Pictures!

Today we had a cooking day which is basically an excuse for the kids to get covered in sugar. Its in honor of Children's Day, which is Wednesday and which we get off! I had a great time even if by the end of it I felt like I could use a shower. There were some great pictures taken that I thought I'd share with you so you can put some faces to the names I've been spouting.

Here is a picture of me and Min who is being adorable as usual.

This is Kevin. though his face is a little blurry I thought this picture captured the pure Kevin-ness of him - Dumbo ears and all - better than the other one.

And of course, to complete the set, here is the ringleader, Kris, the last musketeer.

Group Shot

Here is just a picture to demonstrate the pure cuteness of Korean children. Here is Melon class, whose homeroom teacher is William (also pictured).

Notice how every kid has a cute little apron and, on occasion, matching head gear. I am totally getting myself an apron for next cooking day. We were making cakes, which really just involved everyone smearing their neighbors with icing and then piling fruit onto ready made little cakes.

Humpty Dumpty

Slowly, I think its occurring to my kindergarten students that I don't, in fact, speak Korean. I don't know what they were thinking up until this point - maybe that I was just pretending not to speak it so they would learn English? But it finally hit one of the kids today that no matter how many times he repeats the same words over and over in Korean, I will not understand. Its not that I'm purposefully being dumb. Its not like he can call a time out on me not speaking Korean just so he can clarify something. There is no turning the non-Korean speaking off. Its permanent.

The younger kids got it first. Kris, Min and Kevin, the four year olds in Apricot,(I have taken to calling them the three musketeers) got it about a week ago and so have taken to speaking as much English as possible. And I was really astonished at how much they learned. Just soaking it up like sponges.

Now, whenever I drop something they shout "Oh my Goshey!" and I managed to teach them the clean up song. Which, to be fair, is very simple, but I feel kind of proud that they can almost sing all the words in English.

These three also LOVE Humpty Dumpty. I'm not really sure why, but I think it has something to do with there being knights and horses in it. But everyday I have to read them a story from this story book, they will not listen to ANY story unless we listen to Humpty Dumpty first.

At which point they will divide the roles in the story. Min will be all the King's Men (this came about when he demonstrated to me that he knew the difference between his own name, Min, and 'Men' but wanted to disregard it anyway). And Kris is all the King's Horses because thats what he decided. The conversation - which is in 4 year old boy Korea so its not like I could follow it anyway - always stalls around what Kevin will be. This is because he is somewhat of a whiner and wets his pants in class every other day. He gets angry easily and is all around unpleasant most of the time.

Thus, the conversation deteriorates into what can be interpreted as name calling; at which point Kevin rolls his eyes up in the back of his head - which honestly is a little creepy - and starts screaming; charging at the other two, meaning to hit them.

What follows is a general breakdown of social order and the three of them end up either running down the halls screaming or, if I manage to catch them and impose TeacherLaw, crying in a corner.

Despite this, or maybe because of it, (who knows how the minds of little boys work?) they are always thrilled to see the story book when I bring it out and start shouting "Humpty Dumpty! Humpty Dumpty!"

Today, however, I saw that they no longer have the same story book. I wonder how they're going to react when they figure it out.

Misadventures with Korean Children

Its strange how affectionate little Korean kids can be with adults they barely know. Today it seemed like all I did was yell at this one kid - Felix. I told him to be quiet, I told him to stand in the corner, I told him to stop hitting Andy, I told him to pay attention for one freaking second. After the day was over and the kindergarteners were gone I figured I was free of him for a least a couple hours. But, of course, he ended up waiting for his big sister who was in the afternoon classes.

Through a crazy random happenstance, I had a free period and was trying to ignore the fact that Felix existed. For one thing I was sick of yelling at him and for another I was sure he was sick of me yelling. I manage to forget he's there as I become engrossed in the book I was reading and the popcorn I was eating (Korea does popcorn right, nothing but a hint of sugar on it).

Suddenly, I feel something pushing on my arm. I look down in time to see Felix push his head through the gap between my elbow and my side, like a dog. He gives me his cheekiest smile and proceeds to practically climb into my lap.

"Haven't you had enough of me today?" I ask him. Of course, he doesn't respond because he's five and doesn't speak a word of English. But he does make a sound which I interpreted correctly as an 'I'm bored' sound. That's how Felix and I communicate most of time - that is, when I'm not screaming at him - through grunts, charades and facial expressions. He's the smartest kid in Kiwi class and understands a lot more of what I say then the others do. Not like he acts on it or anything but I know he understands. The problem with him is that he's so smart he finished his assignment and gets bored, and when he's bored he likes to cause trouble; hence the yelling.

He continued to lean into me until I relented to his cuteness. I ruffled his hair and gave him some of my popcorn. Stupid Korean kids and their irresistible cuteness.

But thats how most kids act here. You can yell at them all day long but once you are out of the classroom you are their bestest friend.

On an only slightly related note, I was reminded the other day that Koreans actually add a year on to a persons age - or rather they count the time you are in your mother's belly as year one and they go from there. So, the kids I teach in Apricot are actually four years old as opposed to five. Which explains a lot.

Today, one of them, Kevin, started crying for no reason. He wouldn't let me open his lunch box for him and wouldn't do it himself. When I finally got fed up, I opened it for him. Now, the last time Kevin started crying it was because he'd just peed his pants so - having learned my lesson the first time - I was quick to take a step away. But this time he didn't pee his pants and there was nothing visibly wrong with him, only he kept repeating the same thing over and over again in Korean.

This was a job, I figured, for a Korean teacher. But when I tracked one down she just sat there and stared at Kevin for a while as he repeated himself over and over again. I asked her what was wrong, she gave me a bewildered look and shrugged. "I don't understand his Korean."

Here I stop and think to myself "how, exactly, am I supposed to teach him complicated grammar concepts in a foreign language when he doesn't even speak his native language?" All I say out loud is 'oh'.

Luckily, his mother was there (she's like the lunch lady) and she sorted it out. I never did figure out what was wrong, though. Life is a well of tears; its a fountain of despair and turning four is not all its cracked up to be.

I didn't do anything for April Fools day this year. Last year, I posted on Facebook that I was moving to Morocco and what ensued was hilarity times ten. It helped that my roommate (Dani - I miss you!) was helping to egg everyone on. I was considering posting something on here to mess with whoever may be reading but since I'm so far removed that reassurance is more than just a phone call away I will refrain.