girls vs. boys

as my time in the classroom continues to increase with each day that passes, i see so many specific things that separate boys from girls, and vice versa. it's amazing how this distinction starts from such an early age, without them(the kids) even noticing how different they are from the opposite gender, through their everyday actions. of course, it's not to say that ALL boys are like this and that ALL girls are like this. generally, girls pay so much closer to details than boys do. when i give them a coloring assignment, girls will always take more time to color neatly and inside the lines. they also make sure to color the buttons a different shade than the jacket, and that the rims of the glasses are not the same as the color of the pictures skin. but boys, will take literally 5 seconds to color the whole thing blue? girls are also definitely more organized with their pencil cases, backpacks and belongings. boys are usually the ones that come back to get something that they forgot in my classroom. it's these little differences that make boys, boys and girls, girls. i LOVE it. i love noticing such tiny aspects of each gender at such a YOUNG age. obviously, these details escalade into different, bigger things as girls and boys get older. some things will never change, no matter how old you get.

16 weeks ya'll.

how did you get here?

as i was greeted by a rambunctious bunch of new 1st graders, one of their first questions they asked me, while staring straight into my face, with confusion written all over theirs, is "did you get here by boat?" that was easily laughed upon while others screamed, "no, she got here by car!!!" or "NO, NO, SHE TOOK A TAXI"dang, 1st graders are so freaking cute. they were all talking to me in korean, and i had to sit there and pretend that i didn't know what they were saying. my response to them was, "what?", "Huh?", "what does that mean?". i wish so much that i could just let out my secret that i do know how to speak/understand/read/write korean!! i think a lot of my older students would be abolsutely shocked and apalled that they've been lied to the past almost 7 months! i feel like i could develop better relationships with them so when i come back to korea, i can come to my city and visit them to see how they've progressed in this journey we call life. but, i can't always have what i want, and i should respect my vice principals request of speaking only english to them.

i recently had a conversation with my brother through AIM, recommending some good programs, so that he can also come here to teach. even though teaching isn't something he is ever going to pursue in the future, i think it will give him experience that you can't gain in the states. there are so many english teachers here that don't ever want to go into teaching when they get back home, but yet, they're here because they can earn good money, learn about korean culture, understand what it's like to be completely on your own, and most importantly, find themselves as a person. it might not be the case with all foreign teachers, but the majority that i've met, they're here because it's a good opportunity. in reality, a year out of the 90 years we live is not long, but within that time frame, you learn and gain so much. but, of course, we ended up in a heated argument (yes, through aim) and it ended up going no where. he has currently been unemployed for the last almost 7 months, and i think right now, this is his best option, and my mother also agrees. he's just too stubborn and wussy to face a year on his own (mind you, he's my OLDER brother that's turning 24 this year). in his exact words, "F*** that, F*** going there for a year". he needs to man up and do what he's gotta do. and that's my 2 cents.

i've been thinking a lot about getting a tattoo and i never realized how much thought goes into getting one. where, what, color, no color, big, small, writing, no writing? YOU KNOW?! there's just so much to consider before you brand yourself for the rest of your life. i want to remember this year for as long as i live, and as i'm closing into the last quarter of my stay, i need to decide! i think i pretty much know i want to get it on my right foot, and i'm really leaning towards getting Korea's national flower (rose of sharon) with the stem being a bible verse written out. i'm not sure exactly how it would look, but hopefully really cool! i'll have to wait and see...

free fallin`

the other day, i found out that i'll be able to go on a cultural trip to the DMZ during April and yesterday, i got another tutoring job. i'm really excited to go visit the border between north and south korea, because it was something i wanted to do once i first got here, and now it's actually gunna happen. i used to be somewhat active in north korea awareness and campaign stuff, going to conferences but not so much anymore. yeah, i still read and try to follow with what's going on, but it's worn off a lot. maybe this trip will reignite that passion i used to have. i'm most definitely looking forward to this trip.

i also got hooked up with another part time tutoring job at this taekwon-do place. it's kinda odd that they want to provide these kids that are learning taekwon-do with an english tutor? i really wouldn't consider this another "job" because it's only once a week for an hour and i get 35,000 won per hour. they'll also pick me up and drop me off, so i don't have to take a taxi or walk. really random how i got this job, but it works for me!

other than that, things have been, remotely the same. i'm still waiting for the weather to start warming up because it's STILL cold here. i've never been through a 5 1/2 month winter season, but i guess there's a first for everything. i can't wait to stop wearing a bazillion layers of clothing and starting playing basketball (which hopefully equals me losing more weight). i miss hawaii :(

happy march!

it's already the 3rd month of the year! i love the beginning of new months because it means i'm that much closer to coming home :)

the new school year started which meant we had another dinner together to welcome the newb teachers. we went to this restaurant right across the street from our school, and their bathroom reminded me of how i will never be a fan of community bar soap and towel. there are often times where the bathroom will have a bar soap as the only option, and i am just not cool with that. obviously, i have no choice but to use the bar of soap that god only knows how many people have touched but also dry my hands with the hand towel that may not have been washed in who knows how long. i'm only princess status when it comes to my sanitation and i just don't like using things that a million other korean people have used. korea also hasn't discovered the beauty of toilet seat covers which also bothers me a lot. it just forces me to be a tree killer and use a bunch of toilet paper to create a makeshift seat cover. i guess thats why korea still has the toilets that are in the ground--a modern version of a hole in the ground.

i start teaching regularly starting next week, but until then, i'm addicted to watching jon and kate plus 8 episodes. cutest kids ever!