good stuff, but instead of TWO WEEKS like it is in the USA they have all of January off and then start again on the THIRD OF FEBRUARY. Yes, the third of February. That's FIVE WEEKS of vacation.

Well, of course I conluded that this plan was just fantistic! Traveling time for MOI! (Hello Japan, China, Thailand...) And then it gets better. There is school for one more week after that, and then the semester ends on February 12th!

Winter vacation proceeds until March 2nd when the new semester begins. You had better believe I'm going to be a travelin' during those times. I can hardly believe how wonderful the whole thing is. That's TWO MORE weeks!

Really, I mean..a 5-week long vacation and then a 2 week vacation a week later? I'm going to be so spoiled when this is all said and done! Don't you hate me, USA-ers? :) :)

Here's the salt for your wound: There is a similar set up in the summer months, too!

All right, all right, I'll stop rubbing it in :) Besides, I've done enough babbling for one entry.

Stay tuned for the Anime Wendy drawing. I'll post it, stat.

Love, Wendy City (www.wendygould.com)