Reading Day

We have a group of second graders who always come to the school 15-30 minutes before their class starts. They usually sit still for a little while and then get more and more active until they're running around and acting like monkeys. Today Joy had a "novel" idea. As each child came in, she handed him or her a book, and we had an impromptu reading day right in the middle of the school's lobby/library until it was class time. The kids were really good. Why didn't anyone think of this before? I had already finished preparing my lessons, so I sat out there and read with them. I was a little disappointed when it was time to put the books away and go to class.I finally got a good photo of one of my preschool classes. I've been trying for about a week now, but someone is always moving around or in a bad mood or absent or . . . well, they're four and five years old. This list could continue indefinitely. This class is really funny. One little boy has spent a lot of time in Canada and can speak English quite well, but he doesn't because he's very shy. He also hates art projects, especially coloring. One of the other boys and all three girls are also very quiet. The third boy more than makes up for the reticence of his five classmates and has more energy than anyone I've ever met. The kid is truly unable to hold still. He's also always in a good mood.This Sunday is my last official Sunday at the church for a while. I'm planning to take some weekend trips in April and May to see some more of the country before I leave, so I don't want to be committed to teaching the children's classes at the church each Sunday. I'm also finding that with my new teaching schedule, I need weekends that don't involve more teaching. I'll still visit from time to time. I know this was the right decision for me, but it still makes me a little sad because I really do like the people and will miss them.

So tonight I went out to dinner with a family from church as a farewell, even though I'm not leaving Korea yet. They took me to VIPS, which is an American-style steakhouse and salad buffet. (Koreans claim that it's an American chain, but I'd never heard of it until I came here.) This is only the second time since I came to Korea that I've been to a Western restaurant. The first time was over a year ago when a family from Sapkyo took the foreign teachers to Outback Steakhouse one day. The food tonight was excellent, and I ate way too much. The company was nice, but it made me sad to think that this is the beginning of a good-bye.

Here I am with the Lee family. I think we should be wire-rim glasses models!It's events like these when I realize that many aspects of life are irreconcilable. Living in Korea means being far from my family. Being closer to my family means leaving the life here which I've grown to love. Accepting an increased teaching schedule at the school means taking a break from church work, which has been the focus of my life for the past 10 years. It makes me wish I can have it all, but I know that saying yes to one thing often means saying no to something else. It's far too late for me to continue these thoughts tonight in. Maybe I'll pick them up again tomorrow.

3 criers so far this week. If we can make it through the next two days without any more, we'll be back to our weekly average! Assah! (Korean for "Cool!")