Pig Spine Soup

Has probably got to be the most unvegetarian thing I've eaten. It is just SO gruesome looking. Tastes quite yummy though. Those little blobs are doughy noodles that were my favourite part, and the broth is fantastic. Spine meat, it turns out, tastes like regular meat. It merely requires chopstick
dexterity!

I went out to lunch with my coteacher and her mother. Her mother kept giving me more and more food, despite me explaining I had already eaten. I told them how this reminded me of my own mother giving me tons of food before leaving in case I didn't like Korean food. They laughed and then she said she could be my Korean mother. It was the sweetest thing ever. Literally the only words I could say directly to her were Hello, Thank you, and One Two Three Four. 

School is currently out and I have been teaching a winter camp. I teach 4 classes, and each has a super different feel. I essentially teach the same class though and just change up the activities and my pace for the different ages. It's an "around thw world" class and kids have been put into teams. I let them chose their countries out of: Canada, Australia, Tanzania, France and Brazil. Each class had a very different reaction to the countries. I think it should be neat. One of the questions I asked the older kids was "How is America [I have to call it that because they don't understand when I say the States. It drives me insane] different from Korea?" One kid said "black faces!" I suppose that is accurate? When I asked how the countries were similar and no one had an answer, I said that everybody liked Saturdays.

Merry Christmas from Anne and Adri in Korea!

Cats and Christmas Spirit!

I spent the weekend in Ulsan with Adri, resting and getting ready for tonight's Christmas festivities. We went shopping and I got a whole bunch of adorable Korean sweaters to help me survive the freezingness of my classroom, a new hat and new mitts. The mitts ended up having a string attaching them to run through my coat. So while I may look like a child, at least I won't lose these ones!!

We went out for lunch today to a "Chinese" restaurant. It's pretty neat to see how different Chinese food is here vs home, and I bet both versions are equally different from the food in actual China. Anyways we had a delicious big soup full of seafood, noodles, and super excitingly, VEGETABLES. I ate all the seafood and veggies, excited to have so much variety in my soup, whereas my colleagues picked around the veggies and ate all the noodles. It was pretty funny. I find meals out with my teachers pretty interesting because I can literally understand nothing, and I feel like you see a whole other side to a person when you can't understand them. Also it actually takes will power not ot laugh at all the slurping noises they make. It's just so loud and I can just see my mother dying in the corner hahaha. Anyways, the soup was amazing.

Here are some pictures from the cat cafe and from my little Christmas set up and some other stuff. The cat cafe was pretty hilarious:  a basement cafe with a ton of kitties. The cats were SO patient, being stroked and harassed constantly by children. There seemed to be a rule though that the sleeping cats weren't disturbed. Also the cats could climb on ceiling pipes to escape children. All the cats had their claws and there were tons of kitty jungle gyms for them to climb around on, so I think they were all pretty happy. When a group of girls came in, Adri and I offered to switch tables so they could sit together. Apparently, this act of decency warranted us getting a free bag of mystery meat cat treat! Once we got that, we became way more popular. Finally, a super old cat came and snuggled into Adri's lap. No cat came to me, so Adri put him in my lap. He was so old and happy to snuggle he didn't mind. When we eventually let, I carried him all curled up and put him on a sleeping matt. He didn't move at all. It was so cute. One kitty did have a pretty severe looking eye infection, but the healthiness of the others has me pretty sure he was being treated for it.

As for Christmas, my amazing parents and auntie have sent me SO many goodies, that I barely miss them. LIES. Miss you guys so much, but the packages definitely take the sting out of it. Can't wait to Skype with you tomorrow. Adri and I are having Christmas morning together, and there are plenty of dinners and parties happening to keep us busy and not too sad. Love to all my family and friends, thank you for reading my blog, and happy holidays!!

Before class one day the boys tried to see how many could sit
on each other. After trying and failing to take a photo, I had
them all go sit down. Under this massive pile was one little
boy who was very happy to be able to breathe again!!

Really cool looking restaurant near Adri. Sadly, we feel
ill equipped to order by ourselves. 

Cat Cafe!

Squeeazine that bag of mystery meat caused the cats to 

come a running. Pictured here is a beautiful brown cat.
I had never seen a solid brown cat before.

Adri makes an old friend.

Adri gives him to me

Putting him, he decided he liked my arm,
so I didn't move it.

Beautiful hanbok store I pass home from the train station.
I want to know if it's allowed to try them on. I feel like they're
so expensive it would be rude to try them on without intention
of buying.

Merry Christmas!!

Can't wait to open them. Tried
to peek but they are pinned
shut!!

Happy Korean Elections Day!

No school. Yahoo! After spending half the day in bed, I am trying depserately to be productive. Not looking likely. Alas. Don't even have letters to write because school ends this week! I am writing little Christmas cards for my co-teachers, and had the surprise to find that a bunch of them say "I love you so much!" inside, instead of Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Guess this whole Christmas-is-a-couple-holiday is real. 

An assortment of funny pictures. A lot are terrible photography, I apologize. 

"There was a little cute girl. People said her
Little Red Riding Hood.
Because She is wearing  a Red Hood Everyday"

The next two photos go together. In the pet section of a grocery store (because yes I browse there often wishing for a furry friend) I noticed these medical clamps. I was wondering what on earth a pet owner would need them for. Growing up with a pair in the house, I can vouch that they are incredibly useful, but I never used them in respect to my cat...

Homestatic Clamp Pet

So I turn over the packagins...

And I was left even more confused. Hair brushing?
Nail trimming? WHAT IS GOING ON.

 "Hemostatic clamp pet
- Love pet their everyday essential beauty products
-Loving pet can effectively sort out tangled hair bal
- Remove the shedding hair to keep clean and tidy
Please remove some hair, hands, and then brush or comb to remove needles.
- When the iritation hair knotted
Please use your fingers gently supress the roots of love per hair comb with the comb slowly.
- Time of severe knotted
- Love knot in the center of the local pet hair with the scissors along the hair growth of the square To cut a few, and then fingers supress the rootof love pet hair comb Slowly comb"

Well... at least they use new environment-friendly materials?

My fridge got a winter time makeover :)

Glory to Gizmo

Queen of Cats.

Food poisoning

I have been extremely open minded with food here. I have eaten hagfish, pig feet, fish gut soup, pig spine soup, whole anchovies, you name it.

What gives me horrible food poisoning that keeps me awake all night and has left me feeling like an empty husk of a human?

MacDonald's. Go figure!

My students are the best!!

EPIK Christmas Dinner

Last night there was an EPIK Christmas Dinner. The food was absolutely AMAZING. There was Korean food, Western Food, Indian Food, you NAME IT. It was to die for. I discovered the amazingness of deep fried shrimp (Korean shrimp are served with heads and feet still, so they're not the most appetizing. I finally understand the obsession people have with the little crustaceans). Delicious beer, a real stout, was also available. Life music, dancing, and merriment all around. It was awesome.

Unfortunately it was in another city, Daegu. A real city! It was cool to see Daegu, but super annoying to have to trek home. It turned out to be a day of losing things. I lost my beloved hat and mittens from Simons in a cab. However, I got off easy. A friend of mine lost his iphone AND glasses, and another friend lost her purse. None of these losings happened at the same time or in the same place. Weird.

Anyways, was pretty pooped today so am thrilled for the weekend. God some hilarious letters from a girl who obviously type them in an online translator because they are absolute gibberish. A for effort?

Annie's Mailbox

After a slight lull, I got a whole bunch of letters today! Hurray! Also today is 12/12/12 which is super exciting. I told all my students and they were all amused.  One of my letters, the girl circled and added  a star to the date before giving it to me. Also I found out I do see the kids from today again. There's a random 2 weeks left of the semester in February. Isn't that odd?

Don't you know I like for you?

Super adorable and done up letter. This is the handmade
envelope. 

This is the outside of the actual letter

This is her adorable map drawing her coming from Korea to
Canada!!

While I already posted this letter on facebook, it's just too good not to make immortal on my blog....

"Anne teacher for,

Hellow Anne teacher my name is Youn chae eun 5-1 class I feel find how about you? English letter is very difficult but very fun Anne teacher give is very happy Anne teach very very happy Me is happy Thank you My Anne teacher a school class hour is very fun Anne teach wait wait wait This litter strage word bow kindly respect that Thank you

It is now December Merry Christmas what kind of gift did you buy? I give GALAXY Note I have because my phone is very old (My phone polder) And Santa Claus My hom com here? Pleas pleas come hear

Merry Christmas Anne Teacher!"

Annie's mailbox update

The letter I posted about in this post where the kid said "When I met you firsh I thought you are scary but you aren't scare you are very fun and everyone like you and also I like you too. You are very active and so kind I like kind human." WELL it was written by a BOY! I feel so embarrassed I definitely replied on like pink frilly heart filled paper, and have been signing all my letters with little hearts because there are so many I love you's and I didn't want a little girl to not get a heart and feel sad haha. Oh well. He was very happy to get a letter back and said he would read it all. I suppose girly stationary is the norm here anyways.

Also tomorrow is my LAST CLASS with 6-4 Woohooo!!!! Sadly it's also my last class with the other 3 classes I have on Wednesday all of which are AMAZING. Next Wednesday is election day and then it's winter break. I must remember to bring in my camera and get a goodbye class photos!!

I find it funny how back home I loved shopping in the "foreign food" section and cooked a lot of Asian foods. The majority of my meals were stir fries, curries, or this really good Thai soup. Here however, I once again am finding myself in the foreigner section for all the comforts of home.

Amazing egg and cheese sandwich with
DAVIDsTEA from my amazing aunty!!!

Winter vacation booked!

I will be going to THAILAND from January 19 till the 30th. I am SO excited. So far we have booked are flights and a 2 night/3 day stay at the Elephant Nature Foundation in Chiang Mai. It's going to be amazing.

Side note, I almost died biking home from the train station today. I was biking in such extreme windiness I at times felt I would topple over, or when heading into the wing, that walking would be a faster way to move. I never knew biking in the wind could be so difficult. I know I said going to the bathroom at school felt like an arctic mission, but this felt like a cross-tundra expedition. Eventually thoguh, I made it home, safe and sound :)

Come out, Come out,
Whatever you are?

Talent show and snow

 Thursday of this week was my school's talent show. This meant that each class did a series of performances within their classroom and their parents came to watch. I spent the day trying to go to as many classes as I could to see my kiddos. It was amazing! I saw taekwondo, instrument playing, singing, and dancing! There were also like spoken things, like plays or jokes, but I usually left for those because they were obviously in Korean. Each class was so excited when they saw me. I considered not even bothering to visit stupid 6-4, but decided that was just perpetuating their dislike of me. (Speaking of 6-4, while other classes sang, clapped, or even danced for my bday, this was the 6-4 interaction. "Teacher. Sunday, your birthday?" "Yes it was!" "Ok." Gee thanks haha) . I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by happy waves just like in the other classes! Anyways, as I've said I'm hesitant to post photos of children where they are obviously identifiable, so here are a few awkward shots. I have some adorable pictures and videos though for anyone wanting to see!!

My grade 3's were so adorable they like swarmed and hugged me after they were done. I was also super endeared by the parents. Much like their children, they loved giving me food and I was given cookies, oranges, coffee, and vitamin water. I did my very best to bow and smile at all of them, and I think I made a good impression. It was lovely seeing eveyrone so happy and proud. One class, one of my favourite grade 6's, didn't have any parents in their room, so I stayed there for the longest. Anyways, I really am unable to capture the happy feeling of the day in words or pictures, but here are a few. I am SO BUMMED that my kids are all changing after this semester. Grade 6 will be graduating and leaving me, grade 3's will move on to grade 4, and I'll have a whole new grade 5. Eek!

Grade 3 art

This awesome girl gave me a bday
present and card. 

Grade 5's playing traditional
Korean drums.

They are so into knitting here. And cat's cradle.

Grade 6 boys dancing! These are the ones who danced for me
on my birthday. So adorable. One is really good at English
and likes to chat with me and he was sooooo happy that I
took photos. 

Today was a normal day, but still really fun. I have one slightly crazy class, but crazy just due to energy being high not due to any meanness. The rest of my classes were soo good they would even ask me like "is it time to sit down?" and chat with me before the class. It was just a lovely day, I think the good mood from yesterday was still among them. Anyways, during one class as we are happily playing a game, a kid notices the window and shouts (I can easily assume) "IT'S SNOWING" in Korea. These kids. Went. CRAZY.
I have never seen anything like it. They RAN to the window, scrambling over each other and desks, screaming, opening windows, basically just FREAKING OUT. It was amazing. Apparently snow in December is very rare here. Anyways it was very jolly. 

The day was made even better when I got a Christmas package from my parents after getting another from my aunt yesterday! So much package love. Today there were kids in the room when I opened it and they were soo amazed by the elaborate card and ornaments. I even tested them to see if they could read my dad's handwriting, and was very impressed that together they could! It was so so so jolly.

As for today's mail, I only got 2 letters. Both from grade 5, one from that girl who writes me awesome letters. Today hers ended with "my hand hurts because I wrote such a long letter" haha. Such a sweetheart. I'm glad she'll be around next year still!

AAAAH SNOW AAAAAAHHHH

Snow!

I should rename this blog Annie's Mailbox

Here are some excerpts from recent letters that have amused me...

"You don't know me. But I know teacher ^^" from a grade 4 student who is not mine

"Please, you don't leave to Canada." from a grade 6 student who will be leave elementary in a few weeks anyways!

"When I met you firsh I thought you are scary but you aren't scary you are very fun and every one like you also I like you too. You are very active and so kind I like kind human." I do try my best to be a kind human!

What do you want to do?

This is the never ending birthday and I'm loving it. Grade 5 teachers got me a delicious chocolate mousse cake today. I am so SPOILED. I had another class sing to me, and another absolutely adorable card.

Today I taught the grade 5 kiddies. I adore them. The lesson this week is "What do you want to do?" or something like that. They learn like "I want to ride a bike" or "I want to take a rest." Anyways, I saw an idea on Waygook.org to do a bucket list lesson.  I first showed them a bunch of fun ideas (bungee jumping, meeting a KPOP star, living in a caslte) then I showed them my bucket list with 3 sections.. In 5 years I want to .... In 10 years I want to .... and Before I die I want to....

Anyways, they were pretty amused by my list which was cute. I obviously simplified, but one kid was sooo amazed that I wanted to be a scientist haha. Most were horrified that I wanted to swim with dolphins! Legitimately horrified . They were all amused that I want pet chickens. Agnes and Fern will be mine one day!!

ANYWAYS I told them to write their own, and then instructed them to seal them in envelopes and open them again in 10 years. They really liked the lesson! One kid even expressly said "this is a good idea!" So they were happy to work on them at their desks for the whole class. They all tried really hard to get the English words needed either by searching in dictionaries, or playing hilarious charades with me. My favourite interaction was the following
Students; Teacher, Dog Il, spelling?
Anne: I don't know! Who is that?
Student: Not who. Hm.. Dog Il! Dog Il.. hmm.. HITLER!
Anne: Germany?
Student: Yes! Spelling!
Anne: G E R M A N Y. That was really smart of you!
Student: I know I know I know.

I also had a few boys saying how they wanted to kill Japan and North Korea, but later decided instead that Korea could unify "like Germany". I gave them the spelling for that instead!

It was really cool to see the kids express themselves. Many had similar goals of going to a good school or meeting a boyfriend/girlfriend, but they all had their own individual spin on things. Progamer, sky diving, travelling all over the world (except only maybe two kids wanted to go to Canada. I'm trying hard to work on our PR people), all kinds of pets, just a whole lot of stuff that I won't remember but was cool! One kid even wanted to go Saudi Arabia! I really hope at least some manage to keep the letters and open them in 10 years. How amazing and cute would it be to see something like that?  A few wrote they wanted to become teachers, which obviously makes my heart melt a little even though I'm not a real teacher.

Adorable owl hand cream bottle.

Mailbox idea is spreading! Helped my
private academy friend design this bad boy
last night. I also made the envelope and
chose the eyeball positions.

Side story. I had to buy more stationary today because I am a letter writing fiend. I got my first stationary downtown, and it was a cartoon duck eating ramen noodles. Very cute. The store is a little far though so on my way home today I stopped in a little shop and found some. I had the option between heart covered papers with either English or Korean writing, so I picked the English package. Turns out half are in Korean anyways. The English headings include the following:

"Lovely Angel. Wishing you happiness today, tomorrow, and always..."
"Love is not something you can pick and choose. It simply comes to you."
"We know the Real goodness of Club Life." this one gets extra points for having a picture of canoes.
"The autumn approaches. The leaves on the trees have turned yellow."
 "An autumn day! A.u.t.u.m.n. tinges the woods with a thousand beautiful varieties of colors."

and my personal favourite (and by favourite I mean I am really weirded out to use this with children)
"I love you... when your whisper soothes me in the early morning hours...."

I think I might go back downtown next time and find some more word free duck papers...

Birthday bowling!

Had a wonderful birthday party last night! A bunch of people said they couldn't make it, but then everyone surprised me and came! I got a delicious dinner of Shabu Shabu, Vietnamese amazingness, followed by bowling and merriment. My friends were even able to GUESS that I would like a creamy fruity cake over chocolate! I got lovely presents and had a really fun time. I've met such lovely people here! I do have photos of not just me ahah I'll post them on the slightly more private facebook.

Pop Rocks Icecream cake! Despite the
cuteness this little guy had to be eaten.

Love the shoes.

Amazing socks from Adri

Yet another adorable letter

"To Ann teacher
Hi? Anne teacher?
Fifth grade, two and a half,
I'm called Sim Young Su.
Birthday They said the day next Saturday.
Happy Birthday.
And I'm always fun, Thank you for teaching us.
Class read a story, and I really can not wait.
Anne teacher please tell
me the future more
interesting.
Birthday have a good~
Preety Anne teacher <3"

So cute. Reallllly not sure how to reply though. Does she like the stories I read, or does she want the future ones to be more interesting? Also  note in the upper right corner it says "This is hand made!" haha I don't think so...

I am surrounded by love!

I am not an overly positive person. I swear. In fact if I had a dollar for every time I was called sarcastic I would have a lot of dollars. So the fact that I am feeling so great really is cause things are awesome, not because I am some cock-eye optimist!

Today my wonderful co-teacher, suffering from a pretty rough cold, brought me a cheesecake for my birthday! She asked if I liked cheesecake.

UM. YES.

We ate it at break and everyone sang happy birthday for me :)

I was wished happy birthday by tons of kids, in English and Korean. One kid cracked me up when he wanted me to say "Happy Birthday" in Korean and told me "Listen and Repeat!" because that's what their book (and I) always say. Apparently it translates roughly to congratulations, which is why they all have been writing that on my cards. Anyways many many happy birthdays, more cards, more gifts, and to top it all off, my last class a little group of boys danced for me. Normally the love is showered onto me by the girls, so this was extra endearing. It was a pretty cool little dance too. It's just so awesome that I can be so far from home and be shown such kindness. 

Sadly my photos didn't turn out too well but I have a LOT of letters to reply to so you will have to deal with these shaky shots.

This is a pic of my birthday hoard. I didn't include all the letters because there's just too many! The gifts include that tin of goodies, winter socks, and a notebook. So amazingly lovely.

"Ann Teacher,
Hello! Teacher I'm 5-6 Lee Ye-song. Teacher, happy birthday to you. I like you. I give cookie and candy it is yummy have a nice day~!!"

"Hi?
I'm Clara. Happy Birthday! I give for little present ^^ Do you like notebook? ^^ I think you like this note book. Happy Birthday Teacher Anne! (drawing)<-- This is Cake!"

Cards don't have to include gifts or elaborate stationary to be sweet!
"Hello? My name is Won Ye Ryoung.
I'm fifth grade, and class 2.
I heard this Sunday is your birthday. Isn't it?
I want to happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you~! Happy birthday you!
You are so funny. And so pretty."

This kid sure knows the way to my heart!

LOVE. IT.

Another day

A couple amusing anecdotes.

Firstly, there is a sportswear store here called Kolon Sport. That in itself is pretty damn hilarious. Anyways, they wear sportswear here all the time as casual wear, so there are Kolon Sport's everywhere. Today I told the gym teacher what colon meant.. he has limited English so the only way I could explain was the inaccurate but close description of "poo hole." He then looked it up and laughed and I could hear his computer saying "colon" as he pushed the "listen to" button. Then I heard his computer saying "anus" and him repeating to practice. Then for the next while every time a teacher came into the teacher room I could hear him speaking in Korean and saying "colon" a lot and the other teacher would laugh haha. He even told the vice principle, who then said to me "Korean style! With a K!" It was amusing. This colon conversation ended with the gym teacher saying his colon was full and he needed toilet. Classy. Same guy said his name is "HIV (pronounced super weird I'm really not sure what he was saying. Hee Bee or something) the AIDS virus! Because mom said I looked like a virus" hahaha.

Secondly, I got a phone call (already amusing enough because I never expected the phone in the teacher room to be for me!) from my grade 5 coteacher asking me to come upstairs. When I went a student had a birthday present for me!! I will take a pic of all the cards/presents I get from the kids once I get them all. So far, it's been a good haul! Anyways, after I thanked her, another student pulled a stray hair off my blazer. Holding it and bouncing and speaking excitedly in Korean, she convinced her friends that they all wanted one. I then had a little pack of grade 5 girls picking as my shoulders looking for stray hairs. I felt like a monkey being groomed. Soon all but one had a hair of their own, but she looked sad so I ran my hands through my hair to find her one. She was so happy! My coteacher said that they were talking about how every detail of me was different. I feel way too special here. I've never felt like having thin hair was cool before!

I found this really cute. Why would I dislike
red? Also those symbols make the Korean
version of :'(

Moose sent by mommy being used in a class not taught by
me. They're so popular!

I laughed so much when I saw a student
wearing this coat. The kids all keep
asking me why I wanted a pic of it and I
really don't know how much detail I can get
into explaining. Anyways all I've said is
"illegal. go to jail" haha.

This is my first letter of the second wave.
This girl is actually so sweet. Last class when
I handed my replies they all grabbed theirs and
ran away before I could see which student
she was. I am determined to find out next
time! Also today I got five letters written
in Korean haha oops.