My Personal Cleaning Ladies!

I've talked about this before... but I have never included a picture. In Korea, there are no school janitors. The students at the school are completely in charge of cleaning the school! These two adorable little 3rd grade girls are in charge of cleaning my office! They love me because they never really have to clean it, since I'm a bit of a clean freak! They ALWAYS wet this blue rag and wipe down my desk though - I think it's because they know I'll give them chocolate!

Welcome to the New Guy!

Over the summer break, our school hired a new principal. Apparently it's tradition for his co-workers from his last school to congratulate him by bringing him rice cakes and flowers / plants! I think it's hilarious how his office looks like a florist shop!

What's even funnier though is the fact that when I walked in to take this picture, he was turned around in his chair, facing the back window, and I said, "Anyonghashimika (hello)" 3 times before he WOKE UP and turned around to see it was me. He rubbed his eyes and everything! Way to go dude... you're first week on the job and you're already sleeping in your office!!!

Homemade Grape Juice!

This is Heather! She is one of the mom's in my parent class. I found out this afternoon that she owns a store, under her home, where she makes and sells 100% fruit juices! She brought some of her grape juice to class today for us to try!


Unfortunately she doesn't stomp on the grapes like Lucy and Ethel did. I was a little dissapointed to hear that, but I think it's awesome, none the less, that she makes and packages juice. I've never known, or seen where the things I buy at the store come from! She invited me to come over and make juice with her one day - which I will definitely be trying!

Cool Looking Little Guy!

After lunch today, I followed Stella out to the garden where she burried the grape seeds we compiled during tea time earlier in the day. I saw this little guy, who looked like a green ladybug, walking on one of the sweet potato plants. I quickly swept him up and let him walk around on my hand for a little while. After about a minute, I looked down and saw that it looks like there's a little lego man on his back! How awesome is that?!

Slippers at School!

I've written before about how Koreans never wear their shoes inside. They believe that outside shoes can carry diseases, and are terrified of becoming sick. This idea carries over into the schools. Students literally take of their shoes at the door and walk in their socks, carrying their outside shoes up to their classrooms. Outside each classroom are these shoe cubbies (that's a fun word) that house their school slippers.

So, during the school day, the cubbies are filled with their outside shoes...

And after school is out, they are re-filled with their school slippers.

Today, I took my slippers off all together and walked barefoot while I taught. I love, love, love the freedom around here to not have to wear heels all day! :)