Dear Kat and Sheya

To my best college friends,

I look back at our photos on facebook from times in college days and I feel such loss at not being able to do those same exact things right now. What would I give to be with you guys, to be in college again? I miss those times soo much. and i know I can never go back. it hurts.

But I have no regrets. I'm so happy that we did all the things we did. That we partied and lived. More that we laughed and loved. and the earth kept rotating. and new days brought new beginnings. and now i'm across the world. i miss you guys and because of that I am inspired to live in the moment. I have hope that I can make memories of intense love and spontaneous life and hard laughter over here just as I did when I was with you. I have hope that no matter where I am I can create moments that I will miss just as much as I miss our moments together. And of course the best joy, the greatest hope, is the moment when we are reunited.

its such a bittersweet emotion. thank you so much for being such beautiful friends that missing you hurts.

I love you both,
Promise me you will also live, wherever you are. And that we will play again soon.

-Brie

I wrote a love poem.

first love is to the heart as first moss is to a sidewalk

a first love transforms a heart
like moss in the cracks of a brick sidewalk

the growth is selective.
once it starts to grow,
the sidewalk is forever changed
more fulfilled, more complicated, more beautiful.

i ripped out the moss
innocently bored and needing to pick
satisfied with the sound of the roots tearing
subconsciously squeezing, crushing, killing
it was not until after the deed was done,
that i learned of its beauty.

once cracks in the brick
now wounds of the sidewalk

left open. left empty.


But tonight I'm embracing the idea of being a bare sidewalk.

I know a sidewalk with out moss can feel the wind blowing through its cracks. With me and only me, I am more sensitive to the world. I think I'll keep ripping at that moss like its a weed.
I'm still not ready for any regrowth.

i want to feel the wind of the world.

I'm Sorry Mr Octopus

Dear Mom and Dad,

I chewed on a live octopus last night. Can you believe it? I remember reading about some guy who had tried it when he was visiting Korea when I was at home, and thought that it was disgusting and something that I was going to avoid doing while I was here. Well, I'm not a picky eater (thanks to you two!) and so when food is offered to me, I don't really know how to refuse...

I was in Busan with Amy for the weekend visiting our friend Scott. We were out for some drinks Saturday evening with his two Korean friends Joe and Pan. At around midnight we were bored of the bar scene and Joe suggested we grab a taxi out to one of the islands to a pebble beach for some seafood. It seemed like a random nutty idea so of course we agreed. In about 40 minutes we arrived at the beach and along the beach was rows of lit up tents. In each of these tents were buckets of fresh seafood and many Korean women eager to serve you. We followed Joe to a specific tent that a friend of his owned and picked a table closest to the water. Sitting under the stars. It was a beautiful night and we were one of the only customers on the entire beach. It was relaxing, peaceful and exciting all at the same time.

When they started to bring out food I thought of you guys. She brought two big bowls of hot mussels as a free appetizer. Then the live octopus, which I'll tell you all about in a minute... and then came shrimp, scallops, sea urchins, mussels and a few other unnameable sea food. I thought about you because I know you are a lover of food Dad, and sitting there on the beach eating fresh seafood is like a raw version of Maine and their lobsters. And you would love how peaceful it is there Mom. My favorite was the scallops which they had opened, left in the shell an mixed with onions and and a few other veggies. You put the shells right on the coal grill that the have lit in the middle of the table. They sizzle and cook to perfection right there in the shell. delicious.

So back to the octopus...When the plate came the octopus had just been cut to pieces because the whole plate was moving with life. Between the pieces of vegetables was half inch pieces of grey blue octopus wriggling around with its tentacles looking for something to grasp. I stared in horror. Joe picked up a piece with his chop sticks and held it in front of Amy and to my surprise, she put it in her mouth. Then I knew I was in trouble. I didn't really have time to watch her reaction because a second later there was a piece in front of my face. With a few complaints I let him drop the moving thing into my mouth. It was cold and slimy and immediately suctioned itself to the left side of my tongue and teeth. I chopped on it twice and then gagged and realized there was no way in hell I was going to swallow this thing and pried it off my mouth and spit it into a napkin. yuck.

As I said before I chewed on it. I didn't swallow it and I waited until the octopus was cooked on the coals in front of us and covered is spicy red sauce to go anywhere near it again. Scott had more success with his piece and said "You just have to fight with it!" I'm really not used to having to fight with my food for its life in my mouth. And after spitting mine out I looked sadly at the moving plate of octopus arms and said "I feel so bad. I want to go put it back together."
But, no matter if the octopus dies when the cook cuts it up, while its between your teeth or when its cooking on the fire, it still dies. And although it is too much for many people to handle to have to chew it to kill it, its a valuable experience, that I'm glad I attempted. I'm just not sure exactly how its valuable yet. But that's kind of how traveling experiences work. You cant always pinpoint the exactly morals to every story. I know that the reality of eating an animal has never been so harsh. And maybe that in itself is enough. It kinds of makes you more thankful for your food, espeically once its cooked. :)

Although there are so many places to travel in the world I think you guys should come here. If nothing else I'll show you some of the best food in the world! Our break is the first week of February . Think you can make it??

I really hope my next blog isn't about food. But I can't make any promises. haha.

Love,

Brie

KimchI Will Save the World

Sheya,

I'm sorry my messages last night were lame. I was having those "once a month girl emotions" and I knew it. But I got my "once a month girl thing" today so I'm feeling great! Its crazy how there's just that little chemical change or something that makes my heart just feel empty or full. I feel really sorry for people who's hearts maybe never feel as full as mine..

I'm really happy here. I love our school lunch. okay that's random but its true. I mean how can you not love your life, when school lunch is not only free but delicious?

everyday we have this dish called Kimchi. Its made out of cabbage fermented with hot peppers and fish sauce. and its served cold in a small dish. it sounds awful but really my mouth is watering just thinking about it right now. its spicy, cold, refreshing, crispy, and extremely flavorful.

yumm. I've enjoyed kimchi since I got here but maybe the reason its on my mind so much today is because of the field trip i got to go on with my kids today. We went to a Onggi festival that was only 30 minute bus ride. Korea times says...

"Ulsan is the country's largest distributor of onggi products made by professional potters. The nearby county of Ulju houses an onggi village and has held onggi festivals since 2000."

First we took a coach bus (or actually 3) to get there. which made it for sure the most comfortable field trip ever. and when we got out, were no longer in the city but the mountains. It was a gorgeous autumn day here. Too warm for fall but who's complaining? The area was just full of dark brown glazed ceramic pots. It was a huge place. The first thing we did was get filled through a museum. I was kinda surprised that they were letting us in with like ...uhh 250 (or more, I'm really not sure) kindergartners. But oh man was I surprised later in the day when they let us all into the art gallery. I was walking around freaking out as kids touched and bumped into the stands and the ceramic pieces. Everyone was walking, talking at the same time. I thought for sure at least 4 pieces would have been broken at the end. Strangely, I think I was the only one who was even concerned in the whole place. But as far as I know, nothing was damaged.

There are three possibilities that I could think of that is reasoning to their crazy actions. One could be they don't have the same appreciation for arts that we would in the states. Or that because they are a new museam that just hasn't experienced any kindergarderns crashing some of their pieces yet, to learn from their mistakes. Or maybe its the Montessori teachers way, letting kids be kids with out any concern. Whatever the reason, I'm so glad it turned out okay. And I'm kinda embarrassed that I was so shocked and nervous. But I know I'd never see anything like that in the states.

anyways... back to the point of the story. So these ongii pots used to be made so Koreans could store their kimchi in the ground for up to 2 years to let it ferment. So at the end of the afternoon they showed us a 3-D movie. Yes that's right, someone decided that in the middle of this historic place full of ancient tradition was the perfect place to show a 3-D movie. And they were right.

They showed a movie for this festival with superheroes representing ongii pots. There was a dad pot, and son pot, fire, water, clay, and a fairy(just for fun). and then there was the big evil supervillan. He derived his power from all the junk food people were eating in the world. And then there was one boy and his grandfather who were the last people who cared about making pottery on earth. And right when the super-villan was about to destroy all living life on earth, the superheros absorbed energy from all the kimchi in the world, the boy made a single pot, with so much love and devotion that they were able to defeat the supervillan once and for all. and the earth turned green again. :)

damn, what a good story.... if I don't say so myself. If that doesn't make you want to come to Korea and try some kimchi I don't know what will. The best part is that kids here love Kimchi. The video is new this year so you can't credit it all to that. Just before we watched the movie Amy Teacher was telling me about a post she read on a friend who is also teaching in Korea facebook commenting that "2/3 of his kids would rather eat Kimchi than chocolate cake." Its true, you should see their home packed lunches....

Okay I got to go... Love you sheya baby.

story time....

So yesterday Amy and I went to the university area to shop for clothes and look for a cell phone for Amy. While on our way Amy said "Man I wish Ryan was with us." He's our friend who's lived in Korea for four years and speaks enough Korean that its really useful to have him around while cell phone shopping (as we've already tried twice.) So after getting a gelato on the way to the store, guess who we run right into. Ryan. And hes free, so he comes with us to the cell phone shop. Were in this store for about an hour signing papers, standing around, trying to understand each-other. and finally they say come back tomorrow to get the phone. oh and by the way you should see the cell phone shops here. They have like 30 of the brightest lights on the ceiling, shiny white floors that are practically mirrors with while walls, and white cases for the phones with clear shiny glass... going in there you really feel like they should be selling precious stones or something.
anyways... we met up with two of Ryans friends after dinner. Dinner was potato bacon pizza. it was really more like two flour tortillas with sweet tomato sauce, lots of cheese(which was its saving grace) a handful of fat french fries and a few squares of ham.

So out of these two friends, one of them lived in Thailand before he came here with his girl friend. When he mentioned Thailand I asked him what it was like. Ever since you came home with those photos and souvenirs and memories, I can't get Thailand out of my head.

He told us all about Thailand and what his year was like. He is one of those really good story teller types. He talked about going through the TEFL program with about 30 other young professionals. Staying in nice ass rooms, going out everyday of the week. He talked about the buildings, the people, the energy and life that is given off by Bankok. He said that teaching is one of the highest regarded professions in Thailand. And after hearing about his stories of their partying, I really can't understand that. He said that a meal in Thailand is 60 cents. He said that you get a drink there with redbull in it but their redbull is concentrated and like 3 times as strong and you'll have one of those and he reinacted what its like to walk down the busiest street in Bankok. Bouncing up and down on your toes, turning left and right, with your head tilted up, down, moving all around, with a wild smile and crazy eyes. He said that after a year they were ready to get out of there. And that he is not ready to go back yet. But hearing his passion for what it was like to be there was great. Of course I thought about you the entire time.

We ended up talking to this guy, John, for about an hour in the middle of the street. Ultimately I had to say my legs were hurting from standing so long and we had to go. But I really enjoyed our conversation and I'd redecided by the end of it that Thailand is where I want to be.

I'm glad I am in Korea for this year but I'm really excited about what is happening next. Today our boss mentioned to Amy about wanting us to stay another year! Which is great... but there is so much in this world to see!

Coming right out of high school and challenging chance on a trip like you did was a really brave thing. There isn't a day that goes by with out me thinking of you and your adventure. Even though you were across the world for those 4 months I really think it brought us closer because I was able to imagine what a trip like that would be. When you came back we were all soo happy that you were back and safe, but I could see that the trip had changed you. and I wanted that. I don't think I'd be where I am today if it wasn't for you! When people ask how I came to be here, I always start the story with "Well my little sister traveled to Vietnam, India and Thailand..." haha and its a pretty short story from there.

that reminds me ... I also realized while listening to John talk about Thailand that I wish I was a better story teller. Especially cause I was trying to think up one to tell to you for that class. And since I am in Korea, I should have some damn good stories. But everyone is different, eh?

I'm definitely better at conversations than story telling. The difference being the feedback and listening part I guess. it kinda fits into this new idea I've had for my blogs. My blogs are going to be more like letters to individual people, that I let the world read. Its good because I get to say the things to important people in my life that I would never have really been able to say at home and it gives my blogs (that I feel the pressure to write) some direction.

So the moral of my story is... all stories are told differently. You better tell me what this assignment comes out to be. I'm very curious! Love you Calley...

Ode to an Aunt…

Memories of riding in the back of your green van. You speaking Latin with the boys. Lots of laughter. Oh the boys who taught me so much, who I’ve always loved. I used to think the boys were crazy. And they were. They were alive and free. Hanging out with Nathan, trudging through woods, swamps, oceans. I remember catching a duck with a fishing pole. Continuously failing to catch a frog. They were always too fast. Looking under rocks for salamanders. Which were never there. I had never seen one at that point, I didn’t even know what one looked like, but there I was looking for it because of you and all that you had taught Nathan.

Your family was a whirlwind of life. You filled me with knowledge of this world. You taught me to see shooting stars on the small sand beach of Camp of the Woods. You taught me what a shark tooth looked like in the beautiful beaches of Siesta Keys, Florida. You taught me that heat lightening was just lightening farther away. You taught me how to look for fossils in a Rocky River bed.

I remember when you laughed with me when I fell on my head because I thought there was a back to the seat of a canoe. I was mad at Nathan who was mad at me for not paddling the canoe right. So I’d quit and tried to sit back…. Do you remember?

On a different trip I laughed at Uncle Tony when he fell out of the canoe because he was trying to move one of the boys... probably for not paddling right. :)

When I was with your family I was truly free to be me. Even as a kid that’s a place that is hard to find.

My most recent memory with you was at Grandmas. You were showing us something on the computer. I have no idea what we were looking at. I think we were just waiting for it to load on that old dial up connection. But I remember laughing, laughing so hard.

I remember saying that you were my role model as a kid. And looking back at all the memories I have, it makes sense that you are. I always admired you for being a doctor, even as a kid I knew that was a big deal. And now I’m all grown up I still think it’s a big deal! But now I can see the other things that you’ve done to effect the lives of the people around you; of your sons and nieces. I hope that I can make my kids (if I have them or nieces, or nephews or students or...someone) see the earth the same way you showed me its seemingly small but wondrous beauty.

This letter has been a long time coming,

I hope it reaches you from across with world with sincerity.

I love you, Aunt Susan. Glad to be in contact on that old facebook. Sending good thoughts from across the world... :)

Home from Japan

Upon arriving back in Korea after a vacation in Japan on Sunday, the Immigrations counselor said, "What do you do in Korea? Did you have nice Vacation? ...Welcome Home."


Before I came to Korea I'd only listened to my friends talk about what living abroad is like. Every story is different, every country is a world of its own and even individuals going to the same country experience different things.

My good friend Dusan who is Serbian came to live in the USA without knowing a soul. He didn't just come for a year, he always knew his future was to go to school in USA and he now has his eyes set on a career. (god only knows why USA...) I got a glimpse of what it would be like to live abroad talking with Dusan the past 4 years.

He described culture shock for me freshman year with wide eyes, scattered thoughts, and an open heart. I saw the joy he received when he would meet someone who was from his region of the world. And this helped me to see what it would be like to miss family friends, and everything one knows in the world.

Dusan had a passion for bettering his country. He wanted to learn from USA and ultimately to take good things back home.

Dusan never forgot what was at home but he always lived in the present. I know his future will be fulfilling in whatever he puts his mind too.

I cannot rightfully compare my experience abroad with what Dusan has done in USA. But I can't help but think of all the things I've learned from him. I feel so lucky to be loved here. I get hugs from my students everyday. I get so much respect, attention, and unfair advantages from strangers everyday when they see I am an American. I'm sure that there is some benefits for some foreigners who come into the United States. Like girls falling for their sweet accent. That may in fact be the only advantage. I don't know.

But I can't even speak Korean at all and I am blessed with all these gifts, hugs, smiles, simply because they are curious, hungry for American Culture. I am grateful for this. I am still waiting for culture shock to hit me. I think that it may not. Since I don't speak Korean I can't really immerse myself in the culture, saving me from such a shock. I think could live here the rest of my life with out ever speaking Korean. It seems sad to me.

After work I come home and check my facebook. I see what is happening in the lives of all my friends and family. I skype with my family and friends too. I can see their faces and hear their voice everyday. I feel so blessed that I can do these things. This also protects me from really feeling what its like to miss home. The internet really makes the world a smaller place.

Dusan has a vision for what could be improved in Serbia; for what he wants to take home. I only hope I can take more than souvenirs home with me. I have a passion for helping people, I know this is true. But I'm not really sure who it is I am trying to help. Since I was fairly young I always wanted to flee from USA. But, I have fled to the wrong country for wanting to be away from American culture. Korea is like a toddler America. Maybe while I'm here, with the encounters I have, I will be able to teach Korea some good things USA has to offer.

There is good and bad on both sides of this earth. If we could learn the good things from each other the world would definitely be better place.

Life in Korea

Its been a little while since I've blogged and its been requested that I do some updating soo here we go....

I had a birthday celebration. I turned 23! Twenty three years old doesn't really mean much to me this time around but it was really nice to have a birthday celebration across the world. I was actually kind of dreading it when I was back in the states. I saw a picture of a korean tootsie roll shaped pastel green cake and it looked just awful. I figured I'd be getting one of those and I'd really miss being home. But instead I started the korean celebration with Chinese food bought by my boss Suzie Teacher after work on Friday. The other teachers and I shared a nice meal in one of the classrooms, followed by cake and a card by Suzie saying that she'd take care of us the best she could all year. It was really sweet and she also gave me two postcards of watercolor paintings that her sister had made and I really appreciated them! Oh and to my suprise i didnt get an awful green cake, we had a nice cheesecake from the local bakery that was really good! They sang a korean birthday song and I even blew out candles. :)

Amy and I went out over the weekend and met some new friends, who we obviously told it was my birthday celebration on Saturday. They bought us drinks and we celebrated korean style with staying out much too late.

Then on Sunday it was my actual birthday and my sweet roommate made me dinner bought me a slice of pecan pie cake. :) Then on Monday I got all the birthday wishes back from back home on facebook (which is because you are all a day behind time wise, not because you forgot my birthday). It really made me feel good to have you all thinking about me from so far away. Then I got a package in the mail from my Mom on Wednesday at work, and that also made me feel very special.

With the combination of celebrating with new friends and the comforting thoughts of love sent from home I had an awesome birthday.


Then it was back to work for a week.....



Then it was the weekend again!!! :D

We met new english speaking friends who we went on a beach trip with. They had rented a condo at pebble beach and we had tons of fun. The best part was swimming in the ocean at night. I took a quick break from the card game we were playing because I had been sweating from the humidity and the water felt so so refreshing. The moon was just rising over the jagged rocks that were sticking out of the dark water. And even though my feet hurt from the rocky shore my heart was so happy.

On Sunday we laid on the beach and got the sun that we'd been missing. With the humidity and cloudiness it had been pretty scarce since we've been here. Then my new friend Ryan took me on a ride on his motorbike. As my girlfriends should know, this was a huge accomplishment for me. It's been a strange goal of mine to ride on a motorcycle alll summer. And considering I'm in Korea, it was still August, and it was a exhilarating, beautiful ride, I'd say I not only accomplished but exceeded my goal! We went up and up the mountain on dirt roads and finally saw a Buddhist temple and a old smoke signal tower that over-looked the ocean. It was awesome.

And, Monday was back to work.

And now its Friday again! wohoo!!

haha I'm partially kidding. I don't just live for the weekends. But time flies by and I don't have time to blog about every minute. So I'll try to summarize what its been like at work....

Well, this last week I had a cold so that was pretty rough. I was exhausted all the time and had little voice left for half of the week so getting the attention of my kids was that much harder. But regardless, the week went well. I am getting a handle on the kids names and my schedule and most of my kids are still angels. Its hard to give attention and love to all my kids in class at the same time. But I'm learning little tricks.

With my 4 year olds this week I sat down at their table, and one by one, (by moving around the room and hoping the other kids weren't going to stab each other's eyes out while I wasn't looking...) called them by name, tapped them on the shoulder, tilted their heads toward mine, made eye-contact, smiled and said "umbrella." and repeated it as many times as needed until they said it back, and then gave them the umbrella sticker to put in their book. I think it was the eye contact and the sticker that made it a success. But I wont forget that trick as it worked so much better than standing in front of the class blowing a stupid party noise maker screaming umbrella at the back of the heads of 12 Korean speaking children.


I messed up today and forgot my "Friday Hugs" with a couple of classes. this breaks my heart, I guess I'll have to make it up Monday :)

alright that's all for now. :) talk to you soon...

grand park

amy and i went for a walk in grand park tonight. it was the first fair weathered evening we've had. the air wasn't sticky, and when stepping outside i actually felt refreshed. our walk was really enjoyable, with lots of families out even though it was past dark. there was lots of lights in the park, and they weren't just street lights they were beautiful lights of blue, green and white. they made the park into a really relaxing environment. it was really fun to see friends running together and families walking or biking. there was a few spots for ice cream and lots of areas where people could sit and enjoy the fountains.

the korean people most always stare at us as we walk by. a few smile. I think they dont really mean to stare but they dont know they are doing it. they are really curious. and the children say hello in their excited english voices.

i really enjoyed our walk tonight, i love to see korean friends together. they treat each other with such sincerity and kindness, you can see it in their body language. oh and the dogs here are for sure the cutest dogs you'll ever find. ill probably post one from the beach so you'll believe me :)

End of the first week

hello readers,
its friday evening here and we just finished our first week of class. Amy and I are going to hit the town tonight but before we do I wanted to jot down some thoughts about the week. so, it was pretty awesome. I feel completely comfortable here! well except when my legs get all cramped under the low little tables when we go out to eat because they are too long for the asian style eatery ...haha but the food is soo good, it doesn't matter to me at all...more about that later.

so the classes are small and full sweet children who are all interested in learning. sounds too good to be true right? well its for real. ive told some people that there is no way the kids can stay this perfect all year. :) but of course I hope they do! my littlest ones don't speak a word of english. they are only 4! i have two classes with 12 kids in them that are this age/level. but i dont really find them hard to work with because children that age learn much better visually anyway. So i've found that as soon as I get their attention (usually by banging on the wall, (which is totally kosher)) if i do exactly what i want them to do and then they are perfect little copiers. they are so smart, and good with their hands! mom pointed out that its probably because they use chop sticks. probably very true, i think if i have kids i'll make them use chopsticks :)

Then I have 1 class of elementary students. they are pretty awesome. they are smart and really good at working in their english textbooks. they are way ahead of their schedule, which is okay because we have more books to give them if they finish early... but this allows me a lot of freedom with them. we can basically play the rest of the year! :) my challenge to myself is going to be to get them to speak english conversationally with me; tearing them away from their precious grammar and into real life english. :)

Then I have 2 classes of kindergartners, who are just an amazing mix of both. they can speak english well and aren't timid about it like the older kids. they are always on task, ready in the morning in their seats, saying "good morning Brienna Teacher!" they are easy to teach and ready to learn. :)

and i get to teach an art class everyday! they have a "sketchbook" which is really a textbook with some blank pages to fill in an art assignment. the lesson i taught my classes last week was simple, and may not have had the content I would have been looking for last year during my student teaching, but they covered some basic art elements, let me know what level the kids were at, and produced some pretty successful and some beautiful pieces. needless to say, art is my favorite class of the day, even though it requires a lot more preparation. i just love to see what these kids can do. they are amazing!


okay so back to the food..yum. its so good. with every meal served here there is perfectly cooked white rice and kimchi. if all i ate for the rest of the time i was here was rice with kimchi i think i would be very very happy. but that of course is just the side dishes. the main dishes are full of flavor and their meat is cooked perfectly. the chicken tenders i had the other day were seriously the best chicken tenders i have ever had. and at the korean style restaurants you cook your own beef/pork right there in front of you on the floor. so good, and hot. the first day we were here we cooked pork like this and then stuck it in a piece of lettuce, dipped it in some sauce and about died. today we went out for lunch with all the teachers from our school and we ate something like a beef soup. but beef soup sounds disgusting if you are in the usa. here it was more like ribs sauteed in delicious broth with fresh vegetables, homemade pasta, and buttery potatoes. all served in a beautiful presentation towering at least a foot high when we first got to the table.

yum.

i like food, maybe that is why i am so comfortable here ;)


okay ta ta for now.

Brienna Teacher

Wow. Today was a big day. It was our first day at Sunflower Language School. We had a nice introduction to the school, with all the morning kindergarten saying hello to us. Then we watched Shawn Teacher, teach two periods. He is extremely high energy and keeps the kids laughing, screaming or speaking the entire period. Then we were on our own for the rest of the day! I felt comfortable in front of the classes right away. The class sizes are small and the children are really sweet, interested and well behaved. Yet, one of my favorite quotes about teaching I read off of an environmental camp T-shirt says, "Learning Thrives on the Edge of Chaos." Whether sunflower language school knows this or not, I definitely think they follow this principal. It does take some stress off when you don't have to worry about your students making too much noise (even at a screaming level) and that if the director walks by and all of your students are running around the room, she will not be alarmed.

Regardless, I think I really had some successful classes today. The first class I taught was art class. These kindergartners did an amazing job coloring a colorful geometric drawing using squares, circles and colors of their choosing. I was really impressed with how well they listened to directions, colored carefully and neatly, and really seemed to care about the outcome of the picture.

I also had success with the 4 year olds that 'Shawn Teacher' described as pretty much "unteachable." They must have been interested in having a new teacher because we were able to finish our worksheets and read a book all in one period. And they were really pretty quiet the entire time!

I'm happy that I made it this far, but I know this is just the beginning. This year is definitely going to be a challenge! I hope tomorrow we find out when our vacations are. haha. kidding, kind of. :)

gettin' ready

I'm currently getting ready to go to South Korea. Its been 28 days since I signed my contract with Sunflower Language School. I'm feeling frustrated and anxious today as I'm waiting to hear back from a woman in Richmond VA whom I need to certify my background check. Since she will not answer her phone, or my voice messages, and I'm all the way up in Michigan... I'm feeling pretty stuck. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better communication day, and I will be able to mail Gabe (my agent) my documents by Wednesday. Then all should go smooth, and probably very fast, as he will get my Visa number and book my flight!

Although I feel frusterated and stuck right now, I know I have accomplished a lot in the last month. I moved out of my apartment that I had lived in for 3 years. This was a huge step first, I threw away a lot of junk. Then I sold the nicer junk, that would not fit in my toyota avalon. Then sorted through the remains and seperated the things I might need for a year from the things I might need when I get back. I organized and packed everything I owned into that little car. Then drove it up to Michigan. And unpacked it, into my parents house. Soon, I will be repacking into 2 large suitcases. Downsizing from a fully furnished, beautifully decorated apartment full of things to 2 suitcases is a huge accomplishment that I should feel proud of. Now, if I could just get control of that little envelope with my background check in it, I'd be VERY happpy.

quote of the day: "Life is dangerous. It's risky. It's worth it."