Busy Week

It turned out to be another very busy week. On Thursday, T taught my preschool classes so that I could attend Chloe's middle school graduation. What an honor to see her reach this milestone in her life. Since Joy and another friend of theirs were taking pictures, I didn't take any. Joy hasn't emailed her pictures yet, so I'll have to post them later.

On Saturday I attended E and L's end-of-the-school-year performance. The three-hour performance included songs and skits in Korean, English, and Chinese, drum and xylophone performances, and taekwondo and tumbling demonstrations. The kids did a super job, but it sure seemed like overkill for these 3- to 6-year-olds. Because of the dim lighting and the limitations of my little point-and-shoot camera, my photos of the event didn't turn out too well, but this one of E is my favorite, a little girl in a blur of motion:Today I took E ice skating. We had been skating once before. She loved it, and I told her then that we'd go again someday. Days get busy, though, and almost 10 months have gone by, so on Sunday, the two of us headed off to the rink. H-k was with us the last time we went, so she bought the tickets and did all the talking. This time, the responsibility was on me. I didn't think it would be a problem negotiating admission and skate rentals, but since the last time we were there, the ice rink installed automatic ticket machines in place of the helpful people in the ticket booth. There's a pretty good chance that people in a ticket booth speak a little bit of English or might understand my little bit of Korean. An automatic ticket machine, on the other hand, isn't quite so flexible. It stretched my Korean to its limits, but I was able to purchase the right tickets for admission and skate rental for one adult and one child. I consider it a success.

Little E did a fantastic job on the ice. This was only her second time skating. She went from depending entirely on me to keep her balance and support her weight to inching along the wall to skating holding my hand to even venturing a few feet on her own. H-k and I had thought that 1 or 2 hours would be plenty of time on the ice, but at the 2 hour mark, E was still having a blast and wanting to stay, so we called H-k to check in and skated for another hour. When we took a break at the end of the third hour, E was adamant that she wanted to skate some more. In the very same breath, she started to doze off on the bleachers, still wearing her gloves and skates. I told her I thought it was time to go home and see what her parents and sister were up to.

"No," she said, "one more time ice skating."

"Not today," I said. "I'm sleepy, too."

"I'm not sleepy," she said with a yawn. "I'm happy."

"I'm happy, too," I replied as I helped her take her skates off. I promised her we'd go again, without quite so much time between outings.

We walked hand-in-hand back to the locker room, returned our rental skates and helmets, retrieved our backpacks, and caught a cab back to her apartment. I hadn't even finished telling the taxi driver where to go when she fell sound asleep. When we arrived at her apartment building, I had to carry my sound-asleep 5-year-old ice-skating friend inside.

It was a special afternoon, but I'm really feeling the strain this evening--not your typical ice-skating strain, which is usually in the ankles and legs, but a strain that's new to me, that of teaching a 5-year-old to skate. It's all in my back, shoulders, and arms. It's the strain of not being concerned so much for my own weight and balance as hers. I don't like the feeling--it hurts--but on the other hand, I don't mind it quite so much. However, now that she has a feel for her feet on the ice, I'm going to let her do more of the work next time.

A Sad Day for Korea

It's a very sad day for Korea. Overnight, Korea's National Treasure #1, the Sungryemun Gate (Namdaemun) burnt down. Police suspect arson. First constructed in 1398, it served as the mained entrance to Seoul when the city was surrounded by a stone wall. Unlike many of the other important culturally and historically significant structures, the stone and wooden gate survived the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953).

The fire started around 8:30 last night. Firefighters thought they had extinguished it, but a while later, the whole thing went up in flames. By 2 AM today, the beautiful wooden structure was reduced to ashes.

H-k told me the news today. I am so sad. This was a precious piece of this country's culture and history, and while I'm not Korean, I also feel like I've lost something. I've walked past Sungryemun many times and appreciated its beauty and history.

It's estimated that it will take three years and $21 million to restore.

Photos below are from the Times Online.

Gyeongju, Day Two

I was really tired last night. I fell asleep at about 9:00 and had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. I think my bug from a few weeks ago still has a hold on me. I didn't actually get out of the yeogwon until almost 11 AM, which is very unusual for me when I'm on vacation. I felt like I had no energy, but there was so much I wanted to do today.

My first stop was the Gyeongju National Museum, which displays about 3,000 of its 100,000 artifacts from prehistoric times through the end of the Silla dynasty. It was an excellent museum, smaller but better than the national museum in Seoul in my opinion. I visited the achaeology hall and art hall and then walked around to see the things on display on the museum grounds. It turns out that I missed a whole building on the museum campus, so I'll have to visit that on my next trip.

The most interesting thing outside was the Emille Bell, which was cast in 771 CE. According to the legend, the bell failed to ring when it was first struck. It was recast and struck again, but that time, it cracked. After several failed attempts to cast and ring the bell, a spirit told a priest in dream that the fire spirit dragon needed to be appeased in order for the bell to ring. Do do this, a young girl born at the exact time as the dragon needed to be found and thrown into the molten metal. This was done, and the new bell rang with a mournful sound "emille"--the cry of a child for her mother in the ancient Silla language. I hope it's just a story.They had a lot of outdoor activities and demonstrations because of the holidays, including traditional Korean games and music.After visiting the museum, I walked past the Anapji ponds to Gyerim, "Chicken Forest." According to legend, one night in 65 CE, King Talhae heard a rooster crowing from this grove of old Chinese elm trees. He sent his prime minister to check it out. The prime minster found a gold box hanging from a tree and brought it back to the palace. They opened the box and found a baby boy. King Tallhae didn't have a son, so he adopted the boy and named him Alchi, which meant "young child" in the Silla language. Alchi was never king, but his descendants ruled continuously from 356 to 912 CE.From Gyerim, I walked past more burial mounds, with the spiritually significant Namsan in the background.
From there I visted Cheomseongdae. Built during the reign of Queen Seondeok (632-647 CE), it is one of the oldest structures in Korea. Historians believe it's a star observation tower, and the number and position of the stones are believed to represent seasons, zodiac figures, and positions of certain stars.In the park adjacent to Cheomseongdae, the Silla Culture Experience Center was sponsoring a kite festival. I stood around and watched for a while and then saw the table where people from the center were writing kids' names in Chinese calligraphy on paper kites that had a rubbing of the Chinese zodiac character for their birth year on them. I decided to buy a kite as a souvenir to take home. I told them I needed a monkey kite, but the old man doing the calligraphy couldn't understand my name and walked away. At first, the other people working at the table wanted me to write my name on my kite, but I told them no, so another volunteer wrote it in Korean and English for me. I intended just to take it home with me, but as I soon as I held it, with the ink from my name still wet, the wind caught it, and I couldn't resist. I spent the next hour flying kites in the park with about 50 other people. It was one of my very best Korean experiences.By the end of the day, I was very tired and very cold. I think I'm still a little sick from a couple weeks ago. There was still a lot more I wanted to see in Gyeongju, but I just didn't feel that I had enough energy for another day. I went to the bus terminal at 6:00 and was able to change my ticket to a bus that was leaving for Seoul immediately. Sitting on the bus, I was a little worried that I would be disappointed by my decision to go home early, but now that I'm home, ready to sleep in my own bed tonight, with absolutely no plans for the next two days, I'm very happy. I feel like I'll need a couple days of rest before I'll be ready to deal with kids again.

Gyeongju, Day One

I arrived in Gyeongju at about 1:00 this afternoon after a surprisingly uneventful 4-hour bus ride. There was almost no traffic this morning, and I dozed on and off most of the way. I checked in to a small yeogwon (small, family-run inn)--nothing fancy, but it was clean and cheap--and set off with my map to explore the city.

The Gyeongju National Park is split into several districts which cover more than one third of Gyeongju City. A small city, it's easily navigable on foot, with short bus, bike, or taxi rides to a few sites. First, I visited Tumulus Park, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and contains 20 tombs from Korea's Three Kingdoms Period, mostly from the 3rd to early 6th centuries CE. Since today was the actual Lunar New Year day and also very cold, I only saw a few other people as I was walking around the park. It was an odd feeling to be the only person walking around the tombs of people who were obviously so important that upon their deaths, these incredible mounds were created. One mound had a tunnel dug into it, allowing for an inside look at the structure and an explanation of the archaeological excavations that have taken place at the park since the 1920s. From Tumulus Park, I caught a bus, hoping to go to the Gyeongju National Museum. However, by the time the bus got out to the museum, it was only open for another 45 minutes. The bus was bound for the temple Bulguksa, 16 kilometers from the city. Even though I had planned to spend most of tomorrow at the temple, I decided to stay on the bus and do a reconnaissance for tomorrow. It was almost sunset, and the light around the temple was so pretty that I went in and stayed until the temple closed an hour and a half later.

Bulguksa, originally built in 528 CE, is also on UNESCO's World Heritage List. While it was busy, it wasn't at all crowded. I enjoyed walking around it and though I was very cold, I was a little disappointed when it was time to go at closing time.

Guardian figures at the entranceThe Dabotap pagoda, constructed of granite around 750 AD, with the main temple hall in the background.Tiled roofs of the temple buildings.Gwaneumjeon, my favorite of the buildings at the temple, is a shrine dedicated to Avalokiteśvara, the Boddhisatva of Perfect Compassion. In Mayahana Buddhism, a boddhisatva is a person who has already achieved enlightenment but who chooses to use his or her wisdom to help others. Avalokiteśvara made a vow to listen to the prayers of all people experiencing difficulty and postpone his own buddhahood until he has assisted every being on earth. I found this story very moving and not unlike my own understanding of Christian compassion. I stood by the side doorway for a while and watched a family saying their prayers. Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the shrine. The boddhisatva figure and mural in the background were beautiful.

Gwaneumjeon, with a caretaker sweeping the pathThe decorations near the roof of GwaneumjeonLate-afternoon winter light shining on the temple buildingsIt's no longer the year of the pig, but they didn't have a rat statue out yet.The staircases that lead up to the temple's inner courtyards. Symbolically, to go up the staircases is to leave the secular world and enter the spiritual world of Buddha, but the staircases have been closed since 1973 to protect them.From Bulguksa, I took the bus past the Bomun Resort area and went back to town. Most restaurants were closed for the holiday, but I picked up some "street food" for dinner from a woman selling things from a cart on the sidewalk. Then I went back to my yeogwon to write. I'm very tired tonight. The combination of traveling, cold air, lots of walking, and not quite feeling well are taking their toll on me. I think I'll go to bed early tonight.

Maybe I'm a Soccer Fan

I have the rest of the week off for the Lunar New Year holiday. Tonight Jo, Kay, and I went to the Korea-Turkmenistan World Cup Preliminary (Soccer) Game. I don't know that I've ever actually enjoyed a sports event before, but this was a lot of fun, mostly because Jo cheered with incredible passion. Korea won, 4-0. We're talking about going to the South Korea-North Korea game in March. I think I might be a soccer fan.

Outside the stadium before the gameThe teams enter the stadiumPark Ji-sung, Korea's favorite soccer playerThe Korean team celebrating the first goal of the gameCold Korean soccer fansFirst thing in the morning I'm off to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla dynasty, about 4.5 hours southeast of Seoul. I'm a little nervous about traveling within the country at this time because most Koreans return to their hometowns for the holiday, creating massive traffic jams throughout the country. Nothing like what's going on in China right now but still not a lot of fun. Train tickets were all sold out, so I'm going by bus. Hopefully I'll be back Saturday evening, having soaked in my fill of old Korean history and culture. More later.

Congratulations, Chloe!

It's an exciting, stressful time of year for Korean students in their last year of middle school. The school year is just finishing, and the kids are finding out which high school they've been accepted to. Chloe found out this afternoon that she got in to her first choice. Her middle school graduation is in a couple weeks, and H-k agreed to give me the morning off so I can attend. We're all so excited for her and proud of her. We went out for dinner tonight to celebrate. Yay, Chloe!

This Just Isn't My Week

I had just drifted to sleep while watching TV on the couch last night when the phone woke me up. It was about 10:00. I hung up, took my medicine, turned off the TV, and crawled into bed--only to find myself wide awake--and so I was for the next seven hours. At about 5 AM, I finally fell asleep again, only to be awakened by the phone at 8:30. H-k asked if I was feeling well enough to teach today. I felt pretty miserable but decided to give it a try.

The kids were really good in my morning classes at the preschool, and the Korean teachers helped a lot. After those classes were over, I stopped at the doctor's office to ask if one of the medications he gave me could have kept me up all night. Then I went to the school and had lunch with Grace. My afternoon was busy--three preschool classes and one kindergarten class. H-k had a new computer installed in my classroom yesterday, so that was a very nice surprise. I used some online phonics activities with the kids, which kept their interest with a little less energy expended on my part.

Just before my final class of the day, one of my kindergartners gave me a gum drop. I popped it in my mouth and immediately felt a weird sensation--that of my new crown popping right off my tooth. This really isn't my week.

Joy made an appointment for me on Friday to have the crown placed back on the tooth. As it turns out, Catherine, M, and K are all going to the same dental clinic Friday morning, and T is going next week, all at my recommendation. I think I should get some kind of commission.

B, my American physician friend, just called to check on me. He said it still sounds like scarlet fever to him but that at this point, antibiotics probably wouldn't make much of a difference in terms of how I feel anyway, so there's really no problem with letting it run its course. I really appreciate being able to ask questions and get answers I understand. I'm very fortunate to have good people who are willing to help me here.

Not Scarlet Fever?

My rash was a little better when I woke up, but I think the hot water in the shower made it worse again. My throat is still sore, but I don't feel nauseous.

I went to another doctor today. He said he doesn't think I have scarlet fever but have some kind of a virus instead. He gave me a prescription for medications to relieve the symptoms but said the virus has to run its course, and I should be feeling better in a couple days.

K and H-k taught my preschool classes this morning, and H-k and M taught my elementary school classes this afternoon. I find it a little amusing that it takes three people to fill in for me. After the morning preschool classes, K and H-k were going to Outback Steakhouse for lunch. Since it's in the basement of my building, I met them there. When I arrived, H-k had already ordered two cups of soup for me--one to eat there and one to take home.

I spent the rest of the day hanging around home today. I feel pretty lousy but don't like just lazing around. I finished one of the assignments for the geology course I'm taking and submitted it online and did a load of laundry. I'm really tired, but I don't want to fall asleep now because if I do, I won't sleep well tonight. I hope I can go back to school tomorrow.

Scarlet Fever?

By 11:30 last night, my rash had spread a lot. My skin was bright red, hot, and covered in little itchy bumps. As my luck would have it, by 11:30 on a Saturday night, the pharmacies--the only places you can get medication, even over-the-counter--are all closed until Monday. I called H-k to ask if there was any place that would be open. She didn't think so, but her sister had some anti-allergy medicine and some cream, so she brought it over. It didn't help, but I really appreciated her running out in the middle of the night to bring it to me.

I couldn't sleep. I had a very sore throat and was nauseous all night. In the morning, I had a splitting headache, and the rash was still there. U called for our regular Saturday/Sunday morning conversation. When I told her how I felt, she said it sounded just like scarlet fever. Scarlet fever? Isn't that an 18th century disease? I did a little internet research and found out that it's actually a common childhood illness. I had all the symptoms except a high fever, and my rash looked just like the pictures on the internet. H-k called a little later, and when I told her, she suggested that we go to the local emergency room. (Interestingly, the local ER is part of one of the only university hospitals in the country that practices Chinese medicine, along with Western medicine, though not in the ER.)

The ER doctor looked at me, spoke mainly to H-k, and said it might be scarlet fever but might not be and sent me away with medicine to hold me over until Monday when the regular doctors' offices and pharmacies are open. Then we went to a juk (rice porridge) restaurant for lunch. H-k had half of her juk and half of mine put in take-out containers so I'd have some gentle food at home. I'm lucky to have such a good friend. Catherine met us at the restaurant. Then the three of us stopped at the school so I could write down some quick lesson plans for K and M who will teach for me tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the day lying on my floor (floors are heated here) and dozing on and off. I made some chicken noodle soup from the ingredients I had left in the refrigerator from Friday, but I wasn't really hungry. Tonight I called B, the American physician I met in North Korea in September, and he said it sounded like scarlet fever to him, too. I'll have to follow up with another doctor tomorrow since the emergency room pharmacy can only dispense 1 day's worth of medications.

New Friends

Today one of my coworkers at the preschool invited me to lunch in Seoul with one of her friends. I was a little reluctant to agree because I don't know her very well and was worried that it might be an awkward lunch with stressful communication. It turned out to be a truly enjoyable time. I feel like I know my coworker much better now and have two new friends.

At the restaurantIn the subway station on our way home, we ran into these people dressed up as vegetables to promote farm produce. What vegetable is this? Sweet potato? Beet? I'm not sure.Today made me think that it would be nice to get together with some of the other teachers from the preschool. Even though I've worked with them four mornings a week for a whole year, I've hardly had a conversation with any of the teachers there. Their English skills are limited, and they are obviously very nervous when they have to interact with me. I try not to make them feel nervous. I also have very little free time when I'm at the preschool--15 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and no breaks on Mondays and Wednesdays--so I'm always in a rush and thinking of other things. I'm afraid the combined effect is that I come across as distant and unfriendly at times. I hope they don't think that about me.

We stayed at the restaurant for about 3 hours. Good food and good conversation. I started noticing that I was very itchy, but I figured it was just because of the dry winter air. After lunch, I ran some errands and returned home. This evening, I changed my clothes and noticed I have a little bit of a rash on my stomach, chest, and back. Joy and Chloe have both been sick, and I've had a sore throat since Wednesday, so I hope these aren't related.

TGIF

Since the school day during the Winter Intensive quarter begins at 9 AM and ends at 9 PM, the staff has been taking turns bringing lunch to school. This week we had British steak and potatoes, chili, Korean pork and vegetables in a red pepper sauce, and Chinese take-out. Today was my turn to bring lunch. Since I've been feeling a little under the weather since Wednesday and since it's cold outside, I thought chicken noodle soup and a big salad would be good classically American foods to share with my friends. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I actually like to cook when I'm not the only person eating.After classes were over, K, M, and T took a guys' night out and went to see Sweeny Todd. Catherine and I had dinner together and then went over to H-k's for a girls' night in. I'm really impressed by how much English E and L picked up while they were in England this month. It's amazing how quickly young children learn. L kept saying "Just a minute" and "There's something interesting in here." E informed me that she sometimes calls me "Daddy" by mistake. I was definitely able to have better conversations with them in English than before their trip. We had fun reading stories, playing with stuffed animals, and wearing plastic tiaras. T, K, and M returned, and we all sat around the kitchen table talking. It was a nice evening, and I'm glad to have good friends.

Bless Her Heart

Just before class this afternoon, I saw L, one of my kindergarten students, talking to her mom in the lobby. She looked like she was about to cry. When it came time for class to start and L still wasn't there, I sent S, another student in the class, to see if she was coming. S came back and reported that L was crying in the bathroom with her mom.

"Is she okay?" I asked.
"I think so." S replied.
"Is she sick?"
"She's sad."
"What happened?"
"I don't know."

Since I knew her mom was taking care of whatever the problem was, I continued with the class and figured I'd find out later. L came to the classroom about 10 minutes to the end of the class.

"Are you okay?" I asked.
She nodded but didn't look okay.
"Are you sick?" I asked.
She shook her head no.
"Are you sad?" S asked.
She nodded yes.

I let the kids go out the door. Since I had another class starting in just a couple minutes, I didn't go out to the lobby with the kids, but a minute later, I heard another teacher in the hallway ask "L, why are you crying?" so I went out to see what was going on.

L was just on the verge of tears, standing there in the hall with another teacher and L's mom. Her mom said that L had something to talk to me about with H-k, the director at my school.

L, H-k, and I went into H-k's office. L looked liked she was about to start bawling. H-k and I squatted down to her eye-level. H-k explained that just before class, L was in the classroom alone and saw a piece of candy on my desk and put it in her mouth. Her mom happened to be standing in the doorway and watched her take it. She took her out of the classroom and told her that she can't just take things that aren't hers and that it's a shameful thing to help yourself to other people's food.

L is a very sweet and sensitive little girl, and this apparently cut her to the core, hence the crying episode in the bathroom.

As H-k explained all this as the two of us squatted at L's eye-level in H-k's office, L lost all composure and these big tears poured down her sweet little face. She was barely able to mutter "I'm sorry." My eyes started to tear up, too, but I held it together because I didn't want her to misinterpret my empathy as anger or sadness with her. I gave her a hug, and she clung to me. "Don't worry," I said. "We're still friends, okay?" She nodded. I looked her in her eyes. "L," I said, "it's okay. I'm not angry. You," I said pointing to her, "and I," I said pointing to me, "are friends."

She didn't smile, but she did pull herself together. I gave her some cookies for her and her little brother, and she, H-k, and I walked out to her mom in the lobby.

"Don't worry," I said as she walked out the door.

"Okay," she whispered and walked down the hall holding her mom's hand.

God bless her.

Creepy

I was awakened at 3:00 this morning by the sound of someone at my apartment door--not just knocking on the door or ringing the doorbell, but actually pushing the buttons on the keypad and attempting to come in! I had the keypad disabled from the inside, as I always do at night, so I knew that even if they knew the combination or guessed correctly, that the door wouldn't open, so I wasn't too worried. I could hear male voices speaking in Korean in the hallway. When the keypad didn't work, they banged on the door. I didn't answer. They finally went away but came back a little while later and tried again.

I know a lot of Korean women and some Western men, but I only know a few Korean men, none of whom would be anywhere near my apartment at that hour of the morning, so I figured they were probably drunk and at the wrong place. Nevertheless, the sound of someone trying to enter my apartment was disconcerting. It made me realize that even though I know how to call the police, fire station, ambulance, etc., I don't know how to contact the security guards in my own building without actually going downstairs to the lobby. Why is this the first time this has occurred to me in the two years I've lived here?

Today I learned some important things. First, I learned that the "경비" button on the intercom in my room calls the security guard at the front desk of my building. Next, I learned that the "현관" button turns on the security camera at my door and allows me to see who is out there.

This evening H-k wrote a letter to the building security guards explaining what happened. When I returned to my building, the main security guards were taking a break, so I gave the letter to the man who was filling in. He read it, gave me a thumbs up, and left the letter on the desk. About 30 minutes later, the intercom rang. It was my favorite security guard saying I should come down to the lobby right then.

It was 10:00 PM, and I was already in my pajamas, but I got dressed and went downstairs. He was obviously concerned. He doesn't speak any English, but he told me that if it happens again, I should push the "경비" and someone will come up immediately, anytime day or night. Then he tried to tell me something else, but I didn't understand what he was saying. I asked him to call H-k and tell her so she could explain it to me, but he didn't understand what I was saying. He asked three or four people coming in or out of the building if they could speak English, but no one could. Finally a woman about my age came along and interpreted for us. As it turns out, she lives just down the hall from me. We've run into each other on occasion, but I don't really know her.

Through her, the security guard told me that his daughter lives in France, so he feels a special responsibility to help take care of the foreigners who live here. He was really sorry to hear what happened and said that anytime I need help, all I have to do is push the "경비" button and someone will come up.

T was also very concerned about what happened and gave me a short lecture for not calling him when it happened. He said if it ever happens again, I should call, and he'll be here in 5 minutes. I'm really not sure how he'll do that since it takes 10-15 minutes to get here from where he lives, especially at 3 AM when the buses aren't running and very few taxis are out, but nevertheless, it's nice to know that I have friends here who would try even to overcome time to help in an emergency.

Too Busy

2008 is off to a more than busy start. Korean public schools are on their winter break until the end of February, so our school is offering extra English classes. Elementary and middle school kids who usually come to our school 2 hours a day, 2-3 days a week are now coming for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. It's hard to keep track of the constant coming and going of kids throughout the day.

I'm teaching a special writing course for my bilingual 3rd-5th graders during our Winter Intensive and am so impressed by their progress even in this short time. I'm pushing them hard to develop their writing skills, and so far, they're rising to the challenge. Today, however, my 3rd-4th graders were acting burnt out and zombie-like, so I only assigned two sentences for homework. I usually assign a page of writing everyday. It amazes me how accustomed I've become to the Korean educational system--that I assign substantial homework, knowing their other teachers are doing the same, on their vacation. I sometimes need to remind myself that respecting Korean culture and trying to adapt to it doesn't mean I have to give up my own Western understanding that play time is an essential part of childhood, and Korean kids seem to get far too little of it.

I want to challenge my students to do their best, but I don't want to see them burnt out. I don't want them to become so hardened by tedium that they start to shut down that natural childlike curiosity that makes them such eager learners in the first place. I want my students to be confident readers, writers, speakers, and listeners but not at the expense of their enthusiasm. That balance can be a challenge to achieve, especially given the competitive nature of the educational culture here, but that's my goal as the person who has been trusted with this portion of their education.

A Year in Review

After 4 hours of sitting on the runway at O'Hare and 13 hours in the air, I have completed my 11th trip across the Pacific Ocean and am back in Korea. I had intended just to take a short nap so I could go into Seoul tonight. My short nap turned into an 8-hour nap, and I woke up at 11 PM, having slept right through my alarm clock. It looks like I'll welcome 2008 from my cozy little apartment.

2007 Year in Review

January--I returned to Korea on my 7th trip across the Pacific Ocean. Complications from a root canal sent me to the endodontist, my new hero. I experienced my first earthquake. I got my own classroom at the school.

February--I celebrated Lunar New Year with Catherine and her family. My pants split in class one day. I started teaching full time.

March--I traveled to Jeju Island for a 4-day vacation and climbed Mt. Halla, Korea's highest peak. I started working at the preschool in addition to my regular school. I stopped working at the church.

April--I watched the sunrise from the east coast of Korea and almost watched the sunset from the west coast on Easter. I helped coach Miss Korea. The staff of my school spent a weekend in the mountains.

May--Adorned with lanterns and spring flowers, May was Korea's prettiest month this year. I was the English-speaking MC for the inaugural ceremony of Educators without Borders. I watched the Lotus Lantern parade and visited two big temples in Seoul for Buddha's Birthday.

June--I walked through a big public market that got creepier the deeper I got into it. I moved to a bigger apartment that has a full-sized refrigerator and washing machine. I went to Chicago on my 8th trip across the Pacific Ocean.

July--I spent the whole month of July in the U.S. with my family. We celebrated Mom and Dad's 30th wedding anniversary by going to The Color Purple in Chicago. We drove around Lake Michigan on a family vacation.

August--On my 9th trip across the Pacific Ocean, I returned to Korea. It was a very hectic month at school.

September--The month for traveling. I visited the DMZ, North Korea, and China. The highlight was spending a day hiking on the Great Wall.

October--Beautiful weather meant October was the month to be outside. I went hiking at Songnisan and Gyeryongsan National Parks and took field trips with most of my students. I ended the month in Samsung Medical Center's emergency room with pneumonia and a kidney infection.

November--I joined the gym with Catherine and was very dedicated--for about a week. Everyone came to my apartment to celebrate Thanksgiving.

December--I helped clean up the oil spill at Mallipo in Taean County and was misquoted in a major Korean newspaper. I made my 10th trip across the Pacific to spend Christmas in Chicago. I made my 11th trip across the Pacific Ocean and am back in Korea.

While having lunch with friends in Galena last week, I broke a tooth, which means that the year has come full circle. I'll begin 2008 in much the same way I began 2007--I have an appointment with the endodontist on January 2nd.

Lunch

What: lunch
When: Thursday, December 27, 11 AM
Where: Happy Joe's, Galena
Questions: Call me at Grandma Shirley's Thursday morning. If you don't know her phone number, call Jane N. ;)

Pass it on! I'd love to see anyone who can make it.

Merry Christmas

I'm wishing all my friends and family a very merry Christmas and a healthy, happy, holy New Year!

It's been wonderful to be home in the Chicago area with my family this week. Last night, Mom, Dad, Sal, Grandma, and I went to church. This morning we opened presents. Later, the extended family came for Christmas dinner and more presents. It's a blessing to have such a loving, supportive family.

Christmas EveChristmas Day

Back to the Land of Lincoln

I flew to Chicago yesterday (Korea time), today (Chicago time). It was my 10th trip across the Pacific Ocean, not counting flying to Hawaii in 1990 and back in 1993. It was a thankfully-uneventful 14-hour nonstop flight. I had a window seat, and no one sat in the middle seat, so I had a little more room than I usually have on these long flights. Since I left Seoul in the evening, it was dark outside during the first half of the flight. However, just as we were flying over Alaska, the sun started to peek over the horizon. The light was perfect as we made our way over the Alaska Mountain Range. I looked out the window for over an hour, transfixed by the rugged, snow-covered mountains changing from dark blue to white to pink to orange as the sun came over the horizon. This is why I ask for a window seat. Interior Alaska in winter is not something I'm likely ever to see from the ground.Now I'm in Chicago. It's a very short trip this time, but I'm happy to be able to spend Christmas with my family.