WENDY CITY: Let me know in my heart

First things first: Check out this new blog I just started called "Tea Time Interviews With Wendy." I'm going to begin compiling interviews that I do and posting them there. I've spoken to some pretty cool people so far. The most recent interview was done with Frank Warren, owner of PostSecret.com

I took this picture the night everyone was voting (my night, USA daytime). It was so beautiful I could hardly resist. I see this view every day, weather permitting.

I also made this for fun earlier in the day.

Secondly, words cannot express how happy I am with Obama's win. I think I made it pretty obvious to friends, families and acquaintances that I felt he was the best candidate for the job, for our country, for the world.

This blog isn't going to be about politics, but I do want to say this: After the 2004 elections I remember crying quietly in my dorm room. I was embarrassed by what the world would say/feel and I was worried that things would get much much worse. I was right to feel that way and unfortunately my worst fears came true.

This election has restored in my heart a sense of hope and pride for the USA. Since Obama's victory my students have cheered his name whenever they see me. In fact, just today, there was a group of about 5 girls who grabbed me this morning, big grins on their faces singing "obama obama!"

It's definitely been interesting viewing this whole thing from halfway across the world. While it would be nice to celebrate on my home turf, it's been wonderful to share this experience in a new way.

One last comment on the elections. My grandma sent me an email this morning and I thought I would share a passage. I found it to be eloquent and in alignment with my own thoughts:

It was a very moving time here in the US for lots of people—tears in the eyes of both blacks and whites on many occasions. Aunt Clara wrote a note about how she voted so early in the morning (before work) that it was still dark. As she stood in line, she gazed up at the sky and saw the big dipper with its North star and that led her to thinking about all those running under cover at night who used that North star as their guide—voting became very emotional for her.
It is certainly the first time I had tears when the final result was in. I keep trying to analyze my emotional response—I think of Ruby Bridges on the bus and the little girl escorted by police to her first day of school in Arkansas, blacks being beaten with clubs, etc during the Civil Rights Movement. I also think of all the white folks who joined the beaten and stood up for justice, mercy and truth. I didn’t vote for Barack because he was black but for what he says and the hope he projects. The experience of blacks and their resilience underpins my great feelings of HOPE in change for the future of America and the world. I pray that he will be kept safe from kooks who would like to destroy him—and of course they exist, as does forms of racism.

If you'd like more on my thoughts regarding this, check out this article on WAKEUP NAPTOWN.

Moving on! I've been so busy/exhausted recently. It takes quite a bit of resilience, patience and energy to command the attention of 35 children all day long! They get so excited to see me and start the lesson that they tend to get out of hand. I'm actually losing my voice!

In my 5/6 grade classes I have a microphone which helps, but in my 3/4 grade classes it's a different story. And the personalities of each class varies...but most are quite noisy (usually in a good way but still noisy!). I do my little commands to quiet them down. For example: "I say LISTEN you say CAREFULLY. LISTEN (CAREFULLY)." I end up shouting "LISTEN" 4 times before everyone is actually listening carefully!

So yes, I'm quite worn out by Friday so this whole weekend thing is just what I need. Tomorrow morning I'm going to treat myself to a hot and toasty mocha from this darling cafe down the street. I can't wait! I'm also going to get plenty of rest over the next 2 days!

Okay, before I vamos, here are a few pictures from Halloween weekend (last Saturday):

I was a 40s lady. I had to pull together something to wear, but the face/hair were fun!

At the subway station, while waiting for Julia to arrive, we found a Kim Jong-Il look alike (minus green track suit).

David and I together. We went to this bar/cafe in Seoul near Yeoksam station. There was a nice blend of English-speakers and Koreans. Many of the Koreans were fluent in English.