I know it’s been quite awhile since my last update! I’ve been staying pretty busy. I also know it’s about an hour process to write and I haven’t had that! I guess I could start writing less, but what’s the fun in that?!?
So, I feel like a lot has happened. The first few days last week I was sick… no bueno!! The Mexican food (I think) killed me! We had that on Saturday night and I didn’t eat again until Monday night. All I ate were saltine crackers, a banana, and Cider (Sprite). My teacher came in to get me for lunch on Monday and I told her I didn’t feel well so I wasn’t going to eat. She told me I should go to the ‘Nurse Teacher’s’ room. She also told me saltines and cider wasn’t good for me. I told her it was and I’d be okay. (They go to the doctor for EVERYTHING here… even a headache!) Bonus—she let me leave school at 3pm that day… 2 hours early! Score!
OH MY WORD! I thought North Korea was attacking us one night this week! At 4am this alarm started going off and then a Korean woman came on and was saying something that obviously we could not understand! I sat straight up in bed and all of my internal alarms starting going off! I stuck my head out into the hall and nobody was out there! It freaked me out b/c I thought everyone else had been taken or something. About 30 seconds later (which is a long time when you are in a panic!) people started coming out! I was so discombobulated I had no idea what was going on! I realized I had to go to the bathroom so I decided to do that before I went out b/c who knows how long we’d be out there! I managed to find some shoes and that was it. Half way down the stairs I realized I should have grabbed my robe. Too late, I had to go out in my boxers and t-shirt… attractive and highly appropriate! J None of us knew what was going on. We see this guy come to our building and go into a room and turn the alarm off. He didn’t say anything to us so we went back in (hind sight that probably wasn’t the smartest, but we survived)! On the way in we saw the older couple and they said they had to find their documents and get important stuff! Passport… duh! I didn’t even think of that! I won’t make that mistake again! My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to jump out of my chest!! I honestly thought we were in the middle of a raid or something! Needless to say, I didn’t really go back to sleep that night!
I’m learning flexibility more and more everyday! My other teacher told me to review with my 5th Graders for their test on Monday and Tuesday. I prepared a game and went to the store and bought candy for the winners. When I arrived my teacher told me—you have ten minutes. I told her I had a game and she said “Oh no, no time.” The second class she told me I had five minutes. By the third class she told me I didn’t need to come anymore that day or at all the next day! So, last week I did nothing! Tuesday and Friday, I literally sat at my desk all day and went no where! (Well, I did find a Korean Drama that I LOVE! It’s comparable to ‘One Tree Hill’ and ‘The OC’… you know, my faves! I watched the whole two seasons in less than a week. Oh my, very addictive! Love it… I actually learned some Korean phrases… I considered it educational! The kids and the younger teachers love it too, so it’s a great way to bond with them! Each episode was subtitled. So, that is what I did with all my extra time this past week!) So, school was pretty uneventful!
Oh, but I did experience my first cuss word from one of my kids. In between classes a lot of 6th Grade boys come in and ‘talk’ (relative term) to me. One of the boys (actually it’s the boy who creeps me out—I think I told you about him. He doesn’t creep me out anymore b/c I’ve realized he just can’t speak English so he’ll just stare at me! I’m choosing to not get creeped out anymore… he’s innocent!) This boy does not know any English words, but he can still drop the ‘F’ bomb. He told it to one of his classmates. I told him ‘anyo’ and gave him the ‘X.’ Oh Korean kids!
I also got a ‘special’ note this week from one of my boys (the one that I see on the bus). He wrote me a note in English and it was so cute! He asked me if I liked Kimchi? Y or N? Then he said write back soon and drew a heart on it! Oh I just love my kids! I think I’m learning this emotion in a whole new way! I absolutely love them! If I can feel this way about kids that I can’t even hold a conversation with, how much more will I love my own class? This experience has solidified that I want to be a teacher! Or even more, once I start having my own kids! I’m learning you can never love too much! This is something that God will continue to fill you with so you can share it with others. I’m finding that the more I’m able to love others, the more I am truly experiencing it myself! Wow, that’s good stuff!
I’m always amazed how God will bring me what I need right when I need it. He reminds me often what a small world this really is! After church, I stayed after to help pick up trash in the neighborhood. Sometimes when I’m doing service projects like this, I get caught up in the “doing” and miss the relationship part of the service. So of course, I got in that mindset and went to work! Then, towards the end, one of the Koreans started talking to me. She asked my name and what school I was at. I told her and she said she used to work at that school. She also knew some of my teachers. Then she said, “Oh you’re Becky, you play volleyball, right?” Ha, I love that that is how I am associated! This couple also used to live in Oklahoma for a couple of years while the husband studied at Oklahoma State University. She then introduced me to another lady and her husband. It was so refreshing to meet Koreans who spoke English well!
Korea has a lot of things from home! They even have a Cosco!! I made my first trip there this past week… worth it! It’s an experience though. You have to take a train there and back. (First you have to take a taxi to the train station though. One of my guy friends was sitting in the front and the driver leaned over and pulled his leg hair and then laughed! He did it two times… he couldn’t get over it!) Cosco was amazing! I got real lunch meat, actual cheese, SALSA!!! and chips, Fiber One bars, Dr. Pepper & Cherry Coke… life is good! I even had a hotdog for dinner… I’d been craving them! You have to take your suitcase to carry everything home. I’m sure we looked like a sight!
I decided to take my teachers something for the 4th of July. It’s more difficult then I thought to find something. Even the “American” stuff is still Korean! I decided on donuts. I went to Dunk-n-Donuts and then I decorated the plastic bag with a flag and other patriotic red and blue things. They liked them and were very appreciative. One of my teachers said she was having a very stressful day but getting that made her heart happy! That made my day! I’m glad I was able to share a bit with them!
Some of the American teachers decided to spend the 4th on the Beach. It was so relaxing! We had a great time. We decided to play some beach games—We played volleyball (well we peppered) and then we played “Red Rover.” We also played this Korean “Chicken” game. You hold one leg in front of you and bounce around and try to know each other over. Last standing wins. It’s pretty intense. “Red Rover” and “Chicken” were pretty physical. I have a couple “war wounds” to prove it!
We were originally told we could light fireworks, but then when we tired, security came over and stopped us. We later found out that we couldn’t shoot them now b/c of all the stuff going on with North Korea. I guess it resembles bombs too much so security is tightened b/c the threat is up. I was so disappointed I didn’t get to see real fireworks—this is on of my favorite holidays! We did set a couple off though before we had to go. One of my friends bought sparklers so we went up to the roof on Sunday night and lit them. I’m usually scared of sparklers, but I mustered up the courage this year! It was that or nothing and I couldn’t settle for nothing. It was a great weekend, but it made me miss home and my family and friends.
I will say mosquitoes over here are pretty intense (at least I think that’s what they are)! I got covered in bites. I haven’t had this many in years! And boy do they itch! All part of the experience!!
Okay, I promise another update about this week is coming soon! I’ve already started it! Hope you enjoy some of my favorite pictures from the weekend!
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