Picking or Not Picking?

Thanks everyone who emailed with comments about the kids and their cuteness.  Yes, they are very cute.  Now,  if only there weren't so many of them...  Usually problems this week, hitting and punching, bragging, yelling, and now one kid got in big trouble for spitting at the other kids.  We had to threaten to take his birthday away -- man, the things  you can threaten kids with!  "You're not going to have a birthday this year!"  Hahahaha!  Someday, in a land far far away when I am a parent, I will have so many things to threaten my kid with!

I am currently trying to fight the man.  2 reasons: 1. we have a new "summer schedule."  Summer schedule is not good.  Summer schedule is very bad!  I now work 11 classes straight through with no breaks two consecutive days.  That shit is not gonna fly! 2.  I need to take a day off because I am getting lasek on my eyes(!!!!).  We don't get sick days, so I am trying to finagle a day out to get that shit done.  Ughh, FML.  It just happens to coincide perfectly with my extra classes.  Grrrrrr wish me luck!  Oh and we are having surprise observations yet again this week, meaning there are all kinds of peeps sitting in my classes taking notes.  Rule of thumb at school:  it never gets better, it only gets worse :-/

More funny things they do.  One class has invented the hottest new game called "picking or not picking."  Pretty simple game:  you cover your nose with one hand and either pick or pretend to pick with the other.  Everyone else has to guess.  Fantastic.
Today in kinder there was "fart smell."  No one was owning up to it, so of course there was serious investigation.  I had my back turned grading their workbooks when I feel something brush my butt.  3 of them were smelling so close that their noses were touching my bum.  It was then determined I was not guilty of fart smell.

Back in Action!

My apologies for leaving the blog high and dry these past few months.  It's definitely not because I have had a lack of things to talk about, but rather a lack of time!  Sundays tend to be pretty low key, so I am going to attempt to write every Sunday.

Let's see.  I have officially made it through 6 months of living here.  Sometimes it seems like the last 6 months have flown by, and other times I feel like I have been here forever.  Summer is definitely here, and is just as extreme as the winter.  It's hot as hell everyday!  I don't notice too much because I am only ever outside on the walk to and from a restaurant for lunch.  I walk home everyday from school, but it's 8pm by that time.  This week marks the start of monsoon season, awesome.  I better order some rain boots, because we all know I can't find shoes here!

World Cup has certainly been crazy here.  It was a terribly disappointing evening (ok early morning) here last night with both Korea and USA being eliminated back to back.  Seoul has set up jumbotrons and viewing parties all over the city.  I've made it to every game, except the one that was on at 330am on a Wednesday morning.  Although, I was definitely in the minority as most other people did go out.  On the plus side, I was one of the only ones not in major pain at work.  Minus side, I missed out on some serious fun.   Here are some pics of different games:

This is the first game, Korea vs. Greece at City Hall in Seoul.  20,000 people there in the pouring rain.

Celebrating the win!

This is last night's (final) game. I watched in a different part of Seoul, COEX mall area. Raining again!!

Poncho!

We still had a good time despite the loss.  

School is better in an it still really sucks kinda way.  Hours are still long and boss really blows, but I have been hanging out with some of my coworkers a lot more and it's been really nice to not hate each other.  It's definitely a much better crew in the office now than when I first came.  I tried to nominate myself as Employee of the Month for June (not that we have an employee of the month contest), but on Friday I was scolded for writing "this is silly" on a kindergartner's picture diary when he jokingly wrote about his friend hitting him.  Apparently his mom didn't think it was as silly as I did, oops.  Maybe next month...

This is officially the longest time I have ever been away from home without at least a visit.  I am really missing my friends and family a lot.  I also terribly miss watching CNN and being able to see the news in English.   And I really want some rain boots, and to get them I have to have them shipped to my mom and then she will  send them to me because no companies fucking ship to Korea!  I know when I leave here, there are going to be so many things I miss about Korea.  Namely, Hobak House where you can get the bombest Korean meal for $5 and a free slushy on your way out (will take pics this week, I am in this place everyday), the shabu shabu place in my building (pics to come), staying out way to late, not driving, not paying rent, kimchi everyday, soju, my kids (well, most of them), but def not my job!  LOL

That's it for now.  I'm really tired from staying out wayyyyy too late last night and then trying to sleep in a Lotteria (Korea McDonald's) at 730 this morning, so I will have to post more later.  Here are some pics of kids from a recent field trip.

Chris on the left, Joshua on the right.

Rei

Tony, climbing up the science exhibit

Liz (snob)