Winter Term and Another Holiday Far From Home

And so one school term ends and another begins.

I arrived in Pusan at the beginning of the Autumn term in August, and now, after a week of exams to determine which students would be "leveling up" to the next class and which would remain for another term, we have begun Winter term.

Each term is 13 weeks, and if I have not explained before, each day I teach a 3 hour class for elementary school students, directly followed by a 3 hour class for middle school students. I teach a wide variety of classes at various levels - reading, listening, memorization. And although at times my elementary students were a little rambunctious and my middle school kids could be sullen or painfully quiet, I was lucky Autumn term, and have grown very fond of my students.

As you all know by now, studies are taken very seriously in Korea, particulary at Chung Dahm, where I work. During training, we were taught a popular saying that roughly goes something like this - Don't wear jeans until Christmas and don't smile until Easter. I haven't been quite that formal (and no mind the jeans; we're prohibited from wearing them at my branch anyway) but there's an air of seriousness that dissipated slightly during the last week of Autumn term. I brought cookies for the kids and let them eat in class (usually against the rules). I arm-wrestled with them, asked them about their Christmas plans.

One of their final writing assignments was titled "Your Teacher!"
It's your last day of class, the paper read, "Your teacher has taught you a lot of important skills this term. You may have also learned a lot about your teacher!

The assignment (not written by me, I promise you) went on to ask the students questions about their teacher, including any unusual habits they found interesting. Here are some of my favorites from my students (exactly as written):

"I think Jeen is beautiful. Her hair color is red, and have freckles on cheeks. I think she is like skirts, because eccept today she only wear skirt," - Ben.

"I know something special about Jenn. First, she likes every skirts and always wears skirts. Not only today. Second, she has boyfriend in this CDI Academy, his name is Anthony. Every day, she meets him, and talk happily. Also, their cheeks turn red (Because they LOVE each other) - Jean.

"You have to eat too much. Because you are so thin. When you wear a skirt, it looks very very pretty (I want to grow up more!) Also, during the class it was very fun. You always kind for everyone. Your smile is pretty! Every body want...You!" - Halley

"She seemed like little strange because she always dresses skirts and clothes are very colorful. And her motions are very big like doing exercise. But I like to do motions very big so I like her," - Cindy.

"Jennifer Yael Green, the teacher of my reading class has red freckles and I think that is funny thing. Also, she look like Red hair Ann," - Brian.

"Teacher always wear some strange dress. and always drink Coke Zero and teacher bring strange bag. That bag is very similar with my mom's bags," - Hero.

I don't know if any other job review could beat these, and I am happy to report that quite a few of my students from last term joined my new classes this term, so I have the next three months to get to know them even better (and show them that I do in fact wear pants!)

Last week was Thanksgiving, and although we were without turkey or American football or even a day off from work, we managed to celebrate. On Thursday I rode the subway down to the Seamen's Club with several friends for Thanksgiving lunch before work. The place smelled of old people and the food wasn't the best, but we happily sipped on egg nog and ate until our bellies ached, which is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Since we had to work on the actual holiday, I bravely offered to host a real Thanksgiving dinner two days later, on Saturday. My friend Eric arrived at my studio apartment at 2pm, and proceeded to cook stuffing and gravy, while I simmered mulled wine and tried to make room for a dozen people. Last Thanksgiving was spent in my apartment in Buenos Aires where there was less people and far more chairs, but both seemed to be a success because of the wonderful company (and endless flow of wine....)

There were quite a few more Americans this year, and everyone prepared a dish, which resulted in a smorgasbord of a dinner: sweet potatoes, pasta, home-made salsa, pork and beans, salad, ice cream cake, and of course....chicken. After dinner, instead of watching sports and napping, we went to a local brewery and listened to a Bulgarian rock band and then danced in a Korean nightclub until the early hours of the morning, burning off all those calories. Hey, it may not have been a traditional Thanksgiving, but it sure was fun.

Now the Christmas season is upon us, although it doesn't feel quite the same as at home...no elaborate decorations in the grocery store, no twinkling lights on neighborhood homes, no old Christmas movies on television. The church directly across from my apartment building HAS put up wreaths though, and I've placed my chocolate advent calendar on my windowsill. I promise to sip some peppermint hot chocolate for Ash, put up a small Christmas tree for Mom, listen to Bing Crosby for Lo, and send all my love and best wishes for a happy holiday season to the rest of you....