The Ice Cream Outing!

As you may already know, I teach 9 different level after school classes! It's a pain to plan for all of them, so when the kids start a conversation they're interested and participating in, I usually jump on board and push my lesson plans to next weeks class!


This afternoon, we got onto the subject of ice cream! (Which happens to be one of my favorites!) They were going crazy about ice cream and how much they loved it, so I asked, "Do you want ice cream right now?" The room erupted with excitement and when I said, "Okay, let's go get some," they went even crazier, jumping up and down and giving each other high fives! They couldn't believe a teacher was going to take them to the store and buy them ice cream!

We made a deal before we set out on our journey to the market - Yungoroh mahn (English only!) They obliged and we had nice conversations about the weather, the new town art, the cars on the road... etc!

Here they are at the market, showing me what they like! They asked if they could buy the expensive ice cream, and when I said "sure" they started going crazy!!! (By the way, the expensive ice cream was the equivalent of $1.00)


And outside the store, showing me what they picked! (From left to right: Nathan, Skylar, Stephanie, Kristy, and Lauren... all 5th graders.)

Working at a very low income school can have it's difficulties, but seeing the smiles on the kiddos faces when you buy them something as little as an ice cream is so awesome!

The Swine Flu

Every morning, in order to take precautions against the swine flu, one of the teachers from my school, stands outside the front door to the school and takes EVERY student's temperature with this ear thermometer! As overly cautious as it sounds, I've gotta hand it to them - Koreans are diligent when it comes to preventing sickness!

So This is Why They're So Skinny!

They just installed this sign on the stairs at my school...

Da Daepo Fountain Show

Last night, I went to the Da Daepo Beach Fountain Show.  If you've been to the Bellagio in Las Vegas, think that, but more colors, 30 minutes of it, a beautiful beach to one side, huge high rises to the other, and thousands of Koreans ooing and awing!   It's every photographer's paradise!

This fountain is brand new!  Construction was finished just a couple months ago, so it's a big crowd maker.  If I had to guess, I would easily say that there were thousands of Koreans there!  According to some of the parents at my school, this fountain is in the Guiness Book of World Records!   I'm not sure why... It could be because of the fountain in the middle that sprays water about a hundred feet into the air and soaks everyone!   :)

Before the show started, I went to the GS-25 (kind of like a 7/11) and bought a drink.  The lady gave this dried octopus as "service" (a free gift)!  Disgusting huh?!

After the show, they turn the fountains back on, and you can take pictures near and even in them... 

This young Korean couple was adorable.  They ran into the middle of this fountain and were soaking wet, laughing together!

The fountains are definitely every kids playground!  They were loving it!

The crowd in the middle of the fountains... Notice all the cameras and camera phones - Koreans LOVE taking pictures!

Beautiful huh?!

Dinner at Wendy's!

Last night, I was invited to dinner at a student's house!  This is VERY rare occassion, so I was excited to have the experience.  As much as I would love to say it was one of my own students, it actually wasn't.  It's a student of one of my English teacher friend's who works in a much more affluent area of town than I do.  He invited me to come along!

We had such an awesome time, and spent about 4 hours talking, eating, looking at pictures, etc!  They are a family of 5 who are some of the most open minded Koreans I've met... possibly because they have traveled the world!  They actually have a Kenyan girl living with them right now!  Her name is Emily, and she is an absolute doll.  She's 25 and we spent a long time talking with her about her life in Kenya. She originally came as an exchange student a year ago and met them at their church.  When she decided to come back to Korea for school, they offered her a room in their home and she has been living there ever since.    

Dinner was Bulgolgi and Bi Bim Bap, which are 2 of my favorite Korean dishes!  The wife, who's English name is Julia, spent over 3 hours the night before, chopping all the vegetables and preparing the food.  

This is Wendy, my friend's student!

This is Julia, one of the greatest women in Korea!  

During dinner, they invited us to go hiking with them in October to a mountain on our side of town that fills with beautiful fall colored leaves!   Julia offered to make a picnic for us, with all our favorite Korean food!  She loves to cook and told us we could come over ANYTIME for dinner at their home!   How awesome is that!?!