Carol of the Bells

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Happy Thurday

Every other Thursday, my school principal lets us all off an hour earlier to "explore our hobbies." These Thursdays have come to be known as happy Thursdays. Today, my hobbies included going to the bank (which closes too early for me to get there on regular days), and coming home to catch part of Oprah and eat some popcorn. I love happy Thursdays! Usually, on happy Thursday, I go to a coffee shop and read. I have been reading the strangest book lately. It is Swiss Family Robinson. Have you read it? I think it is such a cheesy book, yet, I have not abandoned it! If you have not read it, it is about this Swiss family who is shipwrecked on an island. The father in the book seems to know everything there is to living in the wild (like, how to make rubber boots from tree sap, and how to hollow out a huge tree for a spiral staircase up to a treehouse). The dad is extremely perfect--way too perfect to be real. The mom is submissive and is referred to as "the mother" by the dad--she does anything and everything for her boys (like, making clothes from flax leaves and a loom and cooking all the weird animals the guys bring home). Anyway, the story is ridiculous as the island they landed on seems to be some sort of mixture of everything. There are kangaroos, tigers, all kinds of fish and birds, and the trees are from the Americas. Lucky for those guys, everything they could need or want either was shipwrecked with them, or exists on their little utopia. This book is way strange, but an interesting and quick read for anyone with a little extra time. Sorry this turned into a book review...didn't mean to do that! :)

Before and After

One early morning about a month ago, I awoke to the sound of large machines and breaking glass. As I got ready for work, I wondered what in the world was happening--whatever it was, it sounded permanent. As I left my apartment, I saw the huge machines, that were causing all the noise, smashing in the windows of a building at the end of my block. In one month, this shop was gutted, painted, carpeted, and completely rebuilt. In one month! It takes me a month to get around to running certain errands or to decide if I want the brown sweater or the blue one. An entire building reconstructed in one month...amazing! Today, I walked past the newly Tea Purple coffee shop and couldn't resist taking a quick snapshot. A couple of weeks ago, the machines were out early again to repave the road in front of the building--within two days it was finished. Can you imagine if construction jobs in the States took that long? It would be revolutionary! Oh...I should mention...the one thing that seems to have taken forever are those subway exits. I finally figured out what they are doing--they are making new, clear plexi-glass roofs for them. They will be nice when they are finished!

"Tish"

I can't tell you how many times a day I see rolls of toilet paper--I am amazed at its versatility and various uses. Today, my co-worker offered me some of this to use as "tish" because I was feeling a little sick and was looking for a kleenex (she meant "tissue"). I don't always correct my co-workers and friends (it can be a big job in itself sometimes), but I did say something this time! Here are a few random places I have spotted this useful "tish":

1. hanging on the wall in the classroom like paper towels
2. sitting on my co-worker's desk
3. in my student's backpack
4. hanging near the sink in the teacher's room
5. passed around to be used as a napkin with office treats

Here is where it is not:
1. in the toilet stall

Go figure.

Tuesday

Another Tuesday. Today I woke up with a sore throat. My first thought was, "not again." I just got over a cold that wiped me out for more than three weeks! But, I believe in the power of positive thinking, so what I meant to say is, "I am healthy, I am healthy, I am healthy!" After waking up with a sore throat, I was slightly grumpy this morning. I got to work and had a pretty easy day, except for more paperwork shuffling by the company who hired me. I guess some documents have gotten misplaced....AGAIN! I went through this all summer and now it has started up again. Things did not go so smoothly with that, but I did hear a possibility of good news: the winter camp that I was signed up to teach over winter break might not happen! My coworkers have been waiting on some documents from the district about the camp and they are hands off about the whole deal. My coworkers don't want to plan everything and think the district should, so if the district doesn't, the camp is off. Which means, I may have three extra weeks of vacation! I am not going to count my chickens before they hatch, but it sure would be nice! So, I am going to put on some more tea and snuggle into my blankets for a few minutes of reading before I sleep tonight! Oh, I know the pictures above are a little random, but I included them anyway! They are from the mall a few weeks ago! There was a holiday concert on the fifth floor and Christmas trees out front. The Asian Statue of Liberty is my favorite, though! :)

Comfort and New Friends

It is the time of year where I start to hunker down and get comfy for the long winter. I'm from Minnesota, so I have done this my whole life. I love to surround myself with comfortable things like coffee drinks, gingerbread cookies, popcorn and soft blankets while a peaceful blanket of snow covers the ground. Well, I don't have a soft blanket yet, but I have the coffee drinks and gingerbread cookies. And, my mom sent me popcorn last week. I should be enjoying the season, but something isn't right. I know that Christmas is coming, but the hype here isn't as big as in the States. The Christmas decorations have been up since I got here (which makes me wonder if they ever come down), but it still isn't the same. I don't hear cheerful Christmas music on the streets, the stores aren't going into crazy sales mode, and I haven't seen even one Christmas cookie. It could be that it is still November, and Thanksgiving is barely over, but I know that in the States right now, people are gearing up for the big day. I guess I will give it a couple more weeks and see what happens. In the meantime, I will try to keep myself occupied what I can. I have made new friends at work--this is a small breakthrough! It is extremely difficult to meet people here, because it is customary to be introduced by a third person first. It is not common for individuals to approach a new person on their own. I have been walking with the art teacher to the subway everyday, and somehow that has been the "in" to the rest of the teachers on that side of the office room. Also, the math teacher has been secretly asking for my help in corresponding to her son's teacher in the States, so that is another person to talk to. I realized that many people were holding out on me in their English ability for these first few months! I think it is a general nervousness in speaking...I know this feeling well! :) One guy speaks a little German (no English), so he will greet me with "guten Morgen." Just the fact that he speaks to me at all is great! So, all in all, things are still going well (minus the slight lack in holiday spirit, but I am not giving up yet)!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home! I really missed being near family this week as the day came and went uncelebrated. Instead of having Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, my friend and I decided to go out for a stomach-stuffing meal tonight. We decided to get some hearty food at the Swiss, all-you-can-eat restaurant down the street. It wasn't turkey and mashed potatoes, but it worked! I ate lots of seafood and Thai food--not a lot of German food, actually. You can see a little octopus on my fork in the picture above. I have really come to like octopus. I eat it at least three times a week and always look forward to it! This year, I am thankful for this chance to live here and try new things! I am also thankful for the people who support me back at home in my new adventures! It has been a good year for me so far! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Day for Me! :)

Woo-hoo! Today I got back to my desk after my first class to find a package from home waiting for me! I was so excited--it totally made my day! In general, I am not homesick for America, but once in awhile I miss things--especially food things. My mom sent a bunch of goodies today including cheese, taco seasoning mix, maple syrup, hot chocolate, Reeces peanut butter cups, Doritos, my Real Simple magazine, and lots of other things that are not available here! I am going to savor these things for weeks! :) They should hold me over for quite awhile! Thanks Mom!

Why didn't anybody tell me??

For three months, I have been dutifully fulfilling my two-part daily commute to and from school. From home, I must walk to the subway station (about 5 minutes), ride the subway two stops (5 minutes), then transfer to the green bus for another 10-15 minute ride which takes me to school. Most mornings and afternoons I patiently wait anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes for the green bus to swing around the corner to pick me up. I have been told that the green buses are the ones that may or may not come. The blue buses are the reliable ones. Unfortunately, I don't need the blue bus--I need the green one. Well, last week, I got off the bus, on the way home from work, at the subway station only to run into a couple of my coworkers. One man, Mr. Kim, the funky art teacher, told me that he had walked from work. Well, my eyes flew open and I started firing too many questions too quickly for poor, very limited English speaking Mr. Kim to keep up! So, the next day, I asked him if I could walk with him after school to learn the way. He has been faithfully waiting for me each day since then to walk with me to the subway station. Each day, we time ourselves and it takes about 12 minutes. MUCH faster than the bus! And, I have a new friend! I know few things about this Mr. Kim, but he is very friendly and now greets me each morning with a cheerful, "good morning Bonnie teacher!" My question is: why didn't anyone explain this to me when it was still warm enough to walk outside without risking frostbite??

Sushi and a Hot Air Balloon Ride

Today was one of those lovely days off--like a snow day, but without the snow (well, actually, there was snow, but I will get to that later). The high schoolers have to take university entrance exams, so all the schools close down for the day. What did I do with my day off? Well, I ate way too much sushi and went to an amusement park! First of all, I love sushi! My friends and I went to a place where you pay 15 bucks for all you can eat in 40 minutes! The food floats around the table on boats and you just grab whatever pieces you want. I ate a lot of food and, though I eat rice almost daily, I still forget that it expands AFTER you eat it. So, about 20 minutes after I was finished eating, I was wishing I had passed on that last salmon roll! After lunch, we headed over to Lotte World--an amusement park. It was half indoors and half outdoors with about the same number of rides as the amusement park at the Mall of America. We went on a hot air balloon ride first and sailed up to the ceiling via thick metal cords and mechanically rode around the park. Next we took a ride on the carousel and finished off with the flume ride. The cool thing about Lotte World was the Christmas parade that started just as we got there. There were lots and lots of dancers all dressed in different costumes. It was pretty impressive, really. First, it started snowing in the building (instead of the cold stuff, I think they just used bubble foam--it looked cool though!). Then, a couple of girls dressed as snow fairies on rollerblades flew by with sparklers. Next, an all women band marched past with their tubas and drums. There were floats, dancers, animals--even Santa showed up! The Christmas decorations have been up for some time now (as I am sure they are at home, as well) and it was fun to get into the holiday spirit just a little today. I returned home tired after a long day on my feet. I have to work tomorrow, but it is nice to know that I have a whole weekend coming up! :)

Images from the Market

I visited the market last week and was reminded again how much I love it! The bins and tubs of fragrant roots and grains are strewn everywhere. There are many kinds of fish and sea animals to be found--even live squid and octopus for purchase. I didn't buy any of these herbs, roots, or ocean foods. Actually, I purchased two salad plates! I love the market atmosphere--everything is busy and everything has a smell and texture. I love to bring my camera and snap pictures as I go along!

Stuck!

About once a week, on my way up the hill to my apartment, I see yet another truck, car or van wedged between a telephone pole and the corner of a restaurant. This is a very tight turn to make for any vehicle because the streets are very narrow and there are hills everywhere. Before even turning the corner to my street, I can usually hear the tires spinning against the pavement, struggling to get free. It can get a little frustrating for other cars or people waiting to pass, but I bet it's even more frustrating for the person who is driving that vehicle! Luckily for the driver, the nearby restaurant owners have some supplies to help in these tight situations. The owners are very skilled at helping to free stuck vehicles. They get out some pieces of cardboard and sometimes some sand to give the tires some traction. Once the restaurant owners step in to help, the van is free in no time. This guy in the picture blocked everything--I had to wait a few minutes to get home, so I whipped out my camera and tried to discretely snap a few pictures!

On the Mend

This week I was pretty sick with a cold. I didn't take any medicine because I am a fighter and refuse to believe that I could be sick. I spent the past three weeks battling this annoying cold with no avail. Finally, a friend of mine was tired of hearing my raspy voice and my coughing. She bought me some root juice used in Eastern herbal medicine. The drink came in a silver packet and was warmed for optimal results. I carefully tore open the corner, inserted a straw and sipped a little. The first taste was so revolting that I almost threw up! So, I tried an old method that used to work when my mom made me drink milk as a child. I plugged my nose and thought of happy things as I guzzled that stuff down as quickly as possible. I couldn't believe how much there was in that small packet! The juice tasted like stomach acids and didn't go down so easily. It gurgled in my stomach for a few minutes once it was down, threatening to come back up again. My friend was right, though. I needed to take care of that cold and the vomit-flavored substance did the trick! I just hope I never have to drink it again!

The Bow

Each morning, as I walk up the hill to my school from the bus stop, I am greeted respectfully by several students standing in a staggared line. These boys and girls wear special badges and I assume that it is their duty to greet teachers. They bow deeply and offer a smile to each teacher who passes, either by car or on foot. Something must be said about the bow. I have come to really enjoy and appreciate this bow. It is a sign of respect given to each individual. The depth of the bow depends on whom a person is greeting. If he or she is older, the younger bows first and deeper. This morning, I especially appreciated this hello from the students and was reminded of my days of teaching in Minnesota. In Minnesota, I had one student who greeted me each morning with a hug. She would come up to my office to say good morning every day and we would briefly chat in Spanish (her native language) and English. This morning, I remembered this former student and felt that her hug was translated into Korean as I hiked up that hill. The day was a long one. I spent most of it testing part of the 1/3 of the 920 students who attend my school. I really needed all the "hug" this morning!

Scrabble Night!

Tonight was really fun--my friends and I met at a coffee shop and played Scrabble for hours! I love that game! I was matched up against three other American English teachers. I am sad to say I didn't win any of the games we played...but, I didn't lose either! It is really so fun to sit in on a Saturday night sometimes and play boardgames--it is a simple joy and isn't done enough! I am regretting that I didn't bring more than a few card games to Korea. Then again, I am glad I didn't have to lug them around with me the few months before I moved here! I had too much stuff already! Actually, I think it is important for me to play Scrabble frequently--I speak a different kind of English when I am around non-native speakers. It is a simplified version of our spectacular language. I would love to break out the big words, but they are met with blank stares and pained looks. I hate to make people feel bad about their English skills--many people apologize to me for not knowing English better! I say, "on the contrary--I am sorry for not speaking Korean!" I get so used to this simplified, and slowed down version of English that I start speaking like this with my American friends! We laugh about this, but I am afraid that it could become a problem for me! I am forgetting so many simple words and I think I will have to re-learn a large part of my English vocabulary! In the meantime, some good books and a few more games of Scrabble should help me preserve my English! By the way, has anyone read a good book lately? I am looking for some good literature for my bus rides to work! :) Thanks!

Punished!

I was coming back from the lunch room today and saw these guys hanging out in the hall! There is no doubt that they were in trouble for something, although I can't imagine what! Maybe they forgot their books, "made noises" in class or were sleeping. Actually, this is a pretty common sight. It looks like they are exercising. I don't think the students like when I take pictures of their punishments, but I find them very creative and often humorous! I am really happy to see Friday finished! I had a long week with school...I need the rest! I am planning to hang out with a few friends tomorrow to play scrabble and laying low the rest of the weekend. And, I am going to sleep as long as possible tomorrow morning! Oh, this is interesting, some friends at work have suggested that I put a wet towel on the bed next to me to help me get rid of this nagging cough. When they said that, I raised my eyebrows and asked exactly why would I want to do that? They told me that it is a good substitute for a humidifier (which I will definitely need to buy). Another friend suggested laying the wet towel on the floor near my bed so that the floor can heat it and release the moisture. That sounds better than laying a wet towel in my bed... I will give it a try and see what happens!

Which Button?

The weather has gotten considerably cooler these past few days here in Seoul. I am from Minnesota, so this in itself is not really anything I can't handle. Back home, we just turn on the heat and layer on the long johns. I have a problem here in Korea, though. I am not sure how the heat works in my apartment. I have a small white box next to my door that supposedly controls the floor and water heating. I know the red button is the power button, and the one above the red is to activate the warm water. Other than that, I really have no clue as to what the other buttons are there for. I started pushing buttons one day about a month ago and my floor got so hot I could hardly walk on it to turn it off...I tried to regulate it then, but I haven't needed heat until now, so I didn't spend much time with it before giving up. I am ready to go to sleep, but the past few mornings I have been waking up freezing and huddled under my two, small blankets not willing to get out of bed. I need to figure out a way to keep the heat regulated all night. I could build a fire in the open space of my floor, but that will cause the landlady lots of concern, which could lead to some unwanted mothering from her. That leaves only one option: figure out what the nobs and buttons are for. I tried a new combination just now and am crossing my fingers that it will work and I won't wake up in a dead sweat sometime around 3 AM! I am OK to try that for now. The other mysterious set of buttons in my apartment belongs to my washing machine. I have washed many loads of clothes since I have been here, but I don't think I have used the same settings more than once. Sometimes the load takes only 7 or 8 minutes, and sometimes an hour and a half. I don't know which button to push, so I push them all in varying sequence! If the water starts running, I know I did something right. I took a few pictures of both my washing machine and my heating unit so I can bring my camera to work and ask someone to translate them. Hopefully, I will have answers before the weekend! In the meantime, I sit here at my computer in a knit hat and a sweatshirt drinking hot tea...