Okay, it's not quite Thanksgiving, but I sent money home today and it was more than a little painful. I think I need a reminder of things that I'm truly thankful for.
LSD-1. This class kills me. Tonight were we doing some peer revising for a newscast the kids will do next week. Some of them were really getting into it, so getting their attention to discuss homework was a challenge. I had just about all of them on board. All except Jungmin. When I called his name he said "Teacher, we are disgusting!" The class was rolling. When he realized what he'd said, a giant smile spread across his face. I wanted to cry. Oh, and I typed up the Batman and Barney versions of 'Jingle Bells' and 'Joy to the World' for them. We were singing all night.
The first snow. I pretty much hate snow from January on, but I have to admit I become a child when it first starts falling. And it's retardedly funny to see adult teachers prancing with sheer joy just because it's snowing.
*Side note. One of my favorite snow memories was from last winter. We'd just gotten a new student from LA. It had been snowing all morning and the kids and teachers were giddy. I went to class and realized my new student was missing. I was annoyed and a little pissed, until I peaked outside. There, he'd built a miniature snowman and placed it on a stack of logs that looked into the classroom. He said, "Miss Mindy, I never seen real snow before. Sorry." So we searched for a some sticks and gave the man some arms. I prolly got played (turns out he was a master manipulator), but who cares? He made a cool snowman that kicked it on those logs for most of the winter.
Weekend Getaways. I vow to do this more when I get home.
The lady down the street who's tailoring my pants for 5,000 won each. So much easier than buying new jeans online, having them sent to my parents, then having them sent here. And with the ridiculous exchange rate, so much cheaper.
Heated floors or
ondol. So much of Korea seems ridiculous, inefficient and altogether illogical to me. Not this though. This kicks ass.
Not having Christmas shoved down my throat. I find I'm actually looking forward to it now that the pressure is off. Go figure.
Korean snack food. Ain't nobody snack like the Koreans snack. And where oh where does it all go...?
Friends with money, free time, and a desire to fly for more than 10 hours. Dawn will be here in less than a month. Seoul, you better watch out!
A sense of home. When I dropped Sara off at NC to catch the Airport Limo it really hit me that this is home, at least for now. And it feels like home. Is that weird?
Living in Korea, there are so many things I bitch about everyday that sometimes all the good gets lost. Sometimes I have to take a step back and remind myself why I came here, what I hoped to gain from these crazy experiences and how they can help me become a better me. That, and I drink A LOT of Coke.
Oh, and we made hand turkeys today, so I'm thankful for that too.
